As I get older, the year seems to fly by faster and faster. I can’t believe we are already in August and have to start thinking about what we can look forward to in the new year, but first let’s reflect on what we have seen in 2019 so far.
I could bore you with numbers and which company stated them, so let’s do something a little different. What have we seen that has worked with for our customers:
Customer Service Is a Priority
Customer service could be the very thing that sets you apart from your competition. Treat your customers the same across the board. When you see your clients face-to-face, do you tell them to hold a minute? I bet not. So why do this anywhere else? If you receive a “contact us” email in any fashion, it is best to respond as promptly as possible. Your prospective client should not wait more than 12 hours to hear from you unless it is a day you are closed.
Chats and Social Media- PAY ATTENTION
Most companies have online chats just as they have social media. Here is where you stand apart. Be prompt! Do you just let the phone ring and not answer it? Do you wait till the next day to check your voicemail or e-mails? I bet not! So why does your Facebook Messenger say that you normally reply in 1-2 business days? Why are your customers saying, “Hello is anyone there?” on your online chat? Do you realize the chat occurred 30 minutes… or worse an hour before?? Are you actually responding to that chat 30 mins to an hour later? I hope not, because they are gone!!!! They expect to get someone within 2-3 minutes after reaching out to you. This is normal protocol.
To say that you don’t have time to manage your social media or chats is saying you don’t have time for more business. If your team doesn’t want to conduct these duties, find someone who can, like Captevrix.
Downloads Still Work
Yes, downloads and funnels still work. The trick is ensuring you are giving your prospects content they want. Not what you think they want. That is the trouble with folks that don’t understand the psyche behind today’s marketing. It’s not about you, but it IS all about your prospects. So be sure to give them what they want and if you don’t know, ASK!
E-mails Didn’t Die
Who remembers reading “E-mails Are Dead” but the truth is, they didn’t die. In fact, if you use this tool correctly and actually communicate with your audience, it won’t go to SPAM hell. In fact, it will thrive and work for you.
If you use e-mail to do nothing but communicate, “Buy my stuff!” or “Use my services!” then yes, it will fail miserably. How often do you get an e-mail that just sucks! They say, “buy now”, “get this now” and never truly give you anything or say something worthwhile. Like Darrius Rucker says, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
Reviews
Reviews are still important for the service industry. This includes hospitality and home service providers. These industries are merciful to the review world, including Trip Advisor, Google, Facebook, and YELP! To name a few. We have not seen a strong impact from BBB reviews these days, as the upcoming consumers don’t know much about it, kind of like the Yellow Pages, but we wouldn’t discount it just yet.
These are the top discussions we have with our clients as well as with prospective clients. But let’s point out a few hard stats that you should be thinking about:
- 50 million people use Instagram every day. I personally have been surprised to see that certain clients have performed very well on this platform. It was those that I would say, “I doubt it will work for them, but let’s give it shot.”
- 71% of Instagram users are under the age of 35. If this is part of your target market, you might want to start learning about Instagram, pronto!
- Consumers spend OVER 5 hours per day on their smartphones.
Of course, there’s always more, but this is what I found to be the most important at this very moment. Ask me again in 5 minutes – just like the weather in Florida, it could change!
