How To Craft an Effective Call to Action
Published in Marketing
Fewer than 25% of businesses say they are satisfied with their conversion rates. That is pretty depressing.
Up Your Sales By 300% With LinkedIn
Published in Marketing
(2 min read)
I'll have to admit, I've been a big time skeptic. There’s a conversation going around that cold calling is dead, and I just couldn’t bring myself to believe it.
I mean, what happened to being “held to the flames”? My first sales job I was on the floor making cold calls and closing big contracts within a few weeks.
I'll have to admit, I've been a big time skeptic. There’s a conversation going around that cold calling is dead, and I just couldn’t bring myself to believe it.
I mean, what happened to being “held to the flames”? My first sales job I was on the floor making cold calls and closing big contracts within a few weeks.
Do you remember in business school when you learned about the four Ps: Product, Place, Price and Promotion in your Marketing 101 class? A lot has changed since I was sitting in my first Marketing class 20+ years ago, however the 4 Ps are still relevant. While marketing professors still refer to the 4 Ps, the implementation is quite different.
Remember the days when you thought 'Place' referred to real estate, a good a visible store front? Then we hit the "dot.com era" and began to think beyond brick and mortar to having a website. In today's fast moving digital economy you need even more than just a digital presence.
Now you need a website that is mobile-friendly. The computer that we use the most, is the one that fits in the palm of our hand. In fact, by 2018, according to eMarketer, global smartphone users will reach the 2.5 billion mark. And nearly 86 million consumers will make a purchase on their device in 2016.
Remember the days when you thought 'Place' referred to real estate, a good a visible store front? Then we hit the "dot.com era" and began to think beyond brick and mortar to having a website. In today's fast moving digital economy you need even more than just a digital presence.
Now you need a website that is mobile-friendly. The computer that we use the most, is the one that fits in the palm of our hand. In fact, by 2018, according to eMarketer, global smartphone users will reach the 2.5 billion mark. And nearly 86 million consumers will make a purchase on their device in 2016.
How To Write a Blog that Generates Leads
Published in Marketing
I've been blogging a lot lately about lead generation. For most businesses it is the hot topic because, if you are not generating leads, little else matters. I my previous blog I discussed content creation, but today I'd like to focus on one specific form of content and that is blogging.
Writing a blog can be easy, fast and effective for generating leads. It can also be a complete waste of time if not done well, with no real purpose. You know the adage, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it fall, does it make a sound?" Think of your blog as a tree in the woods, if no one reads and responds to your blog, does it make an impact on your business?
Here are things you must consider to write a blog that makes an impact:
Writing a blog can be easy, fast and effective for generating leads. It can also be a complete waste of time if not done well, with no real purpose. You know the adage, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it fall, does it make a sound?" Think of your blog as a tree in the woods, if no one reads and responds to your blog, does it make an impact on your business?
Here are things you must consider to write a blog that makes an impact:
Landing pages are one of the most important elements of a lead generation campaign. In fact, according to MarketingSherpa’s research, landing pages are effective for 94% of B2B and B2C companies. So why are so few companies using them?
A landing Page is a single page within your website where you can direct visitors to one particular offer without the distractions of everything else on your website. Visitors are on a landing page for one and only purpose: to complete the lead capture form.
A landing Page is a single page within your website where you can direct visitors to one particular offer without the distractions of everything else on your website. Visitors are on a landing page for one and only purpose: to complete the lead capture form.
If you have been following my blog series on Lead Generation, you know that you need to have an offer to engage your prospects. If you missed that blog, you can check it how HERE.
The offer is basically the carrot, now what you need is the pole and string from which to dangle that well-crafted carrot and to get your prospects to act or engage.
What gets our audience to reach for the carrot is your call-to-action (CTA). When effectively crafted, they will capture people’s attention and persuading them to act.
Not all CTAs are effective or will result in action. It's important to consider what your competitors are offering and then determine why someone may choose your offer over the competition.
Once you have your offer decided, now it's time to get the word out. Here's how:
The offer is basically the carrot, now what you need is the pole and string from which to dangle that well-crafted carrot and to get your prospects to act or engage.
What gets our audience to reach for the carrot is your call-to-action (CTA). When effectively crafted, they will capture people’s attention and persuading them to act.
Not all CTAs are effective or will result in action. It's important to consider what your competitors are offering and then determine why someone may choose your offer over the competition.
Once you have your offer decided, now it's time to get the word out. Here's how:
As business owners our primary goal is to make money so we are focused on revenue, product pricing and billing of our services. To think about giving something away for free seems counter-intuitive. However, giving away something that your audience views as exclusive, scarce, or in high demand is a good way to open the door to engaging a new customer.
Returning from a spring break trip to visit family my daughter realized she had not downloaded any new movies on her lap top. Six hours in the back seat of a car, to a modern eleven year old, was going to be a strain on everyone in the car. Reading is out of the question, because she gets car sick. I grabbed my phone, signed up for a free month of Audible, bought her a book on Amazon and it was amazingly quiet for the entire trip. Even better, she loved listening to the book so much we are considering continuing our subscription.
I'm not sure I would have even considered Audible if it wasn't for the free subscription. If it is fitting for your business to give away a free trial, it is a great way to allow new customers to try your product. For a subscription service a free month is a good option, for other product companies a sample size may be appropriate.
For B2B companies deciding on an incentive is a more difficult decision. Think about your clients' pain points and what does your company offer that may help your target audience. Consider white papers or a free analysis as a means of engaging with a new customer.
Returning from a spring break trip to visit family my daughter realized she had not downloaded any new movies on her lap top. Six hours in the back seat of a car, to a modern eleven year old, was going to be a strain on everyone in the car. Reading is out of the question, because she gets car sick. I grabbed my phone, signed up for a free month of Audible, bought her a book on Amazon and it was amazingly quiet for the entire trip. Even better, she loved listening to the book so much we are considering continuing our subscription.
I'm not sure I would have even considered Audible if it wasn't for the free subscription. If it is fitting for your business to give away a free trial, it is a great way to allow new customers to try your product. For a subscription service a free month is a good option, for other product companies a sample size may be appropriate.
For B2B companies deciding on an incentive is a more difficult decision. Think about your clients' pain points and what does your company offer that may help your target audience. Consider white papers or a free analysis as a means of engaging with a new customer.
3 Best Marketing Tools for Lead Generation other than your Website
Published in Small Business Marketing
We all know that having a website is vital to any business. It is your digital storefront, greeter and initial explanation of your businesses products or services.
While websites can be optimized for better lead generation, what do you do for customers who are not coming directly to your website? Here are three marketing tools that will help you gain more leads.
While websites can be optimized for better lead generation, what do you do for customers who are not coming directly to your website? Here are three marketing tools that will help you gain more leads.
There was a time when personal networks, the neighborhood grapevine and the yellow pages were the extent of a B2B company's marketing plan. Times have changed and the way customers buy is much different. No one is waiting around for a sales person to ring or share more about a company's product or service.
Now, customers walk around with a computer in their hand at all times. If a question comes to mind, there is an answer at your fingertips. Ever view a group of people waiting to walk into a meeting, to get on a flight, or pick to their child up from practice? They are all on their phones.
Depending on the product, 50% - 80% of the buying decision has been narrowed down or determined before a salesperson is ever engaged.
So, what does this mean for you? It means that if your marketing strategy does not include proper web communication and mobility, social media and digital communications, you are missing a big part of your audience.
Now, customers walk around with a computer in their hand at all times. If a question comes to mind, there is an answer at your fingertips. Ever view a group of people waiting to walk into a meeting, to get on a flight, or pick to their child up from practice? They are all on their phones.
Depending on the product, 50% - 80% of the buying decision has been narrowed down or determined before a salesperson is ever engaged.
So, what does this mean for you? It means that if your marketing strategy does not include proper web communication and mobility, social media and digital communications, you are missing a big part of your audience.
