When business is slow…..when you have merchandise to move…..when you have a special event to publicize or a new product or service you need to promote…..try texting.

Here are some tips:

1.    Make it short, specific, and very targeted. “Strap-less red slippers 50% off at  Dorothy’s Shoe Store. Today only. Open late – 7:00 pm.”
2.    Be sure to send text messages only to an opt-in list of people who want to be notified about specials and events. Besides keeping you compliant, this also helps guarantee that your texting will get results, since you’re only texting people who are interested.
3.    Make it easy. There are a number of programs available that take your message and send it out to your whole list.

If you’re interested in setting up a texting program, let us know. We’ll help you get started.

3 Ways to Get Customers to Build your Business

The core of successful word-of-mouth marketing is turning customers into brand ambassadors.  Many would say it’s the core of a successful business, period.  After all, your customers are your biggest asset.  They can do more to build your business,  and your reputation, than any kind of traditional advertising.  The catch is that this seldom happens by chance.  Although there are lots of ways to prod this along, here are the three basics everyone should master.

1.    Create raving fans!

Yep, we’re back to basics.  First and foremost, give your customers great products and legendary service.  You can’t expect anyone to rave about your business unless he or she is more than satisfied.  That means selling quality merchandise or offering top-quality services, and then making sure your staff provides customer service that knocks their socks off.  When individuals and companies spend their hard-earned money with you, they want to feel that every penny has been well spent.

2.    Tell ‘em what you do – all of it!

Sure, you and your whole staff and even your Auntie Em know you sell the best red slippers in Oz (and that you offer that 20% discount for matching red socks and shoe polish).  But do all of your customers know it?  If not, you’re missing a huge opportunity.  Get the word out – consistently and often – about what you do and what you have to offer.  Part of this will be your ‘branding message’ – who and what your company is – and part of it will be an ongoing variable message about particular products and services.

Think of that ongoing message as a conversation, and you’ll find ways to connect that are meaningful to your clientele. For example:
•    Send emails (to your opt-in list) with coupons, discounts, or special offers.
•    Create a newsletter, or start an informative blog
•    Launch a VIP club for customers, and send out special offers to keep them coming back
•    Set up a Twitter account and tweet all that great stuff in 144 characters or less
•    Use Facebook to build a list of raving fans
•    There are dozens of ways to get the word out, with more opportunities being added daily

Throughout it all, be sure to use your branding message – telling what you do and what sets you apart – along with specifics on your products and services.

3.        Encourage referrals with incentives.

We all hope our customers will love us and tell everyone how great we are. The reality is that your customers’ lives are just as busy as yours. That’s where incentives come in.

Offer your customers something valuable, however small, for taking the time and energy to promote your business.  Ask for referrals – encourage your customers to refer you to their friends, family, and associates – but also remember that a little incentive – such as discounts or occasional gifts – help people step out of their busy lives to take action.

Here are some real life examples:
•    A specialty advertising company sends referring customers mugs imprinted with their logo
•    An automobile dealer puts his customers’ names in a drawing for a cruise each time they provide a referral who comes in for a test drive
•    A restaurant gives out referral cards to customers to give to their friends; when the friends present a card, they get a free appetizer, and the referring customer gets one of the restaurant’s much-coveted t-shirts
•    An accountant send a handwritten thank-you note

The important thing is to be creative and to give something that shows you value what they’ve done.  Thank your customers for spreading the word, and they’ll be much more likely to keep on doing it.

So, the takeaway is:
1.    Build a loyal fan base
2.    Make sure everyone understands exactly what you do
3.    Encourage referrals with incentives and rewards

If you focus on these basics, you’ll see more and more of your customers actively building sales for your business.

Just last week a client told us about turning down a new contract. “Why?!” we asked. He shrugged and said, “I just had a feeling it wouldn’t go well.”

It got us thinking. And we had to admit he’s right. Sometimes saying no to new business is good business.

If a customer expects you to invest time and resources without any financial commitment on their end, it’s worth asking whether the relationship will be worthwhile in the long run. It might, depending on your business. But if not, cut the strings before anyone ties a knot.

If a customer asks for products or services you can’t easily provide, it’s often best to refer them to somebody else up front. Or if their request is too large for your company to handle, it’s better to turn them away than to promise more than you can deliver.

But there are also those vague areas. What if the customer doesn’t seem to share the same values as you? At what point do you draw the line? Sometimes that’s easy to answer, sometimes not. And there’s always “My gut just says no.” We all have that inner voice keeping us on track. The trick is to pay attention, and know when it’s right.

Good customer relationships are the foundation of all successful marketing. So if turning away business keeps you focused and on track for building quality relationships, it’s probably the best move.

Have you ever said no to new business? Was it a good decision? Have you ever looked back on a current relationship and wished you had said no? How has it affected your marketing? How has it affected your business?

In the agency business we regularly get asked by clients, “What’s wrong with my site?  I did keyword research, I put those keywords into the content, I paid for search engine marketing – so why are visitors leaving?”

If your website isn’t doing a great job at attracting the right visitors or converting them into buyers, try these tips for creating “sticky content” – content that will pull readers into the site,  keep them there longer, and give them a reason to come back.

1 – Make your site interactive.
It’s easy to become blind to the fact that visitors to your website don’t want one-way communication.  After all, you have a great product or service and you can’t imagine why everyone else isn’t as interested in it as you are.  But readers online want to “do” – not just read.  So try making your site more interactive.  Add a slide show, a readers poll . . . anything that will grab visitors’ interest and entice them to spend more time on your site.

2 – Keep it updated with news.
When something new is happening in the world, whether it’s BP’s recent oil spill or Tiger Woods’ fooling around, people are interested.  So if something in the news relates to your field of expertise, put it on your site.  This helps you in a couple of ways: 1) it lets your readers know that they can visit your site frequently for up-to-date information, and 2) you boost your chances of getting listed higher in search engine results, especially with Google’s “Quality Deserves Freshness” algorithm.

3 – Make sure your headlines are compelling.
Too many people today write headlines to appeal to Google, using keywords instead of solid headline copy in an attempt to influence their position in search results.  But with all the information being thrown at us today, online readers are scanning headlines to decide what to read and what to ignore.  So it’s critical that your headlines grab their attention – and give an accurate idea of what’s to follow.  Just because we live in a world of high-tech communication doesn’t mean you can forget the basic principles of copywriting.  Your readers are human beings – not Googlebots.

4 – Add a resource list.
Resource lists are some of the most popular pieces of information online.  People love lists like “The Top 10 Web Press Plug-ins” or “The Top 10 Most Popular Social Media Sites.”  Do some research and create a resource list that’s appropriate for your site.  Your readers will not only spend more time on the page, they’ll appreciate the helpful information.

5 – Create how-to articles.
People also love how-to information.  Just look at the shelves in Barnes and Noble.  Add how-to articles and tips to your site (obviously, they need to be appropriate for your business), and the helpful information will bring your readers back for more.

Pick one of these at a time to work with, and see if it doesn’t make a difference.  If you want website visitors to stick around, give them something to stick to!

How can you get the most out of social media for your business or organization?  A big question.  While lots of factors are important, here are our top two tips:

1.  Make sure your content is high quality, relevant, and engaging.

2.  Re-purpose your content.  Use it again in different formats and on other platforms, to build a synergy and extend the reach of your message.

These may sound simple, but good content that’s re-purposed appropriately will make a huge impact.