Whether you’re a chiropractor, own a SaaS company, or run a law firm, B2B and B2C companies vary widely in their business models. Yet, the things they have in common are the desire to generate leads and drive business growth.
Though achieving these goals through marketing can be time-consuming, this article will present the top growth methods for successful marketing execution. Here you will learn how to accomplish three ways to help you become a better marketer:
Create multifaceted content
Build customer relationships
Adapt to new tools
Plus, you’ll know how to implement each method by utilizing the top tactics below. Here are the top three approaches you should consider implementing today.
Creating Multifaceted Content
Content marketing isn’t just for B2C brands. B2B companies are also making a significant jump in this marketing realm by creating a strategic content marketing strategy.
Yet, when it comes to helping entrepreneurs become better marketers, they must focus on creating content for more than one channel. This approach uses well-rounded subject matter to attract new leads and convert prospects by focusing on audience pain points in different areas of the internet.
Here are a few tips to help you implement a multifaceted content strategy.
1. Create Buyer Personas
When developing different content, understanding who the content is reaching is important. You should have a clearly defined audience, known as a buyer persona.
A buyer persona gives you a picture of an ideal customer. The details of a buyer persona include demographics such as age, income, location, etc. In addition, you should describe the buyer’s personality, interests, goals, wants, and needs.
2. Align Content to the Sales Funnel
Once you create your buyer personas, you can add an extra layer to your content marketing strategy by mapping the buyer’s journey. In essence, it helps to create “evergreen” content that addresses customer issues at each stage of the sales funnel.
A sales funnel’s purpose is to nurture the prospects at each stage, helping them move closer to sales. The process works like this:
Awareness: This is the top of the funnel where prospects are looking for information to help them articulate their problem. Content at this stage should focus on the buyer’s pain points rather than the product or service. Examples include informative blogs, ebooks, guides, infographics, etc.
Consideration: The buyer at this stage understands their problem and is now ready to find solutions. Consider creating content focusing on specific solutions to solve the buyer’s problem. Examples include webinars, product features, and comparison blogs.
Decision: The buyer is ready to compile a list of solutions. You can create brand-specific content at this point, focusing on the benefits of your company’s offerings. Examples include case studies, reviews, and demos.
3. Measure Return on Investment
Once you start creating content to maximize traffic and convert leads, you must understand the results of your content marketing campaigns by analyzing data. Based on your goals and timelines, consider using metrics to measure your results, including:
Total leads such as email subscribers, purchases, and free-trial sign-ups.
Total impressions from Google Analytics.
Traffic from the content you publish.
Changes in bounce rates.
Once you analyze your results, you can use this information to maximize future content marketing strategies for success.
Establish Customer Relationships
One method of helping entrepreneurs become better marketers is forming organic relationships with customers. Customers are savvier than ever and don’t want you to bombard them with sales pitches or advertisements.
Instead, they prefer to get to know you first. That way, you understand them better and can create products that cater to their needs. One way you can start building customer relationships is through social media.
You can use social media to post customer reviews or user-generated content to attract new buyers and increase your customer base. Engaging prospects and providing valuable content your customers find share-worthy across various platforms is also useful. Additionally, you can gain regular feedback and distribute content that fosters engagement and drives website traffic.
Here are some tips to help you get started on social media and form relationships.
1. Choose the Right Platforms
Not all social networking sites were created equal. That’s why it’s important to consider which platforms you’ll use for your business carefully. The best way to decide is to look at your target audience’s demographics and determine where they spend their time on social media.
B2B businesses mostly rely on LinkedIn or Facebook to reach their target audience. For example, a broker might be interested in connecting with users to gain qualified leads for buyers interested in purchasing a home. Meanwhile, B2C companies might use Instagram or TikTok to engage users since their target audiences are mainly on these platforms.
2. Think Creatively
Avoid being afraid to create fun content. Social media is a place to develop personal connections. So whether you’re a B2B or B2B brand, it’s important to show the human who’s behind the other side of that screen.
Consider putting yourself in your audience’s shoes and what they might find interesting. How can you mix intriguing and easy information for your audience to consume?
Making an additional effort like this can help you connect with your audience and stand out from the competition.
Adapt to New Tools
Marketing is constantly evolving. There will always be new trends and directions to explore. While it’s not necessary to master all things at once, you can still become a specialist in an area or possess multiple technologies.
One example is discovering how to make video content for marketing.
Video content is one of the most powerful tools for marketing today. Hubspot Blog Research found that 88% of B2B and B2C brands have an entire team dedicated to creating video content.
Yet, why is video such a staple of marketing? It helps raise brand awareness, increase revenue and advertise products.
If you’re considering going in a new direction with video, here are some tips to help you get started.
1. Focus on Stories Instead of Sales
If you want more people to watch your videos, create value for them instead of focusing on your brand. The best video content shares stories that connect with the viewer’s emotions.
For example, suppose you’re a doctor specializing in sports medicine. In that case, you could tell a story about how your business changes clients’ lives. Essentially, you can develop a story about how you’re making a difference in your community.
2. Be Strategic in the First Few Seconds
Attention spans are short these days. Therefore, a successful video provides clarity and gives viewers confidence that what they’re watching is worth their time.
Consider grabbing attention with a hook, such as a quick preview of what’s coming in the video. You can also attract more viewers by creating a high-quality thumbnail. The best thumbnails are clear and begin to tell viewers what they’ll gain from watching your content.
3. Create a Call to Action
Always include a call to action that aligns with your marketing goals. Do you want them to visit your website or share the video on social media?
You can easily instruct your viewers to take action by asking them in the video through someone speaking or using text.
Either way, adding a call to action is easy and can create results you wouldn’t have without one.
Use These Top Methods to Become a Better Marketer
You can ultimately reach your business goals using these methods to become a better marketer. Without these strategies, you won’t be able to collectively produce results such as obtaining leads, increasing revenue, and scaling your business growth.
The marketing space is crowded. Therefore, these tactics will allow you to distinguish yourself from those with similar offerings.
What other methods can you share that have helped you to become a better marketer?
Eleanor Hecks is the founder and managing editor of Designerly Magazine.
She’s also a web design consultant with a focus on customer experience and
user interface. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dogs, Bear and
Lucy. Connect with her about marketing, design, and/or tea on LinkedIn!
No business owner can know exactly what the future holds for their business, or what bumps in the road there might be on the path to success. Even so, every owner is aware that the more smoothly and efficiently a business runs, the more agile it will be in handling the challenges of the future. Here are five simple tactics that can be incorporated into any business to facilitate smoother operations.
1. Leverage the Efficiency of Automation
The big story in business efficiency over the past few years has been the increasing capabilities of automated systems. Artificial intelligence is powering an array of new tools for business owners that can put many of the more tedious business processes on autopilot. Two of the more common are customer relations management (CRM) software and project management tools.
The former can automate outreach and sales processes and the latter aids in coordinating members of a team tasked with a specific goal. Thanks to the power of cloud computing, these sophisticated AI systems are often available on mobile devices. Paystub generator and accounting software are two additional investments to consider making.
2. Keep Organized
One of the largest barriers to efficiency has always been a lack of organizational skills. According to an Office Depot survey, 63% of small business owners see a correlation between the level of organization and the profitability of their operation.
The most important factor in getting organized is time management. Day planners and filing systems can help, but there are better options these days than a Rolodex.
Digital calendars and planners are always a good idea. Business analytics software and financial planning programs can be helpful if you need to take an objective look at the status of your business and make productivity forecasts.
When we talk about business processes, we mean related tasks that serve a specific goal when performed in a specific sequence. It sounds simple, but whether from stasis or fear of change, many entrepreneurs limit their implementation of specific processes to big-picture goals and let the details sort themselves out. That’s rarely a good idea.
Having clearly defined processes in place for reaching even small targets boosts efficiency and reduces error through repetition and drilling. Process improvement methodologies vary widely, but the ultimate goal is the same: easily implemented standard operating procedures that act to streamline the path to meeting goals.
4. Hold Weekly Staff Meetings
Meetings get a bad rap these days. It’s true that they can be productivity killers, but “can” does not imply “must.” In reality, meetings can be very helpful…if they’re done correctly.
They can keep workers focused on their tasks, promote a unified vision, and unblock the social logjams that develop when conflict is allowed to simmer unaddressed. Remember too that meetings don’t have to be boring! There are plenty of ways to keep employees engaged without watering down your message.
It’s also worth mentioning that digital communication tools like Zoom have been a blessing for the coordination of teams and remote workers during 2020, so consider using these technologies to keep wasted commute and coordination time to a minimum.
On that same note, investing in your employees and their personal capabilities is also crucial to keeping your business profitable by reducing costly turnover. A study by training company Lorman found that retention rates rise 30% to 50% for companies that nurture a strong learning culture. This means not only high-quality individually optimized training regimens but repeating those regimens on a regular basis.
Better skills also decrease the chance of workplace accidents. According to the National Safety Council, the number one cause of workplace injury is overexertion, so teaching people to work smarter rather than harder helps to streamline everything.
Keeping your organization flying level in turbulent times is both an art and a science. By remembering these few fundamental strategies, you’ll be able to keep your business steady and prospering.
3 Main Reasons Why Small Firms Run Almost Entirely on Mobile Gadgets
Created on June 2014 Written by Chuck Green Reprinted from The Wall Street Journal June 11, 2014
Yoon Cannon leans on her phone and tablet when she’s on the go. Can you run an entire business from the palm of your hand? Some entrepreneurs are giving it a shot using mobile gadgets
For these early adopters, mobile gadgets like smartphones and tablets don’t just help them do their work—they’re the backbone of the business. Entrepreneurs use them to do everything from ringing up sales to creating pitches and promotional videos to coordinating far-flung employees.
Of course, that kind of extensive setup won’t work for every small business. But looking at how these mobile pioneers do it can give any entrepreneur some ideas about ways they can bring mobile technology into their everyday operations.
Here’s a look at some types of early adopters and how they’re using mobile devices.
1. iPads in the Aisles
Montreal-based LXR & Co. sells vintage luxury products—like purses, bags, belts and wallets—from outlets in Beverly Hills, New York and, soon, Toronto. Staffers also go to clients’ homes or hotels to complete deals.
That need for mobility is why the company decided to run its operation with iPhones and iPads. Using a tablet loaded with a cloud-based point-of-sale system from LightSpeed Retail, a member of the sales staff can meet with a customer one on one and “swipe a transaction,” says Fred Mannella, founder and chief executive.
“When we go to clients’ hotel or home and process a $15,000 transaction, it goes fast,” he says. “These people don’t like to wait; when they want it, they want it right away.”
In stores, meanwhile, staffers can use mobile gadgets to complete sales wherever customers happen to be. Managers can also order items for customers that are in the warehouse but not in the store.
Moreover, Mr. Mannella can remotely track sales at his stores. “We get to know—at any given point in the day—when a transaction went through and the volume of sales. It’s made our life so much easier,” Mr. Mannella says.
2. Downtime? Not Anymore
Yoon Cannon, who runs Paramount Business Coach, in Doylestown, Pa., stores company records on her laptop and prefers to use it when she has a lot to type. But when she’s on the road—which is some 40% of the time—she relies on an iPhone and iPad.
“I’m in the car a lot for both work and family,” Ms. Cannon says. “I have voice-activated apps that read me info I need to review from websites. Voice-activated apps like Dragon Dictate or Siri will also convert my speaking voice to if I need to get out some urgent responses.”
The gadgets also help her manage her five to eight remote employees. A collection of apps like Podio let her organize their email correspondence, oversee projects and give them feedback.
Likewise, she can stay in touch with clients. For instance, she can use Skype to videoconference with them over her phone and let them see what’s on her screen so she can show them information quickly, among other things. She can also record and edit videos from her phone and put together presentations and proposals.
Still, the setup isn’t perfect. Once, an alert reminder went off while she was in the middle of a client call—and kept beeping every few seconds for the rest of the lengthy call. “The other person on the call can’t hear the beeps, but it was really distracting and I couldn’t deactivate” it, she says.
3. Content on the Run
For Holly Shore,mobile technology makes her business possible.
She writes the bulk of the content for Integrative Mom, her nutrition and lifestyle site for mothers, on her smartphone, as well as taking pictures and uploading them to the site.
“I always have my phone with me and am able to work in any bits of spare time I have throughout the day. I am a very busy home-schooling mom, and do not have the time to sit at a desktop computer for any length of time,” says Ms. Shore, of Austin, Texas. “If it weren’t for my smartphone, I’m not sure my website or blog would exist.”
Using her smartphone, “I can write whenever I’m inspired—which can include at the playground, at the grocery store, or while I’m waiting in my parked car for the napping baby in the back seat to wake up,” Ms. Shore explains.
Of course, “there have been times writing on a desktop or laptop would have been quicker, or maybe a photo could have been placed a little better,” Ms. Shore says. But “if I was confined to a desktop or even a laptop, I would be writing and posting a lot less often.”
In the book, What They Don’t Teach You in the Harvard Business School, author Mark McCormack tells a study about the students in the 1979 MBA program. The students were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” The results were striking–only 3% of the students had written goals. Another 13% had some idea of goals but they weren’t written down. The other 84% had no specific goals.
10 years later, the graduates were interviewed again. The 13% who had goals were earning an average of twice as much as the 84% who had no goals. The 3% who had clearly defined and written their goals, were earning an average of 10 times their classmates.
Clearly, setting goals is powerful. Writing them down is more powerful. They’re important in achieving not just financial success but success in your health and relationships too.
But, to be effective, goals must be specific and clearly defined with a time limit. They can drive your “to do” list forward so you make measurable progress each day.
Goals are personal. It’s not enough to say you want to be “successful”. Define that, what does success look like for you? Is it flexibility with your time? A certain amount of money in the bank? Living debt free?
Be honest with yourself as you set your goals so you’re setting ones that will give you energy and motivation.
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to set the goals that are right for you:
1) Set specific and measurable goals– otherwise, you won’t know when you’ve achieved them. Do you want more time off? If so, what does that mean? 2 mornings a week? Every Tuesday? Be specific. Likewise, it’s not enough to say you want to make “more money”. How much money? Do you want to increase your net worth by $100,000 in the next three years? Do you want to increase your pay rate by 10% in the coming six months? Once you define the goal, you can look at the big picture to know how you can make it happen.
2) Set the right goals for you–Your goals should energize and inspire you. If they don’t, re evaluate. May be they’re not big enough. Or, may be they’re too big. Goals should be big enough to push you but if they’re overwhelming you may need to readjust.
3) What has to go? As you grow and transition in your business, you will need to let go of some things. They may be tasks, habits or even people. Be aware of things/ideas/people that give you energy and what depletes you. Delegate or outsource your energy draining tasks and replace them with ones that energize. Recognize habits that move you forward in your goals such as getting regular exercise so you’re able to perform at your optimum level and continue doing them. You’re in charge of your business! Design your business around the life you want to live and watch your achievements grow!
If you need someone to come alongside you to help you plan your goals so you reach them quicker, I’m only a phone call away! (215) 292-4947
QUESTION: What has been your most effective strategy to help you set and achieve your goals? Please share your comments in the box below.
About Yoon Cannon: Top business coach Yoon Cannon has helped thousands of small business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants and sales teams achieve dramatic results in growing your business. Over the past 20 years Yoon has started 4 successful companies and sold 3 of them. She offers fresh insights as a seasoned business growth expert. Yoon delivers proven process for your sales, marketing and management development. Grab free valuable gifts and resources at https://www.ParamountBusinessCoach.com To book Yoon to speak at your next event email: YoonCannon@ParamountBusinessCoach.com To schedule a complimentary business coaching consultation call (215) 292-4947.
Imagine the patience Thomas Edison must have had. He reputedly failed 10,000 times before he perfected the incandescent bulb. For 13 years he feverishly worked on it.
Of course, he didn’t invent the light bulb, he merely worked on perfecting an earlier idea. And, he didn’t work alone either, he had a whole team of engineers experimenting with a variety of ideas. But every time an idea didn’t work. He made notes and moved ahead.
As he’s famously quoted “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” He stayed motivated trying one thing after another until it did work. If Edison can push through for 13 years, we should be able to push through a season of mental slumpery.
Maybe you’re not in the technology business–you’re a lawyer or accountant or another professional who works with individuals. No matter your business model, it’s crucial to keep yourself in the game and your mindset “right”.
And, if you’ve ever fallen in a slump, you know the importance of getting yourself out of it quickly. You have to, for the sake of your business. Here are 3 ways to get back in the game when you feel yourself slipping.
#1. Re-fuel. My daughter has a poster in her bedroom with a picture of a cute little puppy with his eyes closed. The caption on it says, “when all else fails, take a nap.” … I find that this children’s poster is actually quite dead on for even us adults. When you find your mind slipping into a funk, like having I-don’t-know-if-I-can-do-this thoughts, that’s a good time to give yourself a break from the business — even if just for a quiet afternoon at a day spa. If you have thoughts of actually quitting for good, well, that will call for a whole week or two away from the business.
With kids we know that when their bodies are tired, everything goes: they whine, complain, cry and just are quite miserably unhappy. Well, not much really changes in that regard as we age into adulthood. So, if you’re lacking in motivation, there’s a good chance it’s mostly from being too tired. Remove that ball and chain and give yourself some time to re-fuel. By the way, when you’re in business for yourself, that ball and chain is always self-imposed.
#2–Line up your lifeline list. Like that show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, you have a lifeline. Choose a mentor, friend, coach, business partner, someone you can trust to listen and be caring when you’re having a tough time but who’ll help you break through your perceived obstacles.
Sometimes all you need is someone who’s been there with similar problems and can give you useful advice. Or, who can see your “blind spots” and point them out to you. In other words, what are you overlooking? Most of the times, our problems are not as bad as we think. Many of them can even be turned into opportunities. It just takes another perspective to point out the opportunity.
Let me give you an example. One client I had was absolutely devastated when his local borough commissioners decided to throw in what he thought was an impossible obstacle.
His business only had 35 parking spaces, but for his new initiative, which he was seeking approval for, the borough elected that they required that he had 200 parking spaces. To him, he felt that his great business plan was tanked right here in the 11th hour. His brain became too clouded with emotion to be able to think creatively around this obstacle.
Thankfully, he was clear headed enough to call me for help. The solution actually only took 2 hours to implement (only after he took 3 months trying to solve it on his own.) We successfully got enough of his commercial neighbors to agree to loan us their parking spaces (in writing, of course). In the process my client got to meet all of his neighbors (for the first time, even though he’s been there for years) which in turn, forged important future alliances for him.
#3– Take action. You can remain a stagnant pool of water by your inactions, or you can make waves. Waves occur when there’s momentum. Momentum occurs when there’s movement. So, make a decision to start moving towards your goals. Of course, that means you have to look at your goals.
Remind yourself what was the #1 result you wanted to accomplish this year and why. Remind yourself what was the reason you got into this business in the first place? So, what’s one thing you can do right now to move your most important goal forward? If you haven’t broken your goals down into monthly, weekly, and daily to do’s, spend some time doing that. Studies show people who write down their goals and review them daily are far more likely to achieve them.
If fact, a Harvard Business Review study found people who 1) wrote down their goals 2) created an action plan around achieving them 3) sent that plan to a friend 4) and followed up weekly were 76% more likely to achieve those goals!
So, what will you do today to stay motivated? Remind yourself why you need to succeed in your business? Take action on an important goal? Phone a lifeline? Take a nap?
Whatever it is, do it. And do it and do it. In the words of Zig Ziglar, “People often tell me that motivation doesn’t last, and I tell them that bathing doesn’t either. That’s why I recommend it daily.”
QUESTION: What tends to throw you off your game and how do you move yourself from sluggish motivation to high motivation? Please share your tips below and brighten someone’s day.
About Yoon Cannon: Top business coach Yoon Cannon has helped thousands of small business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants and sales teams achieve dramatic results in growing your business. Over the past 20 years Yoon has started 4 successful companies and sold 3 of them. She offers fresh insights as a seasoned business growth expert. Yoon delivers proven process for your sales, marketing and management development. Grab free valuable gifts and resources at https://www.ParamountBusinessCoach.com To book Yoon to speak at your next event email: YoonCannon@ParamountBusinessCoach.com To schedule a complimentary business coaching consultation call (215) 292-4947.
Content marketing isn’t just for B2C brands. B2B companies are also making a significant jump in this marketing realm by creating a strategic content marketing strategy.
The big story in business efficiency over the past few years has been the increasing capabilities of automated systems. Artificial intelligence is powering an array of new tools for business owners that can put many of the more tedious business processes on autopilot. Two of the more common are customer relations management (CRM) software and project management tools. 
One of the largest barriers to efficiency has always been a lack of organizational skills. According to an Office Depot 
When we talk about business processes, we mean related tasks that serve a specific goal when performed in a specific sequence. It sounds simple, but whether from stasis or fear of change, many entrepreneurs limit their implementation of specific processes to big-picture goals and let the details sort themselves out. That’s rarely a good idea. 
Meetings get a bad rap these days. It’s true that they can be productivity killers, but “can” does not imply “must.” In reality, meetings can be very helpful…if they’re done correctly. 
On that same note, investing in your employees and their personal capabilities is also crucial to keeping your business profitable by reducing costly turnover. A 
