Online Marketing

  • Tips for Using Social Media Marketing in Your Business

    Tips for Using Social Media Marketing in Your BusinessSocial media marketing is one of the most powerful tools business owners have access to. It allows you to connect with your audience. You can engage and build a community around your business. Business owners can also use it to learn more about their audience so they can better meet their needs.

    So let’s take a look what you should be considering when utilizing social media for your business.

     

    Identify Your Purpose and Goals

     

    Why are you using social media and what do you hope to accomplish? There are many different reasons to use social media. You may use it to sell products, to build your opt-in list, or to drive traffic to your landing page. Do you want to generate new leads or build relationships with your existing prospects and clients? Consider both your long-term and short-term goals.

     

    For example, if you want to build your opt-in list with social media marketing, how much do you want to achieve by the end of this month and what are your goals for the next three years? Setting the right goals for you and your business will help you create a social media marketing strategy that’s effective and productive.

     

    Identify Tactics to Support Your Goals

     

    There are different tactics to consider based on your business goals. For example, if you want to drive people to your opt-in page then you may want to hold a contest or sweepstakes that motivates people to sign up (be sure to check social media platform rules). You may also want to create a content marketing strategy specifically for social media that identifies you as an authority and promotes your opt-in offer. Once you’ve identified a tactic that works for your business, create an action plan and timeline.

     

    Identify Your Brand MessageTips for Using Social Media Marketing in Your Business

     

    What message do you want to convey on your social media page(s) and how do you want to communicate it? Keep in mind that your message and brand should support your other branding efforts. However, your approach can be different on social media.

     

    Finally, assess your resources and leverage technology. Identify the tools and technologies that can help you achieve your social media marketing goals. For example, there are services that automatically publish a link to your blog post on all of your social media accounts. There are also plug-ins that can be added to your website or blog that help visitors connect with you on social media. Take advantage of technology it will help you achieve your social media marketing goals and save you time and money.

    At Strategize Your Success we help our clients reach their goals with technology so that they can build a stronger and more profitable business. Contact us today if you need help with strategic planning, branding or technology. Also, check out our resources page for additional tips.

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  • Advertising and Social Media Marketing

    Advertising on Social Media

    Social media sites have been offering advertising programs for a while now. Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn provide business owners with the means to promote and reach targeted audiences on their sites. The programs are becoming quite popular because of the results they’re able to deliver. Additionally, it’s a new way to reach your audience and may help you extend your advertising strategy beyond Google.

    Why Social Media Advertising Works

    In addition to the fact that millions of people access their Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts on a daily basis, they’re also accessing the sites on their mobile phone. That means that as an advertiser on one or more of these sites, you’re getting in front of your audience on a fairly consistent basis and that is what we all want, right?

    Unlike other advertising mediums, it’s new so it grabs their attention. Some types of advertising can begin to lose their potency when users become accustomed to them. Their eyes barely glance at the ad before they move on. Social media advertising is still new and therefore it’s effective for many types of businesses whether it’s for your business or not as to be determined by experimenting with the different platforms. What works on LinkedIn may not work on Facebook or vice versa. So let’s talk about how you can target your ads.

    Targeted AdsAdvertising with Social Media

    One of the great things about social media is that it has the unique ability to market directly to highly targeted prospects. For example, Facebook makes the following statement, “While most online advertising provides about 38% targeting accuracy, Facebook, on average, delivers 89%. On Facebook, you’ll only pay to reach the right people who’ll love your business.”

    This is because Facebook and other social marketing sites allow you to segment your audience. You can create ads based on your prospect’s location, age and gender, interests, and connections. I have found this to be a great way to build our audience and our client’s audiences with the right prospects. For example, you can advertise specifically to people to have them join a Facebook event. In some cases you can also find people who are similar to your best customers and create ads specifically for them. 

    Social media advertising is also generally less expensive than many other advertising opportunities and tactics. You reach more people and get more response from those people. Social media advertising also provides analytics, whereas some advertising methods do not provide this and make advertising efforts a guessing game. 

    Without analytics, you just don’t know if your ad worked or not. With any type of advertising for an internet business, analytics are essential and a clear-cut way to identify which ads are working and how well. You stay in control over your budget and your results.

    If you have an advertising budget and strategy, consider adding social media marketing to that plan. You may be surprised at the results. It could change the way your business approaches advertising. Trying something new or shaking up your current ad campaigns can be a great way to expand your current client base.

    At Strategize Your Success we offer coaching and consulting for those needing help in devising a marketing plan or strategically planning your advertising on social media.
    Contact us today! 
    https://strategizeyoursuccess.com/staging2/coaching-consulting

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  • The Basics of Online Marketing

    The Basics of Online MarketingWant to grow your offline business, start a business, or market your services? Online marketing is the way to go. It helps you reach a broader audience, sell, connect, and much more. While internet marketing may seem complicated, once you understand the fundamentals you can build on that knowledge as your needs grow and change. Let’s take a look at the basics of online marketing.

     

    Your Website

     

    The foundation for your business online is a website. You must have an online presence these days to succeed on the internet. It only makes sense. Now your “website” can take several different forms. It can be a blog, a brochure site, or even a storefront.

    The type of website you build depends largely on your business model. There are a lot of options so if it becomes too overwhelming we suggest you get the advice from an online marketing coach or a company that does website design. You can also use the web to do research on your own but this method might take you longer.

     

    SEO – Search Engine Optimization

     

    Great, you have a website. Now what? Now you need people to visit your website and you accomplish that with what’s called “SEO.” It’s a strategy that embraces keywords and keyword phrases to attract the attention of the search engines, which in turn helps your prospects find you.  This is what all online businesses strive for. You want to be found on at least the first two pages on any web search. After that it’s difficult to get the attention of people doing the search for your specific keywords.

    The Basics of Online Marketing 

    For example, if someone wants to buy a new big screen television they might type “Big Screen Television Reviews” into their search engine of choice, Google for example. If you’ve optimized your site for that keyword phrase, they may find your site and stop by for a visit. If your site is built for conversion then you have a good chance at getting that person to stay and possibly purchase from you and not your competition.

     

    Email Marketing

     

    What does a visitor do once they’ve stopped by your website? How do you ensure you are able to connect with them, motivate them to visit again, or trigger a purchase? You get their email address. Then you have the ability to connect with them on a consistent basis and build a relationship, sell products or services, and provide value. There are different ways to gather email addresses. You might offer a free report or book that is delivered digitally. You might ask them to become a free member or to subscribe to your newsletter. We recommend using AWeber as an option. 

     

    Social Marketing

     

    The Basics of Online MarketingSocial marketing involves connecting with your prospects on social sites like a blog, Facebook, Twitter, and even Pinterest. The key is to provide value in the form of thoughtful commentary, information, and sometimes by entertaining. You build a relationship of trust and authority which in turn motivates visits to your website and/or purchases.

     

    All of these elements are tactics that can work effectively together. For example, you can promote your newsletter on your Facebook page. The key to making them all work well together is to create an online marketing strategy. Online marketing is a powerful way to build any type of business. Learn the fundamentals and thrive! 

    If you are looking for assistance with online marketing, social media or website development contact us today. We offer both coaching and consulting and our experience will save you time and money.

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  • Tools to Attract More Life into Your Online Business

    Tools to Attract More Life into Your Online BusinessBusinesses, like everything else, need a refresher once in a while. If you haven’t updated your business or added new features and benefits to your website, it may be time. Often simple steps can help you attract more life into your business.

    VideoTools to Attract More Life into Your Online Business

    The majority of business owners share an occasional video. However, by creating a video channel on YouTube or Vine you can reach a new audience and add some life to your business. You can even use short video messages on your sales and landing pages to welcome visitors and connect with them on a more personal level.

    If being in front of a camera is not your thing I understand consider taking a Power Point Presentation and make it into a video.

    Consider creating a video series and a channel to add some interest to your business.

    Membership Features

     

    Adding a membership feature to your business model and your website can help you build a community. Membership can be free and provide a number of different features and benefits.

    For example, you can use a membership to share more content or more product offers and promotions. You can use a membership to help your prospects and customers connect with each other, ask questions, and build relationships.

    You can also use it as a means to provide a little more value to those who take the time and energy to join. There are a number of plug-ins that you can use to add membership to your blog or website. On our resource page you can find a link to WordPress eMember but there is also Wishlist, Optimize Press and Member Mouse to mention a few. You will need to check out the features and cost to determine which is best for your situation.

    Tools to Attract More Life into Your Online BusinessMobile Applications

    More and more people are buying smart phones. As this trend grows, so too does the opportunity to market with mobile applications. Just about any business model can brainstorm an application that provides value and draws attention to their website and business.

    For example, a business coach might create a mobile app that helps business owners track their goals. A virtual assistant might create a ‘helpful tip of the day” application. A fitness blogger could create a fitness motivation tool. Check out this post from Mashable it lists a variety of platforms for building mobile apps.

    There’s no end to what you can create. It doesn’t have to be complicated to provide value. In fact, some of the most useful applications are the simplest. Take a look at your audience and consider how you might meet their needs with technology. You can sell the application or give it away for free and profit from the advertising. Additionally, you’ll build awareness for your business and attract more life into it.

    Content, Events and More

    Finally, you don’t have to take extreme measures to attract more life to your business. You can create a new content series, free report, or hold a webinar to build interest. Look to your audience first and evaluate how you can provide the most value and benefit.

    I hope these ideas helped you to think about ways to make changes in your online presence. If you have some other great ideas please share them in our blog comments.

    At Strategize Your Success we help our clients make change with a variety of services to simplify their online marketing.

    If you need tweaks to your WordPress site, graphic designs, more attractive handouts for your presentations or even a new look for your social media covers we can help. Check out our services!

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  • Do You Have a Defined Purpose for Your Facebook Page?

    Do you have a defined purpose for your Facebook page?
    It’s a simple question. “What do you want to accomplish with your Facebook page?”

    Yet the answer isn’t always so simple. Ultimately you likely want to use your Facebook page to make more money and grow your business. But there are many ways to accomplish that and many directions to take. Perhaps a better question is, “How do you want to use your Facebook page to grow your business?”

    Don’t worry, if you don’t know the answer right now. However,  it’s important to have a direction – to have goals when marketing your business through social media. 
    Do you have a defined purpose for your Facebook page?

    So let’s take a look at some ways that Facebook pages are used to promote business.

    Keep in mind they may include but are not limited to:

    • Traffic generation
    • List building
    • Selling products/services
    • Announcements and promotions
    • Content and value
    • Building a community/strengthening relationship

    In fact, Syncapse.com surveyed 4,000 people who “Liked” the top 20 brands with Facebook pages.  They found that someone who has “Liked” a brand spends an average of $71.84 more each year on that brand’s products or services.

    So here is a little story about turning fans into paying customers…

    Company ABC created a Facebook fan page. Their audience is strongly represented on Facebook so they went all out and hired someone to maintain their page for them. They created a custom Facebook page that offered a ton of valuable content, promotions, news items and interactive tools and applications. They even included a Q&A page and a page where Facebook fans could learn about products and services and could purchase directly from the page.

    When a fan made a purchase they also tended to post a note on their profile about the great new product they purchased from Company ABC. The company gained more fans from these mini reviews. This resulted with an increase to their monthly sales by 10%.

    This story can easily be you. And if selling products or services on your Facebook page isn’t your goal and you’d rather build your opt in list, you can do that too through Facebook.

    If you would like to learn more about working with FaceBook Pages or other social media platforms please join us for one of our training webinars. You can check out our events at http://www.strategizeyoursuccess.com/events

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  • How Buddy the Elf Can Teach Us Enthusiasm

    Part I: What Holiday Movies Can Teach Us

    Enthusiasm Is Contagious

    This time of the year I love to sit and watch some of the classic holiday movies.  It’s part of my holiday tradition.  It made me think about how some of these movies relate to business. For instance, take a six-foot tall adopted elf named Buddy (played by Will Ferrell) who wants to find his birth father, make that father the grumpy James Caan, and throw them together in the midst of New York City and see what happens. Buddy wants a warm and cuddly family reunion; his father Walter wants nothing more than to make this newfound son disappear.

    [ez_youtube url=”http://youtu.be/fNMtHosai08″ width=”540″ height=”260″ autoplay=”0″ autohide=”2″ controls=”1″]

    Ah, but this is Christmas, so not only does Buddy convince his new family that syrup tastes good on everything; he also wins the heart of his stepmother, half-brother, and the skeptical Jovie, his new love. And yes, Walter eventually sees the light.

    So business owners, here’s your business lesson from Buddy the Elf: “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” 

    So… what if you’re not Santa? Buddy would tell you it doesn’t matter. Enthusiasm is catchy. No one is going to be more excited about your business, your product, your podcast, your class, your blog than you are.

    Sometimes we feel a little hesitant to show our enthusiasm. It can be risky to show how much we care about something. But if we don’t show our passion, we’re not going to convince anyone else to follow or act on our recommendations.

    Think about the last time you went out to eat. If the server gave a bland endorsement for the daily special, you would likely pass on that option. But if she or he said, “I just tried it before my shift and it was delicious!” you’d be a little more likely to order it. Enthusiasm sells.

    How Buddy the Elf Can Teach Us Enthusiasm

    Here are a few tips on how to be like Buddy the Elf without sounding like a used car salesman (or an escapee from the North Pole):

    • Be honest. Don’t sell or promote something you don’t believe in. It never works – people can tell, and you’ll damage your reputation.
    • Be yourself. You may be the understated type who isn’t going to jump out of a helicopter like Richard Branson to promote your latest business venture. You don’t have to be! (One Richard Branson is enough for this world.) But do show your energy in a way that is natural for you.
    • Be realistic. If you promote every new thing that comes down the block, or have a new solution that you are putting out daily, pretty soon no one is going to listen to you because they will feel overwhelmed. So think like your ideal client and provide them with realistic promotions.

    And remember you don’t have to dress up in pointy shoes to get people to buy your new e-course. But hey… if the shoe fits… why not?

    Stay tuned for next week. Part II is coming.

    Happy holidays everyone!

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  • Diversify Your Marketing

    Diversify Your MarketingMany business owners will tell you that they experience a lot of fluctuation throughout the year.  Some months will have higher profits than other months, there will be an increase in demand for a particular type of product or service one month, and then the next month a different type of product will be in demand.

    This business phenomenon holds true for a business’ source of customers as well.  Some months, a business may receive a surge in word of mouth advertising, whereas other months it may receive orders from people who came across an ad that the business had placed. 

    Many marketing experts agree that it is important for a business to diversify its marketing methods.  This will ensure that leads are coming in from many different sources and that if one source is having a particularly slow month, the other sources should still be delivering plenty of leads.

    On the other hand, marketing experts caution against having a marketing message sprung out over too many places.  It can be hard to keep track of ads and know which ads are hitting the right target market. 

    Testing ads and keeping track of the results can help a person decide which areas are the best places for them to advertise.  Knowing this information can also help stretch an advertising budget. 

    There are many choices for where to spend advertising dollars.  If a person wants to advertise online they could choose to invest in pay-per-click ads, ad space that they buy directly from another website, as well as free options – including social networking and article marketing.Diversify Your Marketing

    There are many ways to find leads offline, including flyers, lead boxes, and ads placed in local newspapers and magazines, as well as referrals from current customers.  Depending on the type of business, a person may also opt to buy leads from lead companies.

    The marketing mix that works for one person may be to have one or two ads running, both online and offline, while another person may find that participating for a few hours each week in social networking and hanging up flyers around their local area is what works best for them. Just remember to diversify your efforts.

    Also, it may be somewhat tedious, but testing ads and tracking the results is the best way to find the right mix for your business.  Using an ad tracker service such as Google as well as linking ads to different URLs can help determine which ads are outperforming other ads. 

    Happy Marketing!

     

    We specialize in Google Adwords and SEO and we can be a huge asset to your business.
    Let us know if we can be of service to you and your business. 

     

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  • Researching Your Niche Is Vital

    Researching Your Niche Is VitalNiche marketing is one way to increase your business profits.  If done right, it will open up a new area of products and/or services that will benefit you as well as your customers.  However, before diving right in, don’t forget to do your homework.

     

    Niche marketing seems to be the hottest topic on everyone’s lips right now.  It sounds so exciting to tap into an as yet untapped market and make millions of dollars.  Don’t be fooled.  Someone may hit the mother lode but it is not the norm for every business.  And, they didn’t do it by luck.

     

    Researching your potential niche market gives a global picture of the chances of success for your idea.  Remember that your idea could be the idea of someone halfway around the world as well.  The difference will be how you go about checking out that idea and how you interpret the results.

     

    With so many websites and new online businesses starting every day, it is a wonder that there are any new markets to tap.  But, there are.  Finding them is the key and this takes time and patience.

     

    One way to see if your idea is viable is to use the Internet.  We all use search engines to find what we are looking for.  Search for items that fit the profile of what you want to sell.  It is always practical to check out the competition.

     

    If you get thousands of search results, this is probably too broad an idea to use.  It has already been worked over by others.  The chances of your business idea hitting pay dirt are not very good.  However, the search results can be used to see exactly what angle they are marketing to.

     

    When researching your niche, use as many search engines as you can.  Using just one as your guiding light will give you false results.  Also, you may find websites in other search engine results that you didn’t find in the first one you tried.

     

    Researching Your Niche Is VitalThe idea you have chosen doesn’t have to be chucked away in the trashcan.  Use it and refine it so that it zeros in on a more specific target than before.  This is what research is all about.  Can you imagine if you left out this step and went with your first idea?  The results would probably have been mediocre to disappointing if making lots of profits was the goal.

     

    Without the research component, starting a business in that market is like searching for a needle in a haystack.  For your dollars, you want to be sure that you are hitting the target.  Even if you already have a business idea and are looking for ways to expand, treat niche marketing like starting from scratch — put in the time to find out if your idea is sound.

     

    Are you looking for a business coach or consultant that can help you with your start up business or next great idea? Contact me today for a confidential consultation.

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  • Ignite Your Business Branding

    Branding is all about the customer’s perception of your business.  Your brand is the promise that you intend to make to the client.  The ultimate goal is to ignite an emotional connection in order to create a positive feeling from the client. 

     Build Your Brand with Strategize Your Success

    Most clients are loyal to products they enjoy.  It is very common for a client to be impressed with a brand and continue to buy a product based on that brand.  You want to create these feelings of loyalty to bring them back for more.  This is the ultimate goal.

     

    Mission and Vision of Your Business

     

    The mission and vision of your business should sustain excellence in providing a quality product to clients that you care about.  These are statements about your business regarding the ultimate goals you wish to achieve with in your endeavors.  Many businesses focus their vision or mission on their employees while others extend their mission outward to their clientele.  There should be a fine mix here with both. 

     

    Many clients do not read into a vision or mission statement too often.  However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take it seriously.  Your vision and mission are both a part of the branding process because they define what your company is all about.  These two statements need to be believed and practiced by employees and all staff of the business.

     

    Benefits and Features of Your Products or Services

     

    A big part of creating a brand for your business is proving to the client why your products and services are the best to buy.  Highlighting your benefits and what sets you apart is important. Determine what the benefits are with the products you offer, the services you offer, or something else that makes your business unique.  How does the client benefit when they shop or buy from you?  You will have a very hard time establishing a brand if you cannot determine the benefits or your products or services.

     

    The features of your products and services are also important and they go hand in hand with the benefits.  The features of a specific product should provide a benefit.  Determine the features and see what stands out from the rest then use the biggest benefit for your marketing campaign.

      Brand Loyalty


    Customers Perceptions

     

    Branding is about a client’s perception.  When you create a brand you want to create a perception to that client that you are the best and that you provide quality services and products.

     

    It is important to have a good idea of what a potential client might currently think of your business when you are building a branding campaign.  Today prospective clients may not know that you exist or they may have a negative feel for your business because you haven’t been practicing proper methods.  Have a clear understanding on exactly what people think of you.

     

    If you are unsure what people think of you then you may need to send out surveys and questionnaires.  These types of things can help you get a good idea where you stand with the perception of potential client. It’s okay if it’s not positive today.  It will give you something to build on with your branding campaign.

     

    Perception of Quality

     

    The next thing you need to do with a branding campaign is to determine the different qualities that are perceived about your products by the public.  Do you have a good reputation with the consumer world for providing total quality in your products or are your products considered to be garbage and not worth the money?

     

    The qualities of your business may be many things.  When you think about how clients consider the qualities of your business, make sure you consider the products you offer, the customer support you provide, your image, or anything else that would make a client think of quality coming from your business.

     

    The vision and mission statement are very important for every business no matter how big or small.  Make sure that your brand works well and matches what you say you want to deliver.  Determine what the benefits and features of your business are and have a clear picture on this.  You will need this information to provide a clear picture when you focus on developing your brand.

     

    Also learn about what the client really thinks of you.  You might think they absolutely love you when they are really bashing you on the quality of your product.  Knowing what the customer thinks is very important.  Creating a brand based on client input can be successful, especially if you change the design of something for them.  This gives them a sense of ownership and it shows them you really do care.

     

    Now that you have the information that you need for branding go out and ignite excitement about your business and create an irresistible business brand.

    Are you looking to learn more about how to promote your Facebook Business Pages and navigate the in’s and out’s of this truly wonderful business tool. Join us for a new (7) part series called “Navigating Facebook Pages”. This series starts August the 20th at 2:00 PM EST and 11:00 AM MST/PST. Sorry this event has past.

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  • The Importance of Following-Up

    Updated 8-19-2018

     

    There is an old saying that says, ‘The fortune is in the follow-up.”

     

    It’s become an old saying for good a reason:  it’s true.  Following up with customers and clients can be one of the most important business actions a business owner can take. I believe it’s an essential key to success that once mastered will bring you awesome results.

     

    There are many ways to follow-up, all of them being important in their own unique ways.  One of these is to follow-up with potential and past customers. This can be done very easily through sending out regular email campaigns.

     

    Following Up
    To send out a customer email campaign, or do any form of email marketing for that matter, it is recommended to have an autoresponder service.  This will make sending updates very easy.  They can even be loaded into the system several months or even years in advance.

     

    It is no secret that people lead busy lives and they cannot always remember to do all the things they want or need to do.  Simply sending out a little email, reminding them that your business is still there maybe all it takes to stimulate a sale.
    Following up with customers can also make them feel special and appreciated.  Offering them a special customer appreciation sale is one way to do this.  This can, again, be done through email marketing.  Another twist is to send your customer an actual card in the mail.

     

    As you can imagine from your own buying habits, when you feel appreciated by a business, you are more likely to buy more product from that business. When you feel ignored or unappreciated, you are more likely to avoid that business.

     

    One reason that some business owners fall behind on following up with their customers is due to a lack of time.  If this sounds familiar, setting up some systems to keep things flowing can make life easier.

     

    Following UpThis could include buying pre-written newsletters and hiring a virtual assistant to personalize them before loading them into an autoresponder, or having a ghostwriter create custom-content.

     

    If you have a service-based business, it is also very important to follow-up with potential clients on quotes and proposals you’ve submitted.  When a person contacts you for potential work, they may be at a starting point where they are just trying to sort out their project.

     

    Following up will let them know you are interested in working with them and remind them that they need to hurry up and hire you before someone else does.

     

    That doesn’t mean you have to be pushy at all.  Just sending a quick note to let them know that you currently have space on your calendar for them, but also reminding them that your spaces fill up fast, is all that is needed.

     

    Once a business owner implements a regular follow-up routine into their business, they will open up the potential for repeat business and more profits. So remember to follow-up because it’s important.

    Need more information to help grow your business through email follow-up? As a Certified Solutions Provider for Constant Contact we have a black belt in email marketing strategies so reach out to us today to see how we can help you.

    Feel you want to DIY your own project visit our resources page . We have tons of tips and information available to you for free!

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