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Engaging Customers and Building Community with Copywriting and Content Marketing

Three Ways to Fulfill The Great Expectations of Your Customers

April 3, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Three Ways to Fulfill The Great Expectations of Your Customers

fulfill the great expectations of your customers

For content marketers, the phrase “Know, Like and Trust” is a common objective. Companies and brands wants to achieve this goal by establishing a benchmark of familiarity with their audience, based on common values and reliability.

And it’s paying off.

These days, more people who see ads believe the ads are honest, according to this survey. In other words, 11% more people are likely to trust an ad they see today than the percentage of people in a similar survey just a few years ago.

honest advertising, consumer trust

What’s going on here? Everyone knows that advertisers try to get your attention in order to sell you something, and people don’t like to be sold to, right?

Not necessarily. Consumers don’t want to be “sold to,” but they do like to buy, especially when they’re confident they have all the information they need to make a decision.

Consumers expect nothing less than to know, like, and trust the brands they buy and the companies they do business with; and advertisers are rising to the occasion to meet consumers when and where they they’re needed. They’re also placing ads where viewers expect, tolerate, and maybe even welcome them.

Most importantly, advertisers are supporting those ads with appropriate content.

I believe this is a testament to the efforts of content creators and marketers to provide their readers with valuable content. Since useful content builds trust, the payoff multiplies for companies that run ads in conjunction with good content. They earn their customers’ trust and trust in their brand grows over time.

Ironically, institutions that used to enjoy the benefits of blind trust have fallen from grace in the eyes of the average person. Is it any surprise that the three top losers in this poll — those whose perceived honesty plummeted —  are government, which doesn’t advertise except in the case of isolated and, ideally, nonpartisan public service announcements; religion, an entrenched institution whose reputation precedes advertising; and the media, which is undergoing the most disastrous fall from grace since the public’s mainstream addiction to it.

Now it’s not institutions, but rather companies and organizations that people hold to higher trust standards. People go online for an experience that quickly validates and satisfies their expectations.

Because your audience’s expectations are high, you too must send messages that complement and seamlessly integrate with your short-term goals, your users’ or customers’ engagement levels, and your overall brand objectives.

How do you satisfy your audience’s expectations of honesty in advertising? Let’s look at some companies and organizations that place ads that cultivate familiarity, likability and trust, and find out what they have in common. People EXPECT their favorite brands and people to do the following.

Send a consistent message.

  • Make an effort to keep your content coffers full and on schedule with the help of a content calendar like CoSchedule. If you blog, set a schedule with content topics that predict and speak to your audience’s inquiries. If you host podcasts, roundtables, or Twitter Chats, make sure you keep to a set schedule and format. Make use of the online tools available and fold them into your routine.
  • Consistency is actually easier to achieve when you allow your content themes to breathe. Some people fear they’ll lose their main audience if they stray from their core topic, but I prefer to think of content as an opportunity to play variations on a theme, like a jazz orchestra might take turns noodling around a tune. A diverse variety of messages within a theme enables you to connect with people in different ways, which goes a long way toward growing a diverse audience with a common interest.
  • Speaking of diversity, remember that people prefer to consume content in different forms. Your audience is comprised of readers, listeners, and viewers. Consistency doesn’t mean static. Try to provide content that satisfies all the ways people learn: auditory, visual, and sensory. Advertisers that offer a range of content in the form of images, videos, podcast, and blogs reach more eyeballs.
  • Invite others to weigh in. The voices of fellow experts, loyal partners, users, fans and influencers can make for pretty awesome content. A content manager at Blackbaud, Madeline Turner, asks nonprofit experts to chime in on using technology to further their mission, and pulls off a useful and interesting article for the company’s community of software users. It’s also a great opportunity to ask for their input, too.

Understand your audience.

  • Data and analytics: The topic of privacy is on many advertisers’ and marketers’ minds this week as old FCC privacy rules are likely to stay in effect for the time being.  For some, this means that that it’s possible to cross over from trying to understand an audience to almost (ok, literally) spying on them. Internet service providers with access to consumers’ browsing habits will be able to sell that data to advertisers. That’s edging in on creepy (albeit inevitable) if you ask me, but it’s not what I’m talking about here. For many marketers, a worthy goal is attracting the right people, re-engaging current customers and staying relevant in their eyes.
    • One way to transparently keep your finger on your customer’s pulse is to have an opt-in process in place and a reason to monitor and engage with your audience’s actions. Willing participation translates into natural trust. If your community already knows that you operate above a certain self-imposed level, then there are no surprises when they see your ads. Simply asking for permission reaps great returns in trust.
    • Another increasingly common trust building practice is to notify your audience of how your collect data. Most websites use cookies and hidden pixels to track where their readers have been and what they are looking for on your website. Some sites go the extra mile to notify their visitors. You’ve seen the bar across the bottom a your screen telling you ‘This site uses cookies to improve your browsing experience,” or similar verbiage. That company cares about transparency and values your trust.
  • Feedback: Getting and giving feedback is difficult. At least it doesn’t come naturally for most of us who were taught to “be nice,” says Kim Scott, author of the book Radical Candor. If processing personal feedback is confusing, how  much more so for a large company with multiple products, services and features! Making sense of hundreds of incoming opinions and questions can overwhelm a service team and muddy their efforts to deliver a great experience. In Evernote’s Taking Note podcast, Gerald Hastie shares how the company manages feedback from its community of users. Practices include surveys, user groups, and community questions and answers. All that information is useless if you don’t use it to improve your users’ experience. Asking is better than guessing when your goal is to fulfill the expectations of your customers. Trust grows when you ask and follow through with knowledge gleaned from hard-earned feedback.

professional expectations

  • Accessibility: Sometimes the best content is happening right now. If you’re not around, you’ll miss it completely. You’re able now to have real time conversations on social media. Anyone with a phone can host a get together. Storytelling on Facebook Live, Instagram, and SnapChat allows you to meet your audience and instantly harvest feedback on topics your audience favors. Watch a couple minutes of Mari Smith and a roomful of Social Media Marketing world attendees geeking out on Facebook Live with Facebook training. Then imagine how you (or someone in your group who’s a natural like Mari!) could put this easy-to-use technology to work for your company or organization.

Be human.

Effective engagement is inspired by the empathy that develops simply by being human.

~ Brian Solis

If you want humans to engage with you, then you have to act like a human. Some say the quickest way to gain trust is through vulnerability. While you don’t have to spill your coffee on yourself to show you’re human, you might share where you’ve learned a lesson, let people know you have a life outside of work, or even act a little goofy sometimes.

Authenticity sets you apart. Don’t try to be something you’re not. One of my favorite cartoons shows a dog in 1994 telling another dog, “Hey look, Roger, on the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog.” The next frame show the same dog, many years later saying, “Hey look, Roger, on the Internet, everyone knows you’re a dog.” You can fool some people some of the time, but if you neglect the first two trust builders (and the great expectations of your audience), you’re sure not going to fool them for long!

Own up to mistakes. The sad truth is that eventually you are going to trip up. Most of us humans fail in a less public way, but the shame we feel is huge. Maybe you’ll never release a sucky version of your software (Windows XP), hand someone the wrong envelope (Price Waterhouse), or make too-thin yoga pants and charge $98 for them (Lululemon). But a mistake you’re personally invested in probably feels just as buzzworthy.

Coming back from failures, even really dismal ones, feeds the fertile ground of growth. It actually makes us strong and brave.

In your personal AND professional life, there are times — and it may feel like years — when you’re facing into a strong wind. Remember that everyone gets their share of trouble. In the world of content marketing, braving mistakes is a great way to build connections with your best, most loyal fans.

If you’re taking chances and developing just outside of your comfort zone, then criticism is inevitable. How you handle your critics makes you memorable in the eyes of your audience (because they’re all watching, you know). Jay Baer is a proponent of “embracing your haters to keep your customers.” A bad experience shared online can unravel years of positive work and appreciation. Publicly setting things right with calm, humor, and even a degree of urgency, you’ll probably rebound with integrity and resilience; possibly even winning increased loyalty from your customers. Most people want to cheer a comeback than watch a house of cards fall.

Share your wins and strengths as well as your challenges. Even in good times, the head-spinning immediacy and publicity of social media may make you want to sit out for a spell. But your audience expects your presence.

Try to stay in the moment, and don’t overthink transparency. The sooner you deal with reality the better. A fortress is a dangerous place. When all eyes are on you and you’re advocating for yourself or your company, avoid telling your version of the story. Focus instead on what you learned. Never forget that while people may be curious about how a blunder went down, your customer mainly wants to find out what’s in it for him.

Relax. Breathe. Shake it out. Lose the uppity voice, the jargon, and inclination to pontificate. Not that you’re guilty of any of that, of course!

One easy way to develop a natural, human voice in your content is to read your content out loud, preferably to another human. (Dogs don’t count.)

read your content aloud

It’s a process, but it’s one you can easily get good at, if you strive to know, like and trust your customers the same way you want them to know, like and trust you.

Remember your objective. To earn your customer’s trust and fulfill their expectations, you first have to be there, with consistency and an understanding of their needs and desires.

In the end, content marketing is a two-way street.

Filed Under: Content Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: accessible content, brand message, buyer personas, content, content for your audience, content marketing, content persona, customer expectations, customer feedback, customer satisfaction, customer service, getting feedback, know like and trust, marketing, social media, transparency in content

Why Curated Content is the Magic Missing Link for Realtors

March 6, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Why Curated Content is the Magic Missing Link for Realtors

curated content for realtorsThis post sprouts from personal experience as someone who writes content for the real estate industry, and is also keeping an eye out for the right house… so lean in!

I’m browsing the market these days, getting a feel for what’s out there because I’m thinking of moving out of my too-large house. As a content writer and marketer for folks in real estate, I was curious how long people casually look for a house before they actually search in earnest. I did not find a time-related answer, but I did discover that the average buyer visits 10 – 20 homes before finding the right one to call home.

Now, I do know one thing for a fact, though. People nose around real estate even when they’re not really looking to buy or sell… right now. Yes, your clients and future clients are browsing on Zillow, sweeping around Google Earth looking at hot neighborhoods, stopping at open houses and shopping at home stores for upgrades.

Realtors, real estate brokers and agents, real estate investors, home inspectors, and anyone else marketing in the competitive world of real estate, you’re familiar with this home search technique: When buyers are ready to begin a home search, they usually begin by narrowing the field online.

Jeanne Feenick, a New Jersey realtor, describes the typical behavior of someone ready to buy:

What I find very interesting is how the dynamic changes with market conditions but also how the popularity of the internet among buyers has altered the process. Today’s buyers do a great deal of their initial searching online, so that when they enlist the support of an agent, they tend to be pretty far along in the sales cycle. As a result I recognize that online buyers are close to ready, and the number of home we see together may be lower than in the past. Why? Because they have already “seen” many homes on line and are ready to really hone in on real contenders.

Jeanne Feenick
Unwavering Commitment to Service

It’s no secret that consumers are more informed than ever when it comes to purchasing decisions, not only for houses, but for items related to home ownership, design, repairs, and decorating.

Many people love to look at houses and dream of owning real estate that increases in value over time. Whether shopping for home goods, accessories for rooms and yards we currently inhabit, or dreaming about spaces and furniture seen in magazines, on TV and websites like Pinterest; human beings like to feel safe, stylish, sexy, and at home in our dwellings.

Now the big question: Are you taking advantage of this basic human craving to market your real estate business?

As a content marketer and copywriter for real estate businesses, I’ve noticed (far too often) that many real estate marketers are overlooking one of the most connective and attractive pieces of their marketing mix: Curated Content.

What is curated content?

Curated content is content that YOU don’t have to produce, but which you’re happy to share because it serves your potential market. It’s already out there on the web, and your clients are reading or watching it. Others in your field may have produced it (not your direct competition, but someone in another locality), or specialists in related or complementary fields may have written it.

The point is, it’s already “done,” it strikes a chord with your potential clients and customers, and it’s there for you to share.

Why aren’t you using curated content?

So why aren’t you using it? Over my years of writing and marketing, I’ve gathered a few common reasons. I’m going to discuss why I believe more real estate pros aren’t using curated content.

Then I’ll try to dispel the myths that are preventing you from using it to stand out.

Unique, owned contentMyth #1. It’s not YOU. And it’s not YOURS.

Above all other reasons for not using curated content is a strong belief in your originality and unique point of view. You have a unique perspective and way of doing things, and you may feel like all your content needs to come directly from you. Especially on social media, you may be under the impressions that it needs to be written and posted by you.

The images need to come from your jobs, your case studies from current or past clients, or the work you’re doing today. Maybe you even feel like you need to be the one snapping the picture, or writing answers to questions, coming up with ideas, anticipating your clients’ concerns, and providing solutions.

Well, if you can do all that… kudos! I’d never stop someone from personally marketing his or her own business. But let’s face it, original or “owned” content that you create is valuable because it takes work and reflects your well-thought-out point of view. When you hit that sweet spot between what people want and need and what you uniquely provide, you’ve struck gold. Hopefully others appreciate and share it.

But here’s the secret. It’s not up to you to spin gold from everything you see, hear and read! Content you create and “own” should make up about 20 – 40% of all content you share. But the other portion can easily come from curated content. The beauty in sharing relevant content created by other bloggers and business owners is that it lets you piggyback and benefit from others’ great content, and even allows you to add your spin.

there's the door...Myth #2. You fear it will point your reader in the direction of a competitor.

First, let me preface this topic with the reminder that you should never swipe someone else’s content without giving them credit. It’s not only decent, it’s required that you provide a link to the originator of any content you share. So naturally you may worry that you’re sending a perfect client away from your social media page or even into the arms of someone who might get their business. Why would you send someone to another source of news, information, or services, you ask?

Of course you might not choose to direct a potential client away to a competitor’s website or social media page. Instead, you can curate good content that complements and adds to your services. In doing so, you actually attract customers by sharing something relevant to them.

There are hidden benefits to this, too. Folks start to rely on your for your discerning eye. If you only share high quality articles, videos and images, people will grow to rely on your curating skills, and pay attention to what you share. More on that soon.

Myth #3. Curating content takes too much time.

Who has time to scour all the websites and report, share and comment on every trend or local news item? That would mean making time every day to find great content that your clients might like, and then upload it to your blog or social media sites.

To be honest, for most professionals, content curation is a time suck you can’t afford when you have people to call, lead generation to do, paperwork, and contractors to meet. Not to mention a personal life to live. (You do have one of those, don’t you?)

When there’s so much else to do, can you carve out a little extra time to find all this relevant content? Some people can, and of course there are certain tools that make this task easier. I can recommend plenty of useful tools and tips for finding awesome content if you want to take this on yourself. If not, a good alternative is hiring a virtual or local assistant to do this work for you.

content takes too much time?Myth #4. Posting content on social media takes too much time.

This is probably the most common rebuttal I hear regarding curating content. It’s a big enough job creating content of your own, let alone logging into all your sites and posting and sharing others’ content. It can make you crazy if you don’t have a system for easily putting interesting curated content into Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. You know you need to keep populating those pages and feeds, but it’s either feast or famine where that’s concerned.

Social media and content marketing usually starts with the best intentions. Maybe you went to a marketing meeting and got stoked to be active on Facebook where thousands of people will see you, remember you and engage with you. You have your phone on you all the time, so how hard could it be to post regularly so that people who’ve liked your page keep seeing your stuff?

With fresh motivation, you vow to build your clientele from fans and followers on social media. You post regularly for a few days in a row, and then, a couple times per week, and finally you fall out of the habit. You just can’t keep it up on your own. You feel like a hamster on a wheel and it’s difficult to see the value, so you stop posting altogether.

It’s OK to admit it if you don’t enjoy spending time on social media. I talk to many people who view it as just another job to do, and one that doesn’t seem to yield results! So why bother? Unfortunately, if you ignore it, your business will suffer next to someone who works Facebook, Twitter or Linked In like a star. Sure, it may be easier to simply send out a postcard every month or two to your neighbors, but if they don’t see you daily in person, it’s easy to forget about you.

Social media allows you to be around all the time for very little cost to your marketing budget. At least the sites themselves are free to use.

But I’m not going to tell you that content marketing is a no brainer. It takes some time — and a system, including regular use of social sharing software like CoSchedule or Buffer. Click here for more information about these tools, and a couple others we use.

Also, the business owner (realtor, inspector, agent, investor, etc.) who’s spending the day writing and posting sparkling commentary is probably not doing what he or she should be doing. Their most important job is selling houses, finding houses, talking with people, making phone calls, attending meetings, inspecting houses, etc. Creating or even “just” curating content takes time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get done magically, or even effortlessly. But if there’s no time, then you need to outsource the work.

OK, so lets say you’ve jumped all these four hurdles. You agree that you can and should market yourself with the savvy use of others’ content, you recognize that you’re not casting out your best potential clients at your own expense, you make time to curate, you find time to post, you even adopt a system for sharing, and a handy means for scheduling regular posts in the future. Even if you have all of those things, there’s still something holding you back from curating content…

The ROI of content marketingMyth #5. You’re still not convinced the ROI is any good.

Bottom line. You just never thought content marketing was all that important. Some people make it look easy, and you appreciate the effect, but secretly you wonder if the return on investment really worth it, for you? Well here’s the scoop on that.

It’s important. People who use content and social media to market their businesses know it for a fact. Just yesterday, I viewed a speech from Social Media Marketing World last year in which Mark Schaefer, author of the great book The Content Code, said ROI was difficult to measure 7 years ago; and it’s no easier to measure today!

Content ROI is difficult to measure, but it still matters.

The act of sharing content helps people understand you. Since curating content requires less hands-on time to create and produce, yet portrays you as someone who is friendly and helpful, why wouldn’t you spend some time incorporating curated content in your marketing mix?

Mark Schaefer content stat

The number one reason for posting daily, curated content, at about an 80/20 ratio to your owned content, is so that people know, like, and trust you. By sharing others’ content you become, in their eyes, someone who is active in the community, someone real, with a voice and a point of view. Simultaneously, you become a leader in your market.

You want to be remembered, so your marketing is the crucial piece of the puzzle that quietly positions you as the go-to expert for future business. Curated content is the glue that enables others to know that you are active, and that you care about the same things they care about.

Think about the benefit of posting an article on first homes with technology new families would appreciate, or an article on organizing your possessions for a move to a smaller house, a statistic about the latest school bond up for a vote in your school district, etc. People who care about those things will note that you are someone who understands the same issues.

Curated content shared by you is like the glue that holds their attention when you’re not actually “marketing yourself.”

Content you distribute and pepper with your personal commentary shows that you read, watch, and are paying attention to trends, people and ideas that are important. While this type of content isn’t actually “selling” anything you actually do, it initiates and furthers the conversation between you and your ideal clients.

The real return on your investment in curating content is proof that you are active, involved, and helpful (whether directly or indirectly) regarding real estate, your community, and properties in your area. If you provide what people want and need on a small level, chances are they’ll think of you when they’re ready to make upgrades to their house, help their adult child buy their first property, or maybe even list their house soon.

Isn’t it funny how people’s memory seems to hinge on what they saw recently on their phone? Sharing curated tips, pictures, news, recipes, etc. assure you that your customers will remember you because you’re someone who’s reaching them right there, in all the little ways people connect, laugh, worry, brag, and share.

When you get the opportunity to connect face to face, be there. When you can’t be there in person, make use of social sharing and curated content.

If you’d like to discuss your content strategy, and how My team Connects can help you grow your business, please call anytime at 512-351-3329. Or simply give us a shout via email.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Content Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: content curating, content marketing, content marketing for realtors, content marketing ROI, curated content, curated content for realtors, curating content for real estate, marketing for real estate agents, real estate business, real estate marketing

How Smart Startups Conquer Social Media

December 29, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

How Smart Startups Conquer Social Media

startups conquer social media As a startup, you don’t have to be everywhere to make an impact through social media.

A few years ago, a very popular business mentor and social media coach shared that someone commented to her, “I see you everywhere!” I compared her success with mine at the time and decided that I, too, had to be everywhere to make an impact and grow my copywriting business.

Thus began my crazy-making bout of social media clamoring. What a wreck! I felt like I was doing everything — and nothing at all.

Over the years, I learned how to do this in a way that works without taking over my life, making me exhausted, and with barely enough time to do the work I love.

The day-to day keys for success are organization, online tools (many of which weren’t even around back then), and some outside help.

But by far the best strategy for social media success – as you are starting out — is to choose which planet you want to dominate.

If you want to make a difference, get your content to stick, and be noticed by your best audience; choose one social media site and start networking there.

“If you’re everywhere, you’re nowhere.”

Maybe seven or eight years ago, when social media sites were new and early adopters were just beginning to see the opportunities for marketing their businesses and growing professional relationships, it was a good idea to try to “be everywhere.”

As you start to build your business, you also might be tempted to open every social media site you’ve ever heard of and begin creating profiles, but you’ll do better is you discriminate a bit.

Why would I tell a startup to scale back on trying to be everywhere? Because you get more traction by focusing your efforts. And because new companies can’t afford to go big — everywhere. You can, however, “go big” if you choose one planet to dominate.

social media sites each a different planetOver the years, the more social media sites that spring up, the more people began choosing sites within which to interact, even sorting themselves very naturally into groups within each social media site, while neglecting others. The possible exception is Facebook, which has over 1.3 Billion users and is growing into new global markets every day. Facebook is responsible for bringing the Internet to people all over the world, so don’t count out Facebook, whether your business is B2B or B2C.

Today, instead of “being everywhere” and because social media sites continue to grow in numbers of users, the smart startups are making more efficient use of their resources.

In spite of all the social media experts telling you otherwise, and unless you have a large marketing budget or plenty of time to spend, choose a platform or two and commit to building some good relationships there.

How a startup of successfully commits to a social media platform:

  • Join groups.
  • Make sure your bio is complete.
  • Follow lists or hashtags within each platform.
  • Leave comments and/or connect with other users.
  • Research SaaS tools that make using that platform more efficient or sticky, and make it a habit to use these tools every day.
  • Schedule posts to automatically populate on your page or timeline, and check in once or twice daily to respond to any comments on your posts.
  • Send direct messages to other users when appropriate.

Think of each social media site as its own planet.

…especially if your business is new and you haven’t forayed into any social media sites yet. Do not move on until you have a solid footing on the sites where your target market is most likely to be talking. Leave no stone unturned as you search for your crowd on those sites. Only after you feel comfortable there should you move on to the next one. That’s how you conquer social media as a startup with precious time and resources…

You may find that you don’t even need to be anywhere else but Linked In and Twitter, for example, or Facebook and Yelp. (Yes, I consider Yelp a social site. People log on just to read reviews of people like them.) What a revelation! If your startup business is growing due to your socializing on just one or two social media websites, more power to you!

Ten years ago my web developer sent me an email asking me to join her network on Linked In. I’ll never forget her exact words: “Not sure if this will take off, but if it doesn’t we’ll just put a flag in it and call it ours.”

I just checked; she’s still there.

If you’re new and you want to conquer pertinent social media planets, that’s how you do it. Need a hand getting content on your planet of choice? Give us a call.

 

Filed Under: Content Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: conquer social media, social media for startups, social media strategy, startup content strategy

Is Your Content A Little Too Amazing?

November 28, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Is Your Content A Little Too Amazing?

amazing contentWhat’s the purpose of your content? Is “enchanting new prospects” among your goals?

It should be!

The riches are in the niches, you’ve heard that before. So how do you get them to notice you?

Finding your niche is how you build a business or following. You attract one kind of person, sell your unique products and services in that small pool of people who look a lot like that unique person, and gain a small group of loyal customers.

They could be baby boomer entrepreneurs, girl skateboarders, or fountain pen collectors; the more specific the niche, the better.

You get some traction. Winning new business gets easier. You think, “I’ve got this.”

Then, as the word starts spread, you swim out to a larger pond.

Similarly, as a copywriter I adhere to the old adage, “Write to one person. Just one.”

Imagine what that person looks like, where she lives, and what she ate for breakfast; is she rushed, relaxed, disheveled, radiant? I try to get a feel for the customer’s energy as well as measurable facts and demographics.

Identifying that one niche, that one person… there’s no better way to rivet the attention of the customer who’s ready to listen, call, click, or subscribe.

customer branding assessmentGrab my buyer persona cheat sheet here!

However, social media success requires broader appeal.

In addition to your very specific audience, you’re being viewed by a lot of folks who don’t know you, like you, or trust you. To get their attention, and earn that likability and trust — to enchant new prospects as your paths cross — social media requires a mix of content.

I have a fitness coach friend (let’s call her Jane) who’s as nice as can be. I’ve talked with her at social gatherings, and at school functions, and she’s never once knocked a bagel out of my hand or told me to suck anything up. Let’s just say that her demeanor’s not nearly as hard as her abs.

But it’s so funny to watch her on social media. If I didn’t know her I’d be scared. I would think she ate nails for breakfast. Looking at her Instagram, you never see how sweet and encouraging she can be in spite of her take-no-prisoners persona. I often wonder how many people she’s missing out on serving; and who are missing out on being coached by the real Jane!

So yes, go ahead and say something outrageous, be a little kooky, flaunt your uniqueness. You will click with the right people. But, don’t forget to build your community by being amiable to those who don’t get you yet.

top level content

Create plenty of Top o’ the Funnel Content

In addition to the more emotional content, mix in some content that appeals to a more general audience.

Take into account the larger social context of social media. Here, people are their public selves.

On social media, almost everyone wants to be seen as cool, caring, kind, helpful, funny, etc.

How do you come across so that the right people will take note of those qualities in you? Make a slight adjustment in your tone.

Don’t always be telling people what you know. You don’t always have to be The Analyst or The Writer or Coach Jane.

Pretend you are walking around in a public room full of people. Maybe you’re gathered for a party or a conference or some common reason, but you’re strangers to one another.

What do you do? Just be you, be nice, and have fun.

When you write, film, or create images for that “one” person, of course it’s appropriate to share your expertise. You can even get in their face, like my friend Jane.

But don’t assume everyone is in your inner circle all the time. As you build your business and your brand, many will take a chance and follow you just to see what you’re all about. If someone is your ideal customer (the one perfect fit), they’ll notice when you change your tone because, just as in real life, there’s a time and place for getting more personal. It’s almost like your eyes meeting from across the room.

When face to face, you might lower your voice, reveal more about yourself, ask deeper questions. But it’s usually after you’ve both agreed to take the conversation to that level…

Meanwhile, mix in some content that’s a little breezier, or less specific. (“Nice weather we’re having!” or “Have you seen the TED talk about that subject?”) Don’t forget that this may be the first impression among people who don’t know you, so (at least occasionally) use social media to show your friendly face.

If you want to build a bigger community around your brand, social media is the place.

Not everyone will want to take that deep dive with you, but some will. Have fun mingling with lighter, more general content, and you’ll see.

Filed Under: Content Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: amazing content, content marketing, content overboard, shocking content, social media, top of the funnel content

Discover What Your Customers Like For $10 A Day

November 11, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Discover What Your Customers Like For $10 A Day

discover what your customers likeFirst, the facts: lots of people claim to be experts at Facebook ads. The truth from the inside is a little more humbling. Facebook ads platform changes weekly.

As a marketer, you can’t get too comfortable.

It’s like a dance. Facebook shimmies, you shimmy. Facebook turns, you turn. If you want hard and fast answers to all your questions, you might get them, in terms of how many eyeballs were on your ad, or how many clicks it got, or how long someone viewed your video; but by the middle of next week, those numbers can change.

Ouch! So what’s a marketer to do?

We’ll probably never know the secret to how Facebook decides to place your ad before its customers, and at what price. You bid (auction style) and then you let Facebook take the lead and trust that they’re mission is to create the best experience for their customers. (Ahem, that’s their users; not you, dear marketer, but stick with me here…)

Facebook is testing new things all the time. As you partner with the most accessible marketing tool on the planet, my advice is to enjoy playing with the platform. There’s nowhere else on the web where you can get the kind of highly targeted positioning of your content, AND (no small thing) detailed reporting about what’s working and what’s not.

Just an example. We’re working on a Kickstarter campaign for a technology company and we’re targeting outdoor enthusiasts. Although the market includes the music and construction industries as well as urban parent markets; for now, we’re only going after outdoor people like kayakers, mountain bikers, hikers, etc.

If you’re a startup, you know the drill. You think you know what people like and want, but you don’t want to spend dozens of thousands of dollars to know what your customers like for sure.

Enter Facebook. Whether personally you love it or not, Facebook will show you if your words and images resonate with your intended market.

For example, we’re running Facebook’s new carousel ad with five different images and different text beneath each image, with a call to action below each image. Now can you imagine getting reports on which picture and which text your customers liked the best?

  • Wouldn’t you like to put five different ads before your ideal market and see which one people prefer? You can.
  • Would you like to take that same ad and place it before two different groups of people: people who like mountain biking magazines, and people who like fishing magazines… and see which market clicks the most? You can.
  • Would you like to put a video in front of your ideal customer and see if they spent at least 10 seconds watching it or if they scrolled right by? With Facebook’s new video ads, you can.

And you can do this very simply for a budget of $10 a day.

You don’t need to be a fancy ad agency or a marketing expert. All you have to do is log in and start experimenting.

If you have a Facebook Page and you’re not dabbling in Facebook’s back room, why not carve out an hour this week and check it out.

And when you’re ready for a quick walk-through to see what you can do there, schedule a call with me and we can talk about your business and your next marketing project.

Filed Under: Content Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: buyer porsonas, customers, facebook ads, PPC, social media

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