In the crowded digital marketplace, standing out is challenging. Enter AI-powered marketing, a revolutionary upgrade transforming brands into digital powerhouses.

Hyper-Personalized Campaigns: Beyond Basic Personalization

Gone are the days of generic marketing. Today’s gold standard is AI-driven hyper-personalization. This approach uses customer data analysis to create deeply resonant, individualized marketing campaigns. With AI’s ability to segment audiences based on intricate criteria, including purchasing history and browsing behavior, your messages can hit the mark every time.

Enhanced Customer Journey Mapping

AI’s capabilities extend to mapping the entire customer journey. By predicting needs and preferences at each stage, AI aids in crafting narratives that guide customers from discovery to purchase, integrating your brand into their personal stories.

SEO Wizardry: Mastering Search Engine Dynamics

With ever-changing algorithms, SEO is a complex puzzle. AI serves as a sophisticated navigator, deciphering these changes through machine learning. It aids in keyword optimization, understanding search intent, and aligning content with search trends.

Predictive SEO

AI tools offer predictive SEO, anticipating search engine and user behavior changes. This proactive stance ensures your brand’s prominent visibility in search results, capturing the right audience at the right time.

Social Media Mastery: Crafting a Digital Narrative

AI transforms social media strategies from uncertain to precise. By analyzing vast social data, AI provides insights into resonating content.

Content Optimization

AI analyzes performance data to recommend effective content types. This data-driven approach refines your social media content strategy.

Engagement Analysis

AI examines user interaction nuances, understanding engagement patterns. It helps tailor interactions for maximum impact, including adjusting posting schedules and messaging for increased relevance.

Conclusion: Navigating the AI-Driven Marketing Landscape

AI-powered marketing is essential for thriving in the digital age, offering precision and personalization beyond traditional methods. For small businesses, it’s a chance to leverage AI for impactful, data-driven strategies.

As we embrace the AI revolution, the future of marketing is not just bright but intelligently radiant. With AI as your digital ally, your brand is equipped for a successful journey, making every marketing effort and customer interaction count.

In this article, we will explore the concept of geo-targeting, its benefits, and how to set up geo-targeted ads in Google Ad Words.

Why Geo-Targeted Ads?

In the vast expanse of the internet, not all website visitors are created equal. While a large volume of traffic may seem appealing, it’s the quality of that traffic that truly matters. Geo-targeted ads enable businesses to narrow down their audience to a specific geographic location, ensuring that the website visitors they attract are more likely to be interested in their products or services. By reaching the right people in the right place, businesses can improve their conversion rates and generate higher revenue.

What Is Geo-Targeting?

Geo-targeting refers to the practice of delivering content, advertisements, or promotions to individuals based on their geographic location. It involves tailoring marketing efforts to specific regions, countries, states, cities, or even neighborhoods, depending on the targeting requirements of the business.

What Is Geo-Targeted Marketing?

Geo-targeted marketing is a strategic approach that focuses on tailoring marketing messages and campaigns to specific geographic areas. It allows businesses to create personalized experiences for customers based on their location, cultural preferences, language, and other factors relevant to the target audience in a particular region.

How Does Geo-Targeting Work?

Geo-targeting leverages various technologies to determine a user’s location. Some common methods include IP address tracking, GPS data, Wi-Fi signals, and user-provided information such as postal codes. Once the user’s location is identified, marketers can serve targeted advertisements or content based on the predefined criteria associated with that location.

Why Does Geo-Targeting Matter?

Geo-targeting matters because it allows businesses to optimize their marketing efforts and resources. By focusing on specific regions or locations, businesses can avoid wasting resources on audiences that are unlikely to convert. Instead, they can direct their marketing budget towards attracting visitors who are more likely to become customers, thereby increasing their chances of success.

Geo-Targeting vs. Geofencing

While geo-targeting and geofencing are related concepts, they differ in their approach. Geo-targeting aims to reach specific individuals based on their location, while geofencing involves creating a virtual boundary around a physical location and delivering content or ads to users within that boundary. Geo-targeting is broader in scope and can cover larger areas, whereas geofencing is more precise and focused on a specific physical area.

What Are The Three Major Types of Geo-Targeting?

1. Location Targeting

This type of geo-targeting focuses on reaching users in specific geographic locations, such as countries, states, cities, or zip codes. It allows businesses to target regions where their products or services are available or to tailor their marketing messages to local customs and preferences.

2. Audience Targeting

Audience targeting involves reaching users based on demographic factors such as age, gender, language, or interests. By combining demographic information with geographic data, businesses can create highly targeted campaigns that resonate with specific audience segments in different locations.

3. Weather Targeting

Weather targeting takes into account the local weather conditions of a particular location to deliver relevant ads or promotions. This type of targeting is especially useful for businesses that offer weather-dependent products or services, such as outdoor equipment, travel agencies, or seasonal clothing retailers.

How to Set Up Geo-Targeting Ads in Google Ad Words

Google Ad Words, now known as Google Ads, offers powerful tools and features to implement geo-targeted ads effectively. Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up geo-targeting ads in Google Ads:

1. Define your target locations

Determine the specific regions or areas you want to target with your ads. This could be a country, state, city, or even a radius around a specific location.

2. Set up location targeting in Google Ads

Sign in to your Google Ads account and navigate to the campaign you want to edit. Under the campaign settings, go to the “Locations” tab and click on the “+ Location” button. Enter the desired locations and select the targeting options that best suit your campaign objectives.

3. Refine your targeting

Google Ads offers additional options to further refine your geo-targeting. You can exclude certain locations, target specific languages spoken in a region, or adjust your targeting based on factors like income level or user interest.

4. Create ad copy and extensions

Craft compelling ad copy that resonates with your target audience in each specific location. Consider tailoring the messaging to address local preferences, cultural nuances, or regional events. Additionally, utilize ad extensions like location extensions to provide more information and encourage visits to your physical store.

5. Monitor and optimize

Regularly review the performance of your geo-targeted campaigns. Analyze key metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI) for different locations. Use this data to make informed decisions and optimize your ads for better results.

Geo-Targeting Tips and Best Practices

Here are some tips and best practices to maximize the effectiveness of your geo-targeting efforts:

1. Prioritize Certain Locations

Identify regions that align with your business objectives and allocate a higher portion of your budget to those areas. By focusing your resources on high-potential regions, you can generate more targeted traffic and improve conversion rates.

2. Target Local Keywords

Incorporate location-specific keywords into your ad copy and website content. This helps search engines understand the relevance of your offerings to users in a particular location and increases the chances of your ads appearing in local search results.

3. Avoid Creating Competing Campaigns

If you target overlapping locations with multiple campaigns, there is a risk of competing against yourself and wasting resources. Instead, consolidate your efforts into a single campaign with well-defined targeting parameters to ensure efficiency and avoid unnecessary competition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the decision to buy targeted website traffic and implement targeted traffic strategies is a strategic move that can significantly impact the success of your online business. By harnessing the power of geo-targeted ads, businesses can precisely reach their desired audience in specific locations, leveraging the benefits of location targeting, audience targeting, and even weather targeting. This focused approach allows businesses to optimize their marketing efforts, prioritize certain locations, and tailor their messaging to resonate with local preferences.

Through platforms like Google Ads, setting up geo-targeted ads has become more accessible and effective, enabling businesses to reach the right people in the right place at the right time. By following best practices and continuously refining their campaigns based on data-driven insights, businesses can maximize their return on investment, drive targeted traffic to websites, and increase the chances of conversions and revenue generation.

Embracing geo-targeting and leveraging targeted traffic strategies is an essential component of a successful digital marketing strategy in today’s competitive landscape.

In this article, we will explore key strategies and considerations for small business owners to develop a compelling brand identity that resonates with their customers.

1. Define Your Brand Values

Start by defining your brand values, which are the guiding principles that shape your business’s identity. Identify what your business stands for, what you believe in, and how you want to be perceived by your customers. Your brand values should align with your target audience’s values and reflect the unique aspects of your business.

2. Craft Your Brand Story

A compelling brand story helps customers connect with your business on an emotional level. Share the journey of your business, including its origins, mission, and values. Highlight what sets your business apart and the problems you aim to solve for your customers. Your brand story should be authentic, engaging, and consistent across all communication channels.

3. Design a Memorable Logo and Visual Identity

Your logo and visual identity play a significant role in representing your brand. Design a logo that captures the essence of your business and resonates with your target audience. Choose colors, fonts, and visual elements that align with your brand values and create a cohesive visual identity across your website, packaging, marketing materials, and social media platforms.

4. Consistent Brand Messaging

Consistency in brand messaging is vital for reinforcing your brand identity. Develop a tone of voice that reflects your brand’s personality and consistently use it in all communication channels, including your website, social media posts, emails, and customer interactions. Ensure your messaging is aligned with your brand values and resonates with your target audience.

5. Engage with Your Customers

Building a strong brand identity involves actively engaging with your customers. Encourage feedback, respond to customer inquiries and reviews, and maintain a strong presence on social media. Foster a sense of community around your brand, and seek opportunities to create memorable experiences that leave a positive impression on your customers.

6. Deliver Consistent Brand Experience

Consistency extends beyond messaging and visual elements. It’s essential to provide a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints. Train your employees to embody your brand values and deliver excellent customer service that aligns with your brand identity. Whether it’s in-person interactions, phone calls, or online experiences, ensure that every customer touchpoint reflects your brand’s essence.

7. Collaborate with Influencers

Partnering with influencers in your industry can significantly boost your brand identity. Identify influencers whose values align with your brand and reach out to them for collaborations, sponsored content, or product reviews. Influencers can help increase brand awareness, credibility, and reach among your target audience.

8. Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool to strengthen your brand identity. Encourage your customers to share their experiences, testimonials, and creative content related to your brand. Repost and share UGC on your website and social media platforms to showcase real-life examples of how your brand adds value to customers’ lives.

9. Monitor and Adapt to Customer Feedback

Listen to your customers and actively seek feedback to refine your brand identity. Regularly monitor online reviews, social media comments, and customer surveys to understand how your brand is perceived and identify areas for improvement. Use this feedback to make necessary adjustments and ensure your brand remains relevant and resonates with your audience.

10. Stay Consistent and Evolve

While consistency is crucial, it’s also essential to evolve and adapt to changes in your industry and market. Continuously evaluate your brand identity and assess its effectiveness. Stay updated with industry trends, consumer preferences, and emerging technologies to ensure your brand remains fresh, relevant, and capable of meeting the evolving needs of your customers.

Conclusion

Building a strong brand identity is a vital component of small business success. By defining your brand values, crafting a compelling brand story, designing a memorable logo and visual identity, maintaining consistent brand messaging, engaging with your customers, delivering a consistent brand experience, collaborating with influencers, leveraging user-generated content, monitoring customer feedback, and staying consistent while evolving, you can establish a powerful brand that resonates with your target audience.

Remember, building a brand identity is an ongoing process that requires consistency, authenticity, and a deep understanding of your customers’ needs and desires.

Are you ready to revolutionize your strategies and gain an unstoppable competitive edge? Look no further. This compelling article delves into the profound significance of data analysis in shaping effective business strategies, revealing the secrets that will propel your organization to new heights of success.

The Power of Data Analysis

1. Uncovering Insights

Data analysis allows organizations to uncover patterns, trends, and correlations within their data. By exploring and analyzing large datasets, businesses can gain valuable insights that drive strategic decision-making. These insights can range from customer behavior and market trends to operational efficiencies and financial performance.

2. Supporting Evidence-Based Decision-Making

Data analysis provides a solid foundation for evidence-based decision-making. By relying on data rather than assumptions or gut feelings, organizations can make informed choices that align with their strategic objectives. This helps mitigate risks, optimize resource allocation, and increase the chances of success.

3. Identifying Opportunities and Challenges

Data analysis enables organizations to identify opportunities and challenges in the market landscape. By examining market data, customer feedback, and competitor insights, businesses can spot emerging trends, gaps in the market, and potential threats. This information can shape the direction of their business strategy and guide decision-making.

4. Enhancing Performance and Efficiency

Data analysis can uncover inefficiencies and bottlenecks within organizational processes. By examining operational data, businesses can identify areas for improvement, streamline workflows, and enhance overall performance. This optimization can lead to cost savings, increased productivity, and better resource utilization.

5. Enabling Predictive Modeling and Forecasting

Data analysis techniques, such as predictive modeling and forecasting, allow organizations to anticipate future trends and outcomes. By analyzing historical data and utilizing statistical models, businesses can make predictions about customer behavior, market demand, and financial performance. These insights enable proactive decision-making and strategy formulation.

6. Implementing Real-time Data Analysis

To stay ahead in today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations should strive to implement real-time data analysis. By leveraging technologies and tools that allow for real-time data processing, businesses can access up-to-the-minute insights and make agile decisions. Real-time data analysis empowers organizations to respond promptly to changing market conditions and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

7. Embracing Advanced Analytics Techniques

While traditional data analysis methods are valuable, organizations can take their strategies to the next level by embracing advanced analytics techniques. Techniques such as machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics offer deeper insights and uncover hidden patterns within complex datasets. By investing in these advanced analytics capabilities, businesses can gain a competitive edge and make more accurate predictions.

8. Ensuring Data Quality and Reliability

To derive meaningful insights from data analysis, organizations must prioritize data quality and reliability. Implementing robust data governance processes, conducting regular data audits, and ensuring data accuracy and integrity are essential. By maintaining high data quality standards, businesses can make informed decisions based on trustworthy information and avoid costly errors or misinterpretations.

9. Cultivating a Data-Driven Culture

Data analysis should be ingrained in the organizational culture, where data-driven decision-making becomes the norm. Encourage employees at all levels to embrace data and provide them with the necessary tools and training to analyze and interpret data effectively. Foster a culture of curiosity and continuous learning, where data-driven insights are valued and integrated into day-to-day operations.

10. Collaborating Across Departments

Effective data analysis requires collaboration across different departments within an organization. Encourage cross-functional teams to share data and insights, fostering a collaborative environment that promotes innovation and a holistic view of business challenges. By breaking down silos and promoting interdepartmental collaboration, organizations can leverage diverse perspectives and generate comprehensive insights that drive strategic decision-making.

11. Monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Identifying and monitoring relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is vital for successful data analysis. Establish clear KPIs that align with your business objectives and regularly track and measure them. This allows you to assess the impact of your data-driven strategies, identify areas for improvement, and make informed adjustments to your business plans.

Conclusion

Data analysis is a powerful tool for organizations in formulating effective business strategies. By uncovering insights, supporting evidence-based decision-making, identifying opportunities and challenges, enhancing performance and efficiency, and enabling predictive modeling, organizations can gain a competitive edge. By leveraging the potential of data analysis, businesses can drive success and achieve their strategic objectives.

In fact, here at SPI, we’ve changed our entire business model to center around community, and it’s the best decision we’ve ever made.

Starting a community from scratch, however, can feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to begin.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process of creating a successful online community, step by step. Along the way, I’ll address common concerns and share practical tips and strategies to help you achieve your community-building goals.

Let’s get to it!

Part 1: Understanding the Value of an Online Community

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of starting your online community, it’s essential to understand the value that a well-run community can bring to your business or organization. An online community can:

1. Foster connection and engagement among your audience or customers
2. Establish your authority in your niche
3. Provide valuable insights and feedback to help you improve your products or services
4. Generate additional revenue through membership fees or other monetization methods (optional)

When you realize just how valuable a community can be for your business and brand, you’ll take the extra care necessary to make sure it’s awesome for your people and integrates well into your brand.

Part 2: Laying the Foundation for an Online Community

Step 1: Determine Your “Why”

Your “why” is the driving force behind your community. It’s essential to have a clear understanding of the purpose and value your community will provide, which will help guide your decisions as you build and grow your community.

Consider the following questions:

• What problem are you trying to solve for your audience?
• How will your community support your audience in achieving their goals?
• What unique perspective or expertise do you bring to the table?

Always remember: your earnings are a byproduct of how well you serve your audience. Start with your people in mind first and the revenue will become the reward.

If money is your primary driver, this isn’t going to work.

Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience

To create a thriving community, you need to know who your ideal members are. Think about the characteristics that define your target audience, such as demographics, interests, and needs.

Also think about the struggles and challenges they’re going through, and ultimately what their goals are.

It’s these common things that unite a community together. People on the outside might not really “get it” or understand, but when you’re on the inside, you feel like you’ve found your people.

This kind of critical thinking will help you tailor your community’s content, structure, and engagement strategies to attract and retain the right members.

Step 3: Define Your Community’s Core Values

Your online community’s core values serve as guiding principles for how members interact with one another and what they can expect from your community. Examples of core values might include mutual respect, continuous learning, or collaboration.

Our community’s core values are shared during the onboarding process, as soon as a person joins one of our communities. If you’re curious, or are seeking support for your online business journey, click here to see what we have to offer!

It’s important to clearly communicate your core values to your members: they help set the tone for your online community and encourage positive behavior.

Part 3: Choosing the Right Platform and Technology

When it comes to hosting your online community, there are numerous platforms and technologies to choose from. Some popular options include forums, social media groups, and custom-built platforms.

Facebook Groups used to be the top choice, but Groups (and Facebook in general) has been losing users for a while now.

I highly recommend using Circle, a modern, user-friendly platform designed specifically for building and managing online communities — one that you own and can control (instead of playing in someone else’s sandbox).

Circle offers a wide range of features, including customizable branding, member management tools, and seamless integration with popular tools like Zapier, WordPress, and Slack. It’s the community platform we use for SPI Pro and our All-Access Pass, too.

If you’d like to learn more about Circle, click here.*

*(Please note that this is an affiliate link and we do earn a small commission if you choose to eventually get on a paid plan — all this at no extra cost to you, we just want to be up front about that.)

Part 4: Designing Your Online Community’s Structure and Engagement Strategy

1. Determine the Type of Community

There are three main types of online communities: communities of interest, communities of learning, and communities of support. Each type serves a different purpose and requires a unique approach to engagement and content creation.

Consider your “why” and your target audience when choosing the type of community that’s right for you.

2. Start Simple

It’s crucial to begin with a simple, sustainable community structure that offers the right amount of value for your goals.

Avoid committing to long-term programming or overly complex schedules before you’ve launched your community. This is extremely important, especially at the start. Trust us, we know this from our own experience.

Instead of getting too complicated, focus on creating a basic framework that you can build on and adapt based on member feedback and engagement.

What are the most valuable components of your community? If you could only pick a few, what would they be? Start there.

3. Establish an Engagement Strategy

An effective engagement strategy is key to the success of your online community. Consider offering a mix of asynchronous (e.g. discussion posts, resources) and live (e.g. webinars, group calls) content to cater to different member preferences and schedules. Experiment with various types of programming to see what works best for your community.

Again, while there are a thousand things you can do in your community to encourage engagement, start simple and lean. From there, you can build out complexities in a more controlled and tested manner.

4. Set Expectations and Boundaries

It’s essential to set clear expectations for your community members and establish boundaries for your own time and availability. Communicate your community guidelines and moderation policies prominently to ensure a safe, welcoming environment for all members. This should be done as soon as a person joins — right in the onboarding process.

And of course, model the behavior you expect from your community to set the tone and encourage positive interactions.

Part 5: Pricing and Revenue for Online Communities

If you decide to monetize your online community (which we recommend because people value what they pay for) there are several pricing models and strategies to consider.

Some popular options include freemium-tiered memberships, one-time fees, and recurring subscriptions. When determining your pricing, take into account factors like your time investment, overhead costs, and the financial resources of your target audience.

Keep in mind that your pricing structure may evolve over time, and that’s okay. Be prepared to make adjustments based on feedback, market trends, and the needs of your community.

Additionally, see what other communities offer and what their price points are. Finally, consider what the overall value of your community is to your members. When the community and your guidance help a person, what does that mean to them? How much time and/or money will they have saved? How much better off will they be because they belong to the group?

Part 6: Launching and Growing Your Online Community

1. Start with a Small, Engaged Group

When it comes to launching your community online, it’s better to start with a small, engaged group of members who are genuinely interested in your community’s purpose and value. This will help you create a strong foundation for growth and ensure that you can effectively manage member engagement as your community expands.

How many to be exact? Even starting with five motivated members can do wonders. It’ll already feel like those people belong together, and they can help influence what the membership and community becomes and likely grow it through their personal networks as well.

2. Seek Feedback and Iterate

As you launch and grow your community, it’s essential to seek feedback from your members regularly. Use a variety of methods, such as one-on-one conversations, anonymous surveys, and open discussions to gather insights and ideas for improvement. Be prepared to iterate and adapt your community’s structure, content, and engagement strategies based on the feedback you receive.

3. Embrace Organic Growth

While it’s tempting to focus on rapid growth, it’s crucial to remember that thriving communities can be small. We can’t stress this enough, especially when you’re likely to find communities with thousands of members when you are researching other spaces within your niche.

You can be a small but powerful force!

Plus, a smaller community can often provide a more intimate, supportive environment that fosters deeper connections and engagement. Embrace organic growth and prioritize the quality of your community over the quantity of members.

4. Promote Your Online Community

To attract new members to your community, it’s essential to promote it across various channels.

Leverage your existing audience, clients, or network to generate interest, and consider offering incentives for early adopters, such as discounted membership fees or exclusive content. We advise against discounting so that you don’t “cheapen” your community just to get people in; rather, use exclusive bonuses, or language like “beta tester price” or “early bird pricing” to denote value in acting early.

Additionally, share testimonials, success stories, and other social proof to showcase the value of your online community and entice new members to join!

To Finish Off…

Starting an online community can be a rewarding endeavor that brings immense value to your business or organization. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating a thriving, engaged community that supports your audience’s goals and drives growth for your brand.

Remember, building a successful online community takes time, effort, and adaptability. Don’t be afraid to iterate, experiment, and learn from your members as you chart your community’s path forward. With persistence and a clear vision, you can create a vibrant, thriving community that leaves a lasting impact and even changes lives.

If you want to learn more about the thriving entrepreneurial communities we’ve built at SPI, or if you’re looking for community support in your own entrepreneurial journey, click right here. We have several different memberships for entrepreneurs of all levels and business sizes, and we have an entire team dedicated to creating an exceptional experience. Hope to see you in there soon!

Appointment setting is an important part of the sales process as it allows the sales representative to demonstrate their expertise, understand the client’s needs and challenges, and showcase the benefits of their solution. Here are some top tips for B2B entrepreneurs looking to set appointments.

Understand Your Target Audience

Before attempting to schedule an appointment with a potential client, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of their business and their needs.

Take the time to research their company, industry, and pain points. This will help you tailor your approach to their specific needs and show that you understand their business. Additionally, it’s important to identify the decision-makers within the organization and tailor your message to their level of expertise and responsibilities.

gPrepare a Compelling Value Proposition

A value proposition in B2B business is a clear and concise statement that describes the unique benefits of a product or service and how it solves the customer’s problem. It’s a crucial element in the sales and marketing strategy of a company as it communicates the value of their offering to potential clients.

A well-crafted value proposition can differentiate a company from competitors and increase their chances of winning new business. You may want to hire an appointment setter who has experience in preparing value propositions.

When reaching out to a potential client, it’s important to have a clear and compelling value proposition that clearly communicates the value of your product or service. Your message should be tailored to the client’s specific needs and challenges and show how your solution can help them achieve their business goals.

Use Multi-Channel Outreach

In today’s digital age, there are numerous channels available for reaching out to potential clients. Email, social media, and phone calls are all effective methods for reaching out to potential clients. However, using a multi-channel approach is the best way to increase your chances of connecting with them.

By using a combination of channels, you can increase your visibility and stay at the front of your potential clients’ minds.

Use Appointment Scheduling Tools

Appointment scheduling tools can help streamline the appointment setting process and make it more efficient. These tools allow you to automate the scheduling process, send reminders, and can even be integrated with your CRM system.

By using these tools, you can reduce the time and effort required to schedule appointments and focus on building relationships with potential clients.

Follow Up and Follow Through

Following up with potential clients is critical to the success of your appointment setting efforts. It’s important to stay at the front of your clients’ minds and demonstrate your commitment to helping them solve their business challenges. After scheduling an appointment, be sure to send a confirmation email and any relevant materials. After the appointment, follow up with a thank you email and any next steps.

By following up and following through, you can build trust and credibility with potential clients and increase your chances of closing a deal.

This article delves into the art of business negotiation, exploring the strategies and tactics that can help you achieve win-win outcomes or make the tough decision to walk away.

1. Understanding the Importance of Preparation

Successful negotiations start well in advance of the discussion itself. The secret is to plan. Find out about the parties, their interests, and any potential areas of agreement. Decide on your own aims and objectives as well as your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), or the point at which leaving the negotiation becomes a possibility.

Being well-prepared gives you the knowledge, assurance, and flexibility you need to negotiate well.

2. Building Rapport and Active Listening

Establishing rapport and building a positive relationship with the other party is critical. Show genuine interest, engage in active listening, and seek to understand their perspective. By creating a comfortable environment and demonstrating empathy, you pave the way for open communication and collaboration.

Remember, negotiation is not a zero-sum game; it’s about finding mutually beneficial solutions.

3. Building Trust

Trust is the foundation of successful negotiations. Be reliable, honest, and transparent in your dealings. Follow through on commitments and communicate openly. Building trust establishes a solid working relationship, facilitating smoother negotiations and the resolution of potential conflicts.

4. Employing Effective Communication

Communication is the lifeblood of negotiation. Choose your words carefully, using clear and concise language to convey your points effectively. Practice assertiveness without aggression, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor. Ask open-ended questions to encourage dialogue and uncover underlying interests. Nonverbal cues, such as body language and tone of voice, also play a significant role in conveying your intentions and understanding the other party.

5. Making Use of Negotiation Techniques and Strategies

Using effective negotiation techniques and methods can help you get what you want. Setting high expectations (aiming for more than you anticipate to obtain), making calculated concessions, and using the “good cop, bad cop” strategy when negotiating as a team are a few methods that are frequently used. However, it is crucial to employ these strategies sensibly and morally, keeping a concentration on long-term relationships and trust-building.

6. Recognizing When to Walk Away

As much as we strive for win-win outcomes, there are instances where walking away becomes the best choice. If the negotiation reaches an impasse, the other party is unwilling to negotiate in good faith, or the terms are no longer aligned with your goals, it may be time to reassess.

Knowing your BATNA helps determine when to gracefully exit a negotiation and pursue alternative options that offer better prospects.

7. Managing Emotions

Keep emotions in check during negotiations. Emotional reactions can cloud judgment and hinder effective communication. Stay composed, practice emotional intelligence, and focus on the facts and objectives at hand. By maintaining a calm demeanor, you create an environment conducive to productive discussions.

8. Finding Creative Solutions

Think outside the box and explore creative solutions that meet the interests of all parties involved. Brainstorm alternative options, consider trade-offs, and propose innovative ideas. By expanding the realm of possibilities, you increase the chances of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement.

9. Focusing on Interests, Not Positions

Reaching win-win solutions requires a change from positional bargaining to interest-based negotiation. Instead than rigidly sticking to certain requirements, concentrate on the underlying motives and interests that drive each party. Investigate original approaches to these issues in order to widen the range of potential outcomes and boost the likelihood of discovering points of agreement.

Both parties can leave feeling fulfilled by pursuing benefits that benefit both of them.

10. Continuous Learning and Adaptation

Continuously seek opportunities for learning and improvement in the field of negotiation. Stay updated on the latest trends, techniques, and best practices. Reflect on your negotiation experiences and identify areas for growth. Adapt your approach based on the specific context and parties involved, as each negotiation presents unique challenges and dynamics.

Conclusion

Business negotiation is a multifaceted skill that can significantly impact the success of your endeavors. By employing these 10 strategies and tactics, including thorough preparation, effective communication, interest-based negotiation, and knowing when to walk away, you can navigate the negotiation process with greater confidence and achieve win-win outcomes.

Remember that negotiating is a dynamic and continuing activity, and that improving your negotiation skills over time requires ongoing learning and adaptation. With training and experience, you can hone your negotiating skills to the point where you can forge successful business alliances and advance your endeavors.

What are the key drip campaign best practices? To help you best conduct your drip campaigns effectively, we asked marketing professionals and business leaders this question for their best advice.

From segmenting your target audience to sending emails that add value to the recipient, there are several pieces of advice that should serve as your best practices for conducting successful drip campaigns that bring in more leads.

Drip campaign best practices

Here are 14 drip campaign best practices these leaders follow to increase leads:

1. Segment your target audience
2. Personalize your message and include a clear call to action (CTA)
3. Make use of the yes ladder
4. Send birthday and anniversary emails
5. Keep drip emails short and to the point
6. Test different lengths of time for each message
7. Use an appropriate drip software according to your needs
8. Resend emails to non-openers with a new subject line
9. Determine triggers accurately
10. Stay consistent
11. Time your emails right and make them engaging
12. Know your audience and speak to their experience
13. Write each email short and concise with a clear message
14. Send emails that add value to the recipient

Segment your target audience

You want to personalize your email marketing as much as possible. The best way to do this is in the intake form on your website or a landing page. Ask two or three qualifying questions that will help segment your list.

Don’t ask more than three questions.

Keep it simple. For instance, a business that sells online parenting classes offers a free webinar. In their intake form, they ask how many kids they have and their ages. Obviously, parenting classes for kids under 9 will be different from those for tweens and teens.

Therefore, you can market the right class to a parent and have a better chance of getting a positive response. So, think about your target audiences and how you can segment your list so it makes sense to them. Then you can walk them through their buying journey with an effective drip campaign.

Giselle Aguiar, AZ Social Media Wiz

Personalize your message and include a clear CTA

One of the most important drip campaign best practices is to make sure your campaign has a clear call to action. If people aren’t sure what you want them to do after opening your email, they are likely to not do anything.

This can really hurt the effectiveness of your campaign, so you want to avoid this at all costs. You also want to make sure your drip campaigns are personalized as much as possible. This means using the recipient’s first name and making sure the content is targeted specifically for them.

This will increase opens and click-through rates, which will help improve the overall effectiveness of your campaign.

Curran Van Waarde, CallScaler

Make use of the yes ladder

When using drip campaigns to get a user to take actions like booking a demo, making a purchase, or converting from free to paid, one tactic that can help improve conversions is to make use of the “yes ladder.”

What you’re looking to do is to get your prospect to say “yes” to your end goal/big ask by getting them to say “yes” to much smaller, trivial asks that you’re confident your prospect will say “yes” to. With each “yes” your prospect responds with, the more likely they are to say “yes” when it comes to the big ask.

Essentially, you need to identify your end goal – this is the top of your ladder (and subsequently the last email in your drip sequence).

You then want to work backwards, with each email in your drip campaign having the purpose of building the rungs to your ladder. This is done by making sure there’s some type of ask that will get your prospect to say “yes” to. Because forward inertia is key, it’s critical that you get your first “yes” in your initial drip email.

Josh Brown, Helpjuice

Send birthday and anniversary emails

I found anniversary and birthday emails are some of the best ways when it comes to drip campaign best practices. As they let buyers know that we care for them. Also as per the statistics, birthday emails have a 481% higher transaction rate and 179% higher unique click rates than promotional emails.

I always recommend adding an extra field on your sign-up forms as it helps you acquire this information. Sending birthday or anniversary emails with appealing texts along with a small discount as a present/gift for the next purchase always leaves clients happy and suffice.

Hima Pujara, BugRaptors

Keep drip emails short and to the point

This might be an unpopular viewpoint, but my drip campaign emails are very short.  And the emails look as if they are coming from my personal account.

I treat every email as if I’m writing to a friend (often I am) and I tell them what I’m sending, why I think they will appreciate it and provide a link.

I’ve been following this format for the last year and have seen an increase in click rates from as low as 1% to as high as 5%.

Ivana Taylor, DIYMarketers

Test different lengths of time for each message

One of the more strategic drip campaign best practices is to test different lengths of time for each message. You might find that your subscribers respond better to messages that are sent more frequently, or that they prefer a longer gap between each message.

When you’re testing, be sure to include a control group – a group of subscribers who receive the same number of emails as your test groups, but at regular intervals.

When you’re testing your drip campaign, don’t forget that there are many factors that could affect the results. For example, if your product has been featured in the media recently, it may get more clicks than usual. If one particular person in your company is more active on social media than others, they may be included in every test group and skew the results towards one outcome or another. Make sure you account for these factors when analyzing your results!

Benjamin Basic, Fast Food Menu Prices

Use an appropriate drip software according to your needs

Welcome aboard if you’ve chosen the drip campaign tool you’re going to use if you’re reading this. However, if you are weighing your alternatives, you should choose the one that has all the characteristics you require for your campaigns.

A good email automation tool should offer a number of essential capabilities so that you can build up your email sequence properly. While email customization tools enable you to adjust your emails in accordance with various data, list segmentation makes it simpler to target various demographic groups within your target audience. Setting up a drip campaign involves many different steps, including determining the best time to send emails based on the campaign plan.

Michael Garrico, Total Shape

Resend emails to non-openers with a new subject line

For most drip campaigns, less than half of your recipients open your emails, meaning the majority of your target audience never sees the content in the email itself. Consider re-sending emails to people who didn’t open the first time with a new subject line.

Not only does this increase the overall number of people who see your email content, you’ll also learn what types of subject lines are more likely to result in opens.

Peter Zawistowicz, Pace

Determine triggers accurately

Determining triggers accurately can help implement a successful drip campaign. Triggers serve as a signal for automated emails to start. For instance, ecommerce businesses, like home appliance online stores, utilize abandoned cart emails.

Sending automated abandoned cart emails is triggered when a potential customer adds items to the shopping cart and leaves the website without checking out. This best practice helps reduce abandoned cart rates and boost sales.

Robert Johnson, Coast Appliances

Stay consistent

Staying consistent while not being overbearing is the key to converting customers with a drip campaign. A good practice to implement with a drip campaign is having an automatic email to be sent within 24 hours.

Having a follow up email reminding customers of their abandoned cart within the first day will make sure it stays fresh on their mind.

If the customer isn’t converted with the follow up email, having a third email sent by the end of week with a discount offer could do the trick. Making sure to stay consistent will ensure you are able to have an effective campaign.

Charles Tichenor IV, Disrupter School

Time your emails right and make them engaging 

Decide first how often and at what intervals you want to send emails. Depending on the campaign kind, this will happen. With fresh leads, you need to follow up right away, however, with subscribers, newsletters can be delivered weekly or monthly.

Your email’s content must be pertinent, interesting, and succinct.

Per the email, stick to one subject and avoid overusing links, attachments, and CTAs. Add a few well-selected images to the emails to make them bright and engaging. Not sending too many emails to your list is one of the most important drip campaign best practices to keep in mind.

Generally speaking, it’s preferable to space out for a few days. You must also take into account the best days and times to send, which may depend on the schedules and time zones of your recipients.

Richard Harless, AZ Flat Fee

Know your audience and speak to their experience

Consumers are becoming more and more savvy and know when they are being marketed to. My advice is to incorporate personalisation techniques into your strategy to engage the attention of the reader.

For example, speak to the consumer’s personal experiences with your company, such as past purchases. Educate yourself as to why your customer bought your product. Perhaps it was for a gift? If so, they may be likely to buy your product again at the same time of year in the future.

To do this, segment your email list with this criteria. Then set up a drip campaign addressing them directly and speaking to their past purchase. Schedule the campaign to send at the same time the following year to encourage another purchase.

From my experience, consumers are likely to respond positively to your drip campaign when it is addressing them directly, and speaking to their personal experiences with your company.

Taleisha Barker, Flowers Across Brisbane

Make each email short and concise with a clear message

A drip campaign’s beauty is that you naturally don’t need to cram a lot of information into each email. You may distribute information throughout the email series using the built-in formatting.

Profit from that.

The likelihood that your audience will interact with your content is increased by concise paragraphs, a brief email overall, and a clear message. Your email receivers will lose interest in your message if it has lengthy paragraphs and rambling tales that don’t get to the point.

Amit Biwaal, Amit Biwaal

Send emails that add value to the recipient

When it comes to drip campaigns, one best practice is ensuring that each email in the campaign adds value to the recipient. This could mean providing helpful information, offering a discount or special offer, or simply reminding the recipient of your product or service.

Start with the subject line. It is the first thing that a recipient will see, so it’s important to make it count. Keep it short and to the point, and make sure it’s relevant to the rest of the email. Personalize your message as much as possible. Include the recipient’s name in the subject line and throughout the email.

Providing educational content leads to customer satisfaction. If you can solve a problem that your recipient is facing, they will be more likely to remember your product or service the next time they need it. Whatever the case, each email should provide some value to the reader to encourage them to continue reading and engaging with your brand.

Erik Emanuelli, ErikEmanuelli.com

Closing thoughts on drip campaign best practices

With their relative ease to launch and high return on investment, drip campaigns are fast becoming a must-have for any online venture. But it’s important to avoid firing off messages willy nilly. Hopefully, our list of drip campaign best practices can help you get the most from this powerful strategy.

If you’re wondering how to do social media for your business and think you need a roadmap to navigate the ins and outs of today’s social media landscape, you’re in the right place.

Use this guide to position your venture for success on the social platforms where your customers spend their time. 

Let’s get started.

The discussion about social media for small businesses used to be simpler. It revolved around a few social networks, which had differences that were easy to parse. Instagram equaled pictures; YouTube equaled videos. “Facebook? It’s the one with opposable thumbs.” 

Social media platforms have climbed out of their primitive goop and evolved from simple organisms to complex forms. And, despite the vast landscape of social media, platforms are evolving to look more and more alike.

Live video? Sure — on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest and Twitter.

Yet no single map precisely navigates the landscape of more than one platform. It’s worth it to take the time to do it right, though — by being authentic, offering content your audience values, and building relationships with your customers and prospects.

Social media marketing can generate returns like nothing else can.

You won’t go viral with your first post. And you shouldn’t expect to boom on every platform simultaneously. But the payoffs are life-changing for those small business owners who learn how to do social media the right way.

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Simply put, social media marketing is the process of sharing content (photos, videos and text) on different social media channels, where it’s viewed by the public. It’s an extension of your digital marketing efforts.

At the core of social media for small businesses is the opportunity to connect with new and existing customers and build your sphere of influence through those outlets.

Central to your success with social media marketing is your customers’ and prospects’ ability to find value in what you have to offer.

Mindset: You have to earn people’s attention on social media; no one owes it to you, and they won’t pay attention unless something is in it for them.

Your audience’s default is to do nothing.

Their lives were fine before you arrived.

Their lives will be fine after you go away.

Your goal is to help them feel enough excitement about your pitch to overcome that inertia.

— Wes Kao (@wes_kao) December 13, 2022

By learning how to do social media in a way that provides clear value to your customers and prospects, you can::

1. Establish expertise. When you share your knowledge freely and display your expertise on social media, you build more than just a following — you create an audience that remembers you as a thought leader in your industry.
2. Build brand awareness and audience. You already undertake a wide variety of brand awareness tactics routinely. Social media marketing is just the latest evolution of setting up a booth at industry events and sharing your elevator pitch.
3. Drive funnel and website traffic. Sharing a valuable freebie or new product announcement that interests your target audience can generate clicks to drive traffic to your funnel, selling your products and services.
4. Be remembered. Attention is a powerful currency, and attention from social media marketing results in you being remembered as the “it” person for what you offer.
5. See conversions. Ultimately, these activities all lead to the same place: conversions.

While a business’s ultimate goal is sales, social media marketing can also result in other powerful indirect conversions:

• Referrals. Someone who’s never used your services but remembers you as “the X person” will be quick to recommend you.
• Industry elevation. Being included in industry publications and round-ups won’t drive sales directly but are a fantastic way to reach an even larger audience.

Exercise: Look for examples of successful social media marketing from brands that you buy from. Can you identify the purpose behind one of their social posts? Start to pull back the curtain on social media marketing.

Bottom line: Always remember why you’re sharing. Learning how to do social media to reap its benefits rests on sharing with a clear purpose in mind.

Using social media marketing as a funnel

Social media marketing unlocks a spectrum of possibilities for your business — both positive and negative. And no, I’m not talking about negative comments.

This is an important realization: You don’t own your social media channels, either the content published there or your followers. Social media accounts live on borrowed land, and you could always lose access to what you’ve built there. Every single business still needs a website.

Always treat social media as a funnel that leads back to your owned content.

Vine disappeared overnight in 2016 (though it might return). Pinterest and LinkedIn accounts get mistakenly suspended. Instagram and Facebook accounts get hacked and held for a hefty ransom. TikTok has been banned altogether by a (potentially growing) list of countries.

Social media marketing is a way to explode your brand awareness, but small businesses should continue the conversation off of the page.

The benefits of social media marketing are exciting, but if you don’t enter the jungle with clear expectations you’ll quickly get discouraged.

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Setting realistic expectations

On any given social network sit countless abandoned profiles from creators who gave up on their social media marketing strategy, leaving their accumulated audience, followers and invested time to collect dust.

The most common mistake? Not accounting for the buy-in period of sweat equity that social media marketing requires. 

As a Pinterest marketer, I’ve seen countless creators loftily declare “flags at half-mast — Pinterest is dead!” They abandon their strategy, making a dire miscalculation: it takes months for Pinterest to even index your pins for search results.

Exercise: Research how long growth takes on the social channels you’re pursuing.

@cherylporterdiva It’s #vocalwarmup time! #vocalexercise #fyp #cherylportervocalcoach #vocalcoach ♬ original sound – Cheryl Porter | Vocal Coach

Give your social media strategy time

There’s no hard figure for how long it takes to build an audience on social media, but as a rule of thumb:

Don’t start executing a social media strategy on any platform if you’re not committed to at least a year of work.

Give yourself time to:

• Learn the ins and outs of making quality content.
• Nurture a real, genuine relationship with viewers and earn quality followers.
• Upskill your graphic design, video editing or whatever skills the platform demands.

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Should you spend money on social media marketing?

Part of the allure of social media has long been the price tag: free. Minus your time and the resources used to develop quality content, of course. Those resources are especially hefty, though, to an entrepreneur juggling all their daily responsibilities while exploring how to do social media for the first time.

Small businesses can make three main forms of financial investment in social media marketing:

• Paid ads
• Social media management
• Software

Social media ads

Ads can seem like a social media marketing hack: spend some money and see your reach skyrocket. But they aren’t the solution for every product, service or small business.

“Paid ads aren’t a magic solution where you spend money and immediately get sales,” warns marketer Ravi Davda. “It must be done properly, but it’s a way to be seen and drive traffic rapidly, rather than counting solely on organic methods.”

So, how do you know if you’re ready for social media ads?

Social media ads specialist Joe Brady shared this advice:

“When you have a proven offer with positive reviews, that’s when you’re ready to pursue paid ads. You don’t want to run ads for something that’s not been proven. Otherwise, you won’t know if it’s the ads that are the problem or what you’re selling is not in demand.”

Social media management

You can hire social media managers, sometimes also referred to as ghostwriters or freelance content creators, to create and publish content on your behalf.

You can hire help that’s:

• Platform-specific, such as a Twitter manager.
• Content-specific, such as hiring a short-form video content creator.

Note: This is not to be confused with an influencer, who would create content for your account and post it on their own social media profiles.

LinkedIn ghostwriter Renate Linnenkoper shared this insight:

“It’s easy to end up spending hours producing social media content instead of actually having the time to find new clients. Outsourcing your social media content creation is a great way to attract dream clients to your profile through storytelling content without having to rely on paid ads.”

Both of these financial investments save time, but there’s also another option that fits every budget.

Editor’s note: The experts at GoDaddy’s Digital Marketing Services can help you attract and manage your customers with targeted social ad and email campaigns — and measure your success.

Free social media management tools

Behind every social media marketing strategy is a host of systems and tools that save time.

Building a social media presence takes consistency, and that’s best achieved using a content calendar and scheduling tools.

A few popular social media management tools include:

• Sprout Social for scheduling, analytics, engagement and account management.
• Free native schedulers within the different social channels.
• Collaborative software such as Airtable, Notion or Trello to help visualize your social media content calendar and plan out social media campaigns.

Don’t worry about picking specific tools from the get-go; instead, reference this list once you’ve picked which social media channels you’ll focus on.

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Despite their overlaps, each social media channel has unique strengths.

An effective social media strategy weighs the strengths of each social network and looks at what type of content thrives there.

Ask yourself these questions as you evaluate the best social media channel(s) for your business:

• Who is my target customer, and where do they spend their time?
• Do I prefer to write instead of sharing visuals?
• What content will I routinely share?

Let’s see which platform is your smartest starting point.

LinkedIn

Post content on LinkedIn providing value and showing that you’re a reliable source of information on your given subject, and the recommendations will start to come in.

Sound too easy?

As personal branding specialist Jessie van Breugel puts it, “Treat LinkedIn as your job for six months and you’ll never be out of work again.” Jessie has used his account to grow his email list and position himself as a go-to source on personal branding.

Important: That translates to building your own personal account, not your company’s LinkedIn page.

LinkedIn roll-call:

• Content type: Text-based content with optional photos or videos; plus live video.
• Content style: Can be polished, relating to your small business, or can be personal and casual, relating to your lifestyle.
• Unique opportunity: Instead of just creating fresh content for yourself every day, you can grow your network by simply engaging with content from others (like this). 

Pinterest

Plot twist: Pinterest’s actually not a social network.

Pinterest is a search engine where users look for answers to their queries. When a user enters a term in the search bar, they’re directed to images or videos (called pins) that link back to the websites of bloggers, brands and small businesses.

As a Pinterest specialist, my Pinterest account reaches millions of people per month, which has driven website traffic, brought in new clients, and grown my email list.

The opportunities are enormous, but Pinterest isn’t the ideal platform for every small business owner. Businesses with a lot of quality links on their website (products, blog posts, etc.) are going to see the most success.

Pinterest roll-call:

• Content type: Visual content, either static or video; plus live video on Pinterest.
• Content style: Seasonal, informational and lifestyle.
• Unique opportunity: Longevity. Content on Pinterest lasts for years, not days.

Related: The entrepreneur’s guide to Pinterest marketing

TikTok

TikTok is the adolescent of the social media family, but there’s an audience there for all demographics. In 2021, it became the most visited website in the world, but do you have the type of content to grow your business on TikTok?

In order to answer yes, you must be prepared to produce a lot of content focused on the same topic. 

SEO specialist Kate Smoothy, who has amassed some 19,000 TikTok followers and uses the platform to grow her email list and client base, shared this advice:

“You don’t have to be focussed on one type of content on TikTok, but you do need to be focused on your niche. I would actually encourage creators to try lots of different types of content to find what their audience likes best! But stay in your lane.”

@webhivedigital You can pay a lot of money for SEO tools but you don’t need to. Some of the best SEO tools are free! #seo #searchengineoptimisation #digitalmarketing #marketingtips #seotipsandtricks ♬ original sound – Kate Smoothy | Websites & SEO

TikTok roll-call:

• Content type: Short-form video, or static content with a video or audio element, accompanied by text; plus live video.
• Content style: Trending, informational, lifestyle or entertainment.
• Unique opportunity: Virality and quick growth potential.

Instagram

Open Instagram today and you’ll notice a very different type of content than you used to see pre-2020. Once a social network for hyper-curated photos, Instagram is “no longer just a square photo-sharing app.”

Small business owners can now reach new customers and clients through photos (posts), permanent videos (reels), disappearing videos, text or images (stories) and direct messages.

Most platforms have a direct messaging feature, but Instagram is one of the social media platforms where this feature really shines.

Charlotte Brand uses Instagram to find new clients for her content marketing business, and shared this advice for new small businesses joining the platform:

“Instagram is FULL of marketing potential for all types of small businesses, but when it comes to growing your account, you have to focus on the right metrics. Don’t worry about likes and followers too much; instead, focus on building a community and providing valuable content for your audience.”

Charlotte noted that sharing on Instagram stories provides personal, human connection like no other social network. Users watch stories as much or even more than they scroll the home feed, which means that casual and uncurated access to connect with your audience is uncapped.

Instagram roll-call:

• Content type: Photos, short-form videos and disappearing content; plus live video.
• Content style: Informative, lifestyle or entertainment.
• Unique opportunity: Business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing, specifically in stories.

Related: How to sell on Instagram

YouTube

Like Pinterest, YouTube is actually a search engine, and the content you share there has an incredible shelf life: videos sit in search results for years.

Video marketing specialist Doug Dibert, Jr., has been using video marketing since 2005 and says that YouTube’s big opportunity lies in the fact that there’s more demand than supply.

“Imagine you discovered Google My Business before anyone else did. You’re getting all the benefits and your competition is baffled as to why you’re winning,” he says. “That’s what YouTube is right now for businesses.”

Google owns YouTube, which means that videos also get prime placement across Google search results.

The platform also offers a special direct monetization opportunity, where accounts (called channels) that meet certain engagement thresholds are eligible to directly monetize their content.

YouTube roll-call:

• Content type: Video, traditionally longer-form but also short-form (YouTube Shorts); plus live video.
• Content style: Informative, lifestyle or entertainment.
• Unique opportunity: Visibility across both YouTube and Google, and high demand for content.

Related: How to get more customers with YouTube

Facebook

Facebook might be an old social media platform, but it still has an enormous and diverse audience, across all demographics.

Not only does this present small business owners with many potential leads, but users are also actively turning to businesses’ Facebook pages for information like reviews, business hours and direct communication through Facebook messenger.

Arthur Freydin is an entrepreneur with 10 years of Facebook marketing experience and these insights into the power of the platform:

“The platform allows business owners to communicate updates, new products, discounts, opening hours, customer testimonials, and much more on a platform with a very wide audience.”

Business owners can market their business through a Facebook business page or in Facebook groups using their personal account. It also has an incredibly robust ad system.

Facebook roll-call:

• Content type: Text, images or video; plus live video.
• Content style: Photos, videos and short-form video content as well as business page features consisting of reviews, business hours and direct messaging.
• Unique opportunity: The ability to reach your target market through paid ads (called “boosting”). 

Related: How to use Facebook Messenger for business

Twitter

Twitter is the fastest-moving social media platform, where a post (called a tweet) has the shortest lifespan when compared to the other platforms we’ve looked at .. a mere 23 minutes.

But a post on Twitter also requires the least amount of work. Currently, a tweet has a limit of 280 characters. That might change, but the concept won’t: tweets aren’t meant to be profound works of art.

The nature of the platform rewards short, spicy and conversation-provoking content, which makes it ideal for the big-picture part of your brand messaging.

Samson and Cecilia Hollmerus, who together run a small business offering travel coaching and community, use Twitter to build brand awareness:

“We use Twitter for our top-of-funnel content, and our aim is to create brand awareness for our travel community and courses.”

9 Insider travel tips from experienced globetrotters:

That will save you:

• Time
• Money
• Energy

Without compromising quality for your upcoming trip pic.twitter.com/vcbZDgixS3

— Samson | Spontaneous Backpackers (@spontaneousbkpk) December 25, 2022

Twitter roll-call:

• Content type: Short-form text, can include images and videos; plus live video.
• Content style: Short, timely and topical.
• Unique opportunity: The size of the stage. Tweet about a trending topic using a hashtag and your words can be seen by tens of thousands of viewers, no matter how many followers you have.

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You’ll find no shortage of tips online about how to use social media — a single TikTok video might flash 15 tips in a matter of seconds.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Follow these five basic steps and you’ll be ready to start creating the kind of social media content that converts.

1. Do your homework

The first step in any successful social media marketing strategy is listening.

See what kinds of accounts are popular in your industry and research:

• Who’s being followed?
• What topics are popular?
• What content is resonating?

Listening might sound passive, but small business influencer Ivana Taylor shared this exercise:

“Make a list of frequently asked questions and answer them. Or, share your secrets, shortcuts and hacks that will help your customers or audience get better at what you do.”

Actively engage in the listening process by:

• Writing down frequently asked questions (FAQ).
• Saving good posts that you see.
• Creating an ongoing idea document.

As you listen and gather content ideas, it’s time to define your social media marketing strategy.

2. Define your strategy

Start defining your social media strategy by answering these questions:

1. Which social media platform will you start with?
2. How many months will you commit to creating content, regardless of results?
3. How often will you post?

Bear in mind your target outcomes.

Target outcomes

What is the goal of each social media post? These goals can cover:

• Sales
• Education
• Authenticity
• Follower growth
• Lead generation
• Brand awareness
• Email list sign-ups
• Display of expertise
• Community engagement
• Data collection 

A well-rounded social media strategy would encompass all of these outcomes, even the ones that might seem less valuable, like authenticity.

Branding studio CEO Shana Sanders shared this insight into how authenticity generates more aligned leads:

“Be authentic with your social media marketing. Authenticity helps the audience see themselves being in the environment of working with you.”

Focus on creating content that covers all of these target outcomes in turn. Keep them front of mind as you’re creating social media content.

@megemikoart (shop link in my bio) #trans #elliotpage #transgender #nonbinary #lgbtqia #pridemonth #protecttranskids #lgbtsmallbusiness #fyp #comingout ♬ A Moment Apart – Hannah Stater

Add value

Anyone can post on social media, but not everyone turns their social media posts into conversions.

The biggest culprit? Failing to add value. Repurposing other small business marketing content, like sharing a link to a press release, is a losing approach.

Create content that’s:

• Funny
• Unique
• Helpful
• Engaging
• Entertaining
• Inspirational
• Conversational
• Thought-provoking
• Community-oriented

You already have the ideas for your value-driven social media marketing; you just need to identify them.

Business and marketing strategist Annelise Worn shared this advice:

“Ask yourself: ‘what does my ideal client need to know, think and believe about me and my offer in order to say yes?’ Write them all down. Categorize them into three buckets. That’s your content.”

Exercise: Hold a 15-minute brainstorming session where you write down every single answer to this question.

Identify your target market

Before you can create content that speaks to your audience, you have to know who your audience is.

Consider both demographics and psychographics, including:

• Age
• Gender
• Interests
• Struggles
• Education level
• Income or budget

Getting into the demographic information can start to feel overly technical, but copywriting specialist and professor Jasmin Alić, who’s written for Fortune 500 companies, shares this advice:

“Every time you post on social media as your brand, remember you’re speaking to humans. Not businesses and robots — you’d be surprised how many business owners don’t understand this concept.”

Exercise: Just like an actor breaking the fourth wall, look the camera dead in the eyes and speak directly to the viewer. Use “you,” not “you guys.” Likewise, say “I,” not an anonymous “we.”

When your social media marketing converts and a viewer is ready to become a follower or purchase your products or services, it’ll be the act of a single human. Speak to them.

Related: How to update your business for changing demographics

3. Create shareable content

After you’ve defined your social media marketing goals and understand your audience, you must reach viewers with content that engages them.

Digital marketer Yogesh Kumar simplifies the type of content that gets shared online to just two words: “People share creative and relevant content with their followers.”

Exercise: Think about your own behavior as a social media user. What type of content do you deem share-worthy?

I’ve edited 3+ million words.

Here are 8 common content writing mistakes,

and how to fix them:

— Erica Schneider (@ericasmyname) May 23, 2022

Related: How to create content calendars

4. Engage with your audience

Here’s one of the golden rules of social media marketing:

It’s not about you; it’s about them.

A relationship between two entities cannot be built if one party speaks about themselves into a megaphone. Your followers must be the focus of all of your social media marketing efforts, and engaging with them is an important part of this rule.

• Ask questions.
• Answer questions.
• Respond to every comment.
• Thank viewers for sharing their thoughts.
• Engage one-on-one in direct messages (DM) with viewers when appropriate.

Lyssa Jackson, instructor and program manager at LinkedIn, shared this insight:

“Direct messaging is for starting conversations and for building our like, know and trust factor. Even if you don’t make a sale or book a call right away, approaching DMs with a relationship-first mindset will open your network if you’re clear about the problem you solve.”

Exercise: Make time to send followers or peers in your audience thoughtful messages (if it’s appropriate on the platform).

5. Measure success

What does success look like on social media?

Consider these key metrics:

• Followers and views. These numbers give a sense of reach.
• Engagement. Are people commenting on your content?
• Shares. What content is motivating your followers to share it?
• Clicks. Which posts are driving traffic to your website?
• Action. Once they’re on your turf, are they converting?

For tangible measurements, look at platform analytics to access data from within each platform.

For intangibles, look at the quality of community you’re building and how qualified your inbound leads are.

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Conclusion and next steps

You’re making a wise investment by learning how to use social media marketing to grow your small business.

Instead of opening a brick-and-mortar establishment and waiting for potential leads to walk in, you’re going out into the world and finding them.

• Start small.
• Experiment.
• Test your content.
• Try out different platforms.
• Play with the timing of your posts.
• Treat every social media post as an opportunity to improve.

Watch your content evolve. You have no idea how your business might evolve with it.

Develop a quality, successful social media marketing strategy that’s an agent of your overall marketing goals, and your business will never be the same.