You’re an expert in cleaning, but you’re probably not an expert at digital marketing. That’s why it’s a smart move to hire an agency to handle your cleaning company’s digital marketing efforts. You can focus on keeping your cleaning customers happy while they focus on giving your digital marketing a boost. Of course, hiring a digital agency is no small challenge. A quick Google search for “digital marketing agency” brings up 571 million results! How many of these millions of…
Are you a Google Ads user, or do you rely on Google for any of your marketing campaigns? This year, Google has introduced quite a few changes - both large and small - that can have quite an impact on how you market your cleaning business online. Here is an overview of the changes that might affect your business. From the big overhauls, like the re-naming of AdWords, to the new and improved details, take a look at what’s been…
Forget the phone book. Most people start their search for a housecleaning company online. To stay competitive in today’s environment, it’s essential to have a strong online presence and to be sure your company is among the top results in a search for “house cleaning” in your city. One way to boost your search results is using Google’s Local Services ads, a newer tool from the search-engine giant. These ads, which appear at the top of search listings, display a…
If you’re not managing your Google My Business (GMB) information correctly, you could be missing out on thousands of fresh leads for your cleaning business. GMB is the free listing Google offers to all businesses in order to provide helpful results for search engine users. GMB drives traffic because of its integration with all aspects of Google, which handles 63.5% of all search queries. These local searches cause 50% of mobile users to contact a business within 1 day. The…
In the past, consumers interested in hiring a cleaning business would just consult family members, friends, neighbors, and even the yellow pages. SEO was just a collection of letters, nothing more. Now? The internet has bumped these previously trusted sources lower down the list. 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses before they choose a service provider— 12% search for local businesses online daily. The last place a consumer would search would be the yellow pages (if they…
Social media has become a big part of any business’s marketing strategy, and ensuring that you’re achieving maximum social media productivity is key to the success of your strategy. Why? Well, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Meet the people where they are.” Now, people are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest… you get the idea. However, keeping up with several different social media platforms is challenging at best— it’s a lot of extra time and energy, and at some point…
As a small business owner, you recognize that lead conversion is important. In fact, you're probably using a number of methods for tracking phone leads. Are any of these methods giving you the answers you're seeking? When you get a call about your services, you're obviously delighted, but wouldn't it be nice to know how the caller got to you? Was it via Google or through another channel? You know you need leads, but how do you track them? Tracking phone…
Your business started strong, but as time passes, you find that the same old marketing techniques you've been using no longer work to increase your customer base. Maybe you faithfully attend your BNI chapter meetings in hopes of reaping in referrals, but they're just not rolling in. Or perhaps you started out with solid marketing practices, but as you got busy, they fell by the wayside, as did the growth of your business. How can you get yourself back in…
Personal branding mistakes are very difficult for people to recover from in the age of the internet. Once something's been posted online, it's nearly impossible to erase. Your own personal brand is more important now than ever before. Get it right, and you will create a positive image of yourself that will help you stand out from the crowd, convey excellence and value, and kickstart lasting relationships with prospects and clients. Get it wrong? You’ll create a negative image of yourself that will…
Everyone has a personal brand, whether they know it or not. The things that you’ve said or done have created an image of who you are, and the manner in which other people perceive this image defines your level of success and your influence. In the business world, you know initial impressions are vital, but your actions and your appearance after that first impression are just as important. But can you control the perceptions of other people? Sure you can. Think…
Word of mouth marketing has always been a cornerstone of a business's marketing plan. When a person is looking for a new service provider, they often consult their friends and neighbors, or they search for reviews on the internet. Nothing sells a business better than a recommendation from a real human being. According to Forbes Magazine, recommendations are the number one driver of consumer purchases. No matter what stage of the purchase decision-making process a person is in, the suggestions…
Did you know that 55% of people watch online videos each and every day? Video has become a major marketing tool for small business owners, and incorporating video onto your company website can yield big results. And there are several things you can do to boost your brand with online video. Today I will share some tips and tricks that can help build your business and attract new customers time and time again. So, how do business owners use online video for…
Nearly every business owner realizes the importance of an online presence. Local SEO is an important way to get your business in front of customers, but we don’t want to forget about offline marketing strategies. Although this offline marketing has seemed to go by the wayside, it still has its place when you need to drum up new business or simply spark new interest with old business contacts. If you’re looking for offline marketing strategies, these 30 ideas can be effective for…
Did you know that YouTube is the second-largest search engine behind Google? But only 5% of small businesses use YouTube videos for marketing. That means it’s very likely your competitors are not using YouTube either, which is good news for you! But if you want to start leveraging video in your marketing strategy, you must know how to optimize your YouTube videos for local SEO. When people think about “local SEO”, optimizing their website comes to mind first. And it…
Have you embraced the idea that having an ideal client is vital to your business success? If you answered, “Yes,” you’ve set yourself ahead in the race for more customers. But that's just the first step. Marketing differentiation is critical to achieving success for your small business. A solid marketing strategy requires knowing both your ideal client and what you do differently from most of your competitors. It takes courage to narrowly define one target market and focus on meeting its needs…
The Psychology Of Lead Conversions If you want to convert more leads you need to more than just examining analytics and conversion funnels. Buyers are complicated individuals who use complicated psychology – whether they know it or not – to make decisions about what they do, or don’t, buy. Below, we examine the psychological process that buyers go through and provide buyer-friendly psychological strategies and tips to improve your lead conversions. Knowing Your Audience: What Kind of Buyers Are Out There? It…
It's taken me a long time to find a CRM tool that I like to use. And while there are many to choose from, I finally settled on Nimble. One of the reasons I like Nimble so much is because of its ability to integrate with Gmail. How Nimble CRM Intergrates with Gmail I recently attended the ISSA Convention and Trade Show for the cleaning industry. I gave 5 marketing presentations to members of the various Associations in attendance, and I…
Everyone knows that great marketing campaigns include social media amplification. What many people don’t realize is that email marketing is equally important, but often times overlooked or done wrong. If you aren’t using email marketing, you are missing out on some serious lead conversion opportunities. So what makes a good marketing email and why are they so important for converting leads? Here are a few key things you can do to get the most out of your email marketing campaign. Three Ways to…
There are many ways a business can go about generating leads. However, there are also some lead generation mistakes that can slow your progress or your ability to gain leads. The main thing to remember when working on your lead generation strategy is that you are trying to gain qualified leads that will eventually turn into customers. The biggest waste of your time is to try to cultivate leads you’ve generated that are never going to go anywhere. So your first job…
You may have mastered getting people to your landing page, but getting them to become a customer is a whole different story. So why is it that you are able to get them there but they aren’t converting like you want them to? The problem could be that your landing pages aren’t effective. An effective landing page is measured by the conversion rate versus the traffic. So, how do you know if you have a bad landing page? Take a…
It’s very easy to get in the habit of publishing only promotional content on your website. You spend so much time trying to get people to purchase your products or services that when you do get them to your website you want to really seal the deal. But too much promotional content will quickly turn potential customers away. They're looking for what's in it for them, so focus on providing them with educational content that demonstrates your expertise in a "non-salesy" way. Educational content…
One of the biggest struggles most small business owners face today is getting the right people to their website. Sure, it can be exciting to see a lot of traffic on your site, but if you aren’t getting the right people (your target audience) visiting the site, then it's not going to help increase your income. Consider this. If you have 500 views per day, but only 20 of them are people who would use your products or services, your time…
One of the easiest and most fruitful marketing tactics for small businesses is to connect with an engaged email list. While everyone knows that your email list is a revenue generator and one of your most valuable assets, actually creating the list can be quite challenging. You have to know the most effective ways to collect email addresses to grow your list while still respecting your clients' privacy and maintaining legal compliance. So how exactly do you go about growing your email list?…
Every business owner, small and large, has hopes that each person who is casually browsing their website will turn into a lead. While this is obviously not the case, there are some steps you can take to increase your conversion rate and optimize your website for leads. There is no one secret step that will magically turn website visitors into leads. It is a process that requires strategy and testing in order to optimize the site to produce leads. Having a functioning…
Every good business owner and marketer relies on the data that shows how certain areas of their marketing focus are performing. Tracking your social media performance is just as important. Using the right analytical tools to help you is essential. You can be active on all of the social media channels you want, but if you don’t know how they are helping your business, you will never be able to use them to get ahead. You can have 10,000 followers, but…
Keeping up with social media for your business can be overwhelming. And finding the right time to post to each site to maximize your results is essential in gaining traffic and staying engaged with your followers. Thankfully, there are tools that can help you better manage your time, giving you more time to focus on other aspects of your business. These tools are especially helpful for small businesses that don’t have a social media specialist on staff. Posting to each site…
You’ve set up all of your social media accounts and are ready to go. Now what? How do you use social media to find your future customers? It’s not as simple as adding friends and followers like you would to your personal page. Or is it? The real answer is that it is easy to find your niche on social media as long as you have a plan and are willing to do a little bit of work to get…
You will hear over and over about the importance of good content. Whether you are sharing it on your website or your blog, it needs to be quality content that is full of relevant information. The same rings true when you are sharing content on social media. Content is always king. The catch, however, is that it’s not as simple as posting the content on your social media sites and expecting people to read it. You need something eye-catching, something…
The days of having a professional website as your sole means of providing business information on the internet are long gone. Now, in order to succeed on the web, you must use a variety of social media platforms and plugins to raise your traffic numbers and guide interested people to your website. So now that you have a blog, a Facebook, Twitter account, Google + account and LinkedIn page, what do you do? How do you tie them all together? Why…
With so many different social media platforms on the market today, it can be a challenge figuring out which one works best for you and how to us each one to better your business. What many businesses overlook is the fact that just being on these sites is not enough. Having multiple social media accounts has SEO value. It is not unusual for a business’ social media page to rank higher on an organic search than its actual website. Of…
Social media is at the forefront of many small business’ marketing plans and rightfully so. A business can reach more people in an hour than it could in months, possibly years before social media hit the map. Twitter is one of many social media platforms used to connect with clients. Coming in just behind Facebook, Twitter is the second most commonly used application for businesses. Search Engine Watch estimates that 77% of businesses are active on Twitter. Accessible by computer…
It’s no secret that Facebook is a popular social media application. Used by almost everyone, it is the perfect way to reach out to the masses and let them know about your business. Having a Facebook page for your business is an easy way to share milestones and upcoming news. It is also a good way to stay engaged with your customers. A study done by Social Media Examiner finds that 93% of small businesses use Facebook as one of their marketing…
A strong social media presence is essential in today’s business world. As more and more people take to the internet and applications like Facebook and Twitter to get their information, surviving without fully utilizing these programs is not likely to happen. But with so many different platforms to update, it can be overwhelming to get started. With a helpful checklist that outlines the things you should be doing to increase your social media presence, you can gain control of your…
In case you haven't noticed, the way we make buying decisions has changed. We are relying more and more on what others say about the products and services we're interested in buying. In fact, about 90% of consumers claim that reading a positive review influenced their decision to buy. So if you own a local business, you need to make a concentrated effort to get more testimonials for your website and more reviews posted to the online review sites. If you…
Whenever I bring up the idea of getting publicity for a client's local business I often get responses like: "I'm not doing anything worthy of publicity" "I have no idea what to do to generate publicity" "Getting publicity isn't for me; it's for bigger companies" I beg to differ. Getting publicity is something all businesses should pursue, regardless of size. Some of the benefits include: More exposure in the marketplace It's free! Money spent on advertising can't touch the built-in…
Have you ever opened an email newsletter and had to scroll to the right to see the whole thing? Or maybe the print was so small you could barely read it. Unless you are careful about the formatting of your email newsletter, you could be unknowingly losing subscribers. That's because you didn't make your email newsletter mobile device friendly. What does your email newsletter really look like on mobile devices? Most often, a person with mobile device can access the same…
Marketing is hard, isn’t it? And it's not getting any easier as fast as things change. What worked just a few short years ago may not work today. If you're tired of struggling with marketing and spending money on hit-or-miss tactics that just don't seem to work, then you'll want to watch this video to find out what's missing in your marketing. Most people don't think of marketing as a system, but I'd like to suggest that it's the most important…
Did you know that 57% of a buying decision is made before the customer ever picks up the phone to talk you? That’s because your prospects are going online to research the companies they want to do business with. So it’s imperative that you have not just a website, but an online presence. Think of your website as the hub of your online presence; with your social media pages, your YouTube channel, review sites, online advertising and online press releases,…
No matter what kind of business you own, you must become good at marketing -- because without customers you have no business. But many business owners make the mistake of trying a whole bunch of marketing tactics, believing that this is a good marketing strategy. Believe me when I say... it's not. Many business owners tend to use many marketing tactics without having a marketing strategy. It's kind of like tossing your money at whatever seems to be a good…
Those of you who have heard me speak about marketing know that I emphasize the importance of having a "Core Marketing Message". You might also have heard it referred to as your USP, or Unique Selling Proposition. What is a Core Marketing Message? It's a short phrase that gets to the heart of how you help your customers. Keep in mind that it must also be important to your customers. Here are a few examples: BMW - The Ultimate Driving Machine…
Marketing experts often talk about "WOWing" your clients to make sure you give them an over the top customer service experience. And I often talk about this myself when working with clients. But I've noticed that some companies are not only NOT WOWing their clients, they are completely underwhelming them! And the result can be a client that is not loyal, and one that eventually leaves for a company that sincerely appreciates them. A few weeks ago I did a…
If you're looking for an idea for a unique direct mail piece, then watch this video. I was opening my mail today and had a different sized item that was wrapped in a cellophane envelope. So I took the bait and opened it. Then I ripped the strip off and guess what happened? You'll have to watch the video to find out! Just keep in mind that no matter what kind of direct mail piece you send out, that even…
I recently conducted a workshop at the "Back to Business Symposium" in the Twin Cities, which was hosted by WIN (Women in Networking). Whenever WIN hosts these types of business events, they always put together a "goodie bag" for attendees. This time we received everything from a small notebook with pen, mascara, mints, and a post-conference set of tips that included a Thank You card to send to someone who impacted you at the conference. Also included in our goodie bag…
[sociable/] One of our virtual assistants forwarded an email she received from her dog's vet clinic. In the email, they were asking their clients for testimonials in the form of Google Reviews. In the email they take the time to educate their clients on how to do the review, explaining that the process is different depending on what tool you're using - regular computer vs mobile device. Since so many people are accessing the web from mobile devices these days,…
In this episode of Strategic Marketing Tips we compare two TV ads. You be the judge! Which marketing message to you think is more effective in converting prospects, and how can you apply this strategy to your own business? Watch the short video and share your comments - I'd love to hear your thoughts! Transcript: I've noticed recently in our TV market, two Personal Injury law firms, doing a lot of advertising. And to me, there's no comparison on who…
John Jantsch, Founder of Duct Tape Marketing, recently spoke at the University of Minnesota, for a National Small Business Week event that U.S. Bank hosted. Coincidentally, the day he spoke was the same day his new book, Duct Tape Selling, launched. I was also invited to the event, as an Authorized Consultant of Duct Tape Marketing. After the event, John spent time signing the new book for attendees. Since John was in town, the Minneapolis Star Tribune interviewed him about the new book…
John Jantsch has been called the World’s Most Practical Small Business Expert. I've been a follower of John's since 2002 and over the years bought his books and implemented much of the "practical" marketing advice he offers. In 2013 I joined his team of consultants, and am now authorized to teach the Duct Tape Marketing Systems. Marketing has changed dramatically over the past 5 years and social media has practically revolutionized the way we do business today. But many small…
Do you know what your core difference is for your business? That thing that makes your business stand out from your competitors. If not, watch the video to learn how to figure it out and leverage it in your marketing messages. Transcript: One of the things I talk about a lot when it comes to marketing, is knowing what makes you different. Because let's face it, most businesses say the same old things, like "we've been in business for 20…
In Part 1, I talked about differentiating your business through Cause Marketing. In Part 2, I’ll show you ways to leverage public relations to increase visibility for your business and your cause. In the Cleaning for a Reason story, Debbie Sardone, a residential cleaning business owner saw an opportunity to give back to a cause that held a special place in her heart. And she did it in a way that tugs at the heart strings of almost anyone that…
For the past few years, I’ve been a member of the Board of Directors of Cleaning for a Reason, a non-profit foundation founded by my friend and business colleague, Debbie Sardone. The purpose of the organization is to provide free cleaning for women undergoing cancer treatment. Most people that hear the story immediately connect with it, as most of us have been touched by cancer in some way. Debbie owns a residential cleaning company in the Dallas area. Several years…
Blogging can be one of the best ways for small business owners to educate their audience about their products and services, while at the same time showcasing their point of view and expertise. But if writing doesn’t come naturally to you, the thought of creating regular blog posts can make some entrepreneurs shut down at the very thought of it. Here are some blogging tips to help you with creating regular, meaty content for your readers that will draw them…
You always hear the marketing experts tell you to create an ideal client profile, or ideal client persona. Many people like to skip this step, figuring it doesn't make sense and doesn't apply to them. This video will give you a simple template for creating your ideal client profile and just why it's so important. Video Transcript: One of the things I do with clients when I start working with them on their marketing is to ask about their ideal…
Now that you've figured out your ideal client, it's time to work on your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) so you can tell them how you're different from your competitors. Theodore Levitt, a professor at Harvard Business School, suggested that, "Differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which companies must constantly engage." Neiman Marcus sells luxury; Wal-Mart sells bargains. If you say you provide quality services or that you offer the best customer service, that's not…
You’ve been working to get your clients to know, like and trust you. It’s your number one marketing focus, isn’t it? You’ve built a strong and deep foundation for your business – your ads; your Social Media presence; your branding; your website and your ezine. As an entrepreneur, I think it’s built in to our minds to want to fling our arms out wide and make our offering to the world’s population, because surely in all that, there will be…
I love the way this local greenhouse has differentiated itself from the competition in a way that gets their customers talking. In fact this strategy has their customers anxiously awaiting their weekly email from the greenhouse! Wouldn't you love it if your customers anxiously awaited YOUR emails? What do you do to differentiate YOUR business from the competition? Please post your comments below.
I recently published an online press release about the launch of Marketing Systems By Design. In order to leverage this chance at publicity for my new business I also submitted the information to the Minneaplis/St. Paul Business Journal. This was about two weeks ago. The Business Journal sent me an email this morning to let me know they published the announcement on their web site -- Jean Hanson Recognition Plaque When was the last time you leveraged publicity for your…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRLog (Press Release) - Sep. 30, 2013 - ROGERS, Minn. Jean Hanson, Founder of Marketing Systems By Design in Rogers, Minnesota, is one of a growing group of entrepreneurs nationwide selected to participate in the Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Consultant Program. “The selection process was quite involved,” says John Jantsch, award-winning small business expert and creator of the Duct Tape Marketing System. “To ensure the program’s success, I limited the scope of the initial offering to business…
We're plugging away at getting the website up and running, as well as social media sites. You can now find us on Facebook, and we'd be thrilled if you "Liked" our page! Just go to: http://www.facebook.com/marketingsystemsbydesign [caption id="attachment_308" align="alignleft" width="400"] Marketing Systems By Design Facebook page[/caption]
After 4 days of "Intensive" training in Kansas City, I am now an Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Consultant! I'm pictured here with John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing, and my trainers Patrick Giammarco and Joe Costantino. It was a great learning experience, but these four days were just the beginning. The support and continued training the DTM consultants receive is unheard of, which is just one of the many reasons I love this marketing system. I can't wait to…
[caption id="attachment_220" align="alignleft" width="150"] Duct Tape Marketing Catalyst package[/caption] I'm still studying! Here are all the materials I received for the Duct Tape Marketing Catalyst program. Included are several booklets for each segment of the program. All three of John Jantsch's books are also included, the Marketing Plan Pro software, forms book, full size Marketing Hourglass, Content Management Grid, and full-size Marketing Calendar. Whew! When you sign up for the program you have the option to receive all the hard…
Welcome to the Marketing Systems by Design Blog! [caption id="attachment_161" align="alignleft" width="150"] Jean Hanson, Founder of Marketing Systems by Design[/caption]Right now I am studying daily, learning the Duct Tape Marketing Systems. I'm learning so much and I'm excited to share it with business owners that are ready to take charge of their marketing! In September I'll be in Kansas City for 4 days at the Duct Tape Marketing World Headquarters for intensive training. Then I'll be back in October for…
