Awesome content drives social media. Social advertising, especially Facebook ads, are required but in the end, it’s the content on your profiles and ads that attracts buyers, engages them and helps resolve trust issues impeding the sale. Outsourced social media content has always been available and can be a good option for those who need it. However, not all outsourced social media content is the same.
I like to stay on the front lines of what car dealerships (and other businesses) are bombarded with. To be completely transparent, I do make a living helping dealers navigate the perils of social media, online marketing and reputation management. But I used to be a dealership manager. I know how hard it is to figure out which way to turn when you know you have to do something, but just don’t feel comfortable with your choices.
All for good reason.
I witnessed another winner this week with a client who was sold a “social media content” product. This company’s strategy is circa 2012, which in social media is a lifetime (or two) ago. The “content” they’re “producing” are posts from mainstream automotive blogs that anyone can find and post. They’re boring posts about cars that everyone has seen before. Nothing innovative, nothing compelling, nothing to help the client stand out in this noisy social media world.
I’m shaking my head because these companies have savvy salespeople who need to make a living and they do a bang-up job getting unsuspecting dealers to believe that this is the proper marketing approach.
To succeed in 2015 on Facebook and other social media means to master the art of content and support it with an action plan to target those most likely to buy from you.
Without goals, an action plan and measured results, you might as well not bother with social media.
The simple fact now is that Facebook’s algorithms are set to ignore your content if you don’t pay to promote it. Even if you’re a business or non-profit that’s already attractive to the general public (think animal rescues or artisanal chocolatiers) you’re going to have a difficult time reaching people.
For car dealerships, it’s a tough road but you CAN succeed if you focus, stay the course and work your action plan. If your vendor hasn’t created one and/or you aren’t sure what your goals should be, seek out more information. Outsourced social media marketing can be the right choice for you, once you’ve covered all your bases.
For those who are still wondering about what to do or aren’t feeling completely comfortable, please don’t just give in when a savvy salesperson sells you on their 2012 idea of social media marketing.
4 Elements of Successful Social Media Marketing
Here’s what you should expect if you’re going to pay for outsourced social media:
1. Social media action plan.
When you get in the car headed to a destination you’ve never been to, you’re going to refer to your phone or GPS to guide you, right? Why drive around wasting gas, time and energy when you’ve got a plan at your fingertips. The same goes for your social media marketing.
With a plan in place, you can guide your vendor to achieve the goals YOU want, not what they tell you.
2. Publish awesome content.
After a careful analysis of what’s relevant to your target customers, outsourced social media content works in tandem with your “Hyper-Local Content” (our term for stories told by your employees and customers through your blog and social platforms). This is the winning combo in 2015.
Anyway you slice it, content originating from inside your store succeeds far better than boring automotive blogs that everyone can publish.
3. Promote your awesome content.
There are a few reasons to promote content:
- Grow likes and followers
- Increase reach and engagement
- Generate leads and sales
Buyers have questions, concerns and fears. Promote content that offers assistance and a chance for the customer to get to know you better.
Use Facebook ads and other social advertising to initiate a click over to your blog (your website) or landing page. Driving traffic to your website through social media is the key to SEO and it works best when the buyer clicks to good, solid information.
4. Run campaigns to attract leads.
Once you’ve reached your target market, you’ll want to promote content that brings them further down the sales funnel. Your next step is creative marketing campaigns that attract leads and foster sales.
This last element is not something where you snap your fingers and it appears. It takes creativity, solid execution and skills at analyzing results. Outsourcing this component may be a solution for your business, depending on your operational constraints.
Outsourced Social Media 2015: Strategy Before Tactics
Realign your marketing approach. Outsourced social media can be a good tactic but never put tactics before strategy (your action plan).
Outsourced social media can be utilized as part of your overall strategy, however it doesn’t replace the content you create within the four walls of your business. People want to know what it’s like to be your customer. Strengthen your confidence by taking deliberate actions and work your plan!
The post Outsourced Social Media: Beware the 2012 Mentality appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
Do you find that your social media marketing isn’t returning the love you’ve been giving it? You’re not alone. Social media has become much more complex and it doesn’t live in its own silo anymore. It must be integrated with all your other forms of marketing.
Marketing is one part creative, one part execution and one part analysis. Failure has to happen in order to get where you want to go. However, failure rates with social media marketing are pretty high. Many businesses jump to the conclusion of consummate failure without fully investigating where their opportunities lie.
I did a presentation recently at a car dealer conference about ways to get traffic, leads and sales through social media. The audience was very quiet and as a speaker, you always wonder why. Could it be that I just wasn’t that engaging? Naaah…! Could it be that they were lost in thought or frustrated about how to overcome the hurdles it takes to be successful at social media marketing? Probably.
In the end, they had a lot of questions about social media marketing that informed me of where they are in their process. Many have come to the table thinking social media marketing is simple and/or free: publish a few pictures of items for sale, along with a few random quotes from famous people, and the leads and sales will flow in, right? Um, not so much.
Everyone is looking for that “turn key” solution and many vendors are happy to sell you theirs. The problem is that there’s no such thing as a tool-based “magic bullet.” No piece of software will get you to the promised land. Tools (technology) only support a solid system. Without a system and action plan, you’re wasting your money on tools.
Social media marketing is a lot harder than it looks.
Especially in the last year or so, the difficulty quotient has separated the wheat from the chaff. This business of online marketing requires a lot of skill, experience and knowledge. If there’s one thing the audience learned from our discussion it’s that you can’t appoint just anyone to handle your online presence.
If your social media marketing has run-aground and the results you hoped for aren’t coming to pass, consider these components as you set sail on your next endeavor, next post or next campaign.
Start with a SYSTEM.
Once you understand that marketing is a system, things get a whole lot clearer. A proven social media marketing system will help you gain more customers, more profit and more control over your business.
A marketing system will help you:
- Approach your marketing logically and practically
- Get very clear about how to spot an ideal client
- Understand the perfect way to make your business stand out in the crowd
- Know the secret to creating content that attracts eager buyers
- Utilize the precise formula for creating the most profitable customers
- Know how to build a total online presence that makes your brand the obvious choice
- Know how to turn social media participation into sales
- Know where to invest your dollars and where to avoid
- Quickly gauge the effectiveness of every move you make
Create and publish engaging, relevant content.
How do you know if your content is relevant?
- Increased social traffic
- Improved engagement
- Higher quality leads
Creativity takes courage. Leverage the power of your expertise and the expertise of your employees to create content that’s ideal for your target customers. Develop trust and don’t be afraid to show your brand’s true personality.
Grow your audience and boost your engagement.
Here’s your first cue to look at social advertising. Facebook has created a valuable ads platform and as part of building your foundation, you must leverage ads to grow your likes and encourage engagement and conversation. Carefully and thoughtfully created “Promote your page” and “Boost your posts” ads can achieve results quickly (depending on your budget).
Recognize and Respond to Organic Leads
High on the list of skills for your marketing manager is the ability to spot a social lead and nurture it. Very often, leads happen in the comments section of Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram, LinkedIn and/or Google+.
As questions get asked, skillfully answer them and reply with another question. Example:
User: “How long is this special on for?”
Marketing Manager: “Until the end of this week. What type of car are you driving right now?”
User: “2011 Nissan Altima”
Marketing Manager: “That’s a great car. Are there any questions you have about your next purchase?”
User: “Not really. I guess I just need to drive a few to see what I really WANT to buy or what I can afford.”
Marketing Manager: “We always recommend Try Before You Buy 
Can I make an appointment for you?”
Can you see how this exchange was helpful, non-threatening and savvy?
Advertise for Paid Leads
One of the strengths of social media marketing lies in social advertising. Facebook ads are the most popular and rightfully so. Done right, Facebook ads can bring very lucrative results. You can target small groups of interested buyers without spending on those who will never buy from you. Advertising to people who know you gets better results.
Succeeding at Facebook ads represents a whole new dimension to the difficulty of social media marketing. It’s easy to spend money with Facebook ads so don’t go at this half-heartedly. You can drive traffic to your site and convert fans into customers but it’s not going to happen without a system of creative campaigns, expert guidance and goal-setting.
Is social media marketing complicated? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes. Just don’t underestimate the effort it takes. Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
The post Why Social Media Marketing is Harder Than It Looks appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
Being successful in sales will take you anywhere you want to go, right? Umm, not so fast. In today’s online environment where 95% of buyers start their purchase process online, tried-and-true sales techniques are valuable but not foolproof.
I meet sales professionals everyday who excel at their sales process but they’re lost when it comes to taking those skills online. Over my 25+ years in car dealerships, I can count on one hand those salespeople I know who genuinely possess a talent for both sales and networking. Social Selling requires both. It’s using technology to leverage the vast openness of the Internet to nurture relationships and foster sales.
When I started in the car business, the dealer hired me to be his assistant. I quickly realized that I wanted to sell cars, so he agreed to let me give it a try. I’ve always been a natural networker but I had a lot to learn about how to apply that within a good sales process. Back then, I was able to succeed because I leveraged my relationships and worked my process. Who knows what I could’ve accomplished if I’d had Social Media.
There are two main skill sets needed for Social Selling:
- A solid sales process.
- The ability to network and refer effectively online.
As a manager or GM, it’s easy to assume that great salespeople know how to network successfully and that great networkers excel at selling. However, salespeople’s’ skills for these can often be mutually exclusive.
There’s a lot of misapprehension about Social Selling.
Many great salespeople are apprehensive, nervous and even fearful of social networks.
- How do I present myself online?
- What do I say?
- I don’t feel comfortable.
- What about my privacy?
- Who will see my posts?
- What are the Do’s and Don’ts?
- Why does it matter?
I recently learned of a Social Selling conference where one of the speakers was a sales trainer and I happen to know that he doesn’t practice Social Selling himself. In fact, one of the tips he gives is, “Get on Twitter! Hey, it’s free!” Of course Twitter is free because it’s simply a platform. What isn’t free is the time and effort to expend to make it work for you. What’s dangerous is you can damage your reputation without knowing the pitfalls.
Be careful about who you listen to and what they’re saying. Sales trainers train on sales process and that’s a very valuable component of your overall sales action plan. However, many of them do not have the first inkling how to train on Social Selling.
Processes are so valuable to sales success. Sales leaders know this and that’s why they’re successful. Social Selling is a new process and many sales trainers neglect to incorporate an action plan for Social Selling.
These steps will help you integrate your already awesome sales process with Social Selling techniques.
Social Selling Action Plan
- Take advantage of free real estate. Complete your profiles on every social platform (claim them even if you’re not going to use them right away) and also claim your name’s domain URL.
- Describe (in writing) why you do what you do. What differentiates you from everyone else? If you get stuck, ask your best customers.
- Identify who you WANT to connect with. Locate 4-5 people per week who are valuable prospects for you.
- Lay the ground work to become a “Likable Expert.” Post content that attracts and engages those ideal prospects. Start with one platform, the one you feel most comfortable with AND the one where your ideal customers are most likely spending their time. When you’re ready, you’ll start a blog.
- Participate. Spend time engaging (networking). Look for communities where you can make a difference. Do you have a favorite hobby? Do you have a cause that’s dear to your heart? Tap into communities where you can bring value to the table.
- Giver’s Gain. Become known for quality info, helpfulness, and expertise. Be perceived as someone who’s willing to lend a hand, who will participate thoughtfully, deliberately and authentically.
- Don’t spread yourself too thin. Don’t try to master every single platform or be all things to all people.
- Leverage LinkedIn Advance Search to connect with ideal prospects. Example: Many OEMs offer great discounts on cars to employees of large companies. Seek out the HR manager at that company and offer to do a free 45-minute workshop on “How to Avoid the Perils of Buying a Car.”
- Facebook Groups are a valuable way to network. The algorithms seem to offer up Group content in users’ newsfeeds more often now so there’s a likelihood that members will see your content. You may even want to start your own Group.
- Work referrals. Ask for them. Don’t discount the value of a current or repeat customer.
- Always ask for an online review. Ask customers to mention your name (to build your own personal brand online). Help them help you become a Social Selling superstar.
A large component of your solid sales process is using the phone and email to follow up on leads. Social Media allows you to connect more often without being so invasive. It’s important how you approach, but coming from a place of thoughtful service is a good guide.
Sales and Social Selling are not the same.
Where many sales managers and GMs miss the boat is they neglect to add Social Selling to their team members’ daily duties. You must acclimate communication with prospects and customers through Social and Mobile.
Be sure to implement a comprehensive Social Media policy so that every team member receives guidelines and tips to practice good social manners.
There’s a tremendous power in leveraging technology to connect, engage, recognize leads, and follow up. Incorporate your sales and Social Selling processes to form one cohesive machine that can’t be stopped.
The post Sales and Social Selling: Are They The Same? appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
Using Social Media as part of the sales process can increase revenue. But many sales managers and GMs aren’t convinced yet. They’re curious but skeptical about how efforts placed on social networks can result in a return on investment and/or sales.
Many salespeople see Social Selling from the opposite camp. They know the value but feel like their hands are tied because they’re ostracized if found using Social Media in the workplace.
Some bosses want to implement Social Selling into their sales process but aren’t sure where to start or who to trust for training.
When 90% of phone calls and emails go unanswered, we must find common ground for all of these archetypes to flourish. Each one believes they’re right and each one wants the same thing: increased sales. It’s now a question of coming to a place where each can discover something they didn’t know and move forward together to get the results they really want.
I just had a conversation with a trainer for a large automotive group. He informed me that Social Selling wasn’t part of their curriculum. I’m perplexed by this because in nearly every industry, including automotive retail, sales typically start online. Whether it’s through an ad, a blog post, a group forum or an already established relationship, consumers are online seeking advice.
When I asked why Social Media and Social Selling wasn’t part of their program, he said, “Because the boss thinks Social Media is a fad.” This is not 2004. Showing disdain for Social Media is like bragging that you can’t read.
The consumer has moved forward. They want to buy their way and expect businesses to deliver it. Many salespeople have figured out that they can build a network themselves using Social Media. Not only do they not think it’s a fad, many see the evidence of Social Selling’s promise in this observation:
If your customer is online and your inventory is online, then why aren’t your salespeople online?
Whichever camp you’re in, know that there’s room to grow and recognizing this can lead to more sales. If you’re a boss, consider your team members’ enthusiasm for Social Selling and leverage it. Alleviate your fears by implementing a Social Media policy. You have a lot to gain by utilizing your salespeoples’ expertise online.
If you’re a salesperson that’s frustrated, please consider these tips on what to do if your boss thinks Social Selling is a fad.
1. Remain Calm.
It can be frustrating when management doesn’t see it “your way” but the only way to win is to keep yourself in check and practice patience.
2. Speak to Them in Their Language.
Most bosses are not big users of Social Media. When you’re not familiar with something, it’s very difficult to visualize success. If you’re presenting your case for Social Selling, use familiar idioms to convey your point. No one thought the Internet, cell phones or email were going to last, right?
Remember: their dialect is ROI. Think like the boss and find hard stats and statistics on the value of Social Selling. Present your position in writing. It’s hard to argue with a well-prepared report.
3. Show Results that Can’t be Argued With.
I spoke at an automotive dealer 20 Group meeting recently where a dealer mentioned that he’s embraced Social Media and Social Selling throughout his organization. How did he get there? Evidence. He has a salesperson who was selling 15 cars a month but when she started to implement Social Selling, her sales increased. She now sells 40 cars a month. The dealer made it mandatory that all salespeople leverage Social Selling strategies. It can be done…and this is proof!
4. If You Can’t Find Any Results, Achieve Some Yourself.
What platforms do you feel most comfortable on? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and blogging are the places to start. Pick ONE to master then take what you’ve learned and apply it to the other places you want to connect with prospects, customers and referral partners.
If Facebook is your first choice, you’ll need to decide whether to use your Personal Profile page or create a Business Page. I’ve written about this decision here: Do I Need a Separate Facebook Account for Business?
Leverage Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and your blog by capitalizing on your name and your likeness – since those are the elements that make you unique.
Once you’ve got your profile completed, it’s time to start connecting, engaging, networking and generally being a resource for customers and prospects.
- Behave as though you’re a “business owner.” After all, you’re the CEO of YOU, right? Let everything you do represent the best possible version of you.
- Map out what you want to achieve. What are the results you’re looking to achieve that you’ll take back to the boss?
- Share content that you’ve created that shows your expertise. Let your content show why you’re the best at what you do. Create blog posts that answer your customers’ questions, needs and concerns.
- Seek out those you can help. Social Media affords you the ability to give evidence of your commitment to your customers. There are a lot of fakers out there spewing nonsense just for attention. Be real, be genuine, be useful. Show up to give.
- Seek out those that can help you. To succeed in sales, you’ve got to have a good network in real life and online. Make a list of 4-5 people that you want to be introduced to, who can help you achieve your desired results. Someone in your circle may be connected to them or know someone who is. This is what Social Media excels at: connecting people in ways that were not possible even 5 years ago.
- Learn to recognize a lead through Social Selling. Conversations can turn into sales and you need to be ready when they happen. Any question that comes from a prospect should be considered a lead. Answer their question and pose another question that helps them in some way. Continue the process until they’ve made their decision. Sometimes their decision is you and sometimes it’s not. Either way, you’ve left an impression on that lead as someone who’s truly helpful and kind.
Social Selling leads to established ROI and increased sales. Everyone can learn something new and become better because of it. Don’t let old beliefs keep you stuck. Determine where you want to go and create an action plan for how to get there.
The post What To Do if The Boss Thinks Social Selling is a Fad appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
“Profit isn’t a purpose, it’s a result. To have purpose means the things we do are of real value to others.” ~Simon Sinek
In today’s climate of radical transparency where everything your business says and does is subjected to scrutiny, the most valuable way to attract leads and sales is through education and trust. The vehicle for education and building trust is content marketing.
What Delivering Real Value Means Today
Real value is manifested in the content you inspire, create and publish.
- Informative, helpful content that educates your buyer and helps them decide on their purchase.
- Informed customers make better decisions.
- Better decisions make happy, loyal customers.
- Happy, loyal customers are inspired to tell others.
Quality content drives search ranking, demonstrates integrity and credibility, and engages buyers that WANT to buy your product. However, it takes a solid commitment in order to produce quality content.
Consumers have come to expect to find all the details about any product, service, company, individual, cause or challenge they face by simply turning to the search engine of their choice. If they don’t find content you’ve produced that provides them with that information, even if someone referred them directly to you, there’s a good chance you won’t be worthy of their trust.
Think about all the information readily available with a product on Amazon: detailed description, buyer reviews, comparable products, additional products bought concurrently, even questions asked and answered by the seller and in some cases, other customers. It’s what you expect when you buy, right? Your customers expect the same from you so content marketing must be part of your overall action plan.
The simple fact is this: If you don’t educate and build trust with quality content, someone else will.
A commitment to content marketing involves the development and implementation of an action plan. You must put strategy before tactics if you want your hard work to pay off.
You’ll need commitment from your employees too because they’re trusted more than anyone else in today’s environment. They have a wealth of information your customers crave.
Trust, education, integrity and engagement must be delivered through the creation of very specific forms of content and not simply through sheer volume. In a world where content drives leads and sales, every business must become a publisher.
There are 4 cornerstones from which to publish content that builds trust and educates buyers. These 4 platforms are the basis for content marketing:
1. Blog
Your business blog is the launchpad for your content action plan. It’s the place to organize your “editorial” thinking; where you’ll plan out the information that’s important to your buyers and how you’ll publish it.
Your blog is a major player in SEO now that Google has made it clear that quality content ranks higher and initiates organic traffic to your website.
Blog platforms (aka: WordPress) make content production, employee participation, syndication and sharing simple and workable.
2. Social Media
If you haven’t yet decided that Social Media is an integral part of your content marketing action plan, today is the day you fish or cut bait. Here’s a few stats to chew on:
- One in five Internet Page Views occurs on Facebook.
- 4.75 Billion pieces of content are shared everyday on Facebook.
- Average time spent on Facebook is 20 minutes.
- Brand interaction is a major part of life on Twitter. 42% learn about products/services. 41% provide opinions about products/services. 19% seek customer support.
- 17% of all online adults now use Instagram. 57% access Instagram daily.
Social Media is a valuable tool to publish your quality content. Promoting your content through Facebook ads can really make things fly.
The progression of content marketing begins with your quality content. From there, it can increase engagement, drive people to your website, and convert fans into customers.
3. Online Reviews
Review sites like Yelp and Google+Local have become mainstream user-generated content hubs. These sites all allow folks to rate and review businesses thereby making this another important cornerstone of content that you must participate in.
It’s difficult to have total control over this category, but ignore it and it will come back to bite you. Monitor this channel aggressively.
Be proactive (instead of reactive) buy implementing an internal process to capture your happy, loyal customers opinions.
4. Testimonials
People influence people. Trust is solidified when good information leads to a delightful customer experience.
No matter how tall a box you climb and how loud you shout about your business, there is no substitute for someone else (customer-turned-spokesperson) bigging you up. This taps into the power of “social proof” – we just trust people more than we do businesses and their advertisements.
Seek out your “Raving Fans.” These are your passionate, repeat buyers. They will most likely be happy to help with a good word AND their enthusiasm always translates well, whether in video or written word.
Provide a script for your interviewer with no more than 4-5 leading questions:
- How did you first hear about us?
- What do you like best about your ________ (item they bought from you)
- What is the deciding factor that keeps you coming back to us?
- How likely are you to recommend us to your friends and family?
- Is there anything else you’d like us to know? (some people like to riff when they get inspired and it can make for awesome video).
These 4 cornerstones are your foundation from which to build your content marketing kingdom. When the things we do are of real value to our customers, our purpose becomes clear and profit follows.
The post The 4 Cornerstones of Content Marketing That Educate and Build Trust appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
We’ve never had a more complicated time in the history of transactions. Information is traveling much faster than any of us expected. It’s not easy and many organizations are struggling. Complicated decisions must be made in real time and customer friction points must be kept to a minimum.
People love to buy, they just hate to be sold to.
You’re not in the business of selling things, you’re in the business of helping people buy things. The best way to help people buy the things you sell is by reducing customer friction points along the way.
There are just too many alternatives available when buyers confront friction. If you can identify and understand your customers’ pain points, it will bring you closer to them and solidify the relationship.
What are the most prominent customer friction points?
- Bad website user experience and/or lead conversion tactics
- Apathetic or uninformed salespeople
- Unfavorable customer service
- Poor public perception and/or reputation
- Negative online reviews
The fact is, friction kills customer experience.
There are thousands more subtle friction points along the way to the sale. The best way to get ahead of those is to study your buyers’ behavior and think like a customer.
Data is important in your process of understanding customer behavior. Numbers don’t lie. However, a lot of business only look at their data for answers when conversions start diminishing.
When businesses become data driven, they begin to lack empathy. It’s been scientifically proven that once you focus only on data and numbers, you begin to lack empathy. The actions of data review and empathy are initiated in two completely separate parts of the brain.
When you’re unable to empathize with the customer, you can’t relate to the customer and very often, they can’t relate to you. Providing a frictionless pathway to the sale depends on your ability to relate and understand what your customer needs in order to make their purchase.
Minimize friction along the buyers’ journey to keep them moving forward. The sales funnel is not gravity driven. There’s no guarantee they’ll ever make their way to the bottom. Minimize the friction in your online and offline interactions by providing support and expertise. Make it effortless for the buyer to find their way.
Companies like Amazon and Apple do a great job of eliminating customer friction points. They delight their customers and they have issues just like the rest of us. Just the other day I ordered some drinking glasses from Amazon. When they arrived, one was smashed to bits. It was clear that the packaging was insufficient. I went online to request a refund. Amazon processed it quickly and refunded me immediately (no waiting until they received the package back). That was delightful.
My experience with that transaction set me up for less friction to future purchases.
Keep your processes grounded. Examine the places where your customers might encounter friction and shore them up. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to be better than your competition.
Don’t get stuck in your out-dated business model.
It’s a complicated time and businesses unwilling or unable to adapt their models will experience difficulties. For instance: why didn’t the Yellow Pages come up with Google? Why didn’t the taxi companies invent Uber? Because they got stuck in their business models, their processes and their own thinking. They didn’t consider the world from their customers’ viewpoint. They were unable to empathize with the customer and didn’t recognize the friction points.
How to Reduce Customer Friction Points
In order to create a frictionless journey for your customer, examine the cornerstones of your business processes. Your customers are looking for signposts on the road to the sale so, plan for their signposts. Plan for their next steps by maintaining empathy and thinking like the customer in these areas:
- Content. Website, blog, social media, and advertising all require great content to generate leads and convert sales. Reduce friction points by thinking like your customer. Supply them with the knowledge it takes to make the right purchase decision. Your website and landing pages should communicate exactly what your customers want to know, in the most distilled form possible.
- Customer Experience. A brand is no longer what we tell consumers it is. It’s what consumers tell each other it is. From your marketing touch points to completed transactions to repeat purchases, a positive customer experience drives your business. Give them something to talk about.
- Your People. Salespeople and support staff can very often neglect to see the importance of the transaction through the customers’ eyes. They get busy and fail to realize that the transaction they’re facilitating is a milestone in that customers life. Provide your people with gentle reminders to approach sales with empathy. They’ve certainly experienced a milestone purchase in their life too!
- Relationships. The simple reality is that relationships with current and repeat customers obliterate friction. One of the largest points of friction is lack of trust. Relationships that are nurtured instill trust and can often be the reason someone buys.
By understanding your customers’ pain points and eliminating friction, you provide a positive experience that matters along each stage of the buying process. Isn’t the shortest distance to the sale always the best one?
The post How to Reduce Customer Friction Points for More Leads and Sales appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
Let’s face it, success in Social Media and online marketing has become elusive for many business owners. The days of posting generic messages to your Facebook page are over. Even if you have really enjoyable content on your Social Media platforms, without advanced strategies and tactics, you won’t get far. It’s become so overwhelming that a Social Media Marketing Checklist is required just to keep things consistent and meaningful.
Routine + Consistency = Momentum
There’s a marketing adage called The Rule of 7. It states that a prospect needs to hear the advertiser’s message at least 7 times before they’ll take action to buy that product or service. Today, unless you have a clearly-defined marketing strategy that maps out how you’ll touch that prospect at least 7 times, you significantly reduce your odds of sales success.
Social Media affords you the opportunity to touch the customer often 7 times every day! You do that by sharing content, interacting with prospects and using specific marketing and advertising tactics to drive leads and sales.
Use the following Social Media Marketing Checklist to create a meaningful routine for yourself. Be consistent with your efforts and you’ll generate the momentum you’re looking for to get customers through the door.
Define Your Target Audience
When I ask most prospective clients who their target audience is, they reply, “Anyone who….” or “Everyone who has….”. While you may feel this is true for you, taking a more in-depth look at who you want to reach will improve your marketing results immensely.
Very often you’ll have more than one demographic and in most cases those demographics will overlap in their needs, concerns and questions. It’s helpful to define the basics first.
Basic Demographics
- Location
- Gender
- Age
- Income Level
- Occupation
- Education
- Ethnicity/Race
- Marital and Parental Status
These will get you identifying your ideal customers. Social Media has made it easier to target those who want to hear your message and bypass those who don’t. Now, drill deeper into your buyer personas.
Consumer Insights and Behavioral Demographics
- Interests
- Behavioral Characteristics
- Shopping Behavior
- Buying Frequency
- Cultural Factors (Societal environment and cultural trends)
- Social Factors (Network influencers, family, groups and social status)
- Personal Factors (Age and way of life)
- Psychological Factors (motivation, perception, beliefs and attitudes)
Develop a Content Strategy to Attract Your Target Audience
The content you create needs to have a strategy supporting it so you don’t go off willy-nilly sharing anything and everything (getting you nowhere fast and in some cases, harming your business). Your content should be relevant to your brand’s personality AND be relevant to your target customers.
Answer the following questions about your ideal customers. Let your answers guide you to create content that’s relevant to them:
- What’s important to them?
- What does a successful purchase look like to them?
- What are their questions and concerns?
- What might be holding them back from buying?
- How do they gather information on the road to purchase?
- How to they come to a decision?
Blog
- Write 2-3 blog posts each week
- Share each post more than once on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn
- Subscribe to 2 new blog feeds weekly
- Share 3 blog posts from your feeds daily
Facebook
- Publish 3 updates daily
- Always refer to content strategy before your hit “send”
- Syndicate your blog posts regularly (with links back to your website)
- Monitor for comments; reply as needed
- Review Insights and Ads Manager daily
Facebook Ads
- Promote your page (Grow Likes) with “Promote Your Page” ads
- Increase engagement and promote content using “Boost Your Posts” ads
- Drive leads and sales with “Send People to Your Website” and “Increase Conversions” ads
- Start with $5 per day budget if you’re a newbie
Twitter
- Publish 5-6 tweets daily, including your blog posts
- Retweet 3-5 relevant tweets daily
- Follow 15 relevant users or brands daily
- Use Lists to categorize SMEs (Subject matter experts)
- Use #hashtags to follow or lead conversations
- Track mentions and keywords
Google+
- Publish 3 updates daily, including your blog posts
- Make 3 relevant comments on content daily
- “+1” 5 pieces of content weekly
- Use Circles to create relevant connections
- Add 10 people to circles weekly
- Host a Google Hangout monthly
LinkedIn:
- Publish 5-6 updates daily
- Like or comment on 3 pieces of content daily
- Connect with 5 new people weekly
- Follow 5 relevant companies weekly
- Leverage Advanced Search daily to connect with people you want to know (prospects)
- Scan industry groups 2-3 times weekly; participate if appropriate
YouTube:
- Post a new video weekly
- Share 3 videos in other Social channels weekly
- Subscribe to 1 industry-related channel weekly
- Always focus on your customers’ interests and sprinkle in some fun
Instagram
- Post 1-2 images daily
- Use #hashtags to connect and converse daily
- Show another side of your business: promote your personality not your products
Pinterest
- Follow 5 new inspiring boards daily
- Comment on 3-5 Pins daily
- Share your blog posts 3 times weekly (make sure they link back to your website)
- Re-Pin 3 pins daily
- Add boards your target customers would be interested in weekly
This Social Media Marketing Checklist covers a lot. Stay focused and delve into one platform at a time to get traction. Give your marketing (and your business) the chance it deserves.
The post Social Media Marketing Checklist: Helpful Tips for Beginners appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
“I’m very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.” — Ron Burgundy
Think about every networking or social event you’ve ever been to and you may remember watching everyone deliberately avoiding the person who’s always trying to sell. Nobody likes to get stuck talking to a blowhard self-promoter. Many, many Facebook pages are the digital equivalent of that braggart. If you’re guilty of this, then it’s time to face the truth. Your Facebook marketing sucks.
Look, I totally get it. It’s really hard to figure out what to post on Facebook, especially when you’re not a marketer by trade. Heck, even some marketers are unsure.
It’s doubly difficult to know what to post when you’re not familiar with the social landscape. The fear of making a wrong move is overwhelming, especially when it could cost you everything.
Given that not a day goes by that I don’t see a Facebook page struggling, I felt like I had to share a simple strategy with you. This strategy will help you fix your Facebook page and redirect your Facebook marketing onto a more favorable course. Better for you and your business. Better for your customers.
So many businesses come to Facebook marketing with the WIIFM attitude. “What’s In It For Me” is where we naturally go when focusing on our marketing messages. But when it’s all about you on Facebook, you look a lot like that blowhard (who isn’t half as funny as Ron Burgundy).
The Problem with WIIFM
When it’s all about you, people don’t pay attention to what you say. Why? Because they’re coming from a WIIFM stance too! Your posts will never get shared or talked about. Your business will be devoured by the noise.
The Fix is…WIIFT
There’s a better way to stand out, get noticed and convert your fans into customers. Make it all about them. When you shift your mindset to WIIFT (“What’s In It For Them”) you’ll see changes start to happen. You’ll attract more users; they’ll find your messages interesting, helpful and maybe even entertaining.
Using the WIIFT mentality in your overall content strategy calls for the creation and publication of information that’s tailor made for your ideal (target) customers. You’ll establish a system of publishing content that attracts people in every stage of the buying process.
When developing a Facebook marketing strategy using WIIFT, you must always identify who your target customers are. Answer the following questions about your ideal customers. Let your answers guide you to create content that’s relevant to them:
- What’s important to them?
- What does a successful purchase look like to them?
- What are their questions and concerns?
- What might be holding them back from buying?
- How do they gather information on the road to purchase?
- How to they come to a decision?
There’s One More Thing
Find ways to empower dreams. In many cases, the purchase of your product is a dream for your customers. When you talk about the features and benefits of your product or service, it’s okay but it’s not the dream.
Sure, benefits improve customers’ lives, but not everyone on Facebook is ready to buy today. Features can be technical and have less impact. How boring would 50 Facebook posts about your products’ benefits be? Some of you already know because you’re doing it right now.
What dreams are your customers trying to fulfill with your product? Empower those dreams with your content.
This Facebook marketing and content strategy process is a creative one. It’s not to be conducted as a afterthought or for someone to be doing in their spare time. It’s marketing using a new medium with an unfamiliar process. If you don’t want to suck, then don’t!
The post Why Your Facebook Marketing Sucks and How to Fix It appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
“Mistakes are often the stepping stones to utter failure.” ~Proverb
Why, oh why, do businesses take to the airwaves without a plan or careful consideration of the consequences with the content they promote? With all that’s happening in the world, there are a lot of strong opinions online. Your business (and your marketing team) must put strategy over tactics. They must practice restraint and consider the actions they take in this world of right-now journalism which gives everyone a microphone. Every business wants to avoid the Social Media Fail but not everyone understands how to avoid it, or what to do if it happens to you!
The long-tail of the Internet
I was recently in a planning meeting for online reputation training and we discussed the ramifications of a single customer experience failure in 2001 entitled “Yours is a very bad hotel.” A hotel customer spent time and thought to create a powerpoint presentation specifically meant for the hotel’s owner or general manager. This customer outlined the details of their experience hoping to attract attention and bring about change.
Whether your business makes a mistake in a real-time customer experience or you publish content that contradicts your brand’s core message, perceptions and stories last forever. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it will just go away.
The Social Media Fail That Didn’t Have to Happen
The brand at the center of controversy here is a woman-owned, women-centric company that strives to help women auto buyers navigate their way through the minefield that can envelop them during the car buying process. I know the owner of this business and her intent is purely authentic; it comes from a good heart and intention to be helpful.
The above image is a re-tweet of the “quote” that someone in her company deemed appropriate for the brand. The user asked, “COSBY?” Indeed! Others caught it and went on the attack:
- “Jesus Christ! This site’s run by men, has to be.”
- “I just… no words.”
- “1950s advice, for the modern woman driver?”
- “Car advice for the helpless little lady?”
- “Have to get my husband to read this to me”
You can see the entire thread here
This is a devastating Social Media Fail that didn’t have to happen. My goal for this commentary is to help this brand and others (you?) understand that you must pay attention to and have a solid strategy for the content that’s publish in your name.
You’ll notice in the thread that the business tries to pull in other credible users to “vouch” for them. Social Media just doesn’t work that way.
“A brand is no longer what we tell customers it is. It’s what customers tell each other it is.”
This brand’s core message is: “We help women have more empowering experiences.”
Their content says otherwise. It’s clear by publishing this quote from a controversial figure and contentious situation that their message is not reliable or trustworthy.
How Can a Brand Fix This?
First and foremost, come clean. Explain how the mistake happened. Give details and apologize to all who were harmed. Take total responsibility.
In many cases, your humble stance will satisfy those who’ve targeted you. Everyone makes mistakes and most everyone accepts it.
Steps to move forward with your content marketing:
- For goodness sake, get some assistance with Social Media. Develop a quality content strategy and marketing plan. See to it that nothing ever gets published without your consent and a qualified Social Media marketing person to review it.
- Implement a marketing plan that sends the right message…always. So many businesses take to the online environment thinking they can succeed; some do, many don’t. If you’re unsure, get advice. The investment you incur is well worth it given the consequences.
- Before you post anything (even if you don’t have assistance) ask yourself:
- Is it true?
- Is it helpful?
- Is it inspiring?
- Is it necessary?
- Is it kind?
These days, many businesses are utilizing their staff to create and publish content on Social Media and all other online mediums. Please, take a moment and truly consider the consequences of someone’s ability (and in this case, even your own) to judge what’s right and what not right for your target audience.
Content should inspire people to share, engage and want to know more about your business. Anything other than that is reckless.
Nothing is fool-proof. However, with a solid marketing plan that mandates your core message and outlines a step-by-step procedure to capture leads and sales, you can escape a Social Media Fail. It’s all a matter of making the correct choices.
Please make the right ones.
The post Anatomy of a Social Media Fail…and Lessons Learned appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
One of the biggest challenges today is the fact that content is the cornerstone to successful marketing and businesses are having a hard time adapting to it. It’s difficult to create content when you’re busy operating a business or focusing your efforts on sales. One of the keys to overcoming this difficulty is to modernize your culture and implement programs to motivate employees to participate in the content marketing process.
Is it hard to get employees to buy into the value of participating in content creation? Yes. It’s painful for both management and their team members to work a new concept into their daily operational duties, especially for those who sell and don’t make a living unless they sell something.
However, now that customers are Googling salespeople, it’s crucial that each salesperson participate in content creation. The buyer’s journey typically starts online. Quality content helps your business and your employees get found in search and instills the perception that you’re the “likable expert.”
Modernize your Culture
Any shift needs to come from the top. If you (as the business owner) don’t buy into the idea of modernization, your employees won’t either. So check yourself and re-evaluate WHY you do what you do. Define your vision again and, if you need direction, seek advice to help develop it. Being able to consistently redefine and communicate your business’ “higher purpose” is the secret to modernizing your culture.
Companies that do this well make sure their ecosystem understands the larger world they operate in and how they fit into that world. Then, they activate their employees to tell authentic and personal stories about how they contribute.
The marketing manager may often find themselves in the role of teacher and coach. Teaching others how to write, how to share on social media, and how to build their personal brands.
True modernization craves owners and executives who embody this spirit – living and breathing the notion that your brand is more than what you sell.
Organizational development.
Create an atmosphere where employees are educated on what quality content is and how to recognize opportunities to capture it.
The blueprint to content marketing success lies in quality content. What is quality content? Information that’s relevant to your ideal (target) customers. The good news is that your employees hold a wealth of information that buyers want to know.
Modernize your culture by implementing a process to foster brainstorming sessions between your marketing team and your employees:
- Weekly meetings though Skype, Google Hangout or Zoom.us.
- Invite one small group (3-4) at a time
- Limit each session time to 1 hour max.
- Utilize a marketing content calendar or schedule as your base. Topics could include:
- Customer concerns and FAQs
- Stories about customer experience
- Little known facts about the buying process
- Technical aspects of your products
- Local events that are noteworthy
Make it effortless for employees to contribute. Set up a special email or Dropbox account for employees to submit their ideas, written content, and videos. You may even want to use BaseCamp for bigger projects.
How to Motivate Employees to Create Content
The latest Edelman Trust Barometer (2014) study demonstrates the increasingly important role employees play in building trust. Since 2009, the credibility of employees has increased dramatically, ahead of that of the CEO.
One of the most difficult endeavors is figuring out how to motivate employees to share their ideas and participate in content creation. In the 5+ years since shifting away from running car dealerships to working as a marketer, I can say that it’s the biggest challenge for my clients to overcome.
Motivation starts with understanding that employees don’t do things because you ask them to. They do things because you’ve provided a reason that compels them to do what you’re asking. In top businesses, the culture can instill pride and ownership. Motivation happens in an atmosphere of working toward a common goal where everyone has a stake in the outcome.
If you’re a top business, congratulations! While all may aspire to be that top business, most businesses (for many, many reasons) are somewhere else on the scale. The following tactics are useful in most every condition your business may be in. Try these maneuvers to motivate employees to participate in content creation:
- Offer spiffs (cash bonus) for the best or most-shared blog post, Facebook post, Tweet, Video or Image.
- Gamification: a little competition always stirs things up. Start a monthly or weekly competition for best content contribution. Every submission gets an entry so the more content employees provide, the more entries they get in the drawing. Draw names out of a hat at the end of the month or week. Offer cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
- Offer a prize (or day off?) for every positive review from a verified customer.
- Hold a monthly contest for the most creative customer testimonial–written or video. Pick three managers to judge.
Please use these building blocks to modernize your business culture and motivate employees to create content. Even though the web is noisy and crowded, there’s still a great opportunity for you to make a big impact on buyers. Act now and you’ll blow your competitors out of the water!
The post How to Modernize your Culture and Motivate Employees to Create Content appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.
