1. Position yourself as an expert
When customers come to your business they do it for a reason, they need help. What is the incentive for a customer to call a business when he sees an impersonal advertisement in the newspaper? Just the service. However, if they need a service and come across an article that answers some of their key questions, written by an expert (YOU), they are more likely to trust your company because you have already given them something of value. front.
To be an expert, you must 1) project confidence in your voice and physical posture, 2) have a thorough understanding of your products and services, 3) SHOW a little!
There are many ways to achieve expert status and here are a few tips that will take some of your time and have amazing results, but cost you NOTHING.
30 second elevator pitch
The ability to quickly and accurately recite the value of your product and service to a potential customer you know shows that you know your niche, that you’re confident, and that you’re organized. Take some time and create a pitch that defines your value in the marketplace, and have your employees commit it to memory. It’s an invaluable tool, and once it’s done, it will enable a foolproof projection of trust every time you or your employees talk about your company.
expert articles
Find an industry publication and contact the publisher. They are always looking for editorial content! Think about becoming a columnist. Make sure you get a good headshot! Take copies of your articles and place them in media kits, on your website and blog. This gives you instant recognition of your talent and status in the industry. You will be contacted to speak and write articles for other publications very soon! Submit them to free article sites like EzineArticles.
speaking engagements
Industry associations, chambers of commerce, and Rotary clubs are always looking for speakers. Get in there and let them know you’re available and what you can offer. Writing a one-page profile outlining the topics you can talk about will also help them when searching for resources. Watch for “Call for Speakers” announcements for conferences and events as well.
Media Interviews and PR Gigs
HARO – Help a Reporter Out is a great resource for PR opportunities. Be sure to sign up for her daily emails and respond to any queries that are relevant to you.
winning contests
Find out about the contests and competitions that are being held in your area of expertise. Most of the time, businesses can come in and vote for themselves. Many times few companies apply for the competition, giving you a great chance to win. An award from a third party is something that should be displayed on websites, press releases, and around the office.
LinkedIn
Just like physical networks, LinkedIn provides incredible opportunities if used correctly. Joining groups and contributing content and answers to posted questions is a great way to position yourself as an expert. Growing your network, contacting potential customers, and updating your profile status is a great way to reach potential customers.
Testimonials
Have a tracking system in place so that each satisfied customer provides you with a written testimonial that you can use on your website, email templates, and brochures.
2. Create and display your professional image and brand
Your brand image is an extension of yourself and conveys a level of trust to your customers. If you haven’t taken the time to carefully develop your brand, why should a client believe you’ll take a higher level of care with their project? It pays to hire a professional designer to create a logo, letterhead, business card, and website. Ultimately, the investment you make in these tools will give you much more profit in the end. Pair a professional image and website along with a strong operating system and marketing plan and you are sure to grow a healthy business.
Another important point to consider is brand consistency. Every branding tool you choose, from business cards to vehicle wraps, needs to have a common look and feel so the customer can recognize you among the thousands of other brands they see every day!
Many small and medium-sized businesses don’t realize how effective mobile advertising and car wraps really are as a branding tool. Vehicle wraps and mobile billboards are constantly used by large companies to penetrate a market, so small and medium-sized businesses probably think this form of advertising is too expensive. This is false, and I highly recommend this form of advertising for many industries. If you have a car, you need to advertise your business to the thousands of potential customers you pass by every day. So when a customer sees your logo, they’ll say… “I remember seeing you on the road, you must be a reputable company!”
3. Collect and store critical customer and prospect data
What do you do with the business cards you collect at all those networking meetings? Like most business owners, you’ll probably just throw them in a box and forget about them. Or how about the database full of clients you’ve already worked with? Or the people who visit your website? All of these people have had contact with you and you are missing out on the opportunity to build a relationship with them and do business with them in the future.
Here are some simple ways to set up a system to collect and use this data:
FREE OFFERS
Have a popup box on the home page of your website that has a free offer (perhaps for one of those expert articles you wrote) where all they need to do is give you their email address and then they receive a copy by mail. email. PDF article. This way you now have a way to contact them and they don’t become just another visitor to your website!
Junk mail
Sign up for an email marketing service, like iContact.com. This way you can easily send monthly emails without spamming people. I recommend touching your customer base at least twice a month. Make content exciting so they want to forward it to their friends!
Sign up for the newsletter
Have a place on your website for them to subscribe to your e-Marketing newsletter.
Consistency
Constantly touch your customer base so they don’t forget about you. You never know when they or someone they know might need what you have to offer!
4. Generate content and have multiple distribution channels
In a world of digital communication, you MUST use social media, blogging, and PR to compete. If you are not, you should know that your competitors are.
blog
The main benefit of blogging is search engine optimization (SEO). I highly recommend http://www.blogger.com because it is owned by Google and you can get great rankings for critical keywords fast. It’s easy to use and will help your business right away.
LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
Whenever you create any content, you should have a plan in place for how you are going to distribute it. Post it on Facebook, write a blog post, tweet a link to the blog post, and send it to your e-marketing list of existing customers.
Two main factors that keep a company ahead of the curve and in front of their customers are content generation and the content distribution channels used. Content is considered news about projects your business has completed, contracts you’ve won, awards you’ve won, offers and promotions, articles you’ve written, new website launches, new products, and just about anything else. anything else deemed newsworthy. How will they know if you don’t tell them? Your potential customers don’t visit your site every day to see what’s new. It is your responsibility to tell him, and tell him often. This constant communication builds brand loyalty and creates a community of customers, not just a random encounter!
5. Consistency
Create a schedule to maintain a consistent base for when you touch your clients so you can stay on track. Erratic touches do not generate consistent business. Even when business slows down, cut your marketing budget last. Because when all of your competitors cut their marketing budgets, a window of opportunity opens up for you to capture more market share!
6. Be easy to find on the Internet
If you can’t be found on the Internet, your business is doomed. The yellow pages are outdated and word of mouth alone will take too long to build your business. Use these simple strategies to get found… overnight.
Google Local Businesses
If your business isn’t showing up on Google Local Business, then you’re missing out on a TON of business. You know those links below the paid advertising at the top of the page to the right of the map? Those companies don’t pay a dime for that position! They simply listed their businesses on Google Local Business! Every time a customer searches for a business in your category near your location, it shows up… FREE.
blog
As I said earlier and I can’t say it enough, the main benefit of blogging is search engine optimization (SEO). I highly recommend http://www.blogger.com because it is owned by Google and you can get great rankings for critical keywords fast. It’s easy to use and will help your business right away.
Keywords
Take ten minutes to create a list of keywords. Keywords are the search terms your customers will use to find you on the Internet. Be creative. Some of your keywords must be common misspellings to find your products. I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve been found with “vehicle wraps” vs. “vehicle wraps” and got business from Google searches. These keywords should be included in the content of press releases, your website, blog posts, articles, and responses to online forums.
directories
Make sure you know where your customers are looking for your type of services. The easiest way to find out: call them and ask. They will tell you the posts they subscribe to, the blogs they read, and the other resources you may never have heard of! Also make sure you get listed in free internet directories. How will you know where the directories are? Google your own keywords… act like a customer.
7. Track what works
Why spend money on strategies that don’t work? Know what you’re doing and record each tactic in an Excel spreadsheet or your project management software. It’s simple, ask your customer, “Where did you hear about us?” and they will tell you. At the end of the month, review your sales and see where the most revenue is coming from and where it isn’t, and put more effort into what works.
I hope these strategies have helped you realize that marketing and public relations doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. If you work smart and have a clear system in place to execute these tactics, it will show in your bottom line. Even in this economy.