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5 Ways that COVID-19 has Reshaped Consumer Behavior

There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, and play. And for those of us in the marketing field, we’ve seen countless challenges to our pre-pandemic methods for reaching our audience. So many, in fact, that it’s hard to know where to start. But with a little bit of insight into 5 ways that COVID-19 has reshaped consumer behavior, we can figure out fresh, exciting ways to reach our customers during this “new normal.”

Read on to learn more about the impact that COVID-19 has had on your potential customers.

#1 Buying Local

As communities watched small mom-and-pop businesses struggle to stay above water during the initial pandemic, many banded together to support them through “buy local” efforts. You may have seen your Facebook or Instagram feeds filled with this message as these local small businesses fought unexpected shutdowns in March and April. And as the pandemic continued to gain strength, so did the “buy local” movement. Consumers were living in unprecedented times, and they wanted to support the local economy and do business with brands they can trust.

So what does this mean for your business? Put simply, it’s time to increase brand awareness among your community, no matter how prominent your business has become. Customize your product or service to meet the needs of those closest to you and engage in your community in ways that are relevant to your industry and the difficult times we’re facing.

#2 A Focus on Needs

When the pandemic began rearing its ugly head, people tried to predict the potential impact on the economy and, ultimately, their families. Would there be a food shortage? Should we add more per month to our savings? Should we cut non-essential spending?

No one knew what was coming, and this caused a shift from buying non-essential or even luxury items to only buying “the basics,” all in the name of financial security. If you sell a non-essential product or service, you most likely saw a dip (or maybe even a scary decrease) in demand.

To combat this challenge, businesses that sell non-essentials need to pivot to stay afloat. In this market, you’ll need to make your product or service irresistible. This could mean lowering your prices or offering additional, more essential products until the pandemic is over. Some companies just switched up their products or services altogether, and who knows if they’ll ever return to the business they had in mind when they first started.

#3  Increased Online Shopping

With quarantine forcing most of us indoors, e-commerce became our only choice when it came to shopping. Of course, some companies did well with this conversion — namely, those who were already making most of their sales online. However, other businesses scrambled to get organized and make a way for customers to buy online. Several months in, most of the businesses who survived are characterized by their ability to switch up their game when it came to how to deliver their products or services. Those who refused to change, unfortunately, have struggled to make ends meet or have closed altogether.

Once consumers have realized the relative ease of shopping online, we will probably see an uptick in their engagement with e-commerce brands. Even when the pandemic finally comes to a close, brands can expect a higher consumer dependence on online shopping. This means that, if they haven’t already found ways to sell online, businesses will need to do so soon or risk closure.

#4 Increased Focus on Personal Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has understandably caused consumers to take a good hard look at their own health. Of course, as people have begun to prioritize healthy living, we’ve seen an increased focus on brands that promote both physical and mental well being.

Businesses that can offer products or services that can contribute to their customers’ health will set themselves apart from the pack, especially during and post-pandemic.

#5 Experiencing Brands

Forced inside and isolated from their communities, most consumers can agree on one thing: the boredom is real. This leaves an open opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves by offering experiences and inspiration where others just offer a simple product or service. Consumers are looking for more than just a “scroll and shop.” They are now expecting to be drawn in with more than just a good deal.

Brands should take advantage of their potential customers’ new need for entertainment and motivation. Emotional engagement leads to sales, and online experiences are the new key to drawing a crowd.

Changing With The Times

As COVID-19 shifts consumer needs, wants, and mindsets, successful marketing teams must make the shift as well. In light of the 5 ways that COVID-19 has reshaped consumer behavior that we talked about above, what changes should you make to your marketing strategy to maintain and increase your customer pool?

Read More Here: 5 Ways that COVID-19 has Reshaped Consumer Behavior

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4 Ways to Identify and Develop Your Unique Selling Proposition

If you want to distinguish yourself from the competition, it’s important to identify and develop your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Put simply, your USP is a summary of what is unique about your business and how your business adds value to your current or potential customers.

Your USP can also help you identify and narrow monthly or yearly goals. When you understand how you’re different (and hopefully better) than the competition, you can establish goals and marketing initiatives that help you grow.

Your USP: Why It’s Necessary

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Sometimes there are too many choices, making it difficult for you to know who to trust with your hard-earned money. Do you choose the first option to pop up on your Google search? Or, when doing your research, do you choose the company that will add value that its competitors can’t add?

Understandably, your business’s USP is vital because it shows the customer why you’re the right company to choose and in what ways you’re different and better than the competition.

#1 Conceptualize Your Business and the Competition

Before you can develop a USP, you’ll need to spend some time brainstorming. Ask yourself — and then write down — what makes your company unique, what your ideal customer’s pain points are, and how your product or service addresses those problems. If you’re struggling to figure out what makes your company, product, or service unique, just throw down ideas whether or not you assume them to be “good” ideas. You might find that your business is unique for some seemingly insignificant reason, like the way you interact with your customers, your commitment to community service, the simplicity of your pricing, or even your methods of production.

Your next step is to research the competition and compare what they’re offering to the list of ideas you’ve just compiled. Do you see any differentiation? Are you offering something that they’re not? Look at their ads, their social media presence, their website, and their offerings. Ask yourself: in what way can we set ourselves apart from them?

#2 Narrow Your Audience and Speak to Them Directly

This one might make you nervous, but hear me out. Determining your target audience makes marketing to them that much easier. In other words, if you know who you’re talking to, you’ll know just what to say.

Think about the customers who would benefit most from your product or service and sell to them, but make sure that your marketing focus is setting your business apart in their eyes. For example, if you know that your target audience is frustrated by confusing pricing and expensive add-ons, speak to this pain point and explain how your pricing is never-changing with no charge for extra add-ons (or whatever marketing plan addresses this pain point best). Your USP should directly correlate to the needs or frustrations of this audience, which makes differentiation much easier.

#3 Make Your USP Your Motto

Work on paring down your USP into a short, memorable phrase that your audience can latch onto. Then, center everything you do around this messaging. Put it in your ads, email campaigns, on your website and social media, and embody this uniqueness in your relationship and communication with customers.

#4 Focus on Repetition

Now that you’ve got your USP defined and pared down into an effective motto, make this messaging the focal point of your marketing campaigns. If you’re doing a good job of conveying your USP through all of your customer-facing messaging, your customers should be able to tell others what makes you stand out.

Don’t just BE unique; TELL your audience HOW you’re unique. It’s all about communicating that same message (albeit packaged in different, creative ways) over and over again until your USP becomes synonymous with your business name.

Your Uniqueness Sells!

Your USP sets you apart from your competition, and that means more sales. When customers begin to see that choosing you means they’ll get value that they can’t get anywhere else, you’re sure to keep them coming back for more (and, hopefully, telling their friends and family all about your business). Your uniqueness sells, so make it the center of all you do!

See Full Article Here: 4 Ways to Identify and Develop Your Unique Selling Proposition

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5 Marketing Trends for the Covid-19 Era

Who would have thought that a global pandemic would rock 2020? Just four short months ago, life was plugging along as usual, and businesses were implementing their 2020 marketing strategy to reach their yearly goals. But then, all of a sudden, COVID-19 had us hunkered down in our homes, just trying to figure out how to keep business afloat amidst so much uncertainty.

In this article, we’re going to discuss some of the latest, COVID-era-induced marketing trends that deserve your consideration. Hopefully, you’ll find some tips for pivoting your marketing strategy to reach both old and new customers in new ways.

#1 Create Featured Snippets

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the term, “featured snippets,” you’ve undoubtedly encountered them — most likely daily — when you’ve typed a question into Google Search. When I searched, “What is a Featured Snippet?,” I got — you guessed it! — a featured snippet or short “answer box” at the top of my Google search results. Check it out below!

For virtually any question you ask, Google will provide an answer at the top of your results page. So, what do featured snippets have to do with marketing? Well, they have an 8% click-through rate, which means an increase in traffic to your website. If you want your snippets to be featured, simply create content that answers the specific questions that your audience may have. Your goal is to get Google to choose your featured snippet when people ask questions related to your field.

#2 Offer Online Purchases

E-commerce is where it’s at. Why? Because in-store shopping is not (at least for the foreseeable future). That’s why it’s important to give your customers the option to make their purchases online. Getting this hands-off approach up and running might take some work in the beginning, but the benefits are endless. Now you can reach customers right where they are. And when all of this pandemic stuff is behind us, you’ll have two avenues for selling: online and in-store.

#3 Optimize for Mobile

Speaking of online purchases, your customers are searching and buying from their smartphones like never before. So, how can YOU reach people who aren’t leaving the house by who are also glued to their phones? Mobile optimization is key. There has literally never been a better time than now to invest in upgrading to a mobile-friendly website. Your customers need to be able to find your website quickly (whether they’re on their PC or smartphone or tablet), peruse it without confusion or lagging, and purchase without going into a store.

#4 Try Shoppable Social Media

Like we said above, COVID-19 has changed the sales game. People are making the majority of their purchases through online avenues, one of which is social media. That’s why you should consider shoppable social media so you can reach the customers who choose not to venture out of the home to make purchases. Allow in-app purchases so that customers don’t have to leave the app to buy — the more clicks, the higher the likelihood they’ll give up and get back to scrolling.

#5 Get Back to Basics

With all the chaos and uncertainty in the market today, customers are craving the old-fashioned basics from businesses. That’s why many brands are focusing heavily on trust, loyalty, and strong customer service. These foundational concepts make a difference to customers who are unsure of what the future holds. When they feel cared for and valued, they have no need to look elsewhere to spend their money.

The Bottom Line

The marketing game is changing faster than ever before, and we’ve got to change with it or risk being left in the dust. COVID-19 may have done a number on our marketing strategies for 2020, but look at the bright side: all of this chaos forces you and your team to see what you’re really made of. Your creativity and innovation in tough times can propel your business into next level numbers if you approach it with an open mind. We don’t know what’s just around the corner, but try to embrace change and roll with the punches when it comes to reaching an even broader customer base.

See More Here: 5 Marketing Trends for the Covid-19 Era

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6 Reasons To Include Content Marketing In Your Strategy

You’ve heard it before: “Content is king.” And while other new marketing techniques may have your attention, content marketing is still a big player when it comes to bringing in customers and establishing credibility in your industry. Below, we’re going to talk about 6 reasons to include content marketing in your strategy. Let’s get straight to it.

#1 Build Trust and Credibility

Content such as how-to blog articles, podcasts, case studies, or interviews allows you to show off your expertise in your niche and help your potential customers at the same time. Content marketing will not only build your credibility as an expert, but it will also help you build trust with your audience which is essential for brand loyalty.

Make a list of the problems or pain points that your target audience experiences and develop content that helps them find solutions. And don’t use your content to sell, sell, sell. The purpose of content marketing is to help customers and establish your brand, which will lead to organic sales eventually anyway.

#2 Build Brand Awareness

Do people know about your products or services? Do you have a reputation in your niche? If not, content marketing can help you change that. When people land on your website to get answers or find solutions, you increase brand awareness organically. Use your content to showcase your expertise, as we said above, and to increase traffic to your website. It’s a win-win.

#3 Get More Leads, Keep More Customers

It’s all about generating leads, right? And content marketing allows you to reach a pool of customers who might have otherwise not engaged with your brand. When you provide relevant, timely, and helpful content, you draw in new leads. Plain and simple.

Content also keeps customers coming back for more. People are more likely to return to a resource that has helped them in the past. Once they begin to depend on you to provide relevant content as an expert in your field, your customers will think of you when they have a need related to your niche.

#4 Rank Higher in Searches

Your content affords you the opportunity to weave in keywords that will help you rank higher in Google search. The more you post relevant content, the higher your authority, and that means more traffic to your website. We all know that no one (well, almost no one) ventures past the first page of search results, so the higher and longer you rank, the better!

Also, if you post quality content, other businesses will want to link to your website, which further expands your audience. Plus, these “backlinks” are great for your site’s SEO. Want to rank higher? Backlinks are a significant part of getting you there.

#5 Attract Your Target Customer

Yes, the purpose of content marketing is to attract leads, but you don’t want unqualified leads that will never result in a sale. Instead, you want to attract your target customer, your ideal buyer, so that you don’t waste time with the uninterested. So, how does content marketing bring in the ideal customer? Put simply, only those who are interested in your industry will search out your content. And only those who search out your content will click your CTAs and end up perusing your landing page and viewing your products or services. This means that quality leads will be considering purchasing from you.

#6 Get People Marketing FOR You

When your content is valuable, relevant, and solves a problem, you can expect people to want to share it to benefit others in their social circles. And when that happens, there’s almost no limit to how many people can stumble upon your content in their feeds. Just make sure that, when you create content, you do so with purpose. People won’t share content that didn’t help them in any way.

Time to Create More Content

There’s no time like the present to start creating and posting quality content as a part of your marketing strategy. Add content marketing to your strategy, and welcome those organic leads!

Source Here: 6 Reasons To Include Content Marketing In Your Strategy

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12 Versatile Marketing Approaches To Consider When You Need To Do Something Different

The world has changed over the last several months, and businesses of all kinds are trying to figure out marketing strategies that will work going forward.

It may be time to try something totally new and different from your normal routine to create some energy and get sales moving.

Depending on your industry, there are lots of options for you to choose from that you may have not considered in the past, but are worth a look now.

Read on to learn about 12 versatile marketing approaches and which of them will work best for your business.

#1 Cause Marketing

What values or beliefs are the heart behind your business? When you know what your business cares most about, you can use cause marketing to get your customers to kill two birds with one stone by purchasing your product or service. For example, for every item purchased, your business will plant a tree. Not an environmentalist? That’s okay. For every service you sell, donate to a local shelter or soup kitchen. No matter what cause you choose to support, this type of marketing goes far beyond brand awareness and reveals the heart of who you are as a company.

#2 Close Range Marketing (CRM)

CRM allows you to send messages about your products or services to customers who are within close range to your business. When they’re passing by, why not take advantage of this quick and easy method to get them in the door?

#3 Relationship Marketing

Want to ditch all the cheesy sales tactics? Your customer base will likely thank you for it. Instead, opt for relationship marketing. Simply focus your attention on making connections with your customers — whether that’s through face-to-face relationship-building, through social media, or through email. Instead of focusing on how to get the sale, focus on the person behind it. You’ll be surprised how easily this method translates into customer loyalty (and even more sales) down the road.

#4 Transactional Marketing

On the other hand, maybe you’re finding that relationship marketing just isn’t enough cutting it. Transactional marketing could be the better option, as it focuses on maximizing individual sales transactions through coupons, discounts, and sales.

#5 Word-Of-Mouth Marketing

Everyone knows that word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. But how can you maximize it for the benefit of your company? Put simply, when you wow your customers at every turn, you won’t have to ask them to share your company with their friends and families. This means curating a stellar customer experience from start to finish. When you’ve got that down, word-of-mouth marketing is a natural result.

#6 Call to Action (CTA) Marketing

With so much dependence on technology these days, you can’t afford to neglect the web when it comes to your marketing strategy. CTA marketing is a method of getting your online visitors to engage with your brand through your ad or landing page design. Whether it’s to “click here for more information” or to “submit an email address in order to access a promo code,” your CTAs lead your web traffic to where you want them to go.

#7 Email Marketing

Speaking of technology, email marketing is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to reach many customers with just a few keystrokes. Through this avenue, you can offer discounts, convey new product or service info, announce upcoming events or product launches, or solicit sales.

#8 Event Marketing

Join or create your own event in order to create some buzz and invite potential customers to engage with your brand. Invite other businesses that complement what you’re trying to achieve, set out brochures and business cards, engage your customers face-to-face, and hype it up on social media. This is a trustworthy method to increase brand awareness and turn on-the-fencers into customers.

#9 Inbound Marketing

If your business takes incoming calls for any reason, use this opportunity to sell your products or services. Of course, you’ll need to have a plan for meeting your customers’ needs so that you’re not trying to sell to the wrong audience. However, a little bit of script planning for diverse target audiences can make your inbound call marketing successful.

#10 Freebie Marketing

Everyone loves FREE. With freebie marketing, you simply promote free product or service giveaways to create a buzz around your business. Once your customers have experienced your product or service and come back for more, you can then sell additional products or services to meet their needs and boost your own sales.

#11 Content Marketing

Over the past couple of years, content marketing has become somewhat of a must-have for those wishing to boost online brand awareness. This method involved writing and publishing content (such as podcast articles, blog articles, expert interviews, or how-tos) to educate potential customers about your products and services. Of course, they don’t lead directly to a sale in most cases, but they do meet a real need for your audience.

#12 Social Media Marketing

People want to be social on social media. And it says a lot about your business and how much you care for your customers when you reply to your followers’ comments, concerns, or questions. Create that online relationship to boost customer loyalty.

And That’s Not All…

Of course, there are countless methods for marketing your business, and as technology changes, we can expect even more. However, the right combination of the methods covered above can take your marketing strategy to the next level. It may be time to shake things up and try something new!

Original Post Here: 12 Versatile Marketing Approaches To Consider When You Need To Do Something Different

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5 Ways to Optimize Your Social Profiles to Generate More Leads

No doubt, your business has some sort of social media presence. And, hopefully, you’re using it to rake in leads like nobody’s business. But if you’re struggling in the lead department, or if you just want more paying customers (always a good goal), you can implement the following 5 ways to optimize your social profiles to start generating more leads. Let’s get started!

#1 Link to Freebies

Take a look at your content, and pick your most intriguing ebook, video, blog article, or white paper. Then, add a link to that freebie in your social media bio. That way, if someone wants access to that valuable content, all they have to do is input their email address. Now you’ve got information that will allow you to grow the connection between business and prospect.

#2 Add Keywords

Your bio, even if it’s short and sweet, should contain relevant keywords for your industry. That way, when a potential customer conducts a Google search, your business’s social profile pops up. So, how do you know what keywords to weave into your bio?

You’ll want to search keywords that your competition is using and choose those that your customers would be likely to use for a search, but that also isn’t widely used (making them harder to compete for).

For example, if you run a floor covering business, you don’t want to choose simple keywords like “hardwood floors.” Obviously, there will be high competition for such a keyword. Instead, choose the city in which you do business and combine it with a longtail keyword that would be highly searchable, like this: “Nashville’s Best Professional Flooring Company.”

#3 Tag Your Location

If you want more local leads, you can get them with just a simple tag. Whenever you make a post, tag your location. These posts get higher engagement anyway, and this tag will help local potential customers find you. When you tag your location, you also organically filter out those who may be living halfway across the world and unable to take buy from you.

Of course, if you don’t have a brick and mortar store, you can still tag your location to increase awareness of your site in your community, but you should also make it clear that your product or service is available to virtually anyone!

#4 Include Good CTAs

It’s hard to get anywhere with a prospect if you don’t have a call to action. Imagine a potential customer scrolling through your profile, interested and ready to buy. But, then, they can’t seem to figure out how to follow through with the purchase or they’re interested in reading your blog, but they can’t find it.

Frustration is the last thing you want a customer to feel when it comes to your business, so include clear CTAs. Consider what the “next steps” are when it comes to engaging your leads and provide a CTA that will take them straight to it.

Each social media platform works a little bit differently when it comes to CTAs, but they’re all relatively easy to implement right away. Facebook allows you to add a CTA button to your page, Instagram allows you to add action buttons to your profile, LinkedIn offers some CTA options, and Twitter only allows you to add CTAs in your bio or posts (you can’t set up buttons like the other platforms).

#5 Include a Phone Number

Most of the action on your social profiles is now happening on smartphones, so one of the simplest ways to get a conversation started with your prospect is by including your phone number in your profile.

That almost seems too easy, right?!

Make sure it’s a number that is likely to get answered, has voicemail, and can receive text messages so you can capture leads in every way possible.

You’re Just Five Steps Away!

Implementing the methods listed above will help you optimize for more leads, so don’t wait! Put your social media profiles to work for your business.

Post Source Here: 5 Ways to Optimize Your Social Profiles to Generate More Leads

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6 Top Marketing Strategies That You Can’t Afford to Ignore in a Bad Economy

Times are tough, but there are ways to mitigate the impact on your business. As you read this, I’m sure you are currently considering — or already have considered — the various ways that an economic downturn could affect your business, and what marketing strategies can keep you competitive.

No matter how difficult it may seem to invest time and energy into marketing, consider these 6 marketing strategies that are high-impact and high-ROI - even in the worst of times.

#1 Ramp Up Email Marketing

Why? Because email marketing is cost-effective, takes little time, and delivers content directly to prospects and current customers. If you haven’t already, get started building a list of both of these groups and begin creating targeted email campaigns for not only these broader groups (of customers and prospects) but smaller demographic groups within each. By addressing each unique group’s needs, you have a higher likelihood of increased sales.

And don’t skip on the automation; that’s how you’ll save time in the long run. Once you’ve separated prospects and customers in groups based on past purchases or perceived needs, automate and personalize emails for these readers. The more relevant the content, the higher the engagement. Also, don’t forget a call to action that urges your readers to take a step closer to purchasing from you.

Don’t forget: every good email campaign includes a plan for following up. Don’t give up when your readers don’t take the bait immediately. Create a plan for reaching out again, and create some sort of urgency so that they are more likely to engage this time around.

#2 Leverage Current Customers

Of course, it’s much easier to keep a customer than to find a new one. That’s why it’s so critical in a bad economy to take good care of your current customers. And, while you’re at it, you can make them “loyal customer” offers that help you make more sales while also meeting their needs at a discounted price.

Specifically, incentivize repeat purchases in upsells. You’ll engender loyalty, and you’ll find another way to bring in more money. And, hey, if you’re impressive enough, you may even get some referrals out of it. After all, people LOVE to share a good experience with their friends and family.

#3 Analyze Past Success and Failure

You can’t get a good read on where to cut and where to spend if you’re not sure what’s worked in the past. So, when the economy begins to dip, it’s time to spend some time analyzing what’s worked and what hasn’t in the past several months. Are your email campaigns bringing in new customers? Are some of your ads leading to conversions and some leading nowhere? Are people engaging with your blog content?

When you know the answers to the questions above, you can dedicate more time, energy, and money to strategies that work and cut the budget on those that don’t.

#4 Optimize Your Website

SEO helps you position yourself as a credible and strong business, above the competition in your industry. If customers can find you quickly with a google search, they assume you’re the best option for their needs. On the other hand, if your business doesn’t appear on the first page of search results, you can just forget about customers finding you unless they are deliberately searching solely for your company.

So, how do you optimize for SEO? First, you’ve got to determine which keywords (a string of words used by customers to conduct a Google search) you will need to use to compete. Then, weave these keywords into your website content, your blog article content, and your URLs, picture captions, and subheadings.

Of course, SEO can be a pretty complicated topic, so if you want to move beyond the basics, you can take an SEO course or hire someone who knows all about how to make your company stand out.

#5 Ask For Reviews and Testimonials

This one is simple but effective. In an economic downturn, you’ve got to be able to compete. That means having more positive reviews and testimonials than other companies in your industry. When customers are considering which business to choose for their needs, they check reviews. If you don’t have a considerable amount, or if the ones you do have aren’t impressive, you can’t expect people to choose you.

So, what do you do? Reach out to your current or prior customers and incentivize them to review you. Offer a one-time discount or a short trial — whatever will get them to take a few moments to talk you up. The more, the better!

#6 Remarket to Prior Visitors

Increase your likelihood of closing a sale by marketing to those who have already shown interest. This is called remarketing, a relatively new technique that tracks users who have visited your website. Then, you are able to market to that person, with a Facebook Ad for example, because you know they’ve already shown interest in what your business has to offer.

Pressing Forward with a Solid Marketing Strategy

Of course, a down economy means that you have to adjust the way you market to potential customers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t realize success. As buyers’ needs and budgets change, so too will your marketing strategy. And when you make those necessary changes, you can effectively reach your audience — whether old or new — and maintain the growth of your business.

See Full Article Here: 6 Top Marketing Strategies That You Can’t Afford to Ignore in a Bad Economy

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7 Ways to Use Text Messaging to Drive More Sales

A large majority of your audience is probably attached — more than they want to admit — to their phones. So, as you seek to drive more sales, you’ve got to meet your customers where they are. Sending out engaging text messages is one of the latest ways to increase your numbers, but you’ve got to know how to go about it and what text tactics to avoid.

Read on to learn 7 ways to use text messaging to drive more sales.

#1 Incentivize Engagement

You want to find out what your customers want and need so that you can stay relevant. Text messages can help you stay relevant by allowing you to profile your customers and target ads that bring solutions to them.

So, how do you do it? Send out a personalized text (with the customer’s name included) that asks a survey question and that incentivizes them to answer it.

For example, if you and your team have been curious about customers’ preferences regarding your current or future products, simply ask! In that same message, give them some motivation to respond — like a prize for the first ten people to respond or a discount on their next purchase.

Then, gather this information and create a targeted marketing strategy that is as relevant as it is effective.

One quick note: this strategy helps you understand your audience, but it can backfire if you overuse it. Customers will be turned off if they receive too much text communication from your business, so be precise about when and how often you reach out.

#2 Encourages Reviews, Testimonials, and Referrals

Word-of-mouth is an effective tool for small and large businesses alike. So, you’ll want to reward your customers when they tell others about you. Whether it’s a positive Google review, a detailed testimonial, or a referral to friends or family, send those loyal customers a text message thanking them for their kind words with a discount code for a future purchase. Not only will your customer appreciate the kudos, but they’ll also be more likely to continue with the positive press.

Another idea: Consider sending a text out to those who haven’t reviewed your business yet, and offer them an incentive to do so!

#3 Celebrate Special Occasions

Remember tip #1? If you use your survey texts to ask your customers about their special occasions (like birthdays or anniversaries), you can reach out to them later and offer special deals to help them celebrate. Of course, people LOVE discounts, so this is just another way to bring them back into the fold if they may not have purchased in a while.

#4 Remind Customers of Current Sales and Promotions

If you’ve got a sale going on, your customers should know. After all, some customers may have a need (or desire) for your product or service, and your text about your sale or promotion could just be the catalyst that leads them to seal the deal.

Simply send out a quick text telling your customers what’s going on and how they can purchase. You can even include a link to your website in the text so that customers can find the deal and purchase easily and quickly.

#5 Inform Customers About the Latest and Greatest

Are you releasing a new product or service soon? If so, create a little bit of anticipation by informing your loyal customers about it. You could also offer them a discount if they pre-order, or you could give them a one-time promo code if they share the news with their friends on social media. Use text messaging as just one more effective tool to get the word out about exciting news.

#6 Automate for Scheduling and Important Info

Make your life — and your customers’ lives — a little easier by using text messaging to schedule appointments. When you send out calendar-related texts, you can provide a link that allows customers to schedule themselves on your calendar. Then, you can also use an automated text system to remind them of their appointment, webinar, class, or consultation with you.

You can also use text messaging to send out important practical information, like updated service hours or new rules/regulations. For example, if your customers must arrive 10 minutes prior to an appointment to fill out paperwork, you could easily convey this with an automated text. If you provide a product instead of a service, you could send out instructions for use or other practical information via automated text.

#7 Improve Customer Experience

Improving every customer’s experience is a vital aspect of any well-run business. Use text message surveys to determine what your strengths and weaknesses are, and give your customers an incentive for providing this critical feedback. Then, use this data to get better at the whole customer experience.

The Bottom Line

Sales is an ever-changing game of finding ways to get your customer’s attention and present your message. Incorporate these text messaging strategies into your sales and marketing mix and meet your customers where their attention is already focused - their phones!

Source Here: 7 Ways to Use Text Messaging to Drive More Sales

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Paid Versus Organic Marketing: What They Are and How to Use Them

Both paid and organic marketing have a place in your marketing strategy, but what are they and how can you get the most out of both methods? Read on to learn more!

What Are Organic and Paid Marketing?

Organic Marketing

Organic Marketing is less costly than paid (hence the name). Instead of spending lots of money on ads, with organic marketing, you’ll find yourself expanding your social media presence and content marketing (like blog articles, videos, or social media posts). Old-school word-of-mouth falls under this marketing category, as does search engine optimization. Also worth noting is that organic marketing may be lower in cost, but it does take quite a bit of time to work this strategy effectively.

What will organic marketing cost me?

If you choose to incorporate this type of marketing into your strategy, you’ll likely pay for things like blog article writing/editing, video editing, social media post writing and management, and the tools to get them done well. You’ll also (technically) pay with your time, as organic marketing is all about building relationships— making connections on social media, responding to questions on a Facebook post, and creating effective videos that help your audience in some way.

You’ll find that organic marketing, although time-consuming, is necessary in helping you build the relationships that are critical to your long-term success as a business.

What does an organic marketing strategy look like?

People looking to purchase your product or service will likely find you through an internet search, or they could stumble upon you when seeking information. That’s why your blog, your search engine optimization, and your social media are important because they lead people to you through organic means.

To establish effective organic marketing, you’ll want to consider the following methods:

Publish SEO-optimized blog posts on a regular basis. These would not be braggadocious ads designed as articles. Instead, you’d want to write about the topics (related to your business, of course) that your audience cares about. Keep these articles consistent (1 or 2 a week), share them on your social media platforms, and make sure that you engage with the conversation that ensues in the comment thread.

Repurpose your blog articles in your monthly email newsletter so that you can reach people who may not necessarily be scrolling through social media.

When you post content, tag influencers or other brands and then evaluate engagement. Determine which posts bring the most attention and adjust your future content to meet the perceived needs of your audience.

Encourage referrals among your loyal customers. Typically, the recommendation or friends or family goes further than a paid ad.

Paid Marketing

Unlike organic marketing, paid marketing has a higher initial cost. It involves paying for ads, whether on social media or on search engines, and it takes much less time than organic marketing, with typically further reach.

What will paid marketing cost me?

You may be wondering what you’re paying for. Of course, as we talked about above, you’ll be paying to post ads in various places in order to reach as many potential customers as possible.

But there are other costs that are associated with those ads. Think of it this way, for each ad that you post — let’s say, on Facebook, for example — you’ll need to create a product or landing page so that interested customers can make a purchase. Depending on the size of your business, you may have a dedicated staff member or team for these projects. If not, you’ll need to hire a freelancer or company to complete these projects for you.

Also, you’ll need the tools to analyze the results of your ad strategy. Of course, these tools are worth their weight in gold as they allow you to determine your ads’ effectiveness and pivot your strategy if need be.

What does a paid marketing strategy look like?

Unlike the long-game of organic marketing that involves waiting on potential customers to engage with your content, paid marketing is a push — on your part — that gets quick results.

To establish effective paid marketing, you’ll want to consider the following methods:

Push out consistent and optimized ads and determine their effectiveness in helping you reach goals. Adjust ads based on analysis of engagement.

Determine which ads perform the best and put more money into expanding their reach.

At the end of your ad campaign, take another look at ads to determine your ROI, and adjust future ad strategies by using what you’ve learned from this campaign.

Should you incorporate both paid and organic marketing?

The short answer? Yes. It’s a good idea to diversify your marketing techniques to reach a larger audience and get more predictability in your opportunity pipeline. Each person who engages with your brand is different, and different strategies may work with different folks.

Whether your blog article is the hook or whether your paid social media ad brings in a new customer — either way, you’re making a sale, so incorporate both organic and paid marketing into your strategy and tweak them until they work just right for your business.

Read Full Article Here: Paid Versus Organic Marketing: What They Are and How to Use Them

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8 Free Marketing Strategies That You May Have Overlooked

Trying to put together a solid marketing strategy with a low budget? Sounds too good to be true, I know, but it’s possible with some consistency and creativity. Below, I’ll go over 8 free marketing strategies that you may have overlooked, but that -- when implemented correctly -- can help you expand your reach.

#1 Market in an Industry Forum

It’s free to share ideas, right? That’s why, whether your marketing budget is limited or not, it’s a great idea to find an industry forum where you can share your knowledge and expertise. As an expert in your field, you can answer questions, which is a win-win because you’re helping others in your niche and boosting brand awareness and credibility for your business.

Caution: this isn’t the place to throw out a sales pitch. That’s a sure-fire way to turn forum readers off. Instead, include your name and a link to your website in your profile signature. That way, if anyone wants to learn more about you, they can do so without feeling pressured.

#2 Ask for Backlinks

If you want to rank high in a Google search, you’re going to have to have solid backlinks to your website. It doesn’t cost a thing to email your service providers and ask them if they’d be willing to link to your website. You can even offer to do the same for them. You can also do a quick search of your brand or company name and see if you are being mentioned anywhere on the web. If you find that other websites have mentioned your business, email their editor and ask them to add a link. Remember, the more backlinks you have, the higher you’re likely to rank on a Google search, so ask and gather as many as you can!

#3 Host a Webinar

Brainstorm topics that will interest a large audience and put together an intriguing webinar that not only informs but makes your audience aware of your brand’s presence in your industry. Then, invite as many people as possible to join. Send out emails and text and post to your social media accounts. Call others in the industry and invite them to join as well. Not only will you expand your audience with a webinar, but you also remind people that you are an expert (a generous one, too!) in your niche.

#4 Cross-Promote With Other Businesses

Ever heard the saying, “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”? Well, that’s the essence of cross-promotion. Think about your go-to businesses. Is there an accountant who you think trumps all the rest? Or a web designer that has done incredible work for you in the past? In exchange for their referral to you, refer to them whenever possible. You’re rewarding stellar service, and so are they, and the customer gets to benefit from the best-of-the-best as well.

#5 Do Interviews

One of the easiest ways to get in touch with someone new is to ask them if you can interview them for your podcast, Youtube channel, or blog. It’s more exposure for them, and it’s an easy foot-in-the-door to new relationships for you!

#6 Set Up a Referral Program

With a solid referral program, you get to let your customers do the heavy lifting. Incentivize them to pass on your business to others who would benefit from your product or service, and watch as your customer base grows.

#7 Socialize on Social

Find industry experts, follow them on social media, and communicate with them daily. Get your name out there and build brand awareness by becoming a consistent voice in your niche. Do the same with your customers and prospects. Reply to their comments, retweet their ideas, and answer their questions. Show yourself to be the expert you are, and socialize instead of trying to push your sales agenda. People will notice your confidence and lend you even more credibility.

#8 Get More Emails

Email marketing is free and effective. That’s why it’s important to try to garner as many email addresses as possible. Trade solid blog content, valuable info, or a free consultation for email addresses, and then group emails into the demographics you’re trying to reach. Avoid sending out mass emails that don’t address a particular group’s needs or concerns. This will surely cause your potential customers to unsubscribe or scroll on past your messages.

Sometimes Hustle > Budget!

As you can see, it IS possible to market your business without spending money. Of course, there are tons of marketing tools out there that will cost money and give you great ROI, but you can also get pretty far with the intentional and consistent free marketing tools that we talked about today. Give them a try today!

Here: 8 Free Marketing Strategies That You May Have Overlooked

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10 Steps to Market Your Business on Instagram

Are you trying to step up your social media game? If so, be sure to add Instagram marketing to your social media strategy. It seems that virtually everyone has an Instagram account these days, and users are engaging more and more with targeted ads. If you’re interested in jumping into the Instagram marketing game, read on to learn the ins and outs of marketing your business on Instagram.

#1 Set Up Your Account Properly

First things first. To get started, you’ll need to set up a business account on Instagram. Avoid using your personal account to conduct business. Instead, make sure you have a business account. You’ll stay within Instagram’s Terms of Service, and you’ll get more tools and the ability to advertise with your upgraded account status.

#2 Add Your Website Link

In your Instagram bio, you’ll want to add a link to your website. This is your chance to turn interested prospects into customers. If they want to learn more about what you do and why you do it, the link to your website will give them that opportunity. Since the bio section on Instagram has a limit of only 150 characters, you need to make them count, and what could be more important than a link to your website?

#3 Craft Your Bio

Like I said above, you’ve only got 150 characters to hook new followers, so craft a bio that gives them the goods right away. Your bio should be straight-to-the-point, telling potential followers what your business does and how your business adds value to the feeds of followers. And remember: Instagram is not a selling platform… it’s for socializing. So, stay ditch the sales pitch.

One more quick note: Remember to update your bio when you’ve got something new to share with your followers, like an announcement about the business, a new offering, or a big sale, and then add a link so that they can learn more.

#4 Stay Consistent

If you’re trying to increase brand awareness and engagement through social media, you’ll need to make sure your message, your bio photo, and your name are consistent across all social media channels. You want your prospects to be able to recognize you immediately, whether they’re scrolling through their Facebook feed or searching hashtags on Instagram.

#5 Learn More About Your Audience’s Engagement Patterns

Instagram Insights gives you all kinds of information about content views, website clicks, follower activity, video views, and saves. Instagram Insights allows you to understand what’s working and what’s not. Armed with this knowledge, you can adjust your marketing strategy to expand your reach.

#6 Socialize!

Like I mentioned earlier, socializing is the main intent of a platform like Instagram, so instead of trying to sell, sell, sell, just socialize. When people comment, respond! When people ask questions, respond! Give your take when an interesting topic is posted. Share or reference another post that you found interesting. Show your audience -- not to mention, your future audience -- that you’re involved, engaged, and interested in what matters to them.

#7 Create Some Competition

Another great way to increase your social media presence on Instagram is to hold contests. People love to compete, and they LOVE to win, so holding contests gets people involved who may have otherwise scrolled past your page. Create a fun hashtag for your contest to get even more engagement, and share the winner and maybe even some of the close contenders with your audience. What a great way to engage people and boost brand awareness.

#8 Add a Promo Code

If you’re trying to boost sales, you can always count on a solid discount to help you out. Try adding a promo code to your Instagram page (and don’t forget that link in your bio so they know where to go to purchase). Everyone loves to save, so a discount might be the very thing that turns a hesitant prospect into a first-time buyer. Promo codes are also great for measuring engagement and sales because when the customer uses it, you can tell exactly where they came from.

#9 Tell Stories

Instead of relying solely on your profile to engage your followers, take advantage of Instagram’s Story feature. You can string your pictures and videos together to tell -- you guessed it -- a story about your brand. Whether it’s a behind-the-scenes look at your business or a testimonial from one of your loyal customers, you can engage your followers like never before with your Story. A quick note: each image or video in your Story is only visible for 24 hours, after which it disappears.

Get fun and creative with your Story, and be sure to offer your followers something that isn’t available on your regular Instagram page. This original content will keep them coming back for more.

#10 Work With an Influencer

In the Instagram world, Influencers are people with special expertise in a given field, and their endorsement of your product or service is a HUGE asset to your business. Before linking up with an influencer, be sure that he or she has a large following in your industry and that they’ve got a track record for influencing others.

You can get an influencer to work with you by offering them incentives and free samples to try. You can also pay an influencer to tout your business. Either way, getting an influencer on your side can cause a monumental increase in sales.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re just starting out or you need to step up your social media game, Instagram is a great asset to your marketing strategy. It’s time to get out there and turn those likes and follows into sales.

Learn More Here: 10 Steps to Market Your Business on Instagram

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How to Market Your Business in a Down Economy

When times get tough, there’s no doubt that lots of businesses slow down or stop their marketing altogether, bracing themselves for the unknown. But smart companies know that marketing is critical to the success of your company, whether times are good or bad.

Today, I’m going to let you in on 8 tips for marketing your business in a down economy. That way, you can brace for success instead of the unknown.

#1 You May Have to Cut Budget, But Don’t Cut Activity

The reality is that you may have to cut your marketing budget during an economic downturn, but you don’t ever have to cut activity. This is the time for you to swap hustle for budget and dedicate even more energy into showing current and prospective customers the value of your business. Consumers change their buying habits in tough economic times, and many begin searching for other, more affordable options than what they’ve been purchasing. This means that you have added (not reduced!) opportunities to get your name in front of them and offer them your product or service. Don’t miss out!

#2 Change Your Perspective

Keep an eye on the bottom line, but realize that it doesn’t reflect the big picture. Instead, remind yourself that marketing is an investment for the future health of your company. If you don’t invest now, you’re giving up market share and profitability in the future. Keep your eye on the long-game!

#3 Wow Them With Service

Your performance with your customers is always the best marketing you can do. Now is the time to take an honest, hard look at your service performance. Is it a ‘Wow!’ experience? If not, it’s time to step-up your game! Excellent service will drive word-of-mouth marketing, the best ROI you’ll find in any economy.

#4 Check-In With Established Customers

It doesn’t cost any money to reach out to those who have purchased from you in the past or who are still doing business with you. Send a check-in email, pick up the phone and call, or text to see if there is any way you can serve them further. You’ll remind your established customers of your stellar customer service, and you stand to make even more sales.

#5 Measure, Cut, and Reinvest

Take a good look at the data. What marketing strategies have shown significant ROI in the last year? Which ones seem to be dead on arrival? If you haven’t already, use a web analytics tool (like the FREE version of Google Analytics) to measure whether you’re reaching your goals or stalling. Another measuring tip: track leads (and find out where they came from!) by using trackable phone numbers and web addresses for each of your campaigns. That way, you’re sure of which marketing techniques are working and which aren’t. Then, cut the techniques that aren’t working and reinvest the save time and budget into the ideas on this list instead.

#6 Update Your Website

Do you recognize the power that your website has to either make or break your business? It’s true! If prospects aren’t excited by the aesthetics, reassured by the structure and organization, and met with engaging and informative content at every turn, they will likely do business with the company whose website does. If you haven’t already, make sure to clearly convey the benefits of doing business with your company and be sure to include straightforward CTAs that will engage your prospects.

And although we shouldn’t have to say it, stats tell us we do: respond quickly to all inbound leads! Response time is one of the greatest factors in determining if a lead converts into business.

#7 Focus on Search Engine Marketing

These days, most of your prospective customers will search for your business online. And the last thing you want is for your business to show up on page 7 or 8 in the search results-- let’s be honest, they’ll read the first page of results and choose one of those companies. That’s why it’s so important to learn about how to compete with your competition in search engine rankings.

Take advantage of some free keyword research tools and begin incorporating them into your website’s written content, meta descriptions, subheadings, image captions, and URLs. It’s easy and free to increase your keyword savvy-- it just takes time, which there is no shortage of right now.

#8 Build Trust With Content

When times are tough, you want to show your customers that your business is trustworthy and solid. But how do you do that? Consistently produce educational content and share it on social media. Your consistent activity will make it clear that you aren’t going anywhere, and that you’re focused on adding value even during the hard times. Trust us, prospects are watching!

The Bottom Line

It’s hard not to panic when economic unpredictability is everywhere you turn. But continuing to invest in marketing can be a matter of survival in times like this. Position your company to come out of an economic downturn with more customers than when you entered it, not by cutting marketing but rather by marketing smart and increasing the hustle.

Read More Here: How to Market Your Business in a Down Economy

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How to Incorporate a Facebook Ads Retargeting Strategy Into Your Marketing

If you haven’t already, it’s definitely time to incorporate Facebook Retargeting into your marketing strategy.

But first, what is retargeting? Put simply, it’s a marketing tool used to “target” those prospects who have, in some way, shown interest in your website in the past.

Why is this such a great idea? Well, those potential customers could have been one click away from making a purchase and, for whatever reason, decided to keep scrolling. Retargeting will remind them of their interest and, hopefully, turn them from “almost buyers” to customers.

It’s one of the highest ROI marketing activities for just about every business that uses it - so let’s get started!

Setting Up Your Facebook Retargeting Campaign

First, we’ll go over the steps you’ll need to take in creating a Facebook retargeting campaign.

Set up a Facebook account for business ads, if you haven’t already.

Log in to Ads Manager and select Audiences.

You can select Audiences from a dropdown menu on Business Manager.

Choose your audience.

Click on Create Audience and then choose Custom Audiences. In order to retarget, you’ll need to reach those who visit your site. Therefore, you’ll want to select Website Traffic.

Select your target audience.

Here, you’ll have the option of targeting different groups of website visitors. You can either choose to target anyone who visits your site, or you can choose a group or combination of groups based on different factors, like when they visited or what specific pages they visited.

Select a date range and name your campaign.

Get your pixel code and add it to your website for tracking.

Go to the Audiences section of Ads Manager and locate your retargeting campaign. Once you select it, click Actions and then View Panel from the dropdown menu. There, you’ll see your pixel code. Place this code on your website.

Time to Retarget!

No retargeting campaign is successful without engaging content, so your next step is to decide what groups of prospects you want to target and how you’ll gear your strategy to draw them in.

For example, if you want to target those who view your landing page but click away without engaging further with your website, then you’ve got to create ads with CTAs that reach this group. If you want to reach those who added items to their cart but didn’t complete their purchase, then make sure your ad’s language draws these potential customers back in.

Try one of these Facebook Retargeting Strategies:

Tell Your Story

Maybe you want to retarget those who engaged with your website but didn’t make a purchase. Retarget them with a video ad where you tell the story of your brand, give them a behind-the-scenes look into your day-to-day, or let them in on the inspiration behind your startup. Telling a story is a great way to re-engage hesitant customers, and it’s a less pushy way to create brand awareness.

From there, you can now target those who watched your video (or even part of it) with a first-time purchase promo code or a free product with their purchase.

Remind Them of Their “Almost-Buy”

We’ve all been there. We’re JUST about to make a purchase, and then we decide against it. Maybe we can’t justify spending the money. Or maybe we’re considering purchasing something similar somewhere else. No matter what the reason, customers don’t scroll through your product pages if they’re not interested in buying from you.

If you want to retarget those who have scanned through your product pages and those who have even gone so far as to add an item to their cart, simply create this custom audience (those who have viewed your product pages only). Then, exclude those who visited your order confirmation page since they clearly already purchased from you. Now, create an ad that draws your customer back in to ultimately make the purchase.

Welcoming Back Prior Customers

Maybe you’ve got an audience who purchased a while back but haven’t been around for a few weeks or even a few months. If so, you can draw these customers back with a simple ad targeted toward prior customers. Tell them you miss their business and offer them some kind of can’t-say-no incentive to bring them back into the fold.

Get Started on Your Retargeting Campaign Today

Retargeting is one of the best marketing tools to help you realize increased conversions and sales - so make this a priority! Of course, there are virtually hundreds of ways for you to reach back out to your audiences using Facebook Ad Retargeting. Test a few ideas, analyze customer engagement, and you’ll soon be running profitable ads that draw people back to your business!

See More Here: How to Incorporate a Facebook Ads Retargeting Strategy Into Your Marketing

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10 Ways to Market Your Small Business on a Budget

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in the game for a few years, you probably don’t want to spend excess money on marketing if you can just do it yourself. For the savvy small business owner who wants to save some money, here are some tips for marketing on a budget.

#1 Go Local

You may be doing business out of a local storefront, or you may be solely online… Either way, you can leverage your community to market your business. Get your name out there by sponsoring a local soccer or flag football team, print out some flyers and hang them up at the local gym or recreation center, set up a booth at a local event, or offer to speak at an event where your expertise would be value-added. This will boost awareness about your business AND help you make one-on-one connections.

#2 Be Ready With Your Pitch

If you’re out there in the community, you’ll inevitably have opportunities to pitch your business to fellow locals. When that opportunity arises, make sure you’re ready with your elevator pitch. A good elevator pitch contains a quick explanation of how your business helps people and how you offer something unique. Practice it, but don’t overdo it. You don’t want your prospect to sense nerves or desperation.

#3 Cross-Promote

Find other businesses that you believe in and make connections with them. Offer them your willingness to promote them if they’ll do the same for you. You could even come together for a community event and refer potential customers to each other. No matter how it looks, it’s a win for you and a win for the other businesses in your community.

#4 Take Advantage of Free Social Media

We all know that there are countless social media platforms out there, and it can seem a little overwhelming. But the good news is that it is either free or very inexpensive to market your business through this medium. Choose a few platforms that you think suit your business best and become an expert in the many ways to reach and expand your audience with them.

But here’s a quick tip: don’t go ad-crazy in social media, especially without nurturing relationships with your current and potential customers first. Social media is meant for socializing, so make that your priority first.

#5 Recycle or Publish Useful Content

These days, content is king. Not only does it boost your in-field credibility and brand awareness, but it also helps people. Of course, you don’t have to spend any money to create great content (if you or a member of your team are willing to do it yourself). If you’ve got older content, simply recycle it. Update it, spruce it up, add a new take on an age-old issue… whatever the case may be, don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to.

#6 Use Email Marketing

Maintain your customer base by sending them periodic emails. Get their email address (either in person or online) and send them your awesome content or a discount deal here and there. Just make sure you’re nurturing the relationship through every touch point. You’ll be surprised how good of an impression this will leave on your customers-- hopefully good enough to get them to tell others about your business.

#7 Offer Discounts, Promotions, and Giveaways

Everyone likes freebies and discounts, so if you want to attract more customers, give them an offer they can’t refuse. Of course, if they love your product or service, they’ll probably come back or tell someone else about you. And even though you may lose a few bucks by giving away freebies or offering limited-time discounts, you will likely gain a repeat customer which is much more valuable in the end anyway.

#8 Ask Your Customers for Referrals

This is your business we’re talking about-- if you don’t ask for the support of your customers, then who will? Asking for referrals is free marketing, and all it takes is your willingness to ask. If you don’t get any traction with a simple request, consider incentivizing customers in exchange for their recommendation.

#9 Don’t Underestimate the Business Card

It doesn’t cost much to get some good-looking business cards to have out. And even though this is a more old-school approach to marketing, it’s still quite valuable. Always have your business cards on hand, and give them to everyone you meet.

#10 Seek Recognition

Believe it or not, it costs nothing to apply for business awards for your niche. And if you are selected, you can tout that award on your website or in your storefront (or both). This boosts your credibility and gives you another thing to write about in your email marketing and social media campaigns.

Making Your Budget Work

Marketing your business on a tight budget is not as difficult as you might think. And by putting into practice the above tips, you’ll find that a little hustle goes a long way.

Here: 10 Ways to Market Your Small Business on a Budget

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7 Steps to Creating a Solid Referral Marketing System

If you’re ready to expand your customer base, then it’s time to create a solid referral marketing system. But before you can get started, you’ve got to make sure that your customer interactions and product/service offering are worth the referral. Once you’ve refined those areas of your business, you can feel good about asking someone to pass on your name to others.

Ready to get started?

Let’s cover how to create a referral marketing system that works best for your business.

#1 Set Goals

The first step to creating a solid referral marketing system is deciding what your business goals are. Are you a new startup trying to create an initial customer base? Or have you been in the game for a few years and want to retain customers?

Once you define your goals, you’ll need to determine how your referral strategy can and will help you reach them. Take an honest look at your current referrals. Do people organically share your business with others by word-of-mouth? Or are there any referrals happening at all? How many do you need to increase profits? To break even?

Now that you know where you stand when it comes to referrals, you can begin to gather ideas for the strategy that will work best.

#2 Analyze Your Customers

Look at the data. What does it tell you about your target customer? What kinds of people engage with your business most often? Answering these questions will help you determine what your ideal customer looks like. This is the first step toward making a strategy for referrals.

Next, identify the current customers you have that would be the best referrers. They are the ones who know the most about your business, who purchase from you often, and who believe in your product or service.

#3 Equip Your Referrers

In Step 2, you determined which of your current customers would be ripe for referrals. Now, you just need to give them the tools to be successful. A big part of equipping them to do the job right is to educate them about your brand.

Make sure they know what makes you different from the competition -- in many cases, they’ll know this just by interacting with your brand or using your product or service. Also, tell your referrers what types of clients you’re looking for (also from Step 2). And last, make it easy for your referrers to pass on your name by connecting with them on social media and by developing content that adds value and sending it their way.

#4 Develop Your Referral Strategy

Now it’s time to identify...

Referrers who would refer to your business without an incentive and which ones would need a little bit of a “push.”

The right time to ask, whether it’s right away or after trust has been established. This may be different for different customers, so it’s okay to come up with more than one plan that is contingent upon the type of customers you’re reaching out to.

The right time to ask again and in what circumstances you should call it quits (keep in mind that it’s okay to ask multiple times as long as you are following a plan, not being too pushy, and you haven’t been told by the customer that he/she is uninterested).

Next, develop plans to incentivize and motivate your customers about referrals.

Decide when and how you’ll incentivize your customers for referring to your business. You can offer discounts, early access to sales, or even a free product or service for those who refer.

Create a referral script for your team so that when they speak to customers about referrals, they’re all communicating the same message.

In your promotional materials, remind your current customers how much you appreciate their referrals and that you offer incentives when they pass on your name to another customer. Look for ways to incorporate referral reminders into things like your blog content, newsletters, emails, and social media ads. And don’t forget to create a landing page for referrers to input the new customer’s information when they’re ready.

#5 Ask

It’s time to put your plan into action. Grab that list of ideal referrers and reach out. Remember: your customers may be motivated in different ways, so if you see that part of your strategy is falling short, don’t hesitate to change it!

#6 Recognize Your Referrers

People loved to be recognized for good deeds, and referring to your business should count as one of them. When you thank and recognize your referrers, you further solidify your relationship with them. You can send a simple email, card, or a gift, or you can give them discounts or other exclusive perks.

#7 Track Your Progress

Once you’ve got a few weeks under your belt, it’s time to analyze the results and adjust accordingly. Take a look at the numbers: how many referrals have you gotten? What process worked best? In what ways can you make changes to your strategy to realize more ROI?

The Bottom Line

Remember: change is good, and it’s also necessary. So as you implement your referral marketing strategy, you might have to make several changes before you nail down a plan that really works. Be open to that, and remember to keep the customer experience at the forefront of all of your efforts. After all, if that falls by the wayside, then referrals will too.

Original Post Here: 7 Steps to Creating a Solid Referral Marketing System

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10 Reasons Why Your Business Should be Blogging

If you’re a business owner, you no doubt have come across the idea of starting a business blog. But maybe you’re not sure if it’s worth the time and effort. Well, today, I’m going to give you 10 reasons why your business should be blogging. Read on to find out why you can’t afford to pass on a business blog.

#1 A blog helps you build brand awareness and credibility.

When you and your team write about the issues, problems, or solutions that your customers (or potential customers) are searching for, you show yourself to be an expert in your field. This inevitably leads your customer base to trust you and the content that goes out from your website. It also helps you to build brand awareness, as people tend to share content that adds value, and the more shares, the more exposure.

#2 A blog brings more traffic to your site.

According to Hubspot.com, if you have a blog, you can expect 55% more website traffic than a business that doesn’t (Source). Why? Because people need information, guidance, and help, and your blog can be where they get it! And the best part: while accessing the information found in your blog, they will stumble upon your brand, and you may just get yourself another customer.

#3 Blogs help with prospecting.

Want to generate more leads? A blog can help you do that. When a potential customer views a blog post, you can simultaneously offer a deal or a discount, and ask for their email address so that you can reach out to them later. You get to build your email database, all because you offer free, value-added information to potential customers.

#4 Blogs are great to add to your social media marketing.

Wondering how to maintain a good social media presence without constant ads? When you announce a fresh, new blog post, your potential customers will see that you are trying to give instead of “take, take, take.” And the more engaging and helpful your articles are, the more shares (and exposure) you’re likely to get.

#5 Blogs are great for SEO.

When people search for a product or service that you provide, you want your website to rank high, right? If that’s the case, your blog will help you reach this goal. The more relevant content you post, the higher your rankings in a Google search. Plus, you can be strategic by incorporating long-tail keywords into your content, further enhancing your chances of being rewarded by Google with a higher rank.

#6 A blog keeps your audience engaged with your business.

Keep your audience up-to-date with what’s going on at your business by incorporating this information into your blog. You can communicate with prospective customers in a more personal way through your blog than you can through ads. This allows you to keep them in-the-know about changes, upcoming promotions, or events.

#7 A blog helps you increase backlinks to your site.

Backlinks are hyperlinks that other sites post in their own content that bring the user to your site. If your blog content is interesting, engaging, and helpful, other website content will contain links to your site, thereby increasing your rank. It also means that more potential customers will click links that bring them directly to your site. That’s what every business wants, right?

#8 A blog provides an opportunity for you to educate your readers.

Do you have a new product or service that you’re offering to customers? Use your blog as an opportunity to educate your potential customers about it. What is it? How will it benefit them? Without the salesy tone, tell your potential customers all about your products and offerings, while simultaneously adding keyword-rich content to your site. It’s a win-win!

#9 Blogs are a low-cost way to engage with customers.

Put simply, blogs have a great ROI. They cost virtually nothing (especially if you or members of your team are writing the articles), and they bring increased traffic to your site, thereby increasing sales potential.

#10 Blogs help you connect and converse with customers.

Blogs are unique in that they allow you to engage your potential customers in conversation. Unlike the rest of your site, where customers can view and read but not comment, your blog allows them to respond to your ideas with concerns, comments, or questions. This is good for your business because these connections help you build brand authority.

It’s Time to Start Blogging

Now that you know all of the many ways that blogging can help your business thrive, you literally can’t afford to waste any more time without one. Take the first step by figuring out how you can add value to prospects’ lives and write an article to do so! It’s a win-win for you and for your future customers.

See Full Article Here: 10 Reasons Why Your Business Should be Blogging

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7 Tips for Writing Compelling Headlines That Your Audience Can’t Resist

What is the absolute most important piece of any content you create? It’s not the call to action, the keywords, or even the overall premise of the piece.

It’s the headline.

Around 80% of people will read your headline. But only 20% will go on to read your article.

Think of it this way: the headline is the gate that every member of your audience has to pass through in order to interact with your content. If your gate isn’t appealing, no one will bother to pass through, and your content can’t do its job.

So here are some tips you can apply to your headlines right now for a bigger audience and more engagement on your blog posts, articles, and videos.

#1 Focus on the benefits

Copywriters know that it’s not features that sell a product. It’s benefits. In other words, don’t tell people what you’re going to share with them. Tell them how it will make their lives better or solve a problem.

For example, one blog on Copyblogger that’s had thousands of shares and comments is called 37 Tips for Writing Emails that Get Opened, Read, and Clicked. This highlights an immediate benefit to the reader: getting better results out of their email marketing. Always try to think of what problem your content is solving for the audience, and highlight it in your headline.

#2 Make a promise and then deliver

If you want to make an audacious promise, you have to deliver. An article called How to Make $100,000 in One Day is never going to be able to deliver on that promise. But an article called How to Grow Your Business By 20% Over the Next Year may.

Making a promise in your headline and not delivering is clickbait. We’ve all made the mistake of clicking on something that sounds intriguing like, 8 Amazing Things You Never New About [Beloved Celebrity]. We’re then disappointed to find out that each item on the list is either common knowledge or on Wikipedia. It’s a surefire way to lose the trust of your audience.

Also, keep an eye out for terms like “ultimate” or “definitive.” If your Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing is really more of an introduction to fly fishing, readers will feel cheated by your misleading headline. So make sure your headline accurately describes the content of the piece.

#3 Use the “curiosity gap”

The “curiosity gap” is just a fancy term for the space between what people know and what they want to know. We all remember overzealous headlines from sites like Upworthy and Buzzfeed that used to shout “You’ll never guess what happened next!” They abused the curiosity gap. But it can still be used in a more subtle way.

How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life from the New York Times is a great example. It piques your curiosity — how can one dumb tweet ruin someone’s life?

To use it effectively, make you’re still being clear about the topic of the content. Check out this old Upworthy headline, for example: His first 4 sentences are interesting. The 5th blew my mind. And made me a little sick. It misses the mark because you have no idea what the article is about. And that leads to my next tip...

#4 Don’t sacrifice clarity for cleverness

Writers love to show people how clever they are. It’s one of our all-time favorite things. And if you’re not careful, it can seriously backfire.

Good headlines are easy to understand and tell us exactly what’s coming next. So if you’re trying to shoehorn a pun or clever reference into your headline, it may turn your audience off.

Here’s an example from Bloomberg: Shark Oil for HIV Shot Takes Cue From Hemingway’s Old Man.

What?

It turns out that the article is referring to Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. In the book, the fisherman took shark liver oil to stay healthy. And the writer uses that reference as the lead into an article about a drugmaker that was testing the efficacy of shark oil in an AIDS vaccine. After reading the article, the headline makes sense. But the purpose of your headline is to get the reader to keep reading or watching. It’s not supposed to be a puzzle to solve.

#5 Use numbers

There’s a reason why the “listicle” is so popular. The format of a numbered list is predictable and easy to follow. If you promise your readers 107 Tips for Increasing Widget Sales, they know to settle in for a nice long list. On the other hand, 5 Tips for Increasing Widget Sales will be shorter and may provide more detail in each tip.

Headlines with numbers are preferred by 36% of readers. They can be used to list secrets, types, problems, or tips. You can also do the list in reverse. Instead of listing ways to create a better outcome, try a list of ways people might be making a mistake, like 7 Ways You May Be Sabotaging Your Workouts.

This doesn’t only work in list-type content. If your blog is a story or a how-to, is there an impressive percentage or dollar amount that you can fit into your headline? A title like The Small Mistake That Cost My Business $182,000 can pique curiosity (tip #3!) and attract a lot of readers.

#6 Learn from others

If you’re creating a lot of content, you’re going to need headlines on a weekly or even daily basis. So keep an eye out for headlines that have worked on you, both online and in the real world.

Keep a swipe file of intriguing articles. Evernote is a great place to do this. You can save articles you find online, and add photos that you take while you’re out and about. Next time you’re in line at the grocery store, flip through a magazine and see if there’s anything that draws you in.

Next time you’re stuck, browse your swipe file and see if there are some ideas you can repurpose (never steal!) to fit your content.

#7 Write a bunch and pick the best

All the headline-writing experts agree — the way to hit the headline jackpot is to play the headline lottery. You should be writing 20 to 25 headlines for every piece of content you create.

Most will be fine. Some will be terrible. But somewhere in that superabundance of headlines will be one or two gems that really hit the mark. Writing headlines, like anything else, gets better with practice. So don’t take any shortcuts.

Too Important to Ignore

Many bloggers spend all their time creating content and treat the headline as an afterthought. It should really be the other way around. Dedicate plenty of time to coming up with headline options. If you have the option, do some A/B testing of different headlines to see what performs best before you hit Publish.

One little tweak could be the difference between a headline that goes viral and one that falls flat.

Source Here: 7 Tips for Writing Compelling Headlines That Your Audience Can’t Resist