10 Free Online Methods To Prospect And Make Sales With
Even if your business is virtual, you can still have your business listed in Google maps, which show up for most local searches. Also, the information you place on this listing needs to be “exactly” the same information you list in other online directories and review services. You will also need to create a follow up schedule for each new client to urge and remind them to leave you a review on the listing, as well as others like Yelp (which is not so good to work with). I would encourage that after a client has become a happy client, that within 2 weeks, they receive an email asking them to leave a review – but let that link go to a landing page on your website where you ask them if they are satisfied or not satisfied. If not, take them to another page with a form to fill out – which then goes to you to correct the issue. If they are satisfied, then send them to a page that offers a link to the places you want a review left.
This begins with your Google Maps discussed above, but extends to other online directories like Yelp, Bing Local, and more. Any online directory that is not Google, would be a good place to open an account with the same information you used for your Google listings. Work getting reviews added to these others, but only as a secondary place, to feeding your Google reviews.
Create business accounts on the Social Media channels that are appropriate for your business. Share the links to these on your website. Post updates and tidbits of useful information, along with discount offers on a regular basis that works for your business niche. Use hashtags and tag people when and where appropriate to gain more attention and traffic. Promote your blog postings and newsletters. Engage with those that leave comments.
Send twice a month or every 2 weeks. DO NOT send more than this, and in some industries, every 3 weeks might be best. Send once a week and you will watch your unsubscribe rate take off like a rocket. Vary the information you are sending. Make some about your industry, some about general business tactics – like this one, and some about new product or service offerings you have added. Send Holiday messages also. Ask questions and drive people to calling you or visiting your website. The main purpose is not to sell, but to stay top of mind in your business niche, so that when they need a service or product you offer, or they know someone that has the need – you come to mind first. It really is that simple and powerful.
Use your newsletter to fill the blog for SEO purposes at a minimum. When someone visits your website, and they see ongoing blog posts, they will assume you are active in your business and that you are knowledgeable in your industry, so therefore you are more likely to be trusted as a vendor for their business or personal needs.
It’s very easy to take any advertising campaigns you are running on 1 service and duplicate it to another. And if it’s free, you only have that little bit of time to lose if it doesn’t work out. But don’t spend $100 to get $100 afterwards. You can be surprised at times that a service you wouldn’t expect to work actually does – even if it’s at a very low rate, if the cost is effective, why would you reject it? – Especially when it didn’t cost you anything but time to give it a try?
Yes, most are gimmicky, but the average person visiting your website and ends up down in the footer and sees you have business awards could be the unknown thing that causes them to give you a call. I would generally encourage you to place them in the footer, and no where else.
For small businesses, the best video will always be the owner talking about their services, experiences, and products. These can be directly looking at the camera and talking, or can be done in an interview style. On your website, you should have a video for each service / product that you promote or sell. Every time there is a new service or product introduced, or there is a change in your industry, you should produce a video. Explainer videos are very good to produce also. And, if you can get client review videos, those are extremely powerful to have on your website and YouTube channel. Share these videos on Social Media platforms, as well as feeding them from YouTube most of the time, but make sure that you choose the setting where when the video ends, only videos from your channel are displayed as other videos to view – not your competitions – LOL.
Make sure their business email signatures and accurate and appropriate. When I receive a business email, I don’t necessarily judge it if it’s a Gmail account, but if there is no business signature with appropriate information, I generally delete it and move on. If you have online sales, you could even implement an affiliate tracking program and tie that to your employee emails, so that when a sale occurs from a tracked link, they earn an extra bonus from helping to produce a sale. Encourage them to share Social Media posts on their logins.
Take your blogs, newsletters, and such, and reuse them again and again over time. Create a downloadable whitepaper. Create videos from the content. Prospects and clients will not likely remember the newsletter you sent out 18 – 24 months ago. So send it again. If there are updates that need to be changed or added, then do those, but there are several ways to reuse online content.
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
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