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How to Digital Market your Start-up to Success by @the_mom_store

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by Surbhi Bhatia | Featured Contributor

Planning to start-up a new business but not sure how to market it and acquire your first customers? While the initial few months can be challenging to build customer trust, brand value and go operational, social media can be a great tool to help you jumpstart your initial customer acquisition journey.

 

Go Live on Social Media Even Before the Launch

I love to call this ‘Product-less Marketing’ because you start subtle marketing even before the launch and this can be a real game changer. Set up your Instagram handle and start doing ‘Teaser’ posts. Give hints on what your product/service is about and introduce a few guessing games to increase interaction and build suspense. Have a countdown to the launch to get people excited. Also, start following influencers from your TG (target group). Understand their behavior, interaction and engagement tools they use as well as start following their followers. By the time you reach your launch date, you would have a solid set of followers who would be following and eager for your launch

 

Be Close to your First Customers and Get Them to Share their Stories on Social Media

After your launch, personally interact with your first customers, and incentivise them with gift cards and freebies to share their social media stories through their personal handles. This will have a double impact- they would come back to buy from your store again with the gift card or share it with a friend or relative which would lead to a subsequent purchase. In addition, the stories shared by them will attract their followers, and can easily be reposted by you to share positive testimonials. You could also post these testimonials on your website and request customers to write a blog to review the product too!

 

Try Out Network Marketing

Many great companies have used this tried and tested technique to gain more customers. Simply reach out to your existing customers and ask them to refer 10 (or any number appropriate) more customers using a customized discount link or coupon code that would get them store credits for every conversion. Many businesses like Uber, Yelp, Avon etc. have acquired customers through such referrals. This will also let you know who your biggest cheerleaders are!

 

Get Some Influencers on Board

Start with Influencers in the range of 10k-30k followers on Facebook, Instagram and similar portals who are willing to do a post for you in return for a ‘barter collaboration’. This basically means that they will promote for your product for free on their feeds, do a story and a post listing out its features. This is a very popular method to gain eyeballs today and ‘Influencing’ is a full time job for many social media enthusiasts who have garnered thousands of followers through continuous engagement and activity.

 

Be Present Everywhere on Social Media Channels

Create your profile on every leading social media channel- Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest and Youtube. However, ensure that the users on each of these platforms differ distinctly and even consume the information differently. Hence, make sure that you are adding unique, differentiated and relevant content on each of these channels.

 

Do SEO right from Day 1

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is critical to start ranking on search engines and increase the organic traffic to your website. While this will take painstaking efforts and time to develop, make sure you make your website SEO friendly from day 1. Use Alt-texts for all images, create good and useful content, market your website through blogs etc. Usually companies start focusing on it after a few months when they exhaust the initial marketing capital, but getting it right from day 1 can be a real game changer and show results when you need them!

 

Social Media Ads and Promotions

The best way to build brand awareness digitally is running sponsored ads on social media portals like Facebook. Since Facebook now owns Instagram, just one sponsored ad on Facebook can have your product placement across channels- Facebook Story, Facebook Feed, Facebook Messenger, Instagram posts and Instagram Stories. This can be a very useful brand building exercise introducing customers to your brand and getting them familiar as well as draw traffic to your website which could result in potential sale. One thing to be very careful while running these ads is to choose your audience carefully. Facebook allows you to not just choose the demographics, but also interests, and thus you should be aware of what interests your TG are likely to have to run a successful ads campaign.

 

When I started out my entrepreneurial journey at The Mom Store, we were able to acquire customers quickly through an aggressive presence on social media (both paid and organic) and our continuous efforts to provide a great experience to our customers. Even today, one year on, 50% of our website traffic comes through social media of which 70% is organic traffic leading from our posts about our products or our customer stories!

How to build your client list by @_lauramclo

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by Laura McLoughlin | Featured Contributor 

You may assume that all entrepreneurs are run off their feet, juggling meetings, managing staff and squeezing in just enough time to take a snap of their all-vegan lunch choice. However, the reality for many freelancers and business owners, whether they are starting out or are reasonably seasoned, is that there will be quiet periods – a loss of a client, a missed connection, a project put on hold.

And when you and your alone are in control of your pay check (and perhaps even others’), those quiet periods can be a little worrying. What did you do wrong? Are you just not as good as you thought you were, or did you make the leap too soon? 

Take comfort in the fact that every entrepreneur feels like this at some point, and instead of stressing, focus your energy into building your client list back up and winning work. 

Network

Networking is one of those vague phrases which can be both terrifying and confusing, and yet it is mentioned again and again as the one of the best ways to meet new people and land new jobs. So, does that mean you need to sign up to every industry event and ‘meet up’ hosted in your city for the next month, and collect hundreds of emails and business cards from the strangers you meet there?

Well, if you want to, maybe, but to start off, you might think about making the most of the connections you already have.

Start with your own circle, emailing and messaging family and friends about your new venture, and ask them to pass on your details to anyone they think may want to work with you or be in need of your services. It can be surprising just who knows who even within these personal connections.

Similarly, take to your personal social media and write a post about your career change. You might even ask your followers to share your post or include a hashtag or two to help your news travel further. Naturally, you should update all of your social media profiles to reflect what you do now.

You might go further then, and contact those you have worked with before, or even trusted fellow freelancers. Explain to them what you’re doing now, and give examples of work you have done in the past, or even your portfolio if you have one. Be specific about about what kind of clients you are hoping to find, whether that means picking an industry or type of business, such as SMEs or startups. Ideally, they’ll be able to point you in the right direction, whether that means hiring you themselves or suggesting you to someone else.

Create content

Everyone and anyone today has a blog, and for good reason. Having your own URL to pop into social media profiles and hand out on business cards, allows anyone that comes into contact with you online or in real life to access a wealth of info about you and have a look at work you’ve already done.

Better yet, it also allows you to showcase your expertise by publishing your own content. An example of this, is NZ marketer Leanne Ross who runs highly commended blog A Cup of Lee and blogs about all things PR. She shares her experiences in the field, whether it’s 10 weeks in a digital agency, or her favourite industry reads of the year, showcasing her talents for both writing and marketing.

Try to publish content regularly – perhaps an article once every week or two weeks – and remember to post it on social media.

Be careful about the kind of content you publish, of course. You want it to be well-written, thoughtful and demonstrate just why someone would want you to hire you or your services. It should not be a hard sell, or a thinly veiled piece of advertising for yourself. Overly promotional articles can turn off possible clients, but genuine, helpful articles only speak of a high value professional.

Use job boards and apps

Online job boards like People Per Hour and Upwork have drawn criticisms from many freelancers, for driving down prices for work, and so may not be ideal for an experienced freelancer. For beginners, however, or those planning on going into a new industry or field, it may be the perfect method to get you some entry-level work and build up your name and experience. The testimonials and connections from these starter projects may be the ideal stepping stone to your next gig.

There are more catch-all websites, such as those already mentioned, or those which are industry-specific, such as those for pharmacists, personal trainers, and babysitters, which may help you find more focused work, or clients who truly appreciate your craft.

Co-working spaces

You won’t meet anyone new in your home office, so why not spend a day or two a week in a co-working space in town?

Being surrounded by other busy professionals and entrepreneurs is not only good for your motivation and alleviating the loneliness of freelance life, but gives you the opportunity to meet potential clients (or those who might introduce you to a potential client). 

Just try searching for your nearest co-work space online and pop in for a visit.

Of course, there is no definite science to meeting new people and making connections. The very best you can do is put yourself on their maps, and you certainly have the tools to be able to do that. Shirk the Shrinking Violet blooming inside you, and go into each introduction with poise, positivity and the unwavering confidence in both yourself and what you’re doing. You’ll be sure to see that inbox and schedule fill up again.

10 New Tips for What’s Working in Email Today by @KendraLeeKLA

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10 New Tips for What’s Working in Email Today

by Kendra Lee

Let’s face it, writing emails that get a response is an art – and it’s constantly changing.

Last night I had the opportunity to write a series of emails for a campaign for one of our clients. As I was writing, I realized that there are 10 new tips you need to be aware of as you craft your emails.

Whether you’re a sales rep writing prospecting emails, or a marketer writing lead generation campaigns, these tips apply. Because let’s face it, when an email arrives in the inbox, until your prospect opens it, they shouldn’t know what type of email it is.

1. Keep the subject line short. Long subject lines tend to get skimmed over because subconsciously they imply a long email. Short subject lines are quick reads. If they feel relevant to your prospect, they’ll draw prospects into the email quickly.

2. Exception to tip #1. If you know the person you’re emailing, then using the subject line like a chat will often get a quick reply.

3. Keep the content brief – less than 99 words. If possible, use less than 50 words. The shorter your email, the more likely your contact will be to actually read it before making a delete decision.

4. Include a call to action as your last sentence. Closing with “Let me know your thoughts” or “I look forward to your reply” alerts the prospect that this email isn’t merely informational, you’re expecting an answer.

5. Follow up. If you haven’t heard from a sales prospect, follow up in three days. If you’re writing a marketing email campaign, consider inserting follow-up emails periodically to increase engagement.

6. Include a grabber. Have a business issue or trigger event that you know is top of mind with your prospect and use it. Rather than talk about your product or solution, focus on the grabber.

7. Turn the first paragraph into a mini-email. Mobile readers may only read the first paragraph of their emails. Write it in such a way that it conveys the most important information and makes your prospect want to keep reading. Include your grabber here. But a word of caution – you still have to keep the paragraph brief.

8. Ask a relevant question. Another way to get a response is to ask a question that feels like you should reply. In a prospecting email it might be “Does Wednesday morning work for you?” In a lead generation email, it may be a question about the email topic, such as “Is this an issue you’re experiencing?”

9. Give an agenda. When suggesting a meeting, tell prospects what you’re going to talk about. “Let’s discuss your lead generation strategy and what we’re seeing that’s working in your target markets.” This way you create interest – and maybe even excitement – in having a conversation.

10. Be casual. Too often prospecting and lead generation emails sound stiff, and that implies boring conversations. Envision a real prospect and write as if you’re talking to him. Insert a friendly statement. Not, “I hope this finds you well.” Instead, “I’m looking forward to our conversation.”

These are the latest tips that we’re finding drive increased response rates and engagement as we create our clients’ campaigns. If you’re thirsting for more, download our free 27-page Email PowerProspecting ebook. I couldn’t cover them all here!

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Kendra Lee is a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert, author of the award-winning books, “The Sales Magnet” and “Selling Against the Goal” and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group works with companies to break in and exceed revenue objectives in the small and midmarket business (SMB) segment.