Category: Digital Marketing

The Fine Art of Listening in Customer Service

Posted on by admin

Want to know the easiest way to find out what your customers need and want?

LISTEN to them. No, I mean really listen. Stop talking for a moment — even if you have some kind of talk track you use when someone calls or approaches you at an event.

One thing that happened this week that proves the necessity for “listen more, talk less.”

I was stuck in South Florida as then-predicted “apocalyptic” Hurricane Dorian was hurtling toward me at two miles per hour. The entire state of Florida was losing their minds. There wasn’t enough water, gasoline and bread to go around. I have never seen anything like it in my life. (Especially for a region of the country where four months a year they have something called HURRICANE SEASON. But that’s another topic entirely.)

Anyway, I started to try to get home the moment I got off the plane at West Palm Beach International Airport. I called the airlines, only to find out that while the company agreed to switch flights for people looking to leave (without cost!) there simply were no flights available. Frontier Airlines had decided to suspend all flights for the next week. It was Aug. 28. I was told the next flight I could get on would be Sept. 9.

I called and called and called. Essentially, each time I got an answer I didn’t like, I called back.

Finally, at 11 p.m., I got someone who told me they could help me. They confirmed, indeed, that Frontier was not going to be flying out of Florida until Sept. 9. However, he could get me on a flight from Minneapolis to Trenton (my home airport) the following morning, Aug. 30, at 10 a.m.

Woo hoo!!!! I was saved. Well, except for the issue of being STUCK IN SOUTH FLORIDA!

Now, remember, I had just explained my issue thoroughly. He looked at my booking and confirmed where I was and which airports I had reasonable access to. He even told me that he couldn’t get me out of South Florida for over a week.

However, his solution was for me to get to the other side of the country in less than 12 hours – by what? Foot? Rental car at 11 p.m. at night?

I asked him where he was at the moment and he said the Philippines. I then made him an offer: “meet me in Minneapolis for the flight tomorrow at 10 a.m. and I’ll give you a million dollars.”

He responded, “Mam, there’s no way I could get to Minneapolis by 10 a.m. tomorrow.”

Neither could I!!!!! Neither could I.

The issue here was simple. He heard my words as a customer but did not listen to my challenges and concerns. He wasn’t using his head to problem solve, he was using a script that was useless in the situation.

The end result was extreme frustration on my part and a complete and utter annoyance with Frontier Airlines. And, I’m telling this story often. It’s not good for my blood pressure and it’s certainly not good for Frontier’s reputation.

As a business owner, please make the art of listening paramount in your customer service training. As people, we can’t always get what we want, but feeling as though the person who is trying to help you understands your plight makes the bad medicine easier to take. And, when the news is positive, it helps the customer remember the interaction even more favourably.

Need help with customer relationship management or business reputation management? Contact Harmonia Media for a free consultation. We will listen and we will help. 

Is it Google MY Business or Google THEIR Business?

Posted on by admin

Did you know that Google is now showing competitor ads in the business profiles of local companies? It’s true and, rather unbelievably, there is nothing you can do about it. You cannot pay to remove those competitors’ ads.

Say What?

According to Google, “with a Google My Business account, you get more than a business listing. Your free Business Profile lets you easily connect with customers across Google Search and Maps.” That’s awesome. But when a competitor’s ad shows up on your Google My Business account page, is that helping or hurting you?

Hard to say. For now, as I said, you can’t pay to remove those ads — if your listing gets hit with one. But, it stands to reason that ever-monetizing Google execs are thinking about ways to charge business owners to get those ads removed. (No real word from Google on this….we think it’s a good horse to bet on, though.)

They give you a free perk — Google My Business. And, then, they make you pay to make it really valuable. Some gift.

But Why?

Last spring, Google sent out a survey to business owners and some marketing agencies asking about what features they may want to see added to Google My Business. According to industry insiders, one request was to “get leads from competitor profiles.”

Google responded by mixing and matching competitors’ ads and listings. Apparently, Google isn’t so concerned about the confusion this may cause (and is already causing). Talk about bounce rate? Now we have to worry about potential leads going elsewhere before all that “high-quality web content” demanded by Google grabs their attention?

Point of note: Google has every right to do this because businesses don’t actually OWN their Google My Business profile page. Google owns them. Google is a business that has never made a secret of trying to make money. This is the way business works.

It’s a shame we now have to figure out how to rise above and continue to drive traffic and legitimate leads. On the positive side, Harmonia Media has the skills and experience to help your company get where it needs to go with targeted SEO, great content and we even have a few tricks up our sleeve that really drives online customer action.

Contact us Harmonia Media today for a free digital marketing consultation.

The Most Important NON-TECH Reason to Update Your Web Content

Posted on by admin

What’s the point of having great content on your website? There are actually at least three reasons to make sure your content marketing is extraordinary. (Two of them are Google-related; one is less tech-y.)

These are the same reasons why, no matter how good your current web content may have read the last time you did an update, it’s not good enough today.

Reasons 1 & 2: Google loves new, high-quality content and it rewards sites that offer it by frequently indexing those sites.

The more often search engines index your site, the more likely your chances of winning a higher ranking in search results.

The second reason is behind-the-scenes. Whenever you post new content, whether a new page, blog post or article, or you just refresh the words on your site so what’s old sounds new again, you have the chance to add more SEO-loving keywords.

Now, in no way are we saying you should be loading up on keywords for keyword sake. (That’s called keyword stuffing and it’s a no-no. Readers hate that!)

Strategic content updates wherein you add some important words, on the other hand, are very helpful.

So, when given the chance, I toss “digital marketing strategy” into a blog post– for good measure.

Relevant keywords come in very handy when your site is being indexed and for ranking purposes. The more high-quality content with regular keywords you add, the higher your ranking.

Translation: more would-be customers can find you online easier.

So, let’s get to it. What’s the most important, non-techy reason to update your content online?

Well, what’s the point of your website? It is to engage, inform and compel customers to stay, read, click and, hopefully, connect (and buy?)  Right? Exactly.

So, answer these questions:

– Has your company made any changes, improvements or enhancements?

– Have you added any new offerings?

– Upgraded your pricing?

– Do you have literally anything new to share with would-be customers?

If your answers are “no, no, no and no,” you may not need to refresh your web content.

However, I would love to know, are you making any money?

Companies, and their accompanying websites, are living, breathing entities. If you’re not growing, you’re stagnating. In today’s marketplace, stagnation is a death knoll.

Continually updating your web content provides customers with new existing information, more calls-to-action and more reasons to give your brand a chance.

Information, online, sells. In other words,  want to increase sales? Refresh your information, or content, online.

Need help? Meet Harmonia Media. When it comes to adding content or refreshing what you already have, we are a great place to start.

Contact us today for a free 15-minute phone consultation.

How to Acquire Customers for Life: A Can’t-Miss Strategy

Posted on by admin

This is a conversation I feel like I have many times every week. I keep repeating it to every prospect and every client because, in my opinion, it’s the crux of any business growth strategy. It’s certainly what drives Harmonia Media’s growth strategy.

Here are my can’t-miss, three-step, deal flow-driving strategy:

  1. Figure out what your customer needs, by uncovering their pain point. What keeps them up at night? What do they need to seek out in the world to make “it” better — whatever “it” is.
  2. Once you’ve figured out No. 1, you are ready to attack. This point assumes you’ve been doing your research in the right market — as in you are researching people who are thirsty and you sell beverages and not you are researching people who are thirsty and you sell tires. Try as you might, that won’t work out well.So you know what your customer needs and why they need it. And you sell it. Now you have to connect with them. But how?
  3. Digital Marketing— in all the right places. You need to talk about what you do wherever they hang out. And, your prospects are hanging out where absolutely everyone is hanging out: online! Now, where they are exactly is up for discussion. But knowing where they could be is much better than A. having no clue and B. Talking about what you sell with people who don’t need it. (Don’t post information about your dog food in a cat lover’s chat group.)So, those are the basics of my plan. And, it works.
    • Know your audience. 
    • Know your product. 
    • Connect the two online. 
    • Simple, right?

Eh, not so much. Digital marketing is a very intricate puzzle of content and search engine optimization and design and advertising and email outreach and….. The list goes on and on.

At Harmonia Media, we know one size doesn’t fit all. The difference between your company and ours is this: we sell something every company needs — access to potential new customers.

Could your company use some more sales? Let’s talk. Harmonia Media customizes every digital marketing strategy based on the client’s needs – no more,  no less. You get what you pay for and what you pay for is extraordinarily affordable considering our track record of driving sales and company growth for clients.

Harmonia Media is different and we’ll prove it. Let’s start with a free phone consultation. Contact us now to schedule a call. Your customers are looking for you….

 

Growing a Business? Develop Trust in the Digital Marketplace

Posted on by admin

Everyone on your team has a role to play.

  • The sales team develops new business.
  • The account management team nurtures your customers.
  • Customer service answers any questions troubleshoots and solves problems (hopefully!)
  • Marketing makes sure current customers and prospects know what you are selling and makes sure they remember you when they need your products and services.
  • And, management is the umbrella that keeps everything dry and warm and everyone comfortable enough to do their jobs.

In addition to their core responsibilities, all of the people on your team have three jobs: get people to trust you, want to do business with you and refer you to prospective customers.

Of course, as I mentioned, sharing your brand and attracting new business is marketing’s key role, but it’s truly everyone’s job to represent the business in a way that encourages buyers to buy!

This is important because every interaction that anyone has with your company builds trust. Without trust in the marketplace, you won’t have any customers. The sales team can’t sell to people who don’t trust your brand, You certainly won’t have any referrals. In fact, you’ll probably get creamed on social media and will be closing your doors before you know it.

This is where digital marketing comes in! Rest assured, digital marketing is not the same as traditional marketing. Your marketing team is hopefully a group of branding experts. They have many tools they use to “get the word out.”

But digital marketing takes it to the next step — to a place where ALL your potential customers hang out: online.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again if you aren’t doing everything possible to connect with your customers and prospects online — where they spend so much of their free time — then you aren’t truly doing what’s necessary to drive new business.

Check out the facts:

24 hours a week – That’s the amount of time Americans spend, on average, on the Internet, according to USC Annenberg.

Always online! – In fact, the amount of time spent online is steadily rising each year. In 2000, the figure was 9.4 hours a week. Today, it’s 23.6 hours per week. So, think about it, one full day out of each week is spent online!

Socializing online – According to a report from Global Web Index, the general world population spends an average of 142 minutes a week on social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, etc. That’s two hours and 22 minutes of your life each week that you are communicating with others online.

The good news is that all this online time is great for digital marketing strategies. When you focus on where your customers and prospects are hanging out, you can compel them to read your content and follow the trail back to your website. At the moment, if you can get them to a friend, link, and otherwise connect with you on social media, you can have a direct line to them daily!

There is a caveat, however. Be aware that there is a lot of noise on the Internet. You are not the only company vying for customers’ attention. You need to be savvy and stand out from the crowd. That takes the right now of digital marketing strategy and it requires experts in the field to make the most of every marketing dollar in your budget.

We can help. We are Harmonia Media and we’ve been helping growing companies, like yours, grab their slice of the online audience with great content, superior SEO and awesome overall digital strategy that works. Give us a call at (855) 535-4848 and we’ll tell you more! Or, fill out our convenient online contact form and we will connect with you.

Ready to Commit Fully to Growing Your Business?

Posted on by admin

Entrepreneurs go into business for themselves for a few reasons. They are looking for longtime financial freedom. They are tired of the commute. They no longer want to work hard and build someone else’s dream. We get it.

However, starting and growing a business is hard work. The hardest job you’ll ever have. It never stops because, if you have a fire in your belly, you’ll never stop thinking about ways to make it better…. to do more…to expand and reach new customers.

The problem is that people work their companies to build the very best widget and provide top-notch customer service. But, they often fail to invest time and money into the one thing that is guaranteed to expand their reach…to drive traffic to their website or store.

Yes, I know. You have a marketing plan. You likely have a website that has been around for a while. Maybe it’s updated, maybe it isn’t. Here’s what I know for sure: it isn’t driving business the way you want it to — or you wouldn’t have time to read this blog post.

I read something recently that got me thinking. The article said, “Very few people are intentional about their own values and beliefs. Additionally, very few people are proactive about designing their environment.”

The article quoted Dr Marshall Goldsmith, who said: “If you do not create and control your environment, your environment creates and controls you.”

For those of us who do business on the Internet, your “environment” is your website. Your digital marketing strategy is what you use to control it.

And, quite frankly, if you aren’t controlling how people find you and then doing everything in your power to compel them to click or call, rest assured that your environment — in this case, your competition — will control you.

Now, it’s also been said that “If you spend each day moving forward toward your dreams, you’ll be shocked how far you go. We have more than enough time to do an enormous amount of good in our lives if we use the time we have.”

If takes commitment to succeed and grow. You know that. You may even have the desire to do what it takes to commit but neither the time nor skills.

That’s ok. I doubt Harmonia Media can do what you do best. So, this is a case you get by with help from your friends. At Harmonia Media, we’ll hold your hand and/or do it all for you while you focus on your core business.

We’ll work your digital marketing strategy daily, as your partner. When you can’t spare the time to make the commitment, rest assured, we will.

Let’s talk. You don’t know what you don’t know. (But I think we do!) Contact Harmonia Media for a free phone consultation. And, get ready to drive business directly to your bottom line.

Just Say NO to the “Way It’s Always Been Done”

Posted on by admin

Soapbox time. Thanks, in advance, for allowing me to vent. I promise the point I make in the next two minutes will change your perspective.

Ready? OK.

Are you a leader or a follower? You’ve probably heard that question, asked that question of others…heck…wondered why some think the answer is such a big deal.

It should not be a big deal to others, but it is an interesting way to view yourself.

Case in point…

I know I’m a leader. I want to be in charge. I have lots of ideas and opinions and, at least according to the coffee mug my coworkers bought me, “You’re entitled to MY opinion.”

Yes, I’ve been called bossy. The horror! Bossy people get sh*t done.

But I digress…

The fact is that I’ve noticed the organizations that ask if you are a leader or follower think they want lots of leaders around. No one wants sheep, right? They want to attract vibrant go-getters — strong people who are willing to jump in and IT is done.

The problem is that those are the very organizations who already know how they want it done. In fact, for better or worse, ’til death does them part, there’s no changing “the way we’ve always done it.”

The situation can, and for me, often is,  infuriating. You want my money. You ask for new ideas. And then you do it the same way, without an upgrade, it’s always been done.

I hate this because I am a Queen Bee, not a worker bee.

Why can’t we do it a new way? In fact, in business, we have no choice to change and grow. People change. Options change. Grow or die.

And, the truth is, doing the same old is detrimental for many reasons.

  • Real leaders disengage if they are treated like sheep. 
  • If you don’t try something new, it’s impossible to enjoy the benefits of something new. 
  • Plus, we grow from mistakes. Never taking a chance means you guarantee stagnation.

Some say, if you do it the way you’ve always done it, the results will be what you’ve always gotten.

No, ‘Fraid not.

At best, you have a lot of disgruntled sheep and some leaders who get very good at complaining from their perches about “doing all the work.”

There’s always a new way. Often, a better way. This doesn’t mean throwing away the tried and true.

This lesson is especially valid in the world of digital marketing.

Google tweaks its algorithms daily which means best practices on how to optimally drive web traffic or Search Engine Optimization (SEO) changes daily.

Great content requires constant upgrades because let’s face it, your business is constantly evolving. New products and offerings increase your bottom line. And even if you aren’t adding to your business, upgraded high-quality content makes Google happy.

Rinse and repeat.

If your digital marketing company has always done it the same way and your web traffic and sales reflect that stale behaviour, you owe it to your client and customers to find a new web company.

At Harmonia Media, there are no bad ideas. In fact, we’ve got lots of great ones about how to increase your bottom line.

Let’s talk! Contact us for a FREE phone consultation and we will show you why we are different from the competition.

 

Why You Need a Newsletter (And Tips for Making Yours GREAT!)

Posted on by admin

Your inbox is probably full of them. It seems everyone is sending out a newsletter to current customers and prospects. How many do you open? Further, do you ever click through to go to the website, read the article or scan the offer?

It’s been at least a minute since you looked at your email. How many of those many newsletters do you even remember?

Yeah. That’s the problem with newsletters. Companies pour tons of money and brainpower into developing them and managing their email lists but few hit the mark. It’s discouraging for certain…

Let’s start with whether or not you need a newsletter. Let me ask you this…do you want to communicate with your customers? Do you want to share news of sales and other offers? Do you want to be top of mind when someone they know asks for a referral? On the prospect side, do you know how steep your competition is?

Assuming you answered “yes” to every one of those questions, I’ll answer the big question the same way. Does your company need nurturing e-newsletter? YES!

“Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs Content Marketing 2019 reports found that 87% of B2B marketers name email as their top tactic for nurturing their audience while 80% of B2C marketers named it as their top tactic,” according to an article on Top Rank Marketing.

Tip 1. Focus on the Reader NOT Your Company

Huh? What’s the point of a newsletter if you aren’t going to share your news, right? Yes, and no. It’s all in the presentation. Just like with a great sales pitch, it’s important to focus the letter on the needs of the reader. They don’t yet know they need what you are emailing about. They do know what they need right at this moment. Focus on how your product or service fills the need they might have.

An example: Let’s say you sell cars. Instead of writing about your new car that just hit the lot or the great finance deal you have, focus on the grind of getting to work in rush hour in a car that might be less than optimally viable.

I’m frustrated and the last thing I want to think about is car shopping. But…when it’s hot out and I have no AC and you tell me about how I deserve to be more comfortable…well now I’m listening.

Tip 2. Offer News They Can Use

Oh, and by the way, we mean news that isn’t about you. Of course, connect your company in a subtle way to the point of the letter. However, focus on something your readers don’t know but want to learn.

Again, refer to No. 1 above. Never lose sight of what the reader wants to be reading. The moment you do, they won’t be reading your email anymore.

Tip 3. Personalize All Email Correspondence

Let’s go back to my very first point. We are all inundated with so much email that there simply isn’t time in the day. You can hit the target with Tips 1 & 2 listed here, but what will it matter if no one reads your newsletter.

Therefore, narrow the focus on your subject lines. You may not attract the attention of every recipient but you will catch the eye of those who need to know about what you are emailing them about. Choose a different focus to capture another area of your market in the next newsletter.

Another lesson we should all keep in mind is that there will inevitably be people that our content is NOT for. Ann recommends focusing on our “Doris” and not on those people who our letters are not intended for.

 

Social Posting Writer’s Block? Here’s 8 Ways to Get Unstuck

Posted on by admin
You know you need to stay in constant communication with your customers and prospects via your social media platforms. However, easier said than done, right? After all, perhaps you are not a writer and marketing ideas don’t come easy to you.
(Gratuitous plug…. At Harmonia Media, being socially creative is one of our specialities! Contact us for a free consultation and you won’t have to follow any of the ideas posted in this article!)
There are several “low hanging fruit” ideas to post about. They all promote your company by bragging about your culture, sharing important information and offering ways for people to interact with you. (That’s the whole point of using social media for digital marketing!)

  • Post about your blog: If someone at your company is creating blog content, it’s critically important to SHARE IT. This is a no brainer! (What? No one is blog writing for you? May I direct you back to us?)
  • Show off your culture: I used to work at a place where we celebrated every holiday (real and made-up!) with a fun breakfast or lunch complete with hats and noisemakers. Those event photos made GREAT social posts. Not only do they show your community a more personal side of your team, but they also give potential employees some insight into what they are missing!)
  • The news they can use: Don’t hesitate to share information and articles (from credible sources) about studies, statistics and anything interesting about your industry.
  • Ask a question: Know what’s interesting about the one-sided conversation? Absolutely nothing. Post a question about something sure to catch your community’s “eye” and respond to the answers to encourage conversation.
  • Testimonials: When you get a positive review on Google or Yelp, or a customer sends you an email or Tweet telling you how your company or employee rocks, don’t keep the nice words a secret. SHARE THE NEWS in a social meeting post. Referrals rule!
  • Any Company Videos: Launching a new product? Opening a new location? Recognizing an employee who has done well? Attending a trade show? That’s video — and social posting — gold! Film it and share it!
  • Friday Funnies or Meme-y Mondays! Everyone loves a good laugh! And we sure know that gifs get shared.
  • Anything Interesting: You know this full well. You start surfing the ‘net and the next thing you know you are down a rabbit hole of articles — one leading to the next — that are sharing tidbits of info that holds your attention. If you share those kinds of smart, entertaining types of articles, photos, etc., people will come back for more.
(Bonus Tip!!! 9. Don’t forget to share posts for holiday greetings and seasonal celebrations, too! Everyone loves a good Happy 4th of July or “Bring on the Autumn!”
Once again, if you could use a hand with digital content — either web pages, blogs or social media posting — learn more about Harmonia Media. We’ve got you covered.

Excuse Us if We Get a Bit Personal…

Posted on by admin

A recent survey of people who are employed as digital marketing professionals revealed what’s new in the world of driving web traffic. The key to increasing customer interest in your brand online is very simple: personalize everything about your prospect’s experience when they look for you (and find you) on the web.

In fact, here is an important takeover statistic from the survey: “98% of marketers agree that personalization improves customer relationships.”

Now, to be clear, we said the key to online success is simple. We didn’t say it was easy, nor did we say it happens overnight.

How we personalize a customer experience on your site is as individual as your company and your customer audience itself. Harmonia Media specializes in website personalization and we would be happy to offer you a free phone consultation to learn more about your needs.

Contact Harmonia Media for a FREE

phone consultation about your digital marketing plan

While we can’t go into detail about how to personalize your online presence, we can review WHY it’s so critical to make sure each and every customer feels as though you have what they need and are ready to treat them the way they want to be treated.

Use it or lose it. You have a very small window to get someone’s attention when they get to your website. A person either gets the feels or they don’t. They decide quickly if yours is the kind of company they want to do business with and shell out hard-earned money.

So, don’t waste even a split second of time with anything other than getting to the heart of the matter — namely answering their questions and making sure they know they are in the right place.

Personalization requires some back-end technical work that allows a website to capture information about visitors to, essentially, customize/personalize the experience. An example is when you return to a website and you are greeted with a big “Hello (your name!) Welcome back!”

Another type of personalization is making sure that you are shown items related to your previous search and/or purchase. It stands to reason, for example, that is you just bought a washing machine, a return visit to the site may be for a clothes dryer.

Consumers know that Google is collecting information about them all the time. In this speeding high-tech world, we may not like that our online activities are being tracked, but we accept they are — for the most part.

All we can hope is that honest companies, like yours, are using the information to personalize experiences to delight customers. Who doesn’t love to be remembered by name? And if you can save a customer time by directing them to their next purchase they’ll love you more.

The bottom line is that personalization is here to stay and it’s only going to become more important. As a company looking to drive web traffic, embrace personalization and use it for all it’s worth. Because make no mistake about it, it’s worth a lot!

Are you happy with your website and digital marketing strategy? Wondering if you can attract more customers to your site and compel them to buy? Contact Harmonia Media for a FREE phone consultation about your digital marketing plan

 

Want More Business ?

Get in Touch NOW!