Top 5 Facebook Post Ideas for Promotional Distributors

More than 3 million users around the world spend at least a few minutes per day on Facebook. Just let those figures sink in for a minute. That kind of exposure doesn’t come easy, or free for that matter, which is why your Facebook Business page is significant. As a promotional distributor I’m sure you can attest that coming up with fresh Facebook posts isn’t the easiest. However, when managed correctly your Facebook page can positively impact your brand awareness.

If you’re interested in learning how to grow your overall online presence, click here.

As a Marketing Specialist for Customer Focus Software, I spend quite a bit of time on social media platforms. As such, I’ve been able to recognize key trends from the Facebook pages of various promo distributors; and have put together the most successful ones to share with you.

Key tip: When it comes to Facebook posts, use ‘The 80/20 rule’. 20% of your content should promote your brand, while 80% should be content that really interests your audience and engages them in conversations.

1.) Contests and Giveaways

Facebook contests are a great (and fast) way to bring attention to your business page. Whether you decide to run your own offer or pay for a Facebook ad, this is a fun way to incentivize your fans throughout the year.

Be sure to make the terms and conditions of the contest clear so there is no confusion, and when you finally select a winner, share them on your page.

2.) Featured Products

This may sound like a no-brainer, but posting your latest products on your Facebook page is pivotal. Showcase your products in the best way possible by using high quality photos, and provide links for additional information. Be careful not to over-do it, though; people want to be entertained and educated, not sold to.

Key tip: Facebook recently announced the arrival of hashtags to their site, so add 2-3 trending ones that speak to your post.

3.) Personal/Interesting

Not every post has to be serious or business related. So don’t be afraid to show your personality. Some of the most liked posts on business pages are of things you and your coworkers are doing in and around the office.

Remember ‘the 80/20 rule’ I mentioned earlier? A majority of your fans are likely marketers who have their own business to promote. Think outside of the box every now and then by sharing something that might pique their interest, such as a fun infographic or news article.

4.) Newsletters

Newsletters/catalogs are a great way to provide a bulk of information in a compact form for your consumers. By sharing it on Facebook, you’re giving it a huge opportunity for exposure, while simultaneously building your brand as a credible thought leader.

5.) Loyal Customer Rewards

If you want people to really take notice of your Facebook page, begin offering something special to faithful fans. Have a “Facebook Fan Loyalty Offer” that you give out to a select few users who always comment on your page and offer them something special. Facebook provides analytics that will give you insight to your top engagers. This kind of thing can go a long way by boosting your online and word-of-mouth marketing.

The tips listed above have been proven to be successful. But discovering what your audience is really interested in and responding to those needs, is how your brand will maintain a consistent, sustainable, and engaging online social media presence.

To find out more about Customer Focus, or to get a free trial site set up, just complete the form!

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

Why You Should Attend Trade Shows

One of the greatest needs of any business is to be seen and heard by prospective clients. In a world where the Internet is now the forefront of many businesses, more traditional forms of communication have been deemed primitive by some. Trade shows, however, are far from a thing of the past.

Although they present some challenges due to travel time and cost, the benefits easily outweigh the expenses, even for smaller companies with limited budgets.

Here are the top 5 reasons you should exhibit at / visit trade shows:

• Meet new or existing suppliers – Trade shows are a great way to establish as well as nurture relationships with suppliers. They’re also ideal for identifying new products for your clients. Go with an open mind and don’t just seek out your usual suppliers – you never know where the perfect product might be hiding!

• Product demonstration – Trade show attendees are there to try out new products and services, so it’s an opportune time to see which products they’re most interested in. Attendees are able to touch, feel, hear and see how your product or service in person. Something that the Internet, no matter how hard it may try, can never quite replicate.

• Buying power – According to a report from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, 81 percent of trade show attendees have buying authority. Meaning more than 4 out of 5 delegates attending have money to spend.

• Social Media hype – Trade shows give you another opportunity to reach out via social media to talk up your company. You can tweet about the offerings at your booth, post photos or a message on your Facebook page about your latest product/service that you’re offering.

• Educational opportunities – Through attending and/or exhibiting trade shows you’re able to better understand the challenges and trends in your industry. Educational speakers and industry experts share their knowledge during speaking engagements. As a result you can strengthen your business strategy, better position yourself to your clients, and make moves to stay ahead of the competition.

Trade shows are often the first step towards building long-term business relationships. On average, company sales are influenced for two years after the show by the contacts made at that show! So do a little research and register for the next relevant trade show and see how it can positively affect your business.

Customer Focus provides websites and cloud-based order management for promotional product distributors, sign makers and print managers.

To find out more or to get a free trial site set up, just complete the form!

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

A Lesson In: Consumer Psychology

What motivates someone to buy from you rather a competitor? If you asked 10 people you’d get 10 different answers, because they’re making unconscious judgements about your business all the time.

You’re being judged…

Many studies today show that the consumer is more than halfway through their buying process before they reach out to a company. This means that brand awareness, SEO, reviews, testimonials, blog posts, social media, promos, and the company website are keys in the buying process because consumers will have already done all their research and are nearly committed to the purchase when they finally make contact with a business.

How to make your website a positive influence!

Add value – Buyers want products and services that add value. They want to feel like their purchase will enrich their lives in some way, helping them to reach a goal.

Takeaway: don’t just sell branded pens. Sell a marketing solution that’s going to help their business grow sales! It might amount to the same thing but the approach is very different.

Make it pleasurable – I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing better than a Snickers after a long day of errands, which is why I appreciate that grocery stores put all the candy bars and magazines by the checkout lines! They’re tapping into a desire to disengage from work and relax.

Takeaway: put your most popular products on the home page of your website with an easy ‘add to basket’ option; add Live Chat so you can provide help while people browse; offer customer log in so that they can easily make repeat purchases without having to complete all of their details again.

Social influence – Consumers trust and value the opinions of the people closest to them. In many cases the friends and family’s opinions have a greater influence when making a purchase than the consumer’s own. Consumers love personal recommendations and rely on them more than reviews or general Google searches.

Takeaway: add testimonials and case studies to your website. Don’t tuck them away, either; a great place to see them is just close to the ‘buy now’ button.

Familiarity and trust – Most consumers are not risk-takers, hence the use of warranties and guarantees. They will go back to a product or service that is familiar to them, rather than take a chance or risk on something new to them: “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

Takeaway: have a clear returns policy, and treat your customers as you would wish to be treated.

The Ultimate Goal: Increasing Sales

Two ways of increasing sales and gaining more customers are attracting new consumers to the industry or poaching consumers from a competitor.

In almost every case it is easier and less costly to retain an existing customer than to poach a completely new customer. The only industry that doesn’t seem to understand this complicated thought is the cell phone service providers. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile spend crazy amounts of money trying to poach competitors’ customers with aggressive marketing campaigns and an abundance of promotions. This money would be better spent focusing on satisfying their current customers.

New Consumers

First time buyers can supply a wealth of sales and revenue for a business. They are looking to purchase, but will require a lot of help when going through the purchase process.

The main thing these new consumers will be seeking is information and knowledge so they can make an informed decision about the right product for their needs. It’s important to provide detailed benefits about the different options, but don’t forget to tell them about any drawbacks of using, for example, a cheaper item over a branded market leader.

The next step and the most difficult step is getting past the insecurities that these new consumers will have. They will be very reluctant to commit to the purchase if their insecurities are not addressed and dealt with. You probably already know what these objections will be, so be prepared with examples of why your recommendation will work for them.

The last step is to provide some post-purchase support that will help them answer any questions they may have after the initial purchase day. This also minimizes customers getting upset and it also allows the business to generate more future sales from that same customer. Ultimately turning the new consumer into a veteran repeat customer is the end goal.

Veteran Consumers

Veteran consumers are very knowledgeable about the industry and the products or services in it. They are most likely going to approach a new company because they are unhappy with the previous company they did business with, or maybe they just want to try someone new.

If these consumers have come to you because of a past problem, the first step is to acknowledge the problem to better understand what went wrong. Even if you don’t have an immediate solution, the key is to recognize and address the problem. This builds a connection and will unlock useful information that can be used to capture the sale.

If you have the solution, then it will be an easy sale, but if you don’t, the next step would be to discuss future improvements and upgrades that may entice the consumer. Explaining where the company is heading can sometimes be the difference between making a sale and not.

The final step would be to provide comparisons between your business and the past problematic company. This can be achieved by providing a complete list of advantages and disadvantages for the product or service. By telling consumers exactly what they will be getting prevents consumer dissatisfaction and makes it easier for them to part with their hard-earned money. It also gives you a chance to upsell if an item with the advantages the consumer is seeking is more expensive or they are trying to avoid some of the disadvantages that come with the cheaper item.

Ending Thoughts

Understand the consumer psychology and what drives consumers to make the purchases they do is time-consuming, but profitable. Your business needs to make sure it is using the right approach, capitalizing on hidden desires and fears, in order to make sales happen. Providing the right information and resources are keys in winning these customers and their hard-earned dollars.

About the Author

Michael Sathre is the Social Media Intern at Trade Only Inc. He contributes to the daily social media scheduling, dabbles in blogging, and assists the Director of Digital Marketing in leveraging SEO and analytics to create a brilliant marketing strategy.

Michael is a recent graduate from Call State Fullerton with a BA in Marketing. He has held a handful of marketing consultant positions for firms in the orange county area.

Michael’s skills include: Google Adwords, social media, blogging, market research, and data analysis.

 

Thinking Creatively: Your Key to Success

The promotional products industry requires a specific type of creative.

You are expected to persuade businesses to purchase promotional products from your business, while thousands of other businesses are doing the exact same thing.

You are also faced with the challenge of convincing businesses that they need promotional products.

Jeeze! Immediately upon entering the market, you are faced with 2 relatively large hurdles.

How do you make your way to the top of the pecking order to boost sales and build life-long customers? Creatively.

Creativity isn’t a natural instinct. You cannot claim: “I want to be more creative,” and immediately turn over a new leaf. It takes practice.

You no longer need to look to other people for inspiration prior to speaking with a customer (Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, Google+ Communities), instead, you can share success stories and exciting PR with other industry members.

Here are 5 tips for boosting your creativity, and changing the way you run your business.

Put a name to your target audience. 

The most common mistake businesses make when marketing their products/services is generalizing their content. I’m sorry to be the ‘Bearer of Bad News’, but not everyone is going to want your product. Ask yourself the following questions:

•  Is my audience male or female?
• How old are they?
• What is their highest level of education?
• What are their interests?
• What is their spending habits?
• What is their lifestyle like?

Once you determine the answer to these questions, you have a pretty exact representation of who you’re talking to on a daily basis. Give this person a name. Now you need to remember that you are speaking to this person in everything you do. Monitor your marketing tone, make sure it’s accurate on all platforms!

Read, read, read!

The most effective tool for boosting my own creativity is reading. News articles, blogs, industry reports, etc. Whatever you can get your hands on, I suggest reading.

Generally what happens is this: you click on a blog article entitled “Boosting your Creativity”, 2 lines into the blog your mind is running and you think of an idea for a Christmas promo.

Reading is the world’s best way to spark creativity and inspiration. There’s something special  about a collection of words that just makes sense.

Keep an Idea Notebook

I can’t tell you how many times I have had a seemingly brilliant idea pop into my head while out running errands or perusing my local used book store. I sift through my purse only to find that I have nothing on which to log my idea. CATASTROPHE!

My suggestion: go to Walmart, Ross, TJ Max, or the like, and purchase a really cheap notebook. If you’re high maintenance like me, you probably want a fancy quote or design on the front, in which case those are typically $4.00 (totally worth it), otherwise all you have to spend is $2.

Every time an idea pops into your head, instead of simply acknowledging it as a brilliant idea, or convincing yourself that you will remember it later, write it down.

I have this theory (totally not backed by Trade Only) that ideas are floating through the universe on their own will. Then, some power greater than ourselves sends specific ideas into your mind for a specified period of time with which you can take action, or leave it alone. If you choose to ignore the thought, it is then thrusted back into the universe for some other chap to either adopt or reject.

You never know, it could be accurate.

Create Topical Boards on Pinterest (yes, men, you should do this too)

Let’s take Pinterest out of it for a second, and resonate on the fact that dream boards are one of the most creative-boosting tool for anyone.

Before Pinterest, I would make dream boards for fashion (it’s always been my thing, don’t judge), beautiful art that I wanted to mock, and sometimes I would even create dream boards that expressed a particular attitude I wanted to encompass.

It’s not just me; Pinterest wouldn’t have become one of the top websites in the world if people weren’t both fascinated and motivated by dream boards.

That being said, Pinterest is not just for women. You don’t have to love fashion, beauty, DIY projects, or interior design to use Pinterest (despite what you might think). I have boards ranging from personal branding to inspiring quotes to my favorite tech products.

Utilize Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing. Need some marketing ideas? Great, type ‘marketing’ into the search bar. Looking for some design ideas? Maybe some typography? Great, search either of those terms and you will find pages upon pages of content.

Pinterest is your oyster.

Leave the Office, Go to Your Local Coffee Shop

Creativity revolves around change. Redundancy often hinders creativity. The more you shake things up, the more powerful your creative juices will be.

You don’t have to make a major life change to excite your creativity. It can be something as simple as a change in immediate location.

You may have read multiple workplace articles that mention ‘leave your desk and go for a walk every hour or so, to have a more productive day’. Basic biology states that you need a steady flow of oxygen and blood to your brain for maximum functionality. Taking a walk helps with your blood flow.

You will rarely find me at my desk for longer than an hour. Even if I take the long way to the bathroom, or I walk outside for some fresh air, I take any little bit that I can get.

If you’re feeling a bit on the groggy side of your day, move your work to the local coffee shop (with wifi, of course). Change of location is good for your health and good for your creativity.

Impress Your Audience in 45 Seconds: 6 Content Marketing Tips

You only have 45 seconds to engage your customers with your content marketing.

Whether you host a blog, you produce visual content, video content, eBooks, email marketing, etc. you must get to the point in a comprehensive and engaging way

Think of the last time you met someone for the first time…

Let’s call this man Bill. Bill approached you with a firm hand, eye contact, a smile, and a warm ‘how are you.’ You immediately respected Bill, and found him to be a very warm and welcoming individual.

Now, let’s say that when you met Bill, he walked up to you and said ‘hello’ seemingly directed towards the wall in front of which you’re standing. He doesn’t give you a handshake nor does he smile in your direction. Bill kind of seems like a jerk, and he is incredibly unengaging.

Your content marketing strategy is very similar to a first encounter. You must engage your audience within 45 seconds, or you could lose them forever.

Titles, visuals, key words, and personality are huge contributing factors to brilliant content.

How, exactly, do you reel readers in to read and share your content? Here are 6 helpful tips.

Titles are everything. Titles are tricky. You must summarize your content, engage your audience, and address keywords for SEO. Your title needs to be direct and to the point. When providing a list of tips for your readers, it’s best to use a title: “7 tips for…” or “7 ways to…” Below is a list of SEO optimized titles for blogging; change them up, spruce them up, and make them your own.

Visuals make your content. Without rich, engaging visuals, your content will be boring and difficult to follow. Most readers will feel overwhelmed and intimidated by purely text content. Whether you create your own visuals, use your camera to stage beautiful photography, or you use stock images, you must carefully select your imagery.

Keywords help with SEO. The first 250 words of your blog posts are used for indexing in Google. Keyword loaded intro paragraphs clarify your purpose with your audience and boost SEO. I find that writing the body text of a blog prior to writing the introduction paragraph is the easiest way to create a keyword dense introduction!

Be sure of yourself. In order to establish yourself as a leader in your industry, you must maintain an affirmative tone. Quote statistics, commentary from industry professionals, and anything else that backs up the point you are trying to make. Steer clear from phrases such as: ‘I think…’ or ‘In my opinion…’ Use affirmative phrases and words.

Double check spelling and grammar. There is nothing worse than reading a blog with ample spelling and grammar mistakes. There is nothing wrong with asking a friend or coworker to proof-read your blog posts prior to posting. Sometimes, a fresh perspective is all you need to create presentable content.

Your blog needs personality. The only way to successfully engage your audience is to integrate your personality into your content, within reason. Ensure that your writing personality lines up with your branding tone in order to unify your brand (addressed in Branding for Success).

You can use the following ways to integrate your personality into your blog:

• Tell a story that relates to your blog topic
• Use happy words (i.e. great, exciting, fun, entertaining, etc.)
• Use an acronym or two, but don’t overdo it.
• If you have certain interests or passions, make references to them in the body of your blog
• If mainstream references are your thing, integrate them into your blog posts