I hope you find these mini-topics helpful, inspiring, and encouraging
I was having difficulty settling on a topic for today’s newsletter. I had a number of small ideas that, individually, would not justify a post. I’ll list a few of them. I hope you find encouragement or inspiration in these.
As always, if there is a topic or thought you would like me to riff on more, let me know.
It costs far more to attract and convert a new customer compared to an existing one. What are you doing to retain your existing clients? Is this part of your everyday practice? How can you reach out to those who have already trusted you and purchased from you?
Inquisitive listening is one of the most overlooked marketing tactics I see in modern marketing strategies. For some reason, we seem scared to reach out (call, set an appointment, be human) to our customers. This leaves us making decisions based on what we think they want – similar to operating in a fog. Pick up the phone, ask questions, learn what they need, understand why they picked you, what problems do you solve for them? Ask a lot of questions. It will save you time and money in the long run.
Once you’ve done the hard work of attracting a visitor to your website, make it easy for them to reach you. Don’t hide behind bland contact forms or static phone number listings. Consider how your audience communicates; perhaps SMS/text-based communication, Messenger, live chat, chatbots, or Facetime calls. Make it easy for them to do business with you.
Content marketing is about connections and building trust.
Engagement is contagious. Are you providing engaging opportunities for your customers to spread the word about you? How do you leverage social proof? Because “People like us do things like this” is powerful.
Consider your product a “pass-through” – look beyond it and see how your customer is using it, why they are using it, what problem it solves. People don’t buy products, they buy solutions. They buy fixes. They buy answers. How does your product or service fit into this? How are you positioned with this in mind?
Strategy is security. Articulating where you want to go not only provides clarity, but also comfort, stability, and intentionality for you and your team.
Courses, communities, and private social networks serve as moats around your brand; a competitive advantage worth investing in.
Thanks for entertaining me. Your support means so much and it is a blessing to be able to help you grow your business.
All the best,
-Shaun
P.S. Speaking of strategy, if you don’t have a blueprint for where you’re going, let’s talk.