Marketing is Not Just Posting on Social Media

Setting clear and achievable goals is a crucial step for marketers to drive success and measure the effectiveness of their efforts. Without well-defined marketing objectives, all activities can become scattered and less impactful. The main goals for marketers on social media are three: Lead Generation, Lead Nurturing, and Lead Conversion. And in this blog, we will dive deeper into these three objectives.

Lead Generation

It is the process of identifying and attracting potential customers, often referred to as “leads,” who have shown interest in a company’s products or services. The main goal of lead generation is to initiate consumer interest and capture contact information, typically through various marketing strategies and tactics. These strategies may include:

– content marketing
– social media marketing
– search engine optimization (SEO)
– email marketing, and more.

The generated leads are then passed to the sales team for further nurturing and conversion into paying customers.

Lead Nurturing

It is the process of building and maintaining relationships with potential customers or leads over time. The purpose of lead nurturing is to guide leads through the buyer’s journey, providing them with relevant and valuable information at different stages of their decision-making process. It is about telling a business story, or stories, in targeted and personalized communication. And here are some tools to use for lead nurturing:

– emails
– newsletters
– educational content
– follow-up messages

Through these communications, marketers aim to keep leads engaged, address their concerns, and move them closer to making a purchase. Effective lead nurturing helps to build trust, credibility, and brand loyalty, increasing the likelihood of lead conversion.

Lead Conversion

It refers to the process of turning a potential customer or lead into an actual paying customer. This occurs when the lead takes the desired action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a service, or subscribing to a membership. Lead conversion is the ultimate goal of marketing and sales efforts, as it directly impacts the company’s revenue and growth.

A successful lead conversion typically involves effective lead generation, nurturing, and a seamless sales process that addresses the needs and preferences of the potential customer, ultimately convincing them to complete the desired action.

To conclude, it is worth noting that the landscape of social media marketing is continuously evolving, and new objectives will continue to emerge. The choice of objectives also depends on the specific goals and target audience of each business or organization.

BizReflections

Grace Nasralla is the founder and senior business blogger at BizReflections. She is a Co-Owner at HUDDLESPACE which provides small business owners with offices for rent. This year (2024), Grace launched a loose leaf tea brand and named it Brew & Scone.

www.bizreflections.ca

June 29, 2022February 1, 2023

Four Steps For Entrepreneurs To Get Out Of Your Own Way!

A fixed mindset holds people back because they believe that their talents and abilities are set in stone, which limits their ability to learn and grow. In order to succeed, entrepreneurs need to overcome their own mindsets. On the other hand, a growth mindset recognizes that skills and talents can be developed through effort, practice, and learning from mistakes. This type of thinking is critical for entrepreneurs who want to achieve high levels of success.

“Be real. There is no bigger magnet to attract your ideal clients than your authentic self. – Puja Misra”

The first biggest barrier to business growth is a lack of confidence.

This can manifest itself in different ways, such as second-guessing yourself, not taking risks, or being too perfectionistic. However, all of these behaviors have one thing in common: they stem from a fear of failing. Instead of seeing failure as a setback, view it as an opportunity to learn and grow. The only way to achieve great things is to embrace failure and adopt a growth mindset.

People with a growth mindset see obstacles as learning opportunities. They are not afraid of failure, because they know that it is only through trial and error that they will find success. They listen to their inner voice and intuition, trusting their gut instinct to guide them. And they are not afraid to take risks, because they know that this is how the big wins are made. This shift in thinking will open up new possibilities and help you reach your full potential.

The second barrier is personal brand reputation.

In today’s digital age, our personal brands are more important than ever before. And many entrepreneurs are so worried about what other people will think of them that they hold back from really putting themselves out there and lose out on an immense amount of opportunities. But the truth is that if you’re not actively working on your personal brand, you’re not going to get very far in business.

Additionally, always remember that you are your Brand and your personal brand reputation is an asset so don’t be afraid to promote yourself and your business.

The third barrier is brand marketing.

Building a brand, marketing and advertising is an important way for any business to reach new clients. Too often, entrepreneurs think that they can’t afford to invest in marketing, or that it’s not worth the effort. Reality is that without a strong brand presence and marketing strategy, your business will struggle to reach its potential and stand apart in a crowded marketplace… If you want to grow your business, you need to invest in branding and marketing.

The fourth Barrier is time management skills.

As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate. From sales and marketing to product development and customer service, there are a lot of moving parts to your business. And while it’s important to be involved in all aspects of your business, you can’t do everything yourself. That’s why time management skills are so important for entrepreneurs.

By learning how to manage your time effectively, you can free up more time to focus on brand strategy, business marketing, and other activities that will help grow your business. And when your business is growing, you’ll be able to show potential investors that you’re serious about making profits. In addition, good time management can help you to build a strong reputation for customer service and quality products or services.

Submitted by:

Puja Misra, the President of Zoom Into Life Studio. A creative branding agency helping businesses & entrepreneurs transform into Brands for over a decade. Proudly serving small businesses in Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Mississauga, Toronto, and the Greater Toronto Area.

www.zoomintolife.com
puja@zoomintolife.com

December 17, 2020February 22, 2023

The Most Powerful Marketing Tool You’ll Ever Need!

Adriene Mishler is the producer and host of Yoga with Adriene. She dominates the online yoga space with over 8.53 million YouTube subscribers.

She is called the ‘People’s Yogi’.

But,

It wasn’t always like this.

Back in 2012 when Adriene got introduced to the online space and started uploading weekly yoga video content to her YouTube channel, little did she know that by 2020 she would have built a very successful business and an online global community of over 8 million people.

What was her secret?

The MOST powerful tool you can have in your marketing toolbox.

Consistency.

By sharing free high-quality yoga content on her channel every single week for over eight years she eventually became the online Go-To yoga instructor she is today.

Adriene is quick to point out that she was NOT an instant sensation.

For three solid years, she consistently uploaded weekly yoga videos – that’s 156 videos- with no love in return.

What she got instead were crickets.

Silence.

No subscribers.

Zero engagement.

When she eventually reached 100 subscribers, it was a moment of great jubilation.

Undaunted, Adriene stayed committed and consistently upload high-quality yoga videos every single week without missing a beat until she got to the tipping point, three years later.

That’s well over 600 videos in eight (8) years. Impressive!

Seth Godin Too

This level of discipline and consistency also reminds me of my personal marketing hero – Seth Godin, one of the world’s leading marketers, and Mr. Purple Cow himself.

If you subscribe to Seth’s newsletter, you’ll get an email EVERY SINGLE DAY, bar none. I mean 365 days of the year.

I guess that’s why he is worth millions.

So, it bears repeating.

CONSISTENCY is the MOST powerful marketing tool you’ll ever possess.

And, it’s FREE.

By harnessing the power of consistency, you outcompete, outsmart and outsell your competitors even if they are more talented and have more resources.

Consistency doesn’t mean you are always winning; what it means is that you are always taking action and moving one step closer to your goals.

Here is the flip side, inconsistency makes you stale, out of touch, and out of mind.

Just imagine if Adriene had thrown up her hands in despair during those three barren years when nothing seemed to have been happening.

What if she got frustrated and exited YouTube altogether? She would have missed the huge wins she now enjoys.

How about Joe Girard?

Considered a marketing genius and title holder of the World’s Greatest Salesman (conferred by the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records), Joe Girard sold a whopping 13,001 vehicles over the span of 15 years,

Joe was a car salesman at a Chevrolet dealership in the United States between 1963 and 1978.

In 1973 alone he sold 1,425 vehicles; an average of 127 per month or 32 per week.

In his best month, he sold 174 vehicles, and on his best day 18.

Let those numbers sink in for a bit.

Did Joe sell to the rich and famous?

Nope.

Did he sell wholesale or in bulk?

Nope.

He sold the old-fashioned way. One vehicle at a time.

Amazing! Right?

Are you wondering how could ordinary Joe accomplish such an extraordinary feat?

The secret to his mega-success?

Maybe he had a large team.

Maybe he had a HUGE network.

Maybe he wooed prospects with expensive gifts.

None of that was true.

For sure, he worked hard and was likable – so were his peers.

But what did he do that was so superior that propelled him to a league of his own?

He harnessed his marketing superpower. The power of consistency.

For 10 years, month after month.

Year after year.

Joe stayed top of mind without missing a beat.

Joe’s extraordinary system

Here is what Joe did extraordinarily well:

Every month he would send a personalized greeting card to his entire customer list
At the beginning of the new year (in January) he would send a card saying: “I like you”
Every February for Valentine’s Day he would send a card saying: “I like you.

Just imagine the time and labour it took to send out 13,000 cards to his customers each month.

Eventually, Joe had to hire an assistant.

Every card was handwritten, addressed, and sent through the postal system.

Joe was so successful that eventually, customers had to book an appointment in advance to see him.

His sales pipeline overflowed while other sales associates paced back and forth, praying and hoping for foot traffic.

What if:

Adriene had given up in frustration after three barren years when nothing was happening?

What if she had exited YouTube altogether?

She would have missed the huge wins she now experiences.

Would Seth have become a multi-millionaire and be recognized as one of the world’s top marketing influencers?

Would Joe have been awarded the prestigious title of World’s Greatest Salesman if they decided to throw in the towel when the going got rough and tough?

What if this group of standouts got up one day and ‘didn’t’ feel like it’ or got so ‘busy’ they slacked off or caved to someone who ticked them off?

You see, this is what truly separates the mediocre from the extraordinary.

Staying focused and remaining consistent with your marketing.

How about you? Share your thoughts.

Submitted By:

_{Dorothy Vernon-Brown helps business owners and entrepreneurs grab attention, convert leads faster and scale more quickly by using a proven end-to-end digital automation solution. She is the owner of AKB² Small Business Marketing}

December 14, 2020February 22, 2023

December: A Critical Month for the Small Business

Entrepreneurship was very important at our home as my parents were entrepreneurs. And despite the rush and hustle that always came with the month of December, it was the month we enjoyed the most. My Dad owned a retail store on a busy street in the city of Beirut. And one of the most memorable times I have for December is when my siblings and I used to alternate to go and help my Dad at the store. That was always the busiest time of the year. Yes, to some businesses it may be a busy month, but to others, it is the slowest time of the year. Whatever season December may mean for any business, it is considered a critical month to many owners and entrepreneurs. Many may not see it as a critical month yet, however, this blog may be an eye-opener to many!

Listen as you read …

Steps To Consider

If December is a high season for the business, get the help it needs to meet customer requirements. However, if it is a slow season and has a decline in sales, it does not mean that time spent on planning and doing admin work gets undervalued. Here is a list of tasks that can be done in December to prepare the business for a successful year ahead.

Evaluate:

Evaluate the calendar year not only in terms of sales but also in terms of operations and customer relations. Review business practices and learn from mistakes done. Take another look at the marketing strategy and determine what has worked best in creating visibility for the brand. Evaluate what was done to increase following. Review sales reports and try to follow patterns for growth. Research the achievements of competitors and learn from them.

Reach out:

Use slow times to reach out to customers and check on them. Send season’s greetings that reflect sincere wishes and promises for future work relationships. Send out a newsletter with wishes for a successful new year. Assure customers that your business will always be there for them when they need it. Reaching out to current customers is very important to increasing customer retention. Use the season as an opportunity to establish contact with customers, leads, and everyone on the mailing list.

Plan:

Yes, December is the time to plan for the new year. Write your vision and set business objectives. Break them into goals and set timelines. Research business and marketing trends. Sketch out a marketing plan so the business stays ahead in brand visibility.

Get Organized:

Prepare for January/February income tax filing. Catch up on administrative work. Follow up with the accountant in order to complete income tax filing in a timely manner.

If December is not the busiest season for your business industry, it doesn’t mean it’s a slow month. It’s up to the business owner to use it wisely and make it a time to prepare for a successful year ahead.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post! You may follow BizReflections blog for future business related posts and updates. (FOLLOW button in sidebar). I would also like to invite you to subscribe to BizReflections YouTube channel. Our channel is a collection of business videos that equip small business owners for growth.

March 28, 2018April 12, 2022

BEST FIT SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

There are different factors that determine which social media platform should be used for a business. However, depending on the business type and the target audience one may come up with a good social media marketing strategy. This strategy may incorporate a presence on all social media platforms. However, the focus will be on where your audience is. A business may get thousands of likes on Facebook but may fail to develop engagement. This is an indicator that it is not the right platform to invest time in. However, it does not imply taking Facebook out of the equation. A business still needs to create visibility for its brand, but it will be a better investment to spend time on a platform that allows an active forum with its audience.

Twitter is an amazing tool for branding a business. However, with specific types of businesses, it may not create engagement. It may create a lot of discussions about pop culture and breaking news, but for a business that sells products and/or services, it mostly helps in highlighting the brand.

As a business owner that caters to small businesses, I found that spending time on Instagram is worthwhile. It is easy to interact and build hype for my business at the same time. Adding hashtags to posts on Instagram actually brings in an interested audience.

Experiment and test different methods like this to find out what works best for your business in order to build a strong Social Media marketing strategy.

[1]http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/