If big web traffic and social media numbers are all you are looking for – and you manage to achieve it – fantastic, well done. 

But how do you turn that into paying customers?

It works for the likes of Google and Facebook, who get paid advertising revenue for the number of people visiting their sites.

But unless your business is selling advertising space, you need to be able to turn clicks into clients.

Three recent posts got me thinking about the old adage of quality over quantity.

I must thank Richard Glynn, of Buzz factory PR, for his blog about why we focus on ‘the least interesting, interesting thing’, and Nicolay Armando, of Title Productions, who shared a post about being caught recycling the same strategies because of the fear of the unknown. 

Richard’s point is that people tend to focus on what is expected, routine and safe. He cites an example of a solicitor appointing a solicitor and talking about it. There is very little interest unless you are a solicitor and it will kill engagement.

However, the same announcement can really grab attention with a bit of digging – such as finding out about major legal battles they have won, which clients they have represented, hobbies and interests, etc.

For example, people are far more likely to read something about the lawyer who secured a record-breaking settlement for a client in a high-profile case because that is who they would want representing them. 

What Nicolay highlighted echoed Richard’s point that fear of the unknown leaves many businesses sticking to the well-trodden path that people are fed up with. His answer is that you can’t fix every problem with the same approach. And he is spot on. Even similar clients within the same industry have different needs. The moment you adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, everything and everyone starts to look the same.

Thanks also to Hussel Marketing founder and former Apprentice candidate Lewis Ellis for calling out bought engagement.

Lewis shared how a fellow business owner had caught his eye with their Instagram content which was getting plenty of attention. But a closer look revealed they were using paid-for engagement pods and bots with poorly created profiles just to boost their numbers. Once that cat’s out of the bag, credibility is gone. It’s like sticking a Mercedes emblem on a 1982 Honda Civic and hoping no one will notice. You’re far better off having a smaller number of genuine, good-quality followers who are engaging with your offering because they are interested in what you are doing and might even buy your products and services.

I love working with new clients and embarking on a publicity journey with them. Each client is different and I enjoy a new challenge every time. Otherwise, I might as well be fitting indicators on Audis and BMWs.

It is interesting and enjoyable finding out about new businesses, what they offer, and how they help customers and clients.

It is also great being able to help them get their message out as far as possible, often through media they hadn’t thought of, such as newspapers and magazines, or wanted to reach those audiences, but didn’t know where to start.

Even working with similar clients in the same area, entirely different approaches need to be adopted because their needs are different.

One client who installs security doors and shutters was looking to expand their business and had found their social media engagement had stalled. A quick look at what they were doing revealed they didn’t have a LinkedIn presence. Straight away that puts them in front of business owners, CEOs, operations managers, site managers . . . many of whom will be needing these services. The messaging still needs to be right, but just getting them on that platform opened doors for them. Literally.

Another client runs their beauty business mostly on Instagram, even taking bookings that way. They have a strong Facebook presence which works in a similar way, but, in all honesty, there isn’t any point suggesting they venture into LinkedIn territory. Most of their clients are on Instagram, browsing and sharing new looks and styles and it has become a one-stop-shop for the business.

The key is to keep people interested in whatever you are doing. But it’s worth repeating, it’s far better to be honest than to create an inflated persona your business cannot compete with. 

Nothing kills engagement faster than disappointment.

#pr #marketing #socialmedia #titleproductions  #thebuzzfactory