March 1, 2023

I was looking for a restaurant last weekend and two made the cut! So, I decided to check them out on their social media channels.

Restaurant One had updated their Facebook and Instagram, so I knew they were still open and I could get a feel for the restaurant and see the food they served.

Restaurant Two hadn’t posted on their profiles since last July and even then it wasn’t consistent.

So, I chose the one who had been active, and I have to say it was lovely.

There are several reasons why a business needs to be visible:

  • Attracting customers: Visibility is crucial for attracting customers to a business. If people don’t know that a business exists, they won’t be able to buy its products or services. By being visible, a business can attract potential customers and generate more revenue.
  • Building brand awareness: Visibility helps to build brand awareness. A business that is visible is more likely to be recognised by potential customers, and they will be more likely to remember the brand in the future.
  • Establishing credibility: Visibility also helps a business establish credibility in the marketplace. When a business is visible, it shows that it is active and engaged in its industry, which can lead to increased trust and respect from customers.
  • Beating the competition: In today’s competitive business environment, visibility can be the key to beating the competition. A business that is visible is more likely to stand out from its competitors and attract customers away from them.

So, business owners need to show up and be visible as it’s essential for attracting customers, building brand awareness, establishing credibility, and beating the competition

 April 27, 2020

 

I’ve had many questions from my network since we went into lockdown…

  • Should I be selling during this unprecedented time?
  • Should I stop all marketing, my customers aren’t going to buy?
  • Should I continue to promote my business on social media?

The answer: Keep going – change your approach.

Although you need to sell, you may feel guilty selling at this time, even when we are out of lockdown, but you can still keep in touch with your customers – you just need to reframe and adapt your message.

Keeping in front of mind is the aim, and your customers will still want to hear from you.  But, you need to add value and give help.  Those that are still buying will continue, but those who aren’t will remember that you gave help when they needed it, and will come to you when the ‘new normal’ starts.  Many people are not working during this time and are genuinely worried.  As a default, a spirit of humility and empathy should be a filter for anything you say in the near future.

The things that we are buying now aren’t necessarily the things that we would normally buy. Things we are struggling with now, aren’t necessarily things we would normally struggle with.  Your audience needs may have changed.  We are all buying things that suit our situation.  We are also buying in a different way – we’ve had to move to ‘online’ as most of the non-essential shops have stopped trading.

People will still need the things that you sell, it just might not be now, and you will have to deliver them in a different way.  The need doesn’t go away, the method and tone of delivery has to change.

If you have mind monkeys saying ‘I can’t promote my stuff”,  ‘I can’t be seen to be selling’ remove them.  People are never forced to buy what you offer, they do it out of choice.

So, see where you can help, even if you can’t sell at the moment.   Ask your customers how they are and what they need.  Keep in front of mind. It will bring you great rewards.

If you need any help with what to say during this time, just let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

Agility, patience and resourcefulness are what you need.

By in Business GrowthBusiness Owners, Marketing Techniques, Sales Techniques,

 April 20, 2020

 Agility, patience and resourcefulness are what you need.

The challenge facing all marketers is how to generate revenue with so much uncertainty.  Today’s reality is quite different than it was just a few months ago, and that means marketing is more critical than ever.  Activity rolled out now could become the most important, impactful and valuable activities in your company/businesses history.

Here are some tips on how you can manage your marketing efforts in the months ahead.

Keep communicating with your customers

It’s business as usual for your customers and partners and they need to hear that message.  Customers need to see that your business is stable. Be consistent and over-communicate during these uncertain times. They will all be online quite frequently, so be where they are, show up and increase your social activity.  Be helpful, add value. Don’t stop.

Create new tactics to execute planned campaigns

Moving forward with any planned activity will demonstrate that your business is surviving through this downturn.  You may have to adapt the activity and execution will likely require new tactics for this new era.  Embrace new tools and technology, and be willing to learn and adapt quickly.  For example, did you have an event planned?  For now, focus on being the best company at hosting virtual/online events.  Presentations, expert panels, coffee breaks, office hours can be virtualised with some creativity and offer opportunities to build connections and relationships with key audiences.

Invest in team relationships

Maintaining your staff’s trust and your own credibility is a top priority during challenging times. Do not lie about the current climate. Tell the truth and most importantly, come together.  If you roll up your sleeves and power through as a team, you will be stronger and more agile in the future.

Shine as a leader

Leaders shine in challenging times, and now is the time to take that role. Your company needs to know that everyone can rely on the marketing team to lead, and then demonstrate that through action. Map out a few examples of activities your team will be launching in the months ahead, and inspire other departments to do the same, and set the example for proactive teamwork to combat this challenging time.

Help, add value and don’t exploit

If you really have an offering that can help your customers through this time, then offer it. If you don’t, then don’t exploit the pandemic for your own gain. Instead, focus on strengthening customer relationships by being helpful and adding value.  Keep front of mind and customers will likely remember your helpfulness when we come out the other side and your brand will be stronger for it.

Meet. Learn. Share.

By in Business Owners

 March 27, 2020

Meet.Learn.Share. is a small, friendly & hugely informative co-working group, CREATED FOR local independent business owners, RUN BY a local independent business owner, and normally held at a local independent business in Bournemouth, Poole, and surrounding areas – and it’s FREE.

Due to the ‘C’ word, we are taking this group online for a while. We didn’t want to stop as they were becoming so invaluable, and I think we need it more than ever now.

We have just had our first online meeting, and it was great – the support was unbelievable. It’s good to see that we are all coming together to help each other.

It’s a place to:

MEET like-minded business owners and to build new relationships.

LEARN how to launch your business, promote & grow your business, and to reach your target audience.

SHARE ideas and experiences in a small friendly environment. The group will help you, and you will help them, enabling you to walk away with heaps of new ideas that you can implement straight away.

SUPPORT each other. It’s going to be tough few months for some of us. Having the support and someone to talk to is going to be so important.

Do you need ACCOUNTABILITY? Let’s set some goals and commit to them. Sometimes it’s easier just to work ‘in’ your business and not ‘on’ it. Let’s change that!

Get FREE ACCESS to collective expert advice, ask anything you want! You’ll even get FREE ACCESS to our VIP Facebook Group, where, as a group, we will still continue to help each other between meetings.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?

Meet. Learn. Share. are now going to meet weekly, every Friday morning, at 9.30 am, via WebEx.

Each meeting is only 1.5 hours, so if time is an issue, but you still want to get motivated and drive your business forward over this challenging time, then these sessions are perfect.

We just ask that everyone brings at least one business/marketing/social media challenge to each session. You will be given lots of ideas on how to resolve your challenge, and you will also learn from all the challenges that others bring to the table, resulting in a pad full of actionable stuff!

And, if you are late, don’t worry – just join us between 9.30 – 11.00.

Just send me a text: 07787 783038, and I will send you the Webex link.

Look forward to seeing you.
Caroline

ps. we have one rule 🙂 this is a co-working group where we help each other, we are not here to sell to each other.

Our sponsor:
http://www.seanmortonproflooring.co.uk/