Thomas, Author at Successful Blog Page

Is Multi-Channel Marketing the Right Call?

December 30, 2015 by Thomas

Are you using multi-channel marketing to promote your brand?

When it comes to business success, getting the right message in front of the right people is the name of the game. Multi-channel marketing is an effective tool for doing just that.

So just what is multi-channel marketing and why do you need it in your business?

What Is Multi Channel Marketing?

Multi-channel marketing is, quite simply, a marketing effort that encompasses more than one channel.

These channels might include:

Your website;

Social media profiles;

Email campaigns;

An SMS marketing list;

A physical premises;

Printed materials such as flyers and brochures;

A TV or radio campaign.

While you won’t necessarily use every channel all the time (and some channels won’t fit your business or specific campaign), incorporating more than one channel into your marketing efforts is a good idea.

Multi-Channel Marketing Creates Choice

At its heart, multi-channel marketing works because it creates choice for your customers.

Each of your customers has a preferred way, or combination of ways, or connecting with your business.

For example, they might prefer to find all the information they need online, but then hop on a call for further info.

Some will be happy to make enquiries by email, but would like to receive a printed brochure, or talk to someone face to face when they’re ready to purchase. Some will almost exclusively use mobile, and so on.

When you use multi-channel marketing, you give your customers the choice to connect with your business in the way that best suits them. That means more customers will reach out to you and ultimately buy from you.

Multi-Channel Marketing Gives You A Broader Reach

Your customers are in different places at different times. Some are browsing the web, some are specifically using social media to find brands, and some are out and about on their mobiles.

As the article “Spread the Word: Best Practices for an Effective Multichannel Marketing Effort” says, one of the best advantages of multi-channel marketing is that it ensures that your business is in a place where your customers are.

Multi-channel marketing means that wherever your customers go looking for businesses like yours, or looking to connect with your business, there you are.

For example, you might have customers on social media who haven’t found your website. Or your brochure might get picked up by someone who hasn’t found you on social media yet.

This broader reach means your brand and message will be seen by more customers.

Using Channels to Strengthen Each Other

When you use multi-channel marketing, you can use each channel to bolster the others.

Say you’re running a special offer for SMS subscribers. With multi-channel marketing, you can reach out to your followers on social media and promote the offer there, too. When they sign up, your SMS subscriber list will get a valuable boost.

Or perhaps you want to get more social media followers.

You can add QR codes to printed materials, links into SMS messages, or special announcements in email blasts, to show your customers what they’ll gain from liking and following you on social media.

If you want to reach as many customers as possible and empower them to connect with your business in the way that best suits them, multi-channel marketing is the way to go.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a variety of topics including social media, how to build customer relationships, content marketing and how to use multi-channel marketing in your business

Why Should Customers Come To You?

December 23, 2015 by Thomas

When running a company, it doesn’t matter if you’re the big boy on the block or the mom and pop shop just trying to carve out a living. At the end of the day, customer service is what it all boils down to.

While some business owners have trouble relating to their customers, many more know that their customers matter more than anything else. Simply put; strong customer service goes a long way towards retaining current clients and bringing aboard new ones.

As the calendar soon turns to 2016, what are you doing to make sure your customers get nothing short of the best service in the New Year.

Review Customer Approach

In order to give your current customers (and hopefully many more new ones in 2016) the best service possible, review these following tidbits to see if you can properly check them off in your to-do list:

Customer is always right – Sure, we’ve all heard this adage time and time again whether we’ve run our own businesses or worked for those who have or currently do. Sure, some customers can be a pain in the old butt at times, but stop and wonder where you would be without them. Even though this does not mean you should let a customer yell at you and/or one of your employees, treat you like second-class citizens or spread malicious lies about your brand, you should give customers the benefit of the doubt in the beginning, especially if there is a contentious issue being discussed. Make sure you keep a level head and do not go out of your way to antagonize customers;
Keep the deals coming – Whether you sell and/or offer insurance, home furnishings, accounting and other financial services, Direct TV or countless other products and services, treat your customers right from day one until their last day with you. Sure, you can’t give items and services away all the time, but keep the deals coming whenever possible. When customers see that they’re getting specials from your business, they are more apt to stay with you. This is especially important if there is an issue. A customer who likes the deals you offer is more likely to stick with you even when a problem arises, knowing that more discounts are likely coming their way down the road;
Employees need to buy into plan – When you have employees under your guise, it is important that they are on the team too. It just takes one bad customer experience with an employee to create problems. Your workers should always give the customer the benefit of the doubt, be it a price issue, a matter involving service, etc. Again, that does not mean customers are allowed to rip one of your employees over the phone, in-person or via email, but make sure your employees are not short with customers, allowing them to speak their mind;
Don’t Be a Stranger – Finally, don’t be a stranger to your customers. Sure, you should not be bothering them with endless sales pitches, but you also do not want to seem like you do not care. The occasional follow-up on their thoughts on the service you provided them, whether or not they’re happy with the product/s you sold them etc. is important. It also doesn’t hurt around this time of year to send out a little holiday cheer via an email, text, letter etc. to let them know how important they are to you.

With the New Year only days away, take stock in how you treat customers now and moving forward.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Is Your Association Providing the Personal Touch?

December 18, 2015 by Thomas

Personalization is the key to many marketing campaigns today, especially if you’re newer to the business scene and looking to make inroads.

For organizations that don’t offer a product, they may not see the benefits of personalization. However, associations in all industries can utilize personalization to create a more satisfying experience for their members.

Members join associations for all kinds of reasons.

Some use them to leverage connections or to enhance their own image. They may be looking to network or to gain more industry experience.

Your association can find unique ways of interacting with members based on those reasons and on the unique needs they have.

Go Beyond Basic Personalization

As the article, “Why Personalization is so Vital to Your Association” says, many organizations use a basic form of personalization without tapping into the more advanced options. The article discusses using the individual’s name in correspondence, but you can do so much more.

Associations often attract members from various levels.

For example, in an industry association, members may consist of experienced professionals as well as those just starting out. The information a beginner is looking for is going to be different than what an expert in the field needs.

With modern technology tools, it is possible to show custom content to each user. As a result, you can create content that caters to various types of members.

Filtering for Information

Another method of personalization begins with filtering your members based on specific criteria.

Put them in groups with certain groups receiving information or other tools that benefit them. Create opportunities for networking based on their interests.

You can offer courses or send out special invitations based on the various needs of your members.

Instead of waiting to accumulate data over time, most associations have immediate access to more information than the average business that is trying to sell a product or service.

Just by joining your association, you can ascertain certain facts about your members. You will also most likely have them fill out a form that provides you with even more details.

Benefits of Personalization

Personalization benefits you as much as it does your members.

Instead of offering random or generalized information or opportunities, you create custom options that are geared toward a specific group or person.

This degree of personalization creates a more positive interaction between you and the member. They will be more likely to stay with your association and will be more active.

In addition, you will spend less time and money sending out general content to everyone.

Because you have a target audience and are more specific in your approach, you will see better results.

Personalization is not just for businesses in the retail industry.

Every organization can benefit by personal interaction with their members.

Take your association to the next level and discover that your members are getting what they need when you make your interactions with them more personal and satisfying.

Begin today finding out how you can get personal with your members.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including finance and the business world.

Is a Retirement Crisis in the Cards for You?

December 16, 2015 by Thomas

Is there a retirement crisis in the U.S.?

If you are one of nearly 86% of Americans sensing they are living in the midst of a retirement crisis, you probably also feel that you won’t be able to rely on the government to bail you out.

Are you justified in thinking that your retirement is not safeguarded? And if so, what can you do about it?

Is the Crisis Real?

It might be.

According to a recent study reported by EBRI, nearly 45 % of Americans run the risk of falling short of money during retirement.

Other studies report that most Americans have less than $50,000 saved up for retirement.

It seems that most people are still counting on social security to cover the gap between savings and what they’ll really need during retirement.

Who is to Blame for the Retirement Crisis?

As the article “who to blame for the retirement crisis?” looks at, you might want to take a quick check in the mirror.

One facet of the problem is that folks haven’t saved up enough for retirement.

People overspending, relying on credit cards for staples, and not paying back owed debt has helped put this country in some real financial dire straits.

The stock market crash of 2008 can be at least partially blamed on consumer debt, and that comes down to people wanting the latest televisions, computers and smart phones.

Was it worth it?

The government has spent millions if not more in bailout money, but the solution is short term.

What will be done when your generation is set to retire and the stock market is at its lowest point?

How Can You Protect Yourself?

For starters, recognize that your retirement security is up to you.

Though Social Security will probably still be in place by the time you retire, no one can guarantee that outcome.

Why put your livelihood in the hands of someone else? Take control of your own retirement now, before it’s too late.

Nothing could be worse than sitting around waiting for that first Social Security check from the postman and discovering that it is far less than you can live on.

Living on Less

Next, you should look at your current lifestyle.

Are there areas where you can cut corners and sock more money into savings? Do you need to spend so much on holiday gifts, or can you cut the gift giving budget in half and put the rest into savings? Do you really need that expensive cell phone plan, or can you put up with a less than perfect plan that has budget pricing?

Trying to budget for 20 or so years of living with no work income is no easy task for anyone.

But instead of spending your energy blaming others, your time will be put to better use finding ways to take care of yourself and your family anyway.

That way, if the retirement crisis does turn out to be true, you will have safeguarded your security anyway.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Kate Supino writes extensively about financial matters.

Get Personal in Training Your Sales People to be the Best

December 11, 2015 by Thomas

Does your sales training have a personal touch?

The aim of sales training is to equip your sales team to do their best for your business. Well-trained sales people will pursue the best leads and communicating effectively with customers, ultimately improving your sales and conversions.

By adding a personal touch to your sales training, you increase the chances of success for your sales team.

So just what does a personal touch mean in terms of sales training, and how can you implement it in your business?

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

When it comes to sales training, it’s all too easy to take a one size fits all approach.

You set up a training day or give your sales team an e-course to complete on their mobile devices, delivering everything you think they need to know. However, this may not be the most effective approach for your business.

Here’s why:

Different people have different learning styles;
Different people learn at different speeds;
Some team members will already be familiar with some of the material;
Team members will have different gaps in their knowledge;
Some people will learn better at different times of day;
Some people will respond better to specific content delivery methods than others.

Understanding the different needs of your sales team members is vital in creating sales training that has a truly personal touch.

What Does Personal Training Look Like?

Personal training is focused on what is best for each individual learner.

Personal training can include:

Offering different learning options (such as videos or interactive quizzes);
Breaking training down into bite size pieces so learners can choose where to go next;
Recommending new training modules based on each learner’s history;
Giving learners a chance to focus on problem areas;
Delivering different content based on each learner’s progress.

Benefits of Giving Training a Personal Touch

Adding a personal touch to your sales training means you’ll be offering the best training for each individual member of your sales team.

By focusing your efforts on adapting your training to be appropriate for each individual learner, you increase each team member’s chance of getting maximum benefit from the training.

As the article, “Modern Pharma Sales Training Deserves a Personal Touch” points out, customizing training to each learner’s needs improves the quality of the training.

Each person will receive the best content for them, in a way that they can personally work well with. Their engagement with the content will be more meaningful.

Making Training More Efficient

Adding a more personal touch to your training also means your training will be more efficient. When you deliver the same training to everyone, some people will receive training in topics they’re already well versed in.

As well as wasting time, this is likely to bore learners.

By personalizing your training, you let each learner skip over areas they are already familiar with.

More personal training also lets you see where each member of your team is struggling, giving you the chance to offer them support. Learners can put their focus on the areas they most need to improve.

Finally, by personalizing your sales training, you can pay attention to each learner’s preferred method of learning, for example by reading, answering quizzes or watching a video.

Targeting a preferred learning method is much more efficient than having everyone wade through material that doesn’t gel with their personal learning style.

When you add a personal touch to your sales training, you are essentially delivering the very best training for each member of your team.

The result is the best trained sales people, who are an asset to your business.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a variety of topics including social media, how to build customer relationships, content marketing and how to offer the best training to your sales people.

Swing for the Fences with Gated Content

December 9, 2015 by Thomas

Funneling gated content into your websites is the lifeblood of your business.

When you have a sufficient stream of content flowing through your company’s site, you could have a guaranteed steady flow of customers.

If you want that circulation to continue, you must keep a steady stream of content behind the gates.

Uber active websites with daily and hourly content will build a devoted viewership base that will grow exponentially, while websites with dribbles of articles will plateau at a certain level and eventually wither away.

Here are some top tips on how to get more relevant content centered on your business:

Recruit a Few Dedicated Writers for Your WebsiteYou don’t have to hire a full-time staff writer for 40 hours a week. You don’t even have to find writers and hire them directly. One of the best ways to keep gated content streaming on your website is to hire a marketing agency. Marketing agencies hire freelance writers for you, come up with the topics for them to write about, and bundle it all up in a neat little package that you don’t even have to publish yourself. With a marketing agency and dedicated writers behind you, your pool of gated content will overflow. As the following article looks at, here are 3 more of the4 simple ways to increase your amount of gated content.
Center Content on Customers’ DesiresYour customers always know what they want. To build content and keep your customers happy, center content on their desires. Of course, to do that, you have to actually find out what they want. You can do this with surveys, opinion panels, behavior tracking and analysis and more. Their desires and wants are a wealth of information on what type of content should be published. Emails and comments that they give you either directly or on your business social media pages are clues telling you what your customers want. You can learn what they aren’t getting or understanding, what needs to be better iterated, and what they are interested in getting from your company.
Watch What Other Websites Are Doing

Pay attention and observe what other popular websites are doing. What are they publishing, which pages are getting more comments, what’s making them gain page views and comments, and what premium content are they selling? If a website is getting attention while yours is not, spot the key differences and make the change. Grab your market share.

4. Share the Load

Your premium content doesn’t all have to be from you. Consider partnering with a non-competing website. Offer to link-back to their site in return for content that doesn’t require a lot of man hours; video interviews, podcasts, and such. This media rich environment for premium content will give your readers value and give you a much needed break from content creation.

In the end, your gated content has to deliver on your promise to your customers.

Make sure your content enhances your reputation by following these tips.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Kate Supino writes extensively about marketing and best business practices.