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clarencenicholsonata · 4 years

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6 Popular Ways to Build a Social Selling Strategy that Generates Leads

Chances are you’ve heard the phrase “social selling.” You might already be doing it to some extent.

You’ve probably heard that it works, too. According to LinkedIn, reps who are effective at social selling generate 45% more opportunities and are 51% more likely to hit their quota.

But what actually is social selling?

It’s certainly not social media marketing. And it’s not running social ads, either.

Instead, social selling is the practice of leveraging your social network to find prospects, understand their pain points, nurture them through the buyer cycle, and ultimately hit your sales goals.

It’s a way to build stronger relationships with your prospects so that you’re already on good terms with them when they’re ready to buy.

Of course, you’re not just going to switch off your cold outreach and transition to social selling overnight – you need a clear strategy that’s tailored to delivering the leads you need. Here’s how to do it:

1. Define Goals and Key Metrics

As with anything in the world of sales, the ultimate goal of your social selling program will be simple: to sell more.

But it’s not quite that simple. What does “more” actually mean? Is it more of a certain product or subscription tier? Is it a revenue target? Or something different?

For your sales strategy to succeed, your goals need to be specific and scalable. Rather than “sell more,” they should be:

Achieve $X in revenue

Sell Y number of a specific product

Exceed last year’s sales by Z%

It’s also vital that your goals tie into the wider objectives of the business. Let’s say you’re working in the B2B sales division of a soft drinks manufacturer, persuading big hospitality chains to sell your beverage instead of your rival’s.

If your company is launching a new product, the higher-ups will be relying on you and your team to give it a push – so your goals need to reflect this. And they should be time-bound too, so that it’s crystal-clear whether or not a target has been achieved.

Your top-level goals should be supported by more granular KPIs that act as leading indicators of success. To continue the soft drink example, if your goal is to sell more of a new product line, a supporting social selling KPI might be to discuss the product with X number of people per week via a specific platform.

Get the goals and KPIs right, and you’ll be able to draw up lists of measurable tasks for each salesperson – things like:

Number of posts per day on each social platform

Number of new connections made per day

Number of conversations started per week with new prospects

Carry out those tasks consistently, and you’ll be well on your way to starting more conversations, turning those conversations into opportunities, and converting those opportunities into deals.

Key Takeaways:

Set an overarching, time-specific overarching goal for your social selling strategy (e.g. “Achieve 10% YoY uplift in sales of Beverage X during Q4 2020”)

Support your overarching goal with granular KPIs (e.g. “Discuss beverage X with 100 key decision-makers (per ideal client profile) each week”)

Agree on measurable tasks with each salesperson to achieve your goals and KPIs (e.g. “make 30 new connections per day on LinkedIn, per ideal client profile”)

Helpful Tools: CRM system to manage new connections (e.g. Wishpond) Reporting dashboards to measure performance (e.g. Klipfolio, Tableau)

2. Create Your Ideal Customer Profile to Inform Social Strategy

For your social selling strategy to succeed, you need to define who exactly you’re selling to. That means creating an ideal client profile (ICP) – a detailed description of the type of company you’re targeting, incorporating their:

Industry

Company size

Location

Pain points

Business challenges that your product can help them to overcome

Likely reasons to buy / not buy your product

Knowledge of your product (and/or other similar products)

Existing product suite (e.g. do they currently use your competitor’s product?)

Your ICP should allow you to reach out to the right people via social – after all, there’s no point in spending hours, days, or weeks nurturing a relationship with someone who was never a good fit in the first place.

Key Takeaways:

Speak to your “best” existing customers (the biggest spenders, the most loyal, and those who use the widest range of your products) to get direct feedback that informs your ICP.

Gather company-wide and user-specific information on the specific organizations you’re targeting.

Study the social platforms of users who fit your ICP to understand how they speak and the topics they speak about.

Helpful Tools: Use survey tools like Survey Monkey, Typeform, Google Forms and SuperOffice Forms to gather information from your existing customers. Or track down relevant user profiles on Twitter, LinkedIn and industry-specific forums.

3. Choose Which Social Media Platforms to Leverage

Having built a detailed ICP, you need to work out where those people hang out online. Which social platform is right for you?

If you’re a B2B operation – which you probably are if you’re reading this guide – then chances are you’ll find your audience on LinkedIn, which is responsible for an astonishing 80% of B2B marketing leads generated on social media.

But Facebook might be appropriate too – after all, it’s used by 69% of US adults, second only to YouTube. And don’t rule out Twitter, which has a disproportionately high number of users who are college-educated and earn more than $75,000 per year.

TIAS, a Netherlands-based business school, identified LinkedIn as the best platform for reaching its desired audience of prospects for international MBA and MSc programs, predominantly located in South America. Using Sponsored InMail messages to invite potential candidates to face-to-face meetings, it was able to generate a full schedule of appointments in just 72 hours.

Once you’ve selected the best social network, optimize your profile to appeal to potential customers, incorporating buyer-centric messaging that clearly explains who you are and the expertise you offer.

Need help with your next contest?

Book a free call to learn how our team of contest experts can help you create a high converting social media contest today.

4. Use Creative Content to Generate Curiosity

Unless you’re planning to be online 24/7, you can’t do all the lead nurturing yourself.

Fortunately, creative content can give you a helping hand. Content can be used to educate your audience on the challenges they’re facing and the ways your product can help, allowing you to start meaningful conversations and answer questions using your existing assets.

So it’s little wonder that 87% of the most successful B2B brands have a mature, sophisticated content marketing strategy in place. Use the 80/20 rule to determine what sort of content to push out to prospects:

*80% of your content should be creative – think blogs, ebooks, case studies and infographics *20% of your content should be promotional – things like discounts and free trials

Visual content is particularly effective in the busy world of social media because it sticks in our minds better. Hear a piece of information and three days later you’ll only remember 10% of it; add a picture to it and that number increases to 65%.

Paessler AG, a worldwide provider of network monitoring software, used an innovative creative content campaign to generate leads via Facebook and Instagram. Inspired by geek culture and the everyday challenges faced by network administrators, it created and promoted a free printed card game called “The Game Against Downtime.” The strategy delivered a 51% drop saving in cost per lead and a 64% drop in cost per click compared to its previous campaigns.

Key Takeaways:

Use the audience research you conducted while building your ICP to identify themes for creative content campaigns.

Create that content and use it to strike up conversations with your target audience!

Helpful Tools:

Canva: A freemium tool for creating banners, infographics, ebooks and more.

Piktochart: Any easy-to-use tool for making presentations and graphics.

Unsplash: A huge library of free-to-use high-resolution images.

InPixio: Photo-editing software for PC and Mac.

5. Leverage Networks and Connect With Influencers

Armed with an optimized profile and a bank of quality content, it’s time to make a name for yourself in high-profile groups and reach out to influencers within your industry.

Both Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to find and join groups of like-minded people. They could be united by a shared interest, a job, or a certain product or piece of software.

Among the biggest LinkedIn Groups are those dedicated to HR professionals, social media marketers, and renewable energy and sustainability. When you go to send a linkedin connection message, make sure you use the person’s name and write something unique and specific to them.

“Search for the groups that are most relevant to your audience, join them, and start sharing informative content that adds real value. Connect with influencers you meet in those groups – it’s always helpful to have people with big followings in your corner.” David Campbell, Marketing Strategist at Right Inbox.

Audi realized that LinkedIn, with its visual carousel ad format and advanced targeting capabilities, was ideally suited for promoting its carbon-neutral e-tron range.

The German carmaker reached out to eco-friendly motoring influencers through their membership of relevant LinkedIn Groups to help them build highly valuable word of mouth around e-tron.

Its campaign generated a click-through rate of 2.32% – higher than on any other platform, and far exceeding auto industry benchmarks – with an engagement rate of more than 4%.

Key Takeaways:

Browse and join relevant LinkedIn and Facebook Groups.

Join in with existing conversations and start new discussions on relevant topics – don’t just pitch your product or you’ll get kicked out.

Connect with industry influencers once you’ve interacted with them in those Groups.

Helpful Tools: The free search functionality on Facebook and LinkedIn is all you need to find relevant Groups. Just search for a topic and toggle the results to find Groups.

6. Make Use of Social Tools

Just as creating content can do some of the work for you in starting and nurturing conversations, social tools can be a big help in reaching the right people at the right time – when they’re actively in the market for a product like yours.

Those tools don’t have to be expensive. In fact, all of the social networks offer some level of free search functionality that you should leverage to find people who would benefit from your product.

For example, use Twitter’s Explore function to browse hashtags that are commonly used by people within your audience, allowing you to find and engage with potential prospects.

Other tools are worth paying for. For instance, LinkedIn Sales Navigator makes it super simple to find decision-makers, build custom prospect lists, see prospects who have viewed your profile, and send InMail messages to people even if you’re not connected.

It’s an invaluable tool for anyone looking to leverage the benefits of social selling. The Sacramento Kings used it to reach its desired corporate audience – primarily SMEs looking to buy tickets to engage prospects, clients and vendors, or to reward employees.

Since adopting to Sales Navigator, new reps have seen their deal size increase by 42% compared to the previous class of reps who weren’t using the platform.

Key Takeaways:

Browse popular hashtags and content themes related to your audience and use them to grow your network.

Find key prospects at organizations that match your ICP using LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Conclusion

Social selling is a world away from cold outreach.

It relies on building trusted relationships with your prospects – and that takes time. You could conceivably spend months talking to a single prospect without ever closing the deal. For that reason, some salespeople view social selling with skepticism.

But if you’re prepared to put the time in, the results can be fantastic. Demonstrate that you genuinely care about your industry and have real value to offer, and your prospects will love you.

They’ll buy from you. And they’ll tell their friends, too.

About the Author

Sujan Patel is a partner at Ramp Ventures & co-founder of Mailshake. He has over 15 years of marketing experience and has led the digital marketing strategy for companies like Salesforce, Mint, Intuit and many other Fortune 500 caliber companies.

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ncmagroup · 5 years

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By Erika Desmond

Smart salespeople have known this for a while now: Email prospecting is one of the most effective ways to get in front of your potential customers.

If you’d like to join them, we’re going to make it easy for you.

While we don’t write sales email templates we’ve put together a collection of 100+ sales email templates and examples that you can use to close more deals. These templates aren’t ‘ready to go’, rather they are here for inspiration. Your biggest success will come when you study these examples, make them relevant to your business and turn them into your own.

Your Cold Emailing Rules

Make it about them, not about you

Keep it short, ideally 4 sentences max (make its interest and mobile-friendly)

Use language that’s conversational

The smaller the ask the easier to answer

Follow up, and follow up your follow-ups

Make use of the outbound email automation tools available to optimize your process

BUT beware of the pitfalls of Email Tracking (open rates are almost vanity metric, what you really care about is engagement)

The more personalized, the better (e.g. their name, company, industry, competitors, unique situation, reference a real case, the language they use offer a specific solution)

You ready? Let’s do this.

Note: If you send out documents (presentations, proposals) as part of your sales process, join thousands of salespeople who send and track documents with Attach.

Copy-paste your favorite email templates into Cirrus Insight or any marketing/sales email platform. You can also create your own templates and use Salesforce templates from Cirrus Insight.

Cold Email Templates

{Company Name} + {Your Company}

Hi {name},

My name is {name} with {Your Company}.

We help {specific company type} with {one liner}.

I wanted to learn how you handle {thing your company handles} at {Company Name} and show you what we’re working on.

Are you available for a brief call at {time options}?

{Company Name} + Smart Host

Hi Mike,

My name is Nick and I’m a co-founder at Smart Host. We help property managers optimize their pricing on marketplaces like HomeAway, VRBO, and Flipkey.

I wanted to learn how you currently handle price optimization and show you what we’re working on.

Are you available for a quick call tomorrow afternoon?

How to Export [company] Prospects from professional social networks and into your CRM

{name},

I’d like to discuss your lead gen efforts.

We’re helping other [industry] companies collect their prospects straight from professional social networks and import them directly into their CRM (adding phone numbers and email addresses).

Quick question: can you put me in touch with whoever is responsible for new prospecting and revenue generating tools at {company}?

Hi {name},

{myName} from {myCompany} here.

Companies make more sales with consistent marketing. {myCompany} can put proven sales tools into the hands of everyone who sells your product.

If that sound useful, I can explain how it works.

(source)

Hi {name},

I’m trying to figure out who is in charge of [leading general statement] there at {company}.

Would you mind pointing me towards the right person please, and the best way I might get in touch with them?

Hello {name},

What would it mean to your top-line revenue if you saw a 70% increase in contact rates, 50% improvement in closes and a 40% increase in quota-hitting sales reps?

Let’s find a few minutes to talk about how InsideSales.com is providing these results to our clients.

I’m available tomorrow {insert 2 times you’re available}. Can we sync up?

Hi {name},

I hope this note finds you well.

I’ve been working for a company called {my company} that specializes in X, Y, and Z. In thinking about your role at {company}, I thought there might be a good fit for your group.

Our {product name} has garnered a lot of attention in the marketplace and I think it’s something that your organization might see immediate value in.

Can you help me get in contact with the right decision-maker?

Looking for best [insert job area where you’d like to start] contact

{name},

I am doing some research on your company to determine if there is (or is not) a need for [insert your strongest pain point].

Could you please help me by pointing me to the best person there for a brief discussion?

Where shall I start?

{name},

I’m hoping you can help me, who handles the [insert pain point here] decisions at {company} and how might I get in touch with them?

[theircompanyname] and [yourcompanyname]

{name},

I’m sorry to trouble you. Can you tell me who makes the [insert pain point here] decisions at your company and how I might get in touch with them?

(source)

Appropriate person

{name}

We have a service that will help you [insert quick one-liner about the value your service delivers].

Would you guide me to the person responsible for [insert the relevant department or task your service empowers — “marketing, sales, pipeline building”] and let me know how I might get in touch with them?

{name},

We have a service that will help you [insert quick one-liner about the value your service delivers] and have helped similar businesses achieve XYZ results.

What’s the best day/time this week or next for a quick 15-minute conversation?

Looking for an Accountant

I was wondering if you were looking for more business customers?

I know the majority of small businesses are always looking for a great accountant and I’d be able to generate leads for you if this is something you’re interested in.

Are there any types of businesses in particular that make good clients for you?

Name

P.S. If you aren’t the right person to contact about this, please let me know

(source)

10 x {company} [result] in ten minutes?

Hello {name},

I have an idea that I can explain in 10 minutes that can get {company} it’s next [100 best clients].

I recently used this idea to help our client {competitor} almost triple their monthly run rate.

{name}, Let’s schedule a 10-minute call so I can explain. When works best for you?

(source)

Hi {name},

This is {salesrep} with RJMetrics. I just took a quick look at your site and noticed that {company} looks similar to many of the SaaS clients that we help every day.

I’m sure you’re already thinking about engagement metrics and ROI by acquisition source, but I’d love to get a sense for how you’re uncovering that data and share some insights we’ve learned along the way towards understanding the story behind your business.

If I’ve got the right person, can we connect in the next few days? If not, who would you recommend I speak with?

Appropriate Person?

Hi {name},

This is SDR with RJMetrics. Wanted to introduce myself, as {company}’s sales development platform looks similar to many of the businesses we work with every day.

While I’ve got your attention, we’d love if you guys gave RJMetrics a spin. Our clients are using us to do things like optimizing customer acquisition spend, understand drivers of CLV, and standardize reporting of KPIs across internal teams and investors.

I’m assuming you’re the best person for this – If not, who would you recommend I speak with?

Bookkeeping sucks, let us handle it.

{name},

Bookkeeping sucks, and you have a business to run. You created CompanyName out of a passion to do something great, unique, and game-changing. Not to spend your limitless talents and limited time on day-to-day bookkeeping tasks. AcuityComplete’s bookkeeping professionals want you to focus your time and efforts on growing CompanyName into an empire; not worrying about whether your books are reconciled correctly.

If your core business competency isn’t bookkeeping, let’s talk. I’d love to find out more about CompanyName and how we can help eliminate this headache for you.

Do you have any current issues that we can help answer?

Appropriate person

Hi {name},

I am writing in hopes of finding the appropriate person who handles multicultural media. I also wrote to Person x, Person Y and Person Z in that pursuit. If it makes sense to talk, let me know how your calendar looks?

VoodooVox helps increase the revenues of Fortune 500 companies by marketing to Hispanics. Each month we reach 25 million Spanish speakers with an audio message they must hear. We insert 30-second audio and SMS advertisements into phone calls made on calling cards. The benefit to users is they make their call free. The benefit for our clients is they can increase store revenue by providing text message coupons. Typical redemption is 3%. You can measure results online and with store sales. Advertisements can target specific ethnic groups and geographies. Some clients include Burger King, P&G and Chili’s.

If you are the appropriate person to speak with, what does your calendar look like? If not, who do you recommend I talk to?

(source)

Appropriate person

Hi {name},

I am writing in hopes of finding the appropriate person who handles online advertising? I also wrote to Quinn XXXX, Kristy XXXX and Rob XXXX in that pursuit. If it makes sense to talk, let me know how your calendar looks?

AroundYou helps increase the revenues and exposure of local companies by marketing directly to targeted and local traffic. Each month we reach over 240,000 Australians thru our site by profiling events, activities and things to do. We profile companies thru our featured listings, iPhone App and targeted Google advertising. The benefit to users is that they can search for their area free. The benefit for our clients is they can increase revenue and exposure by utilizing the featured listings and targeted traffic. You can measure results and statistics online. Your listing will target specific suburbs and postcodes. Some clients include The Herald Sun, Leader Community Newspapers, The State Theatre and The Art Gallery of NSW.

If you are the appropriate person to speak with, what does your calendar look like? If not, who do you recommend I talk to?

(source)

I am doing some research on ________ to determine if there is a need for KISSmetrics’ person-based web analytics platform. Could you please help by pointing me to the appropriate person there that may have an interest in a brief discussion?

For context – Here is a short infographic introducing you to KISSmetrics.

{infographic}

In advance, thank you for your help.

Who wants a Customer Success 1-on-1?

I’ll be honest, this is not “another sales pitch” from Sales Instead, I’d like to send you a 2-minute demo video of Gainsight’s Customer Success Management solution: http://vimeo.com/63709432

We are VC backed ($9M Series A) by Battery Ventures and our key customers include Marketo, DocuSign, Xactly, Jive, Informatica, YouSendIt, etc. One of our core value props is “Success for All” and we would like to offer everyone a 1-on-1 with our Customer Success experts to simply discuss best practices (reducing churn, structuring your customer-focused team, increasing up-sells, etc).

Who is the best person to speak with about Customer Success? Let us know if there’s someone else who heads up those efforts.

Hi Eric,

I understand you are the CEO at Single Grain, and given that our customers who used to use similar technology, a chat may be beneficial.

In short, we’ve created the sales automation salespeople have been craving by shoring up the shortcomings, filling in the blindspots, and reliving the frustrations of current solutions. The difference is obvious – see for yourself.

Are you available for a brief chat this week or Monday/Tuesday of next week?

Thanks

P.S. Feel free to compare us with others [link to comparison page]. We want you to 🙂

(source)

Researched Outreach Email Templates

Looks like we have plenty of things in common…

Hey {name}, Here are some commonalities between Yesware and TOPO:

Twilio is a customer (and also an integration partner now powering our click-to-call feature)

We are a Salesforce.com ISV partner, and it looks like Salesforce.com is a client of yours

Our Director of Sales, Mike Maylon is on the speaker’s list at the Saleshacker conference. He also used to work at Netsuite, another client of yours

Most importantly, we’re focused on driving results. Customers like Twitter, Acquia, and The Financial Times have seen a 25% growth in new business using our product. Customers choose our sales technology to accelerate their sales efforts.

Let’s explore how we can work together to help your customers share the same experience our customers have had since using Yesware. I can also share with you some more customer success stories and why our market-leading product is chosen by high growth sales teams.

When is the best time for you to connect? I would be more than happy to facilitate an introduction to Mike if that’s preferred by you.

Cheers, {name}

P.s.: it looks like your session title is TBD. If there is any data/information I can help provide you to strengthen your presentation, please let me know.

(source)

Introduction: {Your first name} <> {Prospect’s first name}

Hi {Prospect’s first name},

I recently came across {blog post title} that you/your company wrote/shared/posted on {social media platform}. {Topic of blog post} seems like an interest that we share. In fact, {one sentence comment on/reaction to blog post}.

I work for {your company} and we {your company’s value proposition}. {Referral} recommended I reach out to you with ideas on how to solve [problem your product addresses]. I’d love to get some time on your calendar to discuss these ideas and {topic of blog post}. Are you available for a 10/30/60 minute call on {date}?

I look forward to talking soon.

(source)

Question about the upcoming product launch

{name},

I read in the WSJ yesterday that you’re expecting to receive FDA approval for a new ulcerative colitis drug in the next few months. When that finally does happen, you’re going to want to get it into the market quickly. We recently helped another pharma company slash their packaging delivery time from 18 days down to just four days.

You can read how we did it at http://www.packco.com/casestudy.

Would you be interested in a quick conversation next Tuesday? Let me know a time that might work for you.

(source)

A few other experiments you can run to grow your email list

Hey {name},

Been a huge fan of your site since it first went up. Noticed you’ve been running several experiments to grow your email lists.

Here are a few lesser-used strategies that drives explosive growth:

– Members-only bonus area: You offer a lot of juicy bonuses to entice new signups. There doesn’t seem to be a way for existing members to also receive them right now. Think creating a members-only bonus area where existing subscribers can go to download your latest goodies would go long ways to build their long-term loyalty. – Behavior settings on your optin box: Noticed your optin-box still pops up for people who already subscribed. You can use a much longer-lasting cookie to stop it from annoying your existing subscribers.

I’ve been coding for the last several years with a focus on building viral growth engines. I recently coded all the backend for RoyalSee’s pre-launch campaign: [link]. They got 10K signups in 2 weeks.

Happy to lend a hand with future projects – let me know what you think.

(source)

New partnership?

{name},

You did an excellent job speaking at the recent 21st Century B2B Culture event – you have a great understanding of social business. Do you see social business working being effective in B2C?

I had a few ideas on how it could work in B2C that are related to your recent book (which I read). I help B2C SMBs use the internet to bring their business to the national market.

What’s the easiest way to get 10 minutes on your calendar Thursday to share how our market expertise can be mutually beneficial?

(source)

Hi {name}, I noticed you guys don’t have a commenting widget on your site. It’s actually something my company Wigeto provides emagazines for free to boost engagement. When you have a few minutes, I’d love to talk to you or the appropriate person about taking care of that.

(source)

I noticed on your website that XYZ is a customer. Congrats on getting traction with such an established brand, which is undeniably no small feat for an early-stage startup.I know from speaking with other founders that many, if not all, find it challenging to developing a repeatable selling process in a way that feels natural, comfortable and authentic without sounding “salesy”. The impact – inaction. Lack of a predictable pipeline and sales. In the past year, we’ve worked with companies like ABC and def to help them close more deals in less time without selling their soul and was thinking we might be able to help XYZ in this area as well.

I’m not sure if this is a fit for you folks, but if you’d like to learn more would you be open to carving out some time to explore?

Alternate ending: If you’d like I can send you a 2-minute demo so you can evaluate.

(source)

{name}, is your marketing automation tool working for you?

Hi {name}, I understand you may currently be using Pardot as a marketing tool, and I was wondering if you’re experiencing any difficulty with it. Pardot users often find that they need a more scalable solution as their business grows, and as a result, we’ve seen many customers switch to Marketo in recent months. These customers see immediate increases of 30-100% in productivity and a dramatic increase in leads – purely because they get much more capability in an easier-to-use package.

Why are Pardot users switching? Marketo removes the limitations that held them back – some of the major benefits that these customers have experienced with Marketo include: A much more productive, intuitive, and flexible interface for creating marketing campaigns (ranked #1 for user experience by independent analysts) Ability to quickly report on pipeline, revenue, and ROI by marketing campaign or channel Flexible lead scoring – which includes scoring models by product line or division, and automatic score reductions when your leads are inactive Drastically improved ability to leverage lead intelligence solutions inside your CRM For a limited time, we are also offering special pricing packages to make switching incredibly easy and attractive.

Please reply to this email or click here if you’d like to set up a time to talk about whether Marketo makes sense for your business. Or, learn more here.

Question about company plan to expand

{name},

I just read your interview in Mark-It News where you mentioned your company’s plans to expand your franchise operations by 35%.In the past year, we’ve worked with three other franchisors to drive significant traffic to their newly opened locations. On a comparative basis, same-store sales in the three months were up between 17 – 23% over previous launches.

Would you be interested in learning how we did this? I’m available next Thursday, May 6th. Give me time, and I’ll give you the details.

(source)

Referral Outreach Email Templates

Terry Fisher says you’re interested in better lead gen strategies

{name},

Terry Fisher told me today that you two were talking about how tough it is these days to get new leads in the door. It’s a big issue that all consulting companies face right now.

After looking at your website and registering for your white paper, I have some thoughts regarding where you may be losing people in the process. And, I’ve got some ideas you can implement fairly easily that should have a positive impact on lead conversion rates.

Let’s schedule 30 minutes to talk some more about this.

(source)

LinkedIn Outreach InMail Templates

(when connecting)

I would love to connect with you at some point and learn more about Converto.

Would be great to have a conversation around the websites we crawl that are adding and dropping your competitors like Adometry.

Best, Jason

Hi Ravi,

The article you shared on LinkedIn yesterday addresses a challenge that I’ve heard two sales directions mention this week. Your unique perspective would be beneficial for them to hear.

We help sales execs improve their reps success with a similar approach. Do you have 5 mins to speak on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon this week?

(source)

Intro?

Hi {name},

I was looking to get introduced to Johnny Dealmaker from Project X and saw you were connected to him. Not sure how well you’re connected to him, but if the relationship is strong, I’d really appreciate an intro to chat about ways to work with my Project Y.

Please let me know if you feel comfortable doing this and I’ll forward over a proper request for an introduction that you can forward to him.

(source)

Intro?

Hey {name},

Was hoping that you might be able to introduce me to Johnny Dealmaker at Project X?

I wanted to connect with him because our email list targets a similar demographic with limited overlap. Seeing as our products are non-competitive, I wanted to touch base to see if he was up for brainstorming ways to leverage our existing user bases to grow both of our lists.

We did this with Company R in the past, and both parties received a 15% lift in new subscribers.

Any help is much appreciated.

(source)

Follow Up Email Templates

First Follow Up

Re: [same subject]

{name}, is the below of any interest to you?

(source)

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I didn’t hear back from you last week when I was looking for the appropriate person managing your [statement]. That’s not a problem.

If it makes sense to talk, let me know how your calendar looks. If not, who is the appropriate person?

5 Ideas for Starbucks using Twilio

Hi {name}, After sending my last email, I got really excited and wanted to share some ideas I had on how Starbucks could leverage Twilio:

Mobile app distribution – reduce friction by allowing your website visitors to download your mobile app by texting the download link to their phone. Our technology intelligently detects whether a phone is on iOS or Android OS and sends them to the right app store.

Picture message a coupon to your customers on their birthday. Why tell them how good a frap will be when you can show them the gooey ribbons of caramel?

New VIP service: text your order into your local Starbucks. Get your favorite thirst quencher sooner.

Picture message Starbucks coupons w/QR codes to your friends on special occasions.

Leverage geo-location services to MMS special deals to customers when they are in close vicinity to a Starbucks.

The possibilities are really endless.

I’d love to chat with you further about how other companies are using us, as well as chat more about how we can help foster Starbucks’ future innovative ventures.

What’s the best way for me to get 15 minutes on your calendar?

(source)

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I just wanted to circle back on my email below re getting you a comments widget for your site. Are you free for a quick call on Monday or Tuesday? Across similar size partners, we’re seeing an average increase of 1 minute on-site with the addition of our widget.

(source)

Re: [same subject]

Hey {name}, how is it going? Can we schedule a time to talk this week?

(source)

Follow up to a first conversation

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I really enjoyed our phone conversation [or meeting] earlier today and especially liked learning about your unique role at {company}. I understand the challenges you are facing with [challenges discussed] and the impact they are having on [insert personal impact].

As promised, I have attached [or linked to] the resources and materials that can help you better understand how we can help you solve [insert compelling reason to buy].

Please let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, I look forward to talking with you again on [date and time].

(source)

{MyCompany} Call Summary

Great speaking with you today, {name}! I’m glad we agree on {MyCompany} would be a great fit for your team. Here are the top value adds we went over: {Special}

{Special}

Resources for Review: X Y Z

Action Items: {Special}P.S. {Special} — use this opportunity to link to case studies or third-party content your prospect may enjoy

(source)

Second Follow Up

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

Have you come across the “Information Security Community?”Check the group out: [link to Linkedin Group]

From our last discussion, this group looks to be filled with your target prospects that could ensure you reach your Q4 sales target. Some of the challenges expressed in the group are problems your team helps solve.

What’s the best way to get on your calendar for 15 tomorrow? I’ll show you the playbook on how to drive revenue from this group.

(source)

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I have tried to get in touch with you to see if there is a mutual fit between our companies expertise and your goals around [statement].

If you are not interested or there is another person you would like me to follow up with, please let me know.

Would it make sense to invest 5-10 minutes to determine if there is a mutual fit between your [statement] and our expertise?

If not, who do you recommend I talk to?

[competitor X and Y]

Hi {name},

Just wanted to send you an example of how we’re working with [competitor X and Y] to deliver this solution. Check it out here [link to example].

So far the feedback has been extremely positive. Would love to get you guys up and running too when you have a few minutes.

(source)

Re: [same subject]

Drop me a note if you caught the email below {name}; I know you’re a busy man!

I’d love to talk a little bit more about {mycompany}, yourself, and any ways in which we can be collaborating. A phone call / Skype would be a pleasure.

Hope you had an excellent weekend,

Re: [same subject]

Hey {name}, we got some new press coverage [link]. I’d love to pick up on our conversation. When’s a good time to chat?

(source)

Next step?

{name}, I’m writing to follow up. I’m not sure what our next step is. Let me know what makes sense as a next step if any?

Thanks for your input.

(source)

Third Follow Up

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I first want to apologize that we haven’t been able to connect recently. I feel like somewhere along the way I must have made it difficult to communicate or dropped the ball because for a while there it seemed like you guys were really excited about our offering. Apologies if this was the case.

I just want to open back the communication lines and let you know that I know you have a lot on your plate and if this is something that is no longer a priority, that’s totally cool – in fact as a startup, I completely understand! If nothing else, I’d enjoy the opportunity to hear what’s new on your end and maybe even get some feedback on how we can improve our offering.

Let me know if you have a few minutes next week to hop on a call.

(source)

Re: [same subject]

Drop me a note if you caught this {name}. Would love to chat some more about your sales / provide any assistance I can there. Discussing your plans for [your area of expertise] (even if it’s just advice I can pass on!) would be great too.

Hope you’re having an excellent start to the week.

Re: [same subject]

Hey {name}, can we hop on a quick call Wednesday 4pm or Thursday 11am?

Cheers, Name

PS: thought you might find this article interesting [link]

(source)

Re: [same subject]

{name},

When we spoke, I thought that I understood _______, but you haven’t responded. Did I misunderstand or has something changed?

After a Voicemail

Sorry I missed you

Hi {name},

Sorry I missed you on the phone today. I was calling because [explain your purpose].

My voicemail said I will try you again on [date and time] and you can always reach me before at [phone number].

(source)

Just Tried Your Line

{name},

I just tried giving you a call and left a voicemail. [call to action].Please give me a call back at {XXX-XXX-XXXX}, or send me a note if you get the chance.

Thank you!

(source)

Break Up

Re: {same subject}

Hey {name},

Haven’t heard back from you. Thank you for the opportunity. Can I put it on hold for now?

(source)

Thanks from {company}

{name} – I wanted to reach out to you one more time regarding _______. If I don’t hear back from you, I’ll assume that the timing isn’t right and I won’t contact you again.

If I can be of assistance, you can always contact me at the number below.

(source)

Permission to close your file?

{name},

We are in the process of closing files for the month. Typically when I haven’t heard back from someone it means they’re either really busy or aren’t interested. If you aren’t interested, do I have your permission to close your file? If you’re still interested, what do you recommend as a next step?

Thanks for your help.

(source)

Thanks from [company]

Hi {name},

I know we haven’t been able to connect, which usually means one of two things: Either the timing may not be right or you no longer have a need.

In either case, I want to respect your time so I’m going to go ahead and close your file.

Otherwise, if you would still like to talk, please call me to discuss next steps.

Thanks again.

(source)

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I’ve reached out a few times regarding your sales prospecting strategies there at {company}. My guess is that we’re out of touch for one of three reasons: – You don’t see a fit – You have another solution to create predictable outbound prospecting numbers – You are secretly a superhero and have been too busy fighting crime to reply

If any of these are correct then they may be the exact reason why we should talk now…

(source)

Are you ok?

{name},

I reached out previously regarding {what you do} and haven’t heard back from you yet. This tells me a few things: • You’re being chased by a T-rex and haven’t had time to respond. • You’re interested but haven’t had time to respond. • You aren’t interested. Whichever one it is, please let us know as we’re getting worried!

(source)

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I’ve tried to reach you a few times to go over suggestion on improving ___, but haven’t heard back which tells me one of three things: 1)  You’re all set with ____ and I should stop bothering you. 2)  You’re still interested but haven’t had the time to get back to meet yet. 3)  You’ve fallen and can’t get up and in that case let me know and I’ll call someone to help you…Please let me know which one as I’m starting to worry!

(source)

Should I stay or should I go?

Hi {name},

I know you’re busy. Just give me a 1, 2, or 3 —

1. We’ll pass on partnering with EVENT NAME this year, thanks for the offer!

2. We’re interested in the event, but it’s not a good time, reach back out to me in 1 month.

3. I’m interested — let’s talk!

Thanks!

(source)

Trial

SalesLoft Walkthrough

Hey {name},

Hope you are well. SalesGuy here, with SalesLoft (sales intelligence tool you are testing).

Would you like to connect for me to show you the ins and outs of our software? We would love for you to start Lofting at expert level in no time! How about sometime later this week?

Cheers!

Let’s get you lofting, Ryan

Hi Ryan,

Akoma with SalesLoft; I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to reach out and see if a prospecting tool such as SalesLoft might be on your radar? I’d love to learn a little bit more about your lead generation at Attach.

I’d be happy to take you through a high-level overview of our solution and show you some effective ways to find accurate and relevant leads, quickly add them to a list, discover emails and phone numbers, and push that data to your CRM.

Do you have some time on Friday or Monday? If so, propose a few times (timezone included).

SalesLoft + Attach = A Perfect Match

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for taking an interest in SalesLoft. I am excited to learn more about your lead generation/prospecting strategies at Attach. Happy to answer any questions that you might have about SalesLoft and show you a few best practices. Can we put something on the calendar for Friday or Monday?

Any thoughts?

Hi Ryan,

I wanted to reach out one last time and see if Attach has thought any more about implementing SalesLoft?

I would be happy to chat and answer any questions, do you have some time on Friday or Monday.

Let’s Talk KISSmetrics!

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for setting up your KISSmetrics account! Are you available for a quick chat to discuss KISSmetrics best practices to make sure you are getting the most out of your trial period?

Please let me know when you are next available and we can schedule a call.

Startup

John – my name is Tyler and I’m the CEO of Clever. My company has developed new technology that reduces the time spent doing SIS integrations by 80%.

I figured this might be of interest to you given the new middle school reading software Scholastic just released.

I’d love to get your feedback even if you’re not in the market for this right now. Do you have 20 minutes this week? It looks like I’m open Tuesday at 1 or 2pm ET if either may work.

Tyler

(source)

Looking for advice

Hi NAME,

I’m a first-time entrepreneur and I just started to build my product. I’m looking for experts in this space and several of my friends pointed me in your direction. So I was hoping you could give me your feedback before I spent too much time building something that nobody wants 🙂

Here’s my idea: I have a crawler that crawls millions of websites daily and can see who started a free trial with Mixpanel almost instantly. Do you think information like that would be valuable for somebody like KISSmetrics or I’m just wasting my time here?

Thanks in advance!

(source)

Other

Viewing content alert (e.g. opened an Attach link)

Re: [same subject]

Hey {name},

Last time we chatted, you requested that I get in touch in November. I may be a month early, but I figured it’d be worth checking-in.

Have you given any additional thought to the proposal? I’d be happy to do a quick review of it on the phone and answer any pending questions.

When’s a good time to talk?

(source)

Responding to a request to match competitors pricing

Subject: Re: demo follow up

No worries… the short answer is no, we aren’t able to compete on price against FooCorp.

The FooCorps’s of the world have spent a couple decades now in the race to the bottom and it shows. I have no doubt you can get their product (or a whole raft of others) for a few bucks cheaper than us.

Our product, Acme, is different. We’re designed to help improve your company’s performance in the critical area of XYZ. The ROI for doing that is enormous.

Now, not every organization sees the value in investing in XYZ. I get that. But if yours does, Acme is one of the most leveraged investments you can make.

Assume HelloSign does 5-6 transactions in the [XYZ field], that’s going to run 300-600k per year (so figure this is a $1-2MM investment over 3 years). The value of each transaction will be maybe 2-5x that if they’re done well, whereas a bad one we know can actually destroy value.

On the cost side, great transactions churn over at less than half the rate of low performing ones – which means if you do a better job at XYZ, you’ll save 10’s of thousands in new transaction costs as they stay longer. And on and on…

So ultimately if you think Acme will help you do this better – even just a little bit – the whole thing is peanuts. The cost difference between our product and the others, even less.

Look, FooCorp’s customers are switching to Acme in droves because we’re investing heavily in great customer service and innovation. Those things cost money but, as we see above, they drive tons of value so the market is happy to pay.

We’d love to have HelloSign on board as a customer and I’d be happy to have another chat with you or them if you think it would be useful. Let me know!

(source)

Sequence

First Email

How to import targeted professional social network leads straight into your {company} CRM

{name},

I’d like to discuss your lead gen efforts. We’re helping other {industry} companies collect their prospects straight from professional social networks and import them directly into their CRM (adding phone numbers and email addresses).

Quick question: can you put me in touch with whoever is responsible for new prospecting and revenue-generating tools at {company}?

(source)

Second Email

Re: [same subject]

{name},

Predictable Revenue author, Aaron Ross recently wrote this article: How Email Marketing Company WhatCounts Added an Extra 26% To Their New Sales Growth Rate In One Year (+ Their Favorite Sales App: SalesLoft).

I’d love to help you uncover whether you could do the same. How about a short call so I can understand your revenue objectives at {company} for {enter timeframe}?

(source)

Third Email

Re: [same subject]

{name},

I have tried to reach out a few times over the past week to go over your lead generation / prospecting strategies at {company}. I have not heard back from you and this tells me a few things:

1) You are all set with your current prospecting/lead gen strategies at{company}, and if that is the case please let me know so I will stop bothering you.

2) You are interested but have not had the time to respond.

3) You are being chased by a hippo and need me to call for help.

Please let me know which one it is as I am beginning to worry…

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.

(source)

First Email

Hi Drew,

My name is Jerry and I am the founder at Shipping Company. We work with organizations like Sears and Target to hold FedEx and UPS accountable. We track all your shipments, identify those which have been delivered late, and file claims on your behalf. You only pay when packaging tracking is credited to your account.

What would be the best way to get 15 minutes on your calendar to explore if this would be valuable to Company?

Cheers, Jerry

(source)

Second Email

Re: [first subject]

Hi Drew,

I’m sorry to trouble you again. At my company, Shipping Company, we give you real-time visibility of all shipments, identify those which have been delivered late, and obtain package tracking on your behalf.

You pay for performances so if we don’t save you money we don’t get paid. Who would be the person to speak to about this at Company?

Thanks, Jerry

(source)

Third Email

Re: [same subject]

Hi Drew,

Wanted to make sure you got my earlier message. I’d like to learn about the pains of package tracking at Company. If you are the appropriate person to speak with, what does your calendar look like earlier next week? If not, who do you recommend I walk to?

– Jerry

(source)

First Email:

Appropriate person

Hi {name},

I’m trying to figure out who is in charge of [leading general statement] there at {company}.

Would you mind pointing me towards the right person please, and the best way I might get in touch with them?

Thank you,

Looking for best [insert job area where you’d like to start] contact

{name},

I am doing some research on your company to determine if there is (or is not) a need for [insert your strongest pain point].

Could you please help me by pointing me to the best person there for a brief discussion?

(source)

Second Email:

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I didn’t hear back from you last week when I was looking for the appropriate person managing your [statement]. That’s not a problem. If it makes sense to talk, let me know how your calendar looks. If not, who is the appropriate person?

(source)

Third Email:

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I have tried to get in touch with you to see if there is a mutual fit between our companies expertise and your goals around [statement].

If you are not interested or there is another person you would like me to follow up with, please let me know.

Would it make sense to invest 5-10 minutes to determine if there is a mutual fit between your [statement] and our expertise? If not, who do you recommend I talk to?

(source)

Fourth Email:

Re: [same subject]

Hi {name},

I’ve reached out a few times regarding your sales prospecting strategies there at {company}. My guess is that we’re out of touch for one of three reasons:

– You don’t see a fit

– You have another solution to create predictable outbound prospecting numbers

– You are secretly a superhero and have been too busy fighting crime to reply

If any of these are correct then they may be the exact reason why we should talk now…

(source)

First Email

Revenue Growth

Hi {name},

My name is {salesrepresentative} and I’m with {sendercompany}, a [what you do].

We’ve worked with venture-backed startups to Fortune 500 companies like [companies you’ve worked with].

We take a different approach to grow companies and aren’t like [other companies in a competitive niche].

We move quickly and if we don’t think we can kick butt for you, we’ll be upfront about it.

Are you free for a chat this week or next about marketing? If so, please pick a time slot here: [link to book a meeting using scheduleonce.com]

(source)

Second Email

Growth initiatives

{name},

I wanted to see if you had 5-10 minutes to connect re [what you do]. We’ve been able to generate solid revenue for our clients and both are still fairly untapped.

Can you point me to the person that handles this?

(source)

Third Email

(name}

Hi {name},

We recently helped a startup [insert result] by [what you do]. Can you point me to the person that handles [what you do] to discuss further?

(source)

Fourth Email

Scaling customer acquisition

{name},

One of our clients was able to [improve metric by number] at half of their target cost per acquisition number. Is this something that might interest you right now? If so, can you point me in the direction of the person that handles this?

(source)

Fifth Email

Are you ok?

{name},

I reached out previously regarding WHAT YOU DO and haven’t heard back from you yet.

This tells me a few things:

• You’re being chased by a T-rex and haven’t had time to respond.

• You’re interested but haven’t had time to respond.

• You aren’t interested.

Whichever one it is, please let us know as we’re getting worried!

(source)

Inbound

Hi {name},

I noticed that you recently visited our {Page or Blog Post}. I wanted to quickly check-in and make sure that you were able to find the resource you were looking for? I also thought you might find these additional resources helpful:

– {link to helpful resource}

I actually also took a minute to look at your company, and I thought you might be interested in how your current performance compares to the industry benchmarks that we regularly see. Would you like to talk tomorrow at {insert 2 times you’re available}?

YES! Millennials can sell.

Hi {name}, Thank you for signing up to test drive Kapost. I recently read your blog post “Can Millennials Sell?”

As a millennial myself, this specific line really resonated with me, “Juxtapose this against your average Gen X salesperson who still speaks lovingly of the Blackberry’s tactile keyboard, who maintains maybe just 1-2 social properties, and who prefers the face-to-face meeting to the digital one.” My dad is a successful salesman who is still using a Blackberry and scheduling in-person meetings, ha!

My role here at Kapost is to see if I can answer any questions for you about Kapost, or clarify anything about our platform after taking a Test Drive.

Please let me know if I can provide you with any additional resources.

(source)

{name of downloaded ebook}

Hey {name}

What’s going on? I saw that you downloaded our {ebook /whitepaper/guide} — I hope that you enjoyed it or soon will.

If I can be of any help at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Take care {myname} {mytitle} @ {mycompany}

PS: just connected on Linkedin

Subject Lines

Ben, loved your tweet yesterday (source)

Ben, love what you guys are doing at Datanyze (source)

Appropriate Person?

Right Direction?

Quick Question? (source)

[Mutual connection] recommended I get in touch. (source)

Ideas for [thing that’s important to them]. (source)

Question about [recent trigger event]. (source)

Question about [a goal they have]. (source)

Thoughts about [title of their blog post]. (source)

Have you considered [thought / recommendation]? (not your service!) (source)

(Name), quick question for you. (source)

[Referrer] said you might be able to answer this question.

Opening Lines

I noticed you … (source)

[Mutual connection] mentioned … (source)

I Saw that we both … (source)

I loved your post on … (source)

Congratulations on … (source)

Go to our website: www.ncmalliance.com

101 Sales Email Templates You Can Use to Close More Deals By Erika Desmond Smart salespeople have known this for a while now: Email prospecting is one of the most effective ways to get in front of your potential customers.

0 notes

inmomni · 6 years

Text

No. 14

It was after my youth group’s 2015 winter retreat that i got saved for like, the third time that my best friend and i had an interesting conversation about our sin. I remember we were on a night hike with a few other of my church friends when i suddenly started to get a strong urge for a cigarette. I hadn't had one since the start of the winter retreat, which was about two weeks ago then and a long time for me. It brought up this kind of frustration in me. Not because the craving was getting worse, but because i had just been saved, again. See in my mind, if you were with Jesus, you should just want to sin because of this new found love that you have for Jesus now; so in turn, that would make you naturally hate sin, ya know? Sharing the comment with Caleb, it sparked some talk about the fallenness of man and how we innately fall away from God, you know the gist, and we went on for about an hour when pent up with frustration about how i still want sin after all that God had shown me, after knowing what He did for me, after experiencing how much He loves me,

I said, “I wish God could just make us love him so much right now that we would never dare to sin again.”

And from there my difficult journey of becoming a disciple of God started.

God works independently from you. This is something that He has been teaching and showing me in this current season of my life. I always had this imagery that depicted how I came to faith, and how I’m being sustained now: me being dragged by a rope tied to my hand by God. Let me explain. Looking at my faith, my life, my experiences, etc., I feel like i missed out. I feel as if because God made me a Christian so early on with such strong convictions that i wasn't able to really have fun in high school. As in the sex, drugs, alcohol portion of it. A culture that always sounded so alluring and enticing because it gives you a good status; a “cool” status or reputation, one where no one has to question who you are, just as long as your there to have fun, you're family. But my ties to the church prevented me from fully immersing in that culture, and i really did genuinely try to be a good christian while struggling with this sense of being cheated by God. So this lead me to do something else: just drift in and out of the two. Not like split life type of deal, but just over the course of time that has passed up since then and now, I have tried, just once, a good number of drugs, was a pretty fat stoner, and am still currently working on getting rid of nicotine. I hardly ever read the bible regularly, prayer was on SOS duty, but still during this entire time, I was, and honestly still now, going to church, singing my songs, and repping the name of Jesus to those who knew I went to church.

I thought I knew what a christian should look like. I’ve been to church all my life, so that being said, I think I have a pretty good idea of what an idealized modern day non-Jesus Christian would be like:

- Prays for at least 30 mins a day, an hour if it didn't cry at all to “push through and seek the Lord”....Or an hour if you did cry cause, you cried and you had a moment with Jesus. - Reads the word every day without fail, even if you don’t have time for it cause you’re too busy serving, you get it in somehow by listening to an ESV ebook bible or through your 2min New Morning Mercies. - Just exudes Jesus everywhere they go, like to the point where you feel so sinful if you're around them, but somehow they're so humble that it doesn't even cross your mind. - Raises their hands every single worship song at some point in the chorus and definitely the verses cause no one raises their hands for those - Every single conversation they have in passing turns into some life changing prophetic revelation for both parties involved The list can go on, but because of this mismatched lifestyle of knowing what is good but not living it out, there emerged a very cyclic pattern starting since senior year of high school:

Summer is so good, its great, restful, had a bunch of fun, ready to get back to work Fall initially is really good, meeting up with friends, keeping up with academics, motivated, I’m doing okay with God, reading here and there, not consistently, but reading at least, not doing bad things and such... then it starts to drop off around late October. I start getting less motivated, missing more classes, sleeping in more, trying to escape reality more.

Winter is super bad, just bummy lazy disgusting, right up until finals week approaches from where I jump up out of bed and turn into a study machine

This carries on past spring and then probably into summer again. Then it repeats.

But during these times there have been moments where God affirmed me in my spiritual growth, all in retrospect of course.

I remember a time at Chick-fil-a with Caleb after serving at VBS where one of these moments happened. We had just finished up a day where the theme was the good news. For some context, we started the day with a staff meeting where the pastor told us about the theme, what kind of message she will be sharing, the weight of this day and the significance it could have on the kids. Everyone was “mmm-ing” in agreement and prayer was loud so you know people were passionate, but i wasn't really in the mood. I really wasn’t in a good place in my faith, then again when have i ever been, and i just said yes to a pastor that said they were understaffed. So I brought along Caleb, who was walking with the Lord at the time. But prayer was only 3 minutes long because the meeting started too late. So everything started getting pushed back a little bit. Stations were shorter, and the station leaders were rushing things to pass the group to the next station to the point where by the end, all the crew leaders were a little bit disoriented and tired. So back to the scene at Chick-fil-a, after ordering food, I asked him, “Hey, what did you think about today?” He responded with a “It was kinda weird”, a prodding question to see what I’m thinking. I started explaining how they didn't do the gospel justice, how this wasn't something that was deserving of being rushed or just gotten over with, especially if it is for these kids. At one point, some guy paraphrased the gospel to, “uhh we sinned, Jesus died on the cross for them, and, oh shoot were out of time, can the crew leaders explain the rest on the way to the next station”

I was getting really emotional, and tears started running down my eyes at which point caleb asked me why I was crying. I didn't understand his question, until i remembered that all the conversations we had and all the things he’s seen me do don't point to an impassioned college student upset because his church’s VBS didn't do the gospel enough justice when presenting it to 5-10 year olds. That was when I realized God has taught me the weight of his gospel

There were other instances like this:

When i first got to Biola, and I hated it, but God told me through the song i hated the most during high school (Christ is Enough) that though i may think that i failed because I only got into Biola, Hes bringing me to a place where I can say Christ is all I need, and he placed that desire in my heart

Placing me in Torrey so that I would have a deeper knowledge of the word and how to converse with people, and having that show up at a party half tipsy with a bunch of non-christians who were talking philosophy of a higher being and of a purpose in life

Seeing that through every cycle of highs and lows, regardless of how low that low was, I still came back to a place where God met me

This cycle continued starting senior year of high school, to hopefully not now, getting worse every single year, as in the depressed months started to bleed past their previous marks. Until last year, my junior year, when I failed 3 classes second semester.

It had lasted til May.

At that point i perceived myself as for what i thought i had become. It was my junior year, and I’m a bio major. I’m trying to become a doctor, but now I’m not even sure of that anymore. I’m a slob, my sleeping schedule is a mess, I'm not even properly eating and what the heck is up with that, I don’t go to the gym anymore, I’m not loving on the people that are close to me well at all I feel so selfish and twisted I feel so sinful, Holy i feel so dirty I feel so far from God, am i really a christian? I barely read the bible, when was the last time i talked to God? No other than a Sunday. I’ve been a Christian, or a so called christian for how long now? Almost 8 years now? almost eight years. Even after all these years I can't get this thing going God, I’m such a failure, I’ve tried so hard. To be a Christian, to stay in the faith, but it’s too hard. I don’t get it, and i don't understand it. If i did, then i wouldn't be like this. If i was a christian, I wouldn't be doing X, Y, and Z or i would have fixed this part of myself ages ago. I should have had a consistent routine with God by now, talking with him, I should be the ideal christian by now. IF I had truly been a christian up til now, holy, I’ve lived 21 years exposed to the gospel, and I don’t know how to do this thing. I should just give up, I need to leave,

But where would I go?

Ecclesiastes puts it so well (I love this book) when it says that EVERYTHING is meaningless. If you really think about it, there is no point to life. To pass on your genes? To have the most toys at the end of your life? To be a powerful change in society to those who are equally as insignificant and pointless as you are? as if your possible change will bring about anything more than which is your mere humanity, which is what, simplified by science, nothing more than a generation 10000 monkey all within a world that is dying and rotting each day that passes.

So it’s either God, or death.

Well, I don’t want to die... Yeah I really don’t want to die, so then how do I do this

HOW can I do this? I’ve failed so many times I could probably map out and predict up until when I’ll be depressed, what I’ll be doing during that time

God, I don’t know what to do. That’s when it became clear to me. If you've noticed by now, I’ve used the word “I” so many times up til this point. God just started highlighting all of the I’s I used, and he started replacing them with His name. and it all started to click. Maybe the reason I failed all these times was to bring me to a place where I could say, with my heart inside out, “God help me please, I don't know what to do.” I tried to do things my own way for 3 almost 4 years now and i failed every single time, maybe its time to look towards God and not myself. God reminded me of a passage in Numbers 21:6-9 where it talks about God sending fiery serpents to the people of Israel. These snakes were sent to kill people with their venom because of their sin and rebellion, and the passage says that many died from these snakes. So the people cried out to Moses, and Moses to God, who instructed Moses to erect a bronze serpent in the middle of camp (on a standard) so that if any man looks on the serpent, that even if they get bit, they will live. Now, a thing about snakes, they're not that tall, so the area that they'll probably bite you, if you're not laying down in snake infested areas, around your feet, legs, ankles, all areas that you have too look down to see. So you’re here, dodging snakes on the ground for dear life, when Moses comes around and says to look up at this serpent so that you'll be saved. I’m guessing that this bronze snake was up on a tall pole or structure so that not just people in the vicinity would see it, but people all over camp, which meant that if you wanted to look at the bronze snake, you'd have to take your eyes completely off the ground. So you're surrendering your own ability to do the best you can to defend yourself from these serpents risking death, or to look up at a bronze statue of a serpent to live. And get this, the bible doesn't even say healed, just “will live”, meaning to me that it probably still hurt like hell when they got bit, but they lived, which they wouldn't if they tried to do it on their own. Our protocol is just to look at Him, nothing else, not to look good in front of him, not to hide your sins, not to say this or that, but to look at God like a child and say “help please”.

Now

How do you do that.

🤷🏻‍♂️

I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m trying to read more. Pray more, I don’t know what it looks like to do what I said just now, or what that actually looks like. But regardless of what I know, or what I understand, God is doing things behind the scenes for my good. That there is no other reason, there can't be any other explanation than the grace that God gives me and sustains me with. In this most darkest season of my life, I have never understood more clearly what it means to work out your faith with fear and trembling, to know that I am a christian despite all my crap, that despite how hard I may want to leave, not even I can pluck myself out of Gods hand, because of the way He’s been teaching and shaping my heart. Grace prepares the heart for salvation, it is grace that one receives salvation, and it is through grace that salvation is sustained and sanctification is occurring. I don’t know how I got here and how to get to where I need to be, but I just know that God’s got this.

So I’m just going to take that and run.

#testimony #doingthisforr28 #tapestryofgrace

0 notes

vidmarket32514 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

Here’s the thing though, I think it’s one of those topics that is misunderstood and certainly evolving. Content has fallen squarely into strategy as far as I’m concerned. I often call it the voice of strategy.

Looking at your website, website’s structure, your SEO plan, and content or editorial plan, overlap significantly in the category of strategy, and while you have to address them in an integrated way, you also have to start thinking differently about content and how you’re going to use it to meet some of your business objectives.

Ever since the major algorithm changes that everybody talks about, the hummingbirds and the pandas, where low-quality content and dubious backlinks really got slapped, a lot of SEO people are really starting to come to realize that content is everything that drives that entire industry.

Let’s not forget when Google’s came up with RankBrain either. This is their artificial intelligence engine that learns not only about what people are searching for, but what they did when they found it, how they engaged, how they dwell, and how they share.

In fact, one of the most important metrics or ranking factors in the future is going to be engagement. So creating your content around getting engagement is not only a good thing from an awareness and trust-building standpoint, it’s also a very crucial ingredient in how content is going to be ranked.

Towards the end of 2017 I created a guide for local marketing, so I wanted to create content that was specific to understanding and outlining the challenges of getting a local business to rank to get customers, and by local I mean that they are in a community and most, if not all, of their customers, are in that community and interact by coming into their store, or their place of business, or that they go out and have a sales call with that person.

There’s a lot of content on local marketing. It’s a really hot topic right now, and with that guide, I was able to rank number one in Google for various search terms around local marketing in about two week’s time.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

There’s a lot of terms I don’t rank for in this approach. Identifying a term, a problem and a challenge that a prospective client has, and then putting all of my energy into getting that content to rank, is what took me from, you know maybe page two or three to the actual number-one spot, and this now is generating significant traffic, and links, and opportunities.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

Keep in mind that they’ll probably change along the way when they’re trying to find a product or a service like yours. To discover your customer’s intent, look at emails that you’ve sent. Talk to your sales or service reps. What questions are they answering?

It’s important to do keyword research, and SEO folks will still tell you that that’s step number one. I’ve certainly done a lot of education around this idea of how to do keyword research, and it’s important, but it’s a starting point only. If you stop there, you’re only going to get one piece. You’re going to optimize your content for keywords.

People aren’t keywords and their problems aren’t necessarily keywords. People may express problems in ways that turn into key phrases, but the content today has to be customer-focused. Go out and talk to your customers. Look at reviews. Look at your competitors. What are people saying?

Those are oftentimes some of the best markers, or clues, to find the real problems that people want to be solved. Many times what we find isn’t the stuff that we want to put on our website. It’s the little things.

Do you show up on time? Do you return my calls? Do you clean up the job site? Those are things that are real problems that you or your competitors are actually solving for their customers because they are turning up and voluntarily writing those words as though they are talking to another prospective client.

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

There are a couple of tools out there that we use all the time. Answer The Public is a relatively new tool where you can put in a search term and you’ll get all kinds of variations, ideas, and questions that people ask.

Questions are so great and so valuable because there’s a lot of intent. If somebody just types in a couple of words, “referral marketing,” for example, it’s not often easy to tell what their intent is, but if somebody types in “how to set up a referral marketing program,” it gives you a pretty good idea of what they’re looking to do.

We also use BuzzSumo which is another great tool that shows the most shared content related to your phrases. A lot of times the fact that people are sharing content means that it hit the nail on the head. It addressed a problem or answered a question.

I wish I could tell you that you’ll magically get five themes that will just be the perfect thing that you need to write about, but it’s not that simple. There’s a bit of art in this. I can’t always tell clients exactly what I’m going to find, but I always find it.

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

If you’re a business that serves a certain type of customer, but you’re choosing content because it’s popular but you aren’t an expert on the topic, or you don’t have a unique point of view about that content, you’re probably not going to produce something that is customer-focused.

After you do keyword research and talk to your customers, you’ve got to take your unique twist, approach, and expertise, and bring those to it so that it will be completely relevant for your customers.

Once you’ve done your keyword research, the next step is to create themes for your content. To come up with your themes, you must think in terms of a body of work, almost like chapters in a book, that you’re going to put your emphasis on, maybe for an entire month, and create content that will allow you to outrank competitors for key search terms.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

So what’s a content package? I’m going to go back to the local marketing guide example. I create a page, like The Ultimate Guide to Local Marketing, that becomes an actual core page on my site (not a blog post). I turn that page into a table of contents of sorts that includes all the major elements of local marketing.

From there, I create numerous posts that point directly back to that page, and I link them all together with categories, anchor text, and a little bit of theme magic in WordPress that allows me to display related content.

All of these pages, along with some useful curated content from some very high-domain authority sites, really create this depth of content that allows you to then rank for, in this case, key local marketing problems.

It’s like I’ve built this little wing on my website where the major jumping-off point is almost like a table of contents. You go to that page and there’s audio, video, and a whole list of links to other content that is related to a sub-category.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The beauty of this is that I’ve now got a lot of content that I’d written in the past that I was able to bring to this, but going forward, I’ve got a lot of content that I will continue to write into the future, and I will link it to this page, so this page will continue to get updated and freshened up. If I do a webinar, maybe on local marketing, I’ll go ahead and put the archived video on the page.

While I targeted the key phrase “local marketing guide,” it is starting to rank for dozens of related terms because of the depth of that content. As a bonus, one of the posts for using Ad Words for local business, which is one of the categories, has also jumped to the number-one spot for related search terms.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

These pages are generating significant traffic, links, and opportunities. When people come to the main page, there’s a lot to consume, so they stay on the page. Bounce rate is almost nothing because they click and dwell on those links, and they visit more links because it’s all woven together, so Google sees high engagement in this form of content.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

So what next? Simply choose more themes and repeat the process every month. After a few months, you’ve created a massive content machine that is focused on your ideal customers, expertise, and unique point of view, not keywords, which will assist in driving business and leads, not just spammy clicks.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#FEED 9 MARKETING

0 notes

restatebrk24219 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#Content Marketing is About Customers #Not Keywords

0 notes

repmrkting17042 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#Content Marketing is About Customers #Not Keywords

0 notes

bathrem22032 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#Content Marketing is About Customers #Not Keywords

0 notes

piatty29033 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#Content Marketing is About Customers #Not Keywords

0 notes

seo75074 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#Content Marketing is About Customers #Not Keywords

0 notes

personalinjurylawyer93555 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#Content Marketing is About Customers #Not Keywords

0 notes

mortlend40507 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#Content Marketing is About Customers #Not Keywords

0 notes

inetmrktng75247 · 6 years

Text

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords

Content Marketing is About Customers, Not Keywords written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch About Content Marketing

I have content marketing on the brain so I thought I’d write about it today. “Boy, there is a topic that nobody’s covered” said nobody ever.

I have a lot of pages that are on page one, about 1700 last time I looked. So obviously I’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum, and so I’m not going to suggest that just anybody can do this.

Understanding intent

The key to anything I talk about is how to understand intent. What problems, questions, or goals does your client have?

It’s some of the best content you can get, but don’t forget to talk to your customers and ask them a lot of questions as well.

Helpful tools for content marketing efforts

Choosing content

The last piece of this is that a lot of times people make the mistake of saying, “Well, we’re this kind of company, but the most popular content people want is X, Y, and Z.”

There are a couple problems with just choosing content that you think will be popular. It’s very hard to be customer-focused.

You must stay very focused to do this.

Creating content packages

The best way to rank for any search terms is to know your customer better than anyone else and create, what I call, a content package to address your known client problems and challenges.

I’ve taken local marketing, I’ve broken it up into five sub-categories, and then those sub-categories blast out to all kinds of other content on my site.

The power of interlinking and building a table of contents or chapters-in-a-book approach is the most potent way to rank for content today as far as I’m concerned.

Now this may feel like a lot of work and that’s because it is, but the bar’s been raised, and those that jump high enough are rewarded.

In addition, these pages become tools for all of our advertising and lead generation efforts.

http://ift.tt/2DS3QEf

#Content Marketing is About Customers #Not Keywords

0 notes