Websites Under Your Control Blog

Two weeks ago, we wrote about the benefits of writing something interesting to your customers and then using social media such as Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter to alert your customers and friends, and their networks, to your new interesting information.

The key word is "interesting."
Think WIIFM.

If you broadcast something via email or social media that your audience finds useful, then your message will be welcome.

If you aren't sure, measure your response.

If you send something with a coupon or special offer, are a reasonable number of coupons being redeemed?

If you send a teaser to a blog post containing a useful tip, do you see a reasonable amount of new traffic to your blog post?

If you just send news, a thought to ponder, event reminders, or even just something that makes your current and future customers laugh, do you get positive feedback?

If you send occasional messages informing your audience about a new offering, that's fine too.

But if all you send are messages saying little more than "hey look at me" then you are spamming. 

If no one says they are glad you sent those messages (and you really wouldn't expect them to), we suggest you are sending the wrong messages.    

Spamming your customers and prospects will only get you blocked, "unfriended," or at best ignored.

A common question from new clients... why should they bother with a blog, email marketing, Facebook, Twitter, etc.? 

If the new client has teenagers at home, this is usually accompanied with "I don't care to tell everyone when I go to the bathroom!"

If your business never changes, and if your customers (and their friends) know perfectly well what you offer and think about your business frequently, then ... well, enough with fairy tales.

In reality, your business does change (or it dies),  your past and potential customers don't know about those changes, and they don't always think about how your business can help them.

In fact, your best prospects for future sales are those who already know you. But why would they go back to your website, if they think they already know who you are and what you offer?

What to do?  Maybe try this idea:

1. Write a brief newsletter article about a topic of interest to your likely customers or referral sources, and send to your email list. (What to write about? Something that will benefit the reader. New services you offer, a special offering, the answer to a frequent question, changes in your field, etc.)
2. Publish the message, reformatted as necessary, on your blog. (Of course, the article should be published on your blog on your website, so the reader will be already in position to click around your site.)
3. Post a "teaser" about the article on your business (not personal) page on Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In. (The teaser should mention a customer need, and article should address that need -- "hype" will backfire.)
4. Repeat this process frequently.

This isn't hard.  If you are an Online Business Partner client, you can use your built-in tools for #1 and #2. 

Don't have time, or just don't want to mess with it? If you are our client, we can have one of our ghostwriters develop the initial draft of the newsletter article, and we can do the rest as well - or any portion you want us to handle.  (If you are not our client, then your web professional will be able to help you.)