My Top 5 Takeaways From Allbound’s Collaborate 2016 Event in Phoenix
5 Takeaways From Allbound's Collaborate 2016 Event in Phoenix.
I'm always looking for ways to grow our capabilities while taking advantage of inspirational tactics from like-minded professionals. Collaborate 2016 was another positive experience. Allbound created the event to educate attendees on accelerated partner channels that inevitably enhance process efficiency. Not only was I able to take away the importance of sales structure, but the impact partnerships can have on retention and customer satisfaction. Here are the top 5 takeaways I had from their event at the Phoenix Convention Center. About PreFocusOur Solutions1. My Perspective on Purposeful Promotion is Accurate.
One of the most intriguing sessions included 5 expert speakers on social selling and engagement. Not everyone held the same perspectives, but all reiterated the importance of avoiding wasteful posting on social media. Although purposeful quantity is encouraged, it’s important to eliminate posts that sway from your brand’s voice or funnels users in another direction. People follow you for specific insight and they count on you to provide them with your angles to help them make their own decisions.
This guest panel at Collaborate 2016 expanded on social selling quite a bit. After taking in their perspectives, I realized my stance on social promotion wasn’t much different. If you’re posting to gain attention, or your message doesn’t align with your objectives – then you’re more than likely wasting valuable time while hindering your potential. This panel discussion was very encouraging to listen to.
2. Leveraging Partners that Provide Technological Value is the Future.
As a start up business owner, I definitely understand the headaches surrounding project management, distribution, and consumer data. The problem is, most of us are limited and attempt to manage everything on our own. We all have the vision of scaling in the future, but what are we really doing to accomplish these goals?
Allbound opened my eyes to an array of technological advances that expedite processes and improve efficiency. Although I completely understand how investing in partnerships can be just as stressful as doing things yourself, comprehending the value they provide can create a peace of mind that paves the way for sustainability. It’s important that you avoid focusing on the investment and look at the inevitable return they can drive. Not all partnerships are beneficial to your brand, but taking advantage of those that do can make a big difference in your trek towards success.
3. A Personable Mindset Will Help You Accomplish Goals.
One of my favorite books is “intentional Living” by John C. Maxwell. In this book, he focuses on living for others. After visiting with a number of CEO’s and thought leaders, I realized they were attempting to live with intention as well. For example, the CEO of Allbound invited me to the event after reading into my personal story. Not only did he understand the difficulties of starting a business, but he knew how impactful the event could be for my brand – without thinking about what he’d get in return.
After chatting with Scott, I found that Allbound had only been in business for 18 months. His commitment to providing value ended up detouring him from his entrepreneurial journey in the service industry. Now, he’s established a niche that provides plenty of companies with solutions to their current problems and frustrations. If he didn’t take the time to be personable (along with many others at the event), I wouldn’t have considered the value that some of the companies could essentially provide me with. Collaborating with cognizance of everyone’s goals and aspirations can take you farther than you’d expect.
4. Partnerships Enhance Growth Just as Much as Marketing.
If you’ve read into my story, you’ve gotten a good feel for some of my failures and frustrations. I decided to share my story so I could resonate with others experiencing the same. I knew if I showcased my value or credibility, people would begin to invest in my perspective and trust my value. Even more, I wanted to inspire people to share my journey.
This is where partnerships can truly benefit your business. My 2nd takeaway highlighted the impact that partnerships can have on processes and customer success, but influential marketing can take this a step further. Software as a service (SAAS) is an ever growing market that focuses on partnership channels. Have you ever considered what a “Google certification” or “Hubspot partner” badge can do for your website? When you think about it, most partner opportunities include brands that are established and successful. If you’re just starting up, why not invest in this alignment so their recognition can flow into your credibility. Consumers and potential clients will definitely consider your capabilities once partnered with someone that’s known for effectiveness.
5. Marketing, Selling, and Customer Service Should be Seamless.
After being a part of 4 start up companies, I completely understand the pain of ineffective processes and lack of cohesion. Attending this event allowed me to double down on my stance in regards. Too often, customers and clients are lost during the sales cycle or when a simple problem arises. In these cases, retention is effected because communication isn’t effective. Collaborate 2016 gave me some solid insight on the importance of executing the entire journey of the consumer or client. Although I’ve known the importance of efficient processes, I wasn’t as educated on some of the available systems that enhance experiences and productivity.
Most of you are aware of the hit your business can take if you lose residual revenue. But, understanding how to implement a seamless message and process can eliminate this distraction inevitably. Not only should you differentiate marketing, sales, and customer success – but you have to ensure that communication is seamless throughout. If there is a kink in the chain, then you risk losing credibility and the investment won’t seem worthwhile for those investing capital. Take time to solidify this on the front end while mapping out contingencies so you can retain clients once you close them.
Here’s a video on the purpose behind Allbound’s software vision.
Low to No Budget Marketing Ideas for Small Business.
Chapter 3: Low to No Budget Marketing Ideas for Small Business.
Low cost business ideas are valuable in the start up phase of your brand. Often times, I speak with potential clients that have invested a ton of capital in marketing spend before clarifying their message. My experiences have given me valuable insight on company promotion and I'm using it to my advantage now that I'm formulating my own business plan. With a little bit of strategy, there are plenty ways you can learn how to promote your business for free. Since I've spent quite a bit of time planning, I wanted to share more about my story and how I'm using low to no budget marketing ideas to enhance my small business growth.
There are plenty of reasons that small businesses fail. Learning from our mistakes (as well as other’s) can help us reach sustainability, but uncovering potential takes things to a whole new level. My story is not much different than most start up companies as resources and marketing spend can be scarce for us new business pioneers. But, before tackling my budget, I needed to overcome my fear of failure and identify the actual value I provide. From here, I was able to establish a clear message with an identified purpose so my marketing would be effective.
Although it seemed like a never-ending process, I’m glad I invested the time. Once I clarified and memorized my vision, I knew I needed to invest in a marketing approach that maximized my budget. The problem was, I didn’t have much of a budget to invest with. I was faced with two decisions: Dump everything into an advertising reach campaign, or slowly build traction through purposeful content that expanded on my identified value.
Being the sole provider for 6, I’ve been forced to strategically market with patience. In other words, I chose the second option – but refuse to look at it as a negative. Low to no budget marketing may not provide immediate results – but realizing I’m not piling up debt or counting on a specific ROI has allowed me to stay focused on my vision. Proper planning (and a dedication to your plan) will help you perform with low cost business ideas that drive growth. Here are some affordable ideas that I’ve been using throughout my story.
1. Tell your Story & Promote your Brand for Free.
As I’ve mentioned before, far too many start up companies think launching an SEO optimized website is enough to garner a sustainable revenue. Witnessing businesses with this perspective fail has caused me to look at start up marketing from a different angle. Unless you have money to blow, why go “all in” when you’re model hasn’t even been proven yet? As far as I’m concerned, a good business idea is just an idea – and nothing more until it’s put into effect. No matter how passionate you are, you have to realize you’re not the customer. Until the model has been proven capable, don’t throw all of your eggs into one basket. If you’re just starting out, consider promoting your story for free until it’s time to scale.
Practice Your Pitch at Networking Events.
I know, I know.. Networking is overrated, right? Wrong. Although it may seem like you’re not receiving much revenue from these events, you’re garnering something even more valuable – experience and practice. Use networking to loosen the kinks in your sales pitch and eliminate any confusing banter that might hurt your conversion rates in the future. What’s the worst that could happen? You make a mistake in a room full of hungry entrepreneurs that more than likely will provide crucial feedback that sparks personal growth and improved competence? Winning..
Send Introduction Emails Instead of Sales Pitches.
Email marketing can be a drag, am I right? Especially when you’re taking the time to write something personal and purposeful. Consider a few introduction emails in place of some of your salesy ones. Number one, this will more than likely keep you out of spam folders; and number 2, it shows the recipient that their feedback or initiatives are important to you. All you’re doing is simply telling your story and expanding on your vision with a hope for support or even kudos. What’s the worst that could happen? The recipient thanks you for your interest and remembers you when a need comes about down the road? Not too shabby..
Inquire About Partnership, Volunteer, or Guest Speaking Opportunities.
Similar to my second suggestion, inquiries surrounding intrigue show that you’re hungry to provide value. Reaching out to like-minded individuals (or complimentary companies) not only gains you exposure, but relays that you’re living with intention. Aligning with an established brand can eventually provide you with credibility and support that you’re not getting by cold calling. Take the time to research upcoming events and other opportunities that can enhance the way your brand is perceived so that you’re more likely to be accepted. I don’t see any worse-case-scenarios here..
Reach Out to Contacts for Feedback.
One of the best things that I’ve invested time in is critical feedback. Before I designed my business cards and built my website, I sought constructive criticism. The best people to ask tend to be those that already care about you and your success. Once I solidified my business plan, I reached out to old colleagues, partners, and even my church congregation for feedback. Not only was I able to listen to other’s perspectives, but I was able to correct errors and clarification issues that I was blinded to. The best thing that happened? I gained 4 clients ($3900) from referrals – simply by showcasing a dedicated passion towards quality.
Allocate Recommendations from Past Value.
This approach has been huge for me. A few months ago, when I was going through my fear of failure, I found myself sparring with my own confidence. After researching ways to combat this, I was determined to highlight the successes I’ve had. Even though my strategy surrounded overcoming fear, I realized I was paving the way for credibility. I began asking past colleagues (employees, supervisors, etc) to write recommendation letters regarding my competence as a business owner and leader. Not only did this improve my confidence level, but it made me realize the impact I’ve had throughout my journey. It was so rewarding that I began reaching out to past agency clients and even partners for their opinion too. I found that no matter the response, everything was valuable to my personal growth. Even more, I was able to notify a lot of people that I was finally going into business for myself!
Taking the time to tell your story with a specific purpose can gain you a lot more traction than you think. There’s a quote by Vince Lombardi relating to this: “Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” No matter how wasteful you think the above initiatives may be, practicing your pitch with like-minded, or well-known people will enhance the way you market your brand moving forward. If you can’t make sense of your vision, you can’t expect anyone else to. A perfect pitch doesn’t really exist, but passion is a perfect recipe for success. Eliminate expenses and learn how to market your business for free by telling your story.
2. Break Down your Story into Promotional Means.
Promoting your journey can be an exhilarating experience. Not only are you growing and learning, but you’re gaining a better understanding of your market niche and company objectives. My approach is no different with my clients. In order to effectively market their offering, I need to truly understand their purpose – and corresponding values, objectives and customers. Taking a brand’s story and turning it into a purposeful campaign is a great way to maximize a small promotional budget. Here’s how you can start off marketing your business for free!
Make Your Story Eventful.
Once you’ve received some feedback and told some of your contacts about your brand, it’s time to start executing a marketing plan. Now that you’ve introduced yourself, begin to explore opportunities that align with your objectives. Promote some relevant events or speaking engagements that you plan on participating in – or have already attended. Expand on your experience and the value that other’s have provided you with. Once you establish credibility, you can inquire about being featured as a speaker or sponsor. Moving forward, you’ll be able to expect well-known companies, events, people, and even groups to endorse you and the value you’ve provided them with.
Promote the Experience of Your Story.
One of the best ways to garner initial results is to highlight your perspective. This is essentially the bread and butter of what I’ve been discussing throughout this entire blog series. Stick out your chest and tell your audience about your growth, pivots, revelations, or even failures so they’re engaged through transparency. Solidifying your value isn’t considered arrogance – it’s a reassuring tactic that allows them to trust you. In most cases, people want to do business with a no-nonsense-professional that satisfies their immediate needs. Talk about the benefit your journey will have on them as well as what it’s done for your company. Show them you’re human while showcasing the value you’re capable of.
There are plenty of promotional means that enhance this approach. If you’re monetarily strapped, you can develop simple creative graphics, slide shares, and other forms of content to publish in print or online. Find affordable ways to get your message out there instead of a quantitative approach.
If you think you’re lacking content, try utilizing performance reviews, recommendation letters, certifications, partnership testimonials, or anything else that advertises your knowledge and capacity. If you’ve completed step #1, you should have plenty of material to work with. Additionally, don’t be afraid to promote the benefits of doing business with you, especially if you have a unique business model. The same goes for effective work flows or processes that enhance the customer (or partner) experience. Create case studies that touch on successful past projects or achieved objectives. All of these things are readily available to you! If you have a low startup budget, then take the time to maximize the capital you have and promote the quality you provide!
3. Invest in a Low Budget Advertising Strategy.
After you’ve invested your time and effort in discovery and uncovering, you can begin to think about a low costing advertising strategy. There are plenty of ways to execute an ad campaign but the most important factor is your customer’s agenda. For example, the last company I worked for was committed to a $2,000 monthly budget towards social media. Even though our target audience averaged 67 years of age. Be smart with your adspend, especially if you’re budget is limited! Allocate opportunities and do your best to invest your money in a strategy.
Although my belief isn’t always supported, clicks can be deceiving and inevitably very costly. If you’re going to invest in social media ads, take the time to identify which platforms your customers use and analyze their intentions while logged in. It’s better to engage them with relevant material when they’re interested vs ruining a first impression. Once they block you, you’ve lost your chance – I cannot stress this enough.
If I were to invest in low budget advertising, I’m going to spend on manual bidding through a pay-per-click platform. (Keep in mind, I may not possess the same objectives as you). This may not be “low hanging fruit” for everyone, but my experience has proven this to drive the best conversion rates and ROAS (return on ad spend). You can learn more about my PPC Strategy here. In a nutshell, we focus on extensive keyword research that allocates specific long tails that funnel user intent to spend. We don’t overbid for keywords until we’ve returned our client’s investment and taken over opportune niches. If you have a minimal adspend, please use it wisely.
At the end of the day, advertising can break your bank and there’s nothing you can do to reverse this. If you’re going to travel down this road, it’s important to at least consider a consultation before handing your budget over to an affordable PPC manager. Serving ads with a purpose can be a lot more rewarding than cheap business advertising ideas lacking purpose. If you’re unsure of the expected return, then steer clear until you have money to blow. Just my humble opinion..
4. Promote your Hunger for Success.
This is one of the easiest (and sometimes most effective) ways to promote your start up business. “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” You’ve got to be the biggest cheerleader for your brand – you’ve got to.. One of my favorite quotes is, “Wherever you are, there’s opportunity – it’s up to you to harness it.” There’s never an excuse to not have a handy business card for a relevant moment. Whether you’re in line at the grocery store or waiting to board a plane – promote your hunger for success!
Don’t get me wrong I’m not advising you to present a sales pitch on every occasion.. The goal here is to seamlessly position your value into a conversational opportunity. From experience, even mentioning “my business” or “this project my company was working on” can easily transition the conversation into “what is it that you do?” Once someone inquires, it shows that you’ve been accepted. Initiating acceptance leads to earning trust, which paves the way for word of mouth. If there’s one thing we all can agree on, it’s that word of mouth is a strong form of free marketing for your brand. As long as it’s positive – but, that’s on you..
The last thing I want to touch on is your level of hunger. It’s never a good thing to come off as desperate. Even if your company is struggling to stay afloat, keep the conversation positive. Remember, we’re attempting to market your hunger for success, not greed. Try to refrain from boasting and focus on your dedication to client satisfaction. Use my first 3 suggestions (above) as a guide for your talk track. Discuss the quality you long to provide and what you’ve overcome to get where you are. If you want someone to trust your company, they have to believe in your leadership – not your hunger for power and wealth. Show an interest in their initiatives and offer ways you can help them achieve their goals. Once you get the ball rolling it’ll become more casual and routine. The better you become at communicating, the more effective your sales will be. This doesn’t cost anything, guys..
Concluding My Low to No Budget Marketing Ideas.
Wow, that was a lot to take in. Throughout my journey, I’ve spent a lot of time developing my brand as well as my personal capacity. I really hope you’ve appreciated my story thus far. Moreover, I hope you’ve gained an improved understanding of my commitment to excellence through purposeful branding. No matter what I’m faced with, even if it’s a limited marketing budget, there’s always a way to execute a strategy. In order to generate competence and trust, I needed to solidify my experience and expand on my capabilities. Taking advantage of low cost business ideas has tested my patience but enhanced my company, for sure.
Hopefully this installment helps you uncover a number of ways to promote your business for free. Although it may seem time consuming, “sweating it out will eliminate doubt.” Set yourself up for success by investing in a purpose and highlighting your solution. Not only will this process help you improve your personal presentation, but you’ll begin see things from a different perspective. The more you practice, the more effective you’ll become – whether you’re selling, training, or speaking.
A growing confidence is crucial for start ups. Until you believe in your message and value, no one else will. Allow feedback to ground you while support fuels you. Work for it until you’re able to sustain, then you can begin taking chances in the unknown realm of marketing. For now, stick to ideas that work with a minimal marketing budget and control your return. But, hey – it’s your story..
What Does a Content Strategist do?
What Is a Content Strategist?
A purposeful content strategy focuses on areas in the market that offer opportunity. By analyzing your competition, a content strategist identifies your brand's opportune placement and finds ways to overcome your competitor's successes. From there, they determine where to publish your content in order to drive intentful traffic with higher conversion probabilities.What Exactly is a Content Strategist?
Writing blogs, creating videos, and developing ads are all essential to your business. In fact, there isn’t much else out there that consistently drives traffic to your website. The purpose behind a content strategy is to essentially tell a story that provides a valuable solution to your following. Without a purpose, your blog or social media post will continue to be used for it’s information – and not your services.
Developing a content strategy is something that takes time. Although organic approaches don’t reap immediate success, they lay the foundation for your online presence. A lot of business-owners or marketers don’t have the time to spend on an effective strategy. Most agencies mimic the success of similar brands in hopes it duplicates results for their client. This will not work.
Investing in a content strategist allows you to relay the message you want to convey while identifying your ideal audience. Avoid agency checklists – as there is no definitive approach – and stop wasting time sharing content on platforms that could care less about your offering. Focus on the value you provide, and generate your strategy.
What the Process of a Content Strategy Looks like.
In order to conceptualize the events leading up to post management, it's important to understand what goes into a content strategy..Discovery Process
Identify what success looks like to you.
Research Competition
Set yourself apart with a strategy.
Get Creative
Engage your audience with intrigue.
Content Scheduling
Publish your content on ideal platforms.
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The Benefits of Content Creation Services
The Benefits of Original Content Creation
Developing unique content, no matter how you go about it, is a key factor of marketing execution. Here is a little more information on our perspective. Content ProductionContact Us
Whether you’re enhancing you on-page content or developing new advertising copy, your messaging and tone plays a big factor in conversion rates. Taking the time to produce original content that aligns with your brand’s objectives impacts the way viewers perceive your company and it’s provisions. Although a publishing process enhances your productivity, it’s imperative that you address your presentability before you begin promoting.
Writing effective content is more than volume and reach. When evaluating or producing our client’s message, it’s our job to persuade while avoiding assumptions. Assuming what consumers need or desire can detour some while confusing others. Expanding your content creation allows you to segment information in order to execute audience engagement. Keep your approach simple and ensure your content creation is clear and gets to the point.
What is the purpose?
When you do this, you’re able to develop supporting forms of content that expand on additional questions or concerns that your audience may have. Most importantly, original content creation allows you to serve your information in different ways so you can reach more users in the form they prefer. For example, some people enjoy reading articles, while others would prefer a slideshow presentation or video. Convenience is highly valued in this era and promoting clarity for every personality will give you an advantage when targeting loyalty and consumer trust.
Taking another step with originality can help you develop further recognition. For example, most companies tend to invest in stock images and mimic similar graphics by their competitors. Taking the time to develop your own creative content not only gives you credibility, but respect in the marketplace. Feel free to research some brands with excellent brand clarity and presentation. Whether it be their logo, coloring, or edited imagery – they’re highly recognizable because they develop their content with purpose. Creative content is becoming increasingly popular. Percolate, a software company, even talks about it making or breaking brands in 2016.
The realistic impact of a content strategy..
The secret behind content creation services that work is simple. Focus on your customer. Keyword stuffing is of the past, and even though search phrases are important, your content needs to be relevant and create trust. You may spend thousands of dollars on content and still experience low conversion rates. At PreFocus, we develop a content strategy that make sense to your most important critic – the customer. We spend ample time defining your audience so we keep them engaged while tying in your company objectives.
On Page copy and poor internal SEO..
Using keywords accordingly is easier said than done. There are plenty of common search phrases that don’t flow well on-page. Differentiating your use of keywords and organizing them with purpose aids you in the content development process. The user experience is being considered by search engines more and more and it’s important that your content is structured in a way that provides clarity. Some of the worst user experiences surround poor navigation and misleading content that doesn’t provide answers or solutions.
Finding mistakes in your copy..
Content audits provide businesses with an outside perspective that reads copy as if they were a consumer or potential customer. For some, reviewing or approving content can be very valuable. Not only is it important that your advertisement or blog makes sense, but you want it to be relevant to your audience. Simple mistakes or poorly written content can ruin a perspective quickly.
PreFocus Content Creation Services
Here are some of our services that surround purposeful promotion and content enhancement.Content Audit
Detailed scoring of your current content strategy and where and how you can improve.
Content Strategy
Let’s research your market, find opportunity, and develop content set on a schedule.
Content Writer
Let’s develop specific pieces of content based on your unique niche and it’s audience.
Management
Contracted management services to ensure copy is cohesive with your brand’s message.
The Process of Content Writing
The Process of Content Writing..
Developing content is an extensive process. It begins with researching your market, the competition within, and your target audience. Once you understand your niche, you can begin writing content that caters to your customer base. Investing in the process of content writing can help you enhance your reach and improve the way consumer resonate with your brand.
Content Writer RequestAbout PreFocus
Our Content Writing Process includes a detailed approach towards analysis and brand development. Understanding and identifying the messaging and tone you’d like to promote is key to establishing your purpose. At the end of the day, a purposeful writer helps you reach the audience you desire. Forget the wide net approach, and fish with the right bait.
Content writing should be considered an art form. In the past, marketing agencies have focused on keyword cramming and immense amounts of content to improve search rankings. This is no longer considered effective as more visitors leave than read. It can be overwhelming and if your message lacks purpose then it’s a waste.
This is where we feel like we’re able to develop a niche. From experience, we’ve realized well-written articles that focuses on a problem and provide value – is the best approach. A journalistic approach may leave your message lacking the substance that the consumer desires. The content writing process gives you a competitive advantage that caters to your customers. We focus on a simple message that makes sense without the additional fluff. Avoid losing sales opportunities and get to the point with a solid PreFocus before curating your content.
Request a Content Writer Proposal
Forms of Content Writing:
When inquiring about the process of content writing, try not to limit yourself to onsite initiatives. Here are some common forms of content that require seamless messaging and purpose.Blog Content
This is where you’re able to engage your following with relevant content on your website.
Media Scripts
Producing content for a promotional videos or podcasts cater to an additional type of audience.
Ads and Print
Executing persona-focused advertisement copy drives clicks with clear intent and interest.
On-Page Content
They way you present your message is key to resonating with visitors to create trust.
We’ve processed content in the following industries:
Read some of the articles and campaigns we've written using our process of content writing.
