Channels of Communication for SMBs to Engage Customers
Social Media
Social media and blog posts are dynamic content that search engines like Google and Bing use to help rank websites. This makes the decision to use social media obvious. Sites like Facebook and Pinterest let you share stories that cut through the clutter and help customers to connect with you. Use photos, videos, infographics and other visuals to get results that plain text can't. LinkedIn is a great platform to reach with potential customers and influencers, as well as to ask for referrals. By participating in existing LinkedIn groups related to your business area or starting groups that will draw interested people , you can add value, enhance your brand and potentially secure new customers. Why not try Twitter to announce any special deals or sales? It is a great last-minute marketing tool to provide event updates or to promote articles, press releases, news, etc.
YouTube
When you first set up your YouTube channel, no one expects you to be perfect and have Steven Spielberg-quality videos from day one! You'll learn as you go along and improve your videos, but you'll be making sales in the process. Start focusing on length, lighting, pacing and topics that get the right kind of attention. Listen to the comments you receive and apply the advice to your future projects. As shared by Mark Robertson, Founder, ReelSEO, the #1 tip for success with B2B video is to dedicate time. Mark said, "It takes time to create magnetic content worth watching, sharing and repeating." He added, "It takes time to optimize your video's title, tags and description. And it takes time to engage and converse with your customers to build persistent relationships."
Newsletters
To be top-of-mind with your customers, it's a good idea to have a channel to share information regularly. According to Exact Target, 42% of subscribers are more likely to buy from a company after subscribing to their emails. But nothing puts off a customer more than a newsletter that's dull, vague and irrelevant. Make your newsletter interesting by putting yourself in your readers; shoes and cover topics they care about. Put shorter articles on top so people don't have to skip through all the content to finish stories. Include visual cues like sidebars, headings, subheads, and different in background colors for different sections to help readers navigate the newsletter. Also, try using icons for repeating elements and same terms through the editions for continuity. Lastly, photos and infographics break up blocks of text and help readers more easily digest the content. Be sure to include captions to point out the most important information.
