Marketing

How Content Marketing Benefits Your Small Business

Content, Marketing / By /

Content MarketingThis is the first of a short series of posts on How Content Marketing Benefits Your Small Business.

Content Marketing is more than a buzz word. Done right, it will benefit your small business, community, or association.  So, if it is not a buzz word, what is it?

Here is the definition from The Content Marketing Institute.

“Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

Okay, I know that reads a little like a mission statement straight from a committee from a galaxy far, far away, but let’s talk about getting started with an outline of some of the elements. As we are getting started, it is important to remember, Content Marketing is only effective if it is focused and delivered to the right audience.

Important Elements of Successful Content Marketing

Audience

  • The most critical element
  • The old adage, “If you target everyone, you’ll hit no one” is worth remembering
  • Learn who and where your audience is, and what they do, online and offline
  • Your audience-preferred media channels, formats, and communication styles may vary widely

Objectives

  • Raise brand awareness
  • Lead generation
  • Build email list
  • Convert prospects to customers
  • Retain customers

Determine Goals

  • Specific outcomes and benchmarks
    • Increase number of forms filled out per week, specific number of new subscribers, etc.

Subject Matter

  • Determine your core message. (The primary benefit you offer your customers.)
  • Align your core message and your reader’s interest
  • Focus on benefits for your audience

Content Type

  • Email Newsletter
  • Blog post
  • Video
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook post
  • E-book, white paper

Distribution Method

  • Blogging (RSS Syndication)
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Google+

Schedule (Depends on delivery type)

  • Daily, Weekly, Monthly
  • Try to be consistent

Of course, we are just scratching the surface here. Watch for our next post about How Content Marketing Benefits Your Small Business.

B2B Companies are Making Connections Using Video Storytelling

Marketing, Video, YouTube / By /

B2B Video UsageGood content marketers know storytelling, done well, works. Business-to-business companies are starting to embrace what business-to-consumer companies have been using successfully for quite a long time.

B2B companies are awakening to the fact that we all enjoy a good story, especially when told in a video. We simply like to be entertained. Businesses that want to get their message out to as many as possible are finding that the story is the important part to ensuring more views. It has to be interesting.

Statistics from eMarketer show the actions taken after watching a technology-related video, according to their B2B Video Marketing: Best Practices for 2014 report.

The bottom line: visually telling your story can work in the B2B world.

Quick-Start Social Media Plan for Small Businesses

Branding, Marketing, Social Media / By /

Social Media - Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.If you run a small business, you are already more than busy. If you are not using Social Media for your business, you have likely considered it. Feeling there is not enough time nor extra money for expensive projects are generally two reasons Social Media gets shoved to the back burner for many small businesses.

Don’t wait! The benefits of a planned and well executed Social Media strategy are many. The good news is, you can get started with relatively small budgets of time and money.

How? First, don’t be afraid.

You have been using Social Media (Email) for years. Social Media is all about engagement, and that is what you have been doing when corresponding with clients, prospects and co-workers. How you do it with the different Social Media platforms and services varies, but it is basically communication between you and your customers. Really successful Social Media campaigns consist of two-way communication, not just pushing out information.

Second, don’t try to do too much.

We recommend you start with a monthly Newsletter and one other Social Media platform/service. Using one Social Media platform or service regularly and doing it well is far better than using two infrequently and poorly.

Here is a start up plan that will work for many of you.

The Social Media service(s) you choose may vary depending on your customers and prospects, but if you follow this relatively closely, you will be off to a good start.  Before you start, read our blog post Five Keys to Using Social Media Successfully for Your Small Business.

Start with an email Newsletter using Constant Contact or similar service.

Many of you already send out monthly or quarterly newsletters or sales flyers. If you do, use Constant Contact or a similar service that has easy-to-use contact management tools and great reporting.

Twitter (unequivocally, the lowest barrier in cost/time effectiveness)

  • Start slowly.
  • Lurk at first – start following Twitter users in your line of business, your customers, your vendors
  • Read posts/tweets a couple of times a day, and reply or comment promptly
  • Tweet regularly and as often as possible.
    • There are tools to help with this. Our favorite is Hootsuite, which lets you post to multiple Social Media accounts, and schedule Tweets and posts. Try it. You will find it invaluable.

Then…

Blog – If you have a blog (and you should), post at least once a month, and more frequently if you can. Strive to post weekly.

If you are able to manage those effectively, then explore and think about:

  • LinkedIn (for some of you, but not all)
  • Facebook* (for some of you, but not all)
  • Google+ (for some of you, but not all)
  • YouTube Videos (for some of you, but not most)
  • Pinterest (for some of you, but not most)

That’s the Quick-Start Social Media Plan for Small Businesses. Do yourself a favor. Start today!

* Some, businesses can get by just using Facebook for their only Social Media presence if they have a decent following by actual paying customers, and time to communicate at least twice (more is better) a day. That said, you would be limiting the growth of your business.

Five Tips for a Merry Ecommerce Season

ecommerce, Marketing, Tips / By /

1. Photo Quality — High-Quality, Background, Lighting, Composition

  • Professional-Quality Photos sell! Do not use quick shots from your camera phone.

2. Detailed Product Descriptions — Engaging, Interesting, Complete

  • Truly describe your product. Don’t make them guess. Full descriptions sell.

3. Shipping – Upfront, Transparent, Full Disclosure

  • This is a deal breaker/maker for many. Don’t make your shopper login to find the cost. Price as low as possible. Free Shipping Sells.

4. Discounts and Specials – We all like a bargain

  • Introductory prices, close outs, use your imagination

5. Know Your Customer – This honestly should not have to be on this list, but is too important to omit.

  • New, Returning, Gender, Age, as well as you can ascertain.

Bonus: Tips for Empowering your Thank You page

Five Keys to Using Social Media Successfully for Your Small Business

Marketing, Social Media / By /

test1. Have clearly defined goals

  • Establish your reasons for using Social Media and focus your efforts toward those goals.

2. Understand which Social Media platforms your customers and prospects use

  • Learn about your target audience and where they are online so you can reach them.

3. Establish a plan to measure success – What is your expected ROI?

  • Understand how your money and time is spent for the best investment possible. Implement a plan to measure your effectiveness so you can make improvements.

4. Learn the best practices and etiquette of Social Media platforms

  • Marketing your business effectively through social media is different than using Facebook or Twitter for personal interests.

5. Allocate enough resources – Money, people, time

  • To use Social Media effectively for your business, invest in the personnel and time to do it right. Only going halfway won’t be adequate. Do it right or don’t do it at all.

If you are going to use Social Media for your business or organization, develop a Social Media strategy and implementation plan. Ineffective use of Social Media could do you more harm than good.

We at WebWise Design & Marketing are happy to help you sort out the Social Media platforms that are right for your business or organization, and how to use each in a manner that will produce results.

Give us a call today at 1-800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750. If you prefer, email us at .