How to Effectively Market Your Brand on Social Media in 2019 Posted on July 2, 2019July 2, 2019 by Guest Author Social media is constantly evolving. What was once a steady stream of cat memes is now a tried-and-true marketing channel and a bona fide brand awareness platform. Unsurprisingly, these fast-paced feeds are the perfect places to market your brand because they’re so widely adopted. With 7 out of 10 adults on Facebook, 8 out of 10 on YouTube, and 6 out of 10 on Instagram, there’s a good chance your audience is already active (and possibly posting cat pics) on social media. With engaged users sharing and consuming content daily, social media is an endless pool of marketing possibilities. Best of all, it’s (for the most part) free. Whether you’re looking to introduce your brand, pull new customers, or build loyalty with existing ones, social media has you covered. If launching a new social campaign sounds daunting, stay tuned — we’re breaking down how to market your brand on social media. Start S.M.A.R.T. Before you dive into a social campaign, it’s important to start with a goal. Pinpoint exactly what you want to get out of your social efforts — whether that’s brand awareness, conversions, or site traffic — pick a lane and write it down. The classic S.M.A.R.T. objectives will serve you well here. Make sure your goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Keeping a realistic objective in front of you will help you measure your success. Know your audience. Before you hit the share button, it’s important to understand your audience. Who is your ideal customer, and what do they want to see in their feed? Who are they following? Think about where your audience is online and which social channels they’re using the most. Establish buyer personas to help you craft premium content that resonates with your target following. Knowing your audience will give you higher engagement and more traffic, and in turn convert your social media followers into loyal customers. Join in (i.e., start posting). Once you have your goal in mind and your audience dialed in, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start sharing. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube are all free platforms at your fingertips to help you directly engage with your audience. When it comes to content, it’s important to be real, relevant, and not too sales-y. Limit the sales pitch. Social media is a space for sharing. Whether that’s entertainment, knowledge, or learning something new, your content should serve up value — no strings attached. When it comes to posting sales-heavy messaging, use the 90/10 rule. The bulk of your content should engage your audience with thought leadership, research, and ways for people to level up their skills. The remaining 10% can aim people back to your site with the intent to purchase. Posting links to gated research, articles, and ebooks allows you to capture your audience’s interest and their information. By actively sharing value, social media can help position your brand as a trusted source of information and an industry thought leader. Even if your audience isn’t ready to buy, by actively engaging with the community, you’re establishing your company as a trusted brand. When people are ready for a solution like yours, you’ll be top of mind. Be human. People want to connect with other humans, not companies. As a brand, ensure your online presence reflects your unique tone of voice and the humans behind it. Take the time to acknowledge the followers that recognize you. Like, comment, and share tagged posts created by your followers. Social media gives brands a unique opportunity to interact with their audience in real time. Take advantage of this channel by directly relaying your love and appreciation for your audience. Doing so will show your following you’re not only actively participating in the community, but you’re paying attention as well. Posting content created by your audience is a surefire way to build loyalty with your following (and it’s 100% free). Stay on top of trends. Hopping on an appropriate trend can help your brand appear relatable to consumers. It shows your audience that your brand is as much of a fan as it is a contributor. Just like your audience, your brand likes and follows movements that arise in the wild world of social. Partner up with influencers. Influencers are worth their weight in gold when it comes to social marketing. These highly followed individuals are prime opportunities for brand awareness. Start by searching for people in your industry with a hefty following and an active online presence. Engage with the articles and content they share (i.e., comment, like, and share their posts when you see fit). As with any relationship, you need to start small, build trust, and work your way toward the deep end. Aim to kindle the relationship before you need it. Down the road when you reach out to an influencer with an opportunity, they’ll be more likely to recognize your brand and endorse your partnership. Social media can be a strategic tool to inspire, motivate, and build relationships with new prospects and existing customers alike. Before heading down the road of social marketing, it’s important to identify your audience and set a campaign goal. As a brand, staying relevant, human, and active in your community is the best way to spread awareness, build trust with your audience, and establish your brand as a household name. Author Bio Chris Farrell is co-founder and CEO of Liscio. He’s a seasoned technology executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience in finance and accounting. Chris served as the CEO of Nexonia, Inc., the parent company of the Nexonia, Tallie, ExpenseWatch, and SpringAhead brands. His experience as a founder of Tallie and SpringAhead gives Liscio a proven leader with a successful track record scaling up startup technology platforms for professional services. Chris earned his CPA in the heart of Silicon Valley at Arthur Andersen in 1996 and his MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management in 2004.
SMB Owners: Should You Hire a Freelancer or an Agency? Posted on June 28, 2019June 28, 2019 by Jonathan Herrick Navigating the marketing landscape can be a real hassle. Do you focus on digital ads or print? Radio or TV? Would a social media campaign be worth your time? Which keywords should you target on Google? Is your website up to snuff? Is your social media presence reaching the right audience? Do you know all the latest tools of the trade? It’s enough to make your head spin. As a small business owner, there’s just so much on your plate. Dreaming up how to get the word out about your company can be fun at first. Eventually though, the day-to-day maintenance and management of your marketing campaigns will fall to the wayside. Not only that, but your expertise isn’t necessarily in marketing—are you sure you’re doing everything to get the most out of your ad budget? Enter the agency—or, maybe a freelancer? Both options have the potential to bring more leads and keen brand awareness to your business, but how do you know which one is right for you? Well, first, let’s define them: Marketing Agency—A full-service company that combines the talents of many different creative workers under one roof. Freelancer—A single person, customarily hired for one type of task and paid as a contracted worker. So, which one should you choose? Well, it depends on your needs. Let’s break it down a bit more. Working with Marketing Agencies Marketing agencies go under a lot of different names these days: digital marketing agency, lead generation agency, branding agency, or inbound marketing agency. Regardless of which name they’re under, you can expect a similar experience. Marketing agencies have the benefit of combining the power of many different business-minded and creative types. After your first consultation, the sales staff can lay out a plan for your website, digital marketing, print advertising, and content strategies. People with proven track-records will creatively and technically manage each of these different aspects of your business. They’re experts, and they’re here to guide you. While you may give some input on the creative process and approve the final work, in the end, the marketing agency will determine your creative strategy and ad buys. The amount that the agency is involved in your business depends on the agreement you come to with them, but many companies use them as their entire marketing department. However, it is possible to only contract their services for smaller tasks like content management, digital ad management, or website creation. Marketing agencies, provided you have ensured they are reputable, allow you the power of an expert marketing staff without having to hire a team. On the downside, marketing agencies tend to be costly. The cost varies wildly from agency-to-agency and project-to-project. Just be sure that you set solid expectations on key performance indicators to be sure that you’re getting the proper return on your investment. Working with a Freelancer Freelancers often have fled the confines of an office or agency and instead offer their expert services through self-employment. A freelancer is likely an expert in one or two related aspects of marketing. For example, you’ll often find freelancers that know content writing and are also trained in Google AdWords. A freelancer is best if you have a specific project in mind, you want to retain creative control, or you’re on a tight budget and want to keep the scope small. Freelancers can almost be like having a member of the staff to manage different aspects of your marketing without having to pay for a full-time employee. While their rate is often higher than what you’d pay a salary staff member, you’re only paying for the specific work you’ve requested. On the downside, some freelancers can be unreliable or not provide high quality work as promised. Also, depending on the freelancer’s expertise level, you may have to be far more involved in the trajectory and creative ideation of your campaigns. It all depends on the freelancer. It pays off to use a freelancer platform like Upwork or hire freelancers that have a strong presence online with multiple positive reviews. Even better, try to ask your business owner friends who they use. Referrals are one of the best ways to hire someone who will deliver quality work and is reliable. Which should you choose? Choosing between an agency and a freelancer can sometimes be a difficult task. You have all these ideas for your business rattling around in your noggin, of course, you want to see them implemented. So, take a step back and think about your goals for this year. If you’d like to start a robust marketing campaign that spans both print and digital, but you don’t have dedicated staff to handle it, a marketing agency would be best. If you have ideas for a few specific projects, like starting a blog or redesigning your business’ logo, a freelancer will serve you well. Just remember, whether you go with an agency or freelancer, be sure to do your research about their quality of work first — since that’s what ultimately matters most.
In-Office Perks Your Employees – And Your Bottom Line – Will Love Posted on June 27, 2019 by Erin Posey Winning the war on talent isn’t easy. Not only do you have to spend time and money to recruit good employees, but you also have to make an ongoing effort to keep those employees happy and engaged. Companies that attract and retain the best of the best work hard to create great places to work, and part of that is offering attractive benefits and perks. But what happens if you’re on a tight budget? The good news is, there are still a few things you can do that will delight your team while not breaking the bank. Let’s take a look. Casual Days It may not seem like much, but being able to come in after a busy weekend without having to wear that stuffy suit, or end a hectic week in more comfortable clothing can seriously boost morale. Relaxing your office dress code may not be something you can do five days a week, but designating one or two days – typically Friday or Monday – when your employees can wear business-casual clothing is a great perk. Best of all, it won’t cost you a single dime. Field Trips Remember the excitement you would feel going into school as a kid when you knew you had a field trip? You can recreate some of that same buzz by implementing regular excursions out of the office. Once a week or a couple times a month, take the whole team (or individual departments, depending on the size and nature of your business) to an offsite location to work. There are plenty of options for this, including local coffee shops, co-working spaces and even the nearby bookstore. It’s a great (free) way to let your employees recharge while also supporting local businesses. Tech-Free Time Technology can be great for getting things done, but it can be detrimental when it comes to building and nurturing real, human relationships. That’s why some offices have taken to designating a specified amount of time each day or week during which all employees are required to unplug and interact with one another. Not only is this a great way to strengthen your team, but it’ll also demonstrate that your company cares about more than just the bottom line. Meeting-Free Days Meetings can feel like a tremendous waste of time. They can also have a devastating impact on productivity. While it may not be possible to eliminate meetings entirely, it is possible to cut down on how many and how frequently you expect your team to attend. One idea is to block out an entire day, once a week, during which there are to be no meetings held. You’d be surprised at how much something as simple as looking forward to a day of no interruptions can improve the attitude of your staff. These days, hiring the right people is only half the battle. It’s keeping them that can become the real challenge. But offering perks and benefits can get expensive – especially for a smaller company with an even smaller budget. Thankfully, the four ideas above are both effective and absolutely free, which means you can keep your team happier without taking a hit to your bottom line. Win-win!
6 Tips for Determining Your Agency’s Ideal Client Posted on June 26, 2019October 21, 2022 by Allie Wolff There comes a time in every agency’s life where you need to take a good, hard look at your client base. Many agencies have a tendency to adopt an “any client goes” mentality at first, just grateful for the work that helps them grow. As your agency begins to flourish, you may notice that business starts to plateau or, even worse, some of your clients aren’t fitting your needs, either financially, creatively, or through the always frustrating scope creep. To take your agency to the next level, you’ll need to spend some time considering your ideal client. While, of course, “made of money and respects our expertise” sounds perfect, there’s more to your collaborations than just dollar signs. In six simple steps, here’s how you can define and humanize the type of client you’d like to work with, so you have some clarity on how to get them clamoring for your services. 1. Know your value and identity. Before you go seeking out the perfect identity of your clients, you’ll need to take some time and think about who you are as a company. Take some time to consider a few of the following questions: What makes your agency shine above the rest? What are your company’s values and beliefs? Who is currently benefiting from your services? What are your financial goals? Do you feel that your current clients fit your company goals? If not, what separates the good clients from the bad ones? 2. Take a peek at your competitors. In an age of social media, it’s so easy to take a gander at what your competitors are doing. Look at the types of clients they’re going for and what their growth looks like. Of course, it’s difficult to infer this entirely from social media. Set up Google Alerts about your competitors to get notified of any buzz they’re building. Subscribe to their emails and take note of their outreach efforts. Who are they trying to reach? Is it successful? What types of clients are they partnering with? 3. Take a look at your current and past client interactions. Look at your significant accomplishments and mishaps during the initial growth of your agency. What did they have in common? Are negative issues like scope creep, miscommunication, or unhappy customers coming from similar clients or projects? Look for red flags and try to see if there are any connections between the projects. How about accomplishments? Is there a service that several clients have utilized to solve a similar problem? Analyze your successes for common threads that could translate to a type of client you’d like to do more business with. 4. Track referrals and demographics. People tend to hang out with like-minded people. The same can be said for companies as well. Track where your clients are coming from and learn their demographics. Take note of where they hang out online and in person. Look at the other types of businesses they keep in their company. These can be exceptional learning tools and networking opportunities for more clients in a similar vein. 5. Build a buyer persona. After taking a good long look at your agency projects, competitors, clients, and demographics, it’s time to build buyer personas. A buyer persona is a profile that represents your ideal client. You’ll want to make this detailed and humanized. It shouldn’t just be, “John Doe, CEO.” What are their likes, dislikes, and passions? What type of office do they run? What style of collaboration would they have? Create human, believable profiles based on the data you’ve collected. The more human you make your ideal client, the easier they’ll be to recognize when they come waltzing through your door. 6. Create a profile for clients to avoid. Finally, we can’t talk about ideal clients without touching on the not-so-ideal. Unfortunately, in the agency life, there are times where creative, professional, or financial differences can mean a working relationship just isn’t productive. To put it bluntly, it’s OK (even necessary) to fire clients. Use the negative experiences that you’ve had with your agency growth, along with comparisons with your ideal client, to humanize your unideal client. Just as you want to recognize a perfect sale, you certainly want to recognize the red flags of a client that won’t gel with what you do. Once your client profiles (positive and negative) are defined, don’t be afraid to update them from time-to-time. On an annual basis, take time to analyze your work from the past year and update your ideal clients accordingly. As your business grows, your picture of an ideal client is bound to change. Determining your ideal client can be a daunting, self-reflective task, but it is critical to the growth of your agency. It’s time to target the types of clients that will not only benefit you financially but creatively as well.
The Easiest to Use All-in-One CRM Platforms of 2019, According to G2 Posted on June 25, 2019June 26, 2019 by Jessica Lunk Results are in: G2 has determined the easiest to use all-in-one CRMs of 2019, and we’re a Small Business Leader! If you don’t already know, G2 is a massive software review site that helps businesses in all industries sort the best software from the rest. We’ve boiled down their top ten results (based on real user feedback) into a quick-reference list for you, to help you get a little closer to choosing the perfect customer relationship management tool for your organization. Here we go! #1 ActiveCampaign Favored heavily by the ad industry (with about 60% of G2 reviewers belonging to either a marketing or advertising company), ActiveCampaign is a behemoth in the CRM world. ActiveCampaign is a CRM solution that offers all of the functionality you’d expect from an industry leader — from marketing automation and email customization to the quality of its customer support team. Pricing: Ranges from $9 – $229 per month, and goes up depending on number of users. “Above average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, meets requirements, ease of setup, ease of admin “Below average” ratings by customers: Quality of support #2 Streak Streak’s sweet spot in the market is for Gmail users who want to essentially transform their email account into a CRM. With affordable pricing, a lightning-fast setup process, and a straightforward set of capabilities, it’s easy to see why it’s popular among both small businesses and bigger companies. Pricing: $0 – $89 per month, with varying options for number of users and emails. “Above average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, meets requirements, ease of doing business with, ease of setup, ease of admin “Below average” ratings by customers: Quality of support #3 Hatchbuck Check it out, it’s us! We were delighted to see that we’re rated the number one easiest platform to use, and the second overall highest-rated CRM system. Users appreciate our platform’s ease of setup and the quality of our support team. We’re especially popular with the marketing and advertising industries and small businesses looking for plenty of features for a low price tag. Pricing: $39 – $329 per month, with varying options for number of users and emails. “Above average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, user satisfaction, ease of doing business with, ease of setup, quality of support, and ease of admin “Below average” ratings by customers: Meets requirements #4 V-Tiger All-in-One Vtiger’s CRM software is the go-to for those in the information technology and computer software industries. It’s popular for its personalization options and custom reporting tools, and its regular users are die-hard fans. Pricing: Ranges from $10 – $30 per month, and goes up depending on number of users. “Above average” ratings by customers: None “Below average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, meets requirements, ease of doing business with, ease of setup, quality of support, ease of admin #5 Upsales Upsales is a user-friendly system that’s popular for its blend of functionality and good design. Although the price tag is reportedly a little higher than some other options, it seems that the quality of the system justifies shelling out a little extra cash. Pricing: Contact Upsales for pricing information. “Above average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, ease of doing business with, ease of setup, quality of support “Below average” ratings by customers: Ease of admin #6 VipeCloud If you or your sales team works primarily out of Gmail or Outlook, VipeCloud could be a lifesaving CRM app. Simplicity and straightforwardness make it easy to get your whole team up and running without much of a headache. VipeCloud also has an outstanding reputation for customer service. Pricing: $40 – $60 per user, per month. “Above average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, meets requirements, ease of doing business with, ease of setup, quality of support, ease of admin “Below average” ratings by customers: None #7 ACT! Act! Is a great fit for businesses utilizing Microsoft Office 365. Their proprietary tool, Act! 365, is built specifically for Office users looking for a simple CRM integrated with email. Their focus is on helping businesses grow through CRM and marketing automation. Pricing: $10 – $35+ per user, per month (billed annually). “Above average” ratings by customers: None “Below average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, meets requirements, ease of doing business with, ease of setup, quality of support, ease of admin #8 AllProWebTools “Bang for buck” is the motto among AllProWebTools users. With rave reviews across every category, it’s clear that this CRM tool is poised to rise in popularity as it gains a little more market presence. Pricing: $10 – $30 per month with unlimited users. “Above average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, meets requirements, ease of doing business with, ease of setup, quality of support, and ease of admin. “Below average” ratings by customers: None #9 Close Close helps small and mid-sized businesses close more deals with their sales productivity platform. Their features include SMS, email marketing and built-in calling making it simple for your sales team to communicate in one place. Pricing: $65 – $145 per user, per month. “Above average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, ease of setup “Below average” ratings by customers: Meets requirements, ease of doing business with, quality of support, ease of admin #10 Agile CRM Popular with the marketing, advertising, and IT industries, Agile CRM is one of the only leading CRMs that offers a free plan with multiple users per month. Though some users experience a few kinks, the overall consensus is that it’s a great tool for small businesses. Pricing: $0 – $47.99 per month “Above average” ratings by customers: None “Below average” ratings by customers: Ease of use, meets requirements, ease of doing business with, ease of setup, quality of support, ease of admin
5 Ways to Save Time on Social Media Posted on June 21, 2019 by Allie Wolff As a business owner, you probably already know that social media marketing is essential to growing your online presence. But here’s the thing. Just like any other activity, you have to be smart about your social media. You need a system. Otherwise, you could easily find yourself wasting time and money, both of which are probably at a premium. To make the most out of your efforts and ensure that your time and budget are optimized, here are a few expert tips. Put it on the calendar. First and foremost, you want to set aside dedicated time for your social media activities. The goal is to get into a routine so that you don’t end up either putting it off or spending too much of your precious time. Figure out what works best for you, whether it’s a half hour each morning, an hour every other day, or whatever. Then pencil it into your calendar and stick with it. Use a scheduling tool. The beauty of today’s technology is that you don’t have to sit down and schedule every single social media post manually. In fact, there are multiple tools that enable you to schedule out your content in advance to be published at a date and time of your choosing. Take advantage of this modern convenience to save yourself time and energy. Some of our favorite scheduling tools include Buffer, Hootsuite and DrumUp. Republish. One of the downsides to social media is that content only appears in front of your audience for a brief period of time, if at all. As such, it can be wise to share the same piece of content more than once. Be strategic about it, though. Change up the days and times that you are publishing. Modify the title of the blog or message you are sharing. This will add variety and also expand your visibility. And since you’re not constantly creating new pieces of content, you’ll save time. Leverage curation. Content curation is another great strategy for getting your material in front of a larger audience without much extra effort on your part. Simply choose a content curation site, like BizSugar or ScoopIt, and then share content that is relevant for your brand. That content will then be syndicated and shared with the site’s much larger audience, saving you time and increasing your reach. Measure results and pivot as needed. Most of the major social platforms offer detailed analytics that will help you determine what’s working and what isn’t. Set aside time to regularly track your progress accordingly. Figure out what you’d like to accomplish with your social media activities (i.e. more traffic to your site, higher engagement, more likes, etc.) and then start measuring results. Replicate the things that are producing and ditch the activities that don’t. This will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. Finally, if you’re really finding that social media is too much for you to handle or it’s eating up too much of your precious time, consider delegating it to an employee or outsourcing it altogether. Remember, there isn’t a magic formula for being successful at social media. As long as you’re making an effort and are strategic about it, you should see positive results over time.
How to Ask for Customer Referrals (and Actually Get Them) Posted on June 20, 2019June 21, 2019 by Katie Culp In a world of digital marketing, it can be easy to forget the old tried-and-true way of getting new customers: word-of-mouth. The fact is, referrals remain one of, if not the most effective customer acquisition tactic. And new business that comes via your existing clientele is also more valuable. In fact, referred customers have a 25% higher lifetime value than those found using other means. Asking for referrals, however, doesn’t always come natural. If you struggle in this area, here are a few tips that might make it easier. Focus first on service. Nobody is going to willingly offer up the names and contact information of other people in their network if the service you offer is subpar. If you want to increase the number of recommendations you get, make wowing your existing clientele an ongoing priority. The happier your customers are, the more likely they’ll be to sing your praises. Cash in on compliments. It’s easier to ask for referrals from customers you know are already happy with your product or service, so keep an eye and ear out for compliments. When a client leaves a positive review or tells you directly that he or she is pleased, tell them you’re glad they’re happy and ask if they know anyone else who might benefit from what you have to offer. Be specific. If your target audience is B2B, a referral for an individual won’t be worth much. Likewise, if you’re targeting people with a high net worth, someone who is not in that category may not be worth reaching out to. When asking for recommendations, be specific about who you are looking to connect with. That way you won’t have to waste time pursuing leads that won’t produce the results you’re after. Create a loyalty program. A little incentive can go a long way. Many businesses have been very successful implementing customer loyalty programs, through which people can earn something in return for recommending friends and family. It doesn’t have to cost anything out-of-pocket, either. For instance, you could offer a discount on a future purchase in exchange for sharing contact info. As a bonus, you’ll also increase the odds of generating repeat sales. Win-win! Pay it forward. In life, and in business, you get what you give. People will be much more inclined to share referrals when they’ve gotten the same from you. It may not be possible for you to provide referrals to your customers, but for your partners, colleagues and other professional network associates, it may make sense. Additionally, being reciprocal will help bolster your reputation as a whole. Given the fact that referred customers are 18% less likely to churn and 25% more profitable per year, focusing at least some of your efforts toward referral marketing is a no-brainer. If you happen to be one of the many who struggle to come out and ask your existing clientele to consider recommending others, the five tips above should make things a little less awkward. Practice these things and over time, it’ll become like second nature.
5 Ways a CRM Can Improve the Customer Experience Posted on June 19, 2019July 22, 2022 by Jessica Lunk Many people look at a CRM as merely a sales tool – a way to keep track of where customers are in the buying journey and a method for nurturing leads. And yes, it does do those things. Applied correctly, however, a CRM can actually drive better customer experience outcomes by strengthening the connections between your clients and your business. In other words, a CRM can be a relationship-builder that drives more revenue from the customers you already have. Here’s how. Keep in Touch You probably already know that it takes multiple touches to convert a lead into a paying customer, but what about after you’ve won them over? Staying in touch well after the sale is one of the keys to long-term retention, and a CRM can work wonders in this area. For instance, it can remind you to send birthday cards and other personal communications, creating that warm and fuzzy feeling and keeping you top-of-mind. Personalize Communications Studies have shown that people respond more positively to communications that are personalized. For instance, emails and physical pieces of mail that are addressed to someone by name are more likely to be read and responded to. A CRM helps fill in the blanks, enabling you to send mass campaigns to your customers while giving the appearance that each message is unique and individualized. Provide Consistency Consistency plays a significant role in a positive customer experience. Your clients expect to receive the same level of care regardless of whom they’re interacting with and they don’t want to have to repeat the same story over and over again. Having a CRM provides a centralized base for client communications, keeping everyone on the same page. When your customers consistently receive excellent customer service, you can be sure they’ll stay with you longer, rave about your business and generate referrals. Deliver Relevant Offers A CRM system provides access to valuable details about a customer’s preferences and buying habits. This information can then be used to create and deliver personalized offers that are more likely to result in repeat business. Your customers will appreciate that the marketing messages and offers they’re receiving from you are relevant to them, and you’ll benefit through increased sales. Respond Quickly Another great benefit of a CRM, particularly in terms of customer experience, is automated routines. Specifically, you can set it up to generate immediate responses to customer inquiries, regardless of the day or time. This kind of attentiveness is appreciated and can help you stand out from the competition. Just be sure to follow up accordingly, as needed, to resolve any pending issues and close the loop. As you can see, a CRM can be far more than a simple sales tracking tool. Used correctly, you can learn more about your customers and leverage that valuable insight to create and deliver incredible customer experiences that will keep people coming back, year after year.
How to Get Found on The Web Posted on June 18, 2019August 5, 2022 by Guest Author In today’s business climate, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. Between new brands entering the scene and search engines updating their algorithms daily, it takes a lot to keep companies on the map. Since you’re familiar with BenchmarkONE, you’re likely ahead of the game when it comes to email marketing and engaging prospects who know you. But how about reaching the people who don’t? In this post, we’re breaking down exactly how to be found on the world wide web. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Search engine optimization (SEO) is all about keywords. This strategy involves identifying the keywords you want to be known for, investing in them, and aligning your online presence. First, you need to choose your keywords. Think about the words that describe who you are, what you do, and the phrases a potential buyer would enter to find you. Keep in mind that broader terms will be harder to own. For example, if you’re selling consulting services, “consultant” and even “consulting services” may be too expensive. However, longer variations like “consulting services atlanta” or “small business consulting services” can bring the price down. Once you have your terms in mind, double-check them against two things: competitiveness and volume. Here at Liscio, we use MOZ.com to asses both. Once your keywords are finalized, you’re ready to create your content. Articles, landing pages, and blog posts are all prime places to sprinkle your keywords. Use your keywords verbatim in header tags, metadata, and body copy. To keep your website relevant, high-ranking, and valuable to your target community, you’ll need a steady flow of fresh content. The highest-ranking sites consistently publish content to maintain their position as go-to resources. This requires a year-round, long-term commitment to content creation. For brownie points, reach out and create partnerships with industry influencers and related websites. Just like referrals and reviews, having an industry expert endorse your product or service is great for SEO. Nothing moves the search engine needle more than relevant backlinks (when someone else publishes a link to your site). The way search engines rank websites is constantly changing. Google, for instance, is notorious for changing its algorithm to throw off those trying to game the system. Moving up the search rankings is hard, but not impossible. To keep up, publish consistent content, stay up to date on how the big search engines are keeping score, and adjust your approach accordingly. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Search engine marketing (SEM) involves purchasing ads for relevant keywords. Think of the ads that appear at the top of your search results with the “Ad” box to the left of their URLs. As you may have guessed, these brands pay to hold the top spot. SEM is a trickier strategy to master, because the cost of purchasing ads declines as the firm’s SEO ranking for those keywords rises. Getting a good return on investment with SEM requires careful management. If this sounds a bit too complex, bring in a third-party specialist until you’ve mastered the ropes. One caveat of SEM is the ad factor. Some potential customers are turned off by paid ads cluttering their search queries and don’t reward those ads with a click. Retargeting Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is an online advertising technique that allows you to advertise to visitors who have left your site. Considering only 2% of visitors who reach your site will convert on the first visit, retargeting helps your brand stay in front of the 98% who leave. Think about browsing an e-commerce site. You might poke around, put a few things in your cart, but ultimately leave. With each new web page you visit, the brand seems to follow you in banner ads and Facebook posts. Retargeting shows ads to prospects as they visit other sites. Retargeting is particularly valuable once you’re driving a fair amount of traffic to your site. What is client acquisition cost (CAC)? As you begin to invest in organic and paid strategies, there comes a time when you need to evaluate success. That’s where client acquisition (CAC) comes in. CAC can be calculated by: CAC = (Marketing Cost per Prospect Generated + Sales Cost Per Prospect) / Close Rate % Push marketing carries two costs: the cost of the initiative plus the sales cost. As you can see, close rate % is a huge factor. Since sales costs are notoriously expensive, it’s better to have one prospect with a 50% close rate than five prospects with a 10% close rate. Referrals and reviews are great for smaller firms with tight budgets because they don’t cost a thing (aka zero CAC)! Wrapping it all up. In conclusion, consider your keywords carefully, stay focused on targeted customers, and avoid generating inefficient leads. Remember that focusing on client experience — including customer service — early on will reduce your CAC and boost your client acquisition. With the right tools and infrastructure, clients will find you on the web and stay for the long haul. Tools that prioritize client experience, like Liscio, will help you build top-notch relationships that keep clients on board. As a secure, mobile, and intuitive communication and file sharing platform, Liscio sets the stage for firms and their clients to collaborate seamlessly. Author Bio Chris Farrell is co-founder and CEO of Liscio. He’s a seasoned technology executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience in finance and accounting. Chris served as the CEO of Nexonia, Inc., the parent company of the Nexonia, Tallie, ExpenseWatch, and SpringAhead brands. His experience as a founder of Tallie and SpringAhead gives Liscio a proven leader with a successful track record scaling up startup technology platforms for professional services. Chris earned his CPA in the heart of Silicon Valley at Arthur Andersen in 1996 and his MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management in 2004.