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5 Tips For Improving Productivity and Lead Generation Within Your Company

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Improving Productivity|5 Tips For Improving Productivity and Lead Generation Within Your CompanyOnly those who have managed their own business understand the proper pressure and expectations for a company leader. This is mainly because of you having made all-important business decisions and various families relying on them. Whether it’s a small, medium, or large enterprise, the pressure remains the same for the ones in charge. Operating a business in this regard isn’t easy at all, and this, in many cases, leads to companies becoming stagnant as you get comfortable where you’re at now. This is common and not always the wrong decision; when you’re comfortable and can see that your business model will remain sustainable, why risk anything? With the current economic state and people innovating like they are, it won’t be long before the competition gets even more as the leads get less. You have to ensure you deliver the best service, products, and turnaround times than your competitors. This article will look at five aspects that might increase your efficiency within your business.

1. Outsourcing Relevant Departments

One of the most challenging business challenges is when the finances get tight after a few bad months. After a pandemic like covid-19, many businesses are in this exact position; they need the staff to start working but can’t afford them. With technology on the brink of taking over so many parts, innovative companies are offering other businesses the opportunity to outsource departments to them by utilizing technology. This means you get the job done for a fraction of the price, and you don’t even have to accommodate the cost to the company for various employees doing the same thing.

2. Improving Products

Your product and service will be vital in your path to success. It’s challenging to produce the best quality product or service as a start-up, but after some time, as you develop and learn, you should treat your product accordingly. By continuously creating what you offer, customers shouldn’t even be a thought, and it should be a must. You have to remain competitive within your market; other companies are constantly innovating, so should you. You should also find the perfect balance between price and quality; offering the best quality product at unaffordable prices might not always work out. You have to consider what your competitors offer and for what price and react accordingly.

3. Reliable Suppliers

When you’re a business that uses external suppliers, it will be increasingly important to build and maintain a strong relationship with all of them. If you do well, they’ll appreciate your business anyway. But, maintaining good relationships with suppliers offers you a range of ways to become more competitive than your competition. You should also ensure you find the best and most reliable suppliers for fabrication, Heat Treatment Equipment, and industrial machinery to maintain your operations supply. Your suppliers will have an enormous impact on your business and how effective you’ll supply the demand.

4. Effective Marketing

Marketing has played a continuous role in the development of some of today’s most prominent organizations. In previous years, marketing was measured on how many people you reached; now, it’s measured how many relevant people you achieved. Marketing to the wrong people is pointless, it’s like not marketing at all, and you’ll most likely waste your budget. Let’s look at three effective marketing strategies professionals can quickly help you with.

Google Ads

When you need immediate results with your marketing campaigns, you can look at paid marketing means like Google Ads. Because it delivers near-immediate visitors to your website, it is somewhat more expensive than other marketing strategies. You bid against competitors for the highest ranking on relevant searches from Google. On your website, you’ll need to convert these visits into leads and sales once they’re interested.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing has become more influential as more people started using it. On platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and linked in, you can reach millions of potential customers with a simple click of a button. The pricing also depends on your industry and which keywords you’re marketing for. The more companies that advertise to a specific demographic, the more expensive it becomes. However, it’s also an excellent means of marketing if you need immediate results; remember, the time of the month will also have a massive impact on sales in your area.

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization, SEO in short, is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of your website traffic by making use of organic search engine results. It’s an unpaid means of advertising and should be more of a long-term focus instead of short-term like the previous two. It’ll ensure once you’re ranking well, you’ll have a consistent stream of website traffic without even paying.

5 Ways To Turn Your Social Channels Into Extremely Attractive Pages

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Social Media Channels|5 Ways To Turn Your Social Channels Into Extremely Attractive PagesWhether you’re looking to start a business or create a small project on the side, you’re probably going to need to make yourself present on social media. If you want to grab attention in 2021, you’ll have to do it using the internet. The world has changed and is now a lot different from how it was around fifteen years ago. People are glued to their screens and get a lot of information from the likes of online encyclopedias, websites, and social platforms.

If you’ve not been used to this kind of thing as you’re quite the old school type, then it can make the stress of running a business even more difficult as you have an entirely new aspect to learn about. The good thing is that social media and the subsequent platforms are pretty simple to use. They take a few minutes to get used to, but then you’ll be set afterward. If you need help with your social media accounts regarding their attractiveness and popularity, here are a few points to heed:

Do Something Different From The Rest

If you behave exactly the same as everyone else, you’re going to look like just another pretender in a cookie-cutter market. It’s very easy to do this because you fall into the trap of wanting to look as professional as the rest. It takes guts as well as creativity to stand out, however. Think of new ideas regarding how you’re going to address users and what everything is going to look like.

Use Visual And Interactive Ideas

People will see you as a more attractive prospect if you allow them to engage in what they’re reading. If it’s just a case of reading something and then moving onto something else, then they’re not exactly going to remember you all that well. If they have to do particular things in order to get some satisfaction, they won’t forget their actions. Clicking links, playing games, entering competitions, and these kinds of ideas all work well.

Work With Professional Marketing Services

You might think you have everything handled regarding your ability to create a successful page, but there will still be more areas that you’re lacking in. This is where social media services for businesses will come in handy. They explore areas that you didn’t even think of before. Their experience will help you to expand your reach as well as turn your page into something even sexier than it might already be.

Ensure Your Grammar, Spelling, And Overall Presentation Are High-Quality

Users will NOT take you seriously if you cannot communicate properly. That’s just how this world works. If you cannot use proper spelling and grammar as a business or side hustle, then how are you going to be expected to help customers/clients out with more difficult and convoluted problems?

Be Consistent

If you’re not taking this kind of project seriously, then why should anyone else? You should always strive to be more consistent in the things you do, and these kinds of projects are the same. If people see regular updates, then they’ll know you’re a serious outfit.

4 Things to Consider When Starting a Small Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting a small business|4 Things to Consider When Starting a Small BusinessWhen starting your own small business, there are many things that you will need to think about, include and develop in order to help boost your brand and grow your customer base. Whatever type of products or services your business offers, it is important to make sure you are organized and prepared to take the industry by storm. Here are just a couple of things you might not have considered yet when thinking about starting your small business.

Branded Products

These are brilliant marketing tools, as you can effectively turn your customers into walking advertisements for your brand. Using a customizable swag store and getting your logo printed onto a variety of different items may not be something that you have yet considered. Branded products are incredibly useful in many different ways and not just for marketing. They can be used as giveaways or competition prizes, freebies at tradeshows, and also given as a ‘thank you’ to customers to help build relationships and encourage return business. You can also use and wear them yourself in order to get your logo out there, and if you have staff, they are a great motivator and gift to receive in the post and keep your team working hard!

Social Media

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool when it comes to online marketing. It is cost-effective, can reach large audiences, and also gives you the ability to look at the analytics and see what’s working and what isn’t. Keeping your platforms up to date is very important, as a huge number of users follow at least one business. If you don’t have a dedicated social media team, then there are plenty of courses or management software that you can use to make the most of social media.

Virtual Tradeshows

For a small business, it may not be possible for you to attend tradeshows for a huge number of reasons. However, with more and more moving online, it might make it more accessible for you. Virtual tradeshows allow you to demonstrate, promote and engage with your audience and clients remotely. This reduces this need for expenses such as accommodation and travel, which allows you to spend more on items such as branded products. You can still utilize this powerful marketing tool with virtual events, sending out products to new customers, and following up on any leads you generated.

Collaboration and networking

Don’t forget to reach out and see what other small businesses are doing. Asking for advice or help is not a bad thing; not everything has to be a competition. Networking and collaborating with others can give you valuable experience and contacts, as well as creating good working relationships. Every small business had to start somewhere, so those with more experience than you may have valuable advice. It is also important to maintain relationships with customers to make sure they have a good experience and are more likely to return or leave good reviews.

Secrets To Having A Successful LinkedIn Platform

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |LinkedIn|Secrets To Having A Successful LinkedIn PlatformThere are those people who view LinkedIn as a job-hunting arena, and there are those with the view that it is just a normal social media platform where you browse all you want. Other people view this app as a digital platform for business transactions. It ranks among the top fifteen apps in the world, which attracts great traffic. If you are not a signed-up member, you do not know what you are missing!

Most users use the social network to grow their businesses and connect with professionals in all sectors. Before sharing any content on the app, make sure it is strategic to stand out among all the users. Ensuring that your profile is well maintained and the content shared is spectacular, then there will be a positive impact on your personal brand and any business. So be very keen when you are creating content for your LinkedIn profile and posts.

There are various methodologies used to you have the relevant strategies to conquer in this platform. Using the LinkedIn tool will effectively promote your social media content, and connections are made by accepting invitations from other people.

How to be distinctive in LinkedIn

If you are a new member, you can register and start sharing your incredible ideas within no time. Setting up the pages is so easy, and the right guidance is always provided. Don’t be pressured on the amount of content you have to post daily as it is not a necessity, and that article, website, or blog you are thinking about will always get the deserved audience.

What to remember

The dos

For you to meet the relevant audience, always remember the following things:

  • When adding photos, add individual images and not stock photos, for example, self, clients, or employee images.
  • Make the content posted personable.
  • Always publish relevant information.
  • Cover industrial topics
  • For consistency, post content regularly.
  • When there are comments, remember to comment back.
  • Headlines are super important.
  • You can add compelling statistics in the form of images.

The Don’ts

  • When posting, share more than just a post as they reach fewer people
  • Avoid posting long videos.
  • Avoid using links
  • Avoid getting too personal on the posts.

Promotions

There are content ideas that make you independent and unique.

Social status

First, ensure you make all the relevant changes through self-actualization as social media users are categorized into three.

  1. The lurkers (90%)- compromise the biggest part of users. They scroll through the platform without making any posts, comments, or content sharing.
  2. The (9%) contributors- they actively contribute in certain levels. They comment on reposts, share, and post on their platforms with their social circle.
  3. The (1%) creators comprise the smallest group and actively come up with new content. Generally, they have a bigger following, and they are recognized as the industry leaders.

The three social media categories make LinkedIn keeps growing, bustling, and thriving with content creativity at all times. Every time you log in to your social media accounts, have clear guidelines to maximize the limitless possibilities available. Be creative, stand out, and if your social status does not please you, then change!

Post that video

Some people think that posting videos only makes sense on the other various social media platforms compared to linked users. Cancel that thought because it is not true because videos are a valuable asset in the business world. Even professionals spend more time watching content like ads as compared to static content. If you want to test it, provide information on a certain topic in both written and video form and see the results. There are several areas where you can use videos on the platform, including:

  • Profile page
  • Publisher section
  • Posts on the newsfeed
  • Learning sector like the payment methods

Videos are uploaded from other social sites like YouTube. The posted videos need to be informative about a particular business, products, and brand. The videos do not necessarily have to be done professionally or fancy since if they contain relevant information, they will always reach the desired crowd.

Informative videos contain content that directly describes the particular event in question, including case studies, brands’ story, business introduction, the making process, and updates on coming events, team, and the frequently asked questions.

There are many possibilities, so pick up that phone and post the relevant videos. Posting those videos ensures that your page is captivating, engaging, personable, and marketable.

Statistic attack

Professionals are always in dire need of honest statistics regarding the popularity of any content on the online platform. When you include statistics in your posts, you appear well-informed and with relevant knowledge in the specific industry. Hence when sharing content, always consider statistical content, including;

  • Informative articles
  • Relatable case studies
  • Branded information graphics
  • Relevant videos
  • The white papers

If, in any case, visuals create anxiety levels, always choose to use the fun statistics, for example, ‘are you aware that.´ When you share helpful, meaningful, and exciting statistics, people will view the information quickly and meaningful. Don’t forget to make the statistical headlines eye-catching and with great wording.

Great headlines increase people’s engagement.

When you have to increase traffic to your page, ensure that the headlines are intriguing and captivating. To create high-performance headlines, research is necessary as it brings clear insights into the post. There are several considerations always to make when creating that perfect headline, including;

  • The wording
  • Describing habits
  • Statistics
  • Question headlines

Remember, when you want to stand out, your headlines need to be well-written, strategic, and informative to keep up with the industrial trends.

Strengthening the relationship with CTA

When you create readable, meaningful, and informative content for the readers, that is the first step to your LinkedIn success. If you want to achieve full potential in the posted content, ask your readers to take the call to action step! Successful social media content entails actions rather than creation.

When creating content, ensure you understand the specific goals you intend to achieve. If you want the readers to engage more with your content, you can add links related to your articles from other blogs, videos, and articles.
All the content published should directly link to your business, and the content to action needs to be designed to meet all the targets.

Consistency

Imagine when a content creator posts something then goes silent for several months; what impression is created? People are habitual; hence being consistent is key for any form of success. Pick the time and days which work within your schedule to keep your followers updated on the happenings. Schedules ensure you as a person commit to engaging the audience, and they tune in on all the specified posting times. The created trust eventually leads to business development and active conversations.

Associate with the right groups and individuals

Always work with you to set goals; for example, if you offer online marketing services, participating in LinkedIn groups increases possible sales chances. When you are part of a group, be sure to connect, converse, share content and obtain leadership skills from the greatest professionals in the world! The created engagements place you and your business in a better position and depending on the size of the group, be sure of positive returns.

Repurpose your already created content

Content creation does not need to take tons of your time, so stop stressing! You can be resourceful using the relevant content already in your hands, for example, existing articles and blog posts. When you post blogs and articles on your LinkedIn platform, it increases the number of people reached, building the brands’ awareness and customer engagement. Every published document needs to be added to your profile to keep the followers informed.

Question posts and tips

The internet is a crucial research platform where people ask questions like ‘how to’ and learn new things. Always think of this platform as an open educational tool.

Like any other social media platform, users, mostly professionals and businesses, hunger for knowledge to gain all the information needed. The beauty of things is that you will always learn from another person.

So, fear not when you are posting relevant ideas as you are helping another person! When you decide to share any content, follow the right guidelines for your content to be viable in the long run.

Engaging in comments creates more content.

Each post intrigues different community members, and their options are mainly found in the comment section. Do not worry about the type of comments made as you choose the ones you wish to engage in, and after every conversation, you will gain new ideas.

When you avail yourself to the audience conversations, they may pose questions or comments to creatively make content to suit their interests while answering all their questions.

Make your predictions

For you to make relevant predictions on trending topics, you do not need rocket science. It is just the logical understanding of your industry. Creating content with several predictions entices the followers to share their opinions actively, and the beauty of it is that you may be right or wrong.

When you start being a leader rather than a follower, you are sure to command the masses.

Share your opinions

Always remember sharing is caring! A bigger percentage of LinkedIn users are interested in industrial insights. So, if you have amazing content, share it with the rest of the world as long as it resonates with the industry, and you can make individual reviews.

Never forget that people have reviews, thoughts, and opinions about anything like religion, fashion, politics, and economics. Hence whenever you share any information, people will always make comments, whether in support or against your idea. What an actually great way of developing a brand image rather than defining your voice with established opinions.
Each time you share ideas and information with attached own opinions, you effectively increase society members’ interest. Agreeing or disagreeing people are always interested in reading other peoples insights and opinions.

Create unlimited content

Unlike other social media platform users, LinkedIn people are into longer content which is still unbelievable. Posted content with approximately two thousand words gain larger traffics in comments, shares, views, and likes. People are always looking out for interesting and conversational information on which they can base their facts each time. So, do not be afraid of that longer content; it might favor you and always have informative and captivating content.

Do not forget to be human.

When you decide to share stories with the world, share human experiences that create valuable connections as people connect with stories associated with failure and triumphs in the long run. When you are honest about the journey undertaken, you naturally grow your following and build trust like a business development journey.

People will be interested in connecting, commenting, and learning from your experiences. You will be surprised when you realize that people with the greatest following have documented their life stories, including the good and the bad.

Retargeting ads

Retargeting is the best way in marketing to win back your audience while actively re-engaging them. It gives the advertisers a chance to increase new visitors to their pages with relevant ads. The due process on your page offers the various steps followed, including creating a relevant name, creating audience segments, and adding the website links targeted.

Job postings

People always look for new chances of growth in the form of better and new jobs. LinkedIn is mostly viewed as a platform for job hunting and networking; hence posting jobs helps other people get a better tomorrow!

When you share the number of open positions in your organization, you get a bigger number of people from whom you choose the most qualified or the individual who meets your criteria.

In conclusion, there are several ways one can use the LinkedIn platform to channel their ideas and market their businesses. The main secret to growing a large following is to create informative, relevant, and captivating content in articles, blogs, or videos. Always take time to understand the features in any platform for maximum benefits.

Inexpensive Ways to Engage Your Clients in 2021

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Customer Engagement| Inexpensive Ways to Engage Your Clients in 2021Thanks to the technology available nowadays, engaging them has never been easier or more affordable.

When done right, your engagement strategy will result in a customer-focused business which will, in turn, boost more growth and loyalty.

Follow these steps and learn all you need to know about inexpensive ways to engage your customers!

Ask for Feedback

Feedback is an absolute must for every customer engagement strategy.

Your clients want to be asked about their experience with your business. It makes them feel valued.

By asking and responding to feedback, you show them their opinions matter. People need to feel heard and valued in order to be motivated and open to collaboration.

When your customers can freely express themselves, they will also want to communicate and engage with your business.

Feedback also develops emotional connections.

When your customer realizes they are not dealing with a faceless corporation but a real person behind it, it is the foundation for developing a stronger relationship.

Once you accomplish that, it will lead to more loyalty and more customer engagement.

You should create a feedback strategy that is sustainable for your business. Don’t be afraid to redefine it and try different approaches.

For example, you can include surveys, net promoter scores and social media monitoring. None of this requires spending too many resources or developing an extensive strategy.

Asking for feedback is one of your most important methods of motivating consumers to engage with your brand.

Engage Across Social Media Channels

Make sure you use multiple social media channels to communicate with your customers.

Being reachable and responsive across social media channels shows that you are ready to assist your customers at any given time.

Using your social media accounts will not only help you stay on top of trends, but also enable you to nurture your relationship with your customers on a daily basis.

You are there for them if they have any questions or concerns. Your customers will recognize the value of that.

When you create an online community on your social media, you engage your users to get more insight and information.

It is a cheap and effective way to present any news, products and quality content. Interesting and engaging information you provide on social media will keep the communication going.

When one person shares your post, you can reach hundreds of people at virtually no cost.

Even when you invest in a social media campaign that produces tons of shares and generates more views, you are still gaining more publicity than with many other, more traditional strategies.

Social media channels will help you build a reputation of being responsive and engaged with your customers at all times.

Host Webinars

You need to embrace the opportunities that come with 2021 — and one of them is hosting webinars!

With interesting webinars, you are keeping your attendees engaged from start to finish.

If the audience is invested and attentive, your customers will be open to learning more about your business and feel like a part of your community.

By making sure your webinar is informative and interesting, you will leave a strong impact and achieve better conversion rates.

Engaging webinars or seminars deliver more value to the audience.

When your customer leaves a webinar with a positive experience, his or her satisfaction will result in their loyalty to your business.

Maybe you can cover a topic that you notice your customers struggle with often.

These events don’t have to be long or expensive, but your customers will appreciate all the effort you put in and the advice you provide.

With the right webinar strategy, your webinars will be a valuable tool both for you and your customers.

Build a Loyalty Program

You absolutely need a loyalty program for your customers.

Your primary motive is to make your existing customers feel valued.

When they feel like you are willing to go that extra mile for them, they will have the motivation to continue buying from you.

This will not only elevate the customers’ appreciation of your product or service, but increase the chances that your customers share their experience with others.

Loyalty programs will also increase your revenue.

Loyal customers already have trust in your brand. When you increase customer retention, it will also increase the profit. Your customers are likely to spend more.

It is estimated that loyalty members spend 5 to 20% more than non-members on average. They also buy more frequently. This is a win-win situation for both sides.

Loyalty programs are an important part of customer experience and engagement, especially on a highly competitive market.

Conclusion

Customer engagement comprises all interactions with your customers, including feedback, social media channels, and webinars.

By following these steps and shifting your focus to loyalty programs and other engagement strategies, the interaction stays positive.

When you create your strategy around those interactions, you will help your existing customers — and bring in some new ones, too!

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Joe PetersJoe Peters is a Baltimore-based freelance writer and an ultimate techie. When he is not working his magic as a marketing consultant, this incurable tech junkie devours the news on the latest gadgets and binge-watches his favorite TV shows. Follow him on @bmorepeters