June 26, 2015

How to Engage Your Small Business Audience (Instead of Boring Them)

Your small business doesn’t have a big budget for marketing – but you do have something that many big companies struggle with – you’ve got personality. Whether you’re a solo owner or run a small team, you’re in a position to make a connection with your potential customers through content that bigger companies may not be able to.

But far too many small businesses bore their audiences and miss out on the connections and the sales. Whether they are using blog posts, social media or any combination of content marketing tools, they’re missing the mark.

Never fear! You don’t have to have boring marketing. With these tips you can use your content to engage your small business audience.

Address your audience directly.

You’re reading this article. Not a group of people. Not a faceless mass. You. Your audience is made up of individual people too. By addressing your audience as “you” and not something more impersonal, you’re making a direct connection with them.

Show off your personality.

If you’re a solo business owner or founder, get out in front of your company! Show off a bit of your personality, your hobbies and your passions through your blog posts and videos. It will be a lot easier to remember “Bob the racing fanatic” than “that accountant I saw online.”

Be consistent with your content.

You can’t develop a relationship with your audience if you blog for a while, then disappear, then reappear again. You have to be consistent, and that means creating a calendar for your content. Use your project management system to create a content calendar that will keep your blog, social media and other marketing activities up to speed. The more you publish, the more your audience will come to know, like and trust you.

Share specifics.

Want to set your small business apart from the pack? Get specific in your blog posts and marketing content. Share real life stories, case studies and detailed examples that put a real face on what you do and how it affects your customers.

Here’s an easy place to start:

Call up your client with the longest track record with your company, and interview them.
Highlight their successes, including how your product or services helped.
Feature the story on your blog.

Not only does this type of post help you get specific, it paints a picture for your potential clients. They get to see exactly how your company can help, and what kind of results to expect. And as an added bonus, your current client gets featured as well.

Pump Up the Visuals

A big block of text is boring! Using images, diagrams and even videos in your content makes it more visually engaging. In addition to adding images to posts and updates, you can also explore infographics – which are like diagrams on steroids.

Even if you don’t have videos or fancy diagrams for a post or content, you can display your content in a visually interesting way. Use subheadings, short paragraphs and bullet points to break up the flow and make it more engaging.

This is a challenge to all small business owners—but you really don’t have to be boring. Use these tips in your content, on your website and in your social media updates to engage your audience, stand out and help your small business make a mark.

About the author:

Tobi North – Creativity rock star and marketing master
I enjoy being innovative and creating communications that customers can relate to. I am always looking for that “light bulb” moment, when I find an interesting topic that I know our customers will love to learn more about. In between creative brainstorming sessions, you can probably find me at a concert or searching for the best BBQ joint in town. .

Follow me on Twitter.

May 19, 2015

How to Be a Social Selling Superstar

The sales game has changed – has your approach? Using social media to reach out to, connect with and nurture new clients is a smart move for your small business. By offering helpful content and answering questions, you can make valuable connections with prospects that can lead to more sales down the road.

It’s called “social selling” and it’s a great way to get to know what your target market wants and show that you can help them meet their needs. Salesforce’s recent survey showed that 79% of salespeople who use social media outperform those who don’t. If you fall into the latter category – or just want to improve your social selling skills – here’s how to be a social selling superstar.

Pick your platform wisely.

Social media is a great selling tool – but only if your prospects are using social media. If they are, you need to figure out which platform will help you make the most impact. For B2B businesses, LinkedIn is a natural fit. Businesses that deal with home improvement or design might find a good home on Pinterest. Facebook users run the gamut so this is often a good place to start – and Twitter is perfect for businesses that might have customer service inquiries that need immediate attention.

Create a business (but personal) account.

Social selling is the process of taking the one-on-one connection that happens in person and taking it online. Your customers want to connect with a person – not a brand. In order to make social selling work you’ll need to create a persona that can connect with customers online. This will help you establish a relationship with your network and become part of the social media community.

Grow your network.

After establishing your profile on your preferred social network, get connected! Do a search on each website in order to find people who are in your target market, or are talking about your brand. Try a tool like Social Mention to find conversations about your company or important keywords. Then reach out to those people. Contribute to the conversation, answer questions or offer advice – but don’t make a sales pitch!

Keep it helpful.

When you find conversations and reach out, don’t go for a hard sales pitch. Which of these are you more likely to respond to?

“Hey! I saw your post and you totally need our product. Buy it here at www.buymenow.com”

“Sally, here’s some info you might find helpful in your search for a solution. Let me know what you think!”

It’s pretty clear that the first version will put people off on social media. They are there to connect and find new information, not be sold to. The second version is much friendlier, puts the emphasis on being helpful and doesn’t make a hard sales pitch.

Stay connected and consistent.

Social selling isn’t about making a one time connection that leads to a sale. Stay involved with your growing social connections by posting helpful articles, linking to great resources and answering questions. Follow up with users that you’ve interacted with directly without being pushy. Over time, you’ll start seeing the clicks, signups and sales that you’re looking for.

Ready to use social media selling for your small business? Share your profile information below and let’s get connected!

About the author:

Follow me on Twitter.