Short answer

What is conversational marketing?

Conversational marketing is a strategy that uses real-time, one-on-one conversations to engage with and understand customers. This approach often utilizes chatbots, messaging apps, and other personal communication tools to foster direct interactions, aiming to enhance customer experience and gather insights, while also guiding customers through their buying journey in a more interactive and personalized way.

Conversational marketing: One of the earliest strategies in the sales world

“Once upon a time”, there were door-to-door salesmen. Well, they still exist, but once upon a time there were ONLY traveling salesmen, the pioneers of conversational marketing. They would drive thousands of lonely miles, trunks filled with product, knocking on doors, drinking in hotel lobbies and local watering holes, sussing out leads and shaking hands with strangers, all in the pursuit of making that precious sale, closing the elusive deal, fulfilling their reason for being (and being paid).

One on one interactions

Those one-to-one human interactions allowed the experienced and skilled salesmen of the world to assess their would-be clients in real time; what solutions were they lacking for problems in their personal and professional lives? Was this a person who would be scared off by the hardsell, or respect the direct approach? Would they resent the softsell as an affront to their intelligence, or would they need to be brought gently to the truth: they need your product? In all likelihood, they might not even know there existed a problem, like a hunchback, making the solution itself invisible to them, yet a thoughtful and persuasive sales representative could help them to see more clearly their own state of being. 

As a skilled fisherman, the salesperson could feel when to let out some slack, when to churn the reel, when to pull back on the pole, and when to let the fish run and tire itself out. They would learn from experience where the fish ARE, which bait is most attractive, what time of day they

got hungry. Maybe Mr. Fish was an impenetrable wall, but Mrs. Fish got lonely in the afternoon and loved lemon cakes. 

Then came innovations like cost effective postage and technological advancements, such as the telephone. Like casting nets, these were far more effective at reaching a wider audience, the salesmen and their employing companies could save the time and money spent on traveling, lodging, and schmoozing to reach exponentially more people in the comfort of their office.

While this sacrificed some of the human connection that allowed a skilled salesman to do their work, the scale of the customer pool gained through these modern inventions more than made up for any inefficiencies in conversational technique and the personal connection lost when faces no longer saw faces.

ATL, BTL & TTL marketing and advertising

The advent of televised and broadcast programming, millions could be reached simultaneously. One well placed advertisement on television or radio could do the work of thousands of salespeople, each prone to human error in their own special way, each susceptible to misrepresenting the corporate message.

Now a single actor could mimic the human effect of the horde of door to door salesmen by appealing to the needs of the public as gleaned by market research. Again, far clumsier than the handshake method, with no possibility to win a sale with human charisma, but the economy of scale won out; many fish would slip through the holes, much resource would be wasted on bycatch, but plenty of targets would be hauled in to make up for it. 

Then came email and the internet, and with the world wide web, a whole new wave of mass marketing took over, the ocean trawler of e-commerce. Like a tv ad for a sliver of the cost, bulk email campaigns, search engine optimization, and well designed websites could reach even more people with less effort and investment of resources. But with this leap, human faces and voices disappeared completely from sight and sound. No longer was there a need to pay even the actor. Or was there? 

Learn more about: ATL, BTL & TTL strategies

Ironically, as sales methods advanced with technological development, each interaction became less and less effective, due in no small part to the ever increasing impersonality of the interactions between company and client. As a sales manager of mine once instructed, get the email, schedule the phone call, and arrange a meeting: The most effective avenue for closing a deal remains, to this day, the face to face interaction. 

So how does one preserve the interpersonal touch while maximizing reach? Where on that graph is the point of optimization? This is where conversational marketing enters the scene. Let’s break it down. 

What’s on this page

• Conversational marketing? Never heard of it
• What’s the point with conversational marketing?
• Email marketing reimagined
• Social media: conversational marketing’s home sweet home
  • Email signatures: the subtle significance of the sign-off
• The power of personalization: tailoring the message to the individual
• Case studies and examples of conversational marketing
• How to implement conversational marketing strategies?
  • Where the conversation goes: looking into the crystal ball
• TTYL

Conversational marketing? Never heard of it

Essentially, it is a sub-strategy within the larger framework of inbound marketing (the attracting of clientele via content creation. Think Red Bull’s extreme stunt campaign, for example.) Not so much an innovation as it is a throwback to time tested strategies, the term “conversational marketing” truly started gaining traction in 2017 as a means of referring to the world’s original, pre-advertising sales techniques within the context of the world wide web.

Some of the tactics utilized in the relationship building strategy of conversational marketing are live chats, social media, direct messaging, and, most recently, chatbots and artificial intelligence. Emphasizing real-time, one to one connections between marketers and customers, conversational marketing’s main purpose is to make the customer experience more user friendly and customizable to the individual.

In many ways, conversational marketing was an inevitable evolution of the often cold and sterile world of e-marketing. While technology has expanded market reach, those customers are still the same humans that were customers before the internet, and the same psychology that previously led to effective marketing is required today, too many people want to be seen as the individuals they are, not the statistics of which they are a part. This can be seen in any sales opportunity, where, oftentimes, a simple mistake such as calling a client by the wrong name can sabotage a would-be deal.

What’s the point with conversational marketing?

So what do these aforementioned conversational channels accomplish? They simulate all the
same benefits of a traditional house call: By engaging with prospective clients as individuals, the
customer experience becomes more palatable, allowing the marketer to nurture these leads in tailored fashion by creating more personalized and interactive experiences, making it easier for customers to ask questions, and to get detailed information prior to making purchasing decisions.

Interaction is key!

Interacting with a prospective client in real-time is essential to keeping them on the hook. The
accessibility to the marketplace offered by e-commerce has rendered customer patience all but
extinct. If questions aren’t answered instantly, concerns not assuaged promptly, they will simply spend their money with someone more responsive.

Furthermore, such responsiveness allows businesses to provide dynamic interactions based on the individual. They will literally tell you how to do business with them! All you have to do is listen, and sometimes, ask the right questions.

This cannot be done with the cookie cutter, one customer is like the rest approach.
This added benefit serves simultaneously as informal market research. By engaging in conversations, your business can gather valuable information about an individual’s needs and preferences, the data from which can then be used to tailor further marketing messages and offers to specific individuals. Rather, specific subgroups of client types.

I often think back to a midnight walk on a Maryland beach, blanketed with ghost crabs. While, yes, they were all crabs, some reacted to my presence by skittering into the water, some burrowed into the sand, and some got tough, squatting into a fighter’s stance. A one size fits all email will come off as impersonal, and composing thousands of individuals emails is impractical, but tailoring campaigns to certain customer-types, a process that can only be achieved through conversational marketing, is that Goldy Locks of approaches.

Email marketing reimagined

The traditional email blast may be among the best ways to alienate the end user. Sent with the
intent of maintaining brand awareness and disseminating useful information, well intentioned
newsletter often become a burden. “Another piece of junkmail? Who are they even talking to, I already bought that!” A mission emerges. How do we most respectfully keep a customer’s attention?

From broadcast to dialogue

We’ve established that, in today’s dynamic online landscape, the one-size-fits-all approach of
traditional email blasts is losing its effectiveness. With a conversational marketing approach, email marketing is reimagined as a two-way dialogue, fostering deeper, voluntary engagement. When an
email recipient becomes a willing participant and not a faceless target, elevated results are sure to follow.

Shifting the tone: from informing to engaging

Traditional email marketing often adopts a formal, one-directional tone, bombarding recipients
with promotional messages and product information. Conversational marketing flips the script, prioritizing a friendly, approachable voice that resonates with individuals. Imagine swapping out
robotic salutations like “Dear Valued Customer” for personalized greetings like “Hi [Name],” or replacing dry product descriptions with conversational storytelling that sparks curiosity. This shift in tone fosters a sense of connection, making recipients feel like they’re interacting with a trusted friend or advisor, not another marketing machine.

Social media: conversational marketing’s home sweet home

Social media is the glove to conversational marketing’s hand. Perhaps nowhere else does it feel
as organic as on these platforms. They are an ideal space for implementing conversational marketing strategies due to their inherently interactive natures. Commence with the social media marketing engagement strategies!

Ditch the bullhorn

Let’s face it, the days of barking sales pitches through a social media megaphone are long
gone. Today’s savvy audiences crave interaction, not dictation. They want witty repartee, not robotic retweets. They want a conversation, not a sermon. Conversational marketing is the magic potion that transforms cold, broadcast marketing into a vibrant, engaging dialogue, brewed in the bubbling cauldron of social media.

Email signatures: the subtle significance of the sign-off

Far too often, email signatures are treated as afterthoughts. This blunder has undermined many well crafted correspondences. As in any letter, an email signature frames the tone of the entire
preceding message. Literally called a complimentary close, your signature can make or break the conversation.

Learn: How to sign off an email

Closing with a dissonant tone can single handedly undo all of your digital marketing efforts by leaving the recipient with a bad aftertaste. First impressions usually get the credit of maximal import, but final impressions are nearly as essential in engendering positive reception.

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The power of personalization: tailoring the message to the individual

Personalization is no longer a buzzword; it’s the bedrock of successful conversational
marketing. By leveraging data and customer insights, businesses can craft emails that feel
relevant and tailored to individual needs and preferences. Imagine receiving an email recommending products you’ve recently viewed or suggesting solutions to specific challenges you’ve faced.

This level of personalization fosters a sense of value and appreciation, boosting engagement and conversion rates.

Instant feedback: the key to building relationships

One of the biggest drawbacks of traditional email marketing is its one-way street nature.
Customers are left to passively consume information, with limited opportunities to provide feedback or ask questions. Conversational marketing bridges this gap by incorporating interactive elements like live chat, embedded polls, and Q&A sessions. This instant feedback loop allows businesses to gather valuable customer insights, address concerns in real-time, and personalize future interactions based on individual preferences. See this great example from Kate Spade.

8 Case studies and examples of conversational marketing:

In this section, we take a deep dive into a series of case studies and examples that showcase the effectiveness of conversational marketing. These real-world instances demonstrate how businesses across various industries have successfully implemented conversational strategies, using tools like chatbots and messaging platforms to engage with customers, solve problems, and drive sales.

1. Dollar Shave Club’s witty emails drive engagement

Dollar Shave Club exemplifies the power of conversational marketing. Their emails are infused with humor and personality, often featuring tongue-in-cheek content that resonates with their target audience. By avoiding the usual marketing jargon and injecting their unique brand voice, Dollar Shave Club has built a loyal following and skyrocketed engagement metrics. Their open rates consistently hover around 70%, and their click-through rates are three times the industry average.

2. MOO cultivates customer connection with personalized storytelling

Moo, the online printing service for custom business cards and other printed materials,
understands the power of personalization. Their email campaigns go beyond generic product
promotions, instead focusing on storytelling and customer experiences.

For example, their “Moovember” campaign encouraged customers to design unique Movember-themed business cards, showcasing the stories and causes they were passionate about. Moo’s conversational
approach fostered a sense of community and engagement.

The Moovember campaign generated over 10,000 unique card designs and led to a 25% increase in website traffic during the month. Moo’s innovation proved personalization and storytelling can turn customers into brand advocates and drive positive outcomes. They also provide templates to personalize your own email campaign.

3. Casper’s interactive quizzes and sleep tips

Casper, the online mattress and sleep-product brand, prioritizes building trust with customers
through informative, but importantly, interactive email content. Their conversational emails often
feature quizzes that help customers identify their sleep styles and personalized recommendations for optimal sleep.

Additionally, they share valuable sleep tips and insights, positioning themselves as sleep experts rather than just mattress sellers. Casper’s conversational emails have boosted their open rates by 30% and click-through rates by 40%. Their focus on customer education and engagement has also led to a significant increase in brand loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.

Providing valuable information and fostering two-way communication through quizzes and interactive elements can build trust and brand loyalty.

4. Sephora’s beauty advisors offer virtual consultations

Sephora understands the importance of instant feedback and personalized guidance. They’ve
integrated a live chat feature within their email campaigns, allowing customers to connect with
virtual beauty advisors for instant product recommendations and personalized consultations. This interactive approach not only enhances the customer experience but also drives sales, with conversion rates for live chat interactions exceeding 30%.

5. Nike: the paragon of conversational marketing

Nike is the paragon of active listeners on social media. They don’t just wait for complaints to
come to them, they seek them out. That is peak customer service, the key to brand loyalty. In focusing on their clientele’s mental and emotional relationship with the brand, Nike has established firm roots of trust. This, in turn, opens up opportunities for them to create hunger marketing campaigns, stimulating their audience with an urge to buy more product.

6. Wendy’s sassy social media clapbacks

Wendy’s sassy tweets, witty comebacks, and playful jabs at competitors (and even themselves)
have garnered them a massive following and earned them the reputation as one of the funniest brands on the platform. Though a distant second to McDonald’s in revenue, the engagement generated by their conversational tone eclipsed what McDonald’s was able to accomplish with their dry, arguably Condescending, messaging.

Wendy’s Twitter account boasts over 4.4 million followers, with tweets regularly receiving thousands of retweets and likes. Their engagement rate is off the charts. Undoubtedly, Wendy’s conversational marketing approach has contributed to its leapfrogging Burger King as #2 in the fast food burger sector.

7. Kimpton Hotels: Season to taste

Mass marketing is so last season. Tailor your responses, acknowledge individual profiles, and
reference past interactions. Make your audience feel like valued guests, not nameless faces in the crowd. Imagine the difference between a generic “Happy birthday!” and a “Hey [Name], hope you’re having a cupcake-tastic birthday!”

Kimpton Hotels, a boutique hotel chain with 81 locations, sees a lot of guests some and go, yet they certainly give the impression they honor each individual. While personalization may seem small, one can only imagine how cemented Elizabeth’s loyalty for Kimpton became as a direct result of this personal reply.

8. Levi Strauss – conversational marketing at it’s best

It might be an understatement to say the Levi Stauss has a leg up on storytelling, what with a rich history nearly 200 years in the making, but full points to them for leveraging their key ingredients. In telling the story of Levi’s early outfitting operation, they loan that identity to every customer. You aren’t just wearing jeans, you are wearing an American tradition of bravery, ruggedness, and adventurousness.

How to implement conversational marketing strategies?

Here’s your implementation guide (including automating that feeling of non-automation):

Step 1: Know your audience, plot your goals

Who are you trying to chat with? Millennial gamers on Twitch? Busy professionals on LinkedIn?
Identifying your ideal audience is crucial. Next, how will you get to them? What’s your
conversational compass pointing towards? Brand awareness? Lead generation? Customer
retention? Quality control? Clarity on goals keeps your interactions focused and prevents
aimless chit-chat.

Step 2: Pick your channels for conversation

Think of online platforms as vibrant marketplaces buzzing with your target audience. Instagram
for eye-catching visuals, Twitter for witty quips, email for in-depth storytelling – choose the
channels where your brand’s voice will resonate loudest. Live chat offers instant support,
Facebook groups foster community, and chatbots can handle FAQs with lightning speed. Tailor

your communication channels to the nature of your conversations and where your audience
hangs out.

Step 3: Find your voice and let your personality shine

Forget robotic pronouncements, inject your brand with a personality that sparks connections. Be
it helpful, humorous, or playfully relatable, let your unique voice shine through. Authenticity is
the magic dust that transforms generic interactions into engaging dialogues. Remember, people
crave connection, not algorithms. So, ditch the corporate jargon and speak in a way that resonates with your audience.

Step 4: Automate with artificial intelligence

AI and machine learning are your tech-savvy deckhands, automating repetitive tasks and
analyzing data like ninjas. They can personalize greetings, handle routine inquiries, and even
recommend relevant products based on customer preferences. But Don’t let AI drown out the
human touch. Train your AI to recognize sentiment, escalate complex issues to your human
crew, and always prioritize genuine empathy over robotic efficiency. AI no longer just provides
an advantage; it is essential to keeping up.

Step 5: Measure your progress

Conversational marketing needs clear markers of progress. Open rates and click-throughs are
nice, but go deeper. Track reply rates, customer satisfaction scores, and brand sentiment. Are
your conversations leading to deeper connections and business growth? These are the metrics
that tell the true story of your conversational journey. Remember, effectiveness measurement is
your compass, guiding you towards continuous improvement and optimizing your conversational
magic.

Step 6: Embrace the ebb and flow

Conversational marketing is dynamic ocean, not static. You are going to have to think on your
feet, this is not a set it and forget it strategy. To help you, new technologies like voice assistants
and immersive platforms are popping up like islands on the horizon. Be curious, research, and
experiment with evolving trends. Stay agile and be adaptable in your approach. By embracing
the constant change, you ensure your conversation is not just able to reach a wide audience,
but also maintains authenticity.

Where the conversation goes: looking into the crystal ball of conversational marketing

Conversational marketing is no longer a novelty, it’s the rising tide sweeping across industries.
But where does this tide flow in the future?

Hyper-personalization

Imagine AI so nuanced it reads your unspoken needs, tailoring conversations to your unique
desires. Machine learning will decipher subtle cues in tone and behavior, crafting interactions that feel like having a coffee with a best friend who knows your coffee order.

The empathy revolution

Cold automation will get the cold shoulder. AI will be trained to recognize and respond to
emotions, offering support with genuine warmth and understanding. Think proactive chatbots noticing sadness in your tone and sending a personalized meme to cheer you up.

Beyond text walls

Visuals and voice will take center stage. Conversational marketing will embrace immersive
experiences, using augmented reality to try on virtual clothes or letting you chat with brand
mascots in 3D spaces. Picture trying on sunglasses while watching a live influencer video, all
within your messaging app.

The rise of context-aware bots

Chatbots won’t be one-trick ponies anymore. They’ll tap into external data, like your weather or
calendar, to offer contextually relevant suggestions. Imagine your grocery delivery bot reminding
you to buy sunscreen during a heatwave, or your travel bot suggesting restaurants near your
upcoming meeting.

The blurring of lines Conversational marketing won’t be siloed in specific channels. It’ll seamlessly flow across platforms, picking up where you left off. Imagine starting a conversation on Instagram, then having the bot send you a personalized video offer via email the next day.

The future of conversational marketing is a vibrant ecosystem where empathy, intelligence, and innovation intertwine. AI marketing and machine learning will graduate beyond the level of technician, but it will still need humanity to emulate. The future is all about listening, learning, and building genuine relationships, one personalized chat at a time.

TTYL

Remembering those days of the door-to-door salesmen, forging connections and closing deals
through face-to-face conversations, and comparing it to both the current and future trends of
online conversational marketing, it’s easy to see that what was old is new again.

Conversational marketing isn’t just a trend, it’s a powerful return to this human-centric approach, fueled by modern tools. It’s about forging genuine connections with customers, tailoring experiences, and fostering engagement through real-time dialogue.

Conversational marketing fosters trust, boosts engagement, and unlocks valuable customer insights. It’s the key to a thriving online presence, where brands become trusted advisors, not faceless corporations. Ditch the megaphone; join the conversation. Your customers – and your bottom line – will thank you. So, open the door to deeper connections and unlock the magic of conversational marketing. It’s time to chat.

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What is ATL marketing?

Short answer

ATL marketing definition

ATL (Above the Line) marketing refers to a form of marketing communication that uses mass media channels such as television, radio, print, outdoor advertising, and online media to reach a wide audience.

ATL marketing is a type of marketing strategy that targets a large audience through mass media channels such as television, radio, newspapers, and billboards. This approach is often used by companies to create brand awareness and promote their products or services to a wide audience.

ATL marketing typically involves the use of broad-based advertising campaigns that are designed to reach as many people as possible. This can include creating TV commercials, radio ads, or print advertisements that are distributed to a large audience.

Advantages & Disadvantages of ATL Marketing Campaigns

• One of the major advantages of ATL marketing is that it can generate significant exposure for a brand or product. By using mass media channels, companies can reach a large number of people quickly and effectively.

On the other hand:

• This approach can also be expensive, and it can be challenging to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Overall

Overall, ATL marketing can be an effective way for companies to create brand awareness and reach a large audience. However, it is important to carefully consider the target audience and the goals of the campaign to determine if this approach is the most effective option.

Top 3 examples of successful ATL marketing campaigns

Following are the Top 3 most famous examples of effective ATL marketing:

1. Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign:

Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign is a prime example of successful ATL marketing. The campaign involved personalizing Coke bottles and cans with popular names, allowing customers to purchase bottles with their names or their loved ones’ names on them. This campaign was widely successful and resulted in increased sales and brand recognition for Coca-Cola.

Watch this legendary Share a Coke campaign Video by Coca-Cola

2. Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign:

Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign is another classic example of successful ATL marketing. The campaign featured famous athletes, including Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson, in ads that encouraged people to be active and pursue their dreams. The campaign helped Nike become one of the most recognizable and successful sportswear brands in the world.

Watch the Nike’s “Just Do It” History video by Sportology

Video by: Sportology

3. Apple’s “Think Different” campaign:

Apple’s “Think Different” campaign is a memorable example of successful ATL marketing that focused on brand messaging rather than product features. The campaign featured iconic figures such as Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr., and encouraged people to think differently and be innovative. The campaign helped Apple to reposition itself as a brand that was not just selling computers but was also promoting a way of thinking and living.

Watch this iconic Video of Steve Jobs introducing “Think Different” on 09/23/1997

What is BTL marketing?

Short answer

BTL marketing definition

BTL marketing stands for “Below the Line” marketing, which refers to promotional activities that are targeted to a specific audience, typically using direct or personal channels of communication.

BTL marketing, also known as Below-the-Line marketing, refers to a type of marketing that focuses on targeted and personalized communication with individual customers or small groups.

BTL marketing strategies typically include activities such as direct mail, email marketing, experiential marketing, promotional events, and point-of-sale advertising. These activities are designed to reach specific audiences with customized messages that encourage them to take specific actions, such as making a purchase or engaging with a brand on social media.

Advantages & Disadvantages of BTL Marketing Campaigns

• BTL marketing campaigns offer several advantages that make them an attractive option for businesses. Firstly, BTL campaigns can be designed to fit smaller budgets, making them a cost-effective way to market products or services. Additionally, BTL campaigns can be targeted toward specific audiences, increasing the likelihood of generating leads and conversions.

• BTL campaigns can also be easily tracked and measured, allowing marketers to evaluate their effectiveness and make necessary adjustments. Personalization is another advantage of BTL campaigns, as they offer a more personalized approach to marketing that can help build stronger relationships with customers.

However:

• BTL campaigns also have some disadvantages that businesses need to consider. For instance, BTL campaigns have a limited reach compared to ATL campaigns since they are targeted toward specific audiences. This can limit brand visibility and recognition, which may impact long-term marketing objectives.

• BTL marketing campaigns may also be time-consuming to design and execute, as they often require a more personalized approach to detail.

To sum it all up:

In conclusion, ATL, BTL, and TTL marketing are three distinct but complementary approaches to marketing that companies can use to reach different audiences and achieve different marketing objectives.

ATL marketing involves mass-market advertising techniques, such as television commercials, billboards, and print advertisements, that are designed to create broad brand awareness and reach a large audience. BTL marketing, on the other hand, involves targeted, personalized communication with individual customers or small groups through channels such as email marketing, social media marketing, and event marketing. TTL marketing is a combination of both ATL and BTL marketing techniques that aims to create an integrated marketing campaign that covers all aspects of the customer journey.

Overall, the choice of which marketing approach to use depends on the specific marketing objectives, the target audience, and the available resources.

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There are little known and little used customer acquisition strategies that turn an OK customer acquisition process into a Goose laying golden eggs. I’m not gonna lie, these strategies require hard thought and preparation but they will transform your business.

At the heart of the user acquisition strategies I’m about to teach you lays the difference between low-value customers and high-value customers (HVC). The difference in contribution to revenue can be 10 fold for those high-value customers as opposed to regular ones. And these super spenders also tend to be your advocates wherever they go, which brings you more loyal and enthusiastic customers.

Your most valuable and fiercely-loyal customers have the ability to skyrocket your revenues over the long term. Higher-value customers are essential for the financial stability of any SMB that seeks growth.

However, acquiring those high-value customers could be very challenging for many SMBs.

High value customer acquisition and churn reduction – your holy grail

The issue of customer churn is a painful one for most businesses since a new customer costs five times more to obtain than to retain an existing one. In other words, the acquisition cost is 5 times higher than the remaining cost.

Because HVCs will be responsible for the majority of your company’s revenue, each dollar spent on acquiring these darlings is a dollar well spent, with higher returns on your acquisition cost. So, be sure you attract them and keep them! If you do, your business is sure to thrive for a long time to come.

But, to keep delivering according to what your customer’s expectations are, you are going to need to understand how they interact with your business and where they are coming from.

Thankfully, you have some helpful tools, tactics, and strategies available to you, which we will get into in a little bit. If you want to know how to find new customers and increase sales, then you’re in luck because we’ve got you covered.

Low Value Customers vs. High Value Customers

Before we get too far into this guide regarding how to find new customers and increase sales, it’s important to understand what is the difference between low-value customers and high-value customers. Here is how these two major types of customers differ:

As you can see, you will certainly want to entice high-value customers over low-value ones. Although low-value customers have their place, you will definitely want to focus your efforts on attracting higher-value customers.

There are some creative ways that you can entice HVCs to become consistent customers who keep returning to you, and even bring more business from the outside.

1. How to Identify Valuable Customers

If you want to know how to identify valuable customers, then don’t worry. We have a condensed list of five of the most creative ways to can acquire higher-value customers and grow your business.

When you follow these steps, you will land those dream clients who keep giving back to you and helping you flourish. Ideally, we recommend applying each and every one of these, for that extraordinary success you are hoping to unlock by acquiring HVCs.

2. Build and Understand Your Customer’s Relationship Map

Do you remember when you were in geometry class back in middle school or high school? You probably at some point drew three interlocking circles with a protractor. Well, you can use that same visual aid to develop the basis for a relationship map.

There are 4 different types of customers: Identity them below

1. price buyers: These consumers are most likely going to purchase products or services at the lowest price. They don’t take into account value.

2. Relationship buyers: The type of customers who you want to focus on, they rely on the relationship between their supplier, build trust, and expect good treatment.

3. Value buyers: Types of customers who strongly rely on value, they want to get the best value for their money’s worth.

4. Poker players buyers: These are customers who pretend to be price buyers to get high-value services and products for low prices.

In each one of those circles, categorize your top customers and place them accordingly. That way, you can then think about what they all have in common. What is it about your products or services that beings them together? Once you have collected your data, it’s onto the next tactic to land those HVCs.

3. Narrow Down Your Targeting to Help Potential Customers Self-Select

After analyzing the type of customers you have by following the steps above, it’s now time to prioritize which consumers you need to focus on.

To focus on acquiring higher-value customers, you need to know how to identify valuable customers and help them self-select. The hope is for customers to do most of the work for you so that you can spend more time running your business.

If you get involved in customer segmentation, you will have an easier time getting your products or services in front of potential customers who will be able to benefit the most from them.

To employ customer segmentation, you can do a few things. First, you can identify who your HVCs are. Do you see any clear connections between what you sell and who is interested in what you sell?

You can take advantage of data collected by a third party, or even an industry report. Also, you can look for similarities.

When your product or service is clearly marketed as fulfilling a particular kind of need, you won’t leave room for any ambiguity, which will help condense your target audience to be of the high-conversion and high-retention kind. Finally, you can create a customer persona that describes the segments you have identified.

4. Identify which selling approach to use for different customers

Each consumer requires a different selling approach according to their category.

1. Price buyers: consumers who don’t commit to anything are always changing suppliers. Their purchase decision is based on the lowest price they can receive.

How to negotiate with price buyers:

• Provide them with a full analysis of the cost of service or product that includes everything before giving your price.
• Don’t mention valued oriented features, this won’t make them budge.
• Establish a baseline price that you are not willing to agree with.

2. Relationship buyers: These consumers have a high level of trust and loyalty. They expect their suppliers to be professional and know everything about the service/ product they offer.

How to Negotiate with relationship buyers

• Provide them with a deep knowledge base, focus on specific problems, and provide value-oriented solutions.
  
• show them that your recommendations and forwardness is solely based on their best interest.
  
• Be persistent with examining areas of frustration how it impacts their daily life.

3. Value buyers: customers who want suppliers that offer added value to their daily operations for best price possible.

How to Negotiate with value buyers

• Don’t focus on pricing during meetings.
  
• Show them how you can add double value by providing what other competitors have to offer, in terms of value.

4. Poker players: consumers who value relationships buyers but behave like price buyers. Their intention is to get the best price and high value. So, they pretend to be price buyers which benefits them at the cost of the seller,
they often ask for more.

How to Negotiate with poker plays

• provide them with the value they will get a head of time.
  
• In order to beat them, you have to think like them. prepare your offer according to what they may ask.
  
• Own your value, stand your ground, this will make them respect you! Don’t start giving discounts this will and trust me they will purchase from you.

4. Provide Loyalty Programs to Reward Long-Term Customers

A solid loyalty program is a classic strategy to receive and retain long-term customers. If you already have a loyalty program, check up on it and make sure that it is up-to-date and appealing.

HVCs love a good loyalty program. Statistics have found that your repeat buyers will spend a third more than new ones, while an overwhelming majority of SMBs say that their most loyal customers are the primary reason for their growth. If your business can provide a great customer experience that helps achieve customer success, then they are much more likely to stay long-term customers.

A well-designed loyalty program will help you attract the kind of high-value customers you are hoping to get while increasing your overall sales. You will want to look into the best type of loyalty program for your type of business so that they appeal to your target customer. New technologies have made loyalty programs much more dynamic than they used to be. Shop around and take a look at what’s out there.

5. Offer Free Trials to New Customers Who Potentially Fit the HVC Category

Free trials are designed to give just a taste of the full experience of whatever the product or service is that you are selling.

Offering free trials to customers who are likely to fall into the HVC category of customers can benefit you big-time if you do them right.

You will want the bite they take to be appealing enough, but not give away the farm. That’s why successful trials fine-tune them to be something that is either time-limited, feature-limited, or capacity-limited.

The taste they get has to be irresistible to them. They have to feel like there is so much value to be had from your product or service that they would gladly pay to use the full-fledged version of it.

You want them to want to come back for more. If your desire is to boost higher-value customer acquisition and retention, then throwing in free trials is a surefire way to do it.

6. Referral Schemes to existing customers

Finally, you can set up something like a referral program. Something that is commonly done is to provide customers 10% off of a product or service if they refer someone else. This works extraordinarily well with high-value HVCs since the odds are high that their circle of friends also has high value.

Referral programs require you do to almost nothing or make any investment. You may even go as basic as asking your HVCs whether they could tell others in their network about your business and what you offer.

You’ll get some great leads as a result of this low-effort method of acquiring higher-value customers. Whatever you decide your referral program to be, make sure that it is appealing enough for HVCs to want to join.

As one final note, if you are just starting your new business, you can build authority by having a working referral program. By providing your service or product for free in exchange for a case study or in-depth testimonial, you can generate high opinions of your business.

When those referrals come from HVCs, the returns are going to add up to way more than you would have received if a customer simply made one transaction and never came back

Final thoughts

A majority of companies go after growth opportunities without even properly defining who their ideal high-value customer is. Given this lack of clarity, they won’t achieve the sort of profitable growth they could have if they clearly understood who their higher-value customers were. Defining and picking the right customers is vital, especially if your business doesn’t have much in the way of resources or is not that well-known.

Now that you know how to find new customers and increase sales in a few creative ways, you can get laser-focused on acquiring high-value customers. At WiseStamp, we aren’t just in the business of creative and dynamic email signatures, although that is a big part of what we do.

We also want to help entrepreneurs, SMBs, and people looking to improve their businesses and what they offer. One of the keys to doing that is to acquire and retain higher-value customers and clients. Once you have a solid core group of HVCs, your business is basically set.

They will be your repeat customers who also bring in more customers for you from out of their inner circle. When you know how to identify valuable customers, you significantly boost the potential for your sales to skyrocket.

The post High-ROI customer acquisition strategies (2024) appeared first on WiseStamp.

What is the Buyer’s Pyramid?

The buyer’s pyramid is a tool for visualizing the available market for a given product or service. The overall layout describes various states a customer can be in and serves as a reminder of all the possibilities for finding customers.

1) Ready to Purchase (3%)

The top of the buyer’s pyramid is where most SMB owners focus their entire marketing effort. Since it is only 3% of the potential customers, that may sound ludicrous. However, you will find these potential customers ready to buy what you’re selling.

The top 3% of the buyer’s pyramid is the most prepared new clients. Each has researched and pondered their decision to buy from a provider like your company. Often, they need to see that your company has what they need before they order. This deliberation also often makes them the easiest clients to work with.

For example, a shop owner wants to add a blog to his website but does not have the time. He has been looking at copywriter rates for a week already, and your Facebook ad was one he took note of for price comparison. Suppose you’re offering copywriting packages for businesses, and he doesn’t have to find a ton of time to do it. In that case, chances are you’re hired.

You now see why this is the most popular part of the buyer’s pyramid to target. Most clients buy with little effort and investment on your part.

2) Open to Buying (7%)

The next tier down on the buyer’s pyramid is the open-to-buying level. Some SMB owners do target this tier of customers along with the top tier. However, it’s more common to see these customers swept up in marketing meant for the top 3%.

The customers in this tier are open to buying your services, and many are actively interested. However, these potential customers may need more information or guidance to complete the purchase. Items like buy guides and blogs may help your marketing here.

For example, a shop owner wants to prepare for a holiday marketing campaign. She lacks time to do graphic design but doesn’t feel comfortable hiring someone else to do it either. She comes across your blog while she is researching her options. Then she finds she loves your approach and hires your company.

You already produce exceptional materials as part of your digital presence, and you already have the processes in place. With a few tweaks, you can speak to this audience and attract more customers than ever before.

3) Not Thinking About Your Services (30%)

This tier is the first large consumer block on the buyer’s pyramid. Unfortunately, it’s also one many SMB owners ignore. This is also the first tier of customers many people do not understand how to approach for their business.

Customers in this tier can be persuaded to buy, especially over time. Generally, these customers know what they want, but they do not need it right now. However, other varieties like waiting for the finances to line up also fall in this group.

The bottom line is that this group may buy your services in the future. By marketing to them now, you can achieve a positive and lasting first impression. In turn, you will find many people return to your company when they are ready to buy.

For example, a graphic designer develops a business strategy to grow their business. The plan calls for a more active social media presence after they create a camera course. Right now, they do not need a social media specialist, but they still see the ads you put out. In a few months, they buy from you because they are familiar with your work.

With this buyer’s pyramid tier, the key to gathering more customers is exposure. By engineering multiple casual touches, you are building up the trust and relationship with these customers to do business without coming across as pushy.

4) Think They Don’t Need Your Services (30%)

The next 30% are people who do not know about your services and the massive benefits of hiring your company can bring. Generally, these customers have seen services like yours before but do not see how it could fit into their lives.

In these cases, the customer may also be unclear on what and how you’re offering. These misunderstandings are easy to resolve with further information. Another option is presenting towards this need they did not know hiring you will fix.

For example, someone is bootstrapping a flower shop. You sell website services, but they already do a brisk business from the foot traffic alone. In this case, introducing the flower shop owner to the marvels of website ordering is worth the investment. It’s not something they were thinking about, but it will benefit them.

With this buyer’s pyramid tier, the idea is that you are creating a need where there was not one before. Whether that is breaking down your services so more customers understand or pointing out how your services can help, you point out how your services can benefit the customers.

5) Know They Don’t Want Your Services (30%)

Not every service is perfect for every customer. That’s okay, and it’s a fact of life. However, that does not mean holding it against business owners. Instead, recognize that this tier is part of the market.

For example, an SEO consultant is running a special. A company without a web presence happens to see the ad. Since they are not interested and nothing can be done for the clients, you let them go about their day.

A Business Example

Knowing how each tier will react to your business helps you persuade more customers. A complete example is also helpful for your understanding. For this, the company consults on human resources tasks that can be outsourced.

The top 3% are ecstatic that you have HR services and can consult on their company. They hire you immediately.

The next 7% are interested in hiring an HR consultant. Unfortunately, they haven’t had time to investigate it, but they jump on your offer.

The next 30% can be persuaded that their company would benefit from hiring your HR consulting company. The contracts may take some time, however.

Below that 30% are another 30% who do not realize that their company could use HR consultants to straighten out benefits and work with their employees. They do not know you can save their company a lot of grief until you explain.

The bottom 30% are not interested in HR consultants as they have their own HR departments already to handle the same things your company would.

How to Reach Out to the Top 70% of the Buyer’s Pyramid

Creating a comprehensive marketing plan based on the buyer’s pyramid will require some reexamination on your part. You should address more marketing energy towards persuading people that your company is the best and can provide services they did not know they needed.

1. Offer Samples

Most often, actions speak louder than words. That means that a few steps can persuade people where words fail. With good samples, your company’s methods will spread. If you do it right, you may not even need to repeat the work for each client.

One example of this is the webinar. You can create one high-quality video about one tip that can help people dramatically change their business. This video can be delivered automatically to potential customers who sign up, therefore offering the sample without creating more work.

Another option is a trial period, which works well for software. Again, this does not require repeated extra effort from your company. However, it offers them a taste of what your product or service can do. You may even find some stay because they do not want the hassle of finding another company.

2. Create Added Value

Potential customers are seeking value when they make their decision. By offering that value before a client even signs up, you’re proving that they are on the right path for their company. This value should be meaningful without giving away all your secrets.

For example, if you work with a proven five-step process for an amazing blog, creating value by letting companies have the first step or two is a great option. That’s enough for most to understand how you can positively impact their company if they hire you. With that understanding, they will keep you in mind when they want to move forward.

3. Build Your Web Presence

You never know where more customers will come from. Building a web presence increases your company’s odds of being discovered. Whether that looks like an informative blog, interactive social media, letting people know where to find you with an awesome Wise Stamp signature, or something else, your web presence and branding matter.

The other thing web presences are suitable for is serving as the start of a funnel. Adding value and offering samples are more efficient with the next steps planned out. It’s even better when you do not need to devote time to each potential customer individually.

Final Thoughts

Examining the buyer’s pyramid opens several new audiences that many companies skip over. With a little extra work, you can draw in more customers and convince them that your company will work for them. Tapping into these markets is easier when you can give them a taste of how you can positively impact the company. Then people will remember you when they want to spend money.

The post What is the buyer pyramid & how to use it to your advantage? appeared first on WiseStamp.

The main goal here with BJ Fogg’s behavior model, which we’ll start looking at closely in a moment, is to get people to act or behave in a certain way. Ideally, you want to inspire behavior that translates into higher conversion rates. 

You might think that there are tons of different ways to reach this goal, and you’re right, in a way. However, Fogg’s behavior model shows that there are fundamental ways in which humans behave that don’t really change that much.

Fogg’s behavior model demonstrates that there are very specific elements, three actually, of human behavior that need to be present in order for a decision to be made. So, exactly what are the three elements of BJ Fogg’s behavior model? Let’s take a closer look at each one.

The 3 Elements of B.J. Fogg’s Behavior Model?

Fogg’s behavior model is made up of three elements that predict behavior: motivation, ability, and triggers (also called prompts). We’ll get into each one of these in a lot more detail soon. However, it’s important to understand that, according to Fogg, all these 3 elements need to align in the right way in order to influence someone’s behavior. 

Fogg breaks his behavior chart into a simple formula:

Behavior = motivation x ability x prompts

To simplify this formula and the whole concept, if there is enough motivation for behavior and there is an equal ability to perform it, then the only thing left to trigger the behavior is prompt. 

To illustrate this model, have a look at the following video that uses the example of answering a ringing phone and puts motivation, ability, and prompts in context.

Seems simple enough, but it becomes a little more involved when you break down each element and all its factors. 

Fogg behavior model in 2 minutes and 30 seconds

Motivation

When he talks about motivation, Fogg is referring to the underlying drives that motivate you. He divides motivation into three separate drives: sensation, anticipation, and belonging. These drives can also be described as physical, emotional, and social.

1. Sensation

Sensation represents the physical level of motivation. It’s normal for people to want to participate in things that bring them pleasure and stay away from things that don’t. Games work really effectively here since there are usually built-in risk and reward systems. From a marketing perspective, if you offer consumers incentives to complete their desired behavior, then this increases their motivation.

2. Anticipation

This is the more emotional element of motivation and relies on feelings such as fear and hope. Hope is one of the strongest motivators since it helps provide a person with a sense of meaning.

If we think of this in an actionable way, then it would look something like a company offering a product or service that makes consumers feel hopeful that they can achieve their desire or goal by using what you’re offering. Take a 30-day fitness course, for example. By showing your audience they can hope to achieve their goal, suddenly their motivation to sign up increases.

3. Belonging

Belonging represents the social factor in motivation. People naturally want to feel like they belong. By having a community where no one is rejected, they’re more likely to feel motivated to continue engaging with your content. This is why social media marketing works so well.

Consumers find groups of like-minded individuals on social platforms and regularly engage with their content. So, if companies are in the same space, it works to motivate an audience to interact with that company since they both belong to a specific group of people.

Ability

If a person is unable to perform the desired behavior because of a lack of ability, then all other elements don’t matter. That’s why it’s important to understand the factors that stand in the way of a person’s ability.

When it comes to creating a website, campaign, or any sort of marketing content, you want to keep these ability blockers in mind so that you can avoid them. Not addressing these ability blockers can lead to lower conversion rates, so it’s important to ensure that users can still have the ability to perform the desired behavior. 

1. Time

These days, no one wants to spend a lot of time sifting through a website to find the information they’re looking for. Therefore, it’s so important to make sure that a task can be completed in a short amount of time. This might look like short lead capture forms, so instead of asking for all kinds of information like an address, phone number, or date of birth, simply ask for a name and email.

2. Money

If people aren’t willing to spend a lot of time, then they’re definitely not likely to spend a lot of money at the beginning of a process. Something that costs nothing is more likely to lead to the desired behavior than if the cost is prohibitive.

For example, you’re likely to get more users to sign up to a loyalty or rewards program if there are no initial start up costs rather than making someone pay upfront to join.

3. Physical Effort

When we talk about the physical effort in the realm of digital marketing, it refers mostly to the number of clicks a person has to make before getting to the desired location. Of course, the fewer clicks, the higher the chance the consumer will perform the goal behavior.

If your website has one-click checkout, as Amazon does, then you’re eliminating the effort needed to achieve the desired behavior, which for the consumer is completing a purchase and for you is increasing your conversion rate.

4. Mental Cycles

Though clicks aren’t quite physically exerting, what’s more, likely to lose motivated users is if you’re exhausting them. That’s why you should always write out directions succinctly and be clear about what people can expect from the outcome. There should be no guesswork involved

For example, if your goal is to have clients open an account, guide them through a brief step-by-step sign-up process and then provide them with a quick account tour once they’re signed up.

5. Social Deviance

This one is very simple. Don’t ask your audience to go against the norm or perform actions that are not socially acceptable. Sure, some people like it when brands play into individual differences or are unique, but you shouldn’t go too far in that you’re promoting actions that alienate or offend people.

6. Non-routine

People are comfortable with actions they’re already familiar with, so in order to get users to complete your intended behavior, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Look at what competitors are doing in terms of web design, campaigns, or products they offer, and ask yourself if your products are in-line with theirs. This doesn’t mean they should be the same, but there should be a basic degree of familiarity and routine.

For example, if you’re designing a website for your company, don’t design the menu and search bar in places where users wouldn’t expect them to be. This will make them frustrated and confused and might motivate them to give up.

Triggers

Fogg’s behavior model triggers can be compared to a call to action. Once users pass the motivation and ability stages, the final behavior needs to be triggered by an enticing prompt. The following three types of triggers, or calls to action, use a combination of both motivation and ability to result in a prompt that works best with each user.

1. Facilitator

You’ll need a facilitating prompt when there is a lot of motivation, but a lack of ability. You’ll need to sort of take the user by the hand and guide them through a process very carefully by using very clear prompts. These prompts can be clear instructions, flashing arrows, or pop-ups with vital information. 

2. Spark

On the flip side, some users lack a decent amount of motivation but they have the complete ability. In this case, a spark is meant to increase the motivation, often by playing into a person’s emotion by making them care. In this step, you’ll need to be able to show your value and then continue with clear and functional next steps.

Basically, it should focus on playing up the value and accessibility of a first step, and then later steps can help further a user’s motivation.

For example, getting a user to sign up for your newsletter by offering an incentive like a discount code will make them more motivated to give you their email address.

3. Signal

Some people have both the right amount of motivation and the right amount of ability, and this makes it easier for you. The only thing that they’re missing is a clear CTA, so make sure you’re providing a noticeable and effective CTA that aligns with their motivation and abilities.

How to Use Fogg’s Behavior Model in Practice

Now that you have a better understanding of Fogg’s behavior model and each element that it’s made up of, you’re probably already thinking of ways you can put this knowledge into practice. 

Once you’ve implemented Fogg’s behavior model in your next campaign or advertisement, you may think that your work is done. However, in order to ensure that your campaign runs smoothly and that you’ll achieve your desired behavior, such as a higher conversion rate, take some time to analyze your processes and think like a user. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Motivation: Have we done enough to motivate users to perform our desired behavior?
  
• Ability: Have we analyzed and eliminated any ability-blockers that would stop our users from achieving the desired behavior?
  
• Triggers: Are we using our prompts and CTAs effectively in a way that promotes users completing the final desired behavior?

If your answer is yes to all of these questions, then you’re ready to take the next step and put your plan into action. So, how can you use this behavior model to increase conversion? Let’s look at BJ Fogg’s behavior model example in the real world. 

Let’s say you’re running a Facebook ad for the purpose of increasing conversions for your website where you sell sneakers. Your ad was well-designed by your graphics and content teams, but it just doesn’t seem to be affecting the conversions in the way you hoped. Here are some steps you’d take according to the behavior model.

1. Using Fogg’s behavior model, you would first figure out what a user’s motivation would be to click on your ad while scrolling through their feed. One way to do this would be to instill a sense of community by displaying the ad to the “sneakerhead” community and tailoring your ad to their preferences. 
   
2. Once the motivation is clearer and users are more interested to click on your ad, make sure that your website doesn’t present any impediments to a user’s ability. Decrease the number of clicks someone would need to find the right pair of sneakers they’re looking for by adding product filters to your catalogue. 
   
3. Finally, when a user gets to the product page they want, add a motivating prompt, like an “add to cart” CTA, or even incentivize them with a discount on this purchase if they check out within the next X amount of time. 

This is just one example of how to implement Fogg’s behavior model, but there are many factors that can affect how you use it. Such as your audience, your goal, or even your products. Play around with different elements of Fogg’s behavior model until you find a formula that brings you success. 

Bottom Line

Behavior is a chain of events, and if at any point the chain is weaker due to a lack of motivation, a lack of ability, or ineffective triggers, then the chain will break. Each element of Fogg’s behavior model works together and depends on each other in order to reach the desired behavior. 

So, if you have a specific goal in mind, like increasing conversions, start by thinking of what a user’s behavior would need to look like in order to achieve this goal.

Once you start using this behavior model for one task, it’ll become more intuitive to implement it across your business in more ways than only your marketing strategy or in campaigns, but also in other ways, like business operations or even employee satisfaction. 

The post How to use Fogg’s behavior model to increase conversion appeared first on WiseStamp.

Upon initial research, you may be left scratching your head at all the different types of digital marketing strategies. You may be familiar with the popular term SEO, but now you’re asking yourself: what are all these other acronyms? PPC? SERP? SEM?

Creating and applying a marketing strategy to your site can be very overwhelming, especially if you’re not very familiar with the different types of strategies out there.

The truth is, there’s usually more than one way to achieve your goal for your website. However, the trick to success is knowing the key advantages of each marketing method and applying them strategically in order to generate the best results. 

In this article, we’ll look at 4 main marketing tactics: SEO, SEM, SMM, and SMO. You’ll gain a better understanding of how to apply each one, and which strategies are best for you to implement for your website.

At-a-glance map of the digital marketing landscape (channels and uses)

SEO: Search Engine Optimization

SEO is the act of optimizing the content on your website specifically for search engines, like Google, in order to rank as highly on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Sounds simple, right? Well, it’s not entirely as easy as it sounds, but it’s also not impossible.

There are so many different things you can do on your website to ensure it is optimized for search engines. Depending on who you ask, you’ll likely get different instructions on what to do in order to improve your site’s SEO. 

While you can get very technical with SEO, there are a few directions you can take to ensure your content is optimized and your website is ready to be ranked.

The most important thing to remember when looking for ways to optimize your website is that fresh, original content trumps everything else. You may have heard about the keyword stuffing approach, where a specific word would be written into a piece of content over and over again.

While this strategy may have worked once upon a time, it’s no longer the way to go. Keyword stuffing makes your content sound unnatural and forced, and you’ll actually get penalized by Google for doing this. The best approach is to create well-written content that is easily digestible by readers and search engines.

Pointers for creating legible content for search engines:

• Make sure your headline or title is memorable. You might want to use your title to ask a question or make a statement that will grab a reader’s attention.
• Use a determined amount of diverse keywords. Select a couple of short phrases of a few words each to try and work into your text a few times, but don’t overdo it.
• The structure is important. You want readers, and search engines, to be able to skim an article in order to find the most pertinent information. As a rule of thumb, it’s ideal to keep sentences and paragraphs short and adding subheaders for different sections.
• Use your images wisely. Images can also be helpful for SEO. Make sure you add ones that make sense for the content, even better if they’re original. You should also add alt text (or alt tag) to each image as a sort of image description, and try and include a keyword there as well.

There are so many things you can do to optimize your content, but the above suggestions are a good place to start if you’re new to SEO.

Building high-quality links for SEO

You can add both internal links (other pages on your website) and external links (leading to other websites). When using internal links, make sure they’re relevant to the content you’re linking from. For external links, you want to be sure you’re linking to other well-ranking, reputable websites. Additionally, if you’re linking to another article, make sure it’s relevant and recent.

SEM: Search Engine Marketing

Many people think that SEO and SEM are one and the same, but that’s a false assumption. SEO focuses on organic traffic, whereas SEM is more focused on paid traffic and advertisements.

Search engine marketing is when you use paid online advertisements on search engines in order to direct people to your page. You’d likely turn to paid advertising platforms, such as Google Adwords or Bing Ads.

In order to rank with paid ads, advertisers will bid on certain keywords that people might search for. The winning bidder’s ad will then appear on the top of the SERP, making their website highly visible. The whole process of bidding on ads is done automatically by setting specific spending parameters.

The ads often go by the term PPC, pay-per-click, since that’s exactly what’s happening. Advertisers pay when their ads are clicked on.

Like SEO, keywords are very important to SEM, perhaps even more. Since advertisers spend money on each ad, it’s necessary to ensure that the keywords in those ads are exactly what people are searching for. Otherwise, you’re spending money on ads that likely won’t convert into clicks or sales. Many SEM marketers rely on keyword tools in order to accurately research the best keywords to use.

SEM can be a good strategy if you have products that you’re selling and you want buyers to be aware of your product. Often, users who are searching online for specific products are ready to buy, so spending the extra money on PPC ads can be worth the investment.

SMO: Social Media Optimization

If you are putting a lot of effort into your social channels, you want to make sure they’re optimized for your goals.

Social media optimization aims to increase awareness of a specific product, event, or brand using various social channels. This can be done on a number of different social sites, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, among others. The ones you choose will depend on the nature of your business and what you’re trying to achieve.

With SMO, your goal is to develop your social media accounts to a high level so that users are attracted to your content. Ideally, you want social media users to share your content and interact with it, whether that means becoming a dedicated follower, a recurring client, or simply leading them to visit their website.

There are tons of ways social media can positively impact your business’s overall marketing strategy. If you’re not sure how or where to begin, check out our guide on how to use social media to grow your business.

SMM: Social Media Marketing

SMM follows a similar pattern to the marketing strategies we’ve already seen. It uses techniques from SMO with the main difference being that ads are created for a paid campaign. 

Whereas SMO is primarily used to foster long-term brand awareness and connect with audiences on a multitude of social platforms, marketers mainly use Social media marketing i.e. SMM to create ads to promote something very specific.

For example, you might pay to run a campaign on Instagram where users will see paid ads in their feeds of a product you’re trying to sell. Or, you can run a similar paid campaign on Facebook where users will see an ad that leads them to your website or a landing page.

The end goal depends on your business and what you aim to achieve, but the means are similar to SEM in that SMM uses precise, targeted paid ads to reach a specific audience.

Paid vs Organic Traffic

If you’re pitting SEO vs SMM or SMO vs SMM, you’re bound to get varied results. The truth is, there isn’t one answer to which method is best. 

The organic traffic you get with SEO and SMO can really grow your business and allow you to reach a wider audience. On the other hand, SEM and SMO offer much quicker results that can be instantly quantified.

SEO and SMO are made for the long term. These strategies require an investment of your time. They also require regular attention in the form of quality content, whether it’s an engaging Instagram post every day, or posting an informative article on your website once a week. It can take months, or even years, to see success from SEO and SMO, so it takes a lot of diligence and patience on your part. However, the success you see will likely not fade as you’ve built a strong foundation of solid, regular, and reliable content that your audience now depends on.

SEM and SMO are best for short-term goals. For example, if you have a new product you’re trying to promote and sell as quickly as possible, paid advertisements can be a great way to get your product seen by the largest amount of people. However, it’s important to keep your budget in mind. You can increase ad spending when you have a special promotion, but a high ad budget likely isn’t sustainable in the long run.

It’s also important to consider the difference in the leads you tend to get from each strategy. Paid traffic isn’t necessarily as high-quality as organic traffic. Users that come from organic traffic are generally more meticulous in their search, whereas users from paid traffic want immediate answers. Either way, you need to make sure your website and social accounts are set up to the needs of both paid and organic traffic.

Which Marketing Strategy Is Best For Your Business?

A lot of business owners will debate the effectiveness of specific strategies. They’ll weigh the costs of SEM against the long-term commitment of SEO, and then ultimately settle on one option.

However, the best marketing strategies use a combination of two or more of these methods. SEO and SMO will take a lot more time to develop, as they require regular creation of relevant content, while SEM and SMM involve paid traffic. The best one for your business depends on your goals and requirements.

Questions to ask yourself before investing your time and money into one strategy:

• What is my budget for marketing? 
• Do I have the time and resources to dedicate to long-term marketing plans for SEO and SMO?
• Am I trying to achieve success on a short-term campaign, or do I want to create a long-term marketing plan?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a better idea of which direction you should go in.

Though SEO and SMO don’t specifically use paid advertising, that’s not to say that you don’t have to spend money on them. Many small businesses don’t have the resources or know-how to create effective content, so they are left to hire a new employee, turn to outside consultants, or use paid SEO software.

It’s important to weigh the costs of hiring someone to optimize your content organically. Paid ads can add up quickly, so it might be more budget-friendly to hire someone to take care of your social media channels and digital content.

The post What’s the difference between SEO, SEM, SMM, and SMO? appeared first on WiseStamp.

1. Intro to Research
2. Where to focuse your research effort
3. Define Your Audience
4. Identify your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
5. Business Plan & Budget

Have you been wanting to start your own business? or maybe you have and you don’t know what to do next? don’t worry, you have come to the right place. For both circumstances, we have arranged a step-by-step guide that will allow you to move forward.

Starting a business is not easy, we understand how scary and unfamiliar it can be when starting from scratch. This is why we have provided you with the best guide and to calm your nerves we have even provided you with some insights from Itzik Levi, CEO of vCita, and how we become so successful.

Here, we have created a full step-by-step guide to help you kick start your business adventure. In this article we will cover the whole loop, all the way from the introduction stage in your research market to budgeting and creating a business plan.

1. Intro to Research

Want to strike oil? Before you start drilling, you need to find out what are the demands are for oil and how much it will cost you to meet the demand. In other words, you need to understand the market from both perspectives as the customer and the supplier – get to know the market.

The aim of doing market research is for you to understand what it takes to run a business in a specific field that you want to enter. It doesn’t matter if you come with prior experience, working as an employee in a specific field or from a different profession. Running a business is quite different, as the latter of demands require a whole new set of skills and knowledge.

In your research, You should aim to get all the basic information to help you understand what it takes to run a business in your field (e.g. rent costs, taxes and regulations, product costs, potential customers). Your research will help you avoid making future mistakes by giving you a clear and precise view of the potential challenges that come with running a business.

In many ways, market research is like a navigation app that guides you to the selected destination, in the best way possible. You wouldn’t start a cross country drive without a GSP, would you? Same thing here, you don’t want to start a business without researching the journey!

2. Where to focuse your research effort

Don’t feel overwhelmed by the idea of market research. Granted, you could research your market for a year and still have plenty to learn and discover. But, at a certain point, research will only get you so far. Eventually, you will simply need to get hands-on experience by running your business and apply what you’ve learned through your research. So, what should you focus on in the research/learning stage?

Focus your research on 3 main goals:

1. Define your audiences and your potential customers’ personas
2. Identify your unique selling point (USP)
3. Get the info needed to create a business plan and budget.

There are three major points that are worth exploring further, but before we start let’s understand how to conduct efficient market research.

Focus your research on 3 main activities:

1. Online search (yes, that means googling!)
2. Learn from others
3. Behave like a customer

I) Online search

You wouldn’t believe how much knowledge you can get within 3 hours of searching the web. For example, doing a simple Google keyword search for your product or service will likely open your eyes to things you never considered before. This will help you prepare for unseen challenges.

Online research will also help you stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends in your industry, so make sure to follow relevant blogs, websites, and other resources.

The web can give answers to the following questions:

• Who are the competitors and what do they offer?
• What are the main keywords and terms used in my field?
• How do people discover your product or service?
• What is the touchpoint with your products/service – where do people encounter your product in their daily lives?
• What is the current price range of the product you are offering?

Start by googling your service/ product and reading the first two result pages.

II) Learn from others

There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, simply talk to others in your industry to find out what to do and which mistakes you can avoid. Even by speaking to other business owners and colleagues in your field, you can get first-hand insight, this is a valuable way to gain knowledge. Use their experience to inform your own strategy.

Key questions you should seek to answer: 

• What does it take to get into the field? (costs, regulations etc)
• What are the main stages a business in the field goes through?
• What is needed to produce the product/deliver the service and how much does it cost?
• What are issues or problems that may occur?

Tips: Set Meetings: Make a goal to set one meeting per week with someone in your field in the first few months. It will not only help you learn but also help you network and discover new opportunities.

III) Behave like a customer

Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes, exploring what the market currently has to offer, will give you a good understanding of what is working and what is not.

When talking about the customer journey, we try to identify the main stages that a potential customer will go through (target audience). From the moment the potential client is aware of the product/service to the moment they purchase it.

You can understand your target audiences’ experience by simply shopping online for the type of product/service you plan to sell. By acting as a potential customer, you are going through the process of searching and purchasing online, and while doing so try to identify the distinct stages that users go through.

Try to identify the following four stages:

1. Awareness – The moment a customer understands there is a product or service that answers a need there needs. For example, a couple that finds out they’re about to have a baby and suddenly discovers the world of baby products and services.
2. Interest – The process of getting the needed information about the product or service. How do they connect to the need? How does the product/service relate to the customer’s current values and lifestyle? And what are the variables in choosing the right product or service?
3. Consideration – After gathering the needed information and feeling that they can make a knowledgeable decision, in this stage an evaluation of the different alternatives that the market offer occur.
4. Purchase/decision – The process of purchasing the product or service, from the deciding moment until finalizing the payment for it.

Knowledge is power, the more information you gather about your market (from industry news, research and people in the field, type of customers), the more you will be prepared for the upcoming challenges.

For each, write down one thing you liked about the purchase experience and one thing you would improve about it. Once you’ve completed researching your market, you can move on to the next section and start defining your audiences.

3. Define your audience

It sounds obvious, but all businesses need to understand the markets they want to target and operate within. The more knowledge you have about your market(s), the better you’ll be able to identify the market opportunities that are most relevant and profitable to you.

I) Mapping market opportunities

A market opportunity is a need or a demand from the market that can be addressed by a product or service provided by your business. So, what are your market opportunities? This is the time to think big by brainstorming all the different types of needs your service or product can serve.

For example: If you’re a photographer and provide photography services, think of all the different types of products and services in the photography world. You can do entertainment photography like headshots for actors or models.

For families, you can offer baby portraits, weddings, life events, holiday cards. For the corporate world, you can shoot products, staff headshots, advertising materials, and more.

So how do you narrow it down, or do you even have to? By the end of this lesson, you will have a much clearer idea of which opportunities and audiences you feel are worth pursuing. To start, you need to think big. Write down 5 different types of needs for the products or services your business offer.

II) Identify your audience

An audience is the group of people that share the same need or potential need for your product or service. Segmenting your audience into smaller groups (or “personas”) will allow you to address their needs with more specific and direct messaging, as well as differentiate between different types of customers and offer each group the right product or service.

After all, you will likely have a variety of people interested in your product or service—so, it’s important to categorize them and market to them accordingly.

For Example: let’s take a yoga instructor. In order to identify the market segments, she needs to ask herself two main questions: Who wants/needs my yoga services? What is their motivation? Why do they want/need my services?

Let’s take a look. Here are 5 examples of different segments of people who might want to do yoga (these can also be interpreted as different market opportunities):

III) Define Your Audiences

Now it’s time to think of your potential customers. Write down at least 5-6 audiences (or personas) who would seek your product or service. This includes

• Who are your audiences?
• Define why they would want to patron your business.
• Identify the clients by their demographics, needs, and type of use in your product.
• What can I sell them? (products/service)

Once you’ve completed this list, now choose the three personas you think are the strongest—the ones who are likeliest to purchase from you and why.

Why choose three? Keep in mind that it’s difficult for a business—especially a new business—to address all market segments at once, which is why you need to focus on the ones that are most relevant and valuable when you start out.

IV) Audience Personas

The most effective way to define and understand your target audience is by creating “Personas” for your customers. A “persona” is a profile that your target customer fits. You need to build the persona based on the information you’ve gathered from your market research.

Within your general audience, there will be several personas, which make it easier for you to remember the different customer characteristics and needs. In most cases, your target audience will not be one homogenous group with the same interests and problems. Instead, they will fall into several categories, as they did in our earlier example of a yoga instructor and her varied audience.

You should aim to identify 3-5 personas among your target audience. This is large enough to cover different types of customers and small enough to still be manageable. However, don’t confuse personas with a “niche” audience. Every persona should represent a significant segment of your target audience; not a fringe. The segment must be large enough to justify marketing to it directly.

How to create a persona?

When building your audience personas try to think of all the different characters that embody it.

Answer the following questions to build a persona:

1. Demographics and general information (name, profession, age, gender, education level, marriage status, where he/she lives, etc.)
2. Life story and main events (hobbies, things he/she likes and dislikes, tech level, etc).
3. The need or problem he/she has and what is motivating this customer to seek your product or service?
4. How can your business solve the need or problem?

When is it useful to address different personas?

When you start to conduct your marketing activities down the line, you will really appreciate having various personas within your audience. It will help you appeal more personally to your customers instead of lumping them all together—after all, their motivations and needs are unique.

Build Audience Personas

Once you’ve sketched out the basic personas amongst your target audience, it’s time to move onto the next stage in identifying your unique selling points.

4. Identify your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Now that you’ve researched your market and identified your potential audiences, it’s time to identify your USP—Unique Selling Proposition. Your USP is a special element that sets your business apart from your competitors and motivates customers to come to you over others. It could be something about the products or services you provide or something about the values or ideals you represent.

Your USP will help you move on to your next steps of branding your business (which we’ll explore in our next chapter).

Your USP also helps you focus on your business. Remember, you can’t be everything to everyone. While you may offer different types of related products and services and appeal to different audience segments (as we discussed in previous sections), you do need to focus on the one special thing that sets you apart. This one unique attribute should appeal to your entire audience and apply it to all of your products and services.

If, for example, you are a coffee shop that defines your USP as fair trade and environmentally friendly, the USP should weave into your entire business. It’s not enough that your coffee beans are fair trade. You also need to incorporate your eco-friendly, socially conscious USP into the fabric of your business, meaning the materials you use to serve your beverages, your recycling messaging, how you treat your employees, and more. Ideally, your customers should feel your USP in various aspects of your business.

Define your USP by looking at these 3 major components:

I) Price

How does the price of your product or service compare with that of your competitors? Do you set competitive prices that match theirs or offer more savings?

For example, if you own a coffee shop, is your coffee 20 percent less expensive than your local Starbucks? Keep in mind that in order to offer competitive prices, you need to think creatively about how to reduce your business expenses so that you still turn a profit (we’ll discuss this later on in the Finance chapter).

On the flip side, you can also define your USP with higher price points. This approach is usually seen in the “luxury” market, where consumers associate a higher price point with higher status or quality. For example, let’s look at the wine market.

Research shows that consumers often associate higher quality with higher-priced wine even if the wine is exactly the same. When given a blind taste test of “different” wines that are actually the same but priced differently, consumers overwhelmingly report that they prefer the more expensive sample. This is an example of how price can have a psychological impact on consumer behavior. 

II) Quality of Product/Service

The quality of a product or service can be defined by many different things, which fall onto a spectrum. Here are the most common factors that determine quality:

• Longevity– How long will the impact of the product or service last?
• Efficiency – How quickly will the product or service produce the intended results?
• Responsiveness – How well does the product or service respond to the customer’s needs or challenges?

III) Customer Experience

The quality of your product or service is also determined by what kind of experience your customer or client has with it.

For example, if you are a hairstylist, the quality of your service not only depends on the skills of your hair cutting. It also depends on your interaction with your clients. Being on schedule, friendly, and making them feel comfortable and welcome has a huge impact on customer experience and is what can make you stand out from other hairstylists. Customer experience also applies to products. 

For example, think about your daily cup of coffee and how important the cup is to your experience. A sturdy cup that is designed to contain heat will be more comfortable to hold than a flimsy paper cup.

To sum up, your business can define its USP through various factors, and therefore, you can base your USP around one or multiple attributes. In order to determine your USP, you really need to understand your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and what you do differently (or ideally what you do better) than they do.

In your research, you will also probably come across the term “value proposition.” Your value proposition is simply a statement that explains your USP. For example, if your USP is based on matching your competitors’ prices, your “value proposition” communicates that: “We will match any price!”

5. Set up a business plan & budget

Having a business is not just about making money. It’s also very much about knowing how to spend money strategically so you can maximize your earnings and minimize your costs. This is where a budget comes in! Your business budget is critical for keeping your business afloat. It’ll help you track your costs, income, net profit, cash flow, debts, and balance it all so you’re always in the red.

It’ll also help you grow down the line. Without a budget that maps your financials, it’ll be nearly impossible to assess how your business is performing from quarter to quarter, year to year. You won’t know where to invest more money and where to trim the fat. Operating a business without a budget is like trying to read a book in the dark!

To make sure your business runs like clockwork, especially if it’s centered around a product, you would want to consider a fitting tool to help you lay down your road map. A sound business is built on a sound plan, and of course, a sound execution.

What your budget should tell you

When you draft a budget, you are basically trying to understand three major financial questions:

• How much money do you have/will you need to initially launch your business?
• How much money will your business cost to operate?
• How much does your business need to earn in order to meet your operating costs and provide you with income?

When you crunch these numbers, you might discover that you won’t have the funds to launch or operate based on your business goals. You can solve this by taking a business loan or using your own credit, but bankers will want to see your budget to determine your loan terms. This also goes for potential investors if you seek investment, shareholders, or some sort of financial partner for your business.

What to include in your 12-month plan

You’ll want to map out your budget within a 12-month plan.

• Initial investment
• Cost of day-to-day operations
• Fixed costs (staff, equipment, materials, etc)
• an estimate of your monthly income

What to include in your budget

A healthy budget needs to keep track of the following:

• Revenues – This is the amount of money flowing into your business. Revenue is a net number of incomes that do not subtract your costs.
• Costs – This is everything you spend on your business from insurance to employee salaries, equipment and materials, services (like web hosting) and even the small stuff like the monthly coffee costs for your office.
• Profits – This is the fun number ( or should be), Your profits measure everything you earn after your expenses are accounted for. The better your budget, the easier it will be for you to figure out how to maximize your profits. With profits, you can pay yourself and/or re-invest in your business to keep it growing.

Ideally, with a well-calculated budget, you’ll be able to maintain a healthy cash flow (the balance of money coming into and out of your business), or easily weather those times where cash flow isn’t so fluid (when more money is coming out).

Getting budgeting help

To get you started, we created a basic budget spreadsheet for you to begin mapping things out. This spreadsheet will help you start to crunch your numbers to get a rough yet solid idea of what your operating costs and incomes will look like.

First and foremost, it’s critical to understand the money you’ll need to spend on a fixed and regular basis. Our spreadsheet helps you wrap your head around those expenses, ones you’ll need to invest in right away and ones you’ll want to consider for growth.

Our spreadsheet is a great way to get started on your budgeting path. Once you’ve completed this basic step, it’s time to think of other resources to help you.

Financial professionals – Most small businesses won’t need an accountant on staff, but it’s a good idea to have one looking after your finances. You can hire an accountant on a monthly retainer to review your finances so you don’t have any surprises hit you.

Accounting Software – There are so many user-friendly, powerful accounting software options on the market specifically for small business owners. We recommend our partner Intuit Quickbooks, which offers all the tools you need to manage your budget like a pro.

Bookkeeper – When it comes to managing your day-to-day financial operations, it’s wise to have a bookkeeper if you can afford one. A bookkeeper will tabulate income and costs to help you have a healthy cash flow.

Just as the value of money ebbs and flows and the stock market soars and dips, so can your budget. Your budget should be a living document that you regularly review and revise.

Has the interest rate on your loan changed? Has your rent gone up? Have you given employees a raise? Are you selling at a higher rate than last quarter? Has the cost of your materials changed at all? Your insurance premiums? All of these financials need to be considered on a quarterly basis at a minimum.

Conclusion

I truly hope this article gave you the know-how and tools you need to set out on your market research. The importance of such research is astounding. Doing your market research correctly and fully may very well determine your ability to create a great product or service that will be loved by people and conquer the hill for a long time to come. Good luck!

The post How to do market research & build a product strategy appeared first on WiseStamp.

So, how can you differentiate your brand from the competition? Enter personalization or personalized marketing.

Personalization for Small Business Success

For those unfamiliar, personalization is the process of tailoring a marketing message to a specific individual or group of people. Through personalization practices, a marketing team abandons generic communications in favor of messages that resonate deeply with a certain demographic.

Whether the goal is to improve customer experience or generate more revenue, marketing personalization can aid in a number of different vital business practices. Not convinced? Consider these statistics:

• In a study of 650 multi-channel marketing campaigns, personalized campaigns consistently and overwhelmingly beat out static campaigns in generating a high response rate from recipients.
• 78% of consumers said they were more likely to buy from a retailer that presented them with offers targeted to their interests, wants, and needs
• 86% of respondents said they would be willing to pay 25% more for a better customer experience.
• 72% of respondents reported that generic marketing messages turned them off from a company.

As you can see, personalization can have a huge impact on an organization – and small businesses are no exception. Yet, while promising, this strategy won’t prove useful without one key ingredient: contact data.

Contact Data: The Key to Personalization Success

To put it simply, data is the core component of personalized messaging.  After all, without data, how will you know who your best buyers are, what messaging resonates with them, or what convinces them to make a purchase?

It is no longer enough to guess who your target audience is and what they are looking for. In order to achieve results with your personalization efforts, you need a clear and informed picture of who your most promising prospects are.

Fortunately, most businesses already have access to this information within their CRM. As a marketer, it’s your job to compile this data, analyze it, and present it to your company in a digestible format.

Contact Data and Buyer Personas

This is typically done through buyer personas—or profiles of your best buyers.  These profiles are comprised of demographic and firmographic data such as job title, job function, management level, industry, and company size.

A very simple buyer persona looks something like this: 20-35-year-old female, working in the SaaS industry at a company of 200+ employees, who has ‘analyst’ in her job title.

It’s important to remember that buyer personas are far more than a few shared characteristics — you also need to develop a thorough understanding of each persona’s buying habits and motivators, including common pain points, shared views, and other factors that influence their purchase decisions.

Buyer personas provide your content team with the insight and understanding needed to facilitate a successful personalization strategy. With this information, you’ll be able to deliver highly targeted content to the right prospects, at the time and in the right setting.

Examples of personalization efforts:

1) Email personalization

For a small business, the easiest way to personalize your outreach is through email. This strategy is not only one of the easiest to implement, but it is also cost-effective and ultimately, successful. In fact, individualized email campaign messaging and segmented email lists have been found to be the most effective personalization techniques for 50% & 51% of B2C & B2B marketers respectively.

Using your buyer personas, separate your email list into, smaller, more targeted lists, allowing for more personalized correspondence. When executed effectively, personalized email campaigns can produce staggering improvements to your email campaigns, including:

• 14% more opens
• 63% higher clicks
• 8% fewer unsubscribes

2) Website personalization

In today’s increasingly digital world, a high-quality business website is imperative. In fact, for many prospects, your site will be the starting point in the buying process.

74% of online consumers get frustrated with websites when irrelevant content appears.

Therefore, to make a good first impression, you need to eliminate content that doesn’t speak to your buyer personas. Instead, implement personalized web experiences in favor of generic, static landing pages, to push your prospects further along in the sales funnel.

When executed effectively, dynamic web pages can help achieve some of your most vital marketing objectives, including increased lead generation, revenue, and client satisfaction. Consider these statistics:

69% of buyers rank “relevant content that speaks directly to [their] company” as the most important factor when visiting a vendor website to conduct research.

Marketers who are personalizing their Web experiences and who are able to quantify the improvement see, on average, a 19% uplift in sales.

Personalized home page promotions influenced 85% of consumers to buy while personalized shopping cart recommendations influenced 92% of shoppers online.

As with email, your buyer personas should dictate all aspects of your personalized web experience strategy, from the language you use to the content subject matter you employ.

3) Local SEO personalization

SEO is the process of optimizing web content to boost free/organic traffic that originates from search engines. To put it simply, effective SEO is what puts your website on the first page of Google results – or in other words, in front of the eyes of your prospects more quickly and efficiently.

There are a number of different ways your team can use SEO to offer personalized content, but our suggestion is to prioritize local SEO initiatives. Not sure what local SEO consists of? Consider the last time you typed “gas station” or “fast food” into Google maps. Yup, those search results are a product of local SEO!

Local SEO may seem like a big challenge at first, but it doesn’t have to be – especially with your buyer personas in mind to guide you. A few simple strategies to get you started include getting your organization listed on business directories such as Yelp, or Google My Business listing, incorporating localized content on your website, or even asking your faithful customers for reviews on public forums.

Key Takeaways

To put it simply, personalization isn’t going anywhere; if your small business is not prioritizing personalized initiatives, you’re missing out – big time! Give your buyers the experience they’re looking for with messaging tailored to their wants and needs. Fortunately, for your business, the key to success is already within reach. Take the time to analyze and understand your database, and your prospects (and revenue) will respond accordingly!

Contributed by Krysta Williams, the Marketing Content Specialist at ZoomInfo. ZoomInfo offers the most accurate and actionable B2B data to help organizations accelerate growth and profitability. The continuously updated database enables sales and marketing teams to execute more effective marketing campaigns and improve sales prospecting efforts.

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