Category Archives: Sales

November 27, 2012
0

5 ways to solve the ‘no time for social media’ challenge

By | business start ups, Established business, Marketing, New business, Sales, social media | 4 Comments

Social media for sales and business growth

struggling to find time for social media and how to solve this issueI rarely make a bet, but now I’m going to. How many of you at first glance, thought that using social media wouldn’t take up much of your time? I bet the vast majority. Most people start with either Facebook or Twitter, so I'd wager that at some point you thought,  ‘surely sending a few Tweets can't take long can it? The posts are limited to just 140 characters, right?' WRONG!!!

Social media is a very time intensive process if you don’t handle it in the right way. The main problem with it is that social media happens in real time, like a conversation. Individual items might not take much time, but they happen all the time. As much as multitasking is applauded (especially by women, who use it the most), continuously going back to social media throughout the day can seriously hamper your overall productivity. Check out my post on multi-tasking for the low down!

So what’s the solution? Well it’s actually quite simple, and I genuinely speak from experience. You see, I too have suffered from social media overwhelm. And in order to get a grip on it, I've had to look at it in a very strategic and process orientated way. I know those words may sound too formal for many of you, but it's true. In order to avoid social media overwhelm and maintain productivity, the solution I found was to automate my social media marketing as much as possible. By taking care of my postings all at once, I freed up the rest of my day to work on other things. Then all I had to do was to check in at scheduled times so I could engage and respond to my prospects and customers, in other words – YOU!

So here's my advice. In order to ensure that you’re not spending all your time on your social media marketing, there are a few steps you should take:

1. Decide on your objective. Agree upfront what you want to achieve by using your chosen social media platforms. Only by setting the objective, can you measure the results and determine whether the campaign has been effective.

2. Develop a strategy. Start by determining which social media platforms to use, and how to use them. Each social media network has its own personality and its own function and you’ll need to decide which is the best for your market. You’ll want to focus your efforts on the social media platforms that will deliver the best return on your time investment.  Sadly you can’t just copy the same content to every social media site without being penalized. You'll need to understand the merits of each platform and what makes them unique. Once you’ve got this sussed you can then decide when to post.

3. When to post. You’ll be scheduling your social media posts in advance, so you’ll need to set them for times when they’ll be most effective. You’ll therefore need to research when your followers are most likely to be online and engaging with your social media.

4. Choose the right automation tools. There are a number of tools that allow you to automate your social media marketing. Many are free, or at least offer basic functions for free with the option of adding more features through a paid account. Hootsuite is by far my favourite and you can use it to manage multiple social media platforms.

5. Consider your ability to engage and respond. Social media is a social platform and so you really don’t want your social media efforts to look automated or robotic. Social media is still about interacting with people so make sure you only schedule posts when you’re available to respond.  Set up notifications to let you know when someone does reply to an automatic post so you can respond in a timely manner. This will set you apart from the crowd and enhance your relationships.

I know that by following these steps you can manage your social media marketing to full effect without suffering from social media marketing overwhelm.

As many of you know, I'm experienced in start-ups without capital, but please tell me about your experiences with social media marketing, as every business is unique. I'm so interested to hear how well you're doing with your social media. Please share your experiences and feedback on ways to solve this issue as so many face it in the comments below as I’d love to hear. Finally thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends and check out another blog I have on ways to build your authority for your brand using social media including how to generate a lead.

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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November 23, 2012
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How much does it cost to generate a lead?

By | Marketing, Sales, social media | 2 Comments

The secret of effective lead generation

How_much_does_it_cost_to_generate_a_leadHow much does it cost to generate a lead is a question that is so often NOT asked. When someone asked me recently, I felt embarrassed to say I didn’t actually know how much it was costing me to generate a lead. Oops! And,  I’ve been in business a long time – and sales! I'm used to tracking all costs, including cost of sale, but like I said, I was embarrassed to say I didn’t know what it cost to generate a lead. When I asked my peers though, many of whom work for large global brands in sales and marketing departments (as Directors) they too were unable to answer the question. Quite frankly I was horrified as this really is, in my opinion business basics 101. Why then are so many business owners not tracking this statistic and metric for lead generation?

Well one of the reasons could be because many business owners buy in leads or data and are not proactively working to generate a lead. The other reason could be because they already have a database to work from. Despite these possibilities, in my opinion it doesn’t explain why so few are tracking, monitoring and analysing the costs to generate a lead.

These days there are many ways to generate a lead for your business. For example you can use traditional ways such as telemarketing, direct mail, PR, blogging, and trade shows, or go down the social media and online route.  Having built businesses and sales teams for 18 years, I know from first hand experience that the costs for these channels have continued to increase year-after-year. And, for starts-up without investment and capital or small creatives these costs are just not fathomable.

In the case of direct mail, the cost for printing and postage continues to increase and because of this so few can actually afford to do it. Whilst email marketing is far from dead, many are still not opened or are binned before being opened. Likewise, telemarketing and PR are time-intensive and sometimes equally expensive processes that can be ineffective if not done strategically. Trade shows have been getting more expensive to participate in for years and when you calculate the cost of travel, elaborate exhibition booths, and branded promotional materials it often works out as a no brainer in terms of not doing it.

What are the best lead generation techniques?

As a result of this, many creative businesses and start-ups have turned to the Internet as a means to generate a lead in a more cost-effective and productive way. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Google + and Linkedin have proved very viable methods for obtaining clean data from an authentic audience that’s engaged and interested. To me that’s exciting as many business owners and marketers have yet to experience the online marketing benefit of their blog and social media platforms (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).

When done right, these social media platforms can play vital roles in enhancing your company’s search engine rankings, brand positioning and for generating a lead. It’s easy to position your company as an expert within your industry and also to convert website visitors into qualified leads and prospects who are interested in learning more about your product or service! And, once you’ve identified your cost to generate a lead, you’ll then be able to lower your cost per lead.

As many of you know, I'm experienced in start-ups without capital, but please tell me about your experiences with this, as every business is unique. I'm so interested to hear how well your marketing efforts are performing and how you're leveraging the lead generation power of your blog and social media. Please share your experiences and feedback on ways to generate a lead in the comments below as I’d love to hear. Finally thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends and check out another blog I have on ways to build your authority for your brand using social media including how to generate a lead.

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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November 20, 2012
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Colour psychology: an interview with Bernay Laity from in:colour

By | Established business, Marketing, New business, Sales | 3 Comments

Colour psychology and its affect on sales

colour_pyschology_interview_jane_frankland_bernay_laity_incolourI’ve read an awful lot of articles on branding and picking colours but it was only when I met Bernay Laity, Creative Director of in:colour that I felt I truly understood colour psychology. Until then I’d understood the significance of colour for branding, but what I hadn’t grasped was actually how much colour psychology influenced sales.

So now I fee stupid!

But I ask you, how many of you have ever considered how colour psychology affects your brand? Or whether it can turn off prospective customers and clients to your product or service? Or even how it affects your romance and dating, or the place where you work, chill out or think!!! Probably only a few of you have.

The big retail brands certainly know this and that's why they play to it – strategically. They often spend years surveying their market to discover their values, beliefs and attitudes towards colour. And, they design their retail outlets with this in mind. Recently I heard of an international hairdressing brand that took two years to find out about colour psychology and how it affected their customers buying attitudes. They then went on to launch and sell with increased success – as you'd expect!

So how does colour affect our buying decisions? How can understanding colour psychology help us to sell more? Well as someone who loves selling, these are questions I had to find the answers to. Thankfully, Bernay Laity from in:colour, a consultancy that specialises in colour psychology was there to help me. She took the time to answer my questions on colour psychology, human behaviour and buying. And, as a former textile designer I was loving it!

She started with an explanation of the application of colour psychology in our world. Science informs us that colour is a vibration of light but that it's more than just visual. Colour affects us on all levels, even if we appear unaware of it. Our life may be ‘coloured’ by pleasant and unpleasant experiences creating strong likes and dislikes of colour, but there is actually much more to it than casual preference.

According to Carl Jung, colour is the mother tongue of the subconscious.

Unbeknown to me, we use the language of colour to interpret what we see, and we relate to it at an instinctual level. In our natural environment colour signals to us the changes of season; what foods are safe to eat, and warns us of any likely danger.

The key to colour psychology is harmony i.e. everything has a relationship. In the natural world we see harmony and organisation in the variation of colour from season-to-season. Each season has its own specific qualities and characteristics of colour. It has distinct hues and tones that operate ‘in harmony.'

Our sense of colour is strongly linked to our emotions, and like a language we use colour to express how we feel – whether consciously or unconsciously. Colour psychology teaches us how to understand the effects of colour on the personality and then how to use it to enhance the interior environment and improve communications. It goes far beyond “use red to convey passion, or aggression or creativity.” It looks at the tones, the hues and the colour families all in accordance with personal beliefs of the individual or brands values of the business.

Bernay Laity discusses colour psychology

Look out for the advice on colours to wear for dating and the out-takes at the end!

To find out more about Bernay and the amazing work she does on colour psychology visit in:colour, at www.incolourconsultancy.com. 

Click the link to learn more about finding your perfect brand colour. 

Now I want to hear from you…

So finally, my questions to you are:

  • How are you using colour psychology in your branding, workspace and home?
  • Have you ever changed a colour in your home or workspace and seen a difference to the way you approach work, think or relax.
  • Have you noticed how your mood is affected by colour? If so, what colours turn you on or off?
  • Or have you ever considered seeking an expert colour psychologist for this or to improve sales?

Please let me know as I'd love to hear.

Thank you, as always for reading, watching and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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November 2, 2012
0

Social media marketing and how to spot a faker

By | Established business, Marketing, New business, Sales, social media | No Comments

Social media marketing outsourcing

Social media marketing and how to spot a fakerFollowing on from my last post on how to establish your authority by using social media marketing, I wanted to concentrate on what to look out for when you're outsourcing your social media marketing, or employing someone to do this as part of your team.

Today, more and more businesses are looking to social media as a way to grow their business, promote their brand and engage with their clients.

However, businesses often have little experience with this new technology and consequently don’t really know how to tell if they're engaging with the real deal or a fake social media expert.

With the growing demand for expertise in this field, unfortunately there’s not enough supply of real talent. Gary Vaynerchu recently commented that 99.5% of social media marketing experts are clowns and sadly from what I’ve seen I’d have to agree. Not everyone who claims to be a social media expert is one. So, it’s important to be able to identify who’s a fake and who’s competant.  So, here are some key indicators to help you.

Social media marketing experts are…

Social media experts are experienced and active users of social media. In my opinion it doesn’t matter whether they’ve been consulting, training or managing social media for years. Let's face it, it's a new technology and not even a decade old. However, what does matter is that they're active users, engaging with their networks, and getting results.

You'll want to see if:

  • They've updated their profiles
  • They've completed their About page and it has hyperlinks
  • They're adding fresh, unique content daily i.e. posts, Tweets, pins and blogs
  • Their branding looks professional and isn’t breaking any of the social media platform rules
  • They're up-to-date with the latest social media trends
  • They're using the latest and most appropriate tools
  • They're engaging with their network promptly.

How to check engagement…

On this point there are a few ways to check. For example on:

  • Facebook, see how many fans are talking about their page. It will say this next to their profile picture.
  • Do they have apps installed?
  • Are they branded professionally?

On Twitter, you can see from their Tweets.

  • How often are they Tweeting other people’s content?
  • How often are they Tweeting unique content?
  • How often are they replying?  (Look for the @ sign)

On YouTube, check to see:

  • How many views they have
  • What's going on with their comments

On LinkedIn:

  • How many people are they connected to?
  • Have they set up user groups?
  • Are they a publisher that's publishing good quality content?

Social media marketing fakers are…

Social media fakers are well connected but lack quality connections. Whilst they may have lots of Facebook Likes or Twitter followers, they lack relevant followers and actual clients. They chose volume over quality every time.

On this note, it's worth knowing that you can buy hundreds and thousands of connections for as little as $5. You can also buy services to follow or add fans that are automated.

Social media fakers are poor at engagement. They don’t connect or get back to their fans. They're still operating push marketing strategies. They're inexperienced at converting prospects into ‘fans' and clients. And, they often lack a niche and insight into their clients. As a result they don’t have the knowledge to meet their clients needs.

To wrap this up…

Social media is a powerful tool for business development. However, it's not the only strategy that should be used for business development. Social media marketing should always be complemented by other elements of marketing. It doesn’t replace traditional marketing methods. Instead, it’s used to enhance them.

Always be wary of those claiming it’s the right strategy for every business. Whist there are many merits for employing social media as a tool to develop the business, especially for exposure, influence and ranking, determining whether it’s the right strategy requires careful analysis of the business and the context in which it operates.

Unfortunately it’s so easy for people to jump on the social media marketing bandwagon and say they’re experts when they’re not. Fakers give social media marketing a bad name and as a result many in business simply render the use of social media ineffective. However, when social media marketing is used strategically it's an incredibly powerful tool to support the business' commercial efforts.

Now I want to hear from you…

What are your thoughts? Are you a believer in social media as a technology to drive your business development forward? Have you fallen victim to a faker or been lucky to engage with an expert who knows their trade? What makes someone a social media marketing expert in your eyes?

Please share your stories and experience here, and if you’ve got a question, just pop it down here. If you want to contact me for a strategy call click here.

Thanks for being a sport and participating!

P.S.

Finally, if you know someone who'd LOVE the insight from this social media for business post, please send them a link. You’ll find business owners, consultants and yes, even sales and marketing managers who manage people who'll be interested to hear about this.

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October 26, 2012
0

Finding your perfect brand colour

By | business start ups, Established business, Marketing, New business, Sales | 3 Comments

Colour as a sales tool – well I never!

jane_frankland_colour_brand_psychologyBeing a creative and visual person, whenever I see these statistics like the ones I'm going to share with you it brings a smile to my face. I like being a pro and to me getting your branding right so that it supports your sales means incorporating all of these key elements.

The Institute of Colour Research says that 92.6% of people when surveyed put MOST IMPORTANCE on visual factors when purchasing products or services. As colour plays such a huge role in what the visuals look like, and the impact the visual creates in the minds of both prospects and customers, it's imperative not to play down this phase. Statistics show that colour matters for these reasons:

  • 92% Believe colour presents an image of impressive quality
  • 90% Feel colour can assist in attracting new customers
  • 90% Believe customers remember presentations and documents better when color is used
  • 83% Believe colour makes them appear more successful
  • 81% Think colour gives them a competitive edge
  • 76% Believe that the use of colour makes their business appear larger to clients

*2003 survey conducted by Xerox Corporation and International Communications Research

Research also highlights that people make a subconscious judgement about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing, and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on colour alone (Source: CCICOLOR – Institute for Color Research). Colour increases brand recognition by up to 80% (Source: University of Loyola, Maryland study) and it can improve readership by 40%, learning from 55% to 78%, and comprehension by 73% (Sources: “Business Papers in Color. Just a Shade Better”, Modern Office Technology, Embry, David, “The Persuasive Properties of Color”, Marketing Communications, Johnson, Virginia, “The Power of Color”, Successful Meetings).

So if colour matters so much to a brand or products success it's right to understand the psychology behind it, right? The answer is hell YES!

The importance of colour in branding

Have you ever considered the importance of colour in branding? Probably not! But, think about it for just one moment. Coke is red, UPS is brown and IBM is blue.  Corporations such as these have spent millions on their branding and they understand that the proper use of colour is vital to creating a positive image of their brand amongst their consumers.  Colour also plays such a huge role because of memory recall. It stimulates all the senses, instantly conveying a message like no other communication method. And, when the customers feels good about a brand or product – they buy!

Choosing the right dominant colour for your brand is crucial. This colour should appear on all your promotional materials, including your logo, product packaging and potentially the clothes you wear to meetings or in front of your customers. As much as possible, the colour you choose should set you apart, make you stand out, work with your industry and image, and tie to your brand promise. It should also take into account colour psychology, as colour can convey different things depending on the culture, situation and industry.

Here's a fairly universal guide to help you decipher their meaning.

Colour psychology – what are your values?

Blue: Cool blue is perceived as trustworthy, intelligent, dependable, fiscally responsible and secure. Strongly associated with the sky and sea, blue is serene and universally well-liked. Blue is an especially popular colour with financial institutions, as its message of stability inspires trust.

Red: Red activates your pituitary gland, increasing your heart rate and causing you to breathe more rapidly. This visceral response makes red aggressive, energetic, provocative and attention-grabbing. Count on red to evoke a passionate response, albeit not always a favourable one. For example, red can represent danger or indebtedness. One of the most powerful, attention grabbing. Associated with ACTION. Creative, energy but also good for familiarity. Pushing boundaries.

Green: In general, green connotes health, freshness and serenity. However, green's meaning varies with its many shades. Deeper greens are associated with wealth or prestige, while light greens are calming. New beginnings.

Yellow: In every society, yellow is associated with the sun. Thus, it communicates optimism, positivism, light and warmth. Certain shades seem to motivate and stimulate creative thought and energy. The eye sees bright yellows before any other colour, making this a great colour for point-of-purchase displays.

Purple: Purple is a colour favoured by creative types. With its blend of passionate red and tranquil blue, it evokes mystery, sophistication, spirituality and royalty. Lavender evokes nostalgia and sentimentality.

Pink: Pink's message varies by intensity. Hot pinks convey energy, youthfulness, fun and excitement and are recommended for less expensive or trendy products for women or girls. Dusty pinks appear sentimental. Lighter pinks are more romantic. Calming and feminine.

Orange: Cheerful orange evokes exuberance, fun and vitality. With the drama of red plus the cheer of yellow, orange is viewed as gregarious and often childlike. Research indicates its lighter shades appeal to an upmarket. Peach tones work well with healthcare, restaurants and beauty salons. As it inherits some of the traits of red it inspires action but it is also about learning. It's great for information products.

Brown: This earthy colour conveys simplicity, durability, credibility and stability. It can also elicit a negative response from consumers who relate to it as dirty.  From a functional perspective, brown tends to hide dirt, making it a logical choice for some trucking and industrial companies.

Black: Black is serious, bold, powerful and classic. It creates drama, elegance and connotes sophistication. Black works well for expensive products, but can also make a product look heavy.

White: White connotes simplicity, cleanliness and purity. The human eye views white as a brilliant colour, so it immediately catches the eye in signage. White is often used with infant and health-related products.

Grey: Grey or silver is a conservative colour and conveys reliability, an established brand and security.

All the colours above can be categorized into two basic categories: warm and cold. In general, warm colours, like red and yellow, send an outgoing, energetic message, while cool colours, like blue, are calmer and more reserved. However, brightening a cool colour increases its vibrancy and reduces its reserve.

So before you begin work on your next campaign, consider the information on colour psychology listed above and share it with your creative team if you have one, to ensure colour is used effectively and supports your branding.

Please let me know which colours you are using in your branding, and how you're getting on with creating a new brand or revising an existing one as I'd love to hear. If you have any more advice, please just add a comment. Thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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September 24, 2012
0

The secret way to get traffic and sales in half the time

By | Marketing, Sales | One Comment

Revealed: Why now is the time for video

social_media_marketing_jane_franklandAs many of you will know I love online video as a way to market your business online and develop sales. And, I'm not the only one! The business appetite for it is now vivacious. By 2013, according to Cisco and YouTube, 90% of all traffic will stem from video. With video consumption jumping 60% in the last year alone (comScore) businesses are clearly waking up to this social media platform and instead of asking, “why use video?” they’re asking “how can I incorporate video into every aspect of my business?”

The huge buzz over video really came about because of Google, who clearly recognised its potential. Having purchased YouTube in 2006, for $1.65bn, it has promoted online video as a search engine tool ever since. In 2012 it has become a critical part in how we all consume information and just to illustrate this point, YouTube receives 4 billion views each day! As I watched my 12-year-old son, engrossed on YouTube, in preference of watching the TV, this message really hit home. I realised that now online video is even at the forefront of traditional media like print and television.

Gone are the days of thinking of online video as a source for “how-to” videos. The anti has been upped and we’re able to view pretty much everything on video – from how-to's, the world’s sillies pranks/stunts etc. to the latest news, politicians' speeches and even CEOs' annual reports. Video truly comes in all shapes and sizes! As a result, marketers, public relations professionals and business owners have to learn even more new skills and thinking. They also have to determine the size of their investment and quality of production based on their target audience and business objectives, as video can now be created to meet the needs of almost any budget.

How to leverage the benefits of online video:

Start using online video now! Remembering the old saying “a picture is worth 1,000 words? Well video is worth 9,000 words more! The best way to leverage off this is by telling a story and engaging your viewer’s emotions. Identify that one thing that will strike a cord with your audience. Think about what interests them and makes them feel connected – to you and your brand. This is where you can get creative too. There are some great cameras and editing tools out there that help you captivate and hold the attention of your audience.

Agree objectives, budget and strategy: Decide how and what your video will be used for and what your goals and objectives are. Whilst objectives for video usually tend to be for traffic, ranking, branding and sales conversion, remember video can be used for so much more. Agreeing your objectives at the start will ensure that you have an adequate budget in place and ample time for production.

If you don’t have a large budget to work from, fear not. Much can still be achieved. The size or budget doesn’t really matter. What does matter though is that now is the time to leverage the power of video to gain a competitive edge!

Once you have your budget, you can then work on your marketing strategy. Considerations include where you will host your videos e.g. on a website, on a social media platform like Facebook, Google+, Linkedin and Pinterest, or on an online video platform – YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler etc.

Know your audience Communicate and engage with your audience in a way that’s appropriate. You can do this through language and style. An unscripted video or one that’s not using an autocue has an authenticity that works well online. Videos that have humour and informality are great too. What you’re aiming for is something that looks professional, but makes you appear approachable. Always remember the golden rule: educate, entertain and inform. Use videos for how-to’s, product demos, testimonials, tours, guides, public relations, FAQs and even research. They can also be used for inductions, for email campaigns – pre-sales and after sales.

Trust the experts – hire professionals: As I said before, online video doesn’t require a large investment for it to be successful, but there are times when you’ll need to spend some money. This can be for high production quality, ranking or sales conversion. This will of course depend on your audience and your goals so develop relationships with video professionals that can help in all three areas. One of the most interesting areas I came across recently was in regards to the psychological aspect of video and conversion. I was intrigued to learn advanced communication methods and principals to get the attention and action of your audience through simple psychological principles. But, I was even more fascinated when I saw the results in action!

Capitalize on social media: Share and promote your video on social media platform – with your social media community (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin, Pinterest and others). I can’t stress how many opportunities exist here for exposure. Engagement is key here so make sure to engage with those who comment and in a timely manner. Like or comment on their content, share their works and participate in discussions. This will encourage them to do the same.

Optimize for search engines: Host your video on YouTube as it’s the #1 place people watch video and the #2 search engine. It will drive traffic, grow your audience, and enhance search results like there’s no tomorrow! Optimize the title and description of your video with the appropriate keywords so that it will appear in the search engine results. Also, link to your website and other blogs, always make sure to include your URL so your audience can find you, and include a transcription.

Measure results: Online videos can be easily measured and should be in order to determine its effectiveness. To do this, you’ll need to use analytics. Both YouTube and Google have free services. Facebook Insights provides good analysis too. See what’s working and what’s not. Then refine and strengthen your message and/or campaign.

In the comments below, tell me how you're doing with marketing your business or brand online through video and what your biggest frustration or challenge is with it. Let me know if you have any more top tips for online video and what action you'll take as a result of watching and reading this post too. I'd love to hear.

Access Free Resources for social media guides and for more tips on online video and making YouTube videos check out How to video blog like an expert.

Thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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