A novelist who writes romantic suspense has her first book deal in the works. Her primary goal is not what you’d expect. Instead of fretting about editing her manuscript, she’s focused on growing a strong brand identity. “I need a website, a blog and a Facebook page, and I need them now,” she announced to me.
This author understands that a professional online presence is one of the best ways to build her customer base, long before her first novel hits bookstore shelves. If — like this author — you are a new business owner, I urge you to include online marketing in your business’ marketing plan.
The most critical component of your online marketing strategy is knowing your customer. My novelist client describes her ideal customer as “an educated baby boomer who’s sassy and a bit sarcastic. An avid reader, this woman appreciates the sensuous side of romance but doesn’t care for graphic bedroom scenes.”
This author understands her target customer! As the author creates her website and crafts blog posts and Facebook updates, she will write everything directly to her ideal customer.
When you laser-focus on connecting with your ideal customer and meeting his or her needs, you’ll discover that it’s much easier to sell your products and services. Your ideal customer will become your strongest brand evangelist, eagerly spreading the word about your business to others.
In addition to envisioning your ideal customer, you need to know where that person hangs out online. Before you set up an account at a social network, study its demographics. Twitter users, for example, are typically between the ages of 18 and 34, evenly divided between males and females. They’re generally less wealthy than Facebook or LinkedIn users. And they’re three times more likely to follow a brand or a company than Facebook users.
If your ideal customer isn’t likely to be on Twitter, perhaps you don’t need to need to be there, either. Rather than spreading your social networking too thin, choose the online tools that will give you the biggest bang for your investment. Develop a strong presence at those networks.
To establish a strong presence, you must use the tools consistently. This is where most business professionals get stuck. They begin posting Facebook updates with enthusiasm, but then business gets busy and their Facebook page stagnates for two weeks. Feeling guilty about their lack of follow through, they post several new updates. Then those updates hibernate for months.
Most of us would be out of a job if we showed up for work one day and then took two weeks off, and then showed up for another day, followed by several months off. In like manner, your relationship marketing efforts will make no impact unless you use social tools day in and day out.
While regular use of social tools is critical, there’s a fine line between engaging your customers and annoying them. Most people would rather read one carefully crafted blog post per week than seven crummy ones. Resist the urge to update your accounts daily just for the sake of posting something. Instead, publish one to three high-quality pieces of content each week.
Building a successful business takes years. And building a strong online presence typically requires six months to two years. Make the most of the time you invest marketing your business online. Know your ideal customer. Master the social channels your customer is most likely to use. And consistently deliver top-notch content that satisfies your customer’s needs.
Laura Christianson owns Blogging Bistro (bloggingbistro.com), a Snohomish-based company that serves a full menu of online marketing services, including website creation, content writing, and social media consulting. Contact her at 425-244-4242 or laura@bloggingbistro.com.
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