It’s “BIG GAME” weekend.  Be sure to download your “FREE report – 46 Super Social Media Things To Do Before The Big Game!”

For more marketing tips for Christian business owners, click here.

John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing, shared a thought with me recently that went something like this:

“Our complimentary content should be of greater value than what our competitors are charging for.”

That’s radical marketing!

• Are you giving your customers a free taste of your high-value offering that your competitors would never think of offering?
• Are you producing educational content via your blog that draws people to you like a magnet?
• Are you offering a free course, report, video or sample so that potential customers will not just become a transaction, but lifelong raving fans?

We’ve taken John up on his challenge and added a number of FREE REPORTS into our library.  We are making our full library of reports available to you!

Click to access the library of free marketing tips!

As Christian business owners, you no doubt struggle with day-to-day managment and operational challenges, but also wrestle with the effort to make a worthy profit alongside the desire to generously give as Jesus did!   While your competitors are constantly reducing their prices through gimmicks and coupons (which are OK in certain seasons), you can emulate Christ’s generosity by providing a steady stream of complimentary content that helps cultivate loyal ambassadors (satisfied customers who repeat and refer!)

This is a bedrock tenant of our marketing philosophy.  Generously giving to your customers and prospects builds lifelong trust that leads to regular repeat customers who rave about you to their friends!

STOP!

. . . after you read the report, you might be ready to make some changes in your marketing.

Click the box below to learn how we can help.

“Strategy before tactics.“

Any marketing effort will certainly fail if the business owner is consumed with figuring out the right tools or obsessing over the latest fads without first identifying the strategy first.

So before you can answer “how can I use Facebook to make money” or “should I use direct mail to reach my audience” – you must identify the strategy.  The 3 key areas of your strategy include:

1. THE WHO – clearly identify your ideal client, drill down until you can detail the purchasing behaviors of this target market and learn everything you can about this “people group” that you can not only know their demographics (income, race, gender, geography, etc.) but understand the psychographics as well (their needs, pains, frustrations and fears; also includes their values, personalities, attitudes and interests).
2. THE DIFFERENCE – simply ask yourself, “how is the product/service that I offer any different than my competitors?”  Forbid yourself from claiming “better customer service” and never, ever claim to have “better prices” unless you intend on getting in a bidding war with $5 off coupons driving from the competitors driving you out of business!  Differentiate by being the ONLY one in town to provide a brand of product or be the ONLY ____(dentist, school, doctor, realtor, etc)______ in town with a service guarantee like that.  Differentiate on values – appealing to your “WHO” (see #1) by performing your services in a way that resonates with the values of your target market.  Different on the customer experience – excite your customer’s senses (sight, sound, etc…) in a way that they will tell others about the experience!
3. THE SYSTEM – now that you know WHO you are reaching and what SETS YOU APART from your competitors, you are ready to start developing a systematic approach to lead generation and converting those leads into loyal ambassadors!  Once your strategy is in place, you can freely explore the possibilities of every marketing tactic and determine whether it is a right fit – this strategy gives you a new lens by which you can make marketing decisions.  The system will also give you the confidence to examine the entire customer experience – determining where the gaps are and exploring creative ways to developing customers who repeat and refer!

Marketing is all about getting people with a specific need to know, like and trust you (that’s a cool marketing definition by John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing!)  When that happens, and as your customers try and buy from you, you are well on your way to creating customers who REPEAT and REFER – these are your very best loyal ambassadors!

- Randy

ACTION STEP: Watch this complimentary video archive of John Jantsch’s webinar on the “7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success.”

So….I’m on vacation and traveling several hundred miles by car.  I admit that I had twisted my back before the trip, but I guarantee you that the long hours sitting in the car, plus all the walking around sightseeing, almost brought me to my knees.

While I asked my brother-in-law (who had been to a chiropractor close to his work almost 45 minutes away), I decided to go to my next best source.

Wait – did you think I was going to say “Google”?

Well, technically, you are wrong.  I’m not really asking Google to tell me about the best chiropractor in the area.  Google is the search tool I use, but Google has never been to a chiropractor.  Who I am asking?

You.

If you’ve taken the time to write a review for this chiropractor, I’m seeking your opinion.  I’m putting ALOT of trust in what you say because I have no earthly idea about the chiropractors in the area.  His shingle out front looks no different than any other chiropractor.   I know of a good chiropractor in the Orlando area and another good chiropractor in Fort Worth, but while in Virginia?  Not a clue.

Look at the picture below (click on it to see an enlarged version) and you’ll see that I totally ignored in a Google search:

1. TOP ADS – I hardly ever look, much less click around up in this top area because I know they are paid advertisements.  For the most part, when I’m searching Google, I go for the organic listings because I feel I am getting better results.
2. RIGHT SIDE ADS - again, you can see I totally ignored this area.   And yes, I even bypass one 5-star chiropractor who has 7 reviews.  Again, I like the organic listing because I figure anybody can pay enough money to get their listing in the advertising section.
3. TOP SEARCH RESULTS – if I’m researching for an article on a particular topic, I will start at the top of the organic listings.  But when it comes to a chiropractor, a dentist, an auto mechanic, I’m going straight to see what other customers are saying.  I’m looking for any “Google reviews”!

After reading such great reviews, I called and booked an appointment for a massage therapist at the Haymarket Physical Therapy and Chiropractic in Gainesville.  It was a great experience – and I’ve already written my review!

Businesses can’t afford to ignore the significance of online reviews.  And while I believe in other 3rd party review sites like Yelp, GreatSchools for private schools, and UrbanSpoon for restaurants, Google has lately decided to place a premium on their Google Place Page reviews and list only theirs on search results (in the very fine print on each business’ Place Page, you’ll find “reviews from around the web” but most people won’t look that far).

Start asking your best and happiest customers for online reviews – and I would direct them to your Google Place Page and have them look for the “WRITE A REVIEW” button to get started helping you spread the word to those searching for you online!

• Further reading about the importance of online reviews
• How private Christians schools can lose the online marketing game

top image source: www.quickmeme.com

Our most frequent question in terms of social media is “what should I post?“  A follow-up comment people often make is “…and who really cares anyway?”

One of the sins of the online marketing world, particularly grievous on social sites like Facebook and Twitter, is to constantly flood your follower’s content streams with incessant self-promotion.   But whenever we talk to businesses about using these prominent (and ever-expanding) online platforms for marketing, their eyes light up and inevitably someone will assert that because of the low-cost (or most often FREE) aspect of these tools, they assume their ROI to be sky-high.  “You mean we can market our products and services and tell all of our customers about each of our promotions several times a day – all for free?”  Au contraire.  Social networking sites were not intended for such purposes and to hijack them for your selfish gain goes against the rules of the game.

So, in opposition to the continuous self-promotion often evident from businesses on Facebook or Twitter, consider yourself a resource, a true helping hand to those who follow your activity.  Consider they don’t necessarily follow you just to be inundated with your self-promotion, so change the way you post.   Instead, be a H-E-L-P-E-R :

Follow this acronym:

• H – drive them to high value content at your Hub (your website)
• E – provide Educational value (this information adds value to their day; you can create unique posts or share articles you mind other places)
• L – write thought-Leadership ideas; make them Laugh (people are inspired by leadership, but love a good chuckle, too)
• P – occasionally Promote your promotions (in balance, it’s OK to do this, but just keep it as only part of the variety of postings)
• E – make it a point to Engage (make and react to comments, encourage interactions by asking questions/polls)
• R – intentionally look for ways to Reach out to key influencers (social media tools often permit you access never imagined before)

Promotion is not evil but it’s annoying and a turn-off when it’s all your followers hear from you.  Helping your followers with high-value content, they will not only continue following, but they will also encourage others to do the same.

There’s nothing like visiting a church only to be thrown into the middle of the service with no real clue on where the kids’ classes are, where the bathroom is, or even how you get more information about the upcoming Christmas Eve services.  Whether your church is 200 people or 2000, basic church outreach says it’s important that visitors be made to feel welcome and have easy access to basic information.

So why would a church violate this policy on their Facebook page?

The default landing stop for a visitor to your church’s Facebook page is the “Wall”.  This is where a first-time visitor tries to figure out what your church is all about, who the ministers are, and what kinds of activities your church has for their 3-year old, 3rd grader and their Middle Schooler.  And, no, the “Wall” is not how to find that information out.  It’s like jumping into the middle of a conversation and trying to just decipher what’s going on.  This is the absolute worst kind of church Facebook page.

I’ve got a few questions to ask you:

• Wouldn’t it make more sense to greet your guests with a friendly video message?

• Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to show your guests a 2-minute video of what to expect on a Sunday morning during the Children’s Worship?  Or to show them your upcoming holiday schedule for Christmas Day?

• Wouldn’t you rather have the opportunity to point your Facebook visitor to the church’s podcast to get a flavor for the minister’s preaching, or to your church’s video channel to watch the 11th graders on their mission trip to Brazil?

• The “Wall” is like a maze for a visitor. You are leaving it all up to them to scroll through your history of random postings or to take the time to click on the info tab to visit your website.  Why not just point them to some obvious places where you know they need to visit to understand the heart of your church?

• The default “Wall” is as bad as being satisfied with back-row visitors never getting talked to and leaving without ever plugging in.  Wouldn’t it be better to capture them into your Facebook stream database so that they can hear more about your church in the days to come?  Driving them to that critical action step is as important in social media as a follow-up email or phone call would be to a first-time visitor to your church.

Below you’ll see a sampling of custom Facebook landing pages that intentionally deviate from the default “Wall”.  These churches have decided to give first-time visitors a strong first impression that guides a guest to the areas that the churches want these newcomers to see.  Prompting guests to “LIKE” your page is a critical action step, but you can go even beyond this by directing them to other areas of your Facebook page or to important pages on your website.

Don’t settle for default.  The “Wall” is an unacceptable greeting for your church’s visitors.  View the samples pages below that we have done for some of our church clients or that we have found around the web.

Before you go, read these from the archives:

• Churches and Facebook – What’s the point?
• 7 Easy Things for Churches to Do on Your Facebook Page before Christmas

CLICK ON IMAGES BELOW FOR LARGER VIEW

Customize your church Facebook page

One question often asked is “what do I post on my Facebook page?”

The second question is “how do we get more ‘LIKES’ on our Page?”

The next area we address when consulting with organizations about their Facebook page is the necessity of a custom Facebook page.  You never want a visitor to land on your Wall because the Wall offers no brand strengthening to their first impression of you.  Instead you want the custom Facebook page to increase their engagement with your brand.

One oft-neglected option you have when customizing your landing page for prospective fans (those who have not yet “liked” the page) is to offer what is often called “Like & Reveal” or a “Fan Gate.”

This is  a “gate” through which a new visitor to your Facebook page must pass before they get to see your Facebook content.  To get through this “gate” the visitor must first decide to “like” your page.  Therefore, you must “like” the page in order to “reveal” what’s behind it.  Here’s a few uses for this technology:

• Create an incentive for the visitor to your Facebook page (i.e., a unique fan-only coupon)
• Ensure the essential action step of liking the page actually happens (surprisingly many people just scan the Wall and move on unless your prompt them with what you want them to do).  If you don’t capture them into your social database, how will you remain top-of-mind in their Facebook newsfeed?  You must get them to click the LIKE button.
• Introduce a visitor to the unique aspects of your Facebook page – the gated “pause” creates anticipation before the LIKE button is pressed and the actual showcase is revealed

As the title suggests, this added bonus on your custom Facebook page will allow you to be the perfect greeter, the most effective guide to showcase your multiple offerings, and enhance your ability to get them into your social database.

You can set this up as the default page for every new visitor to your page so that this is how visitors are introduced to your page.  Below we’ll show you a few examples of how we have used this with some of our recent clients and hopefully will stir your imagination on how you can use your custom Facebook page.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW FOR LARGER VIEW

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The folks at Hubze deliver a very practical article on driving more “Likes” to your Facebook page.  They share 7 brilliant ideas worth implementing today:

1. Post high-quality status updates (consider our H-E-L-P-E-R strategy if you’re not sure what to post on Facebook)
2. Link your personal profile place of employment to your Facebook page (this is easy to do, but often overlooked; it usually goes to a generic community page where you are not getting the kind of “Likes” you want)
3. Custom sidebar image (this comes FREE when you do a custom Facebook page with us)
4. Invite fan engagement through questions
5. Custom Facebook page (yes, we do this – see our “Holiday Promotion” to the right)
6. Use a “like & reveal” tab – this drives visitors to take the important action step of clicking on “Like” (you can see an example of this at Swiss Pastry Shop’s new Facbeook page we launched this week)
7. Add your Facebook “Like” box to your website

You can read further details here:  “7 Creative Ways To Get More Likes On Facebook” or you can go nuts over “50 Ways to Get More People to Like Your Facebook Page” (some overlap, but many additional ideas you’ll want to implement right away!)

-Randy

* NOTE: our “Holiday Promotion” on our Custom Facebook Pages is on – but the “Early Bird” discount ends Tuesday, 11/8! Don’t miss this!

-Randy

image source: madmackerel

3 basic things every business should do on Facebook (this is for your business, not for your personal profile):

1. Brand your Facebook URL (before someone else does)

• You can shorten your business’ Facebook page URL by securing a shorter username than the long code.
• A shortened username can be easily shared on a business card, in a TV ad, or memorized by your fans to share with their friends:
  • Would you rather a prospect try and remember  www.facebook.com/pages/best-auto-repair/120127768011547?
  • OR would you rather share  www.facebook.com/bestautorepair
• If you need additional help, seek out answers to FAQs on Facebook’s help page.

2.  Maximize the profile image – create a taller image for maximum brand real estate

• Your profile image, at the top left corner of your Page, functions as your “logo,” your primary branding element.
• The maximum size allowed for the profile image is 180 x 540 pixels.  While you may wish to only use a smaller logo for certain periods of time (like we are right now on our Facebook Page for The Marketing Twins), many businesses are not aware that they can have more content on a taller profile image – see the example below:
• The dotted line compares the two different profile images based on where the “Wall” tab shows – you can clearly see that the profile on the left is leaving a large area vacant where Dainty Cakes on the right has maximized its space.

3.  Greet your prospects and customers as you would welcome them to an open house event.  Guide them.  Show them around.  Showcase!

• When a typical fan arrives at your business Facebook page, they will land on the “Wall” tab.  They are left on their own to decide on whether they are interested in digging more into your offerings, promotions, or services you offer.  This is like inviting them into a revolving door.  They are very likely to only stay on your page maybe a few nanoseconds as best.  And sometimes they even forget to click on “Like”!  Yikes – isn’t that the point?
• Creating a custom Facebook page for your business allows you the opportunity to showcase your unique offerings – and guide your fans to see what you want them to see!  The following bakery shows customers how to sign up for her email newsletter, subscribe to her blog, find her shop, and watch an awesome video about cupcakes – now that is some serious fan engagement that will keep people on her page longer than just a few seconds.

*

There are many other things you can do besides these three – but get started here and you’ll be on your way to a dynamic Facebook presence for your business!

- Randy

BONUS:  Get several more “Creative Marketing Ideas with Facebook Pages“

Our most frequent question in terms of social media is “what should I post?“  A follow-up comment people often make is “…and who really cares anyway?”

One of the sins of the online marketing world, particularly grievous on social sites like Facebook and Twitter, is to constantly flood your follower’s content streams with incessant self-promotion.   But whenever we talk to businesses about using these prominent (and ever-expanding) online platforms for marketing, their eyes light up and inevitably someone will assert that because of the low-cost (or most often FREE) aspect of these tools, they assume their ROI to be sky-high.  “You mean we can market our products and services and tell all of our customers about each of our promotions several times a day – all for free?”  Au contraire.  Social networking sites were not intended for such purposes and to hijack them for your selfish gain goes against the rules of the game.

So, in opposition to the continuous self-promotion often evident from businesses on Facebook or Twitter, consider yourself a resource, a true helping hand to those who follow your activity.  Consider they don’t necessarily follow you just to be inundated with your self-promotion, so change the way you post.   Instead, be a H-E-L-P-E-R :

Follow this acronym:

• H – drive them to high value content at your Hub (your website)
• E – provide Educational value (this information adds value to their day; you can create unique posts or share articles you mind other places)
• L – write thought-Leadership ideas; make them Laugh (people are inspired by leadership, but love a good chuckle, too)
• P – occasionally Promote your promotions (in balance, it’s OK to do this, but just keep it as only part of the variety of postings)
• E – make it a point to Engage (make and react to comments, encourage interactions by asking questions/polls)
• R – intentionally look for ways to Reach out to key influencers (social media tools often permit you access never imagined before)

Promotion is not evil but it’s annoying and a turn-off when it’s all your followers hear from you.  Helping your followers with high-value content, they will not only continue following, but they will also encourage others to do the same.

- Randy