Mighty Marketing Mojo

Tag: customer service

  • Marketing Success Is In the Follow Up

    Marketing Success Is In the Follow Up

    If You Aren’t Consistently Following Up, What to Do About It

    Marketing isn’t ‘one and done’ – you can’t create a single blog post, a webinar, or a single email to promote something and be done for good. Big brands don’t even stop at running a Super Bowl ad just during the big game – nope, you see that ad through the year now to make the most of all that money spent! Your marketing and communications need to be consistent and repeated to see success. A frequent marketing quote is ‘the money’s in the follow-up.’

    I had a chance to have brunch and chat life and business some super smart solopreneur pals and one thing we questioned, nudged, brainstormed and supported each other on was about if, and how, we were following up with clients, customers, and our community members. Each of us had recently offered a training, a webinar, a course, some live coaching, or a challenge. And each of us had had less than 100% enthusiastic participation and worried we had left some of our awesome clients stuck or even just unaware of what had gone on during the challenges and training.

    We hadn’t done a good enough job at following up. 🙁

    We needed more follow-up.

    Following up and checking in was the answer and all of us needed to do more of it! We had all fallen in the trap of assuming our people had seen and read all our emails or social posts about what was happening and when. Or we assumed the dates and times we picked would be ok with the majority of our people. We just plain assumed stuff … and you know what happens when we assume! 😁  D’oh!

    We whipped out our notebooks (ok I grabbed the Trello app on my phone – I’m a techie geek, you know that’s how I roll!) and made notes about how and when to do more follow-up, including one-to-one, with our folks. [Psst – I know we’re taking action as I got two follow-up emails from these same fine ladies 24 hours after our meetup!]

    Time for you to pay attention too – because the marketing success (and the money) is in the following up.

    Why is Follow-Up So Crucial for ALL Solopreneurs?

    • Building relationships with customers gets them returning to your business over and again.
    • Building relationships gives you unlimited opportunities to deliver content and opportunities to serve.
    • Building relationships gives you the go-ahead to sell to them.
    • Building relationships gives you access to your customers any time.
    • It’s 7x harder/mores costly to acquire a new customer vs. retain an existing, happy customer.

    In today’s digital world there are plenty of ways to connect and build relationships – but the only way we ‘own’ and control is email. You’re only renting that space on social and your followers don’t belong to you, they belong to the platform (and of course to themselves). Here’s one more admonition from me to not build your business on the shifting sands of social media – have a solid website, a blog, and your own email email list where people have clearly opted in to receive good stuff from you.

    If you want the one solid way to keep in touch, to nurture and build that long-term customer and client relationship – it’s all in the email. Sending one-to-one emails to prospects, colleagues, connections, past clients, and referrals sources. Building a list and sending emails from one-to-many, to nurture prospective customers, talk directly to all past customers, and generally give great service to the community you are building.

    And email is still a powerful, money-making follow-up tool of choice among small businesses, solopreneurs, and yeah big brands too. (there’s a reason my personal email account fills daily with emails from Wayfair, Penzey’s, Southwest, BookRiot, and plenty of charitable causes – because it WORKS!) Email is also a way to follow-up with your blog post readers and subscribers – letting them know you have great new content.

    But this isn’t wholly a post about email marketing – it’s about following up- and email is a great tool for that!

    Consistency is Crucial to Successful Follow-up

    People who read your blog, who follow you on social media, and especially those who have subscribed to your email list and have purchased something from you (products, courses or services) love you want to hear from you. Yes, really! We have to remind ourselves of that. And remember they want the advice, knowledge and expertise we each have and that we promised them when we asked for their email or they purchased from us. Deliver the great stuff they asked for and want! When they give you permission to reach out to them, it is vital that you consistently connect with them.

    Want some help doing your email follow-ups? Click here!

     

    Consistent follow-up is important for a few more reasons. 

    One – we are busy, distracted, squirrel-brained folks. Shiny objects and information are everywhere, and we dart here, there, everywhere in our lives. We forget. A lot. So following up reminds people of the good stuff they want, that they signed up for, that they purchased, and then got distracted from completing, attending, or using.

    Two – building those customer relationships is a lot like dating. No one realistically gets married on the first date! You may get a nice hug but it’s not a jump to commitment right when you meet. Sometimes things click instantly, and you can’t get enough of each other. You anxiously wait for the phone to ring or the inbox to alert you that a new message is waiting.

    Other times, it takes a while for things to click. Sometimes a customer may not seem interested at all and then boom, they are all-in with everything you have to offer. Or they seem uninterested, but really they’re just distracted by all the other shiny new things and relationships and they forgot for a bit. But when we put something awesome in front of them, boom, they remember why they were attracted and ‘in’ to us! And they want – and NEED – what we are offering them.

    No matter when you get a ‘yes!’ from someone, it’s oh so important to keep following up. Don’t drop that person because you got a hot date with someone new! 😁  Back in the days when I worked retail management, we always trained staff to ignore the phone if they had a customer right in front of them at the register. Ask a co-worker, or the manager, to answer the phone, but don’t ditch the person standing right in front of you with a question or holding their credit card.

    Follow-up with folks before, during, and after any webinar, course, coaching program, product sale, or project. In the same way other relationships grow and flourish, your relationship with your community, subscribers, clients and customers must be nourished and cultivated.

    Ways to Easily Follow Up

    Stay In Touch – it’s easier to follow-up if your messages don’t come out of the clear blue. Whether your readers are leaving comments or sending you private messages, it is important to answer and connect with them. The more personalized you can be, the deeper the connection and the bond for your business or product. Don’t let those easy opportunities to follow up go by the wayside.

    Asking for feedback- End emails with a call to action to connect or engage. Give invites to connect with you on other platforms Be ready when people do. Answer their emails and comments on your content.

    Engagement- Offering opportunities to engage is a playground for customers who feel connected.  You might consider hosting a social media group where your customers can have exclusive attention or special access to you. Group members will have a sense of insider knowledge and this is a great way to increase engagement and make your customers feel valued.

    Making offers- Yes, asking for the sale is a follow up! And we can’t assume, we need to ask. It is important to know when and how. Following up with subscribers routinely with free information opens the door for making an offer from time to time. Don’t just give away for free – it’s an unbalanced relationship, your audience is missing out on ways to be helped further by working with you, and you want active buyers in you community. While it’s not best to only ask for sales, it is completely normal to ask for sales. You ARE in business after all! 😁

    Being timely- Whether it is being timely with your email frequency or timely with what is current in the world, sharing content that is timely makes a difference. Customers who feel like you have your fingers on the pulse of what’s going on will likely trust you, which translates to sales when the time is right. Sharing tips and trends in your niche is a great way to follow up and stay top of mind with your prospective clients and your customers.

    Add Value – A good follow-up is not only timely and consistent but it offers something of value to the recipient too. Don’t send generic, vague follow-up emails, especially after events. Give value that shows you listened and are thinking of their needs (a timely news article for their niche, a post with resources related to what you discussed, an introduction to a mutual connection, etc). [Some more tips on adding value from Ian Brodie – an excellent consultant and small biz marketing pro in the UK – I’ve been on his list for years and he always gives value!]

    Tips for Customer Focused Easy Follow up in Marketing

    How much follow up is enough for success?

    Like a lot of marketing – the answer is ‘it depends!’ 😄

    But there are some tips from a variety of pros on how often your community should hear from you:

    • Weekly – at least once per week with general info and a check-in from you. No, they won’t ready every one but you need these frequent check-ins to just stay on their radar.
    • Monthly or so – for your older material and info if it’s still evergreen content.
    • Before, during, and after every event (including webinars – paid or free, events you host or where you speak) – follow up the day after an event, several days later, a week later, and of course wrap it in with your other communications after that.
    • Time-sensitive during promotions/sales – frequent updates may mean daily, even up to twice-daily on the last day of a big sale. Don’t forget multiple emails before your sale/promotion or launch.
    • Right away – when someone comments, reaches out, or otherwise significantly impacts your community.
    • Yearly or so – on anniversaries, important dates, birthdays, milestones for your business or relationship with a client

    If you have a good offer – for an ebook, a free webinar, a course, a coaching call, your skills on a project – you share it! And if it was good enough to share once, it’s certainly good enough to share multiple times. Remember, your audience of potential clients, happy fans, and past customers are all busy, distracted, going a mile-a-minute and they need your reminders. Follow up before, during, and after your events, projects, and promotions.

    Sustained success will depend on consistent follow-up so create a process that works for you and your business’s marketing.

     

    Not sure where to start or need some shortcuts on your email follow-up routines?

    Get this FREE pack of 10+ email templates you can use in a variety of instances to follow up after calls, meetings, live events, a webinar, and more.

    Mighty Marketing Mojo Email Templates ebook cover

     

    Click to Get Your Free Email Templates

     

  • Yes, Your Business Needs to be on Social Media – But Not 24/7/365

    Yes, Your Business Needs to be on Social Media – But Not 24/7/365

    ​The Questions You’re Asking to Figure Out If Your Solopreneur Biz REALLY Needs Social Media

    ​Social media seems like it could be a solopreneur or small business marketing dream come true. Places online where you get to talk about and promote your business for free?! Millions – no BILLIONS – of people all online in the same spots, chatting about their interest, sharing pictures of their past-times/hobbies/workouts/meals, and even places just to connect with professional colleagues. But still some people are wondering if they really need social media for their business.

    It actually didn’t take long for business owners – very small to very large – to realize their clients and customers were on social media AND talking about them or the products and services they sold. Business went ALL in on social media. [if you need some numbers and stats to convince you on who’s really using social media – and yes, your customers ARE there – then check out my post busting some myths and bad advice about social media]

    Maybe too much in and on social media though.

    We’ve come to realize social media isn’t always rosy or positive and can be a scary thing personally or professionally. Being “ON” on social media can also take up a lot of valuable time. Those of us using social media to ‘get the word out’ about our businesses (aka marketing) feel pressured to be on EVERY social platform, ALL the time. That’s not healthy, or helpful. And with literal billions using some of the social platforms, does anyone see or hear what we say? You may be wondering if you should even bother.

    So, Do You NEED Social Media In Your Business?

    I’m here to say that YES – your business should be on social media. That includes your solopreneur business, even if (especially if) you’re just starting out. BUT … that recommendation comes with some caveats and tips.

    • ​Caveat and tip #1 – You do NOT need to be online or on social media 24/7, 365 days a year to find success. 
    • ​Caveat and tip #2 – (this could feel controversial to you) You do NOT need to be on EVERY social channel or try every new app that pops up. Stick around here and I’ll show you why.
    • ​Caveat and tip #3 – You don’t have to be perfect on social media, you do need to be human, real, and consistent. Don’t jump into something that you can’t keep up with. 

    Still unsure about how and why social media makes sense for your small business? Read on … AND click the button and join my group training on Smarter Social Media Success!

    ​Join Smarter Social Media Success

    ​Here’s How to determine whether marketing via social media is a good fit for you and your business.

    Mighty Marketing Have Enouugh Clients and Money

    Do You Have Enough Business to Last You Until You Retire?

    If the answer is yes, you don’t need social media. Cool and congrats! Let’s have a separate conversation on all the great things you must already be doing in your biz and why you’re still hanging out with me. 😉

    But let’s be honest, do you really have that much business? I surely don’t! I’m busy, and lucky to lead a good life, but I still want to help more clients in both sides of my business. I still want my business to bring in more money so I can travel to more events, or pay to outsource things I’m not great at doing. I bet you feel you’re not done helping your niche and you could definitely use more money to grow your business and boost your life plans.

     Do you want your business to grow or possibly stall? The adage and advice that it’s easier to keep and please existing customers than it is to find new ones is 100% true. [some stats say it’s 7x easier to retain, others say 5 times easier to keep a customer and HBR gives a range of acquiring new as 25x more expensive – point is, do NOT ever forget about your existing customers!] If you aren’t on social media, you’re not only missing a lot of opportunities to get new customers, but also to connect with your current ones. More and more people turn to social media for customer service and getting help.


    Mighty Marketing Mojo What's Your Plan Get More Clients

    Do You Have a Process That Is Already Generating Enough New Prospective Clients?

    Your process or plan probably has a few leaks in the old ‘customer pipeline’ and could use help. Ask yourself, can you really have too many prospective new clients, or too many actual customers? Well … for us solopreneurs who offer services or work with clients 1-to-1, we could kinda run into problems if we hit the client jackpot or our pipeline floods! But usually, it doesn’t hurt us to keep bringing in new prospects and new paying customers. That’s sort of the point of business. 😉 It’s how a business grows and expands and keeps going. Social media could open you up to a whole new audience. It can drive new traffic back to your website and your email list. Smart social media use could raise your visibility and build your reputation at the top of that path of new clients.

    A lot of the consultants, coaches and others with service businesses who I know, still rely on word-of-mouth as their #1 marketing tactic – if they even think of WoM as ‘marketing’ at all. Hard truth time pals- these days that isn’t always enough. (and you need a process, a system, for your word-of-mouth – but that’s a different post and training. 😊)

    Having a good, consistent, engaging social media presence can work like word-of-mouth if your followers share your content with their followers. What’s a RT or a Share from Facebook but a new twist on word-of-mouth. However, you need to create a compelling social media posts that people enjoy and want to share. Being seen as helpful and real on social media could have your posts spreading and really expanding your audience.

    Mighty Marketing Mojo Can you Afford traditional advertising


    Can You Afford Traditional Advertising Methods?

    Most small businesses, and certainly the vast majority of solopreneurs, can’t afford TV, radio, or newspaper ads – and they wouldn’t be very effective in most instances even if you could afford them. You’re probably not buying a billboard outside of town. I bet most of my solopreneur pals aren’t running print direct mail campaigns either. You may not be able to spend much on PPC (pay-per-click) ads or Google AdWord campaign.

    So, pretty high chance your answer on most paid advertising is “no.”  That means social media advertising could be your cheapest, most affordable advertising option. And honestly, social media ads can so narrow down and hyper-target your ideal client, that traditional advertisers could only have dreamed about back in my ad agency days. Paid social media advertising is way more targeted and cost-effective than even the best local cable ads, direct mail, or any other ‘traditional’ sources claiming to be targeted. You don’t have to jump straight to paid social ads, but do know it’s a tool that solopreneurs should keep in their marketing kit.

    Note: I say “advertising” up there and I mean just that – paying to promote, share, or place ads. Advertising is one part of the whole marketing process. On social media today, advertising could be a boosted post or event, a supported Tweet, or straight-up social ads. Do NOT buy into the myth that social media is ‘free’ – because while you aren’t paying to join the social platforms, you ARE paying in your effort, time, and resources. Social media can cost blood, sweat, and tears – and sometimes some cash too. But don’t ignore social ads.

    ​10 Tools for Social Media Success

    Sign up below to get ​your FREE guide to my favorite time-saving, budget-friendly social media tools for solopreneurs!

    Mighty Marketing Mojo How does your business approach customer service


    Do You Have a Faster Way to Interact with and Answer Customer Questions?

    Social media is a great place to get feedback from your customers or your potential customers. As I said, more people are turning to social media for customer service and to get direct answers, not just for research or asking their friends about favorite products. In many cases, they head to social media before the phone or email.

    You can answer questions via social media and get to know your current or potential clients on a more personal level. PLUS, all your other potential clients will see your answers, your honesty, and your customer service in action. PLUS, research says consumers are 71% more likely to make a purchase based on a social referral. Personal service is extremely important to people these days. You can build a life-long customer relationship simply by making people feel that they matter, they are important and that you desire to cater to their needs as best you can.

    To be successful at building a business today, you need to be building relationships. Forget about “B2B”, “B2C” and think “H2H” – human-to-human. We have better buying experiences when there’s a real human element and we connect with the person selling us something, especially if we think – no KNOW – that other human has our interests at heart. Client loyalty, repeat business, referrals, even that vaunted ‘word of mouth marketing’ comes from good relationships. Building a solid, meaningful social media presence that responds to customers is an excellent way to build those relationships.

    Convinced Now That Your Solopreneur Business Can Use Social Media for Growth and Success?

    Look, this isn’t about whether or not YOU personally think much of social media, like, love or hate it, or are a high user of social media. I’m not saying do something you hate and dread … BUT … it matters more that your prospective client and customers ARE using social media. They’re out there looking for answers, for services, for products, for help, and even researching YOU.

    Unless your market isn’t online at all anywhere (doubt it!) and never touches a computer, the chances are that your business can benefit greatly from being on and using sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even Instagram or Pinterest. I am NOT saying go join ALL of them and start promoting like crazy! “That’s not how this works, that’s not how any of this works!”

    DO go take a spin around the major social sites and check out how solopreneurs like you are using those platforms and reaching their customers. This will help you decide if it’s a smart move for you. [That and joining my Smarter Social Success group training program so you can learn about finding where your ideal clients are hanging out – because you don’t need to be everywhere all the time! That’s not smart social.]

    Gaining visibility, building your reputation, speeding up KNOW-LIKE-TRUST process, sending targeted traffic to your website, building your prospect list, listening to your customers, researching your marketing – the many ways you can use social media for biz wins. Smart social media use can do wonders for many businesses. No, it won’t be a key marketing strategy for every business, but it’s becoming more and more common.

    ​Still wondering how social media can translate to paying clients? Need to know where YOUR clients are likely to be hanging out on social media? Time to get even SMARTER in how your business uses social media – time to join me for Smarter Social Media Success training!

    ​Join Smarter Social Media Success
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