In today’s environment, budgets are tight and you have to get the biggest bang out of every dollar spent. Learn how you can be increasing your brand awareness on a budget. You know you have to brand but now is not the time to hire out, you can barely cover payroll.
Don’t lose hope, here are a few simple things you can do without breaking the bank. Why Brand? Let’s start with the basics – the “why”. The point of branding is to showcase what makes you different from your competitors. Marketing conveys your unique value and consistency increases the power of your brand. Stick to it Identify your strategy, value and messaging at the get go. When you waiver and change your position frequently, you waste valuable dollars and lose trust with your target market. Get it right, right away. That’s not saying you can’t make small changes along the way or as you grow but know who you are and stay the course. Laser Focus Identify who you are trying to reach. You can’t be everything to everyone or you will wind up being nothing to no one. Come to the market understanding not only who you are trying to reach but also what their needs are. Identify your target market and learn about them; research what they value, where they look for content, what their pain points are and how your service, product or business fulfills that need or eases the pain. Network This is the easiest and most effective way to market on a dime. Learn how to mix and mingle at work events, conferences, virtual calls, lines at a coffee shop even your kid’s school functions. Traditional old-fashioned networking can go a long way to getting your name out there. When you put a face behind the business or brand it goes a long way. Challenge yourself - try to introduce yourself and your brand to at least 3 new people a week. Engage It is no longer enough to just have a social media page and presence; you need to jump into your customers’ conversations and understand what they value and give it to them. Create a concise social media strategy and curate your content, including company updates and trends, to maximize engagement on your platforms to establish yourself as an industry leader. Use specific hashtags and maybe even develop your own hashtag to group your content and make it easier for people to find. Lead by Example Testimonials on Google, Yelp and Facebook lend credibility to your brand. Ask your existing clients to write a review and share their experiences. Even better than written testimonials are those done in video format and shared to your Google page. Samples of your work or case studies can also be extremely helpful when closing a new client or attracting new ones. Case studies share how your product or service created value for someone else and samples of your work exhibits how you did it. Partner Double your reach and budget by partnering with another complementary brand that targets a similar audience. If you engage with a brand that already has established trust with your clients, they are more likely to trust your brand. Make the most of your partnerships by finding businesses with similar but non-competing target markets and co-market. Be a Guest Appearing on someone else’s platform, such as a podcast or blog, exhibits your initiative and your intelligence. Podcasts and blogs are all the rage and being featured on one gives you the opportunity to get in front of new clients. It also positions you as an industry expert. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to increase your brand awareness. Just try some of the tactics here to discover works best for increasing your brand awareness on a budget. Learn more about other free and affordable marketing strategies HERE. Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | WordPress Blog | Tumblr | Etsy | Quora | Crunchbase
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Copywriting is key to articulating your message. Writing words and copywriting are not the same. The goal of copywriting is to increase your bottom line, create brand awareness and/or deliver a strong ROI.
Our consumers are bombarded with ads and have less time than ever to absorb what you are trying to say. Although there are no official figures, it is estimated the average person consumes between 6,000 to 10,000 ads every single day! Compare that to the 1970’s when consumers only encountered 500 – 1600 ads per day. The rise of technology and the internet is changing the landscape for businesses with more than 400 million active websites online and all of them vying for your attention. Copywriting is Key to Selling Headlines can make or break your campaign. Words hold a lot of power. A headline compels a viewer to read more by grabbing their attention or eliciting an emotional reaction. You are going to spend less of your budget to reach more people and be more effective in getting your desired response. The intent of the headline is to get you to read the next sentence. The purpose of that next sentence is to get you to read the following sentence and so on throughout the article. If you do not have a good headline or impactful first sentence, you do not have good copywriting and in turn your article is unfortunately not being read as you intended. Capture Attention - Immediately with Copywriting Which headline compels you to read more? Headline: Get rewarded when you shop at XX Retailer? Subhead: Dress your best and get a free gift, it’s as simple as 1-2-3! -OR- Headline: Receive a $100 Gift Card – FREE! Subhead: When you spend $500 at XX retailer November 1 – 10. Years ago, when I started working for a retailer client, I was told that gifts with purchase did not work for their brand. Baffled, I looked at the offer to determine if it was strong enough and if it had value. It did. Then I looked at the research to determine if the advertisements were being served to the target market. They were. The graphics were beautiful as well. So, what was wrong? The copy was not compelling. The $100 free offer was buried in the body of a dense paragraph and not mentioned in the headline aka the first sentence or even the second. Though the free $100 offer was highlighted in the body copy, the reader never got there because they were not compelled to keep reading. By changing the headline from the first example above to the second and keeping all else equal, the retailer went from barely distributing their $100 gift cards to depleting over 500 during the 2-week campaign! Copy and the Bottom Line to Articulating your Message By holding the audience’s attention, good copy ensures that your call to action is well communicated to the audience. Also, that the audience gets to hear your story. Good copy does not just resonate; it gets people to take action. Copywriting is meant to boost sales, traffic and/or brand loyalty. Most purchasing decisions are settled in the realm of emotions. It stands to reason that good copy that connects with your customers on an emotional level offers value from the first glance. Keep it Simple Wordy descriptions, heavy jargon and communicating in platitudes does not work. Lengthy paragraphs and complicated ideas are not effective in holding the attention of your reader. The best content is scannable, meaning when someone glances quickly at your ad they should get an idea of what it is about. Think of a billboard and imagine you have a split second to capture attention, that is your headline. Most people are overloaded with information and they miss many of the words around them. Paragraphs should look attractive to the eye, be short, sweet and simple. Try cutting down lengthy paragraphs to only a few words – challenge yourself to be simple. Good copywriting is not about using overthought words and improving your punctuation skills. It is about understanding what your customers value and creating a value proposition that fulfills that need – from first glance. Copywriting is key to articulating your message, use it wisely! Follow Me to Learn More: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | WordPress Blog | Tumblr | Etsy | Quora | Crunchbase There is no doubt about it, 2020 is perhaps the most difficult year any of us has had to face. This year is also challenging for many of the world’s top brands. Top brands are now being forced to rethink their communication strategies. These leading brand strategies are now focused on communicating in trust, taking responsibility, having direct interaction and effectively communicating to consumers all while remaining empathic and positive.
Consumers and business leaders are suffering from unprecedented stress and uncertainties. With the lockdowns and restrictions coming and going and economic uncertainty hanging over everything. In this climate, brands are having to be more sensitive in their communication strategies. The last thing anyone wants to see right now is an advertisement full of smiling revelers having the holiday of a lifetime. While, the rest of us are stuck at home worrying about our health, jobs and when we will get to see families and friends next. Businesses are having to think long and hard about how to get their messages across sensitively. These new messages focus on remaining positive. This current climate is driving significant shifts in the communication strategies of just about all the world’s top brands. Communicating in Trust During the Pandemic The trust economy existed before Covid-19. With the emergence of ‘fake news’ and Social Media’s ability to spread this information in the blink of an eye. Building consumer trust begins to take on as an important role. This is mainly in part of the product's capabilities or taste. Since the Coronavirus outbreak, this leaning toward the building of consumer trust is amplified. Leading brands and companies are now placing less emphasis on selling by the quality of their product and more on building a trusting relationship with their consumers. For example:
These are examples that have an obvious mechanism toward the building of trust. Consumers have long memories and acts like this will serve these companies well for years to come. But, there are more subtle examples. In the Philippines, the CEO of the McDonald’s operation in that country created a video. This video details the safety measures McDonald's is taking to protect both consumers and their staff. This might seem like an obvious approach. However, at the same time other companies are portraying their staff as ‘heroes.’ This approach is being criticized for ignoring the fact that the employees are in as much need of protection as the consumers are. Consumer loyalty was until recently something a brand achieved by offering quality product and slick marketing. Now, companies are building trust by being loyal to their customer base. Taking Responsibility of Branding During the Pandemic These days we all must take a level of responsibility in whatever we do. Whether it is self-isolating with symptoms, wearing a mask in public places or just washing your hands frequently. These actions are the new norm. And top brands are taking the same level of responsibility in order to maintain consumer trust. Successful communication strategies tell the consumer about a brands responsible approach to the current situation. A classic example of this occurred early in the pandemic when a toilet paper manufacturer began a campaign designed to dissuade consumers to stop panic buying. Asking customers to not buy your product may seem counterintuitive. But what it is doing is building customer trust by making the consumer aware of the empathic nature of the brand. Another brand that is using a similar strategy is Nike. While a lot of the world is still reeling from the pandemic, Nike encourages people to ‘play inside.’ Again, from a company whose product lines are generally designed for outdoor use, this may also sound counterintuitive. But Nike is playing a clever game with an empathic approach. This approach does not lose sight of the brand’s main selling point. Check out the campaign here. It is this understanding of the situation, the ‘we’re all in this together,’ ethos that brands are increasingly turning to. Direct Interaction and Conversation in Brand Strategy Directly communicating with their consumers, mainly through Social Media, is a tactic companies are increasingly resorting to during the pandemic. This brand communication strategy was in place before the pandemic struck. But with more of us being forced to use Social Media as our main form of communication with friends and loved ones, it has become increasingly important for brands as well. For example, Reebok used Twitter to establish what home workout equipment their consumers are likely to own. By utilizing Twitter, Reebok is able broadcast their newly established series of home workout routines based on the consumer responses. Another leading brand strategy during this pandemic, is the “Water Wipes” brand of baby products. They created a virtual group named “Early Days Club.” This group is designed to let parents interact with each other while sharing advice and tips. All while assisting each other while overcoming the challenges arising from raising a child during the pandemic. Many other brands are establishing similar communication approaches. Some online platforms offer free-for-all courses and restaurants publish their famous recipes for consumers to cook at home. Overall, there is a movement away for brands being admired for products to now brands being admired for trustworthiness and empathy. This new movement seems to be working. In a recent consumer survey, it is shown that during the pandemic, consumer trust in larger brands is increasing. Branding Looking Forward - After the Pandemic These are seismic changes to the ways large brands communicate with consumers. Brands with foresight are switching more toward a communication strategy that involves building trust with consumers. These new efforts open more direct communication channels. It is a drive toward consumer centricity that is unlikely to change even after the pandemic eases. It was a world that was on the verge of major change anyway. The global pandemic is pushing many of these changes upon us without letting them ‘evolve’ naturally. As ever with global brands, leading brand strategies during the pandemic are quick on the uptake. It is the ones who fail to see this and don’t shift their communication strategies that will fall by the wayside. Stay up to date and continue to see how the trends are changing due to Covid-19 by following my next VLOG or blog. Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Wordpress Blog | Tumblr | Etsy | Quora | Crunchbase Did you know that 90% of consumers research online and rely on review sites before making a purchase? Google reviews make it or break it for your business.
We live in a world where everybody Googles everything, and ratings can make or break your business. Just a half star increase in your rating is equivalent to a 9% increase in revenue per Harvard Business Review. Comparing your business to a book on Amazon:
Let’s compare the data above to a home seller looking for a lawyer or real estate agent. Starting at the top of the sales funnel – you send out emails, advertise on Facebook, sponsor local events, hand out a card at Starbucks, or a potential client got your name from a friend of a friend. What’s the next step? It is highly likely they will search your name on Google. What happens next is up to you. For those in the real estate industry – Google, Redfin and sometimes Yelp are the keys to your future. Let’s start with Google. Creating a Google My Business (GMB) listing is the first and most important step to local search success. GMB offers the strongest brand impact for businesses or individuals seeking exposure locally. In fact, approximately 90% of organic searches come from Google and it complements a brand’s existing website, shows in search results and maps, and communicates with third-party platforms using Google Maps API. You need to either create a listing or ensure you have a Google business page setup. If your business is established (usually founded several years ago), it’s likely Google already has a GMB listing and you just need to claim it. Ensure your listing clearly includes what your business does, where it is, and how consumers can quickly and efficiently acquire the goods and/or services you offer. KEYWORDS Similar to traditional SEO for websites, Google uses bots to serve search results. It is important to include keywords like “Chicago Real Estate Attorney,” “Orland Park Real Estate attorney,” “5013C Attorney,” etc. to your business listing is key – especially since your direct business website will be listed within your GMB page. Use these in the business description and each time you post a Local Post to your audience. PHOTOS Posting photos to your GMB is extremely important – in fact, businesses that have photos receive 35% more click-throughs to their website than those without photos and 42% more requests for directions from Google Maps. GETTING REVIEWS & INTERACTING There are several ways to effectively ask your clients to give you reviews. You can politely ask by weaving it into your closing. Adding links in your email signature to sites you wish to have reviews on is effective and professional. You can ask in all correspondence and on social media by sharing a link set up in GMB. When you receive reviews, interact and respond within a timely manner. By responding quickly and skillfully, it shows your customers and those potential customers who are researching you online before making that initial interaction that your business values client feedback. Positive reviews and responses are going to have a positive effect on potential customers when researching your business. Reviews and responses also increase your business’s visibility in search results. GOOGLE MY BUSINESS MESSAGING Turn on the message app in GMB – it may be painful to answer sometimes, but this is a great way to capture leads. By engaging in messaging this gives you the power to talk to your audience in real time. These conversations are what can help your business stand out because it shows you are a real person rather than a bot or a corporate conglomerate company, that personal touch goes a long way. Don’t let the fact of being ‘live’ scare you away from messaging through your GMB. There are settings that allow an automated response so if you don’t want to be monitoring your messaging 24/7 this initial response will give your customers the response they want while you can get back to them with their exact answer the next day or during business hours. LOCAL POSTS GMB gives you the opportunity to publish offers, events, services and your product line to your listing and maps. This lets you engage with your searching audience in almost real-time. These local posts give you the power to engage with your customers in real time. Importantly, local posts allow you to broadcast your specials or any time sensitive announcements that can benefit you and your customers such as a flash sale. ANALYZE YOUR REVIEWS Monitor your progress through “Insights” – analytics provided by GMB. The analyzing feature lets you know how customers found you, where they found you, who asked for directions and who called. This will give you valuable information on how to craft your local posts, where your customers are searching and how, which will help you with any digital marketing needs. Tracking how your business is reaching customers and potential customers is important because by analyzing this data it will give you the tools you need to maximize your reach by the data. Also, by analyzing your company’s data, this gives you the ability to see if your links are working. If you notice your phone number has been clicked on a high number of times but don’t feel like your phone is actually ringing as much as it says, you can click it yourself to see where it’s taking you. This gives you the ability to triple check to make sure what you input is accurate and working effectively. We know customer reviews are important for your business's reputation and your businesses visibility. You have the power to maximize your business profile at your fingertips. Promote your business, don’t be afraid to ask for reviews and have that real time engagement with your customers. They hold the power to increase your company’s awareness and increase your business. Google reviews make it or break it for your business online, take control to maximize your businesses potential. For more social media and brand communication tips follow my blog series. Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Wordpress Blog | Tumblr | Etsy | Quora | Crunchbase After nearly two decades of marketing and branding businesses, I needed to shift and use my experience to brand individuals for a new career path. I quickly came to realize it is much more challenging branding a person than a company . Now I have much admiration for influencers and other individuals who have excelled in doing just that.
In my last blog “Marketing and the Power of Free” and subsequent vlog, I wrote about the impact of giving away products and/or free services. By sampling or giving your product away at no cost builds brand awareness, increases sales and enhances your budget. But how does it work and why?
In terms of reaching your target market, free giveaways or free samples are more successful in earning a response from your audience. Free samples are surprisingly more cost effective than traditional marketing. Using "free" as a strategy allows businesses to reach potential customers that may have never reached with traditional marketing. Often, your potential core consumer doesn’t even realize your product or service is needed until they’ve experienced it firsthand. Hence why free samples are the way to wiggle your way into new customers 'must haves.' If you’re going to try this premise, the item, service or content you provide must have value to your target customers. By delivering the value your core customer most desires, you will not only pique interest but odds are you'll also gain a loyal customer.
Per the online site Hubspot, more than 50% of your clients/diners/shoppers want to see videos from your brand over any other type of media you are providing. It is projected that people will consume 100 minutes each day watching online videos in 2021. With the current pandemic, that number might even be higher.
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