Twitter: A Customer Service Breakthrough?

Posted by admin in Customer Service on Jul 7th, 2010 | 0 comments

When you actively connect with your customers, they remember you longer and are more likely to reward you with increased sales. When it comes to connecting with customers, many companies are turning to Twitter. But why?

Increasingly, companies are finding that they can tune in to consumer buzz about their brands through Twitter. Twitter’s ever-convenient Twitter Search allows anyone to monitor keywords and key phrases, including company name, to read what people are tweeting about, much like what Google Blog Search does in the blogosphere.

Companies like Comcast and Zappos have already delegated customer service representatives, or digital detectives, to hunt for and resolve customer complaints via Twitter. Ultimately, Twitter as a customer service platform has proven to be a success!

Of course, you can take advantage of this unique customer service angle as well…it’s not just for corporations! Follow these simple steps to bring your customer service into web 2.0!

Get on Twitter!

Of course, you’ll want to open your free Twitter account! (It will probably be the quickest account creation you’ve ever experienced!)

After that, your first stop in Twitterland is the very useful Twitter Search page. All day long, Twitter users tweet their experiences, interactions, and thoughts. Plenty of those users may be your customers!

Go to Twitter Search, run a search for your company’s name, products or services, and see what your customers are saying!

http://search.twitter.com

If you come across any complaints, or even positive comments, now is the time to make a connection with your consumers!

Create A Connection!

Twitter avails you a proactive opportunity to thank happy customers, and to help unhappy customers-it’s viral! Take your customers seriously, especially if they’re enraged and dissatisfied with your company…those are the customers you really want to listen to!

Take a lesson from Comcast, one of the major communications companies. A team of Comcast employees joined Twitter, and has 10,000+ followers that they keep up with! They listen to what customers have to say and respond with tweets to their solutions.

Their Director of Digital Care makes sure that each customer is satisfied. That’s the kind of customer care you want to make synonymous with your brand!

Establish a Twitter Strategy!

Once you’re on Twitter and are following customers, you’ll want to come up with a strategy for customer service. For instance, look at Zappos’ Twitter for inspiration…

Zappos displays a great example of Twitter conduct, with over 450 Zappos employees involved, and they retain plenty of repeat customers because of their stellar consumer relations.

Many people also follow Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh because he pays attention to his followers’ tweets and acknowledges their tweets through his own, which makes them feel more personally connected. Do you see the pattern?

Your strategy should not only include addressing concerns about your products or services, or resolving the issue at hand, but also should entail paying attention to your customers. Reply to an unrelated tweet once in awhile, or tweet a little something (nice) about them on your Twitter!

Is Twitter a Customer Service Breakthrough?

In short, Twitter is one of the biggest names in social networking, and can be used quite successfully as a customer service platform. Is it a customer service breakthrough? Not really, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t advantageous. In fact, it’s a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of your customers. Also, it’s not just for corporations…your online business can benefit from it too!

Top 10 Jumpstart Your Marketing Checklist for Small Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

Posted by admin in Business Checklist on Jul 7th, 2010 | 0 comments

One thing I have found in my years of entrepreneurship is that smart marketing is the key to success. I have worked with many different types of small business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches and consultants from all kinds of industries. No matter what their business is I have found that if the person does not know how to market it, and they do not get help to do so, the business will not survive.

The following 10 items are what I consider a good small business start up checklist. If you are in business or thinking about getting into business, you will want to ensure you have or are working on all of these things constantly. The right mix of these items works well to maximize your exposure, credibility, expert status as well as to build your database and help you make informed marketing decisions.

1. Realistically Defined Target Market – Most small business owners actually have too large of a target market to be realistic and to be able market to them all with their limited time and budget. Most likely, you will want to narrow your market or define your niche even further with specific demographics and psychographics. In doing so, you will begin to see unique opportunities surface in that market. Do not forget about all your referral sources. Remember, they are your target market too!

2. Marketing Plan – This plan should outline everything you could possibly do in your marketing, based upon who your target market (ideal client) is and the best ways to reach them, including various guerilla marketing techniques, ideas, promotions, and co-promotions. You will need to stick to your well-researched plan and not be tempted to steer away by random advertising opportunities. This should also include a Publicity Plan. The Publicity Plan should include pertinent media contacts, press releases, article submissions and event listings for ongoing exposure. If you are not submitting press releases regularly to the local media and/or local organizations you belong to, you are missing FREE opportunities to get additional exposure for your business.

3. Database – Input all clients, prospective clients, referral sources, and contacts you will need in one place. Be sure to include everyone you have ever known or done business with so that it is easily mail merged for one. In addition, format the database so that you can sort them by hot, warm or cold prospect or referral source. Next, stay in regular contact with your database through effective Database Marketing and Follow Up. This will allow you to be on the top of their minds when the topic of your service and/or product arises in conversation. This process can include letter and email templates, a system for following up with ‘hot’, ‘warm’ or ‘cold’ prospects and ongoing database marketing. Remember, if you do not do a quick follow up after you meet someone, you are missing opportunities and they might forget about you. You want to follow up with everyone you meet within 48 hours of your meeting. In addition, you will want to ensure you continuously follow up. You need to make this system automatic, systematic and practical so that it will get done. Delegate the process it if you have to.

4. Company Web site – Including domain name(s), hosting, reciprocal links, and Internet submission. You are missing sales if you do not have a Web site. However, a professional Web site is a must, not a home-made, amateur site as it will harm your credibility. It does not have to cost a fortune to be professional. The goal is to design it so it will inform, entice and capture your audience.

5. Email Marketing – Distribution lists, program for email marketing, newsletters, promotions – email marketing is the cheapest form of marketing that anyone can do. However, these days there are spam laws that a business must follow as well as email etiquette that you should strive to follow so that you are portrayed as a professional business. There are programs that you can use to truly make your emails pop, but remember you must send people information that your audience wants to read, not just what you want them to read.

6. Effective Ads & Advertising Plan – Including Timeline & Budget – More than likely you are not spending enough money on advertising. If it you advertise in the right places, places that reach your target market, with a good message or headline and for a reasonable length of time you should see good results. If you only try it once, go too small, or have no idea how to design your ad effectively, you will not get results. Learn about all the advertising mediums in your target area, who they reach, their demographics, what kind of circulation they have based on their cost, etc.

7. Professional Marketing Materials – Business Cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochure, sales packet, flyer, and postcard – whatever is necessary to reach your target market. The materials must be professionally designed, printed and presented.

8. Branding – Includes signage like nametags, shirts with logo, vehicle signs, banner, promotional products and giveaways – the more your name is in front of people, the better. You will want people to recognize your brand on everything you do.

9. Networking Plan – Includes any pertinent organizations, associations, chambers or other professional group that brings in referrals or is an effective venue for prospecting or business development. Pick some organizations (between 2 – 5) you believe are the best at either promoting or building your business. Join them and become as active as you possibly can so you become the well-known expert in your field. Volunteer your time generously and most of all put their events on your calendar before any other client meeting or job because these are advertising dollars that you are not spending.

10. Good, Reliable Vendors – Includes industry vendors as well as those for your business development such as printers, mailing houses, delivery services, rental companies. You would be surprised to know that you are probably spending too much money in one or more of these areas right now. Find reliable, inexpensive sources.

If you are thinking that there is absolutely no way you can get all this done yourself, or you just do not know how to do something on this list then, I would suggest that you find an expert in that field to help you. Delegate that task to someone who knows best how to accomplish it and can do it much more efficiently than you can.

Remember, the cost of outsourcing such tasks far outweighs the valuable time you spent trying to figure it out. Your marketing is the most important thing you will ever do in running your own business. If you do not believe me, save this article in a safe place. When you go out of business in 2-5 years, find it and read it again.

Internet Home Business Idea – 6 Steps to Financial Freedom

Posted by admin in Business Checklist on Jul 7th, 2010 | 0 comments

Do you want to finally start making money online with your own wildly profitable internet business?

Do you want to achieve success with your internet home business idea?

If you answered yes, then here you go…

The purpose of this article is to show you 6 simple steps that will turbo charge you to move towards your internet home business idea and finally make you successful with your home based internet business.

Here are the 6 steps to a successful internet business…

1. Setup a Killer Business Plan.

2. Find a Hungry Market.

3. Create a Hot Selling Product or Service.

4. Automate your internet business with Tiny Robots.

5. Write order pulling sales copy.

6. Get traffic, traffic and some more traffic.

This 6 steps will finally lead you to financial freedom.

Lets get started…

Step 1 – Setup a Killer Business Plan.

Create a simple profit plan. Your plan should consist of your final goal that you want to achieve.

Then create a treasure map. This is a simple step by step checklist that you will work on to achieve your final goal.

Now divide this checklist into a daily, weekly and monthly action plan.

The final step is to take action and work your plan. Now move on to find a hungry market.

Step 2 – Find a Hungry Market.

Find a hungry market and feed them with what they want. The process is simple. Look around as to what people want then create a solution to their problem.

You will never sell products to make money. The only thing that you will sell is solution to a problem that your visitors have.

Step 3 – Create a Hot Selling Product or Service.

Once you have researched a niche that is facing some problems, create a solution to their problem in the form of information product or service.

If you donot want to create your own product find some affiliate programs where you can sell their products and make money.

Step 4 – Automate Your Internet business with Tiny Robots.

You will require some simple automation tools such as…

1. Autoresponders.

2. Ad Tracking System.

3. Order Processing System.

4. Website Hosting.

5. Domain Name.

These tools will automate your internet business and make you autopilot income.

Step 5 – Write order pulling sales copy.

Your salesletter is between your product and your visitor. To sell your product effectively you will need an order pulling sales copy.

Stress on the benefits of your product and answer the biggest question in your visitor’s mind…

‘What’s in it for Me?’

Step 6 – Get traffic, traffic and some more traffic.

To make killer sales all you will need is killer lazer focussed traffic.

There are many ways to drive traffic to your website which includes…

1. Article Marketing.

2. Forums.

3. Search Engine Optimization.

4. Blog.

All you need to do to achieve your internet home business idea and to make money is finally get started and take action to start your own wildly profitable internet business.