Loyalty Begins When You Engage Customers

Posted on June 21, 2013 by admin

16488948_mOur lives are made easier by common business practices that include automation, but at what cost? At the end of the day, customers still prefer human interaction. A recent article highlights what companies are doing wrong to engage customers and how they can do it better.

The first step to loyalty is communication. It’s important to get personal with your followers and try to get the audience involved as much as possible. More than half of people in the world use some sort of social media. This greatly increases your chances of interacting with potential customers and existing ones. It’s critical to be everywhere so that your targeted demographic has the convenience of finding your businesses and staying updated.

Interaction can’t be an occasional thing. You should regularly include a call to action at the end of your content. If you are networking appropriately, you can reach a large percentage of this audience on several sites, meaning you can get the most feedback.

If you’re just starting out, Facebook and Twitter are your obvious choices to connect with consumers. Take a step in the other direction to reach colleagues with LinkedIn and Google+. If your business content can benefit from images try establishing yourself on Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. Once you’ve gotten the hang of how to use images to promote your products and services, add in video, if it’s appropriate, and market yourself on YouTube.

No matter which medium you choose, remember to portray your personality. Use a friendly tone that doesn’t include fancy industry lingo which could cause you to come across as pretentious. If a consumer makes a comment or inquires about a particular service, respond quickly. When you engage customers with feedback it is one of the most important attributes of this entire process.

Transparency is key to creating brand awareness and consumer loyalty. If people are talking about you they are promoting you. Insisting conversation between yourself and your readers, and your readers and each other, is a great way to collect valuable feedback. Engage customers by encouraging them to respond to a blog post and begin discussion about a particular topic. This gives a level of inclusion we all crave.

But you can kill two birds with one stone with feedback. Not only are you developing a rapport with potential customers but gathering much needed data for later evaluation. It helps you get it right and work out any problems with products, services, or kinks within the industry.

Some examples of common feedback is to get customers to send in pictures of themselves with a product, maybe even using it, if possible. You can publish this to your social media sites. Coupons, or free products are another great way to get to engage customers.

Let us help you engage customers using social media. Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions can even help collect and analyze the customer feedback you receive. We understand how important it is to understand user behavior and click-through data. Contact us to help identify opportunities and problem areas so that your business can capitalize on them.

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Successful Video Has to Have a Smart YouTube Marketing Strategy

Posted on June 20, 2013 by admin

18450899_mVideo has become a popular way for companies to promote their products and services. And where do you think most customers go to find videos – YouTube. However, not every business finds the same success. In order to turn your videos into profits you need to develop the content that correlates with what you’re trying to accomplish.

This article explains how businesses can create a YouTube marketing strategy that will work for your specific business. By following these three steps, you can offer online videos that give potential customers what they are looking for.

While YouTube is a great tool to market a brand, it’s not for everybody. Products and services that are hard to demonstrate probably won’t make for good video, therefore you need to decide if YouTube is a good match for you.

For example, if you offer lawn and garden care it would be easy to show how to properly seed, water, and even landscape. Unfortunately, not all companies have offerings that are visually stimulating. So, if your company does have a product or service that can be illustrated with a video, your YouTube marketing plan should include the goal you hope to accomplish by making a video.

The end result should dictate the type of video you produce. Are you looking to gain new customers or nurture the ones you already have? A good YouTube marketing strategy should help you do both, if that’s what you want.

YouTube is a great way to attract new customers so a basic introduction video can grab their attention and then direct them back to your website for more information. Videos geared specifically to new customers should draw them to find out more about you. To lead them to your site, because YouTube doesn’t allow for a direct link back to your website, you will have to superimpose your company’s URL onscreen as well as the URL in the actual video description.

Existing customers can also take advantage of your videos. Several cell phone manufacturers, and providers, have done a great job doing this with their videos. For example, iPhone owners have an abundance of YouTube videos to watch for tutorials on set up, trouble shooting, usable apps, and tricks.

Each of your videos should answer one of three questions. Are you looking to inform, educate, or entertain your customers? Success lies with conquering these three things. The entertaining videos tend to go viral the fastest but there has to be a lot of thought that goes in to those. It can be worth your while to focus on educational and informative videos instead.

You’re probably wondering what the difference is. Think show and tell. Educational videos will demonstrate how to use a particular product or service, usually in a step-by-step video. Information videos offer customers a detailed explanation of a product, the company itself, or topics that relate to the customer.

A call center, for example, might create a video that tells about their service offers for a variety of different industries and campaigns. If you are a contractor you might produce a video that shows how to build a deck or porch swing. Either way, videos are a resourceful tool to engage both sets of viewers.

Your business may have the ability to offer both types of videos. Your YouTube marketing plan will help you develop one or the other, or both.

If you haven’t started producing videos, or haven’t been successful with the ones you’ve published, let us help you with an appropriate YouTube marketing strategy. Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions can help you develop both information and educational concepts that can elevate your company, and brand, to that next level using videos on YouTube.

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Are You Maximizing the Return on Your Social Media Channels?

Posted on June 19, 2013 by admin

16865458_sIt used to be that brands wishing to go social could simply choose which social media channels they wanted to use for customer engagement. Today, that landscape is changing. The public is interacting within a variety of social media channels but for different reasons. For instance, a particular customer might be active on Facebook, Pinterest, Linked In, and YouTube both personally and professionally. Therefore, companies relying solely on Facebook or Twitter to boost awareness may be missing out on important opportunities to connect with their target audiences.

According to a blog featured at Small Business Trends, brands have to include a mix of social media channels in their marketing strategies in order to make a sizeable impact. Of course, that may be easier said than done. In order to take advantage of all that social networks have to offer, it’s essential that companies are able to easily monitor and track an assortment of social media channels and appropriately analyze their effectiveness.

This in itself can be a challenge as results for each channel are measured differently. For example, success may be quantified by the number of followers on Facebook, amount of retweets on Twitter, or number of video hits on You Tube. What you eventually end up with is a bunch of different performance metrics and dashboards to successfully monitor the feedback of each site – a situation which may seem impossible or entirely impractical.

But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. One solution is to integrate software that permits you to monitor social data from a single dashboard interface. With the right tools in place, management of social media channels becomes convenient and workable – allowing companies to gain important insight, pinpoint buying behaviors, augment customer service, increase retention, and more.

Let’s face it, time doesn’t grow on trees, and using a single dashboard to view results will aid in tracking your social portfolio for maximum results. Are you ready to take your social media strategy to the next level? Contact a member of our team for more information.

 

Posted in Social Media, Social Media Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Here Are a Few Blog Writing Tips to Consider

Posted on June 18, 2013 by admin

15616010_sBlogs have become a popular channel for businesses looking to connect with potential customers but they can also be a great way for bloggers to get some bylines. Here are some helpful blog writing tips to keep in mind.

Blogging is a two-way street. If done correctly, guest blogs can bolster quality content on your website as well as highlight a writer’s capabilities. A good content manager should be able to offer some blog writing tips that will enable writers to deliver promising content that meets their needs. According to visual.ly’s recent inforgraphic, 126 percent more leads are often generated by sites that contain blogs. A little more than half of companies that feature regular blogs have gained customers.

From a guest blogger standpoint, it is important to understand the business you are writing for. In order to contribute the appropriate content it’s best to see what the company is about and offer a few samples to their blog editor. Unfortunately, most editors may love your ideas but even the best concepts need some direction.

Remember, guest blogs are a partnership between the company and the writer. There are three basic blog writing tips to keep in mind. For starters, blogs should be kept to a max of 700 words. The better blogs are more than 400 words but definitely not in the 700 region. Not only does this create a focus but it allows the blog to deliver a specific time with the space allowed.

Most companies want to build relationships with their customers – loyalty. Guest bloggers can forge the same relationships. It can be difficult for both blog editors and writers to come up with ideas, edit, and promote a single blog or series of blogs. Because this is such a time consuming process, having a regular blog contributor can be great for business. Both sides can take advantage of the reoccurring blogger.

If you are a blogger, of course it is important for it to benefit you, despite your positive relationship with the content’s host. If it is permissible, link back to your own site within the blog. This gives readers an opportunity to see what you are about and can definitely increase the number of hits you get.

No matter if you are a blogger or blog editor, let us help you find success by creating blog writing tips that benefit the content and the writer.

 

 

 

Posted in Blog Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Monday Morning Coffee with ChooseSaintJoseph.com

Posted on June 17, 2013 by admin

ED-logo-with-partnership2Who is your target audience? If you’re like many businesses, it’s more than one – you likely have more than one group who you want to reach with the message about your services. Key ways to reach a second audience include a designated website set apart from your main site; a specific blog campaign and a social media strategy geared just toward that group.

An example to note this morning is choosesaintjoseph.com, a website of the St. Joseph Metro Chamber. The audience for choosesaintjoseph.com is clearly site selectors, who are charged with determining best locations for new and expanding businesses. The goal of the website is clear: to demonstrate the attributes of St. Joseph and the surrounding area as a strong choice for business, and to showcase a business community atmosphere geared for success.

Although the colors and feel are a solid complement to the St. Joseph Metro Chamber logo and main website, choosesaintjoseph.com is built from every angle to encourage site selectors and those in the economic development community to take that next action step. Having a website set apart for this purpose is essential, so that the unique attributes and awards for St. Joseph’s business community can be placed within individual sectors.

Following the model of successful regional economic development sites, choosesaintjoseph.com answers questions quickly – such as what are the incentives and the logistical data for the area in terms of business, which clusters are growing rapidly and how the community is a strong player and partner in key growth areas like life science and agriculture.

A new section allows blogs to feature keywords site selectors are searching for, thus helping to hone in their search and build a strong sense of brand value and expertise toward the Economic Development team at the Chamber. Blogs are shared across social media and will also be utilized as guest blog posts in online areas and publications site selectors visit. Not only is the site clearly speaking to its audience, it’s also an excellent resource for Chamber members who can promote the reasons why they have selected St. Joseph in their own peer circles, thus increasing awareness for the region from the inside out. Investors, sponsors and partners receive prime real estate on the home page, generating awareness for their investment in the Chamber and showing potential investors that many key organizations are on board with a dynamic business community.

Are you trying to do too much on one website, or capture multiple audiences in one blog campaign? A content marketing strategy that differentiates and targets your key audiences, based on information they’re searching for, may give you stronger results.

Today Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions gives a shout out to choosesaintjoseph.com, and the St. Joseph Metro Chamber, for recognizing that site selectors and economic development professionals are looking for key areas of information – and it’s this valuable, consistent content that helps set our city apart among competitors.

Posted in Blog Writing, Brand, Content Marketing, Monday Morning Coffee, Website | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Content Marketing Should Focus on Content

Posted on June 13, 2013 by admin

The best part of your content marketing plan is obviously content. But you’d be surprised how many business owners neglect the quality of the content they provide to their readers. The right content can attract loyal customers and build retention.

Your new content marketing plan will need to encompass your new role as publisher. Yes, publisher. Every time you post on Facebook, tweet, email your newsletter or blog about your brand’s story, you are publishing.

All publishers know the importance of strong content marketing. A recent article explains some of the critical steps to acting like a publisher and delivering the content your customers crave.

In order to truly know the effectiveness of your content marketing plan, you will need a way to manage and measure it. Content marketing poses serious challenges for a majority of companies. From resources and regulatory compliance to the hiring of writers and the content itself, issues can plague a strategy.

Start off by establishing some guidelines and content marketing goals. The goals you implement at the beginning will shape the sort of content you look at delivering. The main objective is to engage customers and build your brand’s awareness. These are two of the most important components in content marketing as well as increased leads, thought leadership, customer loyalty, and increased revenue.

Once you have outlined what your goals will be, draw the map to get there. Prospect engagement will force you to look at the top five questions a potential client may have about your company, product, and services. Develop content to cover these specific topics and get them engaged. It’s important to connect with consumers. Giving them the answers to their questions is the quickest step.

However, the quickest route isn’t always the only one. Marketing experts will tell you that social media and blogs are great opportunities to generate content. You should take advantage of every channel available and supply the appropriate content for each. This includes websites, email newsletters and video.

For example, an airplane banner wouldn’t consist of long-form content from an advertiser, right? Make sure you match messages and content with your medium and audience. Long-winded content should be found on the pages of your newsletter or blog. For Facebook and Twitter, engage your followers with short messages and an image or video. And don’t forget to share.

You also need to keep in mind the various channels you are providing content for. In order to keep people from viewing the same message, mix things up a bit over the different touch points. Studies show that more than half of content marketing plans don’t account for different channels. You need to have a plan in place for each.

Contact us, we can help you overcome these hurdles with a successful content marketing plan. Remember, it is important to not only execute your strategies but manage and monitor them.

Posted in Content Marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Four Good Reasons for Starting Your Own Blog

Posted on June 11, 2013 by admin

8052929_sWhen you write for a living, the furthest thing from your mind when you finish the day may be going home to write in your spare time. It’s easy to “turn off” so to speak, but there are many benefits to starting your own blog. The good thing about starting your own blog is that, instead of having to write about a predetermined subject, you can hone in and expound upon topics of personal interest. If you’re a writer, here are four straightforward reasons why you should get blogging:

Refine your skills
As the author of a recent Social Media Today blog points out, writing on a personal level is a great way to polish your skills and play with different writing styles. Think of it as your chance to paint with words and augment your writing ability. Sharpening your personal writing approach should also benefit you professionally as a fresh vantage point can help differentiate you from every other Tom, Dick, and Harry that are out there writing, too.

Reignite your passion for writing
It happens to all of us – the feeling of burnout that creeps in after your fiftieth piece on the same topic. Starting your own blog can help recapture the initial reason why you decided to write as your profession anyway. You’ll probably find it’s also much easier to write about a subject for which you take a personal interest in.

Networking and niche marketing
While it may be tempting to just spell out a personal rant when starting your own blog – don’t. A personal blog presents a unique opportunity to carve out a special niche so you can position yourself as an expert in the field. You’ll also find yourself in the midst of a much larger audience, and that will give you a distinctive advantage for future networking.

Build familiarity with social media
Content creation and use of social networking are intertwined. Writing in general forces you to stay abreast of the latest online tools in order to effectively get your message across. This includes use of forums like Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter which will help you promote content and keep conversations alive.

If you need help starting a personal blog, let our expert team of copywriters lend a hand. Call or click for a free consultation.

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Monday Morning Coffee with Bleecker Street Deli

Posted on June 10, 2013 by admin
bleecker

Photo: St. Joseph News Press

What do you do exceptionally well, and how can you carve it out as your special niche? It’s a simple question that can have a profound impact.

Take an example from Bleecker Street Deli, a newly opened, “small but mighty” curbside/outdoor establishment in St. Joseph, Mo.

Chef Andrew Clark, founder of Bleecker Street Deli, definitely knows what he’s good at. He also knows how to share it. The 350-square foot restaurant is room enough for him to prepare fresh sandwiches and sides from scratch, including house-made potato chips and his own pickles. He’s known to roast his own turkey for carved sandwiches, and is changing up the menu daily with fresh specials.

When pondering the opening of Bleecker Street, Clark saw a need for a quick sandwich that wasn’t fast food, and an open door in the little corner shop to provide products with his own unique touch. While revving up the menu and promoting discounts to local servicemen and women, it doesn’t hurt that he’s getting the word out about his experience.  He is a native of the St. Joseph area, and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute located in Manhattan, New York City, where he earned a degree in Classic Culinary Arts.  Clark is also a veteran of several NYC casual and fine dining restaurants, such “Public” in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, and Monument Lane located in the Chelsea neighborhood of the lower West Side.  Chef Andrew has also had a short stint at the James Bear award winning Michael Smith’s in Kansas City Missouri and as the Executive Chef of the Bad Art Bistro in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Chef Andrew and his staff are committed to bringing fresh, consistent food to the greater St. Joseph area. The catchy name comes from a popular street in New York.  As he applies his culinary creativity each week, Chef Clark calls it a “chef driven deli.” It’s another way to share with customers that this is something much more than the typical carryout sandwich.  Through social media, he’s promoting some special deals and fun concepts to keep customers coming back. Mondays, for example, are “Manic Monday,” featuring a discount on a signature meal. His social media is packed with photos, and following local current events gives him a larger reach and a sense of close community ties. For example, he is piggybacking on buzz around downtown concerts, the Ride for Ryan motorcycle event, and a recent Pride festival downtown to encourage crowds to stop by for lunch.

Giving the details, like specials, hours and outdoor seating is valuable information for his social media audience to comment on or reTweet. He’s also sharing info on social media about events happening with local arts groups and listing by name other unique eating establishments – two steps that help build his audience and communicate a strong positive message others will want to share.

Today SJC encourages you to take a stroll to NYC today, Midwestern style, and see at Bleecker Street Deli how the concept of knowing (and promoting) what you’re good at really works … while you’re eating, ponder the things that make your services or product truly special.

Posted in Marketing Strategy, Messaging, Monday Morning Coffee, Social Media Marketing, Support Local | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment