Piper Newsletter Archive

How to Use Facebook for Business

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:18:00 GMT

Does it seem like everyone you know these days is on Facebook? With over 400 million active users it’s no surprise.

The opportunities Facebook facilitates are endless, but the crucial factor is that Facebook is FREE.

Have you ever thought about using Facebook for your business? It can help your business gain new clients and stay in touch with current ones, promote new products and sales offers, and create buzz and Public Relations.The best way to do this is by creating a Facebook Fan Page.

Step 1 - Sign Up

To create a Facebook Fan page, you will first need to sign up for one.

1.	Visit www.facebook.com - You will be greeted by the sign up fields. Below the sign up fields you will see a link called ‘Create a Page’. Click this link.
2.	Select the category of your business, type the name of the page, enter the security check, tick the box that says: “I am authorized to create this page” and click 'create page'.
3.	Select whether you have a Facebook Book account and enter your details. If you dont already have a Facebook Account click here and follow our easy guide.

After creating a fan page, you will be automatically directed to the page and can start to customise it. You will also see an alert that says: “This page has not been published. To make this Page public, click on the link that says “publish this page”. Click on this to make your page go live, once you are happy with what you have added.

Step 2 - Add Content

Now for the fun part! Make your Facebook Fan page a reflection of what your business represents. Enter information about what your business offers under the ‘info’ tab, update the status, add some pictures and videos. Try creating some buzz - make it crisp, short and sweet.

Step 3 – Suggest to Friends

The next step is to let your friends know about your page. You can ‘suggest to friends’ by clicking the link in the top left hand side of your fan page, just under your main image. Don’t forget to become a fan of your own page too!

Step 4 – Make your Page Interactive

Start the conversation with your fans. Utilise the functions on your Facebook Fan Page. Ask people to introduce themselves under discussions, add events such as a grand opening or in-store promotion, use the notes tab to add content, such as promotions, blogs etc.

Step 5 – Update regularly

This step speaks for itself. Its important to keep your Fan Page engaging therefore update your page regularly, once a week should be fine.

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There are so many ways to use Facebook to promote your business. Creating a Facebook Fan Page will help spread your brand organically, as when people ‘fan’ your page, their friends see it, and awareness about your business grows.

Check out our PiperDM Facebook Page, become a fan and see how it works!

A Website Users Will Read

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:41:00 GMT

Is your website not generating the new business leads you need? Your design is good, you have strong call to action, so what could it be?

CONTENT. I cannot tell you how important the words on your website are. Websites that rely solely on flashy design and fancy layout but lack great content will never truly connect and speak to your customers.

It is your website’s words and how well they relate to your customer that really counts. What really makes or breaks your lead generation is how well you tell your customer what they want to know to make that buying decision.

Writing great content for your website can be a daunting task when you’ve had no previous experience with copywriting. But here are 6 easy tips from our master copywriters to make filling your website with wonderful, influential, powerful words a breeze.

Six tips for creating great copy for your website:

1. Use a conversational tone
Make the website content more personalized by addressing the people as individuals rather than writing a mass message. Connect with each person by using a friendly, conversational tone. Demonstrate that you understand the challenges they face and offer and solution.

2. Update your website content regularly and rework old content
Is your latest website update or press release dated 2008 or earlier? Keep it fresh and current by publishing new content and revising old content.

3. Successful content should speak to and appeal to the target group
Know your audience and what kind of language they use - know the words that work for them

4. Content should be succinct
You don’t need to write a novel to get your point across. Short and sweet.

5. Create a bulleted list
Lists seem to talk to your readers, instead of at them like some paragraphs do

6. Always write your headline first
Writing down your headline first reminds you of what you should be focusing

Lackluster copy that fails to invoke emotions, tell stories or excite your prospects about your products or services is one of the most common reasons websites fail. So now that you have the tools of the trade, start writing and transform your website into a powerful marketing tool and a lead generating machine instead of a passive online brochure.

Have a great day!

Dena Dillon
Director

Viral Marketing - What is it?

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:47:00 GMT

Viral marketing is a marketing method, which relies on people to personally pass along a marketing message through word of mouth or by other communications means.

If done correctly, it can be a very easy and cost effective way of utilising your database for referrals.

What is really important is how you manage the increase in traffic from the viral campaign. It is imperative that you have a system in place that measures the success of the campaign and automatically captures the details of people who view the it.

Be warned, if you are sending traffic to a website make sure that it reflects your business well.

Please feel free to forward this on to all of your friends and colleagues...hint hint!

Here are some great campaigns that have achieved amazing results to get your creative juices flowing.

Here are some examples of viral campaigns made on a low budget:

2002 FIFA World Cup

This photo appeared during the 2002 World Cup, on the cover of a British newspaper "The Mirror”. The photo shows members of the Argentinian defense with woman’s handbags in front of a goal. This image was popular on the internet and although it wasn't a direct marketing plot of FIFA World Cup, it did help to further heighten the already global prestige of the event.

Will It Blend

Utah-based company, Blendtec, began distributing a series of infomercials under the title "Will it Blend?". The company's co-founder, Tom Dickson, blends an assortment of items including golf balls, marbles, and more importantly an iPhone to demonstrate the strength and durability of his blenders. The "cheesy" infomercials became an instant sensation garnering more then 100 million online views between the Blendtec website and YouTube. Since the launch of these videos, Blendtec has seen an "exponential increase in sales" including a five fold increase in online revenue.

Transport for London

Transport for London launched its "Do the Test" campaign in 2008 to raise awareness among vehicle drivers of cyclists on the road. They were only targeting 150,000 people around the London area; however, their brilliant video attracted many more. After the first month of the campaign, the video garnered over 5.5 million views. It became the 4th most popular video in the world according to the Video Viral Chart, the second most blogged about video in the world for March 2008, and has generated more than 6.7 million views on YouTube alone!

Geico

In April of last year, Geico began a new Internet-based campaign to broaden their online presence. To do this, The Martin Agency plans to parody nine popular YouTube videos. The first of these involves the "Numa Numa" guy dancing to a remixed version of "Somebody's Watching Me." The video has attracted nearly 2 million views on YouTube.

And here are some of the possibilities you can do with a larger budget.

John West

This was one of a series of ads by John West Salmon that appeared on the Internet in late 2000. The "Bear Fight" videos have gone on to attract an astonishing 300 million Internet views according to the BBC, and it is not difficult to see why. It's hand-held, low budget, realistic feel will come hand in hand with the term "viral" for years to come.

Agent Provocateur

It is not difficult to see how this glossy ad by risque lingerie brand Agent Provocateur became an Internet sensation. At the height of her global career comeback, Kylie Minogue left little to the imagination in this salacious, yet effective promotional stunt.

Trojan Condoms

Trojan Condoms launched a website called Trojan Games in 2003 which followed a series of Olympic-styles events based on sexual performance. The various Trojan Games videos have been viewed over 300 million times and have helped to, ahem, "stimulate" public discussion about the brand.

Carlton Draught

Carlton Draught wanted to produce an ad that would grab the attention of the world. The result: "The Big Ad." The ad went viral, forcing the beer company to scale back its broadcast television ambitions due to risk of over-exposure. Within 24 hours of its release, the ad attracted more than 162,000 views, and after two weeks it had garnered over one million views.

Cadbury Dairy Milk

Cadbury's wildly popular "Gorilla" campaign is solid evidence that clever advertising can create short memories. At the start of 2007, Cadbury was in the midst of a PR nightmare after a major Salmonella outbreak that occurred at one of Cadbury's factories. Later that year Cadbury launched its "Gorilla" campaign to reignite interest in the company. The ad was a huge success on broadcast television and instantly made its way to the web. After its first week on Youtube, the clip received over 500,000 views. By the end of 2007, the clip had been viewed over 6 million times online. Approximately 70 Facebook groups have been created celebrating the campaign, as well as a host of parodies and spin-offs. Following the release of the campaign, YouGov reported that 20% more people looked favourably on the brand than before. The campaign's viral presence helped to increase sales around the world from Britain, to South Africa, to Australia and New Zealand.

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That's all for now... And remember don't forget to forward this on to everyone you know!

Regards,

Dena Dillon
Piper Digital Marketing

Improve customer relationships and increase profit

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:43:00 GMT

Want to know more about your customers and how to maximize your business potential? Well, these results and more can be easily achieved with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system.

A CRM system allows you to learn more about customer’s needs and behaviours, which then enables you to develop stronger relationships with them - a vital tool for any business.

Given the current competitive environment in which we face, having a system to assist and add value to existing and new client relationships is becoming a necessity for businesses of all sizes.

Smaller businesses have more personal contact with clients and are quickly realising the importance of this. When an existing client relationship starts to break down, small businesses are more likely to feel the bumps and bruises.

For a more personalised approach with customers a CRM strategy should be integrated into every facet of your business’s website. As it allows tailored and automated information to be created and delivered. Every time customers make enquiries, subscribe to your newsletters or purchase products via your online shop, with a CRM your database is constantly growing.

With a CRM you have a complete 360 degree view of your customer’s interactions!

A quality CRM system has shown to:

Streamline sales and marketing processes
Add cross-selling and up-selling opportunities
Improve service, loyalty and retention
Encourage repeat sales

Being able to identify and target clients, and generate qualified leads for a sales team is a compelling tool for any business.

However the most powerful and exciting part of having access to your client’s interactions with your business through a CRM is that you can track, measure and manage multichannel campaigns. Measure clicks, responses, leads, deals, and revenue. You can see and track EVERYTHING!

For more on CRM systems click here

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How Healthy is your Website?

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:46:00 GMT

How Healthy is your Website?

Is your website a lead generation machine? When used correctly, your website can be your most powerful marketing tool, delivering a steady steam of new business and filling your sales pipeline.

Unfortunately, many company’s websites act as passive online brochures.

How does your website measure up? Fill out our simple 5 point website health checklist and learn how your website can reach its full potential. Good Luck!

1. Does your homepage clearly communicate what your company does and the benefits you give to the audiences you serve?

 _____ Yes _____ No

First impressions count, and more people will see your home page than any other page on your website. So, make sure your home page is as welcoming and useful as possible.

It should clearly communicate your products/services and your company’s competitive differentiation.

Most important, it should focus on your prospects' needs and serve to guide them through your website to find the information that can best help them.

2. Does every page of your website include a compelling call to action?

 _____ Yes _____ No

Don't make the mistake of relying on your Contact Us page as the sole method for prospects to take action. To turn your website into a lead-generation machine, strategically design your website with a variety of relevant calls to action inviting prospects to reach out and take the next step.

But keep in mind, not everyone is ready to buy from you today. Look for ways to compel all prospects to reach out, by offering tailored call to actions that appeal to those at all stages in the buying cycle. For example: Free Consultation, Download ebook, etc.

3. Do you encourage prospects to read your website content?

 _____ Yes _____ No

Give prospects a reason to read your website content. Make sure you connect with each visitor by taking a friendly, conversational tone in your copy. Show your prospects that you understand their challenges and can offer a solution.

But don’t just sell - educate. Complement your product and service information with valuable educational information. By packing your site with "how to" articles, best-practices guides and training videos your site will become a resource centre that prospects will trust and visit regularly.

4. Can prospects easily navigate your website to find the information they want?

 _____ Yes _____ No

No matter how good your website content is, if prospects find your navigation confusing and cannot find the information they seek, you will lose them within minutes.

Think of the navigation as the roadmap of your site, you should establish a home base and always provide a clear path to all destinations, as well as back home. The golden rule of thumb is prospects should be able to access any page in your site in only 3 clicks - any more and they may just give up.

5. Is your website optimized for top ranking in the search engines?

 _____ Yes _____ No

Search engines such as Google are your best source for targeted, motivated leads. Your prospects are searching for you. Make it easy for them to find you by boosting your rank in the search engines.

To turn your website into a search-engine magnet, fill your website's copy and coding with the keyword phrases your customers use most often. Keep in mind though that SEO is a fine art, and you may need to enlist the help of an SEO professional to get the rankings your business deserves.

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So how did you do? If you scored a 5 you're doing well, and your website is a powerful lead-generation tool. However, if you scored below that your website could be losing you business.

Want a more detailed analysis? Let PiperDM give you FREE website health check. Simply click on the link below and fill out the webform.