Life as a small business owner can be crazy at times! If you had asked me four months ago if I thought that three of our Effie’s Paper products would be featured in a video with Ludacris & Flo Milli? I probably would have laughed because it seems crazy to think about. However, today the video is live and it’s exciting to have our products shared among so many amazing black-owned businesses.
What Is Black-Owned Friday?
Black-owned Friday is a campaign that Google has been doing for three years now. They feature black-owned businesses and products in their annual Black Friday video to drive support for them. This year’s message is that every day is a good day to shop Black. A message that I couldn’t agree with more! It goes hand in hand with our belief that the future is being shaped by Black Girl Magic.
How Did Our Feature Happen?
As crazy as this may sound, the opportunity came about in the form of an email. This is Google’s third year running this campaign and each year they research and invite companies to fill out a survey if they are interested in participating. A ton of companies apply and they try to feature as many as they can each time.
To be honest with you, we didn’t know much about what was going on with the campaign. We were asked to read and sign a release allowing them to use our products and company name for the campaign. They told us that if Effie’s Paper was selected, they would purchase the products they wanted to showcase themselves. So there was no real way to know for a while if we had been chosen.
Some time passed and they reached out again, letting us know that the campaign was going well and that they would be passing along social media assets soon. The whole experience is crazy to think about since as a small business owner I’m used to being involved in campaigns and social media spots produced by Google. I will say that I did not see this being the outcome of filling out a survey! Now the day is here and I’m able to share the final video with all of you, find it here.
Important Steps To Take
This process and opportunity made me think of a few key tidbits of information that I just want to share and make sure people hear. Especially if you are a small business owner like myself! Because while the entrepreneurial journey may be bumpy and busy at times, it’s moments like these that make everything worth it.
Never Stop Networking
No matter how long you have been a business, no matter how many conferences you have attended, and how people you meet, there’s always more networking to do. Networking is key; I go to networking events because you never know who you might meet.
And as a result of those chance meetings, you never know who might speak your name when you’re not in the room. So having people know your name and about your company is huge. Not every opportunity will happen overnight or be amazing, but the opportunities you do get and agree to will be worth it. This year we had an exclusive collection launch with Walmart… who saw that coming? Not me!
Branding Is KEY!
Take the time to think about your business tenets, colors and overall branding. If this is not your area of expertise, hire a branding expert. Your ROI (Return On Investment) is well worth the upfront cost. Anyone who’s ever encountered Effie’s Paper whether online, in person or on social media is familiar with our name, our logo, our colors and our motto. Your brand should represent who you are and what your company stands for. Effie’s Paper is a certified MWBE (Minority Owned Women Business Enterprise) that is run by women for women. Anyone who has shopped with us knows that we are a small black female-owned business.
While I’m not sure how exactly Google found us to send out the original email, I guarantee you it’s because we popped up somewhere as a black-owned small business based in New York. Whether it was a Google search or an Instagram hashtag search. Our branding and message are clear and consistent everywhere and it pays off.
Check Out The Campaign!
If you haven’t done so yet… now is the time to check out the campaign! Keep an eye out for the Effie’s Paper products featured. Hint: there are three of them throughout the video. Let me know your thoughts on the campaign below!
Stylishly Yours,
Kalyn
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