Email marketing best practices include analyzing data about customer behavior rather than making assumptions.
In this video we’ll examine some of the common assumptions that drive email marketing decisions.
Common Assumptions
When creating content to share with your list of email subscribers, it’s easy to get caught up in assumptions. Here are some of the most common:
“No one wants another email in their inbox.”
“They already know about this. (So why email again?)”
“They’re not interested.”
“If they cared, they’d be clicking.”
These are just a few of the things we tell ourselves when we pretend we know what our clients are thinking. And often, these are not in the least bit true.
What Does the Data Say?
We have access to data that tells a more accurate story about email marketing behavior.
Email platforms typically have data in the reports for each email. At a minimum, statistics on what percentage of subscribers opened the email and what percentage clicked on particular links are common. Even if you were to have excellent open rates at around 30%, this means the other 70% never even opened the email. Which (of course!) also means that same 70% certainly didn’t even see the links or consume the content.
So, an assumption that “They already know about this” doesn’t really hold true at all!
And yet, many small business owners won’t send out a second email about the same offer because they buy into this assumption instead of the reality. Don’t let this be you!
Not only is a second email in order, but there needs to be a series of emails to give subscribers ample opportunity to consume enough valuable content to help them make a decision to act on the offer.
Another Costly Assumption
Let’s take a look at click rates and behavior. Yes, actual data. Click rates tell even more of the story.
What links were clicked?
Where were they in the email?
What information was shared before the link?
The data informs on whether people made it over to a sales page or a shopping cart or your blog. Once again, if we assume they don’t care about our content or “already know,” that is impossible if they never even saw the information to begin with.
Take Action
When a subscriber gives us an email address in exchange for our opt in or lead generator, we are responsible to deliver. And as part of that delivery, we need to show up consistently with content and action steps to help them with the challenge we solve. This is a relationship and we need to be active to nurture it.
Look at the data from your email marketing. Analyze it and make decisions based on what you learn … not on what you assume.
You don’t “do” relationship marketing. It’s more about who you are.
What is relationship marketing?
Relationship marketing has a slew of definitions. They cover everything from strategy that fosters connection; a primary focus on current customers; and goals of satisfaction vs. sales transactions. I was struck by an observation in a Forbes piece that talked about “emotion” as a missing key word in many definitions.
After all, emotion is the means to connect between two people and from one to many. I like to think that when I write to the masses I’m actually speaking to each person as an individual. I believe relationship marketing happens one connection at a time.
How do we learn relationship marketing?
I have to admit, I don’t think it’s easy to learn (or teach!) relationship marketing. Some are born connectors. Some are not wired that way. It doesn’t mean you can’t improve your ability to connect but it may take a bit more doing … or unlearning, at first.
Getting started
I’ve worked with clients who openly admit they don’t feel they’re natural connectors. Not surprising to me, the very fact that they acknowledge that tells me they place a value on connection. When all is said and done, they’re often some of the best connectors. They just need to be supported to show up in their business and online more of the way they are.
Relationship marketing is about relaxing into who we really are and what we’re all about.
For many of us in service-based businesses, our clients do want to know a bit about what makes us tick. They’re interested in what’s important to us. How we got to where we are. Why we care to help them reach their goals. These are the connective pieces. They’re important. They matter.
For relationship marketing, share who you are
In a recent post on Facebook, I shared a story about how I love language. It’s about what I do in my business, but the post focused more on my personal interests. It speaks to how I got to this place of supporting business owners to create better content that helps them get more of their ideal customers.
And you know what? I wrote it in a few minutes. I tried not to overthink it and just tell a story. Do you love language, too?
How do you connect?
Connecting in relationship marketing is about relating. Can you see yourself in the story? Do you understand how the writer may feel? Are there components that connect to your own story?
These building blocks of connection in your content helps attract the people you’re meant to serve. They make is easier for them to decide if you’re a contender to help them. The more they know that relates to how or why you can help them, all the better.
Can you relate?
Do you relate to the post from Facebook? I’ll share it again here:
“I find language so interesting. Always have. I’m not sure when I realized that I had this weird ability to key into how people say something, the intonation in their words, the pitch of their voice, the letter combinations that they used in a different way.
Not that I’m the only person who does this but I hear lisps where others don’t, or up-talking, or a higher pitch when people are nervous. I hear their “live streaming” or “video voice.” I hear their “I’m so uncomfortable talking about this that I could melt into the floor” voice. It’s ok. Really, it is. And I’m not saying I haven’t done this all, too. It’s actually all quite normal.
And yet there is a way that feels and IS more natural. More conversational. And more effective.
Oh, and I also have a thing about remembering what people’s mouths look like. A new person reminds me of someone else based on their mouth or how they speak and sound.
I’m sure this sounds weird and maybe makes me weird, too. I don’t care. It’s helped me key into language in a way that helps me serve my clients better.
Language connects.
How we say things. The specific words we choose. How we even breathe through our nerves when we live stream. It all tells a story.
And if the story ends with an invitation for how we can get to know the person better or buy their “thing,” well, we better have had opportunity to connect with who they REALLY are because we don’t just hand our credit card over to anyone … even for a “high-value-priced-to-move offer.”
We are people first. Before we are buyers, we are just people. People wanting to understand what you’re saying and why you’re saying it and wondering about the way you’re delivering it and why it’s important to you at all. We want to know what you’re all about. At least I do. Especially before I buy.
I help business owners connect with that part of themselves that often gets overlooked in their own marketing. It’s the REAL them. Are you sharing the REAL you?
You may know how this plays out.
When you script your message too much, it seems inauthentic even when you are the most real person around. You see, we trade in who we are when we step into who we think we need to be to market our business.
We don’t have to step into anything new. Trust me on this.
Take a step back into who you already are.
That’s what people want.
That’s enough.
Dare I say, “It’s perfect”?”
Moving beyond the story
This post (above) from my Facebook page wasn’t created to sell something specific. I wrote it hoping to reach people by telling them more about me. I wanted them to know more about me long before I even thought about becoming an entrepreneur. I posted it to share the me who thought she was going to be a teacher, a doctor, a psychologist and ultimately landed on the path to my own business.
It’s funny how it happens, isn’t it? You probably have a story about your journey, too.
Do you share that story in your business? Will you share it now? How about sharing just a piece of it in the comments below? I’d love to hear it. Really.
Speaking of connecting, let’s connect!
As you think about your own relationship marketing, are you are interested in reaching more of your ideal customers? Do you want to create better content that helps them buy from you? If you are wanting to use relationship marketing in your business more, I’d love to help. It’s what I’m all about and I’ve met some awesome people along the way by practicing it as part of a content conversion strategy. And not just because it’s effective (it is!), but because it allows me to be who I am and trust that the right people will connect with me. Are you one?
If you’d like more content like this in your inbox, you may want to subscribe. And when you do, you’ll also get my 3 Costly Content Mistakes Guide (so you can learn what to do instead). I hope to connect with you further so I can hear some of your stories.
Content conversion is your best marketing tool. When you create effective content (in the format your audience prefers) you outline a customer journey. Creating and sharing content that converts is not as hard as many of us make it out to be.
Let’s break it down.
The Basics
You’re in business because you have a service or product cbdtop.club that offers a solution to a challenge. When ideal clients find you and buy your from you, you deliver that solution. How can you best attract ideal clients in the first place?
Do you jump up and down shouting at the top of your lungs, “Buy my thing. It’s great. You’ll love it. Click here.”?
You may scoff, “Of course not!” But think for a moment. Sometimes we do. We don’t like to admit it. Who does? But when we’re selling, we often start by trying to convince people why it’s so great that they should buy it … right NOW! before our limited supply sells out.
If we remembered, even for a brief moment, that we business owners are consumers, too, we might do it differently. And by differently, I mean better.
Do we like sales pages that strong arm? How about that hard sell? And what about when people tell us how great something is before demonstrating anything at all?
I don’t. Not one bit. And you shouldn’t either. Let’s not expect, nor want our ideal prospects to fall for that either. Give them … give us all a little credit. We ought to sell our stuff based on its merit, not its pizzazz. Pizzazz fades but merit is lasting.
What people need to buy our solution is to believe and trust that it will solve their problem. Or at least ease it a bit. And the best way to help our audience believe in us is to show them something. We show them with our content conversion.
Show, Don’t Tell
Think of it as an audition.
They want to see us do a little soft shoe before they give us the lead role.
So do it.
And do it like it’s the audition of your life.
Don’t hold back. No need to be reserved. Give with abandon. Share your expertise. Create content that comes directly from your service and products. You don’t have to dream up something fantastic. Just share the nuts and bolts of what you do. It’s exactly what I’m doing here.
To help my clients create better content that attracts and converts more of their ideal customers, I have a process. And several of the steps happen before you even pick up a pen or open your laptop.
Know Your Core Purpose as a Business Owner
First, you must be clear about what it is you do, meaning you need to nail down:
What you are really, truly genius at,
Who exactly you serve best and what their challenge is,
And how you serve them best with your solution.
This piece is foundational for all that follows. Only after you’ve clarified this can you move on to what’s next.
Identify the Particular Service or Product You’re Selling
Keep your customer destination front and center at all times. It’s not enough to think “the usual,” you need to specify private content marketing services, group coaching, my x,y,z product. Write it down and keep it in your line of vision as you write your blog, plan your livestream, or write your social media post.
Choose the Part of the Service or Product To Spotlight
Decide what part of your service or product is most compelling for your audience. Is there something they must do first before they can even see clear to your other steps? Is there something they need to understand before they can apply your solution to their problem?
In my process, no one really cares much about clarity. Let’s face it … everyone thinks they’re clear most of the time so they don’t think it applies to them at all. However, many of us have clarity in our heads and hearts but not in our words and not when we try to write it concisely. And when we don’t intentionally bring it out of our heads onto paper or a computer screen, a lot can get lost in translation. It’s important to write it down.
And without clarity, all the other content steps are build on hollow ground. Not good.
Back to my example, in my process, clarity is critical for my clients so I need to talk about it in my content. It can also be a definer of sorts. Some people will think it’s not important and that’s ok, they’re not meant to be my clients. And some will “get it” and those are the ones I want to work with.
You need some definers for you and your content can help you do that. Choose the parts you need to talk about. Even if they aren’t popular, create your content around them.
Your Delivery Method
Figure out how you’ll deliver your content. There are more options all the time. Know your audience and what they like best. Is it a blog article? A live stream? Pre-recorded video? Images or Infographics? Audio? Choose the one you know your audience consumes best and engages with best and create your content in that format.
Create
Now that you know your core purpose, which service or product you’re selling, what component of that service or product you want to feature, and how your audience likes its content, it’s time to create. And not one minute earlier.
Put this kind of intention into your content. You’ll attract more of the people you want to work with. It will demonstrate your value and the value of your solution. You’ll bring them along the customer journey and help them decide to buy.
How’s Your Content Conversion?
Are some, or all of these, part of your content steps? As business owners with multiple tasks and demands, we often don’t put time into the things that can help us most. Your content is one that not only works in the moment. It works for you wherever it lives around the clock. On your website. In your social media. Around the world online. Let me know your steps before you create. Drop me a note in the comments. And if you’d like some support to plan your content with more aligned intention, check out my Weekly Content Conversion Calendar Bundle.
Facebook Marketing copy is a critical component of an overall Facebook Marketing Plan including your Facebook ads and boosted posts. All the targeting, retargeting, and strategizing falls flat if your ad copy doesn’t compel people to stop scrolling in the feed long enough to check out your post. Sometimes after doing all the heavy lifting of setting up the ad, the copy is cranked out without as much care and attention.
Create better Facebook marketing copy that gets more eyes on your business, more clients at your door, and a more steady conversion for your investment in Facebook Ads.
5 Keys to Writing Facebook Marketing Copy
That Converts:
1. Get right to the point and grab their attention.People fly through the Facebook feed at warp speed, either catching up with friends and family, watching videos that pique their interest (and many that don’t!) and stopping occasionally for a business article or post that seems to have value. You must stand out to be seen.
2. Speak their language, not yours.
Remember, it’s about the people you’re trying to attract. Use the words they use to define their challenges, their goals, their expectations for solutions. Be sure they know you “get” them by using the key words and phrases that have meaning for them. It’s how they recognize you as a possible solution.
3. Talk about their desired outcomes.
Be succinct and clear and highlight what they’ll “get” if they click, register, join, buy. Help them to see themselves on the other side of the challenge after you’ve offered them the solution to get there.
4. Have a clear CTA (Call To Action).
Always end with a direct statement of what they need to do next. It may seem obvious but remember, your ad or boosted post may be sandwiched between cat videos and Aunt Martha’s 86th birthday. It’s easy to be distracted and move on before clicking. It can still be an invitation, and not an order, but be clear if you want a desired result.
5. Here’s my call to action: Use available resources.
If you find crafting marketing copy like Facebook Ads to be a challenge (or a downright drag), I hope you’ll check out my offer of more strategies, templates, fill-in-the-blank worksheets, and sample Facebook marketing copy in Facebook Marketing Copy Secrets and Samples.
Your turn! I’d love to hear your thoughts on these strategies and also about your experience using Facebook Ads to grow your business. Please comment below and thanks for sharing this post if you find it helpful.
Content marketing strategy is key to communicating to grow your business. It’s a strategic plan for creating, sharing, and repurposing information and it all stems from your core purpose and message. It’s the most effective way to add value, attract the right customers, and establish relationships that lead to collaborations, referrals, and sales.
Why Content Marketing Strategy Works
My 7 Steps to Content Marketing Strategy That Converts follows a thread from your core purpose and message all the way through to your social media online presence. These 7 steps become the foundation for all your create—your content. It includes what you share verbally, in writing, on video, and live streaming. It’s how you show up online (and off) in a way that is consistent, clear, and true to your calling. Each step builds upon the one that came before it in this order:
Grounding in Core Purpose and Message – Get clear, concise, and purposeful about your big WHY.
Elevator Invitation – Two to three sentence summary of you, your target market, their results.
Website Copy – Describe you, your services, and boil it down for your Home Page.
Opt-in/Lead Magnet/Free Gift – Pathway from your core message to your core service/program.
List Nurturing and List Building – Communicate to attract more people and nurture your existing audience.
Blogging – Valuable, targeted messaging with purposeful calls to action.
Social Media – To connect, share, engage, and invite.
When you approach your business communication from this framework, you create an unending source of content. It’s a matter of always starting from the first step—your grounding. Why you’re in business in the first place. How you serve. Who you serve. Their results. Not your features. Your big WHY is central to this. Keep it front and center.
How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy Plan
Elevator Invitation
Craft an elevator invitation from the key elements of your grounding exercise around your core message. Get clear about who you serve, what they gain from working with you, and your big WHY. Be sure to use language that speaks to who you are at your core. What makes you different than all the other “fill-in-the-blanks” that do similar work? If you’re edgy, your elevator invitation should be edgy. This is your first crack at getting people interested to want to learn more.
Website
Create a website, a home base online, where people can go to learn more. Focus on your About Me, Service Descriptions, and the Home Page. Convey your core message. Define how you serve and the ways that people can work with you. Focus on the results they’ll get. Your Home Page should capture all of this clearly, concisely, and with impact. Make an impression that counts.
Opt-In
Create a free gift, an opt-in, of value that establishes your expertise. Give people something that addresses their challenge. It’s a first step on the pathway of potentially working with you. Be sure the step is on the right path. Don’t pick a catchy topic out of a hat. Get in their heads. Listen to what they’re asking for. Have it ultimately lead to a deeper way to work with you—a low-cost product, a higher-end service or program. This is the pathway. Your opt-in points them in the right direction.
List Building and List Nurturing
Build your list and nurture the people on it. Nurture these people who have kindly given you their email addresses. Remind them of how they can put your opt-in to use in their lives, in their business. Continue to give them value and let them know other ways they can connect with you. Communicate with them regularly. These relationships are like gold. Their number is not that important. The value is in the relationship itself. Nurture it. Value it. Value the people behind the relationship. And continue to share your opt-in with others to build more relationships, too.
Blogging
When writing for your blog, start by reviewing your core purpose and message. Get grounded in why you’re writing a blog post in the first place. Not because it’s due. Not because everyone says businesses that blog do better. Blog because it’s a way to convey your core purpose and message. Write because the value you share helps your target audience to do, feel, think, or become inspired about something. Add value. Blog for the people you want to help. Don’t blog for Google. Blog for Joe Shmoe who needs the information you have. Then invite him to an offer you have that can help him further.
Social Media
Business is social if you’re planning to work with people. Have a presence on social media to connect with others; attract the right people; establish, build, and nurture relationships. Add value when you post. Give more than you sell. A lot more! Give from the place of your big WHY. Demonstrate your knowledge. Share your content, share other people’s content, support others, and, in smaller doses, promote your offers. Above all, be a person, not just a brand. Step out from behind your logo.
How Does Your Current Content Marketing Strategy Stack Up?
Consider your content along this continuum. It’s all interrelated. It’s a tapestry of who you are, what you contribute, and how you invite people to know you, work with you, collaborate with you. You create and distribute content for your target audience—those you’re meant to serve—potential clients. Don’t discount all the other valuable relationships you reach with your messaging. Referral sources, collaborators, supporters abound. We just need to be sure we aren’t pushing past them as we clamor for customers. The value of a referral partner can be exceedingly deep. Don’t be short-sighted while trying to gain customers.
Does content marketing strategy speak to you? I’d love to know in the comments below. And if this makes sense, relax into it. Trust that if you believe in its premise—give value, create relationships, solve challenges—your marketing messages are already inside you. We just need to uncover them at the core.
Focus on why you’re in business and then convey your messages with strategy that gets you noticed in a noisy online world so you can build the business you deserve. If I can help, it would be my honor to support you through the steps of content marketing strategy. Reach out here and let’s explore how.
