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#CustomerService - Know Your Niche & How You Serve

You spend a lot of time thinking about the products and services you offer and the customers you sell them to. But does your overall strategy have a strong focus? Are you trying to reach anyone and everyone or are you targeting a specific segment? It’s an important question because not even the biggest companies can be all things to all people. To be successful, you need to identify your niche and develop a strategy for serving it.

Before you can acquire a new customer, you must attract his or her attention. That means you need to know who your real customers are and what is important to them. But how do you go about that? Here are five ways you can learn more about your niche and the best way to serve it.

Talk to existing customers: Your customers are your best source for information on what makes them buy and what (and who) influences their decisions. The customers with whom you have established relationships want you to succeed. That means they’ll be happy to talk with you about what makes them tick.

Look at your competitors: If you are the top business in your niche find a competitor who is closing in fast and see what they are doing right. If you aren’t number one, take a look at who is. Your goal isn’t to duplicate their strategies, but to glean what works and what doesn’t.

Read reviews: Even if you don’t sell online, your customers may be posting online. What are they saying? Are you responding to reviews about you? These people want to talk, and they are a great source for learning more about your customers.

Participate in social media groups: There are hundreds (dare we say thousands) of special interest groups who spend time online talking about issues important to your market. Find them, join them, and become an active member. Groups can provide you with access to valuable information about your customers, your markets, and your competitors.

Look at keywords: Social marketers use keyword research to discover what terms people search for most often. Even if you don’t buy online advertising, you can use keyword research to see what customers are looking for when they go online. That can help you narrow down the features that are most important. 

With so much chatter, competition, and advertising out there today, it can be difficult to get your target market to hear your message. That’s why it’s important to understand what they are looking for. If you do your homework, you’ll be able to cut through the clutter and connect with your customer base.

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#GetOrganized - Participate in Groups on Facebook & LinkedIn

These days, no matter what business you’re in, you have to pay attention to social media. Chances are you have spent a lot of time (and probably money too!) developing a great social media strategy. You work hard to make the most of your pages by keeping them up-to-date and relevant. You design your posts with engagement and collaboration in mind and you race to keep up with the latest trends. Even with all of that, you may not be taking full advantage of a key social media channel—groups.

The main difference between a page and a group is that groups are, by design, collaborative. The whole idea is to have conversations, build networks, and interact with people you have something in common with. Right now, the place to take part in groups is on Facebook and LinkedIn. Both of these platforms have made a big push to get their users to participate in these mini-communities. If you aren’t already active in groups, now is a great time to get started.

So how do you get the most out of social media groups?

The first step is to think about your goals. You want to engage with others who are like-minded and may be interested in buying your products. You may also want to become established as an influencer in your industry space so that people will turn to you when looking for advice, insights, and trends. Being an influencer can help both your personal and business brand.

Do Your Research

Regardless of your goals, you need to do a little research to find groups that are appropriate and relevant to your business and your interests. Once that’s done, jump in. It’s easy to lurk – that is, sit on the sidelines and watch – but to make the most of groups, you have to really participate. That means commenting, contributing, and being a worthwhile part of the conversation.

Decide What Works For You

Once you become active in groups, you’ll notice that all of them are not created equal. At first glance, a group may seem to be the perfect fit when, when it is really just a repository for spam, and there is no real give and take. You can scratch that kind of group off your list. Instead, look for groups that are truly interactive and at the same time allow you to get the word out about your products and services. Many groups now set aside a particular time to allow people to present what they have to sell to others in the group who may be interested. Put these promotional opportunities on your calendar and keep track of them. Otherwise, you may miss the chance to connect with someone who is already sold on you and your company.

So, take a fresh look at your social media strategy to make sure that you have included groups. These tools are a great way to make contacts, build your network, and improve your company image. You never know, you may just find that you make new friends and have some fun too.

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#GetOrganized - Adding Video to Your LinkedIn Updates

Without a doubt 2017 was the year of video on social media. In fact, by the end of last year, video accounted for 74% of all online traffic. If you need more evidence just look at your own Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feed. There’s a good chance that you’ll see at least one video close to the top.

There’s a good reason for the push toward video. Success on social media is all about engagement and study after study has shown that when you use video, you hold users’ attention longer, get more shares, and ultimately more sales. When the product is you, video is just as important. That’s where LinkedIn comes in.

LinkedIn may not come to mind when you think of social media, but if you want to take the next step in your career or to simply find a new job, it could be your strongest tool. Using LinkedIn has long been recognized as one of the best ways to get the word out about your professional capabilities. Until recently, however, you were limited to posting comments, joining groups, and engaging with potential employers the traditional way. Now, however, you can showcase your talents and capabilities using video.

While it was a bit late to the party, LinkedIn has been working hard to catch up with other social media platforms when it comes to video. Late last year LinkedIn reinvigorated its video capabilities, and it has been running at full throttle to introduce its members to the benefits of using video in their updates.

Recording a video is simple, download the mobile app and record directly from there or you can upload a video that you’ve already recorded. Of course, it’s best to have a plan for what you want to say before you start recording, but the process is simple. Once you’re satisfied with your video, just upload it to your profile. You’ll be able to monitor whose looking and what they’re saying. Best of all, you’ll be able to set yourself apart.

LinkedIn may be relatively new to the video game, but it’s coming on strong. For now, it’s a resource only available for individuals, but it should be open for companies soon. In the meantime, make the most of it in helping to get the word out about your skills and abilities, even if you aren’t looking for a job.

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#GetOrganized - Take Action with Prospecting on LinkedIn

No matter what your business is, the people you connect with are the key to your success. Those connections are the key to sales, operations, and how you get your work done. No doubt you have lots of ways to keep in touch—phone, in person, social media, email. But what about making new connections?

Those methods are all effective when it comes to your existing contacts. But what about finding new prospects?  You probably already network, ask for referrals, and maybe even advertise. But are you using LinkedIn to find prospects?

LinkedIn is well known as a great place to find a job, connect with colleagues, and keep up with what’s going on in your industry. What you might not know, however, is that one of LinkedIn’s newest tools, the Sales Navigator, is a powerful platform that can help you uncover potential sales prospects.

Why Should You Be Using LinkedIn?

The true value of LinkedIn is that it gives you access to millions of professional people just like you. That’s a pretty good size social network. Maybe even too big since it can be hard to know where to start. That’s where Navigator comes in. Using Navigator you can narrow down your potential contacts to those with whom you have something in common or mutual business interests. Whether that is decision makers, influencers, potential partners, or buyers, you’ll be able to reach out and make contact. Once you’ve found your target, it will be up to you to make the sale.

Using LinkedIn For Research

As valuable as LinkedIn is for connecting with others, it is arguably even more helpful when it comes to research. Using Navigator, you and your sales team can learn more about those you come in contact with – what are they talking about, what are they sharing, who do they follow. By taking advantage of this powerful capability, you can ensure that your connections are more meaningful and substantive.

One thing that you need to know is that LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a premium service and is not free. Exactly how much it costs depends on the type of membership, but you can expect somewhere between $75-$100. Is it worth it? Only you can make that decision. Your best bet is to take advantage of a free trial or sign-up for a short period and put it through its paces. If you take advantage of all the tool has to offer, chances are you’ll be hooked. Before you know it, your sales calls will be more focused, your network larger, and your relationships deeper. With all that, increased sales will be the icing on the cake.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars