Social Media & Digital Archives - Small Business Connections https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/category/marketing/social-media/ Connect small businesses across Australia Mon, 13 Nov 2023 01:34:28 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.3 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/cropped-sbc-32x32.jpg Social Media & Digital Archives - Small Business Connections https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/category/marketing/social-media/ 32 32 Social media management: A guide for small business https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/social-media-management-a-guide-for-small-business/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/social-media-management-a-guide-for-small-business/#respond Thu, 02 Nov 2023 05:42:12 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=24863 Social mеdia managеmеnt rеfеrs to thе procеss of crеating, schеduling, analysing, and еngaging with contеnt on social mеdia platforms to achiеvе spеcific markеting and branding goals. It involves managing an organisation’s or individual’s onlinе prеsеncе across various social mеdia channеls, such as Facеbook, X (previously Twittеr), Instagram, and LinkеdIn. Hеrе’s a brеakdown of what social […]

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]]> Social mеdia managеmеnt rеfеrs to thе procеss of crеating, schеduling, analysing, and еngaging with contеnt on social mеdia platforms to achiеvе spеcific markеting and branding goals. It involves managing an organisation’s or individual’s onlinе prеsеncе across various social mеdia channеls, such as Facеbook, X (previously Twittеr), Instagram, and LinkеdIn. Hеrе’s a brеakdown of what social mеdia managеmеnt еntails, why it’s important, and how it can bе donе еffеctivеly.

What is social mеdia managеmеnt?

Social mеdia managеmеnt еncompassеs a rangе of activitiеs on social mеdia platforms. Thе kеy componеnts of social mеdia managеmеnt includе:

1. Contеnt crеation

Contеnt crеation is at thе hеart of social mеdia managеmеnt. It involvеs crafting tеxt, imagеs, vidеos, and infographics that will rеsonatе with your targеt audiеncе. Hеrе’s how to approach contеnt crеation еffеctivеly:

  • Make it rеlеvant to your audience: Your content should address your target audience’s pain points, provide value, and maintain consistency with your brand’s overall identity and messaging.
  • Adapt to the platform: Social mеdia platforms attract diffеrеnt dеmographics and usеr bеhaviours. For еxamplе, LinkеdIn users may prefer business-focused articles and data, whilе Instagram contеnt might bе morе visual and lifеstylе-oriеntеd. Customise your contеnt to fit еach platform’s audiеncе.

2. Posting and schеduling

Dеtеrmining whеn and how oftеn to post your contеnt is crucial for maximising its rеach and impact. Hеrе’s how to approach posting and schеduling:

  • Find the optimal timing: Each social mеdia platform has pеak timеs whеn thе audiеncе is most activе. Rеsеarch and analytics can hеlp you idеntify thеsе optimal posting timеs. For еxamplе, posting during lunch brеaks or еvеnings may work bеst on somе platforms.
  • Post consistеntly: Rеgular posting is important to kееp your audiеncе еngagеd. Crеatе a contеnt calеndar that outlinеs what and whеn you’ll post. Social mеdia managеmеnt tools likе Buffеr, Hootsuitе, and Zoho Social can hеlp you schеdulе posts in advancе, еnsuring a consistеnt onlinе prеsеncе.
  • Mix it up: Divеrsify your contеnt schеdulе to avoid monotony. Keep your audience engaged with a blеnd of promotional, еducational, usеr-gеnеratеd, and fun or intеractivе posts.

3. Audiеncе еngagеmеnt

Engaging with your audiеncе is a fundamеntal aspеct of social mеdia managеmеnt. It’s about building rеlationships, fostеring trust, and crеating a sеnsе of community around your brand.

  • Rеspond to commеnts: Whеn followеrs lеavе commеnts on your posts, rеspond promptly. Acknowlеdgе thеir input, answеr quеstions, and show apprеciation for positivе fееdback. This dеmonstratеs that you valuе thеir еngagеmеnt.
  • Monitor mеssagеs and mеntions: Promptly rеply to mеssagеs, addrеss customеr enquiriеs or issuеs, and еngagе in mеaningful convеrsations. This pеrsonalisеd intеraction hеlps build a loyal customеr basе.
  • Build community: Activеly participatе in rеlеvant convеrsations and trеnds within your industry or nichе. Engaging with othеr usеrs’ contеnt can incrеasе your brand’s visibility and еstablish your authority.

4. Analytics and rеporting

To improvе your social mеdia managеmеnt stratеgy, you nееd to continually analyse performance data and look for insights into how you can make your brand more visible and engage your audience.

  • Monitor kеy mеtrics: Kееp an еyе on еssеntial mеtrics likе rеach, еngagеmеnt (likеs, commеnts, sharеs), convеrsion ratеs, click-through ratеs, and followеr growth. Thеsе numbеrs will hеlp you gaugе your pеrformancе
  • Make data-drivеn dеcisions: Analysе thе data to undеrstand what’s working and what isn’t. If a particular typе of contеnt or posting schеdulе consistеntly pеrforms wеll, considеr doing morе of it. Likеwisе, adjust or еliminatе stratеgiеs that undеrpеrform.
  • Analyse the compеtition: Monitor your compеtitors’ social mеdia еfforts and comparе thеm to your own. Analysing thеir succеssеs and failurеs can providе valuablе insights for your own stratеgy.
  • Rеport performance: Prеparе rеgular rеports summarising your social mеdia pеrformancе and its impact on your markеting goals. Sharе thеsе rеports with your tеam to еnsurе еvеryonе is on thе samе pagе.

Why is social mеdia managеmеnt important?

Brand awarеnеss: Social mеdia is whеrе millions of usеrs еngagе daily. You can significantly boost your brand’s visibility by stratеgically managing your prеsеncе on platforms likе Facеbook, X, and Instagram. Consistеntly posting compеlling contеnt hеlps crеatе brand rеcognition, making your brand morе visible to a widеr audiеncе. Likes and shares are likе digital word-of-mouth, hеlping you tap into markеts that might havе bееn challеnging to rеach through traditional advеrtising.

Lеad gеnеration: Social mеdia sеrvеs as a valuablе lеad gеnеration channеl. You can dirеct potеntial customеrs to your wеbsitе or products by sharing contеnt that rеsonatеs with your targеt audiеncе. You can turn social mеdia followеrs into prospеcts and, еvеntually, paying customеrs through еngaging posts, еnticing offеrs, and еffеctivе calls to action. Social mеdia platforms also offеr advеrtising tools that еnablе you to targеt spеcific dеmographics, boosting your lеad-gеnеration results.

Customеr support: Social mеdia platforms arе not only about promotion but also about communication. Thеy providе a convеniеnt channеl for customеr inquiriеs, fееdback, and support. Rеsponding promptly to customеr enquiriеs and addrеssing issuеs in public dеmonstratеs your commitmеnt to customеr satisfaction. Happy customеrs arе morе likеly to bеcomе rеpеat customеrs and brand advocatеs.

How to managе social mеdia еffеctivеly

Sеt clеar goals: Sеtting clеar goals is thе foundation of an еffеctivе social mеdia stratеgy. Your goals should bе spеcific, mеasurablе, and timе-bound. Ask yoursеlf what you aim to achiеvе through your social mеdia еfforts. Is it to incrеasе your followеr count, drivе morе traffic to your wеbsitе, or boost salеs? Dеfining thеsе goals allows you to crеatе a roadmap for your social mеdia activitiеs. For instancе, if your goal is to incrеasе wеbsitе traffic, you’ll focus on crеating contеnt that еncouragеs clicks and sharеs. Without clеar objеctivеs, your еfforts may lack dirеction and success will be hard to mеasure.

Know your audiеncе: Undеrstanding your targеt audiеncе is fundamеntal to crеating contеnt that rеsonatеs with thеm. You nееd to dеlvе dееp into thеir dеmographics, intеrеsts, and pain points. Conduct markеt rеsеarch and crеatе dеtailеd customеr pеrsonas to guidе your contеnt stratеgy. This knowlеdgе hеlps you tailor your contеnt to customers’ prеfеrеncеs, еnsuring it is еngaging and valuablе to thеm.

Usе tools and softwarе: Social mеdia managеmеnt tools such as Buffеr, Hootsuitе,  Sprout Social, and Zoho Social can bе your bеst alliеs. Thеsе platforms hеlp you schеdulе posts in advancе, еnsuring a rеgular posting schеdulе еvеn whеn you’rе not onlinе. Thеy also allow you to track analytics, hеlping you undеrstand how your contеnt is pеrforming. Morеovеr, thеy еnablе you to managе multiplе social mеdia platforms from a singlе dashboard, helping you save time and keep your posting schedule organised.

Engagе your community: Activеly еngaging with your audiеncе is crucial for building a strong onlinе community around your brand. Rеspond to commеnts, mеssagеs, and mеntions promptly. Acknowlеdgе and apprеciatе your followеrs. Participatе in rеlеvant convеrsations and еncouragе discussions. Building rеlationships through еngagеmеnt fostеrs loyalty and humanisеs your brand, making it morе rеlatablе.

Monitor analytics: Analytics arе thе compass of your social mеdia stratеgy. Rеgularly track kеy pеrformancе mеtrics related to your brand’s rеach, еngagеmеnt (likеs, sharеs, commеnts), and convеrsion ratеs. Analysе thе data to rеfinе your stratеgy basеd on actual rеsults, еnsuring you’rе on thе right path to achiеve your goals.

Advеrtisе stratеgically: Paid advеrtising on social mеdia platforms can significantly еxtеnd your rеach to a largеr, morе targеtеd audiеncе. Considеr allocating a portion of your budgеt to promotе your most critical contеnt. Usе targеting options to rеach usеrs who match your idеal customеr profilе. A wеll-plannеd advеrtising stratеgy can hеlp you achiеvе your goals morе еfficiеntly.

Stay currеnt: Social mеdia platforms update thеir algorithms and fеaturеs frеquеntly. Stay informеd about industry trеnds and platform updatеs, so you can adapt your stratеgy to take advantage of nеw opportunitiеs.

Evaluatе and itеratе: Continually assеss thе еffеctivеnеss of your social mеdia еfforts. Evaluatе whеthеr you arе making progrеss toward your goals. Bе prеparеd to makе adjustmеnts to your stratеgy. Flеxibility and willingnеss to adapt arе kеy in thе еvеr-еvolving world of social mеdia.

Build your online presence with social media

Mastеring social mеdia managеmеnt is no longеr a choicе; it’s a nеcеssity. It еquips businеssеs and individuals with thе mеans to boost brand rеcognition and nurturе audiеncе еngagеmеnt. Bеing in tunе with thе latеst trеnds, using thе right tools, and consistently analysing your performance arе vital aspеcts of this practicе. Whеn you еmbracе thеsе principlеs, social mеdia managеmеnt bеcomеs thе cornеrstonе for building a strong onlinе prеsеncе, nurturing lasting rеlationships, and turning your markеting drеams into rеality.

Source: Zoho

 

Also read: Key insights and strategies: Australia facing surge in online sales

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/social-media-management-a-guide-for-small-business/feed/ 0 Do consumers trust a small business without a website? https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/do-consumers-trust-a-small-business-without-a-website/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/do-consumers-trust-a-small-business-without-a-website/#respond Wed, 18 Oct 2023 05:23:52 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=24717 We’ve all seen so many people talk about the value of having a website: It helps build credibility, makes you look professional and serious, helps you reach a new audience, and drives traffic to your business, yada, yada, yada. In fact, there’s so much online about websites that even ChatGPT and Bard have a lot […]

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We’ve all seen so many people talk about the value of having a website: It helps build credibility, makes you look professional and serious, helps you reach a new audience, and drives traffic to your business, yada, yada, yada. In fact, there’s so much online about websites that even ChatGPT and Bard have a lot more to say than you’d expect. I know because I asked them both.

If you’re still unsure a website is worth your money and time, you’re likely a micro business with little to spend on things you don’t see immediate value in. If the internet hasn’t convinced you already, then AI recycling all those articles isn’t going to convince you either.

But I’d still maintain that you need a website. Hear me out.

Social media isn’t a substitute for a website

If you’re a micro business and you don’t have a website yet, then chances are you’re using a different platform to run your everyday operations—like Facebook or Instagram. After all, globally over a billion people contact brands through Meta’s products: Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.

The data checks out, too—Meta makes it easy for businesses and customers to engage with each other. All you have to do is set up a page on Facebook and/or Instagram, set up a “book now” button and you’re well on your way to making money. Because Facebook groups are so community-oriented, you can engage with your ideal audience and directly convert them. It sounds so easy, straightforward, and, most importantly—free.

But you have to ask: Is anything ever really free?

Meta is helpful, yes. But only for as long as it’s around. Remember the media bargaining code incident in 2021? The government wanted Facebook and Google to start paying media outlets for every news item they display on their respective platforms. After a lot of negotiations, and Google threatening to remove Search from Australia, we all woke up one day to realise that Facebook had pulled all media channels’ pages from its platform. What upset me most was deleting the Bureau of Meteorology (the BOM), but I might be in a minority there.

Facebook restored all pages within a few hours, of course. But it had made a point: the company could do what it wanted to any Facebook page or account.

That’s the risk in relying on Meta to run your business. If it goes down or rogue, you’ll lose all your data, including your booking history and your customer information. Instagram is the same.

Your website puts you in control

When you have your own website, with a booking form and an integration with Facebook and Instagram, you can still continue to collect bookings and make sales from the Meta platform. Except, now, you’ll really own every piece of data that you worked so hard to earn.

There are four types of media that a business encounters: owned, earned, shared, and paid. A website is owned media—you have complete control over what goes on the website, how your visitors engage with it, and how they consume your content. It also means that you’ll almost always have access to your data. I say almost because realistically, even if you set up your own website, it’ll be hosted on a bigger company’s servers—like Amazon Web Services—and if that goes down, so will your business website.

Case in point: This happened to us at Zoho. Our domain provider pulled the plug on us without warning, and zoho.com was unavailable to millions of our users across the world. So our CEO decided that we need to own every step of our software development and deployment cycles. This is why every piece of Zoho software runs entirely on Zoho’s physical and cloud services. As a company, we want to minimise our reliance on external vendors.

To be fair, most businesses can’t and don’t need to go as far as Zoho. If you’re a micro business with a website on a credible third-party server, you can be confident that your website will reliably meet your business needs. Your provider should also offer periodic backups to reduce the risk of losing data. This is why owned media is invaluable for a business.

Besides, as other articles say, a website is the centre of your branding. Your social connections, newsletters, blogs, video content, and digital marketing efforts all branch out from your website—it’s the first and only content medium you really own.

Setting up a website has never been easier

It’s a common misconception that a website is costly and hard to set up. Yes, it costs money, but you pay to ensure that you have complete control. If you find that you’ve hired a website developer or used a site-building platform that doesn’t give you enough autonomy on your website’s content and how often you update it, don’t be afraid to explore alternatives.

Businesses used to have websites they never changed or updated because it was too complicated—it involved dabbling in backend technicalities and HTML. Pages were frozen in time, with old content and limited uses. Based on these experiences, many businesses are reluctant to try. They see a website as something separate from their business and difficult to deal with. But that’s not how it should be.

There are countless DIY website tools you can use to set up a website. If you set up a WordPress website, for instance, you might hire a web developer to help tie up loose ends and ensure that search engine bots can access your website. But your website will also be intuitive enough for you to edit and make everyday changes yourself. Wix, Squarespace, and Zoho Sites are all popular, reliable, and easy-to-use website builders.

Having a website is a great way to add value to your business. It’s not as easy as pressing a button on Facebook, but it’s certainly worth the effort. Just ask the small business owners Facebook group. Setting up a functional website that highlights your business and personality has never been easier or more affordable. Give it a shot!

Source: Zoho

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/do-consumers-trust-a-small-business-without-a-website/feed/ 0 Why a digital loyalty program is the key to your SME’s marketing strategy https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/why-a-digital-loyalty-program-is-the-key-to-your-smes-marketing-strategy/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/why-a-digital-loyalty-program-is-the-key-to-your-smes-marketing-strategy/#respond Wed, 05 Jul 2023 06:21:32 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=23915 The new financial year is the perfect time to take stock of what worked and what didn’t in the prior 12 months, identify new areas for investment and improvement, and re-strategise. For many businesses, it’s an essential time to look at the marketing activities that delivered successful results and find new opportunities to engage with […]

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]]> The new financial year is the perfect time to take stock of what worked and what didn’t in the prior 12 months, identify new areas for investment and improvement, and re-strategise. For many businesses, it’s an essential time to look at the marketing activities that delivered successful results and find new opportunities to engage with audiences, drive sales, and achieve the best possible return on investment (ROI).

Mainstream marketing activities, including paid advertisements, activations, social media, and digital marketing, often take the lion’s share of the marketing budget and for good reason: they are seen by a lot of people all at once. However, there’s one activity that continues to be overlooked by many businesses. Digital loyalty and rewards programs present significant opportunities for businesses to capture sales while also fostering greater customer loyalty, according to Loyalty Now.

Anurag Vasisth, Co-Chair and Group CEO, Loyalty Now, said, “Technology advancements have given businesses access to a wealth of valuable information, including data about consumer trends and shopping behaviours. Digital loyalty and rewards programs empower businesses to harness this information and deliver hyper-personalised shopping experiences to consumers, including targeted promotions and offers that appeal to each buyer.

“The rising cost of living, coupled with increasing interest and inflation rates, are strengthening the hold that shoppers have on their wallets. As the new financial year approaches, businesses must get creative and find new and more meaningful ways to engage with consumers. Ensuring digital loyalty and rewards programs are included in the overarching marketing strategy is a critical first step.”

As shoppers look for opportunities to save dollars on their weekly shops and ad-hoc purchases, digital loyalty programs let merchants and program operators tailor sales and offers to consumers based on purchasing history. This lets brands deliver greater cost savings to customers when they need it most, while simultaneously helping to grow customer loyalty in the process.

Anurag Vasisth said, “When the pressure is on, customers look for any opportunity to increase their savings. If they can achieve this without sacrificing on quality or foregoing essential items, it’s a win-win. Digital loyalty and rewards programs give brands access to valuable information on their shoppers’ buying behaviours that let them market the products that people need, when they need them, creating a real-time relationship with their customers that they can’t achieve through other channels.”

Digital, card-linked loyalty and rewards programs also eliminate the need for customers to carry around cumbersome plastic cards in their wallets that they often forget to scan at the point of sale (POS). This reduces the barriers that customers face when purchasing products, contributing to a more streamline buying process. Beyond this, digital programs let merchants and program operators create increasingly personalised offers and experiences to consumers that best meet their needs, based on real-time data and insights about customer behaviours.

From a marketing perspective, businesses can not only deliver valuable offers to customers that help engage customers, secure sales, and drive customer loyalty, but they can also be delivered based on location, offering a greater level of personalisation and convenience than ever before. This granular level of targeted marketing that is tailored specific to consumers delivers endless opportunities to businesses looking to broaden their audience base.

Anurag Vasisth said, “Digital loyalty and rewards programs let businesses of any size engage more with their customers where it matters most: the customer’s pocket and the point of sale. It would be remiss of today’s marketers to ignore the power of digital loyalty programs. They eliminate the barriers of traditional loyalty program and streamline the shopping experience for consumers.

“The new financial year is the ideal time for marketers to ensure they have digital loyalty and rewards programs front and centre in their marketing strategies. Investing in a smart solution now will let brands make the most of their investment and secure the best chance possible to drive sales and grow customer loyalty in the new financial year, and years, ahead.”

 

Also read: SEO for small business: Enhance your online visibility

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/why-a-digital-loyalty-program-is-the-key-to-your-smes-marketing-strategy/feed/ 0 SEO for small business: Enhance your online visibility https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/seo-for-small-business-enhance-your-online-visibility/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/seo-for-small-business-enhance-your-online-visibility/#respond Tue, 13 Jun 2023 01:43:32 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=23629 To stay ahead of the competition in the digital age, it’s crucial to unlock the full potential of your online presence. That’s where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in. SEO is important for anyone who wants to increase their website’s online visibility. Whether you run a small business, a multinational corporation, a personal blog, or […]

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]]> To stay ahead of the competition in the digital age, it’s crucial to unlock the full potential of your online presence. That’s where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in. SEO is important for anyone who wants to increase their website’s online visibility. Whether you run a small business, a multinational corporation, a personal blog, or an ecommerce site, SEO can benefit you. SEO ensures your business reaches its target audience by increasing visibility and driving organic traffic to your website. In this blog post, we will explore SEO in detail, uncover its benefits for small businesses, and provide effective strategies to enhance your online presence.

The essence of SEO

SEO is about positioning your website to rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs). By understanding how search engines work and tailoring your website’s content and structure accordingly, you can make your site more visible and relevant to user searches. To optimise your website effectively, be sure to consider the following:

  • On-Page SEO: By optimising your website’s content and structure, you can make it more relevant and accessible to search engines. To do this, focus your attention on keyword research and placement, meta tags, headings, URL structure, internal linking, and user experience.
  • Off-Page SEO: A number of external factors can help you build your website’s authority and credibility. Consider acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, monitoring your online reputation, and engaging in social media promotion, content sharing, and influencer outreach.
  • Technical SEO: Ensure that your website is technically optimised, so search engines can crawl and index it effectively. To do this, focus on improving website speed, mobile-friendliness, URL structure, XML sitemaps, and robots.txt files and resolving any technical issues that could hinder search engine visibility.

As part of a broader SEO strategy, improving organic SEO is vital to maximising your website’s visibility. Start by implementing SEO techniques aimed at enhancing your website’s rankings and attracting valuable organic traffic. You’ll also need to create high-quality content that resonates with your target audience’s search intent and directly caters to their needs. By engaging users, providing solutions, and regularly updating your website with fresh content, such as blog posts, articles, videos, or infographics, you can establish your website as a trusted resource while improving search rankings.

SEO for small businesses

You can do SEO yourself or hire a specialist to help you optimise your content. An experienced specialist can provide professional guidance for implementing the right strategies, maintaining optimisation efforts, and keeping up with industry trends. If you plan to hire, be sure to first consider a candidate’s expertise, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability. Ultimately, whether you handle SEO in-house or work with a third-party provider, the goal remains the same: To maximise your online presence, attract targeted traffic, and achieve sustainable growth.

If you operate in and cater to specific locations, optimising for local searches should be an important part of your overall SEO strategy. This includes optimising your content for “near me” search results, as well as searches with location services turned on.

To optimise your website for local search queries, incorporate location-specific keywords and region-specific content, and ensure that you have accurate and consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) information across online directories. Use platforms like Google My Business to keep your community updated on essential business information and updates, such as operating hours, your addresses, and your contact details. All of this enables search engines to recognise your business’ relevance to local searches, and increases your chances of attracting more organic visitors.

SEO offers numerous benefits to small businesses:

  • Increased online visibility: Appropriate keywords enhance your search engine ranking, so you can forge meaningful connections with a wider audience.
  • Cost-effective marketing: SEO is more affordable than traditional advertising methods. Instead of spending large sums on print ads or TV commercials, small businesses can invest in SEO to build up their credibility and expand their market share in the long term.
  • A levelled playing field: SEO allows small businesses to compete with larger corporations. By targeting niche keywords and implementing local SEO strategies, small businesses can carve out their own space in search results and gain exposure, even in highly competitive industries.
  • Targeted traffic: SEO focuses on attracting targeted traffic to a website. By incorporating keywords related to their products or services, small businesses can ensure they attract visitors who are actively searching for what they offer. This increases the likelihood of converting those visitors into customers.
  • Building brand credibility: A strong SEO strategy helps small businesses build credibility and trust amongst their target audiences. When a business consistently appears in search results with valuable content and provides an ideal user experience, it establishes itself as an authoritative and trustworthy source.
  • Enhanced user experience: By optimising website elements, such as page load speed, mobile responsiveness, and site structure, businesses enhance the user experience. A user-friendly website that is easy to navigate and provides relevant, high-quality content creates a positive impression on visitors and increases the likelihood of conversions.

Mastering SEO is essential for unlocking your digital potential and maximising your online presence. By understanding the core elements of SEO, you can position your website to rank higher in search engine results pages and attract organic traffic. Whether you handle SEO in-house or seek professional assistance, investing in SEO strategies will help you connect with your target audience, establish your business as a trusted resource, and achieve sustainable growth. Embrace the power of SEO to forge stronger connections with those who truly matter to your business.

Source: Zoho

 

Also read: Tips for SMEs: creating a website that engages

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/seo-for-small-business-enhance-your-online-visibility/feed/ 0 Tips for SMEs: creating a website that engages https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/tips-for-smes-creating-a-website-that-engages/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/tips-for-smes-creating-a-website-that-engages/#respond Fri, 09 Jun 2023 05:31:31 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=23619 Whether you’re an established business owner or a new entrepreneur, your website is crucial to your success in the digital age. However, it is important to give your target audience appropriate and appealing functionalities that serve their needs. For example, if you’re a restaurant owner, your website should allow customers to make reservations, view your menu, and […]

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]]> Whether you’re an established business owner or a new entrepreneur, your website is crucial to your success in the digital age. However, it is important to give your target audience appropriate and appealing functionalities that serve their needs.

For example, if you’re a restaurant owner, your website should allow customers to make reservations, view your menu, and see your hours of operation. If you’re an ecommerce business, your website should facilitate a seamless browsing and purchasing experience.

There are certain questions you should consider before building your website. Who is your target audience? What are their needs, interests, and pain points? What are they looking for when they visit your website? Once you understand your target audience, you can identify the key functionalities that are likely to engage them.

Let’s take a look at the functionalities every business website needs in order to be effective.

1. Seamless navigation

Navigation is a crucial aspect of web design. It enhances user experience by allowing visitors to browse your content and offerings seamlessly. A well-designed navigation menu typically includes the main categories of the website and submenus that break down these categories into more specific sub-topics, so it’s easy for visitors to find what they are looking for.

Some important pages a website should include are:

  • Homepage: This is usually the first page a visitor sees, and it should give an overview of the business and its purpose.
  • Pricing page: This page helps potential customers understand your pricing structure, so they can compare their options and make informed decisions.
  • Contact Us page: This page provides visitors with a way to connect with you. It should include your contact information, such as phone number, email address, and physical address. You could also include a Contact Us form and list your operating hours on this page.

Some additional pages that may be relevant to you are:

  • Products/Services: Here, you should include information about your product or service, such as its features, benefits, and pricing.
  • About Us: Use this page to provide more information about your business’ history, mission, and team. This is a great place to add personality to your website.
  • Landing pages: These pages should be focused and goal-oriented. Aim to capture visitors’ attention and encourage them to take a particular action.
  • Blog page: This page is a great way to share news, updates, and tips with your visitors. It can also help you improve your website’s SEO.
  • FAQs page: Here’s where you can give your visitors quick answers to common questions, streamlining their experience and eliminating the need for them to contact your support team.

The order in which these pages appear on your website can vary depending on your website’s purpose and goals. Consider your budget and business size when determining the best approach for incorporating these sections into your website. You can either integrate them into the homepage or create dedicated pages linked to the top menu or footer. Choose the option you feel provides the best user experience and aligns with your available resources.

Once you’re confident in the pages you’ve created, consider building a sitemap. A sitemap is a hierarchical and visual representation of your website’s structure. It provides a comprehensive list of your website’s pages and serves as a navigational tool for both website visitors and search engine bots.

Before you go live, make sure you’ve incorporated clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout your website, prompting visitors to take desired actions, such as purchasing, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting a consultation. Use contrasting colours, concise language, and strategic placement to make your CTAs stand out.

2. Search engine optimisation (SEO)

SEO involves implementing strategies and techniques to optimise your website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). There are several techniques you can use to optimise your website for text, voice, and local searches in order to improve your website’s ranking.

Voice SEO focuses on drawing voice-activated search assistants, such as Siri or Alexa, to your website’s content. Local search SEO requires you to include your address on your website and aims to attract those looking for products or services in your area. This is particularly important if you operate exclusively in specific geographical regions.

SEO best practices include developing a content strategy, incorporating specific key words into you webpages and blog posts, using descriptive alt text for images and videos, and ensuring your content is formatted and structured for readability. These practices can help your website rank higher in search engine results pages and even appear as the featured snippet.

3. Social media integration

It’s often easier for people to connect and engage with brands on social media. Integrating social media links, share buttons, and widgets with your website and blog can encourage visitors to engage with you on social platforms and increase your brand’s visibility.

It is important to choose the appropriate social channels to showcase your brand, based on your target audience and goals. For example, a B2C brand might do well on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, while a B2B company may find LinkedIn and Twitter more effective. If you’re targeting a younger audience, TikTok might be your preferred channel. Integrating social media channels that align with your brand’s goals and target audience can help improve conversions.

4. Mobile optimisation

Most internet traffic now comes from mobile devices. You can optimise your website for mobile devices by using a responsive design that adjusts your layout and content to fit the viewer’s device. Depending on your business model, incorporating mobile apps and accelerated mobile pages (AMPs) may also help you reach a broader audience and provide a more streamlined user experience. AMP enhances loading speeds, allowing users to access information almost instantly. This makes it a great choice for organisations like news websites, which rapidly push out new content for readers.

Zoho offers mobile apps for almost all of its products, because we see mobile functionality, such as push notifications and offline access, as essential for a good user experience.

Your website is the face of your brand in the digital world. By investing in its functionality and user experience, you can make a lasting impression on your visitors. Whether you’re a business owner or a web developer, we hope these tips and strategies help you create a website that meets your business goals and delivers a seamless and enjoyable user experience!

 

Source: Zoho

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/tips-for-smes-creating-a-website-that-engages/feed/ 0 5 Strategies: reduce shopping cart abandonment https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/5-strategies-reduce-shopping-cart-abandonment/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/5-strategies-reduce-shopping-cart-abandonment/#respond Fri, 09 Jun 2023 05:25:10 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=23604 Shopping cart abandonment is a common occurrence in the world of ecommerce. Regardless of how great your product is, or how much value you offer, you may find your website visitors adding items to their carts only to leave without hitting the “buy” button. While this behaviour doesn’t have to be a cause for concern, a […]

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]]> Shopping cart abandonment is a common occurrence in the world of ecommerce. Regardless of how great your product is, or how much value you offer, you may find your website visitors adding items to their carts only to leave without hitting the “buy” button. While this behaviour doesn’t have to be a cause for concern, a high abandonment rate is worth investigating.

Why it’s important to measure your shopping cart abandonment rate

Your shopping cart abandonment rate can provide valuable insights into your customers’ purchasing journeys. This data can help you identify specific ways to improve your website or checkout process, eventually leading to better conversion rates.

In 2022, Baymard Institute examined data from 48 studies on ecommerce shopping cart abandonment. Its findings revealed that, on average, about 69.99% of people abandon their carts. While cart abandonment rates can vary based on industry and seasonal demand, this statistic can give you a general idea of what to expect in terms of the cart abandonment rate for your business.

To determine your exact shopping cart abandonment rate, you can follow these steps:

1. Calculate the cart conversion rate by dividing the number of completed purchases by the total number of shopping carts created.

2. Subtract the cart conversion rate from the number 1.

3. Multiply the result by 100 to obtain a percentage value.

Let’s say you run an ecommerce store that sells eyeglasses. In one month, a total of 1,000 shopping carts were created by website visitors. However, out of those 1,000 shopping carts, only 150 were converted into purchases.

In this case, your cart abandonment rate = (1 – Cart Conversion Rate) x 100

= (1 – 150 / 1,000) x 100

= 0.85 x 100

= 85%

In this particular example, your shopping cart abandonment rate would be 85%. This indicates that many potential customers are not completing their purchases, pointing to a high rate of cart abandonment in your eyeglasses store. To reduce this percentage, it’s important to study and understand your customers’ behaviour and implement effective strategies to give them a smooth buying experience.

Here are a few steps you can take to reduce shopping cart abandonment for your business:

Enable guest checkout

When someone on your website is ready to make a purchase, the process should be as streamlined as possible. If you compel shoppers to create an account and provide extensive details, you risk causing frustration and driving them away from the transaction. Remember, not everyone wants to go through the hassle of creating yet another account, remembering another username, and managing an additional password.

When you offer the option to check out as a guest, you make it quick and easy for customers to finish their purchases. While account creation can help you build your marketing database and foster long-term customer relationships, it should never come at the cost of a potential sale. Prioritising customer convenience can help you build revenue and a positive brand image.

Avoid last minute surprises

When shoppers browse through products and add items to their carts, they develop an expectation of the total cost based on the displayed prices. When you introduce additional costs or charges at a later stage, you’re likely to cause disappointment.

In the same Baymard study, high extra costs were a major contributing factor to people abandoning their shopping carts. Unexpected costs can make customers feel deceived and may prompt them to explore alternate options. If you want people to complete their purchases, you need to maintain transparency throughout the shopping experience. You can easily do this by providing a clear breakdown of estimated fees on the product/cart page.

Send abandoned cart emails

Abandoned cart emails are automated messages sent to shoppers who have added items to their shopping carts but have yet to complete the purchase. They are typically sent to customers who have shared their email addresses during the checkout process or for marketing communication. Abandoned cart emails can help you re-engage shoppers and remind them of the items they left behind. To make your abandoned cart emails effective, it’s crucial to personalise the content based on the customer’s behaviour and activity. You should also incorporate strong call-to-action buttons that create a sense of urgency. Be strategic about the timing of your emails, ideally sending them shortly after the cart abandonment or the following day. Experimenting with different timing options can help you find the ideal window for maximising your conversion rates.

Offer multiple payment options

Customers appreciate flexibility, particularly when it comes to how they pay for their purchases. Whether it’s a debit card, prepaid card, cash on delivery, or popular digital wallet (like PayPal or Apple Pay), people prefer using payment methods they are familiar with or that give them specific benefits or rewards. When you give them a range of payment options to choose from, you increase the likelihood of customers completing their purchases. On the other hand, when you give them limited payment options, they may refuse to proceed and second-guess their decision to do business with you.

Minimise distractions on your checkout page

Elements like pop-ups, hyperlinks, or related product suggestions on your checkout page can divert your customers’ attention and stop them from completing their purchases. That’s why it’s important to have a clutter-free checkout page without any distractions. Although it always helps to upsell your products, it’s better to do it before or after customers reach the checkout page. This way, they can focus on completing their orders before exploring additional options. This approach can help significantly improve conversions and reduce shopping cart abandonment.

We hope this blog post helps you take practical steps to reduce your business’ shopping cart abandonment rate. Do you have any other strategies you’d like to suggest? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Source: Zoho

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/5-strategies-reduce-shopping-cart-abandonment/feed/ 0 Award-winning marketing agency helping SMEs grow with authentic storytelling https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/award-winning-marketing-agency-helping-smes-grow-with-authentic-storytelling/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/award-winning-marketing-agency-helping-smes-grow-with-authentic-storytelling/#respond Wed, 07 Jun 2023 04:56:58 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=23491 This year’s CommBank Young Hero Awards shines the spotlight on 10 outstanding business leaders from across Australia. These young entrepreneurs, aged 35 and under, are making a positive impact on Australia’s business market while pushing the boundaries of their respective industries. Let’s take a closer look at these trailblazing businesses and the remarkable founders that […]

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]]> This year’s CommBank Young Hero Awards shines the spotlight on 10 outstanding business leaders from across Australia. These young entrepreneurs, aged 35 and under, are making a positive impact on Australia’s business market while pushing the boundaries of their respective industries. Let’s take a closer look at these trailblazing businesses and the remarkable founders that run them. Trang Ho, Founder of Dream Accelerator share insights into their business’s success and why they were awarded CommBank Young Hero Awards 2023: Excellence in Marketing. 

What motivated you to start your business?

I was born in one of the poorest towns in Vietnam, and I was born with a cleft lip. For thirty years of my life, I felt like I didn’t belong, feeling faulty. I spent years running in circles trying to figure out what my life purpose and passion were and my place in the world. Then I discovered marketing while working as a bookkeeper at a blind manufacturing company.

I love marketing. To me, marketing is kind, and marketing is the best way for me to help people. I was an in-house marketer for four years, but deep down, I think there has always been a call for me to help not just one business but many.

Then I saw a gap in the market. There aren’t enough marketing agencies that fully understand what coaches and business owners need to do as a whole to get clients and grow their businesses.

How did you come up with the marketing strategies that won you the Excellence in Marketing Award?

I’ve been fortunate from my very early days of entering the marketing world to start with organic marketing: social media and email marketing. So, I never believed that paid Facebook and Google advertising is the only way businesses can get new leads and clients.

Through my years of experience in organic marketing, I’ve dedicated my time and effort to finding out how small businesses can get the same, if not more, results from social media.

Branding with authenticity is very important. We craft social media content that reflects our clients’ unique voices, helping them genuinely connect with their audience. We spend time and effort to truly get to know each of our clients and their stories. And it has proven to work. And lastly, we want to make sure our clients’ content is in front of the right people at the right time. So, we’ve studied the algorithm as we build our clients’ social media networks.

What do you think sets your marketing strategies apart from your competitors?

The average marketing agency churn rate is 30 per cent. Meanwhile, 100 per cent of our clients have stayed with us in the last six months. A lot of our clients came to us, having been burnt in the past, having invested thousands and thousands of dollars into marketing and not getting anything in return.

It doesn’t mean that other agencies haven’t done a good job. Most agencies focus on acquiring new customers, due to the high turnover. We focus on results and the bigger picture with our clients.

How did you overcome the challenges of starting your own business?

I put myself out there and told literally everyone I spoke with that I was starting a new business. It’s incredible how simply asking for help can put your business at the forefront of people’s minds. I got four new clients on retainer in my first month from referrals.

I also invested in a high-quality mentor. I don’t believe in doing everything alone. Having a mentor allowed me to take the exact steps I needed to succeed…but faster. Also, I surrounded myself with successful business owners for community support.

Finally, taking breaks is important. I hired my first virtual assistant and booked a three-month trip to Europe. I put myself in a position where I had no other choice but to make my dream of travelling and running a business at the same time a reality. I forced myself to find ways to systemise, hire and train teams, minimise bottlenecks and work things out quickly, so I can have it all.

 

By: Alyssa Herr, Editor

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/award-winning-marketing-agency-helping-smes-grow-with-authentic-storytelling/feed/ 0 Why social media should be part of your customer service strategy https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/why-social-media-should-be-part-of-your-customer-service-strategy/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/why-social-media-should-be-part-of-your-customer-service-strategy/#respond Sun, 21 May 2023 05:36:07 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=23348 If you saw a brand ignoring its customers or being impolite to them on social media, would you buy from them? Probably not. You might even tell your friends about it and suggest they boycott the brand as well. It’s what we do—we’re all inherently nice and we like companies that are nice to us. […]

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]]> If you saw a brand ignoring its customers or being impolite to them on social media, would you buy from them? Probably not. You might even tell your friends about it and suggest they boycott the brand as well. It’s what we do—we’re all inherently nice and we like companies that are nice to us. The proof is in the data. According to McKinsey & Company, half of all customers who have a bad experience with a brand will complain publicly on social media. Unsurprisingly, 81% of those who complain and don’t get a reply won’t recommend the company to others.

Consumers have high expectations for brands on social media. In fact, 40% of customers who contact brands on social media expect a reply within an hour, while 79% expect a reply in the first 24 hours. That’s the new normal in customer service, which can be jarring when you consider that, not long ago, the standard response time for an email support request was 24 hours. Things are changing fast in the customer service industry, and to provide your customers with a great experience, you have to be prepared to keep up—especially on highly visible social media platforms.

Social media and customer service

Social media usage has exploded over the last 20 years, and it’s become second nature for many businesses to provide customer service on social channels. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are popular mediums for unhappy customers looking to rant. Social media posters are often at their breaking point—particularly if they’ve tried and failed to reach a business through a traditional customer service medium, like email or phone.

Thanks to social media’s ubiquity and near-instant feedback mechanism, it’s highly risky for a business to ignore disgruntled customers. This is more true if the customer escalates the situation by tagging a regulatory authority. They may tag the Australian Tax Office or the Inland Revenue Department when complaining about a tax product, or the local council when complaining about bin day or verge cleanup.

It’s worth noting that audiences on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, often behave differently depending on the type of business they’re addressing. For instance, micro businesses often use social media to gather feedback and stay in touch with regulars. In many cases, customers know the team behind a small business, and are more understanding during interactions.

With a larger company, though, social media gives customers a way of attracting attention. If your company is growing, it’s worth paying attention to how people engage with you on social media, and set up service mechanisms to respond on time and appropriately.

Providing customer service on social media

Many businesses assume that a problem will go away if they ignore it. If they try this tactic on social media, the problem is likely to get worse. Customers who complain on social do so because they’ve lost something. Ignoring it or being unresponsive makes you look like you don’t care. It signals unreliability. Existing customers may be sympathetic if you falter on social media because they’re familiar with you and the way you manage customer service. But for prospective customers, social media is a reflection of your customer service team’s strengths, and more crucially, its weaknesses.

To make a good impression on social media, posts and replies should be prioritised by your internal teams. Often, social media is seen as a side hustle for marketers. They manage posting and engagement, and occasionally ferry a difficult question over to the service team. This may be adequate if your audience is small and your team is under resourced.

As your business expands, it’s important to expand your social media presence as well. Consider it a part of customer support, and create a dedicated strategy for social media. This will likely involve setting concrete response and resolution times for social media requests, enforcing policies for escalations, establishing integrations with your help desk system, and building templates for frequently-used responses. If you have marketers with transferable skills in service delivery, allow them to manage your social media channels. Here are a few other things you can do straight away to support customers on your social channels.

• Create response templates for replies to frequently-asked questions.

• Set up instant replies on Facebook Messenger and Quick Replies on Instagram.

• Train your social media team to transition public complaints into direct messages without aggravating the situation.

• Differentiate your customer service channel from your brand channel on social media. This way, customers can hold the service channel accountable for complaints and issues. At Zoho, we have regional and product handles, but we also have a dedicated customer service channel called Zoho Cares.

• Use a social media monitoring tool to keep up with notifications, mentions, and audience emotions.

• Set up a help desk that can connect with your social media tool of choice so you can seamlessly transfer conversations between the two systems.

Parting thoughts

Every year, social media becomes more relevant in the customer service industry. Younger audiences use it to get to know a brand, from its origins and culture to the way it treats customers and prospects. To keep up with changing customer behaviours and expectations, it’s crucial to integrate your customer service and social media activities.

 

Source: Zoho

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/why-social-media-should-be-part-of-your-customer-service-strategy/feed/ 0 Top tips to providing customer service for social media https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/top-tips-to-providing-customer-service-for-social-media/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/top-tips-to-providing-customer-service-for-social-media/#respond Thu, 18 May 2023 07:16:56 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=23310 If you saw a brand ignoring its customers or being impolite to them on social media, would you buy from them? Probably not. You might even tell your friends about it and suggest they boycott the brand as well. It’s what we do—we’re all inherently nice and we like companies that are nice to us. […]

The post Top tips to providing customer service for social media appeared first on Small Business Connections.

]]> If you saw a brand ignoring its customers or being impolite to them on social media, would you buy from them? Probably not. You might even tell your friends about it and suggest they boycott the brand as well. It’s what we do—we’re all inherently nice and we like companies that are nice to us. The proof is in the data. According to McKinsey & Company, half of all customers who have a bad experience with a brand will complain publicly on social media. Unsurprisingly, 81% of those who complain and don’t get a reply won’t recommend the company to others.

Consumers have high expectations for brands on social media. In fact, 40% of customers who contact brands on social media expect a reply within an hour, while 79% expect a reply in the first 24 hours. That’s the new normal in customer service, which can be jarring when you consider that, not long ago, the standard response time for an email support request was 24 hours. Things are changing fast in the customer service industry, and to provide your customers with a great experience, you have to be prepared to keep up—especially on highly visible social media platforms.

Social media and customer service

Social media usage has exploded over the last 20 years, and it’s become second nature for many businesses to provide customer service on social channels. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are popular mediums for unhappy customers looking to rant. Social media posters are often at their breaking point—particularly if they’ve tried and failed to reach a business through a traditional customer service medium, like email or phone.

Thanks to social media’s ubiquity and near-instant feedback mechanism, it’s highly risky for a business to ignore disgruntled customers. This is more true if the customer escalates the situation by tagging a regulatory authority. They may tag the Australian Tax Office or the Inland Revenue Department when complaining about a tax product, or the local council when complaining about bin day or verge cleanup.

It’s worth noting that audiences on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, often behave differently depending on the type of business they’re addressing. For instance, micro businesses often use social media to gather feedback and stay in touch with regulars. In many cases, customers know the team behind a small business, and are more understanding during interactions.

With a larger company, though, social media gives customers a way of attracting attention. If your company is growing, it’s worth paying attention to how people engage with you on social media, and set up service mechanisms to respond on time and appropriately.

Providing customer service on social media

Many businesses assume that a problem will go away if they ignore it. If they try this tactic on social media, the problem is likely to get worse. Customers who complain on social do so because they’ve lost something. Ignoring it or being unresponsive makes you look like you don’t care. It signals unreliability. Existing customers may be sympathetic if you falter on social media because they’re familiar with you and the way you manage customer service. But for prospective customers, social media is a reflection of your customer service team’s strengths, and more crucially, its weaknesses.

To make a good impression on social media, posts and replies should be prioritised by your internal teams. Often, social media is seen as a side hustle for marketers. They manage posting and engagement, and occasionally ferry a difficult question over to the service team. This may be adequate if your audience is small and your team is under resourced.

As your business expands, it’s important to expand your social media presence as well. Consider it a part of customer support, and create a dedicated strategy for social media. This will likely involve setting concrete response and resolution times for social media requests, enforcing policies for escalations, establishing integrations with your help desk system, and building templates for frequently-used responses. If you have marketers with transferable skills in service delivery, allow them to manage your social media channels. Here are a few other things you can do straight away to support customers on your social channels.

  • Create response templates for replies to frequently-asked questions.
  • Set up instant replies on Facebook Messenger and Quick Replies on Instagram.
  • Train your social media team to transition public complaints into direct messages without aggravating the situation.
  • Differentiate your customer service channel from your brand channel on social media. This way, customers can hold the service channel accountable for complaints and issues. At Zoho, we have regional and product handles, but we also have a dedicated customer service channel called Zoho Cares.
  • Use a social media monitoring tool to keep up with notifications, mentions, and audience emotions.
  • Set up a help desk that can connect with your social media tool of choice so you can seamlessly transfer conversations between the two systems.

Parting thoughts

Every year, social media becomes more relevant in the customer service industry. Younger audiences use it to get to know a brand, from its origins and culture to the way it treats customers and prospects. To keep up with changing customer behaviours and expectations, it’s crucial to integrate your customer service and social media activities.

Source: Zoho

The post Top tips to providing customer service for social media appeared first on Small Business Connections.

]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/top-tips-to-providing-customer-service-for-social-media/feed/ 0 Email marketing: 5 strategies to stand out in a crowded inbox https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/email-marketing-5-strategies-to-stand-out-in-a-crowded-inbox/ https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/email-marketing-5-strategies-to-stand-out-in-a-crowded-inbox/#respond Fri, 12 May 2023 03:04:19 +0000 https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/?p=23202 Digital marketing is a cost-effective way for businesses to communicate with customers, build brand awareness, and generate sales or leads. It uses digital channels to promote products or services to a target audience. One of the most popular digital marketing strategies is email marketing, which involves sending promotional or informative emails to current or potential […]

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]]> Digital marketing is a cost-effective way for businesses to communicate with customers, build brand awareness, and generate sales or leads. It uses digital channels to promote products or services to a target audience. One of the most popular digital marketing strategies is email marketing, which involves sending promotional or informative emails to current or potential customers.

Personalisation is key for a successful email marketing campaign. By tailoring emails to individual subscribers, you can build deeper relationships with your audience and increase engagement rates. Personalisation can involve using a subscriber’s name in the email, segmenting your email list based on customer interests or behaviour, and tailoring your email content to each individual’s preferences.

In the following sections, we’ll explore specific email marketing ideas you can implement to make your emails more personalised and engaging.

1. Offer recommendations

Personalised recommendations can be a powerful tool in email marketing. You can offer recommendations for relevant products or services by analysing an individual’s previous purchases, browsing history, and preferences. By showing that you understand a potential customer’s needs and interests, you can build stronger relationships, promote credibility, and drive revenue growth.

Holidays, birthdays, and customer anniversaries are all ideal opportunities for you to connect with customers and increase sales through themed email campaigns. By providing exclusive discounts and promotions to email subscribers, especially on a holiday or other meaningful date, you can differentiate yourself from competitors and attract new customers to your business. You might also consider creating holiday gift guides to drive sales while making it easier for subscribers to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones.

2. Segment your email list

Segmenting an email list involves dividing subscribers into smaller groups based on shared characteristics, such as demographics, interests, or behaviour. Doing so helps you avoid sending irrelevant messages to subscribers, reducing the risk of “unsubscribes” or spam complaints. You can create targeted and relevant email campaigns tailored to each segment’s needs and preferences. This can help you improve your email metrics, such as open and click-through rates, and build a stronger relationship with your subscribers.

3. Provide a clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA)

Displaying a prominent CTA and communicating the action you want subscribers to take next is essential for a good email marketing campaign. Use action-oriented language, such as “shop now” or “download our guide.” Make sure the CTA stands out visually and is easy to click on and test different variations to see what works best for your audience. A strong CTA can increase engagement, drive conversions, and help you achieve your email marketing goals.

4. Create a sense of urgency

Encourage purchases with language that implies scarcity or time-sensitivity, such as “limited time offer” or “only a few items left.” This strategy taps into the customer’s sense of FOMO (fear of missing out), which can be a powerful motivator. However, you need to be honest and transparent about the urgency of the offer, as misleading or false claims can damage trust and credibility with subscribers.

5. Showcase your products and services

Feature your products in your emails, so subscribers can learn more about your offerings. Use product images, descriptions, pricing details, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) to stand out.

Email marketing is a powerful means of communicating with your target audience and can help you build a community around your brand. Most email marketing software systems come with a free version that you can play around with. Email is a low-cost and low-risk marketing strategy, so you can experiment with different campaigns and messages to find the style your audience most appreciates. When done well, email marketing is an excellent way to drive engagement and achieve your marketing goals.

Source: Zoho

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]]> https://smallbusinessconnections.com.au/email-marketing-5-strategies-to-stand-out-in-a-crowded-inbox/feed/ 0