What's the Call to Action?

When it comes to marketing your brand, there is always a goal. You want your audience to sign up for your newsletter, follow you in Twitter and Facebook, comment on your blog posts, buy your products, and obtain your services. You want them to complete an objective – to like your posts, join your contests, and share them with friends. You want them to retweet your content, repost it on their Facebook wall, repin your pins on Pinterest. Basically, you want them to take an action, which is why using a call to action in your social marketing campaign is essential.

You may think that it’s obvious what you want people to do, but sometimes, if you don’t clearly state it, your audience will nonetheless be oblivious to it. They’ll read your social media posts, but they won’t click to “like” it, nor will they leave a comment. They’ll read your blog post, but they won’t subscribe to your newsletter. This is why you need to give them a push – a direct call to action. You have to encourage people to go a step beyond just reading your entry to actually completing these specific actions that will be beneficial to your brand marketing.

So how do you effectively create calls to action that garners the attention of your audience and makes them complete your objective? Here are some tips:

     1. State your objective clearly and prominently

If you want people to take an action, then you need to state it clearly and prominently. In a blog post, for example, you can easily end with, “What do you think? Leave a comment.” This is a direct call to action so that people can quickly realize that you want them to leave a comment about what they think. If you don’t place this action call at the end of your entry, then people are likely to simply read the blog post and then move on without doing anything.

Placing the call to action in a prominent position is also a good idea. You don’t have to put it in all caps, or use a bold font just to get attention. But make sure that it’s placed somewhere that people will definitely see it. If it’s a blog entry, ending your post with the call to action is a good idea since some people may just skim through the post, and they might miss it if it’s in the middle. This also applies to Facebook updates – you can place the call to action either in the first sentence or the last once.

If the call to action is on your website, you should place it in a position that gets attention, and also have it in a different color so that it pops out on the page. Ideally, you should put it high on the page and in a central place so that people can really see it. You don’t want it to just blend into the background where people won’t notice it.

     2. Use active language and create urgency

Since you are encouraging people to take action, you should use active language and create a sense of urgency so that people will be compelled to do it now. Examples of some active words commonly used in calls to action include:

- Buy now
- Subscribe
- Register
- Sign up
- Download

And here are some examples on how to create a sense of urgency:

- Limited time offer
- Register now and save
- Today only special
- First ten to sign up will get a free gift

The more active the language and the more urgent the offer, the better. Just remember to always deliver what you promised.

     3. Convince people to take the action

There needs to be some incentive for people to complete the call to action. Ask yourself, what will they get out of it? It can be as simple as getting them to think or laugh with you in your social media posts, or getting them to sign up for your newsletter so they can have access to exclusive discounts and offers. It’s essential that they get something out of completing the call to action. Otherwise, what’s the point, right?

When it comes to social and word of mouth marketing, calls to action are definitely essential. Sometimes people need an extra push before they do something, and a call to action done properly will be just the thing needed for them to do what you want them to do.

Make your call to action clear and prominent, use active language, create a sense of urgency, and convince people to take the step necessary to complete the desired action. These are just a few simple steps that will help you engage and connect better with your audience.

Pinterest When You're a Service Provider

Lately, everyone seems to be on Pinterest. It’s really becoming one of the most popular social networking sites, as more and more people sign up to create virtual pinboards, share them with their network, as well as check out all the lovely creations of other Pinterest users.

Since more and more people are using Pinterest, this definitely puts pressure on personal and small business brands to learn the platform and use it to their advantage. Nowadays, it’s all about word of mouth marketing, as well as connecting and engaging with your clients and customers. So brands need to be where the people are, and right now, Pinterest is where many people are spending their time on.

Many personal and small business brands who sell products are taking advantage of Pinterest by creating pinboards that feature the items they sell. They host contests, interact with their followers, and basically create buzz marketing for their brand.

But what if you’re a service provider? What if your personal or small business brand doesn’t sell products, but offers services? Should you still use Pinterest in your small business marketing mix?

Before you can decide on that, here are some things you should ask yourself:

     1. Are you willing to devote time on this?
     2. Are you willing to share more about yourself?
     3. Are you willing to become a more “visual” brand?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you should definitely consider using Pinterest to market your brand. But how exactly do you do this? Here are some tips:

Show off your personality visually

Most people aren’t one-dimensional creatures. You may be a lawyer, an accountant, or a doctor, but it doesn’t mean that that’s your only interest. You may also be a great cook, an avid reader, or a music enthusiast. And you can definitely share these interests of yours on Pinterest.

Before you can sell your brand on Pinterest, you need to connect with the users there, which is why it’s a good idea to show off your personality and the things you like in order to create a good following. Create boards that are creative, inspiring and beautiful. Show off the things you like and love. Then once you have a good number of followers, you can start creating boards that are related to the service you provide so you can promote what you do and drive traffic to your site.

But of course, you need to utilize Pinterest on its terms first before you branch out to what Pinterest can do for your brand.

Consider your target audience

Who is your target audience? What are they most interested in? These are two important things you need to ask yourself so you can effectively promote your brand on Pinterest. You want to create pinboards that your target audience will be interested in, so that they can be directed to your website and avail of your services.

For example, as a cardiologist, your clients are likely to be people who are very concerned about managing their weight and maintaining a healthy heart, so you can create boards that are dedicated to helping people maintain their ideal weight and be heart-healthy.  One board could be about heart-healthy foods, while another board could be about exercises that are good for people with heart disease.

By becoming a good resource for your target audience, you can effectively promote your brand and sell your services.

Be active

Truly, the best way to market yourself on Pinterest as a service provider is to be active on the site. You need to regularly create boards, comment and re-pin other people’s images, encourage people to like and re-pin what you’ve posted, and so on. If you aren’t willing to devote your time to maintaining your Pinterest page, then it’s far better to just utilize other social networking sites that may help you connect and interact with your audience better.

Just like any other social networking site, time and effort needs to be devoted to Pinterest in order to successfully use it to sell your service brand.

Personal and small business brands can definitely utilize Pinterest in order to promote awareness of their brand and create buzz. Though brands who sell products definitely have the advantage since their brands are more “visual,” as a service provider, you can still create interest in your brand by showing off your personality, considering your target audience, and maintaining an active account on the site.

So don’t be afraid of using Pinterest to market your brand. Show off the things you like and love, and you can create a good following that directs traffic to your website as well as the services you offer.

Tracky and Your Brand

Managing your time wisely is absolutely a great challenge and adventure! In addition to work, you have to monitor your social media accounts, manage your teams and projects, network with other people, promote your brand, connect with your partners or employees, engage with your customers and clients, not to mention still have time to sit back, relax, and enjoy time with your friends and family.

So how do you manage it all?

Very likely, whenever you’re online, you have all these browsers, windows and tabs open, so you can check and monitor all your accounts. You have to pay attention to every single one of them, so you go back and forth, check your email and social media accounts, manage your blog, make sure to reply to your customers regarding their questions, as well as chat with employees who need your attention.

Isn’t there a better way to manage all of these?

Of course there is. There are many online management and collaboration platforms that can help you monitor and manage your different accounts as well as your team members. One of the latest and most promising tools that has entered the arena is Tracky.

Tracky is an online collaboration platform where you can do practically anything – collaborate on projects, share files, manage your calendar, assign tasks, chat with your team members, and so on. It’s an excellent way to have every one of your tasks organized in one easy-to-use platform, so you don’t have to have multiple windows and tabs open, or have to go back and forth to check and monitor different sites.

Tracky founder and CEO, David Goose, has been developing the platform with his wife Jennifer as well as their excellent team for more than 18 months now, and they have finally unveiled what they’ve come up with recently.

The thing that really makes it stand out from other online collaboration platforms out there is the fact that it offers you a way to network with other professionals within the platform. Unlike other sites where you’re closed off with your team members working and collaborating on a task, Tracky allows you to search for potential service providers you can work with.

This means that Tracky offers a lot of benefits for both personal and small business brands. For example, if you’re a wedding coordinator, you can actually look for people you can collaborate with on a wedding you’re planning within the site. Or even if you’re the one getting married, you can actually look for service providers using Tracky – you don’t have to go too far to find the perfect team for your wedding. The site has a geo-location feature, so you can find local service providers that fit well to your specifications.

And let’s not forget the excellent platform that Tracky offers. Individuals, small business owners, and large corporations can all take advantage of the site so they can organize their busy lives properly. From to-do lists and task management, to live-chat and cloud-based storage, there are so many things that Tracy offers you that will make managing your life and work so much easier – so you have more time to do the things you enjoy.

And the best part of it all is that you can easily get started managing your tasks and team members for free, up to two groups per person. If you want to have unlimited groups and users, you only have to pay $5 per user per month.

Tracky also has a mobile application, though it’s currently only available on iOS. Mobile users can take advantage of the app so they can manage and organize their time and teams wisely.

Only time will tell, however, if Tracky is going to stand out among its many different competitions. Since it’s only recently launched, there are still some bugs to its system, though the Tracky team is continuously improving the platform as they obtain feedback from its users. The site currently has 4,000 users already, and it hopes to reach 700,000 by the end of the year.

So why make it difficult for yourself to manage all of your accounts, collaborate with your team members, and look for potential partners or service providers? Try out Tracky today and see how it can help you manage your busy life so you can have more time to spend doing the things you enjoy the most.

Best Tips for Connecting One on One

Doing business now is different compared to how it was done a decade ago. We live in a fast-paced world because of technological advancements. Before, we needed to set aside a lot of our time if we wanted to meet with clients or gain customers. It also required more energy and cost more because we needed to pay for transportation and other expenses we incurred while we were outside meeting with potential customers. Marketing was another strategy that cost a lot if we wanted to reach out to our target market and gain a reputation.

Technology changed all that and it is making it easier for businesses to gain customers and win their trust. Through the internet, mobile phones, and other tools available today, we can easily reach out to customers without spending on transportation and meals. We can enjoy all these advantages if we can establish an effective online presence. Like we professionals, consumers now prefer to just talk on the phone, exchange emails, or start a conversation on social media sites. We can make this work for us if we make it easy for consumers to find us online.

Here are tips on how to connect with customers:

Your online profile – When you promote your online profile, make sure that you are prepared to give your visitors what they need to know about you or your business. When they click on your link, your profile must make a great first impression. This is how you attract consumers. Fill your profile with important information and content that will make them stay longer. Let your profile speak to them until they start to “Like”, add, or share your profile to others. Remember that your online profile serves as a virtual business card.

Make sure that you fill the important spaces on your profile. Remember to add a photo because consumers don’t like connecting with people online who don't  have a profile picture.

Mix it up! – Now that you have completed your profile, it’s time to manage your content. It is important that you have a constant flow of content on your profile. You can write articles, share videos, and other information that can help consumers. You can create content based on how your business can help consumers, or provide general tips. The goal is to keep your audience interested, and the only way to do that is to consistently post content on your profile. This will make them feel that you care about them and that you are always online. Remember--mix it up with articles, videos, photos, and even audios.

Interact with your audience – now that you have made them feel that your profile is active at all times, your audience will start interacting with you. They can either comment on your posts or mention you. When they do, talk to them. Say thank you or open a conversation. Start closing that gap between you and your audience. Make it comfortable for them to reach out to you. This is the phase where you can start building strong relationships with your customers.

Strengthen your relationships – if you keep interacting with your audience, you will soon recognize who your valuable customers are. Of course all of them are important and will share ideas on your profile every now and then, yet there are those who will share you with their sphere of influence and will act as “brand advocates” of you business or personal brand.. Keep building strong relationships with these people because this is important to any business or brand. Build strong relationships, strengthen your network, and widen your reach.

If you are going to move your business online, it is important that you plan how you are going to follow these tips. These will help you strengthen your online presence and make it easy for your business to connect with individuals online. Remember that trust is earned: you have to take time in completing your profile, creating content, thinking of ways how you can help your audience which gives them a great forum to sample your character and competence.