I am a HUGE believer in drip aka automated email campaigns. They are such a powerful way to introduce your company to new prospects. Or to solidify a new relationship with a client. Or even to re-introduce yourself to a client you haven’t heard from in awhile. Here’s a thorough article explaining the benefits and some how-to’s for a successful campaign.
Reviews
Speaking of client reviews – Make it easy for people to give you a review. Put icons/links to review sites on your Home Page. Put icons/links in your email template. Put them in your email signature. People want to give reviews. They just get distracted or busy. So asking once probably won’t work. Ask multiple times in multiple ways so it’s easy for them.
Read more about reviews here.
Email Marketing
As part of my “48 Hour Traffic Reports” after every email I send, I include a list of the Unsubscribes. I always tell clients, “Don’t take this personally! There are lots of reasons for someone to unsubscribe.” But it does hurt when someone declines to receive your well-written, beautifully designed emails. This article looks at some reasons for people unsubscribing and looks at what you can do to minimize the unsubscribes. Compare your emails to these examples!
Meta Takes Next Steps Towards the Development of True Artificial Intelligence
“Meta’s looking to take the next major steps in AI development, which has become a key focus for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, as he eyes a new era of digital interaction, where true artificial intelligence can be achieved.”
Does Your Website Need a FAQ Page?
Many websites have an FAQ Page as part of their navigation. Maybe it would be beneficial for your site. Consider these questions to see if you need one.
- Do you have questions that clients ask frequently, repetitively? Yes? Then an FAQ Page would be a good addition.
- Let me point out, however, that the answers should be covered in detail elsewhere on your website. If the answer is important there should be a Page or a blog post with a full answer. The FAQ is a concise answer. The FAQ can include a link to the more detailed answer.
- Do you need content for SEO purposes? Yes? An FAQ Page would be a good addition.
The more solid content you have on your site describing your business, services or products, the happier Google and other search engines will be with your site and the higher you will rank in search results. The FAQ Page gives you the opportunity to put the same answer in two places! As the Page content will be more extensive than the FAQ answer, you won’t have duplicate content either. Another SEO plus.
Linking from FAQ answers to other pages of your site also give you internal links which are a benefit in SEO.
- Do you have a large site with numerous pages? Yes? An FAQ Page would be a good addition.
A good rule of thumb is to have your most important information within 2 clicks for your site visitors. So content on a level 2 or level 3 page can be made quickly accessible with an FAQ Page. Your answer includes a link to the page with the detailed answer.
- Do you include information for industry associations, industry experts, etc. for credibility for your business? Yes? An FAQ Page would be a good addition.
Your website can become a resource for your visitors. They know you have links, posts and other information relevant to your industry. An FAQ answer can include a link to another website. I would use this sparingly but it can be helpful. Outside links to credible sites do have value for SEO purposes. But the real value is being trusted as a good resource to your visitors. They can skip googling a question because they know the answer is on your site and easy to find.
Some sites use an Industry Links Page for this purpose. FAQs go beyond a link to the organization’s Home Page and give specific answers. Does someone offer CAD drawings or safety guidelines or a metric conversion chart? Does someone have a great checklist or how-to article? If your clients ask for this type of information frequently, consider putting it on your website on a Page or blog. Or use an FAQ to direct people to the information.
A standard FAQ on the navigation menu
Reviews
Don’t ask for client reviews once. Ask many times in many different ways! You can’t tell when a client will have the time and the focus to do a review. So ask often and make it easy! Here is a good example. Event Espresso is a plug-in for WordPress to organize events and ticket sales. They did a 7 day series of email lessons. At the bottom of #7, they inserted a link to their Twitter profile. They asked for a tweet. This is an easy type of review request. I didn’t have to think of what to write, look up their Twitter ID. Nothing like that! Click on the link and share the word.
How To Evangelize and Create Advocates
“The difference between evangelism and sales is an evangelist typically has the other person’s best interest at heart. It’s not about fulfilling a sales quota and earning commission.”
I want to be an evangelist, not a salesperson. I’m not knocking salespeople. Raised by one. Married to one. Surrounded by them. Always looking for one at Lowe’s. BUT… being an evangelist is better because it is more satisfying in the long run. As a salesperson, I might make 1 sale. As an evangelist, I make a client for life.
Both Michael Stelzner and Guy Kawasaki understand this. In this podcast, they share their knowledge. I encourage you to listen in! It’s an older podcast but timeless information.
The Importance of Follow Up
I have seen similar numbers before but these just really hit me hard while I was reading “Conquer the Chaos: How To Grow A Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy” by Clate Mask and Scott Martineau. So I wanted to share them with you.
| Percentage of People Who Buy | Number of Contacts | When Companies Stop Contacting Prospects |
| 2% | 1 contact | 48% |
| 3% | 2 contacts | 24% |
| 4% | 3 contacts | 12% |
| 10% | 4 contacts | 6% |
| 81% | 5 contacts | 10% |
So almost half of us as salespeople stop after only 1 contact with a prospect. But we know only 2% actually buy at that first contact!!
Only 10% of marketers have a system in place to make 5 contacts with that prospect. But we know 81% of the buyers are making their buy decision on or after that 5th contact!
Contact means in person, by phone, voice mail, email, social media post, direct mail piece, etc. Anything that puts me and my services in front of the buyer.
You and I have to develop a marketing plan and system to ensure that we reach those prospects multiple times!
There is an additional benefit to this type of marketing system. When people do make a purchase or do business with us, the follow up helps build a relationship so they will do business with us again. The second or third sell to a client is always more profitable than the first sale.
How do you develop your system? You can plan the steps then set up them in a Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) such as Outlook, Google Contacts or Zoho. You can use a sales automation software like InfusionSoft or SalesForce. You can set up task templates in software like ToDoIst.
I don’t know about you but I’m going after that 81%!!
Instagram Launches New Artist Inspiration Initiative, Additional In-App Features
“Instagram’s rolling out some new sharing features, along with a new campaign to highlight creativity in the app, which will be headlined by a range of popular musicians.”
All That Tech Stuff!
Here is a cool site with lots of answers and lots of suggestions for you on all things tech – phones, online banking, Alexa, speakers, etc. The content ranges from simple “What is a platform?” to more complex “How to buy the right laptop.”
And it’s FREE!
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