by Angela Taffs | Nov 27, 2018 | Sales and Marketing
Are you able to explain your business to different people in different circumstances? Or do you have a ‘one size fits all’ spiel that you use time and time again?
If the latter, read on …….
You may have seen in my Absolutely Fabulous Facebook group that recently I asked for a short title of what you do such as business consultant, artist, interior designer, accountant etc. This was to create a directory of services of members within the group.
What I got back from many was a long-winded explanation of what they did. These people missed out because I ignored them. They told me what they wanted me to hear not what I was interested in and had asked for.
Some explanations of what they did I simply didn’t understand! It was so gobbledegook I had no idea and even when I asked a couple, they still couldn’t explain it to me!
Some people told me to go look at their website. Why should I? I’m not going to waste my time trying to work it out for myself if they can’t tell me themselves.
Only the next day, another group I am in also asked people to describe what they did in a single sentence.
Here are a few answers:
“Inspiration”
“I show you how to alchemize your pain into a superpower”
“I provide a soft holding space where you can release anything that holds you back so you can be free”
Now, maybe it’s me but I have absolutely no idea what these people do! Inspiration??? What the heck does that mean?
Then there were clear and concise answers:
“Helping adults and children conquer anxiety and depression”
“I help women get clients with social media marketing”
“I am a divorce coach that supports woman emotionally whether to leave or stay in a marriage.”
“I take the humble bead and bit of wire and create something to help a person sparkle and feel great”
Yay! I instantly got these and understood what these people did. And I especially loved the last one. It completely stood out from the crowd for me.
Have a think how you explain your business. There are times when you can be super creative and imaginative and there are other times when you need to short, concise and to the point. You need to be prepared for both.
Whatever you do, stop expecting others to do the groundwork to decipher what you do. You need to be ready to grasp every opportunity and respond in the right manner. There will be plenty of other people doing what you do who will oblige and you will lose business to them. Harsh but true!
by Angela Taffs | Jun 19, 2017 | Sales and Marketing
There are 4 key points when creating any sort of marketing message. If you work through these one at a time, in the end, you will have a crystal-clear message to attract your much-needed clients.
Who are you talking to and what problem do they have?
Describe your ideal client and what problem they are having. What keeps them awake at night?
You really need to get your ideal client clear in your head. Who are they? Where do they hang out? What interests do they have? What age and gender are they?
It is through this clarity that you can then nail down what problem they are having (which they may not yet realise themself). Do they need more time, money, easier way to do something? What exactly is it?
How can you help them solve this problem?
Once you have identified your ideal client and what problem they have, the next step is to describe simply and clearly how you can help them solve this problem.
Really dig deep as to what the end result is that will make a huge difference to them. Will they be healthier, happier, and more confident? Get clear on the benefit of the client working with you rather than taking no action at all and carrying on as they are.
Why should they believe you?
Moving on from who your ideal client is, what problem they have and how you can help them, you need to explain why they should believe you.
Don’t be vague on this. Be specific. What results have you gained in the past? How many people have you helped and what results did they get? Do you have glowing testimonials from happy clients? You need something tangible here so that will start to trust that you can make a difference in their lives.
Why should they act now?
The final part of your marketing message is why should a buyer act now.
Think about what is going to happen if they delay their purchase. Why should they buy now and not wait for another six months? How can you create a sense of urgency?
Now you need to put this all together to create your full marketing message. Remember the 4 key points:
- Who are you talking to and what problem do they have?
- How can you help them solve this problem?
- Why should they believe you?
- Why should they act now?
You don’t need to write a novel here. Keep it short and sweet and attention-grabbing.
Write it out and post over in the Facebook group with the tag #Feedback and I will take a look and give you some feedback.
by Angela Taffs | Nov 17, 2016 | Sales and Marketing
How to know if your marketing message is really getting through
Sometimes we get so caught up in our business that we think everyone else knows exactly what we do, and then out of the woodwork, reality smacks us in the face.
I have had this happen to me just recently!
It has come to light over recent weeks that some members of my Facebook group still don’t know about my Small Business Kit. I have members of my Small Business Kit who aren’t aware that in addition to the member’s club I also do one to one private coaching.
And there was me thinking that everyone knew everything about me and the range of services I offered. (slowly taking head out of sand!)
I am so good at telling everyone else to market like a madwoman and making sure all their contacts know exactly what they do, that I have let this slip for my own business. Doh!!
A challenge for you
To make sure this hasn’t happened to you, and to check if people really know what you do, I am going to give you a little challenge.
Post in your Facebook group, send out a newsletter to your subscribers, send an email to your contacts and ask them one simple question – ‘What services do you think I offer?’
Now, you may want to explain to them what you are doing so they don’t think you have gone slightly mad. Explain exactly what I have said here. Write something on the lines of:
“Would you help me out?
It’s vitally important to all business owners to know that their marketing is working and the right message is reaching those who would benefit from what they do.
As one of my valued subscribers/fans/clients etc. (delete as appropriate) would you take a moment of your precious time to hit reply and let me know which services you are aware of that I offer?”
Alternatively, you could send out a survey listing all the services that you provide and ask respondents to put a tick against all those that they are aware you provide. Take a look at my own survey here (see what I did there?).
The benefit of this is twofold. Firstly, you get valuable feedback whether you’re marketing the parts you want to reach. And secondly, you raise awareness of your services to those that may not yet be aware. A win-win situation.
Not to miss an opportunity
Not to miss this opportunity, if you didn’t click the link above, would you be so kind as to take a moment of your precious time to respond to my own survey and let me know what you are aware of that I do? There is a special thank you waiting for.
COMPLETE SURVEY
I look forward to hearing from you.
by Angela Taffs | Jul 12, 2016 | Sales and Marketing
How to create 15 pieces of content from just one blog post
Do you still struggle to come up with ideas of what to post on social media? Do you get brain freeze trying to think of different ways to engage with your audience?
Well, I have a trick for you that is going to save you so much time and energy and give you oodles of content from just one source.
By repurposing content, you can reach new audiences, gain new followers and drive more traffic back to your website.
Firstly, you will need a blog post. This can either be a brand new post that you write or go back and find a favourite that you have created before.
From this one blog post, you can now create 15 pieces of content (at least).
All you need to do is create the following:
5 headlines
Yes, from this one post come up with 5 different headlines. This will allow you put out the same post a number of times but to potentially gain more attention with a variety of catchy headlines.
1 key question
Ask a question that leads back to your blog post. If you are a VA and your blog post is about saving clients time by doing their social media scheduling, ask the question ‘How much time do you spend on scheduling your social media and what else would you prefer to be doing with this time?’
This then opens up a conversation. Where people respond you can chat back with them, direct them to your blog post for tips and maintain ongoing contact with a potential prospect who may become a client – win win!!
2 quotes
These can be created either from your own words or find a famous quote that is relevant to your post. Find an engaging image and create a meme for each and post out on social media for people to like and share.
2 top tips
From your content pull out two top tips and use these as social media posts to provide snippets of valuable information to your audience to help raise your visibility and reputation.
1 x 60 second bite size video
Take one of your tips (or both if you like and create 2 videos) and record a video. Video is a great way of interacting with your audience and letting them get to know you. Again this will help build your visibility and trust.
1 x 15 min video tutorial
Now do a longer video talking about the content of your blog post. People who prefer to watch video can see who you are, hear how you speak and pick up your passion for what you do. You can post this out on social media and also showcase on your website and your YouTube channel.
Podcast
For those who prefer podcasts, take your video content and create a podcast. This again can be put on your website for future visitors.
Facebook live or periscope broadcast
A great way to gain new followers is to do a Facebook live on your business page or do a Persicope broadcast. You can talk about the content of your blog post and take questions from viewers and allow them to share their thoughts.
Worksheet
If relevant, create a worksheet or cheat sheet for your blog which you can offer out as a freebie. If you an events manager and your blog post is about planning a launch, how about creating a checklist for the launch day. You can then offer this as a freebie in return for an email address which you can then add to your mailing list.
Now you can see how from one blog post, you can create 15 social media posts that can be used again and again. What other ideas do you have? Share them in the comments
