Introduction
First, I’d like to congratulate you for making the decision of taking a different approach to your marketing. This free e-book will help you add different elements to your current marketing efforts that will turn prospects into new customers and keep them coming back for more.
Your business success lies in how well your able to connect with your customers on a personal level by sharing a consistent brand message, vision or mission that builds trust. This is usually best accomplished by consistently positioning your message in front of your target audience and showing them how your product or service can effectively solve their problem.
There are countless ways you can market a product or service, but the most effective tactics have an emotional element to it that creates positive feeling.
When you’re done, I would love to hear from you! Just share a testimony on social media and be sure to tag me. My social media is @erikanmacdonald on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn! Also, I would love to hear your personal goals for your marketing as it pertains to building your business.
Online Review Sites
Think of online review sites as the digital version of word of mouth. You defiantly want your potential customers to find positive reviews about your business quickly and easily as this builds trust.
It’s also important for driving traffic to your company website which can help increase sales.
Encourage your customers to write about their experiences on popular review sites that you have created a listing on. Although statistics show that 90% people read reviews only 6% of people actually write them.
It’s also in your best interest to keep an eye on what people are saying about your business on these sites as well. Contact customers that leave negative reviews and see if you can come up with a reasonable solution. Then ask them to update their review. That way potential & current customers can see that even though there was an issue you cared enough to fix the problem.
Here are a few free influential sites to start with:
Google My Business page: This listing will show up when customers search for your business on Google Search, Maps and Google+. It also lets the business owner post updates and showcase what’s new. You should add photos to highlight what makes your business special and respond to customers reviews.
Local business reviews tend to receive high rankings in the search results, giving you a better chance to be seen.
Google+ Local reviews also influence the search rankings of other businesses you’re connected to, meaning your business’ reviews may also appear when your connections perform relevant searches on Google.
Yahoo Local: Yahoo offers local businesses the opportunity to get a basic business listing in its directory for free. Listings are integrated with other Yahoo products like reviews, maps and events. This lets you to engage with customers, ask questions, or contact support for help.
Angie’s List: Has more than 6 million subscribers nationwide. Users pay a monthly fee to use this platform for reviews on the best local service providers. Listing a business is free but it’s only available for service-based businesses.
Yelp: Is one of the biggest online review sites, it’s worth taking the time to create a Yelp listing. It’s free and has over 32 million monthly visitors. It also lets you post photos and message to your customers.
Social Media
Social media can be a powerful business marketing tool when used properly. It is one of the most versatile and cost-effective strategies that you can use to reach your target audience, build brand awareness and boost sales over time. Try running one of the following campaigns now and watch your ROI’s grow.
Promote a free, no obligation 15-minute consult to your followers: By reducing the risk for your prospects they will feel a lot more at ease about giving your service a try. This gives you an opportunity to win them over by sharing valuable information that further proves you are an expert in your field and that you have what they need to help them. You should also ask screening questions during the consult, the last thing you want to do is offer your time to a person who’s not in your target market.
Offer exclusive discounts and coupons for followers: Although social media is used mainly as a tool to engage your customers there are certain times when it is okay to offer a discount. The trick is to know how and when without coming off too “salesy. ”
Setup an Employee Advocacy program for Social Media: “Employee advocacy” is a term used to describe the exposure that employees generate for brands using their online assets. Small businesses to large companies are increasingly relying on employees to share companies’ brands and messaging through their personal social channels. Some of your employees might hold more online reach and influence than your CEO – maybe even more than your own brand! Regardless of their influence or reach, your employees can all help you achieve your brand goals.
Host Contests and Giveaways: Everyone loves free gifts! Give away desirable or fun items to gain goodwill, build brand awareness and connect with potential customers. The items range based on your budget, but don’t feel obligated to give something expensive. Think of items that are useful to a client that are related to your industry with your logo on it. For example, it could be free samples, a short trial of your service. Or even an online eBook or white pages sharing information or tips about how the product or service can solve their needs and giving information about other help items or services that complement what your selling.
Media/PR
Getting your business featured by the media is free marketing. Although it can be challenging it’s well worth the effort if you get the right opportunity.
- Help a Reporter: You can seek out opportunities to be interviewed for print, radio and TV. To look for ways to contribute your expertise, sign up to an email list like Help A Reporter Out.
- News Worthy Events: News outlets are usually the first to know about industry news, events and community outreach initiatives. They send reporters out to cover these events in case they need to fill holes in their news and feature coverage. Sign up for their event calendars and listings, if you see an event that fits, send out a well-written press release to the attending media, if your able to grab their attention it may lead to a story.
- Stand out on Social Media: Many journalists and media publications check social media platforms for material and inspiration. If you can stand out by using great content, you’ll have a better chance of getting featured in some capacity. Publish content regularly and engage with influencers and others in your industry to build a loyal following. From there, almost any content you publish will have more visibility.
Website
Having a working website is important for marketing any business in this digital age. Depending on what you sell, your website serves as a lead generation tool, online brochure, catalog, and information source for your potential customers.
Fix Broken Links: Make sure all your website links are in working order. I have been to many sites that will send you to error screens. The social media links should take you directly to your profile on that platform and the links on those platforms should lead you to your website. This will increase traffic to the site and give customers a chance to easily find you on different social media platforms. Broken links can cost you a lot if the buyer doesn’t see the information they are looking for during the research period they can easily find their way on your competitors site.
List Your Links: Here’s a free marketing opportunity that’s very underutilized by small business owners. Make sure to list your logo, website & social media links in your email signatures. You may also want to add a call to action like schedule your free consultation today! This will also help drive traffic from people who your emailing for the first time.
Update Content Regularly: If you have an existing website think about updating the content. When was the last time you looked at the photos on your website? Has your company adopted new messaging, if so is clearly stated on your website? Is it an accurate depiction of how you would like your product or service to be presented now? Remember having a website from the 90’s is not going to cut it now. There has been a lot of advancements with the capabilities of websites and if your site can’t modify to fit a mobile phone where most websites are viewed from then it’s time to invest in a new one.
Video Marketing
Every business should utilize the emotive power of video by appealing to their customer’s needs and desires. You can also use this opportunity to educate your potential clients about your company or products and services.
Ask your Customers for Video Testimonials: Get people who love your product, service, or company on camera now! It’s a much more effective and engaging then reading a customer’s one liner. It builds an emotional connection between the happy customer and viewer making the testimonials a lot more believable.
Answers questions Live!: Try to use live video to interact with your audience. There’s no better way to connect with your audience than to speak directly to them. You can interact with your audience and customers any time you want but to make sure they know when you’re ready to go live so schedule a Q&A session. You can go live on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube and receive a ton of engagement that will grow your business.
Host a virtual conference: Webinars are a powerful tool for that can increase your visibility and attract new audiences. It gives you the opportunity to market your services and show those in attendance exactly how you can help them achieve their goals. They can be recorded and re-used any time, unlike traditional conferences, it’s extremely easy (and cost-effective) to record your entire webinar – and your audience will thank you for it!
Conclusion
There are a number of ways to market your business on the internet. In my experience I have notice that the most effective way is to create a unique message that builds trust and brand awareness. By taking the steps that was mentioned in this eBook, you’ll be well on your way to doing just that.
NEED TO KNOW MORE???
Then your next step is to schedule a Free Strategy Session with me. Just click on the link below to set up a day and time that works for you. I look forward to hearing about your current marketing plan and how I can help you make more potential clients into paying customers.
By the way be sure to keep an eye out for future emails. I’ll be sending more tips and strategies on marketing on and offline that will assist you in achieving your marketing goals.
