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7 Habits of Highly Successful Sales Professionals

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 11:00 AM PST

There is no business success without sales success. Innovation and good marketing lead to sales growth. In order to achieve remarkable business revenue, profit and growth, it is pertinent to understand what separates highly successful sales professionals from the rest of the pack and what habits incredibly successful sales executives and managers have developed and mastered.

When considering this, here are major factors to remember:

1. Incredibly successful sales professionals have developed good habits that stand them out in the midst of the multitudes. Just like any habit, these habits can be learned, developed and applied.

2. Sales profession is a challenging profession but is also pretty rewarding for those who are goal oriented, success driven, emotionally stable, customer focused, great communicator and master prospecting and closing.

3. Becoming a highly successful sales professional is not a short term project but a long time commitment. Therefore, developing habits of successful sales professionals will guarantee success in the long run in your business.

I often asked questions from sales professionals during my sales training, the "selling with kindness program," on what determines success in sales and the answers I received often included:

  • Good personality
  • Confidence
  • Product Knowledge
  • Time Management
  • Hard work

While the above traits play some important roles in sales success, it doesn't explain why two salespeople in the same company, selling the same products, with the same experience, same compensation package, same qualification and same training perform differently. One salesperson can sell three times than another in the same year. You see, good personality, confidence, product knowledge, time management and hard work are the effects not the causes; they have more to do with who you are and what you do than what you know.

Here are seven habits of highly successful sales professionals and how you can develop these habits.

1. Be goal-oriented

Highly successful sales professionals set SMART sales goals. They have goal clarity. They know exactly what sales they have to make weekly and monthly to achieve their sales target for the year. They don't just set written goals; they also have a plan of action on how to achieve their goals. They know the number of prospects to see weekly and the quantity of products to sell weekly. They often review their performance on a weekly basis and re-adjust their course of action until they get their desired results. They attached their goals to genuine reasons that will motivate them to keep striving hard and never give up on their sales target and reward themselves appropriately when they achieve their set objectives. Successful sales professionals believe they can achieve their goals and are determined to do what it requires ethically to achieve them.

Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals that inspire and challenge you to grow and become better as sales professional. Read your written goals in the morning and night. Make sure your goals contain daily action plan and weekly review. Attached your sales goals to genuine reasons that will enable you not to give during tough times. Plan appropriate reward for yourself when you achieve your sales target. Celebrate your small wins. Use your imagination to see the actualization of your goals. . Believe in your ability to achieve your goals.

2. Be success-driven

Highly successful sales professionals are success driven because they have clear expectations of what they want to achieve and where they want to be in the future. In the pursuit of their goals, they are able to develop the achievement drive required for success. Because they believe in themselves and their ability to turn their goals to results they often tap into their innate potentials and find ways to turn their invisible goals into visible results. They are determined, committed, dedicated and resourceful in the pursuit of sales excellence. Successful sales executives and professionals have developed the right psychology to overcome sales rejection, temporal failure and setbacks. They have good self-image and self-confidence and are ready to pay the price of success in advance.

Make up your mind to become a leader in your company and industry. Read books, listen to audio messages, attend seminars and work with a coach or mentor that will help you realise, unleash and unlock your true genius as a human being. See rejection, setback and failure as necessary and important part of sales success. Develop your self-image, self-esteem and self-confidence. Be success driven. Be result-oriented.

3. Remain emotionally stable

Highly successful sales consultants and professionals have developed emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence leads to emotional stability. They have developed their ability to face rejection on the field and use the rejection as a fuel for acceptance of their ideas, products or services. They have mastered the ability to study their client's emotional state, body language, facial expression, fear, worry and expectation and use them to their advantage. Respected sales professionals are those who use their emotions to their benefits not the other way. They are conscious enough to identify, interpret, understand and manage their emotions and their prospect state of mind. They are always cool, calm and relaxed. 

Start paying grave attention to your emotional state. Document on how you feel when you are in front of your prospect. Identify how you can face rejection and difficult prospects in a calm manner. Develop your emotional vocabulary. Work on your emotional state through repeated affirmations and imagination. Become immune to feeling negative about setbacks and rejection. Become a highly emotionally intelligent sales professional.

4. Build relationships

Incredibly successful sales professionals have excellent interpersonal skills. They have mastered the habit of great social skill. They build solid relationship with their customers. They show empathy, care and understanding towards customers. Highly successful sales executives have learned how to identify their customers behavioural traits and adjust themselves to march this trait. They have a listening ear and go extra mile to show their customers that they have their best interest at heart. Sale is people's business and having a satisfying relationship with your customers significantly affect sales performance. Therefore, the acclaimed sales professionals develop good relationship with customers. They are customer focused and service oriented. They believe in customer's satisfaction and experience. In this light, customers trust them, believe them and they are always willing to do business with them.

Be kind, nice and humble, it pays. Build satisfying relationship with your customers. Show genuine care and understanding towards your clients. Always be interested in their progress. Share ideas that will help them or their business to thrive. Focus on identifying their needs and filling these needs faster, better and cheaper. Let them see you as a confidant, friend and advisor. Let them know you as a partner in progress.

5. Always be prospecting

Remarkably successful sales professionals have developed and mastered the ability to identify customers who are qualified for their solutions. They can easily identify their ideal customers who have a need, who is interested in a solution, has the ability to make purchasing decision and also the financial strength to buy the solution. They keep looking out for new prospects on a regularly basis. They invest time and energy on the right customers. They work smart, focus on productivity over activity and achievement over movement. They are very strategic with their sales approach. They have taken their time to study and understand their ideal customers and their needs.

Develop your prospecting skills. Learn how to quickly differentiate between a suspect and a prospect. Seek new prospects on a weekly basis. Focus on productivity and results. Be strategic with your sales approach. Work smart. Know your ideal customers.

6. Maintain open lines of communication

Successful sales professionals are great communicators. They know how to effectively communicate their product's benefits, features and comparative advantages to their customers with clarity, conviction and calmness. They have developed their presentation skill to be world class. They are good interviewers. They have mastered interviewing skills. They ask their clients the right questions that help them to discover their real needs so that they can be able to proffer the right solutions. They also write a lot. They take their customers serious by jotting down some important points during their one on one discussion. They also listen closely to their customers. 

Improve on your presentation skills by practising your sales pitch consistently. Work on your interviewing skills. Jot down some information during your one on presentation and go through your jottings later. Be a good listener. Develop your communication skills.

7. Always work to close the sale

Until sale is close, every other thing is just by the way. Highly successful sales managers and professionals are not afraid to ask for a buying decision. They have mastered various ways to ask their customers to take action during their presentation. They quickly notice customer's concerns and fear of making buying decisions. They know how to negotiate terms and conditions effectively. They follow up on their customers closely. They have also developed effective closing strategies.

Horn your closing skills. Ask for buying decisions in various ways during your presentation. Discuss any fear of buying or concerns with your customers. Let them know how the benefits outweigh the price. 

Out of these seven habits of highly successful sales professionals, which ones have you mastered. Which ones do you need to seriously work on and develop? Your ability to achieve great success in sales is unlimited. You can become a respected sales professional if you learn, develop and master these habits. You can double your annual profit and accelerate your business growth if you focus on sales success.

Get More Website Traffic With Structured Data

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 07:00 AM PST

As search engines like Google strive to provide a better user experience, structured data is becoming more important than ever. While the market share can shift slightly, at any given time Google accounts for around 90% of the search engine market, meaning if you're not doing everything you can to rank your web pages high with Google, you're missing out.

 If you've looked at search results pages and found they look drastically different than they did 5 years ago, it's because they do. Results pages are now packed with more rich content than ever, such as images, video, product carousels, even detailed 'how-to' or products specific information without even clicking through to a website.

 If you've ever wondered why, it's because of structured data. Let's explore what structured data is, why you should use it, and how it can help your business.

What is structured data?

The basic premise behind structured data is to put information (data) into a certain order that makes sense. It isn't a new concept – even the most archaic filing system could be considered a form of structured data, but in terms of what it means for your website, it's much more than a basic filing system.

Structured data is specific code in your website that allows search engines to take the important content from your website and understand it better. When structured data is used proficiently, it can also mean having your website up in lights, so to speak, through various rich content that can be displayed on search results pages.

Using structured data can improve the chances of your website linking to a customer's search query, by ranking you higher and also adding a touch of professionalism to the search result.

The whole idea of structured data is to make it easy for search engines like Google to interact with your website, and this process dates way back to the semantic web. 

What are types of structured data?

A perfect example of this technology is a streaming platform. With Spotify, for example, the structured data used here may be:

  • Genre

  • Artist

  • Year of release

  • Album title

The structured data of each song links it in some way to other similar songs. This way, users can find the songs they love, and be given suggestions of multiple other songs that have the same genre classification, year of release, or shared popularity among other users.

In terms of a company's website, the structured data will vary depending on what your business does. Structured data on a clothing retailer's website, for example might be specific product details that allow Google to classify it more easily. Such as:

  • Price

  • Image

  • Size

  • Material used

  • Item type

This information could then be displayed in a search engine results page (SERP) feature, making it more appealing for customers to click through to that product's website.

What is a SERP feature?

A search engine results page (SERP) feature is an enhanced search result that looks more visually appealing and is packed with more information than a regular search result. These are sometimes known as 'rich snippets' or 'rich search results'.

If your website is using structured data correctly, your search result on Google may be enhanced in some way that makes it stand out from the rest. This could include the display of:

  • Images
  • Opening hours  - via local pack
  • Address - via local pack
  • Maps - via local pack
  • Review ratings

The list doesn't end there. An extensive SERP feature can include plenty of detailed information that makes it easy for customers to contact your business, hence highlighting the value of structured data to your business.

The semantic web and structured data

The semantic web is a way to improve the internet for everyone, mainly by identifying linked data that can be used in multiple applications. Once upon a time, Google searches were driven very much by the user. A specific search query would be entered, and search engines could really only match by those specific keywords.

Enter: the semantic web and structured data. The semantic web is essentially a network of information that extends beyond just keywords, in order to make search results more efficient and accurate. It organises data into a sensible flow so that your website ranks for searches that are relevant to the content on your site.

This is where the search engines (machines) are getting better at understanding information inputted by humans. For example, if you search for gardening tools in your area, rather than only giving you details on local hardware stores, you might also be presented with a step-by-step guide to garden maintenance, or some videos relating to lawn care. This occurs because all of the linked/structured data in the semantic web determines the type of things you may also be interested in if you're searching for garden tools.

What is Schema.org?

Schema was created as a collaboration between Google, Bing, Yandex and Yahoo to come up with a universally recognised collection of tags which would allow information (data) to be shared and re-used in different environments. 

Schema is a collection of vocabularies used to determine how the structured data on your website appears to search engines. Simply, it is an agreed upon set of tags (microdata) that can be added to websites in order to improve the way search engines find and display your page on search results. 

Anybody can use schema, and while many website builders have schema plugins to make it easy, you can access the correct coding for all types of schema from the official website.

Types of schema

By no means exhaustive, the list below highlights some of the popular forms of schema used on websites.

  • Local Business Schema – Particularly valuable if you're running a business that relies on local customers. USed by service businesses, restaurants and basically any company that wants people walking through their brick and mortar shopfront. This sort of structured data markup help you stand out in searches like 'plumbers near me'.
  • Review – Shows your star ratings for Google review. With social proof playing a key role in customer's search decisions, this is one you really need.
  • Events – Make events easily discovered on search engines. You can show up on search engine listings for events in a particular area. 
  • Product and Offer – This schema markup is essential for anybody selling products online. Rich results can show images, prices, discounts, special offers. You might also appear in product carousels. Expect this to be extremely valuable as Google looks towards using augmented reality in search.
  • Breadcrumbs Markup - A breadcrumb trail on a page shows where the page sits in the site hierarchy. Users can explore the site hierarchy by starting with the last breadcrumb in the trail.
  • Article Schema Markup – Gain access to enhanced search results such as appearing in the top stories results, visual stories and of course rich results with attention grabbing images and bold headlines.
  • Video Schema Markup – Rank high on video searches, as well as appearing in top stories and other carousels. You can add details like video length and upload date.

Why Use Structured Data on Your Website

The very simple reason for using structured data is the same reason you would make any improvements to your website. The end goal is to attract more people to your website in the hopes of converting them to sales. The more times your website shows on a search result (impressions), the more chance you have of customers clicking through to your page. Structured data provides you with an increased chance of doing this.

Why is structured data important for SEO?

Search engines and their algorithms are continuing to evolve, with the sole aim of providing the best user experience - that's why SEO has never been more important. That means providing relevant content to users based on their search queries. The goal is to rank as high as possible on search results pages, especially considering recent studies have shown that the number 1 organic result in any search receives 31.7% of the clicks. Even boosting your position by one spot can increase your click-through-rate by 30%.

Remember, Google's main goal is providing users with relevant search results. This is why it rewards websites with structured data – it makes their job easier to identify relevant, useful information and deliver it to their users at the right time.

 Visually enhance your search result

So, we understand now that structured data helps search engines categorise and organise your website's content more effectively, but what about the visual aspect for potential customers? This is probably the real selling point for using structured data, because humans are inherently visually motivated.

 Using structured data can make your search results look more appealing to viewers. It does this by transforming your boring old search result with just a page title and brief description into what's known as a 'rich search result', 'rich snippet' or 'SERP feature'. It does this by adding the following possible features:

  • Images
  • Review ratings
  • Product Information
  • Event starting times and costs
  • Visual images of your product as part of a carousel (mobile searches)

 All of these enhancements create a more visually appealing, professional looking search result that users are likely to be drawn to.

How to generate structured data

The best thing about structured data is although it's essentially a piece of code for your website, you don't need to be super-technical to implement it yourself.

 In very simple terms, the idea is to 'mark up' certain parts of your website's content, in a sense highlighting it so Google knows what's important. And you guessed it, Google even have their own tool to help you do it.

 Using Google's Structured Data Markup Helper makes it easy to implement structured data on your site in a few simple steps: 

  1. Choose the type of page you're marking up (for example an event page, or recipe).
  2. Enter the page URL.
  3. Select 'Start Tagging'.
  4. Highlight the important elements of the page. Each time you highlight a piece of content, you choose the type of information. For example, 'Start Time' or 'Price' for your event.
  5. Ensure you have included all the relevant information. There's a guide in the 'My Items' pane to tell you the minimum requirements.
  6. One you've tagged all of the important information, select 'Create HTML'. The output format can either be JSON-LD or Microdata. These are both data formats, so if you're not familiar with their meaning, it's worth doing some research.
  7. You now need to paste the generated code into your website. For JSON-LD you can copy it into the body of your existing page. For Microdata you'll need to download and replace the whole HTML for the page.
  8. You can also test the data by pasting the code into Structured Data Markup Helper, where it will tell you if you've missed anything.

This is a very brief and non-technical way of doing structured data, but as with anything related to your website, if you're not comfortable we always suggest consulting some experts in the field to help you out. For a chance to boost your search rankings and attract more visitors to your site, doing structured data properly is worth the investment.

Testing your structured data

Testing is a crucial step in the process, because without getting it absolutely right, you won't achieve your goal of accessing the rich search results and enhancements on search engines.

When you start testing your structured data, you may receive the following issues using the Structured Data Testing Tool:

  •  Warnings: These are minor issues. It isn't essential to fix them all, but best practice suggests you should fix as many as possible.
  • Errors: You must fix these errors, or your structured data won't achieve the goal of achieving the rich result rewards Google has to offer.

As you can see, using structured data and using it well can reap giant rewards. If you're technically minded, we encourage all business owners to give structured data a try. If you're not, get in contact with your digital marketers and ask them about structured data today. As search engines evolve, harnessing the power of structured data is a great way to get your website ranking high on search results and keep your nose in front of your competitors. 

 

 

 

Is Free Document Management Software Right for Your Business?

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:15 AM PST

  • Free document management software (DMS) is limited in features, functionality, security, technical support and regulation compliance.
  • Free DMS is ideal for small businesses in unregulated industries that don't need advanced document management tools.
  • To choose a free document management system, consider your budget, industry and needed features. 

Many small business owners use document management systems to help them securely organize their important (and not so important) paperless documents into one location for easy access. Although some document management software (DMS) can be costly, businesses with limited document management needs and restrictive budgets can benefit from free document management software. 

Document management systems aren't just good for organization. According to Pravin Vazirani, assistant vice president of operations at Chetu, they pose several other workflow advantages for small businesses that want a paperless office. 

"Document management systems reduce storage space, aid in regulatory compliance, allow for better collaboration among team members using the same document, provide better backup and recovery services, and, as is to be expected, allow for organized and easy document retrieval," Vazirani said. 

Although some industries – like the legal, accounting and healthcare industries – rely far more on documents than most, Vazirani said that virtually every business has a need to keep vital documents and information well organized and easily accessible. A document management system fills this need. 

The specific features you need in a document management system will depend on your business size, industry and preferences. Consider which features you need, how tech savvy your team is, and how much money you have in your software budget to find the best document management system for your business. 

The benefits of using a free document management system

Document management systems provide many benefits for small businesses. For example, they can aid in organization, collaboration, data security, disaster recovery and integration. They are especially helpful during growth periods for your business. While free document management systems do have their limitations, they provide many of the same benefits as paid versions – and some unique to them. [Read related article: Advice for Choosing a Small Business Document Management System] 

1. It is a cost-effective way to manage your documents.

The most obvious (and alluring) benefit of using a free document management system over a paid one is the price tag. Small business owners have many expenses to worry about, and it isn't uncommon for something like document management to fall to the wayside. However, properly organizing and storing documents is essential for small businesses, especially those that plan on growing. Free document management systems give small business owners many organizational and collaborative benefits without the licensing fees or monthly payments.   

Sergey Golubenko, head of the SharePoint department at ScienceSoft, said free DMS helps a company to streamline document-driven processes and increase productivity without extra expenses. "This makes it the right choice for small businesses that have limited budget and resources and average requirements for functionality." 

2. It has minimal restrictions on what materials you manage.

Free document management software can be advantageous to small business owners in more ways than just saving money. For example, it doesn't impose the restrictions that many paid versions do.   

"There are often no stipulations as to how you can use the [free DMS] system, where other options may dictate what kind of materials are able to be managed, such as noncommercial or internal documents only," said Vazirani. "These types of systems are great for small businesses or departments within a larger business that may have limited DMS needs."   

3. It allows for fast implementation and testing.

Free documentation software can also be fast and easy to implement and test for your small business. Instead of signing on to a paid version, you can access a free version almost immediately and begin organizing your electronic document folders right away. Since free DMS is fast to deploy, Golubenko said you have the luxury of installing and testing several tools before deciding which DMS is the most suitable for your company. 

While we don't necessarily recommend testing too many document management systems at the same time, it can be beneficial to try out the software if you are trying to decide between a few great platforms. 

 

Editor's note: Looking for the right document management system for your business? Fill out the questionnaire below to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.  

 

The limitations of a free document management system

Like any free version of a software or service, free document management systems have feature limitations that may impact the tasks you can perform. Although a free platform may be acceptable for many small businesses, it is important to be aware of the setbacks that may come with it. 

1. It has limited features and capabilities.

As expected, free document management software is often limited in its features and functions. It may have the features necessary for a small business in an unregulated industry, but larger or document-heavy companies will likely need a paid version. 

Vazirani listed some common feature limitations of free document management systems. "Overall, certain functionality features can be limited, such as integration options, finite task management allowances, size of the documents being stored, or even the file type. Similar to this, space is often a limitation as well, as free programs will have restrictions on how much one user can leverage." 

Golubenko added that businesses that choose free DMS should not expect advanced features like enterprise search, integrations with enterprise systems and complex nonlinear workflows. 

2. Customer service, security and technical support are also limited.

Like most free versions of software, free DMS has fewer security measures than paid versions have. Vazirani recommends that small businesses do not use free DMS to store critical documents, like personal, financial or sensitive information. This limits the industries that can solely rely on free document management systems. 

Free programs also lack reliable customer or technical support. If any issues arise with your software, you will likely have to resolve them on your own. Golubenko said businesses with technical issues often need to hire a specialist if they don't have an in-house IT team. If you don't have a highly tech-savvy person on your team, hiring an IT specialist to resolve a DMS issue may cost more than it's worth. 

3. It doesn't support industry compliance regulations.

Golubenko said free document management systems don't support industry compliance regulations like HIPAA, FDA, GLBA or SOX. This makes free DMS useless for regulated industries. 

Before choosing a free document management system, it is important to assess which features you will need, how much data you have to store, what level of support you require and which industry regulations you need to comply with. These factors can determine whether a paid or free version is best for your business. 

The best free document management software

There are several great free document management systems on the market, but the best one for your business will depend on your needs. Many individuals use free services like Google Drive and Samepage to store their digital documents. We spoke with industry professionals to get their take on the best options. 

Vazirani named these programs as the top three free document management systems:  

Although M-Files only offers a 30-day free trial instead of an entirely free plan, it is our recommendation as the best document management software available. It is very user-friendly and easily scalable. If you are looking to test out a free version before buying, M-Files may be the perfect option for your business. 

How to choose a free document management system

Choosing a free document management system is a lot like choosing a paid version, except you need to pay extra attention to which features come without payment. Some companies highlight features and capabilities that are only available with paid software. Find a reputable company that can fulfill all of your document management needs and scale with your business as needed. 

"I feel that it is imperative to find a system that provides search capabilities that are based on full-text searches and tags," said Vazirani. "This way, you can quickly locate the correct document needed if you are unsure of its filed location. Additionally, it may be in your best interest to find a system that works on both Android and iOS operating systems, as many organizations use both, and that there is some form of support system to assist with technical issues." 

Some other common features to look for are file sharing, single sign-on, document imaging, version control and mobile apps. To help you choose the best document management system for your business, we created a checklist of important factors for you to analyze. 

  1. Business and storage size: The number of employees who need access to your document management system will affect the type you need. Many free versions limit how many users can access the software. If you have a large team, free software may not be a viable option. Same goes for storage space – if your company needs to digitally store a lot of documents and folders, you may exceed the storage allowance for many free DMS options.

  2. Security and regulations: Your industry will determine which type of DMS you need. For example, if you are in an industry that is highly regulated or requires stringent security protocols, you need a document management system that supports secure document creation and folder sharing.

  3. Features: The DMS capabilities you should look for depend on your business tasks and your team's preferences. Do you need file sharing and on-the-go collaboration features? Does your DMS need to have a seamless user interface that integrates with other business platforms? These factors will determine whether you can partner with a free DMS or if you require a paid version.

  4. Budget: It is important to set a realistic budget for a document management solution. If you are starting a new business, your budget for paperless document storage may be small, but it is important to set up an adequate filing system as soon as possible. If you can't realistically afford to pay for a DMS initially, look for a free service that can easily scale into a robust paid version as your business grows. 

When choosing a document management system for your business, it's OK to start small. If a free DMS can successfully meet all your current file management needs, great. However, consider what your future needs may be as your business grows. Always choose a system that can scale with your business

8 Ways to Use Social Media for the Success of Your Business

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:00 AM PST

There are over 3.48 billion social media users worldwide. If you want to reach out to this massive audience, you need to have an effective social media marketing strategy in place.

That's because simply creating a social media account for your business isn't enough. You can't expect much from social media when you randomly post updates. Without a proper strategy, it is hard to generate any significant results for your business.

However, creating an effective social media strategy is easier said than done.

To help you, we've put together a list of some proven ways that can help you capitalize on the power of social media.

1. Create shareable content

When you post content that offers value or inspires people, there are higher chances that your followers will share it. Shareable content helps you organically attract more followers.

Some popular types of content that you can share on social media include:

  • High-quality articles, such as how-to guides and actionable tips

  • Inspirational posts

  • Funny memes

  • Product reviews

  • Videos

  • Screenshots

  • Client testimonials

  • Expert interviews

  • Case studies

  • Behind-the-scenes stories

2. Host contests

Hosting contests is one of the most effective ways to boost user engagement on social media. It can also help you attract new audiences.

The secret here is to offer something that your audience will find valuable so they will engage with your brand. 

You should keep in mind that offering random prizes can help you generate a lot of leads, but they might not be "quality leads." Users will share their information with you only to qualify for the prize. 

You need to ensure that your contest attracts a crowd that is likely to be interested in your brand and products. If you can target the interests of your ideal customers, hosting contests can help you get good business leads.

And the best part about competitions and giveaways is that they are always fun. People love them.

Though expecting an immediate sale is a bit too much, you can see your efforts reap good results over a period of time. Want to know how?

When a user enters a competition, they are already hoping to win. They often start thinking that they do want to get that "two-day hotel stay" you're offering them. With this desire, they may even consider booking it anyway, even if they don't win.

You can also encourage conversions by offering participants a nice, limited-time discount coupon when you finally announce the winner.

3. Run paid ads

You should always track the performance of each of your social media posts and engagement activities. This will help you identify your top-performing content. You can boost the reach of these posts using paid ads.

This tactic can help you generate more engagement, drive more traffic to your website, and increase brand awareness.

To get the most out of your paid social ad campaigns, you should:

  • Use social proof

  • Include compelling calls-to-action (CTAs)

  • Use high-quality, attractive images

  • Consider consumer psychology

  • Choose colors, themes and messaging wisely

  • Run targeted campaigns to meet the demands of specific consumer groups

  • A/B test multiple versions of your social ad

4. Use live videos

You can also host live video sessions to engage with your followers in real-time. You can answer their questions or share a few behind-the-scenes stories or other special moments with them.

You can also take this opportunity to tell them about the milestones you've achieved and celebrate your success. During the live video, you can thank your followers for all of their love and support.

Here are some great topic ideas for your live videos:

  • Introduce a new product and its features

  • Tutorials to help your followers learn something new

  • Live streaming from a big event

  • Q/A sessions with your audience

  • Show off your new office, team members or other exciting stuff

  • Behind-the-scenes stories

5. Leverage influencers

There is perhaps no better way to boost your brand's reach and engagement other than partnering with the top influencers in your niche.

Consumers prefer to trust content created by influencers more than traditional ads. They feel that influencers are honest about their opinions and they take the time to connect and engage with their followers.

People not only trust but also follow the recommendations of their favorite social media influencers. That's why the right influencer collaborations can help you drive more sales and revenue for your business.

However, you need to ensure that the influencers you choose to work with are a good fit for your campaign and business goals. Luckily, now we have platforms such as iFluenz to help brands and marketers find the most relevant influencers in their niches. 

You can use these platforms to discover and connect with the right influencers to boost the ROI of your brand's social media campaigns. It's also possible to measure the influence of the influencers on Instagram using this tool. 

6. Leverage compelling CTAs

Strong and well-placed CTAs can help you motivate your potential customers to make the next move through your sales funnel. You should keep your followers engaged by prompting them to "learn more" or "shop now."

You can also compel them to take action quickly using a limited-time discount offer or promoting a flash sale that will only last for a few hours.

It is important to ensure that your social media posts and ads end with CTAs that are relevant to the needs and interests of your audience. At the end of the day, people only care about what you can offer them.

You should stay true to your followers. It's not ethical to use "learn more" as a CTA when what you want is to drive an actual sale. In such cases, it is best to ask users to "buy it now."

Some of the most popular CTAs that brands use, include:

  • Like

  • Subscribe

  • Donate

  • Register

  • Buy Now

  • Sign Up

  • Learn More

If you want to add a sense of urgency to compel users to take quick actions, you can use CTAs such as:

  • For a limited time only

  • Offer expires on Feburary 5

  • Buy now and claim your free gift

7. Schedule your social media posts

There is a best time to post for every social media platform and for different niches.

Scheduling your posts in advance can help you ensure that your content reaches your audience right when they're active on these platforms. This will help you increase your content's reach and engagement rate.

In fact, it can also help you post consistently and post over the weekends too.

8. Watch your competitors

You should track the social media activities of your competitors and analyze which types of content are helping them drive the best results.

You can utilize their top-performing strategies to drive the best results for your brand. However, remember that you should not copy them.

You should customize your social media strategies and content to cater to the specific needs of your audience.

Social media is rife with potential

If you have not tapped into the potential of these social media marketing techniques, now is the perfect time to try them out. In 2020, you should plan your social media strategy now to stay ahead of your competition.

You should look for ways that can help you generate more high-quality leads for your business. You can track and analyze what your top competitors are doing. You can also connect with niche influencers to get more traction.

Are you ready to rock the social media world in 2020?
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