Business Coaching Tips

Why You Need A Social Media Engagement Strategy

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A recent study by real estate website The Close found agents get 44% of their leads from posting on social media surpassing cold calling, buying leads, online advertising, and print advertising by at least 10%-30%. Which proves that posting on social media drives business if you’re consistent.

But If you’re spending most of your valuable time posting and hoping the social media Gods will grow your personal brand for you, you’re missing a critical element of growth, engagement. Your followers make a conscious decision to support your work, and you need to deepen that relationship by engaging them.

Think of posting as the beginning of a conversation.

When you use social media for business, you’re campaigning for trust and credibility with your audience. Your posts grab their attention and once you have it, that’s when the actual work begins. Now you have to keep them. 

Basic engagement heightens brand awareness, but conversations build relationships. A more meaningful connection with your audience means you’ll stay top of their mind. If you’re like me, you want connections you interact with, not a collection of people to beef up your follower count. Less is more here. More followers affect people’s perception when they view your account, but that’s about it.  

The Psychology:

Most conversations happen in the comments and direct messages.

Have you ever seen posts turn into a chat room? Those conversations are marketing gold for these reasons:

  • Inspiration for your content. 
  • Meet and learn from new people.
  • People feel more connected to you and your business.
  • Discover questions you can answer and share your expertise.

When you build your reputation for frequent participation and enriching the community, people will take note and visit your profile. From there, it’s on to your other social platforms and website. The best part is you don’t have to sell yourself. Your thoughtful engagement will lead the way.

The Methodology:

Time block 30-60 minutes per day to respond and leave thoughtful comments on yours and other people’s posts. Approach this concept with a “how can I help” rather than “what can I get” mindset.

When you gain a new follower, check out their profile. Look for commonalities and conversation starters and send a message thanking them for following. This small touch shows you care and sets the tone for the relationship in the future.

Use social media to network, meet new people, and deepen relationships with your audience. Your goal is eventually moving that relationship offline and into coffee shops and other personal settings.

How To Apply Storytelling To Your Small Business

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Storytelling is a term we hear every day.  But how does it apply to business?  

This is a question I get asked often.

The answer seems obvious, but when some business owners attempt to apply this concept to their business, crazy things happen.  The negative voices emerge and the mind draws blanks.  

“How do I tell stories about boring products?  My business isn’t interesting. I can’t think of any stories. I’m not a talented storyteller.” Sound familiar?  I’ve been there too.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is good storytelling is as much about the content as the way you tell it.  It’s an art, and everybody can do it.  Pssst…You probably tell them to your friends and family everyday.

Before I get into it, you may wonder why we need storytelling at all.      

Let me explain.

Humans are wired to connect to stories.  

Jonathan Gottschall, the author of The Storytelling Animal, said, “We are, as a species, addicted to the story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” 

From early childhood we crave and rely on them to help us sleep, inspire, educate, and deepen our connection to each other.  This is the part that you should note.  The deeper your connection is with your customers, the more they will buy, remember, and share your product or service with their friends.

One of my favorite ways to incorporate a story in social posts is sharing my perspective. It’s the one thing that sets you apart from others in your industry and positions you as a thought leader. Your experience and ability to provide a unique experience draws your customers in.

You’ll see a never ending supply of stories to share.  There’s a story you could tell!

Here are a few of the best ways to share stories:

  1. Success stories from the field, the ugly too, and with how you prevailed. Your experience will educate and inspire customers entering the marketplace.
  2. Tell your customer’s story. How has your product or service transformed their lives?  We buy transformation, not products.  
  3. Your beliefs, mindset, and thoughts on topics related to your industry. Thought leadership is one of the best ways to build your credibility and community around your content. 
  4. Tell your story.  Invite people into your world (as much as you want to) and help them get to know the person they are considering hiring.

Remember, every story has a beginning, middle, and an end.  Apply what you already know and guide your customer down a slippery slope to the end.  

How To Market Your Business During A Global Crisis

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I’ve had a lot of real estate agent clients ask me if and how they should continue marketing their business during the global crisis.  

The answer is yes.  Continue to market your business, but your messaging and tone should change.  We need to be sensitive to the times we’re in and meet our customers where they are.

But how do you know where they are?  Pay attention to current events and what your customers are saying.  Social media is buzzing with your customers sentiments.  If you are in touch and tuned in, then you will have all of the information you need to succeed.

Refer to a traditional buyer’s journey for guidance.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with this journey, it comprises a few stages.  The first is awareness, the buyer becomes aware they have a problem.  Second is a consideration, they look for a solution to their problem.  And, the final stage is a decision, they are ready to purchase a solution.

Here’s what it looks like applying this journey to the global crisis:

  • Stage one – panic and uncertainty. Your messaging will be sympathetic.  You will craft posts to help put people at ease.  Whether it’s about food, working from home, hygiene, or how your industry is adapting to uncertain times.
  • Stage two – Finding balance working from home, homeschooling, productivity concerns, or curbside pickup for just about everything.  Put adaptation in motion.
  • Stage three – Most people have adjusted to change and now want to know how they will ease back into civilian life.  What will dining out look like?  How will they buy and sell real estate or experience other in-person service-oriented industries?  The future of schooling?  Travel?

If you create content relevant to your customer and MEET them in the stage they’re in, you will lead with empathy and become a resource for inspirational and valuable information.

I feel the best thing any small business owner or real estate agent can do now is pick up the phone and just be a friend to their database.  Ask them how they are doing.  If they want to talk shop, share information that will benefit them.

For example, at the time of writing, mortgage rates are hovering around 3%, now is a good time to refinance their mortgage and reduce their monthly payment amount.

Please share this post with anyone you know in need of marketing guidance.  Be well!

3 Best Ways To Promote Your Business And Show Your Value As A Business Owner

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The online world moves fast, like a freight train barreling down the tracks! And, it’s pretty congested too.

How can you cut through the noise?

I will show you three of the best ways to maximize your reach and exposure. Then, you can repurpose these ideas across your various social media channels and website.

#3 – Check out HARO – That stands for Help A Reporter Out. It’s an online resource for journalists to get feedback and input from business owners like you. A little-known fact is it started out as a Facebook group in 2008 and quickly grew to a 100,000 person email list. Now it’s a tremendous opportunity for you to position yourself as an authority in your industry.

You can sign up for free or get a paid subscription, and up to three times per day you’ll receive an email digest of inquiries from journalists looking for your input on your preferred topics.

#2 – Interviews – They offer you an opportunity to tell your story, add credibility to your business, and help you develop a relationship with the interviewer.

Collaborate with other industry service providers. You can interview each other and then repurpose the interview to reach a broader audience online.

Bonus Tip: When you receive the audio file from the interview, add it to your website. Transcribe it for SEO purposes. Google crawls through text more efficiently than video or audio.

#1 – Public speaking – In the form of hosting a class or a workshop. There’s no better way to let people experience the person they are considering hiring than getting in front of them and showing your value.

Unlike social media, you won’t have to worry about who hears you because you’ll have an audience who made a conscious decision to come and hear you speak.

 

Good Copywriter’s Do These Two Things Every Day

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What’s the most essential marketing tool?  The words you choose and how you arrange them on the page.

Persuasive copywriting is an art, and good writers do two things every day.

1. Write a minimum of 500 words.  It doesn’t matter what you write, just do it.  Keeping a journal is a great way to practice your skills and self reflect.

2. Read quality writing. The more you read, the better quality it is, the better you will become.

Need some inspiration?

Save examples of writing which sucks you in, in a swipe file on your desktop.  This is a folder that you will add inspiration or create a collection on your Facebook and Instagram profiles ((click the flag icon to save posts on Instagram and the three dots on Facebook).  We all need inspiration from time to time.

I’m going to leave you with this, People often say tell me that nobody reads anything anymore.  I say, If your writing is interesting, they will read it.

Creative Email Marketing Video Tips

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If you are a business owner, you probably already know that a video is an essential tool for marketing your business.  You might also feel a bit intimated by the thought of putting yourself out for public display.  

You’re not alone.  

The top three reasons people tell me they don’t record videos are:

1. I don’t know what to say.

2. I hate my voice or how I look.

3. I’m not interesting.

 

Embedding videos into your email responses are a great, low-pressure way to experiment.  Check out  BombBomb or CoVideo, they make it easy.

We all have to start somewhere.  However, start we must!

The trick is to organize your thoughts beforehand, smile, take a deep breath, and remember, people, don’t care about how we look or sound.  All they want is useful information.  Focus on them, and your critical self will eventually disappear.

When I began working with video a few years ago, I had a fear of public speaking and didn’t like how I look at certain angles.  

I locked myself in the house for three days and recorded 25 videos.  It probably took around 300 takes to get there.

I didn’t have a mic, poor lighting, and my delivery needed improvement.  I leave these videos out for the public to view so they can see how I began and where I am now.  Night and day difference.  I got here with perseverance.

Because of that experience and repetition, I am much more comfortable today and share my journey freely with others.

Take the ride, it’s worth it!

 

 

 

About Me / The One Video Every Small Business Business Owner Needs

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A compelling “about me” video could be all a potential customer needs to determine whether your product or service is right for them.

In this 60-second video, I will demonstrate how to incorporate the key elements listed below.

* Who you are.
* What you do.
* Who you help.
* How you do it.
* What makes you different from others.
* Call to action – add one mid-roll and at the end.

The optimal length is 30-60 seconds.

I recommend writing a script to organize your key points. Your finished product will serve as your elevator pitch as well. If you are clear others will be clear when they talk about your business, especially at networking events.

The next time someone asks “what do you do?”, you will have a compelling response!

How To Jumpstart A Successful Real Estate Career

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A new real estate licensee asked me how to jumpstart his career in real estate; this is what I told him:

Every new licensee or salesperson has the opportunity to do things right from the beginning.

Any opportunity to learn is never a waste of time. If you make it your business to know everything you can about your business, you will be successful.

Get a mentor whom you can shadow for a few months. What we learn in real estate school will quickly be forgotten if we do not practice it.

Attend showings, listing appointments, appraisals, open-houses, home inspections, and closings with your mentor. I have learned so much at home inspections and sitting at a closing table!

 

  • Get a good contact management system and website you can control.
  • Create a database of your sphere-of-influence. In the beginning, these people will be friends, family, neighbors, and other people you have a close relationship with the community. As your business grows so will your database. You will eventually have past and present clients to add.
  • Lock yourself in a room and think about how you want the public to perceive you. How do you want to position yourself in the community? Find your niche. Think about your strengths and what you have to offer a potential buyer and seller.
  • When you create your website, and social profiles make sure your branding reflects what you want to be known for and speaks to your niche.
  • Go beyond the generic “I can help buyers and sellers achieve their home buying or selling dreams” everybody says that and it will not help you stand apart from the crowd. Your skills and personality will.
  • Work in the office every day. People who show up regularly succeed.
  • Have complete confidence in your ability from the start. When we graduate real estate school, we are considered experts. Just because you are new doesn’t mean you have to act like it.
  • Attend open houses and agent caravans to learn the market and meet your peers. Ask other agents in the office if you can sit their open-homes. You could land a buyer and have a valuable learning experience at the same time.
  • Approach potential clients with a “how can I help” rather than “what can I get from you” attitude.
  • Ask questions.
  • When the market is busy work hard. When the market is slow, work harder.

Many of these suggestions are universal; they apply to a wide variety of positions.  I wish you much success in your career!

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