Marketing Tips to Grow Your Business and See Genuine Results

The past year has been especially challenging for most businesses. The pandemic aside, businesses also face a highly competitive and oversaturated market. Driving growth may appear extremely difficult, but a well-planned online marketing strategy can pay off.

Born Intelligence, the client-focused digital marketing company, shares a few insights and marketing tips to help you grow your business effortlessly. Some, like social media advertising, may need you to set a budget aside, while others have no cost, but they all promise genuine results.

Websites are Powerful Tools

Don’t ever be fooled into thinking that small businesses don’t need a website. If you don’t have one, you are missing one of the most effective marketing tools. Most consumers start their search online, and a well-designed website is the best way to make an excellent first impression.

Make sure your website is easy to navigate, has a fast-loading speed (not more than 3 seconds), and is mobile device optimized.

The benefits of a website include:

•       Offers credibility for your business.
•       Helps with lead generation.
•       Its content can be used to inform, educate, and convert visitors into paying customers.
•       Can give your business a wider market reach.
•       Customers can reach out to you quickly because they have instant access to your business contact details.

Customers are on Social Media

Your target audience is somewhere on social media, you just need to know exactly where that is. Find their preferred channels to ensure your resources on social media advertising are spent wisely.

Use social media to target your audience and engage them as you build lifelong relationships with them. According to Born Intelligence, some tools are essential if you want to have a comprehensive online marketing strategy in 2021.

These included social media listening tools and chatbots. The former notifies you every time your business is mentioned, allowing you to instantly react. The latter allows better interaction between your business and its customers.

Worthwhile Content

Anything that reaches your audience is called content. This can be a blog post, social media post, or even a video. One of the best online marketing tips is to make sure all your content is informative and helpful, allowing audiences to learn more about your products, services, and business.

To provide the right content, you need to know what problems your customers need help solving. Therefore, know who they are and what their needs are.

Born Intelligence offers these pointers for enhancing your online marketing with worthwhile content:

•       Regular blogs updated with new information receive more links and attract more visitors.
•       Target your audiences with tailored content according to which stage of the sales funnel they are in. In most stages offering solutions to their problem is far more important than focusing on your business and products.
•       Customers on the move will more readily consume audio or visual content.
•       Content must be easy to read, grammatically correct, and actionable.
•       Videos, infographics, and images make content more attractive.

SEO Makes Finding You Easier

Search engines can help your digital marketing efforts if your content is optimized. If you are to rank well in search engine results, you must include relevant keywords and links to credible sites in the same niche as yours.

Remember, since almost half the searches on Google are local, content must also include local keywords and links to local interests.

Make sure your business is listed on all the directories relevant to your niche, including GoogleMyBusiness.

Finally, for the best SEO results, every place where your business is present online must have your exact name, address, and correct telephone number.

Social Proof is Free and Effective

Authentic testimonials and success stories are a free and powerful form of digital marketing because they offer social proof.

Born Intelligence also encourages clients to establish a referral program to increase lead generation. This is the best word of mouth for your online audiences.

Even though most customers are happy to provide you with a referral, they won’t do it unless you ask them to. Once they refer a client, you need to show your appreciation. This can either be by offering an incentive or sending a thanking email.

Get the Right People Behind Your Online Marketing

Growing your business can be very demanding. This often means you don’t have the time to concentrate on your social media advertising, lead generation, and SEO. If you want to get the right message out to the right audiences at the right time, then you need to get a dedicated digital marketing team behind you.

Born Intelligence is a marketing agency with a great track record of successful campaigns offered through their various services. Get in touch and let’s discuss the best approach to grow your business with genuine results.

Reasons why your social ads are not driving results

At Born Intelligence, we are often asked why social ads are not driving results. Since organic reach is becoming harder to achieve, advertising on social media is the best way to reach a targeted audience.

The difference between an organic strategy and social media advertising is money, and every business needs to see their spending maximized.

By January 2020, the number of social media users worldwide reached 3.80 billion people, an increase of more than 9% from the previous year. The majority of these users check their accounts on their favorite platforms every day, offering businesses the opportunity to push social ads.

Successful social media management results in increased brand awareness, customer engagement, and conversion. It also grows customer loyalty, satisfaction, and offers improved competitive standing.

These are the 8 most obvious reasons for lackluster results of social media ads we see most often at Born Intelligence:

1.     Not targeting an audience

Every business needs to have a clear demographic in mind, and many forget that they cannot target everyone. This is one of the main reasons why social media ads underperform. After all, reactions to an ad will differ when viewed by a stay-at-home parent, a career-driven millennial, or an almost retired baby boomer.

With social ads, every business can afford to be picky about who they want to target, so they are reaching the right people. This not only saves time and money but also drives conversion rates. Besides targeting the right audience, ads must be culturally appropriate with relevant content.

2.     No content strategy

One of the main reasons a content strategy is important is because it allows a business to have a social media ad plan. The goals of each business vary, and a business must decide if they are to generate leads, increase sales, or grow subscriber numbers. Whatever they are, everything that is published must fulfill its purpose.

3.     Not optimizing content formatting

Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads may underperform on LinkedIn or Twitter. Optimizing content according to the rules and regulations of each social media platform is the best way to ensure they don’t underperform. This can be done by creating a style guide for digital marketing in a format that suits the preferred platforms.

4.     Less is more as far as platforms go

Born Intelligence often sees small businesses biting off more than they can chew. Only huge enterprises have the resources to manage more than 2 or 3 social media platforms because each one requires a different approach. Keeping things focused and simple is the best way to successfully manage and measure audience activity.

5.     Lack of user urgency and engagement

Users of social media need a good reason to stop and read any content on their feed. Ensuring user engagement requires that content includes a call to action. Multimedia is another way to engage audiences. These actions allow businesses to communicate with users even before they click onto their Facebook Ads or Instagram Ads.

When audiences engage with comments, likes, and discussions brand awareness grows, driving results.

6.     Content is too predictable

Attracting and converting audiences into customers on social media requires original and creative content. A diverse strategy that includes video and written content, including some wit, allows a business to stand out in the frenzied world of social media where new content is constantly published.

7.     Difficult conversion procedures

Whether a business posts an ad on social media to make sales, gain conversions, or grow subscriptions, the process must be simple. The more clicks an audience needs to make before completing an action, the faster they abandon the process. Straightforward conversions that are also mobile-friendly drive conversions, making it easier for businesses to measure and manage activity on social media.

8.     Omitting performance tracking

Reliable social media analysis tools are vital to driving social ad results, and this is a step no business can afford to omit. With these tools, every business can analyze the performance of their ads and their audience engagement. Collecting valuable data allows content and ads to be changed and modified at any point if they are under-performing.

Final take

At Born Intelligence we know that eliminating these pitfalls is the best way to make see results from social media ads. The product users want to purchase plays a small role compared to offering the information they need and engaging them. Instagram Ads and Facebook Ads are the most popular, but these social media platforms are also the most competitive.

No matter which social platforms your audiences are on, click the button below to find out how Born Intelligence can provide your business with social ads services proven to drive results. 

Lead generation may be the first step in getting customers for your business online, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is enough to convert the leads into sales. 

Competition is rife, and buyers are increasingly more sophisticated. As a business, you must not neglect the fact that technology offers you an opportunity to use a precise sales process to grab leads before they lose interest and move on. 

Marketing qualified leads are those captured through lead generation. These leads may have shown interest and signed up for your newsletter or reached out through social media. However, this does not necessarily mean that they are ready to convert into sales. 

Born Intelligence offers you these valuable tips to help your business convert more leads into sales: 

1.     Create content to attract your buying persona

Lead generation is best done by attracting your ideal customer and identifying the process they go through as they initially consider, and then decide on buying your product. As they search for a product, you must show that you understand their problem and offer them a solution. Thereafter, you must motivate them to act by continuing to communicate with them.

Understanding your buyer persona allows you to create content and messages that will convert leads.

2.     Grab customer attention by offering an incentive

Visitors to your website will not necessarily become a lead if you don’t immediately grab their attention. Once a customer lands on your website, they need to know you have their back, understand their problem, and offer the solution.

Don’t allow leads to be lost. Offer them an incentive to stay on your website by giving them something of value for free in exchange for their name and email address. This will allow your business to follow up on the lead. Things of value to leads may be a limited-time discount, a free eBook, or even an infographic.

3.     Monitor the results

A CRM system allows you to monitor your closing ratio. You will be able to see which point in the sales process you are having problems with closing sales. These measurements are vital for your marketing arsenal and allow you to develop sales prospects and capitalize on opportunities.

4.     Response time is vital to capturing leads, but also remember to follow up

If a lead has not converted, don’t allow them enough time to go to the competition. A qualified lead may need questions answered quickly, otherwise, they may move on.

There are two ways to answer their questions quickly and to help them convert as soon as possible. The first and most effective is to use live chat, this is an ever-powerful solution that offers you the chance to send an instant personalized message – you are more likely to get a response here than from an email. Second, you can help them convert by creating a prominent FAQ page on your website. This must give detailed answers to the most asked questions about your product and services.

Next, follow up with an email or call sooner rather than later. This should preferably be within 24 hours, but no more than a few days later, and offering to answer any questions.

 Customized messages are also an effective way to close a sale. Use the message to remind them of the time that has elapsed since you last heard from them. Ask them if they have looked over what you have sent them, and if your product has the potential to increase their ROI, remind them of this.

Marketing automation tools allow you to provide relevant content at every stage of the buyer’s journey. They send out notifications and emails as they keep track of which point your buyer is in the buying process.

5.     Connect with leads on as many channels as possible

This is known as omnichannel marketing and entails using a consistent message on all channels. Use social media, calls, email, SMS, and any other channels to convert leads into sales.

6.     Dare to ask for the sale

Many businesses don’t take the obvious step to ask for the sale because they fear rejection. Don’t be insecure, go ahead and ask for the sale, otherwise, your competition will.

Asking for the sale requires the right timing. Once you have nurtured your lead using all the above tips, open the conversation by asking what they think. In closing, ask them if they are ready to buy.

Conclusion

Closing the deal will help you grow your sales. Using the marketing and sales funnel allows you to obtain more conversions from your lead generation.

Born Intelligence is a marketing agency focusing on helping your business grow. We offer lead generation services and other digital marketing services to promote your business.

Grow Your Business with Google Ads

Having the best website or product in the world is worthless if no one visits your website or knows it exists. You need to find a way to stand out among your competition to reach your audience. The best way to do so is through advertising. Google offers paid advertisements, called Google Ads, which addresses this problem by pushing your product to the top of the search engines. 

Why Choose Google Ads?

Google is responsible for 85% of all search engine traffic and is the most popular search engine in the world. With over 167 billion searches per month on Google, using Google to find new business is the equivalent of opening a business on a highly-trafficked road. Google Ads can be an essential tool for your business to drive traffic, market your product, and increase your sales.

How exactly do Google ads work? When an internet user searches Google for your product, your business will be displayed at the top, even above organic search results. This will increase the number of users that will click through to visit your website and convert to a paying customer.

Benefits of Using Google Ads

1. Gain Traction: The more people that see your website, the greater your brand awareness. Using Google Ads is a surefire way to gain new customers and create more traction for your website. The more familiar consumers are with your brand, the more receptive they will be to conversion activities.
2. Ultimate Marketing Tool: Using Google Ads is like having an online billboard for your company. Your products and services are on constant display at all hours of the day. Google Ads will be working for your business even when you’re not.
3. Intentional Customers: Your Google Ads will create a constant stream of lead generation of customers who need your business services. You’re advertising is targeted to people who are actively searching for your business, not popping up on a random social media feed of users who aren’t necessarily looking for you.
4. Budget-Friendly: Google works with the budget you want to spend, instead of requiring a hefty payment for their services. This flexibility allows you to choose the amount of money you’re willing to pay for advertising.

Born Intelligence is Your Google Ads Partner

The internet is a powerful tool used to reach potential customers and turn them into qualified leads, with many of these processes happening automatically. Having an online presence, regardless of your service or product, and targeting potential customers with Google Ads, is the easiest way to increase your business’s reach and impact. However, without a Google Ad partner, you may not effectively reach your audience or create the proper advertisement for your company.

Born Intelligence provides Google Ad services, including the set-up of accounts and advertisements to help your company reach its full potential and deliver maximum results. Born intelligence is a Google partner with years of credibility and experience creating Google Advertisements. If you’re ready to grow your business with Google Ads, contact us today to set up a consultation.

Reviews are an essential part of a successful business. In 2020, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. With the widespread use of smartphones, it’s rare for consumers to decide to visit or purchase from a company without reading reviews.

A positive review can convince a customer to check out your business. In contrast, a negative review can stop a customer from even giving your business a shot. It’s essential for a company to create a strong online presence for its brand by utilizing the power of reviews. 

Drive Business Sales

Online reviews are social proof that your businesses’ services or products are worth a customer’s time and money. The more reviews you have, the more likely a customer will be convinced to purchase from you. Good reviews are the equivalent of having your friends or family recommend a product or service. Customers want to know about other people’s experiences to ensure they’re investing in something worthwhile.

Build Credibility 

Positive reviews can help build trust and credibility for your brand. It’s one of the easiest ways for your brand to develop its identity and for customers to form a lifelong opinion of your brand. Which business would a customer want to buy from? A company with hundreds of five-star reviews or a business with one five-star review? Having a consistently high rating will help establish your brand in a specific niche and help you stand out from your competition.

Boost SEO Rankings

Optimizing your website to be SEO friendly is essential to rank your webpage and pop up on the top results when a customer is looking for a service or product you offer. While there are many ways to build SEO, increasing the number of people talking about your business is a great way to help. Search engines, like Google, will rank your business higher if your company’s name is frequently mentioned in online reviews.

Establish Relationships

Customers love when their favourite brands interact with them. When customers leave reviews, companies can respond and say thank you or answer any product concerns. When customers feel heard and appreciated, it creates connection and loyalty. You can even use your platforms to encourage client testimonials by creating a giveaway or special discount. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you could simply include a business card with each customer’s orders with a link to provide a review.

Conclusion

Great reviews can help your business stand out and create an increase in sales. Bad reviews can leave a lasting impression on potential customers and hurt your credibility. It’s essential to ask your customers to leave reviews and encourage more customer feedback to increase your business’s credibility.

If you struggle with being seen in a digital setting, you’re not alone. Having a strong online presence can make or break the success of your organization, so it should be a top priority. If you want to grow your business and optimize your digital footprint, click on the link below to learn how we can contribute towards your business success.

Making Your Customers Feel That Special Feeling

Let your customers fall in love with your business

In today’s increasingly connect world, connecting with customers beyond the point of sale isn’t extra. it’s expected! And, it’s just good business. Making your customers feel special will make an impression for your brand, your business, and support loyalty and repeat purchases that make your initial investment worth it, no matter how small.

Make It Personal

With your customer list in hand, you have the power to personalize your communications to reflect your relationship with each individual client. If your business is in a more casual or personal care industry, first name is a good way to reinforce familiarity. If your business is in the professional services industry, like anything to do with finances or health, you may find using the surname will best reflect the level of respect and recognition your clients may expect. Either way, first name or Mr./Ms./Mrs., they’ll know you’re talking just to them!

Show Them You Care

Really, show them! Even a small gift or unexpected surprise in their package can help you build your relationship. And most importantly, it sets you apart from the competition. Maybe you offer similar items or services, but your customers know that there’s a little something extra to make them smile when it comes from you.

Act on Feedback

There are so many ways for customers to rate your service or their experience with your brand online. Wherever possible, jump into the conversation, even if just to let them know you’re listening. That’s it! It’s important not to get defensive, and if you can, for any less than stellar comments and reviews, offer them to try again with a bonus or discount. Or even invite them to send an email so you can work out a solution. People want to know that a company stands behind their product and will do what it takes to get it right. And that really means something!

Get Engaged

Don’t just wait for comments and feedback to start talking—initiate conversation with customers new and old on your social channels. Post polls, questions, share daily anecdotes, feature customers who want to share their purchase. Ask for feedback and show them that your brand is an active listener, responding and changing and truly committed to making each customer experience great.

Let’s talk.

Together we can make a plan to boost your customer loyalty, build relationships that matter, and make your business stand out from the rest. Click below to get started!

Marketing from the heart: Small Business Marketing for Valentine’s Day

It might feel like Valentine’s Day is still far away, but maybe it’s just because we’re packing up our Christmas tree a little late this year. In fact, Cupid’s favourite day is just around the corner! That means it’s time to get back to business—the business of love and all the sales that go with it.

You’ve got customers with hearts in their eyes waiting to find that perfect something for their perfect someone—but if they don’t know you exist, they can’t add-to-cart! That’s why it’s a good idea to step up your marketing efforts in the weeks leading up to this romantic holiday.

Email My Heart

An email campaign reminding them you’re in their hearts may be just what they need to spur a purchase. Or at least put your shop top-of-mind. Plant the seed of romance, and maybe use a few emojis to get the hearts flowing.

People Love Polls

Let people tell you what they’re loving for Valentine’s Day with polls on social media. Polls offer engagement and insight to what they’re looking for and also makes your business relatable. Ask about their Valentine’s Day plans: Headed out to a romantic dinner or staying in?

Find a Match with Facebook and Google Ads

Target your audience and get your ads seen in the lead up to Valentine’s Day. The right ad buy can drive customers to your site and boost sales. That’s something we all love.

Update Your Website or Landing Page

Create a custom experience that makes your potential buyer feel like they’re in a warm hug—with Valentine’s Day messaging built in front and center. You want to make sure that the message and visuals you’re using in your ads and on social media are represented here. That way, they know they’re in the right place! And are already in the mood to fall in love with your products.

We’d love to help you find the right match of marketing solutions for your small business this Valentine’s Day season. In fact, we already know we have a lot in common. Let’s talk and set up a date—hopefully the first of many! 

Have you planned your strategy for the year?

5 Tips to grow your business in the new year

Marketing. It plays such a big part in business. It can make or break it. You should probably rethink your marketing strategies to help grow and flourish this new year. 

1. Provide Customers With Something Special

Have discounts and special overs ready to attract current customers and new clients. An early offer can make a difference! But don’t just be generic. Be unique! Get creative by making you offer more attractive. Add valuable items like adding a free coffee with your clients first purchase or offer free delivery. Give your customer complimentary snacks or fee gifts. The sky’s the limit. It is up to you to make your BUSINESS stand out.

2. Boost Your Social Media

Go and have a look at the most popular content over that past week. Now image boosting that with a specific campaign on Facebook or Instagram. You can even invest some money to promote your page to gain followers. A popular way to engage more with your customers is to host competitions. This will drive more traffic to your website, and you will most likely gain new customers.

3. Improve your SEO

Search Engine Optimisation or in short SEO; is the process of maximizing the number of visitors to your website by ensuring your website ranks high on search engines and are easily discoverable on the internet. Have a look at your Google Analytics to see who is visiting your website and how they got there? Which keywords did they use? If you don’t attract the right people you should look into tweaking your keywords. Go a bit deeper and explore specific areas to find your perfect clients.

4. Start A Blog

What advice will you give to your target audience? What are some of their challenges? If there are any thoughts and tips that you can share with them, you should definitely consider blogging. A blog can provide your social media with something extra and improve your SEO.

Write content that you readers want to engage with. Offer solutions to the problems they might face. Say you are a pharmacy and you know many people can’t afford preventive flu medication, write a blog with various smoothie recipes that contain ingredients that will boost their immune system. Or you are a gym owner and know some people don’t know how to do proper exercises – write a blog to showcase exercises to target certain muscle groups. You get the point, solve a problem you readers might be facing.

5. Start A Newsletter

Staying in touch with your customers is important when your customers need time before buying a product or service. Sending a regular email newsletter from your company is a great way to share ideas, deals and some insider tips. Newsletters keeps existing customers up to date and encourages them to repeat business with you.   

Jump into the new year with both feet! Know what you want to do! Reach your goal and grow your business! Born Intelligence is here to help you strategize and plan excellent marketing campaigns to help grow your business. 

Book your FREE consultation with our expert team and start the year off with a helping hand.