Tag Archive for: Small Business Marketing

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Why Email Marketing in 2024 is More Important for Business Growth Than Ever

Email Marketing Tips for Small Business - FlySocial Digital Brisbane Web DesignFlySocial Digital

Recently, I had a conversation with the owner of an eyelash extensions salon in Sydney who asked me for the best ways to market her business. But when I mentioned email marketing as a strategy, she looked at me stunned. “Aren’t emails dead?”, she asked.

The answer is, far from it! To this day, email marketing remains one of the most effective (and profitable) ways to reach your target audience. In fact, it’s never been more important for small business owners to focus on building their email marketing list than in 2024. Here are 5 reasons why.

1. You Own The Data And Stay in Control

Many business owners are under the impression that a Facebook or Instagram page is enough nowadays as a marketing strategy. And while I agree that they provide a fantastic opportunity to grow your audience, no business should solely rely on social media.

Facebook has already made drastic changes to the way your content is distributed. Have you noticed that your reach has decreased significantly over the last few years? Even if your page has thousands of followers, that doesn’t mean you can reach them. Only about 5-10% will actually see your posts.

The reason is that Facebook and Instagram are in the business of advertising. So, if you operate a business page, of course they want you to pay for your content to reach more people. That means it’s really out of your control.

As a business owner, you always want to minimise risks and putting too much power in the hand of social media companies is a risky move. Your email list, however, is completely owned by you, not Meta.

2. Email Marketing Delivers Personalised Experiences

One of the biggest benefits of email marketing is that it allows you to create personalised customer journeys. When you send an email to your list, you’re not just reaching out to everyone on that list – you’re targeting each contact personally. This means that you can connect with your customers on a more personal level, creating a stronger connection and building trust.

Think about it this way: If a business sends you an email and all they say is, “Hey, thanks for subscribing!” – chances are that you find it rather impersonal. But if they send you an email that’s personalised and tailored specifically to your interests, then you’re much more likely to read and respond.

Especially in small businesses, this can have a huge effect on how their business is perceived. Making use of email automation is very much like cloning yourself multiple times. You can send all your leads and customers the right message at the right time. And in marketing, timing is everything.

3. Email Marketing Allows You to Build Long-Term Relationships with Customers

Another great benefit of email marketing is that it can be used to establish long-term relationships with your customers. This builds trust and keeps your customers coming back – which is essential for small businesses on a budget.

Email is the ideal medium to onboard new customers using a series of short messages to introduce them to your services, your team and all the other benefits your business provides. It’s also a great way to introduce existing customers to products and services they haven’t tried before. This will also increase your chances of building repeat business, improving retention – like we did for this Brisbane Dance Studio – and increasing your overall sales.

4. Email Marketing Can Be Used To Drive Traffic To Your Website (Or Wherever You Want It)

One of the best ways to drive traffic to your website is through email marketing. Having people join your mailing list, means you can reach out to them again and again at virtually no cost. This means that you can send them new content and updates regularly, driving traffic back to your website, to specific offers, to your other social media channels and more.

Moreover, it allows you to invite customers to leave a review for your business on Google and Facebook, which is a fantastic way to enhance your reputation online and improve your Google rankings.

With all these benefits, email marketing should no longer be an option, but an absolute must-have for any small business owner who is serious about growing their business.

5. Your Email Marketing Strategy Can Be Fully Automated

To me, the real benefit of implementing an email marketing strategy is that it can be completely automated. That means it’s not another thing you, as the business owner, have to manage or worry about. It’s something you can set and forget.

Marketing automation is often overlooked and undervalued.

As a marketing consultant, I help business owners all over Australia implement effective, fully automated marketing strategies that free up their time, budget and headspace.

If you would like to have a chat about your business and how we can use email marketing and other automation tools to help you scale, click here to book a free strategy call with me today.

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How Do You Market an Old School Window Tinting Business Online?

Window Tinting Web Design & Online Marketing - FlySocial DigitalFlySocial Digital

Recently, I had the pleasure of doing my 90-Day Marketing Transformation with Scott and Melisa at Just Tinting in Bundaberg.

As an honest, old-school business that has been operating for over 30 years and values good old-fashioned customer service, the digital side of marketing had always felt a little intimidating.

Moreover, being on the tools most days doesn’t really allow much time and headspace to worry about managing social media, website, online reviews and all the other “online stuff”.

So, when running a traditional offline business, how do you transition from radio ads and the Yellow Pages to a successful online marketing strategy that gets tangible results?

Implementing a Digital Marketing Strategy for a Window Tinting Company

Time is always of the essence and most business owners simply don’t have the time and headspace required to run time-consuming marketing activities on top of their day-to-day trade. So, in the 3 months of working together, I helped Scott & Mel to put systems in place that require no management at all but allowed Just Tinting to really leverage the online space.

Big Picture and Strategy

We started with our initial kick-off strategy session over Zoom in which I pulled all of Scott’s knowledge out of his head and onto a mind map. This is a crucial step for me to really understand the business inside and out.

I’m always amazed at how much knowledge my clients have of their services and industry. Good marketing is all about showcasing that knowledge and using it to educate your customers to make better choices.

We also got really clear on who the ideal customer is, their specific needs and wants, and how to make the process of dealing with Just Tinting super easy for them. From getting in touch and finding answers to questions, to getting a quote – our goal was to streamline the entire customer journey.

Content & The Digital Ecosystem

From there, My team and I went on to create a whole lot of content that we could share in various ways, including:

  • On the Website
  • On Social Media Accounts
  • Blog Articles
  • and Email Marketing Campaigns

Content connects your business with your audience. It’s what helps guide people in their decision-making process before making any purchase. When we provide content that is relevant, engaging and educational, we begin to attract the right audience. Understanding the digital ecosystem and how we can leverage the various platforms helps us design a strategy that is truly aligned with our customers’ needs.

Website Design and Search Engine Optimisation

As part of Just Tinting’s 90-Day Marketing Transformation, we also built a brand new website with best practices in mind, that is both easy to use and mobile-friendly so that it looks great on any device. We optimised the site for search engines (SEO) so that it shows up on the first page of Google when locals search for window tinting online.

We targeted popular keywords like “window tinting Bundaberg” and “car tinting Bundaberg” for which Just Tinting now ranks on the first page.

Marketing Automation

But we didn’t stop there. We also automated the entire content delivery for a hands-off approach that doesn’t require the constant time-consuming management of various platforms. As a result, Scott and Melisa now have posts going out on social media and Google My Business multiple times per week – on autopilot – never having to worry about what to post and knowing that their content is always engaging, relevant and on-brand.

FREE DOWNLOAD:

How to Get FREE Exposure For Your Business on Google Without Paying For it
CLICK HERE

In addition, we made use of clever email marketing automation to keep in touch with customers and continue to educate them about the various areas of the business and how they can benefit from Just Tinting’s different services. It’s always easier to sell a different service to an existing customer than to acquire a new customer. Email marketing is a fantastic tool to help your customers to return to your business.

To help build and manage online reviews, new customers now automatically receive an invitation to provide feedback and leave a review for Just Tinting online. Social proof not only boosts the business profile and credibility but also helps to attract more organic traffic, resulting in steady long-term growth.

Together, these strategies work holistically to generate new leads every day and support Just Tinting in its mission to provide Bundaberg locals with window tinting and car paint protection of the highest quality.

Could you benefit from a fully automated marketing strategy that helps grow your business while freeing up time, budget and headspace? Then join my 90-Day Marketing Transformation.

Client Feedback

Here’s what Scott and Mel had to say after their marketing transformation.

“Before working with David on our marketing strategy, we didn’t really know where to start or how to start! We were unsure what information was best to post on social media that would appeal to our audience and drive sales. Knowing how to build a professional website that is unique to Just Tinting was also a major challenge.

After seeing the successful outcomes of many other local businesses that engaged David for their marketing, we knew he could help us achieve greatness, too.

As a result of the new marketing strategy, we are now generating more enquires and business. Our marketing approach is much more organised in the gathering of our customers’ details, who now receive professional automated responses to their enquires.

We would recommend David to any business, regardless of whether they are just starting out or already established. The results have been amazing and we now have a fantastic website, as well as witty and informative Facebook posts going out regularly.

We only had to invest a small amount of our time to gain these wonderful results!”

– Scott & Melisa Purkis, Just Tinting

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How To Effectively Use QR Codes in Your Marketing

QR Code Marketing Strategies for Small Business - FlySocial Digital Brisbane Web DesignFlySocial Digital

QR codes have many different use cases and with a little creativity, the possibilities are endless. In this article, I share how to make the use of QR codes effective, things you’ll need to consider and common mistakes to avoid. 

Ready? Then let’s delve in!

QR codes are a great way to remove the boundary between print and online media. QR code is short for ‘quick respond code‘ and the reason they have gained in popularity in recent years is that it’s much easier and faster for someone to scan a code using their phone than it is to enter a long URL into the browser bar. 

Some time ago, you were required to have a special QR code reader app in order to scan one, but Apple, Google and Co have since integrated this functionality into their native camera apps, eliminating the hurdle of having to download a separate app.

5 Ways to use QR codes in your business and marketing activities

Here are a few ideas for how you can effectively use QR codes in your business.

1. Link to your menu or list of services

You can use QR codes to link directly to a menu or services page on your website. Many cafes and restaurants have adopted this technology, as it makes it a lot easier to update their menus on the fly without having to reprint them every time. Some even take it a step further and link to an online ordering platform, so customers can order directly through their phone.

2. Offer a free download, a free trial or a discount coupon

QR codes make a fantastic tool for lead generation. Whether you’re running a brick and mortar business with a shop front, a popup store or a market stall, you can use QR technology to link to a simple landing page where people can enter their details (usually their name and email) in return for a freebie. This is a great way to fast-track your lead generation – even on the go.

3. Use it to let your customers make a booking or schedule a meeting

Know those times you have to email back and forth multiple times just to find a suitable time to meet? This can easily be avoided with a simple scheduling tool like Calendly, for example. Once set up, you can have the QR code take your customers straight to the booking page. You can have the QR code printed on your business cards, brochures, even billboards.

4. Visit a specific page on your website

Sometimes, you may like to explain or showcase more than fits on a brochure or product fact sheet. Using a QR code, you can link directly to any page of your website, allowing people to discover more about your services or products. There’s so much more you can do on a webpage than you could ever do in print. For example, you can embed videos, use forms to collect feedback or other information, offer an interactive quiz, display helpful charts or animations, and so much more to help your customers connect.

5. Link to your social media accounts

QR codes are a quick and easy way to connect your audience with your social media accounts. Link directly to your Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn account – or why not create a page that links to all of the above and more? 

BONUS TIP:

One of the fastest ways to grow your audience is using a giveaway or competition. Use a QR code to a dedicated landing page where people can enter to win. If you don’t know how to create a professional landing page or add pages to your website, this can be easily achieved with a free Google Form.

Common mistakes when using QR Codes

Now that you know how you can effectively use QR codes in your business, let’s look at some common mistakes we should avoid.

1. Using a low-quality image

When printing low-quality graphics, they can quickly look unclear and become unscannable. When creating your QR code, be sure to download it in high resolution (300dpi or more) to ensure it looks clear when printed.

2. Not testing your QR code before printing

It is advisable to print a sample of your brochure or business card to check if your QR code scans properly and actually takes people to the correct link. Especially when printing multiple marketing materials that use different codes, it’s easy to get mixed up. Test each one separately to make sure each code is in its rightful place.

3. Using QR codes on Facebook or in other mobile apps

The whole purpose of a QR code is to take people from one device onto their own smartphone. Posting a QR code on Facebook or Instagram makes little sense, as people are most likely be looking at it on their phone already. In this case, a simple clickable link will make much more sense. 

For some of my clients, I have embedded a QR code to schedule appointments on their contact page. However, it only shows when viewed on a desktop computer. When the page is opened on a mobile device, it changes to a button they can simply click.

Always ask yourself if it will be easier for people to scan a QR code or if a simple link may be a more elegant solution.

How do I create a QR code?

Creating your own unique QR code is easy and fast. There are a number of websites available that let you create QR codes for free. Some even let you customise your QR code by changing colours, embedding a logo and more.

Note: The important thing is that you download the generated code in high resolution (300dpi or more) to make sure it looks clear and scans correctly when printed.

Here are a few websites offering free online QR code generators:

https://www.qrcode-monkey.com

https://www.qr-code-generator.com

https://www.the-qrcode-generator.com

 

Have you used QR codes in your business before? If so, how?

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4 Steps To a Successful Marketing Strategy

Customer Journey: Attract, Convert, Close, Delight

Marketing is a bit of a mystery for many small business owners. After all, most of us didn’t go into business to market and sell, but to do whatever we are great at and love doing. 

But when we break it down, marketing really isn’t such an overly complicated thing. There are very specific steps you can follow to implement a successful marketing strategy in your business and set yourself up for success. More specifically, there are four pieces to the marketing puzzle.

The big marketing mistake

Most business owners make the mistake to try and “close” people before they are ready to buy. You can see this reflected in most advertising. Whether that’s on TV, on the radio, in magazines or online ads, the message is pretty much always “buy our product now!”.

But before someone is ready to do business with you, we should consider a couple of other steps and implement a system that helps us to turn strangers into visitors, visitors into leads and leads into customers.

Free Download: The 4 stages of a complete inbound marketing strategy

Inbound marketing strategy for small business - Small business marketing by David Lee-Schneider
Download 1-Page Marketing Cycle (PDF)

Let me explain each stage in a little more detail.

1. Attract

First of all, every business needs the ability to continuously attract new potential customers. No customer, no business. It’s pretty self-explanatory. We need to have visitors before we can have customers — whether that’s online or in-store.

Ways to increase traffic and get more visitors

  • Have a great website
  • Share valuable and relevant information on your blog
  • Search Engine Optimisation to attract organic traffic
  • Engaging Social Media Content (with the goal to drive people back to your website/blog)
  • Paid advertising (i.e. Facebook ads, Google ads, print ads, TV ads, radio ads etc.) 
  • Joint Ventures (partnering with complementary businesses to help each other grow)

2. Convert

Secondly, we need to be able to somehow “capture” these potential customers, so that we can reach out to them again to build a relationship with them. This is where we talk about leads. People who have given us permission to contact them, but haven’t bought from us yet.

Ways to convert visitors into leads

  • Offer a free download (i.e. e-book, checklist, cheat sheet, discount voucher, video etc.)
  • Use optimised landing pages to increase your conversion rate 
  • Split-test your free offer to identify the most effective one
  • Re-targeting ads to past visitors

3. Close

Thirdly, and probably most importantly, we need to be able to turn these leads into actual customers. Because all the visitors and leads in the world won’t help if we can’t get them to buy our product or service. 

Ways to turn leads into customers

  • Use automated email sequences to nurture your leads and help them with their buying decision
  • Keep educating your leads to increase their understanding and awareness
  • Send out irresistible offers that will get people to take action
  • Use multiple channels to initiate a conversation with prospects
  • Re-targeting ads designed to move your leads closer to the purchase

Now, this is where most businesses stop. But there’s one more crucial step that makes your marketing strategy so much more effective.

4. Delight

Would your customers buy from you again? This is an important question that you should be able to confidently answer with a big fat “yes”. You want to wow your customers and aim to over-deliver, so that the great customer experience you deliver will be reflected in customer reviews, repeat business and word-of-mouth. 

Ways to turn customers into advocates

  • Deliver a great and consistent customer experience 
  • Aim to over-deliver and surprise your customers
  • Collect feedback to constantly improve your product or service
  • Invite those who gave great feedback to leave reviews on Google, Facebook or TripAdvisor
  • Showcase customer testimonials on your website and social media channels

This fourth step will close the cycle and, in turn, generate even more organic traffic, leads and customers, ultimately helping you to grow your business perpetually.

With these four elements in place, you will have built a strong marketing foundation that will allow you to take your business to new heights and maximise your return on every marketing activity in your business.

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Google My Business – A Step-By-Step Guide To Maximising Your Exposure on Google

To help you with claiming and setting up your Google My Business listing, we have created 3 short videos to walk you through the entire process.

Important: If you haven’t downloaded the free step-by-step PDF guide to go with these videos, click here to download it now.

1/3 – How To Claim & Verify Your Google My Business Listing

Claiming your listing is necessary to control and complete the information that is displayed when people search for you online. Complete and verified listings always rank higher than non-verified or incomplete listings.

2/3 – Categorising Your Business For Increased Visibility

Choosing the right categories for your Google My Business listing is crucial to ensure that it shows up when people search for your business on Google. In this video, we walk you through the exact steps to properly categorise your business and maximise your exposure.

3/3 – Posts, Messages & Insights Explained

Learn about the importance of posts, messages and insights to maximise your business’ exposure on Google.

 

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