Reach Out for More Social Media Traffic
March 8, 2012
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
So, you’ve got your website, blog, Facebook account, Twitter account, etc. Now, where’s your audience? You can’t just sit back and wait for people to stumble upon your online platforms. You have to reach out for more social media traffic.
Where is your online audience?
Wherever they are, that’s where you should reach out.
Here are three places you can seek out your audience.
1. Visit online forums related to your industry.
Participate in the conversations to establish your expertise, build your profile and drive traffic to your website. Forums can be traditional forums or groups (LinkedIn) and groups or pages (Facebook and Google+).
2. Visit blogs with content that matches your expertise and offer to contribute some content as a guest blogger.
Be sure to include a link back to your blog or website as part of your exchange for being a guest! And, be generous with what you offer. Give them your A-Grade content, not duplicate content of ‘leftovers’. The better the content, the better the referrals back to your site will be.
3. Visit ratings and reviews sites related to your business.
You might also want to visit coupon and “Freebie” sites too. If you can offer a free promotional item, list it on the freebie sites. If you don’t have the budget to order promo items, you could create your own digital item, such as an eBook.
Along the same lines, contests and giveaways can draw huge crowds. A photographer named Catherine White recently ran a Facebook competition where she asked people to post their favourite holiday photos for a chance to win a prize. So, she had all these people posting photos on Facebook, and it had a viral effect.
Plus, people who posted their photos had all their friends voting on the photo so they could win the prize. She built an entire community around one simple competition. Now, whenever I think of a photographer, I think of Catherine. One note with competitions – be sure to work in with the guidelines that the different platforms outline. Facebook has been known to shut down pages that violate their terms and conditions for contests.
4. Social Advertising
And, advertising through Facebook Ads, Google AdWords and LinkedIn Ads can drive traffic to you online platforms very well. You’ll usually need a ‘carrot’ by way of a giveaway to make this work.
NOTE: Regardless how much traffic you send to your social platforms, the key is to give people a reason to come and stay and come again. And, that comes down to being relevant and useful and providing content that your readers want and that fits well with your chosen authority focus.
Got other ideas on driving social traffic? I’d love to hear from you.
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY SUZI DAFNIS
- Is it time to update your business website?
- Is this Social Media Myth Hindering your Business Results?
- Does your website make you look out dated? 5 tell-tale signs.
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Suzi Dafnis – Australian Businesswomen’s NetworkSuzi Dafnis is the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Community Director and Chairperson of the Advisory Board. Suzi has been involved with the network since 1995. In 1998, she took over the network from its founder and has since managed and grown the network. She remains its media spokesperson and a champion of women in business. She is also the editor of the ABN’s newsletters, author of the herBusiness blog and presents the In Her Shoes video series and herBusiness podcast.
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Is it time to update your business website?
March 3, 2012
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
Many businesses still have older-style websites that weren’t designed with social media functionality in mind. If that’s you, it may be time for an update.
The ability for your customer and prospect to be able to share your content and to interact with you has become commonplace and expected. Long-gone are the days of the Contact Us form being the only way for people to reach out to you. At least, those days are long-gone for today’s innovative business.
Our website is built on a non-social platform. But, we have added the ability for people to share our website content through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, and other social media sites simply by adding the Share This application to our website pages. You can add social media plug-ins like this to your existing website.
Add social functions to your site
To add some interactivity and social function, you might also consider adding a blog to your existing static site. Search engines love blogs, so the addition of a blog could send a lot more traffic to your site. Blogs also allow people to comment and share content, which engage others. You have to post regularly for a blog to be an effective social media tool, but the posts don’t have to be long. Just make sure that they’re relevant to your audience.
The ShareThis PlugIn
Upgrade to a social-friendly platform
If you have a relatively simple website, you might want to consider creating a new site with the WordPress blog platform, which has built-in social media functionality. The WordPress platform is sophisticated and sleek, but easy to use and manage and the cost is very low. (I cringe whenever I hear about small businesses paying thousands of dollars for a website! While you’ll want to invest dollars in getting set up properly and having professional design – the ongoing management of your website and content can be free from expensive third-part management with a WordPress or other hosted platform site.)
Integrate social into all your marketing
While you’re updating your website, look at your other marketing materials and see if you can integrate social media into them as well. For example, if you have a newsletter, you can incorporate social media functionality and allow people to share and comment on articles.
The key to having people share your content is to make it easy for them. Your site can work hard for you 24 hours a day. But, first you need to get it set up right both from a structural perspective and from a content perspective. The rewards will be worth the effort.
Here are some links you might find useful for improving your website:
Blog Posts
- Taking Action in 2012: 12 Pointers for Marketing Your Website More Effectively
- 7 Ways To Optimise Your Online Copywriting in 7 Minutes
- How to Create a Social Media Schedule
Events
- Attend the upcoming 9 Simple Steps to an Effective (and Profitable) Website webinar on 17 April
- Effective Website Copy
- The Social Media Essentials Webinar Pack
- Easy Ways to Market Your Business Online
- Leverage Yourself with Online Buzz
Watch more online business webinars on-demand on the ABN website.
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY SUZI DAFNIS
- Is this Social Media Myth Hindering your Business Results?
- Does your website make you look out dated? 5 tell-tale signs.
- The business books that rocked my year, in a good way
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Suzi Dafnis – Australian Businesswomen’s NetworkSuzi Dafnis is the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Community Director and Chairperson of the Advisory Board. Suzi has been involved with the network since 1995. In 1998, she took over the network from its founder and has since managed and grown the network. She remains its media spokesperson and a champion of women in business. She is also the editor of the ABN’s newsletters, author of the herBusiness blog and presents the In Her Shoes video series and herBusiness podcast.
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The Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid on Your First Website Date
March 1, 2012
By Bianca Board, Web123
Do you always find yourself on bad dates? Do you think you interact appropriately with your customers? Yes, both these things do relate, in some way!
I want to explain how you can avoid some mishaps around your customers that directly relates to dating. Yes, we are solving more than your website problems!
Mistake 1
Asking for too many fields on your first encounter is like asking about your ex-boyfriend in the first 10 minutes of your date! Don’t get form greedy with Opt-ins.
Have you ever gone on a date that felt more like an interview? Was your date peppering you with questions right from the start? It’s intimidating, isn’t it? It makes you feel attacked and it causes you to close up. Consider this with your website opt-ins. Don’t make the mistake of asking your customers and leads too many questions in order for them to sign up or to download something from your website.
Try making your opt-in forms ask as minimal information as possible – this actually encourages the viewer to opt-in. If you have a newsletter sign-up form, consider only asking for their Email Address – after all, that’s all you need to send them an email. If they are downloading an eBook, then you might consider asking for some more details such as phone, address and company. Ask only what you think is really necessary; try not to overdo it as you may just scare that date off!
Mistake 2
Proposing marriage before the first date.
Do you hate the feeling of someone pressuring something on you or expecting something from you? It’s the feeling you get when you’re on a date and there is no chemistry and all your date wants to do is kiss you! If that were me, I’d run a mile immediately!
If you hate this feeling, then why do it to your customers? If you plaster your website with “BUY BUY BUY” everywhere, it’s basically that date leaning in and constantly trying to kiss you while you swerve side-to-side to dodge it!
A pushy sales site might win over one or two dates, but good old-fashioned business courtship is what will score the hearts of the masses. Your visitors may not be ready to buy yet, so let them opt-in other ways, such as a newsletter or an eBook. They’ll buy when they’re ready to, so stop pushing for that kiss!
Mistake 3
Having no Calls to Action is like never asking them out.
You know that guy that told you he was going to call you for a date, but never did? That’s what you are doing to your website visitors if you have no Calls to Actions! You are promising them a romantic night out, but leaving them hanging, wondering what’s next. Be the one to take initiative and organise the date. Let visitors to your website know all the important details of what to expect.
If you aren’t telling visitors to your website where to go or what to do, they will either leave the page or browse aimlessly around your site – neither of these you want! Don’t leave them sitting by the phone wishing you’d call. Ensure your site has clear Calls to Action telling your dates what they should be doing when they visit you!
Mistake 4
It’s not all about you.
Are you that person who loves to talk about yourself? Do you brag about all your achievements and how much your friends love you and how amazing your business is…. etc., etc., etc. You know the type.
Stop being “that guy” and start focusing on the other person. Visitors to your website want to know you are interested in them, not just yourself! Try to understand their problems, help them identify solutions to those problems, understand what they want out of life and what their achievements are. Now, apply this to your website content!
Confused? It’s easy! Stop going on about you and your business on your website, and focus on your target audience. Translate in your content what problems you are solving and how the customer would benefit from it. If your content isn’t converting, it’s not them – it’s you.
Mistake 5
Failing to call after your first kiss.
You’re at the door to your house and you just had an amazing date and the most amazing first kiss, then part ways. But, now what? Who’s meant to call who? Do you actually want to see them again? How do you know they’ll want to see you? Handling the follow-up after the first date can be nerve racking, but take a deep breath and you can move smoothly.
When someone signs up for your newsletter or downloads and eBook from you, it’s the first kiss of business. What do you do? You could jump the shark and bombard the person with constant pestering messages about buying or re-buying, but this is like your date constantly messaging you and becoming attached way too soon!
Before you panic and text your date 100 smiley face messages begging for a next date within the hour, let’s work out a plan. It’s all about nurturing your relationship with this person! Listen to what they’re saying about their needs, and use this information to educate them about the industry.
Provide them with free tools or eBooks (they will greatly appreciate this – it’s like a virtual box of chocolates). If you understand their needs and wants, but they didn’t buy just yet, have your sales person call them out of courtesy and see if you can help them anyway. If you really like this person, you’ll go out of your way to make sure they think well of you. Once you understand their needs and wants, you can treat them in a way that will effectively keep them in your sales pipeline and nicely push them along the buying cycle.
Remember, if you have customers coming to you, don’t push them away! They clearly want something from you, so understand what they want and provide! You will find that if you implement these little steps, you will have a much better long-term relationship with your leads and customers.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY BIANCA BOARD
- How to Create 101 Content Ideas in 60 minutes or less
- 11 Ways to Improve Your Search Engine Rank with Social Media
- Taking Action in 2012: 12 Pointers for Marketing Your Website More Effectively
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Bianca Board – Web123Bianca Board is a self-confessed perfectionist, but that’s a good thing, because as Web123′s chief designer and web strategist, she’s expert at helping small business achieve something that makes money and looks incredible without the designer price tag. With a creative streak that extends to sales, organic gardening, painting, decorating and generally making the world a more beautiful place, Bianca’s the person who will make sure that, along with functioning just as it should, your company’s website will look nothing short of amazing.
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Sending and Receiving News Updates via Social Media
February 17, 2012
By Kerry McDuling, McDuling PR
Over the weekend, many would have been shocked and dismayed to discover that songstress, Whitney Houston, had passed away. It has been said that this talented woman inspired a whole generation of artists. One of the most popular ways that this particular piece of news reached Australians would have been via Facebook, and not via the radio or TV, or newspapers, who were yet to run the story when it broke.
Collecting news via Facebook or other forms of social media is actually quite convenient because if you require more specific information, you can simply ask for it via these channels, and it will more often than not be supplied immediately. This eliminates the need to go trawling through news reports on public news outlets for information you are looking for.
Whether social media will replace all or a part of the need for traditional media remains to be seen, especially as it bleeds across into disseminating news in the areas of politics and business too.
You can also use social media to effectively disseminate your news, both to journalists and directly to your audience/customers.
Here are my top tips:
Firstly, make sure you have a presence on the various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.
- When you have news, post it there. Facebook and Twitter don’t allow room for your entire news broadcast, but they are perfect to provide links back to your blog for the full report, or even brief updates on news you have previously shared.
- Make sure you collect an audience across these channels. There is no point sharing news here unless you have people to consume it. There are plenty of tips to gather your audience specific to each platform, but generally, be active in relevant groups on Facebook and invite relevant people to “add” or “like” you. Hashtag relevant words to your industry in your Twitter updates and follow others so they are more likely to follow you.
- Post regularly and make sure it’s interesting and relevant. Whether your posts are all news oriented or personal as well depend very much on your publicity strategy, the nature of your industry of work, and the posts themselves among other factors. But the golden rules are regularity and relevance to your audience.
- Have an end goal in mind. Always! What are you hoping to achieve? This could be to build your profile as an expert in your industry with the view to gaining a reputation, or to sell a certain product or service. But an end goal will help you develop your news posts accordingly.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY KERRY MCDULING
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Kerry McDuling – McDuling PRKerry McDuling is a publicist and Director of her own public relations and publicity consultancy McDuling PR and exposure speciality business, Stratosphere Me – building brands and developing profitable business opportunities for companies, authors, speakers and entrepreneurs.
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How to Create 101 Content Ideas in 60 minutes or less
February 16, 2012
By Bianca Board, Web123
If you’re in small business, chances are you need to become a publisher to survive online. The way people buy these days has changed dramatically. Your buyers seek out information when they want and how they want, whether you like it or not. 97% of people will research you online before they even call or email you, so it’s vital you provide them with the information they need to make an informed choice.
You no longer have control over the sale. So I say, jump on board and enjoy the ride! Embrace it! Have fun with it. I know I was scared to death at my first blog post years ago but now I love it.
I’m going to show you my proven method for creating great content quickly and I promise, it won’t hurt a bit.
So grab your egg timer, set it for 60 minutes, turn off your phone and let’s go!
Step 1: Open an excel spreadsheet
In the first column, write down the top 10 questions you get asked by your prospects when they’re in the research phase. (5 minutes.)
Step 2: Write down problems
Now, in the next column, write down the top 10 problems your prospects face, which you help them solve. Try to get inside their heads for this one; think emotional benefits, not functional ones. If you come up with more than 10, keep going! Just jot down everything you can think of! (5 minutes.)
Step 3: Brainstorm
Now brainstorm ways to answer your prospects’ questions, concerns and problems in the form of:
- Video
- Cheat Sheets
- Blog Posts
- eBooks
- Articles
- Top Tips
- Press Releases
- Hub Pages / Squidoo Lenses
- Webinars
- Slideshow Presentations
- Podcasts
- Teleseminars
- Case Studies / Success Stories
- Industry Reports
- Surveys
- Tutorials
Think hard. Jot down everything you can think of. (30 minutes.)
What I like to do is break the above up into categories and also sort and list by topic. This way, I can write an eBook, then create a tutorial video from the same content and even also create a top 10 list or use snippets for our social media topic of the month.
The trick is to re-purpose your content. Don’t think you have to create everything from scratch. You could bundle 10 excellent ‘How To’ articles into an eBook and offer it free to newsletter subscribers to increase your opt-in rate.
Step 4: Blog Ideas
Now I want you to look at all your ideas to date and brainstorm 50 blog post ideas/titles. Just go as fast as you can, always thinking about your customers’ problems and how each post can help solve one of them or move them closer to the sale. If you can’t get 50 in 20 minutes then you’re not trying! C’mon, give it a go! (20 minutes.)
Ding, ding, ding, ding!!! Your 60 minutes is up!
Step 5: Plan and prioritise
By now you should have at least 101 great content ideas! Now it’s time to plan and prioritise. On a separate sheet in your Excel file, or just below all your ideas, start mapping out your 12-month content plan.
Think about what you need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annually and annually basis. e.g., you might manage your social media accounts daily with cut-down snippets of expert tips, blog weekly, publish a cheat-sheet or checklist and send email newsletters monthly, write an eBook or host webinar quarterly and so on.
You’ll be surprised at just how much you can do if you plan and schedule it effectively ahead of time. And by having all these fantastic content ideas at your fingertips, whenever you’re feeling inspired and have a spare 30 minutes, you can quickly sit down and write a blog post in no time at all. I go back to my spreadsheet all the time with new ideas.
Granted, you might spend longer than 60 minutes on this exercise, but if you follow my method and set the timer, you’ll be off to a great start!
Unless you’re a big business, you won’t have a huge marketing department to throw resources at creating a mammoth library of content, so get smart about it! Recycle, re-purpose and plan!
Are you up for the challenge?
Got any other content creation ideas? We’d love to hear them! Tell us how you plan out your content calendar now…
MORE GREAT POSTS BY BIANCA BOARD
- 11 Ways to Improve Your Search Engine Rank with Social Media
- Taking Action in 2012: 12 Pointers for Marketing Your Website More Effectively
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Bianca Board – Web123Bianca Board is a self-confessed perfectionist, but that’s a good thing, because as Web123′s chief designer and web strategist, she’s expert at helping small business achieve something that makes money and looks incredible without the designer price tag. With a creative streak that extends to sales, organic gardening, painting, decorating and generally making the world a more beautiful place, Bianca’s the person who will make sure that, along with functioning just as it should, your company’s website will look nothing short of amazing.
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Crowdsourcing Tips for Small Business Owners
February 9, 2012
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
Crowdsourcing, or “sourcing your crowd” for input and solutions, is a great way to engage your audience and invite customers to co-create products and services.
For example, we have a webinar series called BOOKED for Lunch where once a month we interview a best-selling business book author.
When we first had the idea for the series, we put a message out on Twitter and Facebook that said, “We have a new series and we’re looking for a name.”
We explained the new series and asked our audience for input about the name. People sent it about 15 different ideas; then we picked the top seven or eight and created an online survey where people could vote the name they like best. “BOOKED for Lunch” won by a landslide – and it was actually a suggestion made by a member. (So, as a bonus we were able to acknowledge and promote the member for her contribution in creating this new series!)
If you’re on the verge of launching a new product or service, consider crowdsourcing. It’s a great way to get feedback from the people who matter most: your customers! You’ll be surprised how willing and generous people will be if you engage them in what you’re doing.
Crowdsourcing tips
- Asking a question and getting responses is not actually crowdsourcing. When you ask the question, go back and get the votes on the ideas. Now you are really harnessing the power of the crowd.
- While social networks weren’t created for crowdsourcing, they can be a great source of feedback and input. Those that participate in social networks tend to be willing to tell you what they think. Your job is to ask the right questions.
- People will respond to a crowdsourcing request if it’s clear what is in it for them. So, let them know. Is it recognition, a better service for them, monetary exchange? It doesn’t matter which, people appreciate being informed.
One of the best books I’ve read on the subject of crowdsourcing is Aliza Sherman’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Crowdsourcing. Aliza was our guest on the BOOKED for Lunch author series and we discussed this book.
Other resources:
- Tips for designing an effective survey (audio interview)
- Tribe Talk – How to conduct effective market research with customers (webinar)
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY SUZI DAFNIS
- Is this Social Media Myth Hindering Your Business Results?
- Does your website make you look out dated? 5 tell-tale signs.
- The business books that rocked my year, in a good way
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Suzi Dafnis – Australian Businesswomen’s NetworkSuzi Dafnis is the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Community Director and Chairperson of the Advisory Board. Suzi has been involved with the network since 1995. In 1998, she took over the network from its founder and has since managed and grown the network. She remains its media spokesperson and a champion of women in business. She is also the editor of the ABN’s newsletters, author of the herBusiness blog and presents the In Her Shoes video series and herBusiness podcast.
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Have you checked-in lately? An introduction to location-based marketing for business
February 2, 2012
In March 2011, I heard one of the founders of location-based application, foursquare, speak at the South By South West Interactive festival in Austin, Texas. Up until that time, I’d not used location apps except for the occasional checkin through Facebook places.
Since then, however, I’ve been playing with foursquare to understand its application and how it can be used as a marketing tool for business.
Location-based applications work because they are available on mobile devices. Wherever I go, whatever I do, I can share with the world what I’m enjoying. And, if what I’m enjoying is a product or service that your business provides, then that’s good news for you.
The key part of using location-based applications is to CHECK IN.
By saying “I am here” at this location (restaurant, bar, show, place of interest, live event, playground) and (if I want to) posting comments and photos, I share what I like and dislike about this experience so that friends can take that information on board to make a better decision in the future.
And as the system gets to know what I like better, it’ll provide me recommendations — ’facilitate serendipity’ as co-founder Dennis Crowley explains in this video:
A newbies special – a great way to reward new clients
I had my first experience of foursquare as a business tool a few months back when I went to visit a local hair salon. When I checked-in (the application invites me to register my visit in order to accumulate points and to share with my social networks great places I’m visiting), a message popped up – a Newbies Special.
It offered me a free hand massage while I was waiting to have my hair done. I was chuffed. Who doesn’t like a freebie?
A few weeks later, I was traveling to Melbourne and while in the hotel bar grabbing a pre-dinner drink, checked in on my iPhone. Up popped a special from the restaurant. Free glass of wine with my meal. I was planning on having dinner there, so this extra little bonus was the source of a promotional message from me out to my friends to share my good fortune.
Both these instances are examples of how thousands of small businesses are harnessing the power of location-based applications like foursquare to connect with clients and to reward customer loyalty.
Who doesn’t want to be mayor?
Foursquare is acquiring over one million new users per month. Millions of people in every city, in every country, are checking in and playing the game of foursquare – vying to be mayor of their favourite establishment.
The built-in gaming technology (you win points for multiple visits, you get crowned the mayor if you’re a regular – and many establishments reward mayors with extra love, attention, discounts) keeps fans using the application because loyalty and use is rewarded and because the built-in rewards system of acquiring points and beating your friends to a high score work.
(Quick aside: I’m the Mayor at my gym. Now, that’s not because I go there more often than anyone else who trains there, but I religiously check in to maintain my mayorship. When I’ve been ousted and de-crowned! — which foursquare takes joy in letting me know the minute it happens — I’m quick to get back on my game to redeem my position. Sounds silly, but for the business, it’s a good testament. And, because each time I check in I have foursquare post to my social networks, those that I’m connected to on those networks get to see that I like going to this gym – and that’s a powerful endorsement when your customers are posting your name all over the social-media-sphere.)
Recommendations and referrals from people you trust
Dennis Crowley - Co-founder of foursquare
The ability to know what someone whom I trust thought of a place is a shortcut for me. Should I spend time going to that show or visiting that exhibition? My friends recommendations matter and I can know them by seeing what they said when they ‘checked in’.
It’s very clever.
Location-based marketing and your business
Facebook, despite having it’s Places application recently bought foursquare’s major competitor – so you can bet they know the power of location and are looking to make bigger waves in this aspect of social media and social sharing.
Still relatively new to businesses in Australia, foursquare is a powerful tool that should be explored as part of an integrated marketing campaign.
But what is foursquare and why has it become the hottest customer magnet ever conceived?
Here’s what bestselling author, David Meerman-Scott has to say:
“The power to reach buyers at the exact time and the exact place they’re looking for what you offer has massive implications for all kinds of businesses worldwide. Carmine Gallo expertly shows you how to tap into the foursquare revolution, and he does it with a practical approach you can put to work in your business right now. There’s an epic swarm and it’s time for you to check in!”
—DAVID MEERMAN SCOTT, bestselling author of Real-Time Marketing & PR
Join the Australian Businesswomen’s Network on 8 February for a closer look at foursquare
International bestselling author Carmine Gallo not only has had unprecedented first-hand access to foursquare’s founders, he also has interviewed dozens of business owners and marketers who have revolutionised their businesses through The Power of foursquare.
He joins us on 8 February as our guest on BOOKED for Lunch, a free lunchtime webinar during which we’ll interview Carmine and ask him about his new book The Power of foursquare.
You can read more about this free upcoming webinar here.
Conquering the Facebook Frontier for Small Business
February 1, 2012
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
If social networking is the new frontier of small business, then Facebook must surely be the wagon that gets us there. However, showing up and staking a claim isn’t enough; you’ve got to work that claim to unearth any riches.
I’ve been optimising my own Admin Bandit fan page over the last few months and here’s what I’m learning.
Use applications to make your page different
“Customisation” is the Facebook buzz word right now. What it means is that you can modify the look and functionality of your fan page… and you don’t need to be an IT geek to do it. All you need is one of the many templates available online (the basic ones are free, while the more advanced attract a monthly fee) — setting it up is like painting by numbers.
For example, I used Lujure to create my “welcome” tab, which is the first thing non-fans see when they go to my page. I’ve added a banner, photograph, Twitter feed, testimonials and a link to a 55-day free trial of my accounting software.
A friend who runs a small saddlery on Facebook used Pagemodo to create her “welcome” tab. Compare the two to see just how flexible customisation applications are; the same basic technology has created two “welcome” tabs that are chalk and cheese.
Of course, you don’t need to stick to a single application. Horse Feathers Saddlery used Payvment to create a Facebook store, complete with an inventory function and a check-out linked to Paypal.
Just as exciting is how easy customisation applications are to find. The best ways are to check out the fan pages of other businesses in your industry, especially your competitors or do a Google search.
How to attract fans
Ah, this is where the rubber hits the road for fan pages… getting people to “like” you.
Let me say upfront that attracting fans is not a popularity contest — all fans, whether they purchase or not, have the potential to share quality content and boost your social proof; that is, your credibility and influence.
Start with the marketing basics:
- Add your Facebook address to your stationery, including your email signature, blog and website
- Regularly link to your fan page in electronic communications, especially blog posts and e-newsletters
- Give people reasons to “like” you. Make the benefits clear, such as special offers, free resources or sneak previews
- Ask. It sounds too good to be true, but “plugs” and requests through your personal Facebook page really work!
Apart from buying fans (yes, believe it or not, you can!), a competition or giveaway is the best way to get a sudden influx of fans, up to a couple of hundred at a time, especially the more elusive kind that you don’t personally know. However, Facebook has specific guidelines on hosting anything that comes under the “promotion” banner, so make sure you’re familiar with what you can and can’t do, and toe the line because I know people who have been unwittingly caught and temporarily suspended!
Viral marketing requires more work and doesn’t bring the same instant fix, but it does offer a sustained trickle for steady, long-term growth of fans genuinely interested in your business, not just the lure of a freebie.
In case you don’t know, viral marketing is about increasing awareness of your brand using pre-existing social networks. In the case of Facebook, it means regularly and actively participating in other fan pages, where you’ll meet and attract like-minded people. The really cool part is that every time you leave a comment or tag another user in a comment, you appear in at least one person’s news feeds, which puts you in view of that person’s entire network. Now, that offers possibilities!
So, which fan pages do you head to? The easy answer is to start with those related to your industry and expertise. For example, my business is part of the non-profit, accounting and IT industries, so you’ll see a stack of community, non-profit, philanthropy, IT and small business groups and peak bodies in my list of “likes”.
How to engage your fans
Getting conversations started is probably the biggest Facebook struggle for any small business. And it seems no expert or study has a fool-proof solution… yet.
Until anyone knows for sure, here are some ideas to try:
- Be human: share the bad with good, post photos of your office, life and day
- Don’t over-think your posts; say whatever pops into your head (within reason!)
- Ask for opinions and experiences, but make your questions quick and easy to answer
- Appeal to the emotions… people often respond to humour or injustice
- Thank people for simply being your fans
- Mix business and fun: I posted a photo of my dog at Christmas and my team at a convention with a spy theme
- Post regularly, BUT….
- Post quality over quantity: useful links, information, advice, famous quotes
- Tag people when you post about them or respond to comments
- Host Facebook events, such as sales, workshops, Q and A sessions
- Finally, look at super popular fan pages… what do they do?
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Energise Your Business with Easy New Year’s Resolutions
- Ho Ho Ho, A’ Christmas Networking We Go
- Entrepreneurial Qualities: Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs
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Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
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Taking Action in 2012: 12 Pointers for Marketing Your Website More Effectively
January 19, 2012
By Bianca Board, Web123
What’s one thing you’re going to do better in 2012? I hope it’s taking action to improve your website! It’s a huge untapped resource for most of us small businesses as we can sometimes fail to see it as an investment. Like any investment, it should be showing you a profit.
Marketing your website and ensuring it is converting leads and getting you more sales should be at the top of your priorities for 2012. I have 12 pointers to help you get started on this… but trust me; they won’t work unless YOU take ACTION!
Pointer 1: Set your goals.
If you don’t have a clear direction or a set goal to target, then how do you know you’re improving? You don’t! Setting special goals can allow you to plan each step of the way and measure how far away you are from reaching the end goal.
Make sure you have SMART goals; in other words, they need to be: Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic and Timely. Here are some examples:
- Increase sales by XX% during the next financial year
- Grow my subscriber list by XX by June 2012
- Generate XX leads on a weekly basis
- Grow my Facebook fan base to XX fans by June 2012
- Grow online sales by XX% over the next 2 months without increasing my advertising spend
As you can see from these examples, they provide a specific target that’s measurable, accurate, isn’t unrealistic and provides a time frame in which it needs achieving. Make yourself accountable.
So, how can you carry out achieving these goals? Through the use of Tactics!
Pointer 2: Define tactics for achieving your goals.
Put simply, tactics are what you’ll use to carry out your strategies in order to accomplish your goals. Once you identify the reasons for creating and investing in your website, you’ll find it easy to put strategies and tactics in place.
So really you need to work backwards. Define your goals first and then work out how you’ll achieve them. Here are some examples of tactics you could implement:
- Build a database of email prospects
- Promote my business through email marketing
- Sell my products 24/7 using a shopping cart
- Share my expertise through a blog
- Get a guest blogging gig on XYZ blog
- Create one webinar per month on specific topics
These tactics will help you ensure your goals are SMART and can be accurately undertaken without being unrealistic for your business.
Pointer 3: Are you telling your customers where to go?
If your website doesn’t clearly state what the next step is for a customer or where they should go to purchase a product or download a report, how will the customer know where to go? They won’t and this means they’ll either wander your site aimlessly or leave your site as it’s ‘too hard to find’ what they’re looking for.
Therefore, ‘Calls to Action’, known as CTAs, need to be placed on your site in order to clearly direct your visitors to do what you want them to do. The customer came to your website to hopefully buy, so place a CTA on your homepage that clearly points to your products, and ideally at least one CTA on every single page to encourage secondary actions like add to cart, join your newsletter, download your eBook, book a consultation, etc.
The use of catchy headlines and compelling copy is what can also be used as a CTA. If your headline doesn’t catch your reader’s attention straight away, then you risk losing that customer.
Pointer 4: Lead Capturing – What ‘FREE’ can really mean for your business.
People love getting things for free – if they feel there’s value. Putting a small hurdle in the way of someone getting something of value and then seeing whether they jump over it is a great way to filter qualified leads from casual browsers. Lead capture is the capturing of details (name and email as a minimum) for this qualification process. On the flip side, you could always offer free content without a barrier to encourage your content to spread more virally.
Lead capture, properly implemented, helps a visitor get to know you, like you and trust you.
Give them something of value, offer them ongoing information and freebies – and once they’re ready to buy, you’ll be front of mind.
When you’re planning out how to do it, it’s best to think of it as a sale where the customer is paying with information. You’ll want to use all the sales techniques you’d normally use to try to convert visitors into leads as you would converting a prospect into a customer. Use eBooks, reports, whitepapers, webinars, calculators, templates, checklists or ongoing advice as your “product”. Keep in mind all the profiling you’ve done of your ideal clients and use their hot buttons. Create content that helps solve their problems and you’ll have them eating out of your hands!
Pointer 5: Ditch the generic stock photo!
Stop relying on the same old stock photos for your website. Hire a professional photographer or, even better, hire a student photographer who will only charge a small fee!
Nothing beats authenticity and originality.
People like to see exactly what they’re getting and they want to know it’s of good quality. Even with service-based business, having photographs of your staff and what they do will add that personal touch and feel to your website. Real is better. As Ali G would say… “Keep it real.”
I’m not saying don’t use stock photos because, in some cases, they are needed, but consider for your 2012 website marketing to include new and original photos of you and your team.
Pointer 6: How to get more email subscribers.
If you want to increase subscriptions to your newsletter, try changing the copy and making it more about your prospects’ problems, fears and concerns. Instead of saying ‘Join our Newsletter’, try ‘Free Expert Tips & Success Strategies to Make You More Profitable’.
Offering them something of value is the trick!
People’s inboxes are overcrowded with newsletters these days – what would entice them to join yours? A gift voucher? A Free report or eBook? Regular Free Advice? The list is endless.
We did this with ours and got a whopping 3600% increase in newsletter subscriptions!
What are you going to include in yours to convert them later on too? Free accounting advice? Industry updates? Expert webinars? Always send good quality content that will interest your subscribers. Continuous blast-outs of product announcements just doesn’t cut it these days.
Pointer 7: Accelerate your conversions via landing pages.
Landing pages are simplified pages on your website dedicated to capturing leads or sales for one specific offer or product. I’m sure you’ve come across these before – a page with a sales pitch, lead capture form and one button – one way in, and only one way out.
Your response and conversion rates can be drastically improved by directing campaigns to landing pages – it keeps your message and your sales pitch crystal clear and ensures they’re not distracted by any other of your messages. Landing pages for campaigns targeting different markets can push the hot buttons of different types of ideal clients.
How can you utilise this tactic? Simple:
- Create a landing page that includes all the information about the campaign you’re running. For example, if you’re offering a free eBook for the purpose of lead capture and you’re advertising it through online ads, ensure the landing page has all the information required for the prospect to download the eBook. Include the benefits they’ll receive by downloading the book and of course include your lead capture form. Don’t get greedy with the fields you make them complete either. Keep it simple at this first stage.
- All your advertisements should link to this one landing page. The one-click to the landing page allows the customer to qualify the product instantly and quickly download what they want.
- Ensure you keep your leads and add them to your database for further nurturing!
Landing pages are also great for promoting workshops, special product packages, eBooks or whitepapers and other valuable insider content you want to market.
Pointer 8: Become an Educator.
Building a higher presence within your industry comes down to how much credibility the viewers of that industry perceive you have. A blog is a great way to position yourself and your business as experts in your field – as well as generate quality traffic for your website. Think of it as a personal journal, explaining something related to your industry (and your ideal clients) without being sales-focused. And consider getting controversial too. Make a real statement with your opinion and you could gain more traction and comments on your blog.
This integrates closely with the building of trust – for the kind of reader who goes into depth on your website, they’ll see that you’re knowledgeable, trustworthy and not going for the hard sell.
A blog, like your website, is a living, breathing asset. Google loves recent content.
Google loves newsworthy content. Treat it with love and care to keep your customers and prospects coming back!
Other tools that show you are an educator within your field include:
- eBooks
- Whitepapers
- Reports
- Email Newsletters with tips and advice
- Tutorials
Test each type of tool and see which one your audience prefers the most!
Pointer 9: Go Video in 2012.
Video is the new way to improve your Google ranking. Utilising video on your site can improve your rankings in Google 50 times better than a page of text!
Not only does video improve your ranking, it also allows you to explain what you do easier and will give you a better chance to build trust with your customers rather than using text on its own.
You don’t need a film crew or expensive camera to do it either. There are heaps of free tools that allow you to edit video. Search your computer – it’s bound to have one!
Pointer 10: Slow and steady wins the race.
Search Engine Optimisation is a set of tactics and practices you can implement or outsource to drive your website up the natural rankings in search engines for the keywords you want to be found on.
The best way to handle SEO is to outsource it – make sure you go with a reputable provider, but know that the hours of work required to do a good job with SEO can be substantial.
However, there are a number of things you can do to improve your SEO performance without spending a cent or investing too much time:
- Think about what your ideal client is going to type into Google to find you. Do your keyword research.
- Update all your online listings. To find out where they are, type your domain name into Google with inverted commas like this: “www.mydomain.com.au” and hit search.
- Build additional external links. e.g., get your suppliers to link to your site, write guest blog posts, write articles and submit them to online directories for publishing.
- Set yourself up a Google Places Account – for help with this, you can see this post Listing with Google Places in 3 Easy Steps.
- And use video where you can.
It’s a known fact that 90% of search engine users won’t go past the first 3 pages.
In fact, about 42% of people click on the number 1 result. That’s almost half! Therefore, you need to get your business ahead of competitors. If you’re on a tight budget or the DIY type, you could even try a 30 day DIY program to improve your rank >>
Pointer 11: Social Media – Just do it really well.
As we all know by now, social media is where people (and your customers) are hanging out at. This means that your business should be there as well, utilising it to communicate with customers in a more personal way.
However, the point of social media tools like Facebook and YouTube isn’t about just being present. If you really want to make an impact and gain higher conversions from using social media, then you need to do it really well!
This is easier than you think if you have a good strategy behind you. Ensure you communicate on a regular basis if you’re on Facebook and encouraging participation in your posts from your ‘likers’. If you utilise YouTube, ensure you are regularly updating content and pushing links through to Facebook. Keeping active on social media will keep your audience aware of you and will eventually convert them.
Remember, only spend time where you know your audience does. Don’t waste time on Twitter if your audience isn’t using it yet. Research first then approach it from a strategic standpoint and you’ll succeed.
Pointer 12: How to implement and action for 2012.
Your brain has probably just overloaded and you’re now thinking, “How do I go about implementing things like this for 2012?” Don’t stress! It’s all about planning and setting out what you want to achieve… remember Pointers 1 & 2? They are your first steps. Then you need to sort out what tactics (pointers 3-11) you will use to achieve your goals.
Here are some quick tips of getting started on implementing:
- Set Your Goals – what do you want to achieve and by when?
- Create a Content Calendar – what are you going to market and when? Think of what you’re going to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis, then plan it out in your calendar.
- Measure using Google Analytics and Your Website Statistics – Measuring is important to ensure you are on track to achieving your goals. Don’t miss this crucial step.
- Review your progress on a monthly basis – if you aren’t on track, then you should refine your processes or refine your goals to be SMART. If one medium isn’t bring any sales, maybe it’s time to ditch it and put your energy into something that will.
As you can see, when you break it down, it can be a lot easier to take action for marketing your website for 2012. By taking action, and being patient, I guarantee you’ll see positive results and you won’t look back!
What have you got planned for 2012? Share your ideas below. Leave a comment now.
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Bianca Board – Web123Bianca Board is a self-confessed perfectionist, but that’s a good thing, because as Web123′s chief designer and web strategist, she’s expert at helping small business achieve something that makes money and looks incredible without the designer price tag. With a creative streak that extends to sales, organic gardening, painting, decorating and generally making the world a more beautiful place, Bianca’s the person who will make sure that, along with functioning just as it should, your company’s website will look nothing short of amazing.
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The Technology Path for Women
December 27, 2011
Nikki Steadman, CEO of Loci Solutions, specialises in helping businesses find effective and practical solutions to their property management accounting and reporting systems.
Loci Solutions grew out of the desire to enhance the customer experience and system utilisation of current and potential clients in the property industry, primarily in the areas of property management and finance.
In this interview we discuss:
- How establishing a niche business has meant big wins for Nikki’s business
- Why the technology industry is a great career path for women
- How to get corporate doors to open up to your small business
- Nikki’s business success tips
Enjoy this interview with Nikki Steadman
Watch this interview on the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website
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About the In Her Shoes seriesIn Her Shoes is a regular video series presented by the Australian Businesswomen’s Network and BNet.com.au. Each interview features an inspiring businesswoman and her strategies for success. New episodes are released regularly. Become a Community Member for regular updates. StartUp and Growth Members get updates automatically. Become a Community Member with the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. |
