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New SMBs in the Digital Business Surroundings – Finding Your Way to Online Clients

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By Liam Collins.

Small businesses that are rising to prominence in the digital surroundings are exposed to various business challenges. Their owners need to be active and present in various channels of online communication, but they mustn’t neglect their core business tasks.

In other words, being visible in the digital surroundings always needs to bring additional value to a business.

Since online business rules are constantly changing, SMB-owners should keep their eye on those innovations to ensure their constant growth.

Choose your digital pathway

When you’re starting your digital business endeavour, it’s important to know what you’re in for.

Do you want to generate a higher number of leads? If the answer is positive, you might think about focusing on Facebook. It’s the most widespread social network with people of all generations and backgrounds. After launching a Facebook business page, you should learn a thing or two about using Facebook for business purposes.

Is your goal to start selling products or services immediately? In that case, Instagram is a better option. Since you can sell products via this network, and it’s generally based on photos, stories, and videos, Instagram is a perfect choice for businesses that need a quick and efficient promotion while selling products along the way.

Business owners working in the B2B-niche might want to be more exposed to other businesses. In that case, LinkedIn is the best starting point. You’ll be able to follow companies that you want to work with, plus you’ll connect with various business individuals, as well.

This is only the tip of an iceberg in terms of different digital pathways available to SMB-owners.

Bring a mobile strategy

We don’t have to tell you that this is the age of mobiles. If you just look around when you’re in a café, on a train or in the park, you’ll see that everybody’s using their mobiles.

Therefore, taking mobile users into account when joining the business playground is a must.

As explained by design experts from a web design company in Houston, SMB-owners can adapt their websites to mobile users from day one. If you go with a responsive design, your website will adapt to the device it is begin accessed from. As the number of website visitors is growing, you’ll consider launching a mobile app, as well. This is usually recommended for e-commerce business owners.

When bringing a mobile policy, it’s vital to understand how content affects website visitors. If your website is “heavy” and bulky, it might take too much time to load. So, optimize your photos for your website and avoid keeping videos on the server. Instead of that, launch a YouTube channel and post your business videos there. Then you can add those links to your website.

Support user-generated content

Reviews, comments, testimonials, and case studies are all welcome when you’re building your brand in the online community.

People on the Internet are getting more careful in terms of recommendations and content. Therefore, genuine reviews, generated by their fellow humans are precious.

So, let your visitors leave their comments below your blog posts. Asking them to register beforehand would yield two benefits at the same time: you’ll be able to control the content of the comments, thus eliminating inadequate ones, plus, you’ll populate your email list that way.

Additionally, allow your buyers or previous customers to leave their reviews and testimonials. Each of these people should either leave their real name or the name of their company. That way, you’ll add to the credibility of these features.

Another beneficial element for SMBs in the digital environment is case studies. These stories will show your future clients what you’ve done for your previous clients. If you’re not adept at writing, think about hiring copywriters or other writing professionals and let them write compelling stories with your accurate inputs.

Promote yourself on Google

Social media promotion is one thing, but promotion on Google is something different.

Being able to present yourself on the largest global search engine is a privilege. However, it’s vital to use this privilege in the right way.

For starters, register to the Google My Business listing. When somebody enters your business name in Google, they’ll be able to see the key information about it on the right side of the screen. This includes your location on Google Maps, your physical address, phone number, website address, and any other information that you add to Google My Business. Also, your clients can leave their reviews and comments about your services, as well as photos.

On the one hand, you confirm to your potential clients that you’re an existing, credible business. On the other hand, they can see other clients’ experiences with your brand here, as well. After that, they can either proceed to your website or your social media accounts.

Knowing how to tell your audiences that you exist is very important. And informing them what you do and how they can benefit from it is even more relevant. That’s why we suggest that you set your goals first and then start targeting clients and business partners in line with those goals.

Also, encourage your existing clients, as well as those who stop using your services, to share their experiences with you. This feedback will help you improve your work and direct your business to more efficient operability.

Finally, use free options offered by Google, social media, and other digital channels to promote your business.

By Liam Collins.

Liam Collins is a tech pundit and Web enthusiast working at TuiSpace.com. He spends most of his time reading and writing about the current affairs in the world of information technology. When he isn’t working, he likes going for long bike rides and walks in nature.

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How To Get Consulting Clients Fast Without Using Facebook Ads

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By Nick Tubis

I have noticed lots of business owners are spending on Facebook ads to get new clients. I’m not saying that this is a bad strategy. I myself use Facebook ads as one method for acquiring customers. But the main problem with using ads is that business owners who haven’t truly validated their concept often think the ads will solve their problem of finding clients to book.

Throughout my career of starting and growing business-to-business (B2B) companies, I’ve realized there are a few steps that every single entrepreneur must go through to get initial traction and scale their business.

1. Focus on an isolated market segment.

One of the biggest problems I notice that entrepreneurs, freelancers and consultants make is that they believe everyone is their ideal customer. They say something like, “I help companies with Google Ads or search engine optimization (SEO).”

When I hear this, I almost immediately know that they are having a hard time landing new clients. The reason is that, when you try to appeal to everyone, your business is perceived as a commodity. You should focus on a specific market segment because it is much easier to become the best in the world at something specific than something broad.

As the chief marketing officer at TSD Global, I was in a highly competitive market, selling outsourcing services to medium and large businesses, and we needed to find a way to differentiate. So, the way I solved this problem was by focusing on a market segment — quick-service and fast-casual restaurants.

When you’re picking a market segment, it should be a niche that you are passionate about or have experience in.

2. Identify a painful problem this segment faces. 

After you’ve found your isolated market segment, it’s time to identify a specific problem it has. Now, the problem can be something obvious like Google Ads or SEO, but because you’re focused on that one market segment, you’re creating a huge differentiator from your competition.

Let me give you an example of how this works. If I owned a personal injury law firm and am wanting to win more cases for my firm, would I rather hire someone who is an expert in SEO or someone who is an expert in auto accident SEO? The person with specialized knowledge, of course.

3. Learn the ins and outs of your market segment.

Once you have found a market segment that has a problem, it’s time for you to become an industry expert.

Before I started getting traction with the restaurant industry, I researched the industry to learn about what the biggest pain points and risks were. I learned how to speak my prospects’ language and use the same buzzwords they did.

Every market segment has a certain lingo and it can be learned — not within decades, but in days. The shortcut that I use is to read annual reports of the players in my market segment and see how they speak about their industry. You can also use this strategy if you’re selling to private companies because they often share a lot of the same risks, concerns and pain points if they are in the same market segment.

4. Create a solution for your market segment.

Your solution should actually be the easiest part of your business. This is where we combine your scalable skill that solves a problem with your specialized knowledge of your market segment. The solution you should provide for your clients should take them from where they are now to achieving the goal they want.

5. Build your minimum viable credibility. 

Minimum viable credibility is something that I don’t hear people talk about in the marketplace. It absolutely blows me away. I hear people say that you don’t need to have any credibility to sell something and I couldn’t disagree more. It’s not impossible to sell someone a high-ticket item without any credibility, but there is a much more efficient way to handle this and build credibility fast.

When I first started selling to restaurants, I was negotiating with the CEO of one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the country and he kept asking who I was working with and for references. At the time, the service I was providing was a brand new concept and had zero clients in that market segment. So, the way we solved this problem was with a free trial. It ended up working great.

So, my advice is to identify the players in your market segment that could get the ball rolling for your business and give them your service for free in exchange for a case study and testimonial.

6. Leverage personalized direct marketing. 

After you’ve established your credibility by getting case studies, you are ready to start generating high-ticket clients. When it comes to generating consulting clients, you can spend more time handpicking the dream clients who you can help in the beginning. Imagine what client logos you would like to put on your website and reach out to them instead of leaving it to chance with Facebook ads. I recommend writing personalized messages on Facebook, LinkedIn and in emails that explain the problem you can solve for their market segment.

7. Leverage automated personalized marketing. 

This is my secret sauce, and most people have a hard time executing this properly because they don’t really understand their market segment. After I have validated my market segment by acquiring a few clients with personalized messages, I scale up massively with automated marketing.

I have used a software that allows me to send personalized emails, at scale, that are highly relevant to my market segment and look like I spend 30 minutes researching their company. I have used this strategy and still use this method to book meetings with some of the most powerful executives in America on autopilot.

Follow these steps to create more targeted services and personalized marketing for your prospects. The customer acquisition cost with direct marketing can be a fraction of the price compared to Facebook ads.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images

By Nick Tubis

Founder of Nick Tubis Enterprises, an e-learning platform that teaches people how to start and grow their own freelance or B2B company.

Sourced from Forbes

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6 Ways to Exceed Your Content Marketing Clients’ Expectations

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By Will Blunt

Are you providing tangible and consistent value to your content marketing clients?

Unfortunately, most agencies aren’t.

They are good at selling the benefits of content and mapping out a strategy, but when it comes to execution their attention waivers. They’re either getting distracted and moving onto the next opportunity, or they simply don’t know how to get results.

Being ready to deliver value and actually delivering value are two very different things.

When it comes to the crunch, if your agency is not providing consistent results to your clients, then they will lose interest.

You need to regularly refine and improve the way you execute. It’s about creating WOW moments for your clients and exceeding their expectations time and time again with exceptional service, unprecedented results, and continuous optimization.

Below are six vital components of execution that will keep your clients humming in excitement just like day one, all year round!

1. Deliver results

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“No sh*t sherlock”

You probably just muttered that to yourself. And for good reason, it’s not rocket science to suggest that delivering results is an important part of client retention.

But what is interesting, and something a LOT of agencies get wrong is understanding how to deliver the kind of results that will prevent your clients from ever questioning their investment with you.

This is where the sales conversation and strategy development phase are so crucial. Both you and your client need to have a succinct definition of what success looks like. There can’t be any grey area.

If you have accurately quantified what the client cares about, then delivering results becomes a lot easier. This allows you to document clear expectations that align with your experience and ability to deliver results, because it’s something you have done before with similar companies.

Your goal should be to create an environment where the only possible outcome is a positive one for your agency. If the client has higher expectations of results than what you KNOW you can achieve, then say goodbye. Don’t work together. Wish them luck with someone else, and focus on backing winning horses.

Don’t assume you know what a client wants and why they are paying you because most of the time your assumptions will be off the mark. Ask the right questions and create a shared meaning for success.

By delivering outcomes directly associated with the things your client is drawing a budget for makes retention a no-brainer.

2. Create a cadence for reporting

Whatever you do… don’t go silent.

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Without a doubt this is the most common reason agencies lose content marketing clients. You settle into an engagement and after a few months, it all becomes a little easier, because your processes are in place and humming along nicely. You’re publishing regular content, building assets, and the train is in motion. Things are looking good from your perspective.

But the client stops hearing from you. Radio silence.

Even though the engine is on in the background, the lights are off and the client is in the dark. They start to question why they are paying you. “What exactly are they doing for us?”

By the time they bring this concern to your attention, it’s too late. You’ve lost their engagement and they have already found an alternative way to approach their content strategy.

This is exactly why you need a regular cadence, at least monthly, of reporting back to the client. They want to know about the results, yes, but they also want reassurance about exactly what they are getting from their investment.

You need to create a repeatable reporting process that shows the client resource allocation, content output, and relevant outcomes. This report should closely relate to the initial contract and agreed definition of success for the engagement.

If you’re looking for a tech solution for this, Klipfolio offers a custom dashboard that connects data and enables regular client reporting.

3. Make informed decisions

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Your clients want insight, not just activity. They want to be confident that the people executing their marketing strategy are in it for the long haul and dedicated to growing their business almost as much as they are. They want thought leaders, not project managers or pencil pushers.

To fulfill this desire you need to be proactive. Don’t wait for them to come to you with ideas or important updates to their strategy, get ahead of the game.

Before you send them that report every month use the data to develop insights of your own. Look for gaps in their strategy, opportunities for improvement, and areas that need your attention.

Come to them armed with industry insight, knowledge of the latest marketing trends, and specific recommendations as it relates to their unique situation.

Let them know that you are doing everything possible to get them to the end of the rainbow. Surprise them with insight, inspire them with success stories, and delight them with action.

Then you will be a strategic partner, not just a service provider.

4. Automate and optimize

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According to the Aberdeen Group, nearly 70% of best-in-class companies are currently using (or implementing) marketing automation.

For your agency to grow, automation and optimization of your client delivery is essential.

Automation helps speed up and improve all sorts of tasks that can enable growth. According to one report by Redeye and TFM&A, the benefits of marketing automation include:

  • Taking repetitive tasks out of marketers hands, allowing them to focus on new/more exciting projects (36%)
  • Better targeting of customers and prospects (30%)
  • Improving the customer experience (10%)
  • Better email marketing (9%)
  • Reduction of human error in campaigns (8%),
  • Lead management (4%) and multichannel marketing (3%)

Embracing marketing automation is an easy way for your agency to scale the marketing efforts of your clients, as well as save on time, energy, resources and skills.

You get better results and keep your clients happy with less effort. Perfect!

5. Add additional value

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By automating and optimizing a portion of your clients’ marketing activity, you create space to add additional value.

Now you have time to be proactive and brainstorm ways you can strengthen the bond you have with your clients. This is the icing on the cake.

Here are some ideas for adding value to your clients that don’t take too much effort but create a lot of social currency:

  • Call them up at least once a month to check in, see how they are, and ask if there is anything else you can do for them.
  • Seek out helpful articles about their industry and send them 3 to 4 takeaways that relate to their business.
  • Provide out-of-scope advice and guidance about their other marketing activity.
  • Introduce them to people in your network that could provide mutual benefit or opportunity.
  • Recommend their product or service to relevant friends, families, and colleagues.
  • Take them and their team out for lunch or send them a gift certificate to strengthen your relationship.

Each of these things is fairly small but they all contribute to a well-rounded relationship with your clients. It’s no longer a transaction, but a partnership. Partnerships are hard to break.

6. Extend your services

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Once you have onboarded a client and are exceeding their expectations, it’s time to start thinking about extending your services.

By extending your services, you not only increase the revenue you receive from a client, but you also become further entrenched in their organization. The more value you create for your clients, the less likely they are to churn.

An extension of your services may be providing additional content marketing solutions. For example, if you are simply managing their social media accounts, there may be an opportunity to start writing blog content, producing videos, or building links. Alternatively, you could diversify your services by offering AdWords management, SEO, or web design.

Of course, how you go about extending your services will depend on the makeup of your agency. For some agencies, you will already have the resources, processes, and infrastructure to provide additional services immediately. For others, you will need a way to satisfy additional demand. This may be through hiring more team members, outsourcing to freelancers or contractors, or finding a white label service solution.

Once you lock down a process for resourcing the extension of your services, it will be much easier to replicate with other clients.

That’s how you retain clients, increase revenue, and grow your agency.

 

By Will Blunt

Will Blunt is the Founder of FlypChart.

Sourced from Flypchart

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