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Posts Tagged ‘clients’
Sunday, November 9th, 2008
When you were first working out the details of your business, chances are you did some market research. The majority of business owners check out whether or not people would be willing to purchase their products before they actually start the business and these are often the most successful businesses.
However, if you really want to succeed, it`s a good idea to stay in touch with your market and know what they need each step of the way. If you are able to stay abreast of new developments in the market, you can easily respond and alter your products or service to fit the new need.
Market research is something that needs to be done on a continual basis. It will let you increase your business and when something no longer works, you`ll know where to turn next. This is a vital part of building your business, so don`t just assume that since you did it once, marketing research is over and done with.
Using market research will help you keep your business up to speed and full of clients.
Tags: business, clients, Market Research, marketing research
Posted in Market Research | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
Email marketing is something that every small business should be doing. If you don`t have an email list, then it`s definitely time to get one. Many business owners worry that no one will subscribe to their list or that the response will be so weak, it`s just a waste of time. While that can happen if you don`t treat your list properly, there`s no reason for it to be that way.
Email Marketing Secrets
- Offer something of value in exchange for signing up. People are nervous about giving away their email addresses, so make it worth their while. A downloadable freebie is perfect, but make sure that it has actual value. For example, if you are selling an ebook for $21.95 in your shop, give it to subscribers for free. They`ll be thrilled to save that money and feel that you really do value them.
- Write useful information. When it comes to email marketing, everyone is doing it . . . you need to stand out. The best way to do that is not to turn every email newsletter into an ad. Instead, keep it lowkey, recommend products, but don`t forget to give the reader something they can use immediately.
- Answer questions. By interacting with your readers, you`ll find that you quickly establish a rapport with them which can be invaluable as a business owner. Building that trust is vital to the success of your email marketing and getting personal will help immensely.
Email marketing can be very effective when done well. It`s certainly not a waste of time to connect a little extra even with a few of your potential clients, so give a whirl.
Tags: clients, Email Marketing, subscribers
Posted in E-mail Marketing for Small Business | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
Podcasting is a growing method of reaching your target audience and yet, many small business owners aren`t taking advantage of this useful technique. Unfortunately, many people suffer from a fear of podcasting, but today, we`re going to look at why you might not want to try it and get rid of those fears.
“My voice sounds weird/I have an accent.” Well, GOOD! Your voice is unique and that makes it ideal for podcasting. People just love to hear what someone sounds like and you`ll probably end up with more clients than ever before once they have the chance to get to “know” you via podcasting.
“I can`t commit to podcasting on a regular basis.” That`s fine. Why not start with one podcast and see how it goes? There`s no rule saying you have to record something every week. Audio can be a handy way to connect with your visitors, but you can do it when you want to, there`s no need to schedule if you don`t want to.
“I`m not interesting enough/I have nothing to say.” Maybe not. But that`s why you prepare for your podcast. Write up a sheet of points you want to convey, do some research or even invite a guest speaker and interview them. If you don`t have anything to say, look for information on what your target market wants and talk about that.
Don`t let fear hold you back from podcasting. You could be losing out on making a vital connection with your clients!
Tags: clients, podcasting, small business
Posted in Small Business Podcasts | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with existing clients as well as potential ones. Keeping that connection going will help you bring back repeat customers and can be an excellent method of promoting new products. When used in conjunction with a blog, you can really go places!
Email Marketing Tips to Connect
Personalize. Using your subscriber´s name on the email will really help them feel like you are writing to them personally and this is a very effective email marketing technique that is used by blue chip companies.
Provide useful info. This is the best way to create a connection with your clients. Offering them information in your email newsletter that they can actually use will create customer loyalty.
Updates. Giving updates on products that your clients have already bought is a great email marketing tactic. You can let them know how to get more out of it, offer a free extra and then tell them about an upgrade or a follow-up product.
Personal details. Talking to your email subscribers like a real person will usually get you a lot further than writing like a university robot.
When your readers feel connected to you, they will look forward to your emails and be happy to read them. It´s worth cultivating a relationship with your clients, since it is often easier to bring them back as repeat customers than to find new ones. Email marketing gives you the chance to do just that.
Caroline
Small Business Mavericks
Back to the Blog
Tags: clients, Email Marketing
Posted in E-mail Marketing for Small Business | No Comments »
Friday, January 18th, 2008
People who have bought from you previously could be your best clients in the future . . . it all depends on how you handle them. Email marketing offers the best way to stay in touch with those who have previously bought, whether online or off.
In general, repeat customers are those who bought from you or used your service and were satisfied. We are creatures of habit, so rather than looking for another place to go, most people will return to you to buy similar products. They already trust you to take care of them and provide them with what they need, so it´s just a matter of giving them the opportunity to buy from you again. Email marketing allows you to stay in touch with these people, maintaining that level of trust and keeping them abreast of new developments.
If you have a product that runs out and needs to be bought again and again, like shaving cream or batteries, people will automatically return to you. However, if you have a product that tends to last, like a computer or software, you will need to give folks a reason to return, hence the email marketing list. A few ideas:
Create a companion product. For example, if you sell backpacks, you might sell an attachable water bottle holder, or a waterproof bag for delicate items.
Sell an upgrade. Software is ideal for this. An upgrade should cost less than the actual product, but still give plenty of value.
Offer affiliate products. You may not have an extensive product line, so look for affiliate products that go well with your items and promote those to existing clients.
Whether you have a reusable product or not, you should get customer emails so you can stay in touch with them. A good email marketing technique to boost sales is to move those who buy from you onto a separate mailing list so you can send them special offers that non-buyers won´t receive. This creates an extra bond and should also boost sales.
Caroline Melberg
Small Business Mavericks
Small Business Mavericks Blog
Tags: clients, Email Marketing, repeat customers
Posted in E-mail Marketing for Small Business | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008
Many small businesses don´t think too much about podcasts, focusing instead on their website and SEO. However, while these things are still the most important, a small business podcast can help boost your company. There are several ways to do a small business podcast.
Small Business Podcast Options
Small Business Conference Podcast
The next time you have a brainstorming session or hold a small conference, record it and offer the recording as a podcast to your website visitors. This will give them a reason to visit your site, plus, it offers extra value to anyone who stops by your website. You can even stage a conference specifically for the purpose of giving your clients more information about your product or service.
Regular Informational Podcasts
Offering a weekly or bi-weekly small business podcast that focuses specifically on informing your clients is a good method of gaining more visitors. Make your small business podcast available on other people´s websites and blogs or places like iTunes to gain even more exposure. You´ll find that people who would have never normally found your website will be learning about your business.
Small Business Podcast Interviews
Doing interviews with top people in your industry can be a great way to offer high value content to your clients as well as pulling in more attention. People will link to you if you have an exclusive interview with the biggest name in town!
Small business podcasts let you communicate ideas that wouldn´t convert well to text and are a wonderful manner to create a bond with your clients. Hearing someone´s voice makes for a very different experience than simply reading an article they´ve written. So, if you haven´t thought about it already, why not consider doing a small business podcast and expanding your business reach a little?
Caroline Melberg
Small Business Mavericks
Small Business Mavericks Blog
Tags: clients, podcast, small business, Small Business Podcasts
Posted in Branding, Small Business Podcasts | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
Back when television made its first appearance, people claimed that radio would die out. It couldn´t hold a candle to a box that showed pictures as well as producing sound. But the radio hung in there and even now, in this age of amazing technology, we listen to the radio online. Podcasts are not radio, exactly, but they certainly offer a great opportunity for small businesses to connect with their clients.
- Give your clients another way to identify with you. A voice is far more personal than just writing.
- Offer a hands-off medium to get your message across. People can be washing dishes or folding laundry while listening to your small business podcast.
- Perfect for non-readers. There are plenty of people who learn better by listening, and you can cater to them with a podcast.
- No skipping ads. If you choose to put ads in your small business podcast, it´s a lot harder to skip over them than it is if you have visual ads on your webpage!
- Quick and easy manner of educating people about your small business. Podcasts are easier for many people to create. You might not be able to write very well, but nearly everyone can talk.
There are plenty of advantages to small business podcasts, but the most valuable is the connection you´ll make with your readers. Through your podcasts, they will get a feel for you as a person and will come to trust you far more than they would by just reading what you write.
Caroline Melberg
Small Business Mavericks
Small Business Mavericks Blog
Tags: clients, Small Business Podcasts
Posted in Small Business Podcasts | No Comments »
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