Welcome to my weekly blog to provide you Easy Ways to Step Up your Marketing.
To be honest I have not practised what I preached these past few years while I have been focused on creating my online store and not directing enough attention to my core business and you!
Time to rectify that!
“Your lack of being out there is exposing your insecurity.”
Gary Vaynerchuk
Watch my easy ways to step up your marketing now, or continue reading below!
Here I am Lighting a Match in the Dark with my Easy Ways to Step Up your Marketing.
Trusting that my tips will help you grow your business.
Tune in to my Facebook Page and join me for more.
Here we are starting a new year, hopeful that it will be a big improvement on was has gone.
What a time we have had, in the dark, a glimpse of the light and back to the dark. While we are at the behest of our rulers, trusting they are motivated to ensure our well-being, we at least have control over what we do with the circumstances we find ourselves in.
I am here to help you with some easy ways to ignite your marketing starting now, early in 2021!
Why should you care? I am, Suze Bouwer, a wise old dinosaur, reinvented, because I was determined not to become extinct. I have overcome an enormous number of challenges, blocks and barriers that provided a life experience that can help you and my passion is to clarify marketing challenges, help with finding solutions to problems, even overcome barriers that small business owners face; things like mindset, procrastination, ways to work smarter and so on.
WHAT TO EXPECT from my Easy Ways to Step Up your Marketing
- A WEEKLY ROUNDUP.
Think of me as your Marketing DJ bringing you a few ‘hits’ I found about what’s happening, what the changes are, where the opportunities lie etc.
So I’m going to spend a couple of minutes every week bringing you what I have picked up that sparked my interest. Think about me as your marketing DJ.
- SPARK OF THE WEEK
Topics that spark my attention and add to my list of easy ways to step up your marketing.
- Q&A
Today or last week’s ASK ME ANYTHING. Don’t hesitate to ask. Reach out, let me see what I can do for you.
- DOWNLOADS
I will continuously refer to my CONTENT CALENDAR which is a powerful marketing tool that invigorates the coaching I deliver. Buy the current month now!
BROWSE OUR FREE TEMPLATES HERE which will provide you with numerous ways to step up your updated marketing strategy
1/2021 WEEKLY ROUNDUP
LINKEDIN NOW!
Gary Vaynerchuk, my TOP favourite social media guru in the world is shouting from the rooftops trying to get business owners to embrace the opportunities on LINKEDIN NOW.
LinkedIn right now is the equivalent of what Facebook was 2009 to 2011 when you could post stuff on the in the reach was phenomenal. When we are finding that the reach is shot on Facebook and it is hard to get your content seen, here’s a bit of encouragement for you.
- And by the way, it is no longer a recruitment platform. It does not matter whether you B2B or B2C, your audience is there. Just the strategy is a bit different. Layer Ads targeting job titles on top of your content for B2B.
- For B2C add value, educate, and give generously to get the attention of your target consumer audience. I guess that is why we are seeing inspirational and motivational quote images engaging well.
Add More Content
- Next big tip from Gary V is MORE CONTENT. The trick is to go where the Attention is and get your content in front of your Ideal Audience.
- Facebook and Instagram are not gone but work that platform and that requires that you Pay to Play. These are still the most cost-effective advertising and promotional platforms but you can no longer rely on organic (free) content to work for you here!
- When creating Ads, be clear on the Objective and what you want them to do.
- What results will you measure and what is their next step (Call-To-Action)
- Create an Ad rather than use Boosted Posts.
- Sigh! More Content, really?
- Strategy and a content marketing plan are more important than ever!
MONTHLY CONTENT PLAN: Get started with ours for R97.75 onc/e-off and get monthly updates free!
This content plan helps you post various types of content every day to achieve specific strategic marketing objectives. The planning and other heavy lifting have been done for you!
The WHATSAPP Storm in a Thimble
If you’re on Facebook and you’re active, Facebook already has all your information, so staying on WhatsApp is not going to give them anything new.
- Remember messages on Whats-app or encrypted, which means it’s all in code gobbledegook between anybody other than you and the person you communicating with, so nobody is going to read your message.
- It is a third-party tool and it’s not unusual for the owner, a business, to ask people to comply with Ts & Cs. And let’s face it, Facebook is a big business. It is not surprising it wants to monetize its investment in Whats-app.
- Marketers should value that additional user data will add to the effectiveness of our targeting and Ad ROI.
- I watched Emma Sadler, a social media legal expert who recommended that you disable your location. I also saw this alert about other platforms like Telegram. Disable your location. That is possibly the most vulnerable part of your interaction on a chat platform.
- Remember user location is really valuable for push notifications for events that are happening around you, deals that are up for grabs near you. As marketers, we value people with location-enabled.
- This decision depends on which hat you are wearing!
LIGHT IN THE DARK “Easy Ways to Step Up Your Marketing in 2021”
How to Stand Out (Time-stamp 00:11:26)
There is so much noise online, there are so many posts, so much content, so many Zooms, so how do you stand out online?
Do something Different and Better.
Do not obsess about the size of your audience but do remember that stats show that at any point 3% of your audience is ready to buy. So it figures that an audience of three is not going to do your business much good and is one reason to grow your audience is to get bigger exposure.
Rather obsess about the amount of content your distribute.
Add content marketing to leverage the size of your audience and urge them down your sales funnel.
Your Passions Shines a Spotlight on your Content (Time stamp 00:13:12)
Watch what people are doing well i.e. what users are engaging with and how you can apply your skillset to do it better.
Do what makes your Soul Sing.
For self-care and effectiveness, you simply cannot hate what you do every day. If you do find what it is that you love, your passion will be evident and your energy will shine a spotlight on what you put out there.
Increasing the amount of content you put out there is critical and you need to be there more in the places your ideal customer hang out if you want to get their attention. But not by sharing other creators’ content just because you must put something out there. That is not enough anymore. You must be authentic. You must be original AND add value.
Marketing objectives may include – just to entertain, in which case you’re funny or Wow, or Educate or to learn from and about your audience.
The core idea with content distribution is creating and posting for a niche audience. No more spray and pray. You want to target an ideal customer specifically.
Talk to them about their pain points.
Talk to them when it suits them.
Distribute Content for Specific Ideal Customers
Don’t know what that is? You need to study your ideal customer and an avatar or buyer persona in place so you understand thoroughly what their every day looks like.
You must know when are they online? What their challenges are, what they trying to ‘fix’ and that way you will learn what do they would value from you? You will get clear about what format they like and on which device, which network on which platform.
Now instead of creating one piece of content that you hope is going to appeal to everybody, you repurpose it for the platform and the persona you are posting for. For example, your audience on LinkedIn is in a professional mindset while your audience on Instagram is in a quick, possibly mindless, mindset scrolling through visuals and not even noticing your text. Your audience on Facebook is more likely to read your written word as opposed to just consuming an image.
Your context must be contextual. It has to be relevant and valuable to them at the time and place it appears in front of them and address want from you. They are not always in a buying mindset.
So, from Gary V and regurgitated by me: Go where the attention is with the right content.
Gary is also an advocate of Tik Tok … check it out and give it a go. No one is judging and you may just surprise yourself.
There are many, many different ways to create content. You can record Live and repurpose then distribute on other video platforms. You don’t have to be there physically, selfie-steeple either.
You will see experts and brands use cartoons, animated video, slideshows to change up their content and to test what their audience likes best. They vote with their thumb – a like or a scroll past!
Remember, inactivity is a sign of your insecurity. You must find a way to get your content in front of the right audience.
Social Media is not a Solo-Sport (Time-stamp 00:17:59)
The important point I want to make is social media does not stand alone. If you are finding your social media marketing frustrating and it is not delivering results, it’s because social media is not an island. Content marketing is the tactic and social media is just one place you distribute content.
Take social media followers to your list or a Group where you can build relationships and trust.
From there you take them to your website, track they visit your website with a pixel for retargeting.
Implement a process, a funnel to urge prospects to suspects and on to customers and ultimately brand advocates.
Where? is the Question. (00:18:49)
Social networks are great to get found if you go where your audience is hanging out. One of the most powerful ways you can get found is Live on your primary platform; Facebook and Instagram stories and Reels.
Always have a marketing objective. What do you want people to do next? If you want them to click through on a link ensure they see the value in taking that action.
YouTube, blogs, podcasts are all excellent platforms to distribute content and are alternatives to putting yourself out there on video.
Build your List (00:19:42)
Building your email list is the next objective – social media to the list – where you can carry on building relationships and taking people further on.
Patience is key!
There is no quick fix any more now than ever. People are cynical. They’re going elsewhere for advice looking for reassurance, influencer marketing testimonials. All those kinds of things are important to get your prospect’s attention and people get confidence and learn to trust.
I created an online store during the lockdown and I’m very frustrated at the poor sales. I have to practice what I preach and build trust and encourage repeat visits!
Q&A: BLOGGING (Time stamp 00:21:10)
You have a story to tell and can surely write. And if you struggle, record a video, and transcribe using Microsoft tools use tools to do spell checks. You can get the family or friends to read it through, etc. Blogging is a first, a content platform. Secondly, it is fantastic for your SEO.
- Blogging helps bring people to your website. Google loves updated content, so the minute you blog and optimize your blog you will get SEO leverage out of it.
- Be sure to put a Facebook Pixel to track the visits to your website so that you can then do what they call a retargeting ad to the people who visited your website. It’s the way you must take your social media on their journey of awareness.
- How often should you blog?
- As often as you have value to add as you’ve got something valuable to share is the short answer!
- Think about why would people want to read this blog? Why would people want this information? If you know that it’s valuable and you can answer that with your hand on your heart and go, I am adding value. THAT is the time to block.
- How long should a blog post be?
- Yoast, a WordPress SEO plugin, recommends plus 300 words if you’re writing for people. For search engines and SEO, longer posts are recommended. 1200 words or more.
- Mix up short and long-form content and make sure you post blog links all over your social media. Share them in your emails because that’s part of your whole distribution process. Links help bring people to your site.
Learning without taking action is like filling a bucket full of holes. It keeps leaking out!
DO THIS TODAY!
Start using these easy ways and step up your marketing!
- Get serious about LinkedIn
- Define your Niche Markets
- Start Blogging
Suze Bouwer, marketing invigorator, business owner, marketing coach and implementer helps business owners and managers update marketing strategies with current, new and better ways of getting the job done. Stay ahead of the curve and be a leader rather than a follower!
Leave your comments or add new marketing tips and tricks you are trying right now.