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COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS IS NO LONGER NOT AN OPTION- Tips for Navigating the Online Customer Experience

Posted on December 5, 2017February 11, 2021 by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Gone are the days when a customer walked away from a less-than-stellar dining, shopping, or service-related experience with head held low and disappointment weighing heavy on her shoulders.

Now, an unhappy customer can spread word of a business blunder in the blink of an eye by posting a bad review on Yelp, a scathing video testimonial on YouTube, or an unflattering post on Facebook.

Depending on the day and time, that post/video can go viral, causing pain and suffering for the business that did not seize the opportunity to right the wrong.

It takes insight, patience and a whole lot of customer communication to stay on top of the game these days.

Consider this scenario (names have been changed to protect the innocent):

Jim buys a coupon online for national brand carpet cleaning service.

Prior to the fast-approaching coupon expiration date, Jim calls to set up an appointment to have his carpets cleaned. Customer service representative claims not to know about the availability of online coupons and states she will have someone get back to Jim.

Three days go by – expiration date looms – Jim is sweating. Jim calls back, slightly irritated that the customer service representative did not follow through on her promise. This time, the customer service representative states that the coupon will not be honored.

Jim fumes, then contacts the online customer service department for the coupon company. He considers posting a scathing review of national carpet cleaning service on Yelp, as well as his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

However, before he has time to type up the review, the coupon company contacts the carpet cleaning company about the situation and follows up with Jim. Less than an hour later, a local franchise owner with said national brand contacts Jim, apologizes, clears the coupon with national, and sets up an appointment to clean Jim’s carpets that very week.

Carpets are cleaned and Jim is happy – coffee stains are gone.

Jim writes a great review for carpeting cleaning service on Yelp, Facebook, Twitter…and posts a picture of his spotless living room carpet on Instagram.

Scenarios like this happen millions of times each day, but they don’t always end with happy customers, clean carpets, and positive Yelp reviews.

Even though it seems simple enough to turn the situation around, companies often miss the opportunity to convert an unhappy customer into one that, at the very least, does not write a bad review on social media.

Putting the “Us” in Customer Experience

Evolving digital tools and technologies are strong drivers for changing consumer habits and expectations.

With access to what seems like an infinite amount of information available at the touch of a screen, it’s not surprising that customers expect an efficient purchase process and immediate solutions when problems arise.

But it’s important to note that, while customers’ use of technology may have changed, their expectations for customer service have remained the same: they want to be treated with respect, and they want to feel connected to the brand, the company, the product they are buying.

In their September 2015 article, “Building a design-driven culture” authors Jennifer Kilian, Hugo Sarrazin, and Hyo Yeon state that, in many cases, customers prioritize the experience of buying and using a product over the performance of the product itself.

It’s not enough to just sell a product or service—companies must truly engage with their customers.-Jennifer Kilian, Hugo Sarrazin, and Hyo Yeon

For retailers and service providers, this means it’s critical to know how your customer experience stacks up against the competition.

You’re likely not the only company offering your product or service, after all.

What makes you stand out? Why do your customers choose you? Why do some of them choose to leave? Why did they choose your competitor when your offerings are so similar?

Though not a new concept, the idea of assessing “customer experience,” is a valiant attempt at understanding what, in a nutshell, a business needs to focus on to retain customers and remain in business.

In his October 2010 article, “Understanding the Customer Experience,” Adam Richardson states that, whether it’s on online, through email, on the phone or in person, customer experience is “…the sum of how customers engage with your company and brand, not just in a snapshot in time, but throughout the entire arc of being a customer.”

Social Media Marketing is the new Direct Mail

So how does today’s retailer stand out from the competition and build positive customer relationships?

In the past, relationship-building took place face-to-face or door-to-door: Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA used to work the cash registers in his stores to better understand his customers and their concerns.

Today, IKEA uses several digital platforms to connect with customers, such as Share Space, a site that encourages customers to share photos of spaces created using the brand’s self-assembled furniture, and “How to Build” videos that show customers how to assemble the furniture.

Even the company’s more traditional printed catalogue is available in an interactive, online version and an accompanying app with a “Place in Your Room” feature that allows users to try out furniture pieces in a virtual sense.

These advanced marketing techniques enhance and expand the customer experience, but never stray from the IKEA mantra: The customer comes first.

Billy Robinett, Vice President of Houston Pizza Venture, LLC – the company that owns the Papa John’s pizza franchise – says that, before the Internet, Papa John’s connected with customers through hand-delivered flyers and direct mail pieces, as well as through sponsorship of school and community events and sports teams.

Those tactics may have worked very well in the pre-Internet era, but today’s tech-savvy customers are less likely to shop at storefronts or pay attention to “snail mail.”

Connecting with customers now means manning the virtual cash registers (i.e., customer support chat lines) or reaching out through viral videos, Facebook posts, or targeted email campaigns.

Robinett says Papa John’s still maintains its strong connections with schools and organizations, but the company has also shifted some of its focus to online ordering and sales to accommodate its customers’ increasing use of web and mobile technologies.

Papa John’s is also embracing social media as a way to create and strengthen its relationships with pizza lovers.

For example, Papa John’s uses Twitter’s customer service tools to scan content on that platform for certain phrases, such as “I am hungry” or words to the effect that someone had a bad experience at any fast food restaurant.

When those phrases are detected, a message is sent directly to the sender, such as, “Hungry? Why not try one of our pizzas – get 10% off with this code,” or “We are sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Have a pizza on us with the code.”

“Technology just opened another door for us to reach our customers,” Robinett said. “We still do a lot of things to create emotional connections with customers, such as showcasing our partnerships with local sports icons like JJ Watt and James Harden, and talking directly to our customers on social media.”

In other words, if you want to get a high customer experience score, all it takes is a shift in thinking and some virtual elbow grease.

It’s not that much different than working the cash register or hanging flyers on door handles.

The common denominator between the “old” and the “newer” is communications. Without communications tools, your efforts may fall flat.

Position Your Business for Success

Here are five communications concepts – and tools for implementation – to proactively position your business and connect with current and potential customers in the virtual world:

1. Catch your customer’s eye

If you’re not hanging out where your potential customers are hanging out, the potential for getting their attention is slim to none.

Various methods of advertising, media and public outreach, and one-on-one interaction are parts of the equation; but more and more a strong online presence and strategy is an essential element of a business’ marketing plan.

A clean, clear and user-friendly website is a must; as well as informative and engaging content on social media platforms.

Here are a few tips for creating eye-catching, engaging websites and landing pages:

Make sure your landing page(s) is crystal clear about what product(s) or service(s) you offer. Attention spans have grown short, and customers are likely to leave a website immediately if the value proposition isn’t clear. Try UsabilityHub to test the efficacy of your landing page headline.
Don’t forget a user-friendly mobile website. A growing share of web traffic is from mobile devices. You don’t want to drive away potential business because on-the-go customers are concerned that they won’t be able to shop or reach you on their smartphones.
Utilize tools like Qualaroo to get feedback about what’s working and what’s not on your website, and the reasons for both.
Make it easy and fun for customers to engage with you on social media. Provide direct connections to your social channels through your website, and monitor them closely with Tweetdeck or Hootsuite. Keep this in mind –social media is another way for people to interact in a one-on-one format, so if you go days without replying to a customer’s question, comment or request, it is on par with not returning a message on your answering machine from the days of yore.

2. Be human, not machine

Put yourself out there, be bold and engage with your customers, particularly when they are not satisfied. Don’t use acronyms or industry-speak. Be relaxed, yet professional. Demonstrate that you care and that you’re improving their life in some way.

Communications tools that help humanize your digital presence include:

Use live chat on your website so that you can talk directly to potential customers who have questions or are shopping around and want to get a feel for what you do and how you do it. For many people, Live chat is a first step toward building a relationship with a company. Based on that experience, they may be willing to take the next step.
Although many cyber shoppers prefer live chat or email, some want to speak directly to a company representative by phone, so ensure that you have a contact phone number on your website and other marketing materials.
Provide training so that your employees are well versed on personalizing a customer’s experience. There are several customer relation management software platforms available that allow you to keep track of customer contact details, time and date of interactions, and many have email and website interface capabilities so that you can interact in a variety of ways.
Make sure that your communications products – digital or paper – have content and graphics that are brimming with personality. People trust brands they know. If the voice of your website copy is bland or cold, you are missing a valuable opportunity to build a connection.
Experiment with email marketing using tools like , which make it easy to create subscriber forms and send email to your web subscribers. Again, engaging content is key in all communications, including those sent to customers through email.

3. Build their confidence

A business owner knows what his or her company does best.

Don’t be afraid to focus on what you are good at, WHY you do it, and perhaps most importantly, why it will help customers have a happier, simpler, fuller, more informed life.

Customers want and need to know WHY you’re better than all the rest – so tell them. Tweet this

And, telling them why you do it is the icing on the proverbial cake.

Your story sets you apart from the rest, gives you a human face and can set the stage for a long, loyal relationship.

Post blogs on your website that provide information about trends in your product line or industry, or that offer useful information to your customers and potential customers. Focus on positive messages – readers on your website want to be encouraged and shown the benefit of what you provide instead of focusing on negativity.
Give your customers the floor! Provide them with an easy avenue to write and post a review on your website. The benefits are two-fold: You are one of the first to see the review and can respond to negative feedback quickly, which may result in the customer taking down the review or at least modifying the content. Secondly, many shoppers trust reviews and recommendations from their peers, so a good review may go a long way toward selling your product for you. Be sure to include the reviewer’s name and company, if they allow.
Make sure your web copy is current and clean. More is not always better. Consider hiring an experienced consultant to assist in this process – they are good at what they do and bring a fresh eye to the process.

4. Put a face to your name

As any good reality show illustrates, people like to know what other people are all about and what makes them tick. The same can be said for the businesses they choose to patronize.

If a company keeps customers at arm’s length, then the customer never establishes a bond with the products or services, and can be easily swayed to the competition.

There are myriad ways that you can involve your customers, from videos to events to a fun contest that you advertise on your website and social media accounts.

Post personalized videos on your website. Start with your business’ “birth” story and take it from there. Remember the customer as you are producing and editing these videos – few people are willing or able to watch a 30-minute documentary on any one subject, but will engage in shorter, personal videos about your employees, how you source your product, and what community organizations you support.
Use colorful photographs and graphics to communicate your brand to shoppers. Don’t be afraid to try unique and even quirky methods, but always remain true to your brand image. In other words, don’t try to be something you’re not!
Create a newsletter that provides content on your latest and greatest products and company news.
Create an online customer community where your customers can gather in a web-based environment to discuss problems, post reviews, brainstorm new product ideas and engage with one another about your company’s products, services and brand. offers an online customer community platform that allows you to monitor it from social media so that you can provide input when needed, and gather valuable customer insights.
Participate as a sponsor or volunteer in community events. Serve as a mentor at your local elementary, middle or high school. The more you get your face out there, the more customers you may draw to your company because many enjoy aligning themselves with businesses that are dedicated to making a difference in their community.

5. Avoid “turtle syndrome”

Don’t pull your head in and hide when you hear – or see – the words, “I never got…” or “This is not what I ordered…” or even the more general “I am not happy with…”

View these situations as problems to be solved so that a) you improve your product and service; and b) you gain a customer for life.

Pick up the phone, or respond to the email, text message or social media post that outlines the customer’s concern, and immediately jump in with both feet and work with your customer to find a solution to the problem.
Scan social media platforms for company reviews of all types – good, indifferent or bad, and respond immediately and directly to the reviewer in a positive way. That proactive stance can go a long way toward winning back a customer, and gaining additional customers who witnessed the interaction on social media.
Be proactive and ask your customers for feedback. This can be accomplished in many ways – through online surveys ( Monkey is a good source), during live chat or customer service calls, through social media channels or in person. This allows you to draw information from customers who have not provided feedback on their own, but who may have good suggestions from a user’s point of view.

Today’s business climate demands more of business owners and their employees, but the interaction with customers has its benefits: repeat sales, rising profits, and hopefully, long-lasting relationships.

When you feel the responsibilities of the customer experience process weighing heavy on your shoulders, recall the famous words of Sam Walton, founder of the mega-giant retail chain Wal-Mart:

“There’s only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

You know you want an engaging social campaign driven by quality content. But you’re not quite sure how to get to that place. And then there’s the challenge of finding the time to maintain your campaign – while customizing it for multiple platforms – and doing it effectively week after week.

Managing social media is one of those tasks that looks easy at first glance… but takes some real time, writing skills, and thought to do well.

We draw upon our writers’ experience in marketing, journalism, content marketing, and social media to craft campaigns that resonate with audiences and stand apart from the “click bait” so prevalent on social media today.

We’ll also take the time to get to know your organization and its culture, so everything we do on your behalf reflects your priorities.

Full Suite of Services

Because our highly educated writers produce copy for a wide range of industries, we’ve been able to draw upon their knowledge to craft thought-provoking, relevant social media posts for industries that include oil and gas, home improvement, professional services, moving and real estate – to name just a few.

Developing and posting social media posts is a key part of our social campaign services, but you also can count on us for the following:

Staying on top of best practices. Whether it’s the optimal time to Tweet or the art of writing articles for LinkedIn, we follow the social media world carefully so we can help you get the most out of every platform you use.
Promoting your particular angle. Say you’d like to build awareness of a social issue. We can work with you to cultivate ideas, develop a plan, and handle all of the moving parts. And if you’d like powerful blogs, infographics, or emails to help promote your online campaign — and get your message in front of more people — we can provide those elements, too.
Encouraging engagement. If you want more likes, comments, and shares on your social media sites, we can help. We’ve developed contests, for example, that have resulted in hundreds of new followers for clients and “ask the expert” campaigns that resulted in a significant rise in comments and questions. We can work with you to develop programs that match your goals and culture.
Monitoring and adjusting our efforts. We keep you up-to-date on your site analytics and use that data to see what’s working and where we need to make changes. We also can present detailed reports with the relevant information you need to present to your organization.

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The Secret to Producing Successful Blog Posts

Posted on December 26, 2016February 11, 2021 by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Thank you to Michelle Rebecca for this guest post.

Just about anybody can be a blogger, but it takes a certain set of skills, knowledge, and experience to consistently write popular posts.

When it comes to creating content for an online audience, you can be the best writer in the world and have little impact unless you know the tricks to the trade. If you are just establishing yourself as a blogger or feel like you aren’t getting the attention you deserve, consider these four expert tips that are sure to give your blogs a boost in popularity.

Grab Attention

While at the end of the day your posts will be judged by the content within them, a sure-fire way to attract a wider readership is to create a title that demands attention. Creating attention-grabbing headlines is the No. 1 rule of all forms of mass communication, from newspapers to blog posts.

You want to captivate the reader by using words that resonate; your title should promise to deliver the answer to an age-old question or provide insight on a hot-button topic. Make your titles short and to the point, and give a compelling reason for the reader to click on your story to find out more. Make your title a question so the reader is forced to read your blog to find out the answer. You can also try making your blog post titles a little shocking.

Make It Inviting

No one likes seeing giant blocks of text, online or not. However, online readers are more turned off by the look of a blog post that’s long, dense, and ultimately foreboding than people who also read traditional forms of media.
Be sure to organize your posts into easily digestible sections, starting with a snappy introduction that pulls the reader in, and continuing in short paragraphs of concise information no longer than three or four sentences. Whenever applicable, use bullet points and numbered lists to support your ideas.

Tip: Add in a few condensed “tips” or “hints” that will help your readers put your ideas into practice. You want to make sure your reader feels like your post actually helped them.

Preach to the Choir

If you want to grow your readership on the Web, choose subjects that register with a large audience. As long as you are demonstrating a unique perspective and speaking from a place of authority, everything is fair game.
Try formulating your concepts in high-interest areas such as popular culture, personal finance, or how-to subjects. Just remember to be original and choose to add something new to the conversation rather than going over the same old ground that’s been covered a thousand times.

If you’re an extremely opinionated person, try to restrain yourself from getting too one-sided in your blog posts. Taking a stance on a controversial topic will result in a much smaller readership than a neutral blog.

If you feel as though you absolutely must express your opinion on something, consider incorporating a weekly or monthly opinion piece into your blogging schedule.

“”

Throw In Some Eye Candy

Nothing puts the bow on a blog post better than the addition of an appropriate visual element.

Whether it’s an instructional video, creative infographic, or good old-fashion photo, you can draw a bigger crowd by adding visuals for support. Sites like Pinterest, Wanelo, and Instagram have made people very spoiled when it comes to visuals. The increased use of infographics and videographics are great examples of how visually based we’re becoming.
People may be bored by text, but turn that text into an image, and people are so much more likely to read it. Plus, many people are visual learners, and including a visual that illustrates a point will help them better understand what you’re saying.

Visuals also make the post look more polished and professional, and they give you the opportunity to connect with potential readers before they read a single word.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re blogging for legal professionals or executive resume writers, you’ll have more success if you tailor your style to the online reader. By choosing compelling titles, formatting your work for readability, adding visual elements, and choosing favored genres, you will surely see a boost in the popularity of your posts.

Michelle Rebecca is a writer, blogger, and freelancer who currently resides in Mechanicsburg, Pa. After attending college in Pittsburgh, she worked a large variety of jobs before finally realizing that writing is her true passion. She also enjoys social media, and is constantly fascinated by how social media brings people together and allows connections worldwide – connections that used to be impossible. (Bio updated December 2016)

Social Selling Her Way to $250,000

Posted on April 21, 2016February 11, 2021 by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

It’s often said, “If you’re not online, then you essentially don’t exist.” According to a recent survey by Enquiro, 85.3 percent of buyers use the Internet before making a purchasing decision, and 77.7 percent of buyers say their research starts with Google. With the ever-growing population of businesses online, more specifically on social media, it can be hard to stand out from your competition.

So is it still possible for a small business owner to find success on social media? Absolutely!

Jessica Gordon, the owner of Three Little Darlings Designs, turned her custom bow business into a company grossing over $250,000 in less than three years primarily using Facebook.

Like many businesses, Gordon’s company was conceived out of necessity. “When I found out I was pregnant with a little girl I knew I wanted to dress her up as girly as possible, especially after having a rough and tumble little boy. After she was born, I started purchasing hair accessories for her that were terrible quality! That’s when I decided I could make them myself. After making a few and having her wear them out, I was astounded at how many compliments we were getting and how many people were asking where I purchased them. That’s when I decided to start making and selling them,” she shared.

Despite her busy schedule running a growing business, Gordon took the time to provide us with some insights about her experience and the strategies that helped lead her to such success.

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Did you start with a few products or offer a large variety right away?

I started off small, but then after the first month, I realized I needed to increase the inventory and started making/selling about 100 new pieces each week. I knew I wanted to make ONE-OF-A-KIND pieces, but after a while, more and more people wanted the same items, so I then began making similar pieces to keep up with supply and demand. I pride myself on creating unique, one-of-a-kind pieces while still offering custom orders where people can make them however they’d like.

How did you decide what your marketing plan was going to be?

Honestly, I didn’t have a marketing plan at all. I knew I would have to promote the business, but relied HEAVILY on word of mouth at first.

Despite not having a marketing plan, Gordon knew from the beginning that she wanted to sell her products online rather than at festivals and craft fairs. In fact, she reported that 95 percent of her business comes from online sales.

I initially started with a Facebook business page, expanded to Etsy, closed the Etsy after I realized how costly it was to sell on there, then moved most of my sales and business exchanges to a private closed business group on Facebook.

Gordon’s Facebook page has over 28,000 likes and her Facebook group has over 5,000 members. Sales are made primarily via Facebook. To order, customers browse through photos of design options and comment on a photo with their email address. They finalize what they want to purchase by conversing with Jessica directly on the post, and they receive their invoice via PayPal.

Did/do you use online ads? If so, what range of a budget did you start with? How did you learn to do them correctly?

I didn’t do much in the form of online advertising other than paying to promote posts on the Facebook business page. In the beginning, it was hard figuring out exactly what Facebook wanted me to do in regards to advertisement. Facebook business pages are tricky. The more people who like or comment on a photo or post, the more Facebook allows that post/photo to reach your entire audience. Sometimes, I would only reach about 100 people out of my 28,000 fans, which is how Facebook gets you to pay to promote. For me, paying Facebook to promote my posts was a big waste.

Once she discovered that promoting her posts wasn’t the answer, Gordon made two major moves that had an incredible impact on her business. She participated in large group giveaways, as well as started a closed Facebook group to accompany her Facebook page.

What helped a ton was being a part of massive group giveaways on Facebook. Giveaways were my biggest tool for increasing my online presence. People would have to “like” my page to be entered in the giveaway. After they had liked the page, I strived to “reel” them in and make them want to buy items [with discounts, rewards for purchasing or entrance into another giveaway as a ‘thank you’ for purchasing]. Budget-wise, I started with $400 – $500/month, and I now budget only about $150 a month for advertising.

Gordon initially split her budget between the product costs for the giveaways and about $100 for advertising on Facebook. Giveaways are easy to implement into your own online ventures. You can find group giveaway opportunities such as the ones mentioned here and here, or you can run your contest on your own social media profiles or website. Be cautious, though, because there are several new Facebook rules and federal laws involved in running giveaways. Take the time to make sure you understand them. Texas blogger Taylor Bradford of Pink Heels, Pink Truck offers additional tips and suggestions for making sure you’re staying on the right side of the law with regards to giveaways.

Gordon addressed the recent Facebook policy change and how her move to a closed group allowed her a way of getting around the restrictions: Up until last year, Facebook would allow LARGE group giveaways through Rafflecopter. One business would promote the giveaway and get TONS of other online boutiques to “give away” items, store credits, etc… Then, when the giveaway contest opened, if people wanted to be entered, they would have to “like” every page via the Rafflecopter giveaway form in order to have their name submitted into the drawing. When the giveaway was over, Rafflecopter would randomly choose a winner for each prize. The winner would contact us and then they would get their prize. Once this method was banned from Facebook, we had to get creative and do giveaways another way. We still do big giveaways, but we have people join our Facebook groups (via a link in Rafflecopter or manually) rather than having to “like” a Facebook page to enter.

Below is an example of one of the large group giveaways Gordon participated in through Gleam. She posted about it on her Facebook page and noted that readers must follow the link in the comments to enter.

Once someone followed the link, they were instructed that the way to enter the contest was to join Gordon’s group as well as to participate with the requests from the other businesses that were part of the giveaway. (Entry options are visible below the contest photo only when a giveaway campaign is open.)

In addition to group giveaways, Gordon also does her own individual giveaways.

When I conduct personal giveaways, it’s much more laid back. I just mention it on my page, and promote it in my group. For example, I just ran a giveaway in my group to celebrate reaching 5,000 customers – I gave away a $50 store credit and all people had to do to enter was make a purchase that week. I placed everyone’s name into random.org, created a randomized list, and the top person was the winner. I also do giveaways where I will ask people to “invite” their friends to the group to win a certain prize. This helps generate more customers.

How do you make sure that people actually see your product and giveaway posts?

This is one of the beauties of a group. Once I moved my business to a closed Facebook group, it made it so that EVERYONE sees my posts if they’re members, and I don’t have to worry about posts NOT being in people’s Facebook timelines like I would if I just had a page.

Once someone joins a group, they automatically start receiving notifications of new posts to the group. So, they never miss a post. Members can choose to stop receiving notifications, but this opt-out option is something they must do manually. On a side note, Gordon mentioned that there are additional benefits of having a group rather than just a page. I can be very selective with who I allow in my group, which helps me avoid any people trying to phish for my customers, steal my ideas, etc.

Facebook groups can be set up by anyone and for almost any reason. It’s easy to learn how to set up a group properly, but keep in mind some Do’s and Don’ts of Facebook groups. For example, a major pet peeve for many users is when someone adds them to a group without their permission. Doing so could cause you to lose a potential new customer.

So, if you don’t just automatically add people to groups without their permission, how are you able to get people to join your group?

One way Gordon incentivizes people to join her group is to post about a prize via her Facebook page, which requires joining the closed group in order to enter the contest. Because she made the Facebook group a closed group, this means that you must be a member in order to see things that are posted in the group. So, if you’re not a member, you miss out. You won’t see what the current giveaway or sale is. Here’s an example of one of her recent incentive posts:

To further emphasize the sense of exclusivity offered by joining the group, Gordon uses almost every post on her Facebook page to remind her audience that joining the Facebook group will give them access to new items and exclusive sales that aren’t visible on the Facebook page.

She admits that it takes a bit more time to do separate posts, but that it’s worth it to spend the extra time trying to get people to join the group since you know they’re more likely to see your posts once they join.

Speaking of time, how much time do you spend per day on social media promoting your company, engaging with customers, and providing customer service?

Now, I spend about 2 hours a day promoting, engaging customers, answering emails, and discussing design ideas.

She posts at least once a day on the page and multiple times per day in the group. Posts include giveaways, new product photos, and fun posts that illicit engagement, such as the light-hearted post pictured below.

Do you outsource any of your business?

I do EVERYTHING myself – design, production, shipping, invoicing, advertising, etc. It’s a lot of work, but I love it. I do have an administrator who has recently started advertising for me on Instagram and helping to promote my page on Facebook. What tool do you use to create your posts? I use PicMonkey for collages, images, and designs. It’s a great online photo-editing tool. For a small fee each year, I can create virtually all of the graphics I need for my business without the hassle of Photoshop. It’s VERY user-friendly and allows me to edit photos quickly and easily.

Have you dealt with competitors being nasty online?

Oh, let me tell you: When you’re at the top, you have some haters, sadly… I’ve had to deal with my fair share of competitors, copycats, and even customers-turned-business-owners, who not only tried to steal my customers by inviting them to their new business page, but also tried to sell my hair accessories as their own. You name it; I’ve dealt with it. But I pride myself on running a topnotch business and strive to have an open line of communication with my customers – so when things like this happen, they are normally the first to message me to let me know. They have my back. Watermarks also help a ton, so people don’t steal my pictures and use them as their own!

What is something you wish everyone knew?

Developing a successful online business takes a lot of hard work and dedication. In just three years, I have seen countless other businesses begin and end because of the amount of time it actually takes. Often, people forget that there’s a person behind the computer – like a real person, mom, wife, etc. who doesn’t spend every waking minute on the computer or checking their phone to answer messages or make a sale. Having a supportive family/partner is key and setting a schedule for when you are going to work is extremely important and beneficial to the success of your business. I’m a work-at-home mom and have a six-year-old and three-year-old. My six-year-old just started kindergarten this year, and I enrolled my daughter in preschool three days a week (just for 2.5 hours) so I get some extra time during the day to do some work. I also work after my children go to sleep until all hours of the night. It’s not ideal, but it allows me to be with them during the day/evening and still bring in a substantial income for our family’s needs.

Gordon has certainly done a great job bringing in that substantial income for her family and has great advice to share. She is a prime example of the amount of success that can come along with determination, hard work, great customer service, and a willingness to learn and adapt along the way.

Six Tips for Repurposing Your Copy

Posted on September 25, 2015January 21, 2021 by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

By Tom Schek

Creating a steady stream of informative, engaging materials to fuel a content marketing program takes a great deal of time and effort. However, you can get more out of that resource investment by repurposing content.

Some observers might consider that “cheating,” and if you simply swap out a few words or rewrite a few sentences and call the piece “new,” that characterization seems accurate. However, with a little creativity and effort, you can find many legitimate ways to extend the life, and the value, of your content.

Refreshed and Ready

Business changes rapidly. A piece you wrote a few years back may now seem outdated. Don’t pull it from your content inventory. Instead, update your copy and include a new introduction explaining what has transpired since you created the original item. For example, you can add details on new features to a product review, the latest best practices to a previous list, updated stats to a case study, etc. Now you have a piece that provides both current information and a fascinating look back, and you have produced it in a fraction of the time required to develop the original.
Divide and Conquer
White papers, case studies and other long-form content typically contain elements that can be used as standalone pieces or combined with others. Testimonials from a case study can find a broader audience when prominently displayed on your website. Flowcharts, photos and other visual elements can be incorporated into an infographic. There may be ideas or statements in text passages that would work well as the basis of a blog post.
Compelling Compilations
The flip side of the divide and conquer approach is to assemble a larger work out of multiple small ones. As the saying goes, you will often find that the whole is greater (i.e. more impactful) than the sum of its parts. Look for concepts that are repeated in the content you produce and use them as a foundation for combining previously separate pieces.
A Tip of the Hat
Mentioning that some of the information in a new piece originated in an older one serves as a great way to pull the original item back into the spotlight, giving it new life.
On Second Thought
In the same way that business practices and technology change, your perspective on a topic around which you previously created materials might evolve as well. Explaining your change of heart not only lets you blow the dust off an old piece, it earns you points for being honest.
Changing Channels
Every few years, a new social media platform springs up – Instagram and SlideShare are a few relatively recent examples. Often, items you created in some other format would be a perfect fit for the new medium with only a small amount of “retrofitting.”

Your marketing content, like any valuable asset your company possesses, should be utilized to its fullest. While you don’t want to overuse your materials, making pieces available to new audiences in new ways is not only acceptable, it’s smart business.

Converting your Facebook Pages into Sales

Posted on January 9, 2013February 12, 2021 by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Anyone can take a Facebook page and pay for likes with ads. You can run a coupon and drive a few sales, or make a few interesting posts asking for feedback and get responses. The trick is figuring out how to actually use your Facebook page to drive sales without having to do any work, being able to measure them and also provide value to keep people interested.

Here is a quick pointer with a strategy I have used and then two tools that will help you to be able to start testing how you can get it to work for you as well.

One trick about Facebook marketing is to figure out how to turn a fan who is distracted and wants to play games or talk to their friends into an actual customer who is paying attention and will leave to shop. One of the most effective ways to do this is to get them to join your newsletter or email list. By having the Fan on your newsletter or email list, you can take them from being a fan with a ton of distractions to a captive audience that will see your ads or newsletter and be able to take action, without all of the distractions. So how do you do this?

One person might say, post to sign up for your newsletter and link to it. That can be effective, but you have to give an actual reason and remember that your posts will only show to a portion of your fans (unless you pay for more exposure). Another person may tell you that you need to have a link to your sign up box in the page description. Although you can do this, it will probably be ignored by a ton of visitors.

Here are two tools with free options that you can use to get sign ups so you can turn a fan into an interested customer without having to show them a million ads and ask them to sign up a million times.

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A lot of us will use videos on our pages to gather interest and gain attention. The videos may be yours or someone else’s, but if they have allowed sharing, you can import it into Viewbix and help them make money (if they have adsense on their videos) as well as increase their views which helps with their video SEO and plug it into a custom Viewbix Player.

Viewbix allows you to take these videos which the author has given permission to use (or you can use your own) add a custom skin with clickable calls to action on them and add them to your own website or to social sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can use whatever URL you would like which means tracking links and affiliate links are welcome and will be able to show up in your analytics to show the amount of clicks and sales. (If you have a Viewbix pro account you also get a full analytics suite). When you are done customizing your skin and player, you can then add in shopping and list apps, skype, scribd, coupon, eBay and a ton of other apps including newsletter sign up apps. By using the newsletter sign up app and having it open after the video finishes playing, you can now have the viewer on Facebook subscribe through your video and then get back to doing what they were doing on the social media site. This is a way to more easily get them to sign up without being aggressive and also have them on your list so you can market back to them and begin making money.

Pagemodo is a tool I have grown to love. It also has a free option. Pagemodo offers you a ton of customizable templates with a drag and drop interface so you don’t have to be able to code. You can set it up to add an ecommerce shopping tab, a real estate, video design or any of the others including a way to come to your site and sign up for your newsletters. The thing that I love about pagemodo is that your tabs are now fully customizable and you can drive measurable and trackable sales as well as get newsletter sign ups with one click from these custom designed tabs. They even upload them to your pages for you and with a paid account, you can add a like gate which has shown it can help to grow your fans or likes easily so people can access your information.

Converting Facebook traffic is easy, you just have to think about how to get your fans to either sign up for your newsletter so you can market to them later when they are not distracted, or you just need to find a way to create a positive and easy way for them to complete a purchase with a great looking page and tabs. By using these two tools you are on your way to working on a solid plan to convert your Facebook fans into actual customers.

About the author:

Adam Riemer is an online marketer with more than 10 years of experience. You can read his blog about online marketing and being an Affiliate Management Company and even find tips on SEO, datafeeds and optimizing your website. You can visit him here at Adam Riemer Marketing, LLC.

Software That Helps Small Biz Owners Use Social Media To Stay Connected With Clients

Posted on July 19, 2012February 15, 2021 by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Created by Sean and Wintress Odom, Socialot is web-based software built specifically for small-business owners who are struggling to efficiently use social media to engage their customers.

Sean Odom notes, “You don’t have to be a social media marketing guru to use it. You don’t even need a marketing department. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection.”

The software is unique in the marketplace because it helps business owners use social media to stay connected with clients — even if these owners know little to nothing about social media.

The inspiration for Socialot came directly from small business owners. “We knew we could use social media to connect with customers, but it was difficult to find time to do it efficiently,” says Wintress. “We wanted a way to centralize our activities and quickly use social media for lead follow up, marketing, and branding — then move on with our daily activities.”

Socialot provides several tools that allow social media novices to leverage social media. Users can:

Keep engaged with clients through a contact/lead management system featuring a social media interface.

Monitor the Internet for mentions of their company name (such as reviews or news).

Share promotions, news releases, messages, pictures, or videos to multiple social media sites at once.

Schedule posts to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn — days or months in advance.

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Share positive reviews across multiple social media sites.

Socialot gives business owners a quick and easy way to manage multiple social media accounts — such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube — from a single site. With one click, a small-business owner can post updates, share news, and monitor their online business reputation.

A flagship feature is Socialot’s Contact Management System (CMS) with built-in social features. Socialot’s CMS has many of the features of a standard CMS: keeping track of follow-up notes and allowing a business owner to set follow-up reminders, for example. Yet, the system also integrates social media. This feature makes it easy for owners to use social networking sites for individualized promotions or friendly touch points.

“Socialot lets you stay in touch with past, current, and potential customers in a non-salesy way,” says Wintress. “Say you haven’t heard from a past client in a while and you just want to remind him that you’re out there. Or you made contact with a prospect a few weeks ago. A call or email might seem like you’re fishing for a sale. But if you use Socialot to ‘like’ his Facebook post or comment on his Twitter feed — you’re connecting without being pushy. It’s a great way to follow up without really ‘following up.'”

Other Socialot features provide more ways to keep owners in touch with clients and prospects on a daily basis. Call for information.

Socialot.com goes live on July 17, 2012. For more information about Socialot.com, please contact Wintress Odom at [email protected].

How To Write Copy That Sells & Engages Customers #1

Posted on August 30, 2010February 15, 2021 by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Web writing is a particular kind of beast unlike other types of copywriting – you didn’t learn how to write for the Web in school, and you won’t learn how to do it without some solid groundwork first.

It actually takes a lot of skill to write good Web copy: it needs to be clear, concise, engaging, persuasive, and informative all at the same time. It also needs to work within your website’s architecture so that visitors to your site don’t get lost and give up.

In other words, it ain’t exactly easy.

But for business owners, beginner copywriters, newbie bloggers, and even seasoned pros who want to start learning, brush up, or just get up to speed on the basic tenets of Web writing, we’ve put together a blog series to do just that. Our 4 part series covers all the topics related to writing great Web copy and engaging audiences on the Internet:

1. How Anyone Can Write SEO Copy
2. 5 Online Personalities You Have to Accommodate in Web Writing
3. 5 Web Writing Mistakes that can Kill Your Conversion Rates
4. 5 Copywriting Rules That Don’t Change … Even on the Web

We’ll visit each topic once a week – so check back often for the next installation. Without further ado, let’s get you up to speed on SEO content writing.

How Anyone Can Write SEO Copy

Here’s the truth that most SEO copywriters don’t want you to know: SEO copywriting is easy. Anyone can do it. A guy from Siberia who speaks Yakutian can do it. All you need to know is a few not-so-complicated ground rules, and you can write copy that make Google like you. Now, writing copy that makes potential clients like you…well that’s a lot harder, but we’ll get to that part in the next blog.

So, ready for the SEO copywriting formula? Here it is…

1. Do your keyword research first. How do you do that? You don’t need a big expensive program unless you’re going to do this stuff full time. All you need is to visit the Google keyword tool to do all your preliminary research.

Start by typing some variations of what you think people might search for in the box – the Google keyword tool will tell you if they really are searching for it. For instance, a preowned vehicle dealership might type in “preowned vehicles” only to find out that “used cars” is a much more popular search.

But SEO pros will also advise you that you shouldn’t always go with the most searched for stuff. More targeted keywords – for instance, “women’s alligator wallets” versus just “wallets” – can bring better, more viable visitors to your website that are looking for exactly what you’re offering.

2. Pick a few main keywords and then a lot of sub keywords from your research. Start writing copy around your main keywords. Use your main keywords and sub keywords throughout the site. It’s also a good idea to start creating pages around specific keywords. So, if you are a shop that sells floral baskets, do a page for rose floral baskets, a page for kid’s floral baskets, a page for tulip floral baskets, and so on and so forth. These pages are the pages that are likely to show up in search results for these specific terms.

3. Use variations of your keywords in your copy and position them correctly. Using different suffixes (-ing, -er, -s, etc.) helps you cover more keywords. For example, if your main keyword is “carpet steaming,” try using variations like “carpet steamers,” “steaming carpets,” and “steam-clean carpets.” Also, be sure that your keywords are sprinkled throughout each page AND in your first sentence, first paragraph, and in headers or bolded text if possible.

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4. Use your keywords in links. First, make sure you’re doing in-site linking with your keywords. Basically, in-site linking will direct you from “Wii Repairs” on your home page to the “Wii Repairs” service page on your website. A blog can also be great for this too – link keyword references from your blog directly to your website (so a phrase like “repair your Wii” on your blog would link directly to your “Wii Repairs” service page).

Also be sure to do off-site linking by distributing your content, such as encouraging people to share your blog posts and post them on their blog. It’s a common practice to help boost your on-site SEO. One of the biggest marketing copy writing gurus out there, Bob Bly, sends out a newsletter and with every newsletter he asks people to share his stuff.

Here’s Bob’s spiel:

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters —
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate
or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob Bly Direct
Response Letter — for free! To view complete articles, visit our
newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive. Republishing our
articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author
attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement,
“This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter,”
and include a back-link to www.bly.com. That’s it!

5. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Write a lot of content. Often. The more the better. Search engines love content, especially frequently updated content. The best way to move up in search engine rankings is to constantly update your content with good, optimized content.

So that’s it, SEO copywriting really can be easy. But next week we get to the hard part: Selling your stuff on your website.

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Did you start with a few products or offer a large variety right away?

How did you decide what your marketing plan was going to be?

Did/do you use online ads? If so, what range of a budget did you start with? How did you learn to do them correctly?

How do you make sure that people actually see your product and giveaway posts?

So, if you don’t just automatically add people to groups without their permission, how are you able to get people to join your group?

Speaking of time, how much time do you spend per day on social media promoting your company, engaging with customers, and providing customer service?

Do you outsource any of your business?

Have you dealt with competitors being nasty online?

What is something you wish everyone knew?

Request A Quote
or
Call 713-465-6860