Why is Email Still King and Some Other Tech Marketing Tips

We would like to share a great article by Aaron Marks from Gartner on Why Email Marketing is Still King.  Enjoy!

1. Email is still king

Every year, you hear plenty of people predicting the death of email. Well, email marketing

 continues to shine — in fact, it was the single best performing channel in 2021. If you've scaled back on email, or it just hasn't been a priority for your business, now's the time to start investing.

2. But, you need to think beyond email blasts and newsletters

Gartner notes that respondents mentioned challenges "in aligning their email strategy with the right messaging." This is why you need to create more sophisticated nurture campaigns (also known as "drip emails

") that are closely aligned to the problems and challenges your customers experience — and how you uniquely solve them.

Most of the time, small businesses only do basic email marketing, like sending a monthly newsletter plus an occasional list-wide "blast" when they have something big they want to say. Buyers today expect more, and if you don't provide that, one of your competitors will happily do so and take the business from you.

3. It's time to diversify your marketing mix

Your current marketing plan

 may focus on a small handful of areas. Many small businesses I work with are doing a few foundational tactics, like trade shows, emails and social media; maybe they also have a blog where they occasionally publish an article. It's great to start somewhere, but the most successful companies are diversifying where they're spending their time and money.

So, how do you decide what to try next? A good guideline is to start by looking at what you're already doing that's working best. Then, think about what marketing tactics you can use that would supplement them. For example, if you do a lot of trade shows, you could start doing more content marketing — so you can offer your eBook or whitepaper to people you meet at the show. If social media is working really well, try another angle you're not already doing, like creating video content

 or posting polls to get even more engagement.

4. You probably don't understand your customers well enough

Of the dozens of small businesses I've worked with, I can count on one hand those who put in the effort to deeply understand their customers. Without a deep customer understanding

, you are going to spin your sales and marketing wheels without getting results. Every customer has different needs and desires, and you can't just guess them. Take the time to step back and deliberately understand customers by creating buyer personas

. What you learn from this process will dramatically increase the results you get from your marketing efforts.

5. Activating your entire funnel is more important than ever

When I start working with a new business, the most common thing I see is that their existing marketing efforts only focus on one part of the sales funnel

. They might be publishing on their blog and social media, which enables the top of the funnel, but they're neglecting to create case studies and demos that can improve the bottom of the funnel. Or they might be really good at creating sales collateral and data sheets, but they're struggling to create helpful, educational content.

When you're only doing one part of the funnel well, it's going to severely limit the results you see from your sales and marketing. If you've prioritized the bottom of the funnel while neglecting the top, you don't have a lot of prospects with whom you can share your great brochures and data sheets. And conversely, if you're really doing great with the top of the funnel but the bottom is somewhat forgotten, you're going to attract a good amount of leads, but very few of them are going to turn into customers.

Using their buyer personas

, business leaders must begin to better understand their entire funnel that their prospects need to go through to buy from them. Creating a content map is a great way to do this: You identify content at the top, middle and bottom of the funnel that you should have to enable your buyers. And then you can evaluate what assets you have and what still needs to be created. Put simply: An incomplete funnel will only drive incomplete results.

Next steps - go to http://www.allmymarketing.info to get your digital marketing in order.

Why is Twitter Better Than Facebook for Business?

With the recent purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk, there is a renewed interested in the platform. Some people even claim Twitter is a better social media platform than Facebook.

Why is Twitter Better Than Facebook for Business?

One of the biggest advantages Twitter has over Facebook is the availability of numerous tools to analyze brand performance. There are many tools which brands can use without investing too much money. A large number of options are available free of cost, while the more premium ones entail a small fee. What are some of the other advantages of Twitter: - Analytics and Monitoring Brands - Customer Service Support - Viral Content - Trending Topics - Focused Communications - Tweets are Short - Real Time Search - Market Research

Check out our video for some details why Twitter has advantages over Facebook when it comes to marketing your business.

So What The Heck is SEO Anyway? Why Does My Business Need It?

 Last month I said we would make sure to explain marketing terms in plain English. So, let’s relive high school for just a minute. You walk into school and are the most popular in your whole school… Everyone knows you, they tell their friends about you, and you get invited to parties all the time. 

That’s basically how SEO works. But, you are ‘your business’, your popularity is ‘how well you rank online’, and all those party invites are ‘new customers’. As you can see, SEO is actually pretty simple, but let’s dive into it a little more.

SEO, also known as Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing or improving a website so that the website appears higher in relevant search engine results (like on Google). The higher your website shows up in relevant searches the more likely you are to get visitors to your website. And then from there, you are more likely to get new customers.

See, showing up on Google is somewhat like a popularity contest. The more “popular” your website is on the internet the higher Google will rank you. There are a bunch of other factors as well, but at a basic level that’s how it works. Essentially, you have to have good content that explains your services, keywords that you want to rank for as part of that content, and a website that loads fast. Seems pretty easy, right?

Every business should consider SEO to grow their business.
Here’s a few benefits to utilizing SEO:

• It can boost your content’s organic traffic (non-paid) and get long-term results (for years to come).
• It’s essentially marketing without having to spend any money on paid ads.
• Although paid ads can be a good supplement as you are working on getting a steady stream of organic traffic.

If you want to learn more about paid ads, check out the Digital Marketing Products on the AIMC Business Solutions website.

SEO requires long-term commitment to get results (min 6-12 months), so once you begin you’ll want to keep it going. You can’t build a strong, trustworthy relationship in a day, it takes time. Considering SEO during content creation or hiring a content strategist (we have one) is a great start, but it’s more than throwing a few keywords on each page and calling it a day.

Why Being An Entrepreneur Is More Secure Than Being An Employee

 

So you want to start your own company?   Congratulations! There are few things more gratifying and empowering than building something from scratch that could change the world and get you closer to achieving financial freedom.   They say, “There’s no time like the present,” and when it comes to this topic, that’s absolutely true.   But wait! Isn’t it going to be scary going out on your own?   Probably. But I personally find it’s much scarier to be at the mercy of an employer, pretending you have job security.   Growing up, your teachers and parents likely told you to go to college and then get a job, because that’s how you could ensure a secure future.   And who were you to argue?   They all followed that path and so did the generation before them. It seemed like the smart thing to do. But what is job security?   The answer is: An illusion.   At some point, it dawns on every employee (probably while at their desk well past dinner one evening), that they aren’t in charge.   When you work for a company, you simply aren’t in the driver’s seat.   You work the hours they tell you to. You get a raise or a promotion when they allow it to happen You get access only to the resources they provide You get stuck with the team they hire You get vacation time when they approve it And you could get fired or laid off with no notice   Hmm, looking at it from that point of view makes you really think twice about the so-called job security you’re “lucky” to have as an employee.   Why would you let a money-hungry company determine your value, your worth, and your future? Sure, you could job hop around like millennials do – a CareerBuilder survey notes that employers expect 45% of their newly hired college graduates to stay with the company for less than two years – in order to move up the food chain of a corporation faster.   But what happens when they outsource your job overseas?   Or have a bad quarter and layoff half your department and stick you with twice the workload?   Or they decide that you didn’t earn your bonus this year because you missed one of your 14 goals?   Or the economy takes a nosedive and you can’t land another job because of the law of supply and demand?   As you can see, there are myriad variables that prevent you from controlling your own destiny when you choose the path of “job security” via employment.   So what’s your other option?  Starting your own business!   Sure, there are still plenty of variables to figure out and it’s not like you can control everything – but the sky’s the limit when it comes to your earning potential, and you’ll be in the driver’s seat of your OWN career for a change.   Giving up a 9-to-5 gig could actually give you more job security than you’ve ever experienced in your life!   Now, for most people, starting a business doesn’t happen overnight – unless it’s born out of necessity because you’ve lost your job and can’t find a new one quickly enough, which isn’t actually a bad way to go about it.   Most people start building a side business while maintaining their full-time jobs, and then eventually reach the magical “tipping point,” where they can’t take on more side work unless they quit their job and remove the safety net of a steady paycheck and benefits.   The good news is, it’s easier than ever to become an entrepreneur.   With self-employment, you can diversify your client base in a way that provides the job security you need to sleep well each night – if you happen to lose a client, you still have others that’ll keep the money rolling in while you look for a replacement.   Entrepreneurship offers a virtually unlimited income potential, because you can drum up more business if you need more money.   You also set your own prices, which means YOU can charge what your time and expertise are worth in the market.   Once your business is booming, you can cherry pick which clients you want to work with and avoid the ones who are difficult or don’t pay you on time.   You’ll never again be in a position where you have to endure something that frustrates you because YOU control the direction of your business.   Plus, you’ll be extra motivated to succeed because you’re (hopefully) working on projects you enjoy – if you aren’t passionate about your industry, you’ve chosen the wrong business.   You’ll also be setting your own schedule that works for your lifestyle (this is especially helpful for mothers) and bringing value to every client you work with.   It’s incredibly satisfying knowing that you’ve created your OWN job security and that you’re making a difference in your clients’ lives.   Now, you may very well be met with some opposition when you start down the path toward entrepreneurship.   Your friends or family might question whether or not you’re making the right decision and worry that you’re giving up the intangible “job security” everyone is always worried about.   Politely ask them, “What is job security, anyways?” and listen carefully to their response.   No doubt, they’ll list off things that contribute to a false sense of security, like a salary, benefits, and bonuses.   But you know the truth, and that’s what will set you apart and help you achieve the financial independence we all crave. So let's get started together.

For Business Owners - How You Can Improve Your Customers' Online Experience w/ Your Company?

 Are you losing customers with a poor online experience?

Making your customer happy is your first priority as a seller. Customers have high expectations for their experience, especially when online shopping. If you don’t meet or exceed those expectations, they will likely decide to not buy from you. You only get one shot!

According to Internet Retailer, nearly half of global Internet users plan to make an online purchase in the next six months. You want to profit from this growing segment of tech-empowered customers who demand the products they want and how they want to purchase them. Many retailers are losing potential customers, because the retailer’s online experience just isn’t as personal as it is in the store.

But there is hope!  

Here are 9 Ways You Can Improve The Online Shopping Experience:

1. Improve your grammar. Good grammar shows that you're a professional, legitimate company.
2. Make your website mobile friendly.
3. Provide customer reviews.
4. Give a live chat option.
5. Proofread your content.
6. Offer free shipping.
7. Make your site easy to navigate.
8. Use good photos.
9. Don't forget Site Search

Finally, I wanted to mention an option for you where we can scan your business online, including customer sentiment, online listings, ratings and reviews, and more and provide a report for you with our Thryv Business Analysis w/ AIMC Business Solutions - our new partnership.

Please email the following to jeff@aimcbizsolutions.com (Jeffrey DeSocio) and we can provide a free report for you!
- Business Name
- Business Address
- Business Phone Number
- Business Website URL
- Business Revenue (optional)

It is Your Business, So Let's Take It To The Next Level of Success!

Did You Know That Your Life and Business Is In The Cloud? Breaking Down How Cloud Computing Rules Your World and Some Tips.

Cloud Computing has been a buzz word for many years and now basically manages people's business and personal lives. 

First off what is Cloud Computing? 

Cloud Computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over multiple locations, each location being a data center. Ok that is pretty intense. 

But really think about that social media video you did, or that post or how about those files you stored on Google Drive or Dropbox or even that Zoom video you did? All of those actions integrate into the cloud whereas those files are stored in one of those big data centers. 

Check out our video on YouTube on how "The Cloud" rules your world and some tips on how to make sure your critical files are kept safe. 

 

Finally, if you like to get a Business Assessment where your business is in the world of the cloud, contact us or click the link - https://bit.ly/3rk42H3