Marketing tips
Each month on social media I share a marketing tip based on my experience or things I have observed. Below is the archive of the tips I have shared so far.
Keep up-to-date with the latest tips by following me on Linkedin.
#1 Connecting on Linkedin
I get a lot of requests to connect on LinkedIn. Many of these are from people trying to sell me something. If you really want to engage with someone you don't know, you need to send them a request and a compelling message as to why they should connect with you. Otherwise, if I don't know you I will hit decline pretty quickly. Even when I have met someone personally, I always add a note saying how great it was to meet them and that I'd love to connect. Let's face it you wouldn't not introduce yourself to someone in person at a networking function so don't forget to have that mindset on social media.
#2 Website mobility
I've just returned from a family holiday in Australia where I was only using my phone and an iPad. Trying to navigate and view some websites on these mobile devices was so frustrating. Pages being cut off and buttons not working meant that some restaurants or tourist attractions were not visited because it simply got too hard. I don't need the stress - especially when I am on holiday! When developing or updating your website always make sure that it works on a mobile device as well as a desktop otherwise you may be missing out on a lot of business, as well as frustrating potential or existing customers.
#3 Client messaging
Make sure your messaging makes it clear what your business actually does. I recently undertook a competitive analysis for a client. Part of this was looking at their competitors marketing materials and websites. Two of the websites I looked at did not explain straight off the bat what the business did. Had I not been there to do research I would have moved on very quickly. The lesson here is to be able to articulate what you are offering in one clear simple sentence that grabs people's attention so they are compelled to understand and want to read more.
#4 Respond to enquiries
When you've gone to all the effort and expense of creating a great website and promoting yourself why would you not respond to any enquiries sent to you? I am currently organising an event. I sent messages to a number of venues either direct to their email address or through their website. The hit rate on responses was very poor. Do you not want my business? Well, maybe you don't, but if that's the case at least still give me the courtesy of a reply! I eventually chose a venue that suited my needs with the person I am dealing with being helpful and a great communicator. Marketing is not just about a great website but also a great customer experience so make sure that your follow through as as good as your customer-facing materials.
#5 Eliminate jargon
Every industry has jargon. One company I worked for years ago even had a portal where you could type in an acronym to get the meaning of it - which really says there were far too many acronyms to start! Communication should be clear and simple so eliminate any jargon from your marketing materials - it will make your content much easier to digest and your audiences will thank you for it!
#6 It's not about you!
So often I see a company's marketing materials talking all about them and what they do and not much about how they can help the consumer or address their core needs. When you are writing something for your customers put yourself in their shoes. Think about what will solve a core challenge for them - not just what you want to tell them you do. As a key starting point, for example, never begin a brochure with "we offer" or "we sell". Instead, introduce it with a key issue they can relate to and then demonstrate how you can assist with solving that problem.
#7 Make client contact easy
I was stunned when I went on a website recently to find there was no contact information for the organisation! I was there, I was interested, but no email address, no phone number - not even a form to complete for enquiries. If you make it hard for people to get in touch - they just won't. Review the page stats of any website and you will usually find that the contact page is the most visited, even by your current clients, so simply make it easy for people to get hold of you.
#8 Social handles
My last tip was on making sure you have contact information on your marketing materials. To further this, don't forget to add and link your social handles on your website. I recently went to a site that had no social handles listed - which I was looking for to tag the company in a social post. It turns out they do have social channels but they were just not shown on the website. Another site I visited had the icons on the page but they weren't linked to the handles. It is a missed opportunity to drive people to follow you on social if you don't display them and have the correct links so make sure you check yours!
#9 Leverage sponsorships
Many companies think that a sponsorship is just handing over a bit of money and then getting their logo put up somewhere. That's fine if you are happy to waste money, but, if you want to get full value from a sponsorship you need to leverage it.
In fact, you should set aside extra money on top of the main sponsorship cost to do so. You also need a plan that sets out all the marketing and communications activities you are going to run to leverage the sponsorship including who is doing what by when.
#10 Social media risks
There is a great deal of trust involved giving people access to your social pages to post ads or content. Whilst we like to see the best in people, occasionally someone will go rogue if they are unhappy. This can often happen after a person has left the organisation - especially if their tenure has not been ended by their choice. Best practice therefore is always to remove your staff or contractors as admins from your social pages, including websites etc, on their last day as part of their exit procedure. This will help minimise any reputational risk to your business.
#11 Social channels
There are so many social channels out there so how do you know which ones to be on? Quite simply, you only choose the channels your audiences are engaging with. Whilst you may feel the need to be on Tik Tok because 'everyone else' is, it will be a compete waste of time and resource if, for example, your audience is primarily business professionals using LinkedIn. It is best to try not be all things to all people but rather be targeted and specific.
#12 Your competition
It's important to keep regular tabs on what your compeitition is doing so you can adjust your marketing and messaging accordingly. Follow their social feeds and check in on their website from time to time to see what content they are posting. This will help to give you great insights on how you can differentiate yourself and also areas that you may need to improve on. For example, do you need to adjust your pricing or to enhance your product or service offering to stay ahead of the game.
#13 Leverage sponsorships
In marketing, there is often a large focus on developing activities to try and get new customers. Absolutely this is important, however in doing so existing customers may get forgotten. The old adage that "it is easier (and cheaper) to keep an existing customer than attain a new one" remains true - especially when business are looking to reduce costs and may therefore review supplier arrangements in the process. As part of any good marketing strategy there should be a plan for retention activities. This includes working with your BD/Sales teams on a customer contact plan, complemented by regular comms to keep your brand front of mind and show your clients you care.
#14 Talk to your credentials
A client recently asked for my view on a potential marketing service they were offered and whether it would be of any value to their business. One of the first things I did was go to their website. I wanted to understand who they were, what their experience was, and what they offered. None of this was clear. People want to know that you are competent at what you do. Highlight the experience of your team, how long you have been in business, and (with clients' permission) who you have worked with and/or some of your recent projects. Give people confidence that you are the right partner to work with by sharing your credentials.
#15 Social content planning
To have a solid social media presence it is important to post regularly with strong, timely content that resonates with your target audiences. To do this effectively requires a social content plan. Just 'winging it' and posting when you think about it it will not help you to build connections, create strong engagement, or increase your following. You need to have a content calendar that sets out what you are going to post about each week. It should factor in a variety of posting topics that aim to educate, inform, or inspire people so that they want to keep following you.
#16 Measure your marketing
It's very easy to push out a marketing campaign, social posts, and customer newsletters but what return are you getting for the money and effort you are putting in? Suffice to say, it is really important to do regular reviews of all your activities to see whether or not they are working. Sometimes marketing can be a bit of trial and error and that's ok as long as you are learning and changing what isn't working and focusing on what is!
#17 Make updates easy
Make it easy for customers to update their contact information.
I recently decided to change my personal email address. It was a really good test of which companies make it easy and which don't from a customer experience perspective. Those that made it too hard simply led to me unsubscribing from their communications. ie I was not going to waste time filling out a contact form or ringing a call centre to do it unless it was mission critical.
#18 Be a thought leader
It's often hard to differentiate yourself from your competition - especially in a professional services environment. One way to do this is to be a thought leader. Rather than just doing sales pitches all the time, you can use content to demonstrate your levels of expertise. For example, write an article or a blog on trends in your industry, give your perspective on a topical issue via a short video clip, or run a webinar sharing insights on key changes in your sector that are affecting other businessses. The key here is not to sell but add value and be seen as a trusted advisor.
#19 Internal communication
We often think of the importance of communicating externally with our clients but internal communications is just as critical. If you are launching a marketing campaign, event, or large client initiative, don't forget to tell your own people about it first. That way, if clients ask questions or provide feedback your staff will look knowledegable rather than on the back foot. They will also be more engaged with what you are doing as an organisation.
#20 Word of mouth
One of the most powerful but also forgotten about marketing tools is 'word of mouth'. Best of all, it doesn't have to cost you a bean! How do you make the most of it? To start, you need to deliver amazing customer service that people will naturally talk about. If customers give you great feedback, ask if you can share it across your social channels and/or request that they give you a rating on a review platform like Google. Depending on your product or service, you can offer incentives for customer referrals such as a 'refer a friend' discount or even a voucher. Bear in mind that bad service will have the opposite effect ie negative reviews - so have a plan in place to deal with those!