Five Marketing Strategies To Make It Easy For Buyers To Choose You

This past weekend, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about 79-year-old Martha Stewart and how she stays Zoom-ready. She discusses how she has used the pandemic as a time to up her game and her presence online.

I’m going to pause for a moment while you let that sink in.

Martha Stewart, at 79 years old, is embracing technology and shows no sign of slowing down, no rationalization about being too old, and no fear of new technology.

As you prepare for the upcoming year, I encourage you to ask yourself: Are you more than Zoom-ready? Are you ready to lean into what it takes for you to have a great year?

Almost a year ago, long before the pandemic hit, I shared that your website is for strangers. Not only is your website for strangers, but so is your online presence.

If you want people to choose you, they first have to be able to find you. Then, when they find you, you have to resonate with them in a way that makes them feel confident that you and your business are the right choice.

How do you do that?

Here are five strategies you can adopt to make it easier for people to feel confident about their choice:

1. Update your photos every 2-3 years minimum.

The photos on your website and on social media should be an accurate reflection of who you are in real life. I recently had new photos done and told the photographer not to photoshop them too much because I want to be recognizable in person. A few touch-ups here and there are fine, but if your photos are 10 years old or you weigh 10lbs more than your photos, you can lose your audience’s trust.

The number one way to degrade trust is by making someone feel like the person they see online isn’t the same person they are meeting on camera, or in person.

2. Use video regularly.

Stop being camera shy. Instead, learn how to utilize video as part of your marketing and part of your communication with leads and customers.

If you need help, refer to this article where I’ve shared 14 tips to help you get started on camera.

Video is a powerful medium for connecting with other people. When someone sees you on camera, they get a feel for your energy, your personality and your expertise.

No one loves being on camera at first, you have to practice and get confident and bring your personality fully to the table. I always tell my clients, your first is your worst. Keep shooting, it’s the only way to improve your online video presence.

3. Create content regularly.

Create content and add it to your website at a minimum of once a week. A basic principle of being found is to match the words people are searching for with the words you use on your website.

Think about the challenges your clients and future buyers have and create content that is a match.

Recently, I was looking for raw dog food that could be shipped to my home for my pups. I typed “raw dog food delivery” into google and found what I wanted from a company called Raw Wild.

Did you notice the match in what I was looking for and what they offer?

Clever copy isn’t clear and clever doesn’t create a word match when people are searching. Be mindful to create content that is helpful for those who might be looking for what you do. This applies to retail and service-based businesses as well.

4. Show up daily on social media, but create before you consume.

Social media is the greatest time thief of all. It can distract you from what is most important and take you down a rabbit hole of memes, clickbait and more if you’re not intentional about why you are there.

There are three things you should do on social media daily, to amplify your presence:

1. Share something of value.
2. Respond to comments and messages from others.
3. Comment on other people’s content so you can be seen in their circles too. When I say comment, I don’t mean to comment on my cute dog picture. I mean comment and share your opinion or expertise in some way that makes you and your brand more visible.

5. Pay attention to your existing clients.

Your existing clients are a source of revenue for your business. If they value what your business offers, they are also a source of future revenue, and they are your greatest referral source.

When an existing client refers someone to you, the relationship they have with that person edifies your credibility in a much faster way than you can do on your own. This means these people should legitimately matter to you.

If you don’t see them in your newsfeed, seek them out. If they haven’t been posting regularly, check in on them. While it should be common sense to care about your clients, common sense is not always common practice for folks, especially when they go down a rabbit hole of distraction.

Here’s what I want you to take away from this:

Be intentional about how you show up and what you do to market and advance your brand every day. While a new year is upon us, today is here right now which means, you can start right now.

True brands are built through consistently showing up, offering value, and delivering on their promise when it comes to their products and services.  If you want people to find your business, and choose your business, you’ve got to switch from being an amateur, who is led by what everyone else is doing, and instead, take control of your brand, presence and marketing today.

What advice would you give to business owners who want to be seen? Share your tips in the comment section, below!