Visual People Blog
13
Use Social Media as a Conversation Starter
So we were thinking about how people use social media like Facebook to keep up to date with their friends. If you see someone whom you haven’t spoken with for a while, you can pick up the conversation more easily if you’re Facebook friends with him or her. For instance:
Friend 1: “Oh, hi, Fred. It’s been forever since I’ve seen you. Didn’t you just get back from Hawaii? I think I saw that on Facebook.”
Friend 2: “That’s right, Mary. It was such a great trip. We took the kids and we all had a great time on the beach. Speaking of kids, how’s your new little grandson? I saw the photos on Facebook the other day.”
This beats talking about the weather, right?
As business owners, we can take a lesson from this – one that we don’t often pull off very well. Why don’t we talk about the fun stuff that our business is doing more often in social media? Instead, we write blog posts and promote other people’s links and try to put out subtle reminders of why someone should buy our product or service.
Would you rather see:
“Mo’s Dry Cleaners has the best dry cleaning service in town! Here’s a link to our most recent ad in the local newspaper.”
or
“Wow, what a day. A woman brought in a letterman’s jacket that belonged to her father. It had been up in the attic in a trunk for years and she found it when she was cleaning out his house after he passed away recently. Yuck, did it smell! But we were able to get the smell – and a few stains – out of it. Now our customer has a great way to remember her dad.”
You’d at least be more engaged reading the second post. And you’d be more likely to remember it in the back of your mind. So the next time you come across some item of clothing that you want to keep but that is pretty stinky, you might think (consciously or subconsciously), “Oh, yeah, Mo’s Dry Cleaners can handle that.”
Or, just as good for ol’ Mo’s, let’s say you’re having a conversation with a friend and for some reason the topic of a smelly article of clothing comes up. “Hey, I heard Mo’s Dry Cleaners can take care of that sort of thing,” you might say.
So, just like Mary and Fred at the beginning of this post used Facebook to casually keep up with what the other was doing, you can keep your customers and potential customers in the loop through the things you share on Facebook.
Best of all, it doesn’t take a lot of time and energy to relate the events of your day. You don’t write an article, or shoot a video, or agonize for an hour about posting an update on your new pet or the fun thing your family did, do you? Nope (well, most of us don’t…). So while it’s great if you want to incorporate all those other types of content, don’t forget to post quick, informative updates on what your business is up to. You may attract more attention that way.
12
Social Media - New Approach or New Technology?
Is social media a new technology or a new approach? We argue that you can use social media tools to communicate easier with your small business customers, but it requires the same traditional care that all good marketing and selling takes.
10
When are negative reviews good?
The small business owners we work with are worried about social media because they don’t want someone to offer a critical post on Facebook or a nasty review on Yelp. It’s risky to open yourself up online. It can be even more risky to open up your small business online – to feedback, to reviews, to opinions. But negative reviews can sometimes be a good thing.
3
Five Tips for Better Customer Testimonials
Testimonials are a great way to reinforce the idea that you provide good quality products and services to your customers. Using them on your website and on your other marketing materials establishes expertise and trustworthiness. Here are five tips to improve your testimonials:
24
Free Website Templates Give Your Small Business Just What You Pay For
Using a free template for your small business website may have some pitfalls you haven’t considered. Here’s why we never recommend templates to the small business owners and managers who are our clients.
25
For Better Search Engine Rankings, Try Adding Video
YouTube is one of the biggest sites where people search for content. So what makes a good web video? And is it worth doing to drive more traffic to your site?
5
Why Your Website Needs a Custom Touch for Effective Search Engine Rankings
Website templates may save you money, but they may cost you customers. That’s because Wordpress sites aren’t effectively optimized for search engine rankings without a lot of custom plug-ins and tweaks. And if your target customers aren’t finding your site, is is really worth it?
4
Would You Rather Be Effective or Pretty?
Should you use a Wordpress template for your small business website to save money? Templates can be pretty, but because they are not created for your target customer or to meet your business goals, they are seldom truly effective. A website that works for you is much more than just pretty looking.
31
Six Criteria for Creating Content Other People Want to Read and Link To
Do you share links to sites you like? Think like a customer – what would he or she most want to share about your business or industry? Here are six things that your small business website’s content should have in order to be easily referenced and shared.
17
How to Gain Trust and Increase Sales on Your Small Business Website
A potential new customer has found your small business website. Now what? Does this person stick around and ultimately buy from you, or do they turn around and look for one of your competitors? Here’s how to improve the trust factor online.
12
Postcard Marketing: Promote Your Small Business with a Great Mailing
Postcards don’t get the same attention these days as internet marketing or social media. But these mailed cards, when done correctly, can be a great way to get your marketing message in front of your customers, especially if you are on a budget.
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