We want results and we want them now. Why? Quick fixes may ultimately bring us a one-time benefit, but they will not help us improve our business plan in the long term.
Have you heard about the zero moment?
It is the ultimate goal of every company. How many people do you hear every day say “I’m going to look it up on the Internet”. It is the first reaction we all have when looking for information about a product or concept.
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You yourself have come to this blog because you “went looking for something on the Internet”.
It’s no secret that nowadays we don’t need to stand in front of a store shelf to compare products. This is a task that we carry out previously on the Internet to, later, go with a clear idea to the store or even buy it directly on the net.
The zero moment of truth(or zero moment of truth) is the moment when we make this purchase decision, after having researched and compared options.
If we want the customer to buy our products or services at their zero moment of truth, we must be willing to work on adding value to our brand so that consumers find us and satisfy their previous research on the net. And this is hard work.
If we establish a relationship with consumers at this stage of the search, it is very likely that the customer will return.
Here are some brief questions that will allow you to make a quick test of the situation of your SME in Mallorca, as far as marketing is concerned.
What is my objective?
Yes, we know, your goal is to quickly increase sales. What if we change it to “exponentially increase”? It makes much more sense. We cannot expect to go from 0 to 1,000 in one day.
So, let’s rephrase your goal: Improve my business plan to exponentially increase my company’s sales.
Where am I going wrong?
Here’s a list of five tips you should be working on for your SME
1) My SME has its own updated and modern website.
2) My company has its own blog from which we work on Inbound Marketing.
3) I carry out creative and video marketing campaigns to surprise my users.
4) I know and take care of my online reputation, responding to all comments from my followers in social networks.
5) My database is sorted and segmented according to the interests of my clients.
How many have you marked as yours? If there are fewer than five, you should consider investing more time and budget in marketing. All are essential!
How is my commercial strategy? Outbound or Inbound?
According to Hubspot data, 60% of all organic clicks go to the first three (non-advertised) results. That is why it is very important to work on the content of your blog, not only to position yourself, but also to attract customers! Want to know how?
Outbound is a type of traditional marketing that interrupts the user and, therefore, usually generates rejection. In addition, we never know if we are getting it right with the user to whom we are showing the advertisement.
On the other hand, Inbound marketing (also known as attraction marketing) attracts the user thanks to highly interesting content created for a specific target (which you must define beforehand).
Therefore, the steps are as follows: First, define your target (buyer-persona); second, know their interests; third, offer them highly engaging content that addresses their concerns.
If you are able to follow your buyer-persona’s journey, you will be able to offer them different content as their interest in a specific topic progresses.
A quick example: A user came to your website because he was searching on Google for information on “how to learn English quickly”. And you have a great post specializing in this topic.
If we have converted this user into a lead (they have left us their contact information to, for example, download an e-book with vocabulary in English), we can later send them an e-mail offering them an intensive English course. Because we know you are interested in just this product!
Do I have an online presence?
How to know if you have an online presence is very simple: Have you introduced your company in the digital world? Do you have a website, social networks, blog?
If your answer is no, so is mine: You have no online presence. Or at least you don’t have an online presence that you can manage.
But it is possible that others will talk about you, and this is something you must keep in check. The Google Alerts tool will allow you to know what people are saying about you on the network. Use it.
Am I on the right channels?
To begin with, it is very important to be aware: your company must be on the Internet. There is no way around it.
Once you are clear about this, think about which channels are my audience on? So, there’s your answer. Wherever your target is, you must have an active presence.
A website is basic. But you must also know your audience in order to design it. Or in a more casual way and with attractive images, or in an austere way and with a lot of text…
You should know your customers better than anyone else and if you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask them!
As for social networks, it depends a lot on the type of service or product you sell. If your product is attractive and you can share spectacular photos, Instagram should be among your networks. If you offer specialized services, Twitter may be your best ally.
What you should not do is to be in all social networks. It will cost you a lot of resources to manage them correctly and some of them will surely end up being forgotten. Spend some time asking yourself and others. Don’t make this decision in a crazy way.
Here is an article that defines the function of each of the most popular social networks. Take a look if you want to know more.
Now that we’ve given you the basics to improve your SME’s profits, get to work!
