Home décor and furniture omnichannel company, Ballard Designs, turns 40 this year. How does a successful, mature brand stay on-trend in the fast-moving world of home fashion when the clock is ticking? TikTok.

Recent reporting on social media Trends & Behaviors by GWI marketing research confirms that social media use has leveled out worldwide, but

- TikTok alone grew 32% in the past two years.

- "And despite its youthful reputation, (TikTok) engagement has grown the most among Gen X and baby boomers," the GWI report concluded.

Home furniture and décor corporations that appeal to all ages have taken note.

Ballard launched its corporate TikTok channel in March of 2020 and has slowly built a following by serving up the latest looks in home décor and inspiring do-it-yourself decorators – with fun and a dry sense of humor.

"Witty little posts like this one work because our fans and customers love light-hearted visual snacks," notes Steve Dumas, Senior Director of Digital Marketing for Ballard Designs. "And everyone loves a gorgeous room!"

Creating a hit TikTok moment is like trying to catch lightening in a bottle, of course, especially when you're a corporation. The line between conversation and advertising is a fine one and takes a lot of luck and finesse to walk.

One of Ballard's most popular TikTok posts used actress Drew Barrymore's funny on-air rant against recessed lighting to highlight the company's selection of wall sconces. The company's post with that soundtrack really touched a nerve with interior design lovers while making them laugh.

By capitalizing on trending content, engaging early, and posting at least three times a week, companies like Ballard are using TikTok to build their brand story while the channel is still relatively uncluttered with commercial posts.

According to Ballard Designs social media specialist and videographer Kelley Bostian, "Some posts soar, some flatline. The best posts are really about people sharing laughs and ideas."

Director Dumas adds, "And when you're a commercial company, you want to avoid making people feel like they're being sold. Finding the trends and material, and then bringing it all together seamlessly is the hardest part," he confides. "But we will definitely keep trying. "

Since 1982, Ballard Designs® has offered a unique curation of home furnishings and décor from all periods and provenance. Its designers travel the world for inspiration, translating the latest trends in fashion, color and style into finely crafted products not found anywhere else. Ballard Designs is part of Qurate Retail GroupSM which includes QVC®, HSN®, Frontgate®, Garnet Hill® and Grandin Road®.

Social media and brand building are two crucial components of any business. These aspects of marketing allow companies to create an online presence and connect with their audience in a more personal and engaging way.

As a result, businesses can increase brand awareness, customer engagement, and loyalty. Furthermore, when a business has a strong brand, it stands out from the crowd and becomes far more memorable to potential customers.

In order to create a more sustainable base for your business, how can you turn this aspect of your business into a fun and creative experience?

WTF "We're The Funtrepreneurs" is a young family from Brisbane, QLD, specializing in social media and brand building. Matt Hamelink and Jordan Day, the brains behind the business, started their entrepreneurial journey in May 2019 with a mission to provide exceptional value to their communities by leveraging their knowledge of the online business space and marketing.

The powerhouse couple creates strong recognizable brands and sells high-ticket items while fostering an environment of acceptance, creativity, and fun. Through their personal approach, they empower entrepreneurs to reach new heights of success and make a positive impact on their industry.

Matt and Jordie faced significant challenges during the early stages of their business. They had to re-learn a lifetime of bad habits and recondition their minds with new thought patterns and behaviours, including learning better time management. They also had to block out negative and well-intentioned comments and trust in themselves and their abilities. According to the couple, "The opinions of others who have never tried for more do not pay for your bills or your dreams."

Their business model is unique as it is a 45-year-old pre-made and proven business model that you make your own, meaning you don't need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in overheads and start-up costs of most brick-and-mortar businesses. They also focus not only on the business and money, but also on the support system, money mindset, and community.

According to Matt and Jordie, less copy-and-paste trends with trending sounds/audio use, User Generated Content (UGC), and edutainment content will be trending in the coming years. “People want more real, unedited, off-the-cuff conversations. Creators will also start to be paid freelance style to create content for other brands without needing to post on their own socials. In addition, entertaining, informative content creation that makes people laugh, relate to, and learn at the same time in bite-size portions will be more apparent in the next 1-3 years.” the duo say.

The Funtrepreneurs are not your typical Instagram influencers. They are “the couple next door” who love a good pun and their animals. They have proven that with hard work, anyone can achieve success, even with less experience and qualifications than most.

They state that their success comes from having each other's back, choosing gratitude over feelings of lack, and being part of a supportive community, stating, "The community we are a part of really helped us succeed. It was amazing to see other people doing what we were doing and succeeding.”

Get ready to revolutionize your business's online presence and unlock the potential of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in 2023! The highly anticipated Reach More Clients Power Conference, hosted by Zhe Scott, CEO of The SEO Queen, is set to take place on Saturday, July 22, 2023. This game-changing event will be held at LA Create Space, located at 401 E Hillcrest Blvd I, Inglewood, CA 90301. Doors will open at 9am, with the conference starting promptly at 10am. This conference is jointly sponsored by the Los Angeles South Chamber of Commerce, Connected Women of Influence, FacilityAXS.net, and Courageous Woman Magazine. This conference is designed answer questions live and equip attendees with the latest strategies and the information of how to improve SEO for their brands.

According to Ahrefs.com, a staggering 90% of websites fail to attract any traffic from search engines, a critical issue considering that Google dominates online traffic. Zhe Scott, an accomplished entrepreneur, MIT alumna, and CEO of The SEO Queen, will reveal how your brand, business, non-profit, or ministry can tap into the 2 trillion searches conducted on Google annually. Under her leadership, The SEO Queen has generated over $250 million in revenue for her clients. Recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Initiative, Zhe Scott is a true trailblazer in the industry. "We're excited to announce the early bird registration deadline for our upcoming conference," said Zhe Scott, CEO of SEO Queen. "This is a great opportunity for businesses of all sizes to learn from the best in the industry and get ahead of the competition in SEO."

The 4th Annual Reach More Clients Power Conference offers attendees a unique opportunity to learn how to leverage AI, Chat GPT, SEO, and more. From the main stage, Dr. John Aden will delve into the fascinating world of AI, Chat GPT, and Bard, and demonstrate how showcasing how these cutting-edge technologies can supercharge SEO and digital marketing efforts. Adrienne Grace will share her expertise on making websites ADA compliant, inclusive and more effective for all users.

To secure your spot, register today at seoqueen.com/conference. Early Bird Virtual Tickets are $97. In-person tickets are $197, allowing you to attend in the vibrant atmosphere of the conference and network with attendees. For those seeking a truly VIP experience, early bird VIP tickets are available for $1,000. VIP ticket holders will enjoy a private meal, a swag bag filled with exclusive goodies, and VIP 1-on-1 access to Zhe Scott, The SEO Queen.

The Sketch Effect founder & CEO, William Warren, has released his first book, The Conquering Creative: 9 Shifts to Build an Unstoppable Creative Business, available now on Amazon and other retailers.

Endorsed by New York Times bestselling Author, Jon Acuff, President of Savannah College of Art and Design Paula Wallace, and bestselling author of the Sketchnote Handbook, Mike Rohde, The Conquering Creative is a must-have for any creative looking to grow his or her career or business.

"This is a business book… but it's for creative people," says Warren. "It's for any creative who has ever struggled with the business side of things, wants to take their freelance career to the next level, graduate with their art degree with confidence, or quit that day job to pursue full-time creative work."

The book has its origin in William's own story. Having successfully launched and scaled his creative business for the last ten years, Warren wanted to create a resource to help others do the same.

Drawing on lessons learned from nearly a decade of running a successful creative business, Warren breaks the book into three sections: shifts in thinking, shifts in actions, and shifts in outcomes.

Across the nine chapters of this book, Warren tells stories and shares anecdotes from the ups and downs of his own journey, along with practical advice, tips, and tools. Topics include sales, marketing and promotion, soft skills, productivity, pricing, systems and processes, strategy and vision, and many more.

The book also features 150 hand-drawn illustrations created by Warren himself.

"My book had to have illustrations… it had to!" he says. "First of all, illustration is my first love and any book of mine would be inauthentic without them. Second, visuals help to reinforce the ideas, making them more understandable and memorable. And finally, the illustrations make the book more fun!"

And fun is one of the goals Warren is aiming for with The Conquering Creative. In order to make a business book appealing to people who don't normally like business books, there is nearly an illustration, diagram or graphic on every page.

The book also features nine interviews with a diverse group of creative professionals and entrepreneurs, each representing a different creative field from graphic design to blogging.

"One of my favorite features of the book is the interviews with other 'Conquering Creatives'," added William. "The concepts in this book are so important that I didn't want it to come from just myself. I wanted a whole chorus of voices backing me up and reinforcing the core idea, which is 'You can do it! Business is not as hard as you think!' And they really knocked it out of the park with their advice and encouragement."