Practical Marketing for Small Businesses: Improving Your Digital Visibility

Christine B. Whittemore

Upon completing this program, you should know how to:

Learn how to assess your digital visibility

Think with a customer mindset

Develop a content strategy that integrates offline and online activities

Measure results

3

Christine B. WhittemoreChief Simplifier, Simple Marketing Now, LLC

Social media & content marketing strategist

Passionate about the retail experience & marketing to women, social media & content marketing, and helping companies make their marketing work harder!

The Plan Examine the marketplace

› What has changed? What about your digital visibility?

› Google Juice Digital Visibility Basics How to do this when you’re busy? Examples

The Old Ways Aren’t Working

We live in a Digital World

70 to 90% of people start the purchase process at a search window

97% of local customers use online media to research businesses in their community**

**BIA/Kelsey research Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comMarch 2011

Customers Go Online

To educate themselves › Reviews,

networks, community…

Can you be found online?› With consistent

profiles, keywords & content?

Especially Women Consumers!

The majority of online audience & growing!› Communication

› Content

› Commerce

› Sense of Community

› Convenience [i.e., 24/7] Stats:

› 84% of social media sites are frequented more by women than men*

Source: * CRM Buyer

Buying Doesn’t Happen In a Void

Part of a bigger picture› Where relationships matter

Share context & affinity Build trust Expect continuity of good treatment

Purchase decisions are big deals› Context matters› Search for solutions › High expectations

Imagehttp://contentmarketingtoday.com/2010/08/12/content-marketing-converts-even-the-toughest-business-buyers/

Establishing Trust: People want to buy from people they

trust› Need to establish trust & show you care

Be the brand Be online Be human

They want solutions They don’t want a hard sell

› Suspicious of marketing claims Build a relationship before they buy!

Digital Visibility is Critical!

The paradox of existence› If you have a physical presence, but can’t

be found online, do you exist?

› If you can be found, will you interact, offer value, be transparent and authentic with potential customers?

Being Found Means… Rich Opportunities!

› Develop an online reputation before you need it

› Create a community of fans Word-of-mouth [~Fiskateers]

› Drive pre-qualified traffic to your site› Appear in search results

(Are You Keeping an Eye on Mobile?)

What about You?

Can you be found?

15

Where is Your Business? Do you have a website?

› How often do you update it? Does your website tell your story?

› Do you offer valuable and unique content?

How do you communicate with customers?› Do you gather emails?› Send out eNewsletters?› Text?, Phone?

Search Is Becoming Increasingly Social

Can you be found from a search window?

What about social media & social networking?› Can your website content be shared?› Do you have a Facebook Page?› What about a Blog?

Are you personally engaged with these tools?

Show of Hands: Which Digital Tools Do You Use?

Website Google Places eNewsletter Facebook LinkedIn Blog Twitter Foursquare

Which Digital Tools Do You Use?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Yes No

%

WebPlaceseNewsletterFacebookLinkedInBlogTwitter4Square

Results based on survey conducted in Jan 2011

Have You Googled Yourself?

If you can’t be found online, you don’t exist…

What’s your ‘Google Juice’? › Good?› Bad?› Nothing?

Examine the First 3 Pages

How many results relate to you?

“CB Whittemore”’s Google Juice

Relevant results Page 1 = 10 Relevant results Page 2 = 10 Relevant results Page 3 = 10

-------------

30 Divide by total possible results [30]

› Multiply by 100 => 100%› “Christine B Whittemore” = 96.67%› “Christine Whittemore” = 86.67%

Digital Visibility Function of:

› Quality & relevance of your content› Frequent updates [i.e., dynamic, fresh

content]› Links to your content – because it’s valuable› Completed social profiles

LinkedIn, Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, Google Profile and Places

Be consistent! Manage your social reputation

Develop a Digital Presence

Website Blog Digital Outposts

› Google profile, Places Social networks

› Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, FourSquare

Improve Your Digital Visibility

Create consistent social profiles› LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Link back to your website Don’t forget

› Google Places› Professional listings, directories

Develop a content strategy Speak in terms relevant to customers

Focus on Adding Value

Banish the hard sell Build relationships

› Establish credibility & trustworthiness› Be there long term

What’s important to your customers?› Are you listening?

Show of Hands: How Are You Listening?

In-store surveys Salespeople feedback Customer service feedback Google alerts Yelp Foursquare Comments & reviews In-store events Do you capture emails? Other social feedback tool?

How Are You Listening?

Start Listening to Customers!

In-store, via salespeople, installers, customer service› Everyone who interacts with customers!› Surveys: be proactive!

Online› Google alerts› Twitter search

Pay attention Mine your web analytics search terms

Integrate It All

Be consistent across all of your ‘touchpoints’› Online› Offline

Digital Visibility Basics

31

No Website?

My QR Code

Google Places

Website: Digital Brick & Mortar

Should consistently tell your brand story› You, your people› In terms relevant to customers

Reflect what you hear What matters to customers

› Keep it fresh/update it! Pay attention to your website basics

› Each page: unique content› Description, keywords

Digital Outposts Where do your

customers hang out?› LinkedIn› Facebook› Blogs› Twitter› Search Window

What matters to them?› HINT: it’s not always sales

related

Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comCopyright © 2010

What is Social Media?

John Jantsch/Duct Tape Marketing

Digital Social Tools and Platforms

Easy to useMostly freeEnable sharingMeans to an endFacilitate conversation, build trust with people

Using…

Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comMarch 2011

Social Tools For Conversation

Social is about

Being Human!

Listen First

Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comMarch 2011

Social Media Matters:

LinkedIn: Professional Social 70+ million users

› New member every second › ~ 12 million daily unique visitors › Includes executives from all Fortune 500

companies 80% companies use it for recruiting Thought-leadership

› Groups, Answers, updates Create individual and company

profiles

LinkedIn: Professional

GroupsAnswersUpdatesYour profileCompany page

Connect in time,Geographically,Exponentially…

Facebook: Casual Social Over 500 million users!

› ~ world’s 3rd largest country› 100+ million active users access through mobile

devices Average user spends ~55 minutes/day

› Connects to 80 community pages, groups, events› Creates 90 pieces of content each month

2/3 of comScore’s U.S. Top 100 websites are integrated with Facebook

Consider a Fan Page for your business› Build relationships with existing customers and friends› Google Searchable

Facebook: Casual/Social

Regular updatesInteraction

Minimal selling:Focus on relationship building

Facebook Fan boxes,Like buttons…

Twitter: Affinity Social 140 character micro-blogging platform ~ 110 million users Search engine searchable

› 600+ million searches happen every day 80% of Twitter users use mobile

devices 54% of bloggers post content or tweet

on a daily basis › Over 50 million tweets in 2010 

Twitter: Professional, Affinity-Based

About building relationships, discovery,sharing links related to my areas of Interest:#RetailEXP#PracticalMktr

Blog: Printing Press/Cafe Over 181 million blogs

› 34% of bloggers post opinions about products and brands

› 72% of bloggers share expertise› 1 in 5 bloggers updates his/her blog daily› Corporate blogging accounts for 14% of blogs

60% of bloggers are 18-44 years› 50%+ of bloggers are married and/or parents› 50%+ of bloggers have more than one blog

Blogs: Thought Leadership

Regular Updates [2x/wk]: content relatedto my expertise

Blog Content is Timeless Where you tell your story in

terms relevant to customers› Create greater meaning and

value› Be human› Reach out to others in your space› Influence, thought leadership› Conversation› Available 24/7› Drive readers deeper into your

website’s content

Foursquare: Geolocation! Based on smartphone GPS

› i.e., mobile “Check in” to favorite places

› Tips› Hints› Mayors› Discounts

Set up your business; reward loyalty

Create Your Own QR Code http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

› Include a message› Link to your website

Add it to your store window or to other commmunications

Beware of Flash Focus on Content Consistent Keywords Post frequently, consistently, relevantly on a blog Create unique content Listen. Listen more. Banish the Hard Sell! What do your physical & digital retail

experiences communicate? Are they fresh? Promote your digital presence offline & your

physical presence online. Invite visitors to opt-in for memorable email

communications.

Source: CBW MarketingProfs

How To Do This When You’re

BUSY?

55

First Questions…

What is your business about? How are you different?

› Service?› Quality?› Knowledge?› Price?

What do your customers value?› How much do you know about them?› Do you listen to them?

What Is Your Business Known For?

Customer Service Ninja Product Innovation Champion Fashion Maven Distribution Dynamo Social Matchmaker

Are You Looking To Build Relationships with Customers?

› What’s important to them› How can you help them› How does your business offer them solutions

Who are your customers?› What are your different buyer personas?

Local residents Rental companies

What tools do you use now?› How do you use them?

Social Outposts Are Easy to Set Up, But…

Most tools require:› Ongoing fresh content› Interaction and monitoring› Need to be integrated into other marketing

and business activities Success requires

› Planning ahead› Time management› Aligning reasons for social with business

goals

Determine

What’s your purpose in engaging in digital tools & social media?

How does this relate to your business?› What are your business

keywords/themes?› What stories will you share beyond

promotions and sales? What’s important to your different

customers?

Create a Content Strategy That looks at your business from your

CUSTOMER’s perspective› Content audit› Customer feedback› Address gaps› Which tools are most meaningful?› What do they look for?

Remember these tools allow you to humanize your brand

Content Ideas What’s relevant to

› New customers› Potential customers› Existing customers

Design? Entertaining Tips? Safety? Care?

› Ask your customer service, sales reps, installers: Involve your organization!

Each Social Tool Differs Facebook:

› Lighthearted updates, share customer before/after, photos of community events

LinkedIn: › Group discussions, news items, status updates, Answers

Twitter: › Items relevant to your follower base, Twitter Chats,

#Coverings Foursquare:

› Mobile, reward loyalty, best for brick & mortar locations Blog:

› Your publishing platform; allows you to create thoughtful content to share on other networks

Think “Repurpose Content” Blog› How your expertise solves problems

Photos?

› Invite experts from Twitter to share advice Builds credibility

› Tell story behind products you sell on website› What you learned during Twitter chat

Facebook› Success story pictures, before/after› Community events, FUN

Make Multiple Use of Content

Twitter› Share links to design experts articles› Link to blog posts› Participate in Twitter chats

LinkedIn› Share content in a group discussion based

on how you solve customer problems › Link to blog posts, articles

From Customers’ Perspective!

Create a Simple Strategy Document

Source: Ron Ploof, Strategy Made Simple

Channel Objective Audience Content

Web site

Blog

Facebook Fan Page

Twitter

LinkedIn

eNewsletter

In-store

Then a Content Calendar Integrate offline with online

› Community events, in-store interactions…

Topics Sale N/L In-Store

Blog Twitter FB LI

DesignColor

New products

Care

FAQs

Your community

quarterly Monthly

+ recap past events+ promote coming events+ summary Blogposts

Monthly

Designer wine & cheese

2x wk

Answer customer questions

How to care for your product

How others in the design community use your product

Daily series of 3 tweets

Design article links

Answers to common Q

Community happening

Link to blogpost

3x wk

Before & after pix

In-store events pix

Happenings in community

Refer to blogpost

1x wk

Link to business article

LI Answers

Blog app

Watchout!

Don’t post the exact same content everywhere› Different angles› Relevant for different audiences› Don’t SPAM!

Time Management: Critical! Who will monitor & manage your digital presence?› Don’t delegate to a high school kid

These are YOUR customers These are legitimate platforms for customer

communication You need social media policies that

coincide with your overall business policies

Complaints? Comment policy?

Use Outlook reminders

Planning Ahead: Critical! Develop a content strategy that

aligns with your business strategy› Content affects online and offline› Content strategy will guide content

calendar Content-based approach requires

long-term, customer-focused commitment

Prioritize! Pick your social networks based on how

they relate to business goals & customers› Be fluent in how they work: experiment› Things can change rapidly

Pay attention to Mobile!

› Your customers may not be involved now, but they could be tomorrow Facebook phenomenon!

Set time limits

It Takes Time … Especially at beginning

› To be successful, PLAN! Develop content strategy and content

calendar Be deliberate about what you say

online/offline

Use tools available: repurpose

Start small ~ 15 min/day› Use Outlook reminders

Rules for Social Networking

Offer value No hard sell Be active consistently Mind your manners Be genuine Don’t spam Remember that your reputation is at

stake Think long term

Measuring Success Lots of data available. Pick something

meaningful & relevant to your business.› Quality vs. quantity

Relevant Twitter followers

› Monitor visits to web/blog Visitors from social sites tend to be better qualified

and spend more time on your sit

› Monitor referral sources› Interactions, comments

Repeat what works, change what doesn’t!

Examples of

Digital Visibility Building

75

Avente Tile

Don’s Carpet One

Floorcrafters

Food For Thought Bigger isn’t always better

› Focus on QUALITY Take time to know who your fans,

followers, subscribers are› Interact› Ask questions› Say thank you

Add value so you can build meaningful relationships

Summary Determine if you are digitally visible If not, become visible!

› Online profiles› Websites› Social networks

Use your online presence to build relationships with customers› Offer value

Be involved in your solution Gain experience, move to next option

Will You Assess This Seminar? Was this valuable?

› What did you like most? Would you recommend it to a friend?

› What would you say? What is most important idea you

learned?› What will you put into action immediately?

What do you want to know more about?› Your email address for more information.

Thank You!

To Learn More…Christine B. Whittemore

Chief SimplifierSimple Marketing Now LLC

› cbwhittemore@SimpleMarketingNow.com› Tel: 973-283-2424

Flooring The Consumer weblog› http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com

Simple Marketing Blog http://SimpleMarketingBlog.com