Category: SEO

Something that you are going to want to make sure of when it comes to any team under your employ is that they are operating as a team. If that happens, then everything is much more likely to come together as you would hope. You can expect to have everything done much quicker and more easily, you can hope for your individual team members to feel as though they are a part of something great, and you will find that you are much more likely to be able to keep on moving forwards as a group. But the question is: how can you make sure that your team actually feels like a team? Let’s take a look at some of the factors that might play an important role in that.

Uniform

Wearing uniform does a lot for a team. Not only is it important when it comes to customer-facing settings, so that your customers know who they can speak to and so on. But a uniform will also have a way of drawing your people together and making them feel much more like they are one and the same. The effect that this can have on how well they work together can be profound. Bear in mind that the uniform can either be official, in which case you will need to get some screen printing done of t-shirts with your logo on it and so on, or it might just be a case of asking them to wear certain kinds of clothing. In either case, you will find that it makes an enormous difference to how much of a team they feel to be.

Communication

Everyone in your team needs to be able to speak to everyone else. If there is this open mode of communication going on, it will make it much easier to be able to keep everything together as you would hope, and that is something that you are going to want to try and make sure that you focus on as best as you can. The best way to do that is to actively encourage open communication by being an example of it yourself. That means being able to talk about pretty much everything and anything, so that you can therefore all feel much more comfortable as a team. People will then feel able to say what they need to on the job, and the way that the team works as a unit will be much more effective.

Image Source – CCO Licence

Roles
Everyone needs to have their own roles, and the more that each person appreciates what their own role is in the grand scheme of things, the more likely it is that the team will work effectively and healthily as a whole. Those roles are something you should therefore make clear to each individual early on, and as long as you do that you will find that they are going to be much more able to do their job well anyway. This will ultimately bring your team together much more profoundly.

New year, new me – isn’t that what everyone says? But in your workplace, is that ever really the case? A break at Christmas is always will always do your team good, but do things ever really change on the 1st of January? 

Why not make this year different? Start the year off by getting your team together and plan for the year ahead. 

Here’s why a team away day is the perfect way to kick off the New Year.

It’s a good time for your team to connect

One of the best things about away days is that they get your team out of their usual office environment so that they can focus on things other than their day to day work. If typical staff meetings usually involve half your team on their phones or laptops, then you’ll notice a big difference with an away day.

While you’ll have opportunities to develop and share ideas, as well as discuss future plans, make sure your team has some fun too. Check out some amazing team building activities that will help everyone get the most out of the day.

It helps you set out the company’s priorities for the year

Communication is key to a motivated team. To become a strong leader for your business, it’s important that you spend time developing ideas with your team and helping them shape the work going forward. What is success worth to your company? Having a motivated, engaged workforce can be the first step towards taking your business to the next level. 

An away day at the start of the year can be an excellent way to get everyone together so that you can layout the priorities for the coming year and make sure everyone has the chance to have their say. You will need to set your business goals and priorities for the coming year and make sure staff understand what their role is in this. It’s also a good opportunity to consult with your teams about what they think the company’s priorities should be for the year ahead.

They can lead to some fantastic ideas

Getting everyone out of the office provides you with the perfect environment for brainstorms and idea-sharing. If there are some big projects on the horizon, this can be a fantastic way to kick things off and have everyone contribute their ideas – something that can help improve staff retention and boost engagement. It helps if you break down into smaller groups for this and then feedback collectively at the end so that everyone can hear the ideas and discussions that have taken place. Who knows, you could even nail some tough projects before January has even really begun!

You might not get a better opportunity

Getting teams together is often a challenge for businesses. Everyone can be so busy with their work that getting everyone together can feel impossible. January is the perfect time for an away day. Everyone is fresh from the Christmas break, and nobody will have got stuck into anything too meaty during their first week back. 

With a New Year nearly here, signalling a fresh start for your business, why not put a plan in place to start your year off with a team away day and see the positive results it could bring to your business?

Blogging is a fantastic modern business model, and it’s one you can make the most of with a unique viewpoint and a way with words. Pair this with the ability to schedule posts and interact with readers, and you could be thinking about leaving the 9-5 in no time. 

The only issue is that, in itself, blogging doesn’t always pay. To make that happen, you also need to think about ways to supplement your income, such as affiliate work and, as we’ll be discussing here, merchandise. 

Creating your own brand of goodies can be a lucrative option indeed. In fact, this is perhaps the most controlled income source bloggers have, as it doesn’t rely on outside companies. Instead, merch done right could see you in total control of your earnings.

The trouble is that, for many bloggers, merch doesn’t exactly fly off the shelves. If your t-shirts are currently gathering dust while your finances dwindle, then keep reading to find out what you can do about it.

Find new ways to bring merch to your audience

It’s rarely enough to put merch on your blog shop and hope for the best, especially to start. Loyal readers might buy a t-shirt here or there, but big sales are unlikely to come your way. Instead, think about new ways to bring merch to audiences. Blogging events will be your primary option here, and investing in fun merch displays like custom arcade machines or interactive displays can add real interest. These fun options could even draw non-readers to your stand and, hopefully, result in sales and a new readership.

Create non-obvious C.T.As

Once merch is live, some of your content should focus around drumming up sales. That said, a sudden switch to ad-heavy calls to action can be incredibly off-putting. It’s a catch 22 situation alright, but it’s one you can overcome by merely turning your attention to less obvious ad-based posts. Subtle links that don’t mention your merch until the end, or even directly at all, can work best. Make sure, too, that you’re merging these posts with standard content that keeps readers amused and hooked.

Cut your losses and work on something else

Few bloggers hit on the ideal merchandise lines the first time they try. If your stuff really isn’t selling, then it’s crucial you know when to call it a day. Trying to flog gear that your readership clearly doesn’t want will only ever set you back, after all. This doesn’t mean your old stuff needs to be a total waste, as it can still help you to work out what went right and what didn’t. Using this knowledge, you can invest in a new merch line that will (hopefully) sell a lot better than the first.

Magic merchandise isn’t easy to come by, and it’s not unusual for sales to falter. Luckily, by taking these tips into account, you should find that you can start to pull a profit fit to keep your full-time blog efforts afloat at last.