Author: jgehris

Testimonials are word-of-mouth advertising that reaches potential customers who visit your website. Google Reviews are good, but the most powerful testimonial is like a referral.

A testimonial written by a long-time customer is a business multiplier if it speaks to consistency of effort, quality customer service, and a wide range of good products.

An authentic testimonial talks about an outstanding customer experience time after time.   

A one-of-a-kind testimonial written by a first-time customer who “stumbled” on your business and was blown away by your customer experience can be powerful and have great value. You took the time to help him solve a problem, explaining the pros and cons of different options.  

His testimonial could begin with, “I don’t usually write testimonials, but this experience was exceptional, and I just had to let others know about this business.”

Conversational writing is more effective for testimonials. There are 2 additional reasons why a good testimonial resonates with others and (thus) produces more word-of-mouth advertising:

1. It sounds authentic
2. It is compelling

You train your customer service staff in the art of dealing with the public. They get it. They smile easily and have good eye contact. They are respectful of the customer. They genuinely like people and have a good command of your products or services.

Think of a testimonial as a referral which is stronger than a Review. Do you have powerful testimonials on your website?

See what Latham Wade can do for you! 

Jonathan

You have considered writing a newsletter but wonder if it’s worth the time. Fair question.

A newsletter should be authentic. It should reflect your unique business.

Content should be informative and a quick read. Write conversationally. It’s not an essay, but a marketing tool. Tell a story.

Ask several customers if they would serve on your Advisory Board. You’re looking for customer input and feedback.

You have a niche gift shop with lots of imported gifts. It’s a natural to want to highlight each of your many manufactures or suppliers. Tell a story about each. Be authentic. Inform and educate.

Have a sign-up sheet in the shop and make sure customers can sign-up online for the digital version.  Also, have copies of the latest newsletter in the shop for new customers.

The second business is a family restaurant that does a brisk business in take-out and delivery. They have evolved over the last ten years to be the Italian restaurant in their area.

The basics are the same, but the stories are different. Be authentic. Keep it short but feature a different specialty for each edition. A monthly newsletter works best. You’re building a family of clients and a culture. Get customer feedback and change as needed.

The third business is a bridal salon. Again, be authentic. Define your process. Feature a different wedding gown manufacture each month. Inform. Explain your difference. You are a family-owned business, not a chain, and your byline is you make each gown or dress look like it is custom made.   

Provide interesting and useful information to enhance customer relationships. It’s a smart marketing tool that most ignore.

We do this for clients, including creative compelling content, format, and frequency.  

See what Latham Wade can do for you!    

Jonathan            

Email content marketing is one of the most effective tools to reach shoppers. This assumes you are emailing people who have willingly given you their email address.

One recent poll said 59% of people who bought a new product did so after receiving information about it. That’s a significant buy ratio worth investigating further. 

The strategy for this is different depending on your business. Let’s say you have a gift shop with lots of popular items. You’ve recently received a new line of smart looking pocketbooks from a new supplier.

The manufacturer has a line of lady’s scarves, sweaters, and knit socks, too, but you already have a long-term supplier for them.

You started with a Facebook post about the new designed pocketbook and the response was decent, but you are only reaching those who are active Facebook followers.

You added the pocketbook to the online portal assuming this will reach more people, but you are not getting the response you need because you have customers who only shop at the store for Christmas and the sale at the end of summer.  

You began a quarterly newsletter 2 months ago, so you have this as well for the next edition.  

How do you amplify the buzz to reach more people now so you can sell more product and bring in additional items?

You wondered if web-based email content marketing would work for you if you committed one email a month to those who signed-up.

You sent out a brief email with a feel-good story about the female entrepreneur who boot-strapped her company. The narrative helps sell the product.   

The added exposure was successful in bringing in more traffic to the store, including some who usually shop a few times a year. Plus, it was a business multiplier since several customers posted a testimonial or told their friends and neighbors about the pocketbook.

Word-of-mouth advertising often results from a good web-based email content marketing program.

The entrepreneur/store owner used all the tools to grow her audience and make the pocketbook a big seller, but web-based email content marketing closed the deal. This is textbook entrepreneur.

We create compelling content for clients and provide strategies that get results.

See what Latham Wade can do for you!

Jonathan

Has it been awhile since you’ve used social media?

There are more options than ever, but before you begin let’s talk about a Road Map that will get you where you want to go.

Social media done right can be a serious customer relationship builder. It’s a business multiplier if your posts are interesting, inform, and educate about your business. Funny works, too, as everyone likes a good laugh.

It builds traffic to your website, too, as more people find you online. This sets-up additional growth strategies, including a new branding campaign, an email marketing campaign, and joint venture marketing.

What are your goals? Are they brand-driven (build brand recognition), more specific, or both?

Pick a theme and the desired length of the campaign. Build-out your theme using your market differentiators. Create a narrative for each market differentiator.

Create organic content. Original. Authentic. Again, inform and educate about your business. Why are you different or unique? Don’t be afraid to show your personal side, too.

Post a minimum of 3x’s a week. Use power verbs and short sentences. Have some fun with this. Humor works. Vary the posts by subject. Keep score of new followers. Build an audience. You have a family of clients and are building a culture.

One goals is to convert more prospects to loyal customers. A second primary goal is to build-out a following which almost always grows sales and the bottom line. More specific goals could be to build takeout or delivery if you are a restaurant; or build in-store or online shopping.

Plan a week at a time. Three or four organic quality posts are superior to daily posts for the sake of posting.

We do this for clients.

See what Latham Wade can do for you!

Jonathan

One constant rings true about market share. Those that serve their customers well are rewarded with more market share than those who do not make it a focus. 

Customer relationships are the backbone of every successful business. Each business is unique, but there are common factors.

 Here are 10 ways to build out a store that has an online portal: 

1. Do a review of your customer service, starting with how you greet customers, whether you thank them for their business, and whether you get feedback from them
2. Build a culture of friendliness, knowledge, and service 
3. Do a fresh market survey of the competition by keyword page ranking
4. Verify your market differentiators. Use keyword-rich content to differentiate your business. Make sure you have a way to communicate with customers on the website.    
5. Post fresh quality content on the website each week. This can be News, a Thought for the Week, or a blog. Inform. Educate. Entertain.
6. Choose social media appropriate to your business. Inform. Educate. Entertain. Post frequently. Drive people to your website for new product arrivals and Special Values.
7. Use Google analytics to keep score on website traffic, best sellers, new product sales, and which pages get viewed the most. Adjust as needed.    
8. How do you stay in touch with your customers? Newsletters, A Look at the Month Ahead, Special Values, An Insiders Club. Build a culture. Keep it simple but be consistent. 
9. Research new products and comment on them on your blog and social media
10. Ask for referrals and testimonials. Use the power of word-of-mouth advertising.  

We do this.

See what Latham Wade can do for you!

Jonathan

Is your goal to grow more customers, strengthen customer relationships, convert more prospects to loyal customers, build testimonials, and ignite word-of-mouth advertising?  

A branding and marketing campaign is much more than waving the flag if done right. We can help.

Are you trying to boost your online business?

A review of website traffic will tell us who is visiting your site, how many times they visit, which pages get the most amount of traffic, how many visits produce a sale, which products are big sellers, and which products are emerging as strong sellers.  

Do you sense you are not getting the buzz from your social media posts? All social media is not the same. Inform, educate. Funny works. Show your lighter side. Keep score.  

Inflation has impacted personal disposable income – the economy is uneven.  Do you have a plan to deal with this?  You may be hitting your sales target, but not your profit. You need a growth plan that works.

We are problem-solvers and entrepreneurs. We’ll look at the factors affecting your business, including your market and your market differentiators, and explore several strategies.

Do you have the time? 

See what Latham Wade can do for you!

Jonathan

An effective social media campaign reinforces and strengthens customer relationships. It also is a powerful marketing tool, growth strategy, and business multiplier.

What should a social media campaign do?

Engage your customers. Inform. Educate. Entertain. Post frequently to build your audience. Keep score of new followers, reposts, and comments. Adjust as needed. Grow sales strategically.

Road Map Qualifiers

1. Past social media is relevant. Which content worked? What did not work? Why? Do you have data on this that tracked new follows and was tied to customer spend?
2. Was you social media part of a campaign or free form?
3. What do you consider to be your key market differentiators? Quality? Consistency? Variety of the menu? Each menu item? Value? Customer service? Other?
4. Has your market changed in the past 6 to 8 months? Has the industry changed?
5. Has your average customer frequency and spend changed in dine-in, takeout, and delivery? Has you demographic changed?
6. How is each trending now? Which one has the most potential for an immediate increase in sale?

This is the lead-in for a new social media campaign. We’ll take a look tomorrow at relevant takeaways from previous social media campaigns.

See what Latham Wade can do for you!

Jonathan

When is a fresh review essential?

Are you facing a new challenge in your business, has your market changed, have customer buying habits changed, are you interested in a new direction, do you need a turnaround plan?

A fresh review should generate an action plan that will produce consistent growth in sales and profitability, enhance customer loyalty, and strengthen brand.  

We engage business owners in a conversation about their dream that helped launch their business because understanding this is fundamental to helping a client. This insight enables us to create a fresh review based on their professional and personal goals, immediate needs, and longer-term priorities.

A fresh review should produce meaningful takeaways and actionable intel for an action plan with a well-defined Road Map.

This is why a fresh review should always include a fresh market analysis to confirm positioning, brand strength, and market differentiators.

Positioning is based on how you frame your narrative and deliver value. It reflects how you nurture existing customer relationships, reach out to potential new customers, convert prospects to loyal new customers, and identify potential new target demographics.

The goal should be to create a fact-based plan with a Road Map for implementation that will generate sustainable new growth, greater profitability, and market dominance, and enable you to satisfy both professional and personal goals.

We do this – see what Latham Wade can do for you!

Jonathan

Planning is something all business owners and entrepreneurs do regularly. We deliver a strategic growth plan with a Road Map, analytics, and ongoing support. We are conceptualizers, problem-solvers, and market makers.  

We know each business is unique as are its needs at any one time. This is why we spend the time getting to know you and your business first.

There are different ways to grow a business, however we do not use cookie-cutter solutions whether you want to strengthen your customer relationships, target a potential different demographic, or take your business in a new direction.

Your strategic growth plan should be unique and customized to fit your needs, goals, and timeline.

Where is your business today? Is it growing, holding, or do you need a turnaround? How has your market changed since the pandemic? Are you considering an expansion of the business or adding a new location?

Business owners today understand we are living through very different times. What worked a few years ago or even after the pandemic may not work as well if more ‘Big Picture Change’ heads our way.

The overarching goal remains to grow your business strategically, producing greater sales and profits year-after-year.

We’re different, we are entrepreneurs and consultants. We help clients create and implement a strategic growth plan to:

• Grow sales and net profit each year
• Strengthen customer loyalty
• Leverage customer relationships
• Convert more prospects to loyal customers
• Strengthen your brand and market positioning
• Extend your reach to additional zip codes and new demographics
• Satisfy professional and personal goals

We’re here to help. See what Latham Wade can do for you!

Jonathan

You’re upbeat about the future of your business. After all, you survived the pandemic shut-downs and are again at full throttle.

Corporate America is tightening its belt, laying-off thousands of workers as the economy faces real contraction. One of the economists on cable television perhaps said it best by explaining this is what happens when the federal government floods the market with trillions of dollars of new spending.  

Inflation now likely is “baked into the cake” moving forward. The Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates again, but at at some point may have to reduce rates to provide greater liquidity in the market.

Preparing for the possibility of Big Picture change is an essential part of risk management as a business owner and entrepreneur. 

What can you do to position your business for greater success no matter what heads our way?  

• Reinforce customer relationships by optimizing customer experience and communicating with customers regularly
• Leverage customer loyalty to reach more potential new customers
• Analyze customer data for insights and actionable intelligence  
• Launch a new branding campaign to reach more potential new customers 
• Post fresh organic content on social media to engage more followers
• Make your website an authority website  
• Add select new products that will attract more new customers
• Create special value offers after realizing purchasing savings

Eliminating as many moving parts as possible will help you minimize the impact of Big Picture change and in many cases enable you to take advantage of that change.  

See what Latham Wade can do for you!