In this blog post, discover...

Are you busy?

If you are a business owner reading this, then the chances are the answer is yes, you are busy - but let’s expand on that: Are you busily working on the right stuff?

It’s easy to get busy in the modern world. When you aren’t delivering to a customer, managing staff issues or doing sales and marketing activity there’s always finances and bookkeeping to manage or general admin stuff that’s outstanding. For the typical business owner, there’s even stuff on the list that will probably never actually get done!

At this point, you might be expecting some tips for how to prioritise what’s important and manage your lists of endless tasks better. There’s no top tips or discussion on to-do list management in this blog post. Instead, we are looking at a much more effective way to get results in your business… outsourcing.

Let’s understand the definition of outsourcing as well as how you can use it in your business and the benefits of outsourcing.​

Facebook Ads can be an effective way to advertise and promote your brand to you target audience - but done badly, it can cost more than you get it sales. In this blog post, we will discuss what Facebook Ads is and how you can get the most out of advertising through Facebook.

Below is a short summary video of this article. You might want to watch this first.

What is Facebook Ads?

Facebook Ads is a form of online advertising where businesses can promote themselves and their products. It has experienced huge growth in the past few years, but with a growing number of businesses advertising, the effectiveness of ads has become more challenging.

The basic idea behind Facebook ads is that the advertiser sets up an advert with a budget to reach an audience on Facebook. The ad appears on someone's Newsfeed if they have "liked" their business page or if they have shown interest in similar products or services related to their industry.

As well as advertising on Facebook, you can also promote your brand on third-party sites as well as on Instagram.

Facebook Ads is an excellent way to connect with your target audience because it allows you to customise what you want your customers to see.

With Facebook Ads, you can also tailor your messaging and choose who sees it by setting up a campaign with a defined target audience.

You might, for example, want to target people aged 30-40 who live within 20 miles of London and have an interest in reading books, or you might target business owners in New York who have an interest in playing golf… you get the idea.

You can pay for ads in various ways such as for ads that lead people to specific landing pages, or based on how many times your video has been viewed. You can also purchase ads on a cost-per-click basis or cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM).

If you would like to know more about the different ways to advertise on Facebook, get in touch with Think Twice Marketing. We would be happy to run through the various options available.

Tips for Facebook Ads success

Here are some quick Facebook Ads tips for making your campaign a success:

Be specific with your targeting

Facebook advertising is all about targeting your audience with an advert that will resonate with them based on what they like, who they are, and what they do.

The more specific you are with your targeting and with your messaging, the more likely they will respond to your ad.

A classic mistake many advertisers make is to target their audience too much on interests. This means that many people outside of their target audience will see the ad, leading to wasted money and less effective lead generation.

Imagine you are providing services to plumbers. If you target people whose job role is “Plumber” then you are reaching the right people but, if you target people who have an interest in “plumbing” then this will include anyone who is thinking of becoming a plumber and possibly anyone who is in need of a plumber.

If these incorrectly targeted people see or click on the ad then that’s wasted money spent on ads. And to make things worse, they might see the ad instead of someone who actually is a plumber!

Also, use language and words that your target audience uses. The more you use your target audiences tone and words, the more likely they will resonate with your ad.

Use Facebook Pixel and re-targeting

Apple has introduced privacy featues that make re-targeting harder but it should still be used in your marketing. Not everyone uses an iPhone when browsing the internet and accessing Facebook and there is still a huge potential if re-targeting is done propertly.

Facebook pixel is code that tracks conversions. Facebook will give you the code which you can then add to your website to track visitors.

The Facebook pixel code also tracks any user behaviour related to your campaign. It can track when a user sees an advert, clicks on it, and when they take any action on the website linked to the advert.

This helps to understand how effective your campaign is. It also helps with re-targeting.

Re-targeting is the process of showing ads to people who have expressed interest in a company’s goods or services. Once a prospect has visited a website or clicked on an ad, they will continue to see related ads. For many people starting out in marketing, this might seem strange but it’s a highly effective way to increase conversion rates.

Nowadays, every business with an online presence should have its own Facebook pixel set up for tracking and re-targeting purposes.

Create a well-worded ad

In terms of Facebook Ads tips, this is possibly one of the most important. A well-written Facebook Ad is essential to the success of a business. A clear and concise message is not only what catches the eye of consumers, but also what instils trust in potential buyers.

Would you buy from a badly worded ad or one that has spelling mistakes?

A good advertisement should also never be too complicated or too difficult to understand. It should be well worded and designed to appeal to your target audience.

The most successful advertisements are those that are able to communicate specific benefits and value to their target audience. They should also have a strong call to action.

Need help with your advertising?

We hope you have enjoyed this blog post, full of Facebook Ads tips to grow your business. If you want to take your Facebook Ads campaign to the next level then help is available.

At Think Twice Marketing, we specialise in creating Facebook and Google Ads to get you results. We work with clients to properly define the target audience and messaging so that they get the results they deserve.

If you would like help to ensure that you don’t waste money on ineffective ads then get in touch today.

I’ve written a lot about pricing in my book Psychology in Marketing and Sales, as well as in previous blog posts and I’m often surprised when I hear small business owners (especially startups) ask how they can possibly charge for something when other people are offering similar services for free.

A recent example of this is when a customer of mine pointed out that his competitor is charging £25 for a webinar. “How can they do that”, I was asked, “when everyone is currently doing similar webinars for free?”... and from what we could see, the competitor is successfully selling these webinars.

The reason for the success comes down to what I like to refer to as the ‘Offer’ - the way that the product or service is positioned including the key message, the benefits and who is being targeted.
As well as the way the offer is positioned, the price itself can have a big impact on perception. Without knowing anything about jewellery, for example, a customer might assume that the higher-priced necklace or earring is better quality. The webinar or training course that has a higher price tag could be assumed to provide more valuable content.

The purpose of this blog post isn’t to give you specific actions or strategies for your business when it comes to product positioning and pricing. The aim is to provide you with content to reflect on, and to help you think about how you can position your products better - and that’s why I’d like to share the following examples I came across recently (by the way, if you would like to have a review of your pricing strategy or how you position your offer then I provide a 90-minute one on one session that could make a huge difference to your business. Click here to find out more).

The apple story

I have come across this from multiple sources, and while I don’t know if it’s a true story, it’s still great to read…

An old man was selling apples. His price list reads:

1 apple = $3.00
3 apples = $10.00

A young man stopped and bought 3 apples individually - paying $3 for each.

As the young man was walking away he turned and said “Hey old man, do you realise I just bought 3 apples for $9, instead of $10? Maybe business is not your thing?”

The old man smiled and mumbled to himself “people are funny. Every time they buy 3 apples instead of 1, yet they keep trying to teach me how to do business.”

Comparing Apple, not apples

On the subject of apples, The iPhone (ok so a different type of Apple!) has been very successful over the years with a much higher price than many of its competitors.

We could get into an in-depth comparison on how good the iPhone has been over the years compared to other phones but, despite some phones being arguably better, having more features and being cheaper, they have not sold as well as the iPhone.

Why? Because Apple products have strong desirability. The brand has been built up over the years and the ‘Offer’ has been created and positioned in a way to make the iPhone a MUST HAVE product.

What’s your OFFER?

When it comes to selling and marketing your products and services, it’s not just about the price, or about the features. It’s about many elements that need to come together as a complete package. Success depends on creating the right offer and then communicating it effectively to the right audience.

The right offer consists of having the right product, with the right features and benefits at the right price, and that also needs to be communicated to the right target audience. That’s a lot of ‘rights’ but you get the idea.
​
If you need help with positioning your offer correctly and making it a success, let’s have a chat to see how I can help. Get in touch today.

A few months ago I was out for a walk with my son and we passed a For Sale sign for a property, and the contact details at the bottom of the sign included an email address that was Hotmail (such as name@hotmail.com). My teenage son called out jokingly “at hotmail, I’m not buying that!’ - which got me thinking about the importance of professional branding (the fact a teenager is suggesting he’s interested in buying a house didn’t bother me, knowing that anything on the market is clearly out of his budget in the short-term!).

For many years, I’ve always argued that businesses serious about growth need to look professional, and seeing signage or wording on vans (such as for electricians or plumbers) that have a gmail or hotmail email included is likely to put doubt in the mind of the buyer. If you don’t know the two electricians, would you rather buy from john@premiumelectrician.com or gary123@gmail.com?*

But I would argue the importance for having a professional brand, right? Afterall, I’m in marketing and brand reputation, and building credibility and trust with customers is something at the front of my mind on a regular basis. But in this scenario, it wasnt me. It was a teenager with little knowledge about marketing concepts and who has no experience of buying high priced items such as cars or a property who clearly pointing out that the lack of professional branding in the contact details could be a reason not to buy.

Potential customers seek credibility

When a potential customer looks to buy from a business, they want you to show credibility that you are a trustworthy brand. If there is any doubt about your credibility then they will look at buying elsewhere, and not from you.

Think of it like a job interview. When recruiting, a business might receive a stack of CVs to find their ideal candidate. They can’t interview everyone and if they all look good then there’s a dilemna, so what to do?

An easier option, which is usually deployed, is to find a reason to discount a candidate with reasons such as ‘there are a couple of spelling mistakes, do we really want that lack of attention to detail in that role?’.

​Finding reasons not to hire or interview is as powerful as finding a reason to hire someone, and when it comes to brand reputation the same applies. The copywriter that sends you a badly worded proposal, or the accountant that messes up the figures in their quote they send to you, are sure to reduce the chances of getting the business. Of course there are many other factors that come into the decision making process but building trust and credibility is a major reason for someone to buy.

Attention to detail

Often it doesn’t take much effort to re-check wording on your website or in proposals to make sure that there aren’t any obvious mistakes, and having a professional email address or company logo doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to implement. In fact, the cost of having a registered domain that looks professional should be compared to the cost of losing business from potential customers who decide to go with your competitors!

In the example above, an estate agent makes thousands of pounds on the sale of a single property. The cost of registering a domain and setting up an email address with that new more professional domain can be as little as £20-80 a year (in fact, you can use Zoho mail which is free and the total cost can be even lower).

Is your brand up to scratch?

If you are worried that your brand isn’t providing the professional image that you need to win business then get in touch for a free marketing review. We would be happy to provide you with some top tips and suggestions. Call us today to find out more.

*These email addresses are made up. I also mean no disrepspect to hotmail and gmail accounts. On a personal level, they are great to use.

The number three is a magical number which if used properly in your marketing, can help get better results. I was trailing through my archived emails the other day when I came across an email talking about how remembering numbers is easiest when they are grouped into sets of three, and it got me thinking. How can this apply to marketing and sales?

Using the concept of grouping things into 3 means that you can do the following:

• Make your marketing and messaging clearer, and more memorable
• Nudge customers toward buying the product or service you would like them to buy
• Explain how your product or services works so that customers will want to use them

The way that the power of three works is simple (I could say I will explain it in 3 simple steps but on this occasion, I won’t). On its own, a single number, price or product seems ‘lonely’. It’s not comprehensive and there’s nothing to compare. The human mind can absorb a lot more information than that so lets at least double it…

Two is good, but it could be better. If I ask you to remember a set of numbers, let’s say 702393, you could remember them individually as six separate numbers. You could remember them in groups of two, such as 70, 23, 93 or in groups of three such as 702, 393. You are more likely to remember them - and longer groups of numbers, in groups of three.

In his book, How to Write Short, author Roy Peter Clark talks about how using the rule of 3 can be more entertaining and satisfying as well as being more effective.

Before we apply this to marketing, let’s consider some real-world examples of how three is being used:

Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister,  was involved in using a simple 3 worded slogan during the EU referendum campaign that was simple and easy to understand: Take Back Control. He then became Prime Minister and won a general election with the three worded slogan ‘Get Brexit Done’ which almost seemed like his answer to everything… but it worked. In 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak, he also made the message clear ‘stay home, protect the NHS, save lives’. Ok, so the first and last part are only 2 words, but the slogan is split into 3 sections that are easy to understand, memorable and made sense. Staying at home helped protect the NHS and helps to save lives.

The power of 3 can be covering 3 words in a slogan or three individual concepts. 

Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights activist, often used the power of 3 with lines such as “insult, injustice and exploitation” in one of his speeches* followed by “justice, goodwill, and brotherhood.”. Listing 5, 6 or even 10 things would have been harder to remember and would have diluted the message. Listing three things also makes the presenter seem more knowledgeable.

Julius Caesar said “I came, I saw, I conquered”, Winston Churchill once said “Blood, sweat and tears” while the American Declaration of Independence says “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

The power of three is not new, but it’s often forgotten when trying to make marketing more effective.

Using it in your marketing

In my book, Psychology in Marketing and Sales, I talk about Decoy Pricing which involves offering a third pricing option. This third option increases sales conversions and also results in customers opting for higher-priced products or services. This works for various reasons, one of which is that it takes the mind away from comparing lower-priced products, or not buying at all.

In your marketing communication you can also use the power of 3 as follows:

• To make your product memorable for when people are ready to buy
• To get the benefits across quickly and easily without losing the attention of your audience
• To highlight how easy to use or implement your product is, resulting in higher trust and consequent sales

Here are some examples to consider:

An accountant might highlight they offer ways to save on tax, avoid fines and grow your business as the main benefits.

A web designer might increase the value of a service by offering a 3 in 1 package: web design, blogging and social media for one single price.

A software company might communicate that their product can be set up in 3, easy to follow steps.

A fashion designer might use a slogan such as ‘look great, feel amazing, be different’

Whether you use 3 or another number in your marketing, it’s important to keep messages simple and easy to understand - while making your product attractive. If you would like help defining your marketing messaging and communicating to your customers then get in touch today.

*His speech “Non-Violence and Racial Justice”

Over the years, I’ve heard many people raise two issues when it comes to writing blog posts. Firstly, they don’t have the time and secondly, they don’t know what to write about. Although in reality writing a blog post every month should only take a couple of hours every month, I’m not going to address the first issue in this article.

Coming up with relevant and useful content can actually be easier than you think and once you get into your creative flow you’ll discover it’s actually a lot easier than you initially thought.

The initial resistance

The first reaction by the human mind to the idea of writing a blog is ‘I can’t do that. I have no idea what to write about and where would I start?’ - but it’s important to make a start and that should be with writing down or brainstorming a list of ideas and topics.

A few years ago, I did a training session for a marketing design company. They knew how to create amazing artwork and graphics for their customers but their team wanted to expand their knowledge on topics such as social media and how to create content on various social media and blogging platforms. After suggesting how often they should be posting content, the initial response from the team leader was ‘no, we won’t be posting that often. We don’t have the time to come up with ideas on a regular basis’ but half an hour later, they had a spreadsheet with a list of over twenty different topics they could use.

How had this happened?

After the initial ‘we can’t do that’ response, I suggested we spend 30 minutes discussing how to come up with ideas. we explored what sort of content could be covered and the conversation went something like this…

Me: When you talk to your clients over the phone or face to face, what sort of advice do you give them? Give me a quick example.
Team member one: Well, we might suggest that all artwork has their logo on to raise brand awareness and that the colours they use on their website, social media and other marketing materials are consistent and in line with their brand.
Team member two: And that the logo should be crisp and easy to identify. We get customers from time to time who have used a blurred logo or their logo is so small you can’t read anything on it.
Me: Great, you’ve just given me three or four top tips that you can use to create three or four separate social media posts and possibly a blog post with tips for creating professional branding.

At this point, we listed a few more tips before I asked why someone should use them rather than do it themselves or outsource to a generic digital marketing agency. The arguments in favour included their expertise and knowledge of what designs and type of designs work best in marketing. This then became the basis for another blog post on how to choose the right company to help you with your branding.

By now you get the idea. If you are a florist, what helpful tips do you give your customers that you can put into a blog post? Maybe this includes frequently asked questions such as ‘which flowers are best for this time of the year’ as well as tips such as how stems should be cut at an angle (I learned this from a customer who is a florist!) or what plant food to use.

If you are a bookkeeper, what deadlines should your customers be aware of that you could turn into a blog post? What tips for managing expenses and receipts would you give? Should they use Excel or an online accounting package to track invoices and expenses?

If you are a personal fitness trainer or health coach, what eating, sleeping and exercise tips could you give? Could you write about the importance of getting into a regular routine and creating healthy habits? And what are the benefits of using a personal trainer compared to trying to get fit on their own without personal guidance?

I’m not a personal fitness trainer, florist or bookkeeper but there are plenty of ideas in this blog post to get you started - and once you get into the flow, you will find that more ideas come up more easily.

By the end of my training session, the design agency had agreed to create a shared spreadsheet and team members could freely add suggested topics, tips and upcoming events that would be worth considering. The team leader would then review the spreadsheet and decide what content would be used and how it would be used. This would also include seasonal events throughout the year that were relevant.

You might not have a team of marketers to share your thoughts and to give you ideas but you can always use colleagues and even friends and family for ideas. Sometimes having a different perspective can inspire you with new and better ideas for blog posts!

I don’t want to give away too much information

I’ve heard the argument, especially with business offering services, that they don’t want to give away too much advice that they would otherwise provide as part of their service and make money from. I understand this but think of the approach differently. You should provide enough information that demonstrates that you know what you are talking about, that adds value to your potential customer and that leaves them saying ‘These are great tips and you clearly know what you are doing. I can’t do this myself so I need your help’.

A business coach, for example, can offer great tips but always highlight how business owners that have a coach achieve greater results because they are more accountable or have someone to ‘bounce ideas off’ (or whatever benefits you as a coach see customers get from using your services rather than doing it themselves).

This approach also applies to other types of businesses such as home DIY, gardening or even food manufacturing. You might provide some tips for baking their own cakes or painting their bedroom but many people still want you to do it for them - whether that’s to save them time or make sure the task or product is perfect!

Other content ideas

So far, we have mostly talked about tips and blog posts around why customers can benefit from your services, but there are other topics to talk about.

You could also post about what's going on in your company. This helps to give a personal element to your business that people can associate with - but I don't recommend doing this too often. Whilst it adds a touch of personality and familiarity with the company,  it tends to be of less value to a wider audience, especially if almost every post is ‘look at what we are doing’ rather than ‘here’s a post to help YOU!’

Here's a list of possible things that you can write a blog post about:

• Top Tips
• How to do things
• What's going on in your company
• What major events you are attending or charities you are supporting
• Topical discussions, based on what's going on in the news
• Opinions on ways to do things better

Let’s give some examples of what blog titles might look like based on the above list:

• A company selling kitchenware might write a post with recipes and ‘how to make’ a specific meal.
• A local business might write about a charity they are supporting and working with.
• A financial business may write about the impacts of the next election campaign or a recent natural disaster with tips to manage your finances.
• A leadership coach might give his opinions on why procrastination can severely impact business results.

You might not agree initially, but whatever your business, there are plenty of things to write about. If you're really struggling to come up with ideas then take a look at your competitor's blog posts to see if you can write about similar topics. It’s important to avoid plagiarism but I’m fairly sure that whatever you write about, some elements of it will have been covered somewhere in the world. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cover that topic. People want to hear from you, whether that’s your thoughts or what you are doing locally or with your customers, specific to the topic you are writing about.

A great source for posts such as top tips can come from questions that you get asked frequently. This helps with creating ideas and also shows that you understand the concerns - and thoughts - of your customers.

Admittedly, it’s not always easy to come up with content but it’s easier than you might initially think. You are sure to come up with some great ideas to write about!

If you would like to find out more about writing blog posts for your business, grab a copy of my book Blogging for business, or get in touch. We would be happy to write some great blog posts for you!