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Spot The Story

As an advocate of your brand (be it corporate, entrepreneurial, or personal) you have to be able to spot stories that are around you. This skill may not come naturally, but you can train yourself to do it.

First understand that something in your average day may not be so average to someone else. Your shopping mall may look interesting to someone else in a different part of the world, your meal preparation techniques may be different then someone in your own neighborhood, someone may have no idea how you do what you do in your business. Each of these activities are stories that go behind the curtain (so to speak).

Spotting even the most basic story may lead to a viral push for your brand or message. Consumers are now more drawn to the story of people than a logo. Once the authentic nature of your brands story is told, then you will begin to attract an audience to you that remains loyal to your brand.
Everyone has a story….

So often we hear the complaint that I don’t have anything to share. My answer to that complaint is simply, “YES, everyone has a story and many of us tend to pass by all of the stories that are right at your fingertips.” Start with sharing your journey. How did you get to the point that you are at today. Better yet, WHY are you at the point that you are at today? When you share your WHY, you will be surprised how the right people gravitate towards you.

The obstacles that you faced and the lessons that you learned from those obstacles are all great sources for content. This is content that may find someone stuck in their journey and really help them through a tough spot.

Also, consider sharing the real benefit from what your product or service will offer along with what problem it actually solves. This will require true authenticity on why someone would need to purchase your product or service if you can clearly state what “problem” you are solving.

Additional ideas on creating content around your brand….

1. Look at sharing your milestones (i.e., your business anniversary, your birthday, a move to a new building)

2. Check the trending list on Facebook and Twitter. These list can give you an idea of what the “majority” of people are interested in. Figure out ways that you can tie in your story to stories that already have a bit of virality.

3. Share info about the people in your organization. This is a win all the way around. People love recognition and the people outside of your organization will love to learn who makes your organization tick.

Are your leads working for you?

So, you have a lot of followers on Twitter, you have increased the number of Facebook likes you have on you Facebook business page, and your email database is growing by leaps and bounds.  Has any of this translated into solid business for your company?  For many, the answer is a resounding ‘NO.’

According to Gleanster Research, 50% of leads are qualified but not yet ready to buy (via HubSpot).  This means that if you are a marketer or you wear the marketing hat at your organization, it is past time to begin nurturing your leads. Let 2012 be the year that you stop sitting idle with luke warm leads in your systems that need to be converted to paying customers. After you have reached this revelation, your mind will tend to start coming with a series of questions on making these conversions happen. The top question we hear at Selsi Enterprises is probably……”What are the best ways to nurture the leads that you already have in your system?”

Here is my answer in a nutshell:

  1. First and foremost, you must understand your audience.  As a marketer, you need to take a look at your sales cycle.  Do a little research on how long it actually takes from the point when someone discovers your product or service to the point that they are actually ready to make a purchase.
  2. Clearly define your goals and objectives when seeking to nurture leads. Are you looking to reawaken old leads or are you looking to generate new leads? Put a numerical value on the success of your campaign.
  3. When you get a lead, respond to them quickly.  According to HubSpot, 35% to 50% of sales go the vendors that are the first to respond.  The likelihood of converting a lead to sale greatly diminishes the farther away the time is from the initial contact made by the lead.
  4. Maintain contact with your lead.  Develop a drip marketing campaign that shows that you and/or your organization are the expert in the field that you are servicing.
  5. Finally, never stop learning about your customers! Always look for ways that you can continue to fulfill the needs of your customer base.