Brand loyalty | Advertising Is Simple Delaware

Let’s Talk about Cultivating Customer Loyalty

November 3, 2020 by Advertising

In today’s increasingly over-crowded online marketplace, the key to cultivating customer loyalty is to consistently follow an effective digital marketing plan – something most companies still fail to do.

Customer satisfaction should be front and center for every business. However, for a small business, it is crucial. Making customer service a top priority can make you more competitive against your larger counterpart. Let’s be honest, a company’s top asset is its customers. Happy and loyal customers not only support a business by continuing to do business with you, but also by referring you to friends and family.

As a business owner, thinking of ways to rise above the competition should revolve around giving customers something they can’t get elsewhere. Want to learn more? Below are some actionable steps you can take now to ensure you’re cultivating customer loyalty in your business.

Cultivating Customer Loyalty

Asking for Customer Feedback

If you do this on a consistent basis, it will give you the power to improve the customer’s experience moving forward. A simple online form or social media poll is a great strategy for learning where you need to tweak your sales protocols and practices.

The beauty of a small business is that you have a greater chance of making your customer service more personal and targeted. Customers can be very sensitive to whether you are genuine and sincere. Using their names and finding ways to compliment them will help to develop a trusting and loyal following.

Identify and Anticipate Customer Needs

Proactively listening to your customers and making an effort to get to know them as much as possible will help you fine-tune special deals geared towards their purchasing history.

Be sure to assure them that you are aware of and ready to fix any problems that they may encounter. An apology can go a long way when something goes wrong. Make it easy for them to complain and impress them with your willingness to listen and diffuse the situation.

Use Social Media as a Platform to Humanize Your Business

Keep your customer aware of any new products, special sales or events. Do your best to engage with them and be prompt in responding to any comments (negative or positive) that they post regarding your business.

Encourage Customers to Write Online Reviews

Whether it’s on social media or online directories, you can capture reviews from your customers by making an easy-to-follow instruction pamphlet. The search engines love ranking those businesses who have a larger social footprint. Video testimonials is another valuable asset small business can use to illustrate how satisfied their customers are with their service and/or product.

Above all, say THANK YOU! Saying thank you after every transaction is one of the easiest ways to build a loyal following. Showing your customers that you appreciate their business makes them feel empowered and more likely to return!

Advertising Is Simple helps small to mid-sized business owners who are too busy running their businesses to focus on their marketing and advertising efforts. We specialize in Internet, TV, and radio advertising, and are particularly vested in Search Engine Optimization, website design, mobile website design, pay-per-click campaigns, and original content management in order to help our clientele claim their share of the marketplace.

AdvertisingIsSimple.com | 302.407.0431| info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

Here’s Why Traditional Advertising Is So Important Amid the National Lockdown

May 4, 2020 by Advertising

Timing is an important factor when considering how to market your business. While COVID-19 and the national lockdown forced a lot of small businesses to close down, we can’t help but think how the traditional advertising is still a force to be reckoned with. Here’s why.

Radio Advertising

If you’re looking to reach a local audience at a more affordable cost, nothing beats radio advertising. It connects with the right people at the right time. It is easy to build a strong presence on the radio because people actually listen to radio ads and they don’t do the channel surfing the same way TV viewers do during program breaks.

According to the Nielsen’s 2019 Audio Today Report, which was recently made available, 272 million Americans listen to traditional radio every week, an increase of 7 million or about 2.5 percent, from 2016’s figures.

It’s been proven that radio provides a friendly environment for advertisers and the consumers respond positively to ads they hear on the radio. Believe it or not, Radio continues to be the number one mass reach medium, topping both TV and internet.

Businesses with a local target market really have no need to advertise on the national level. They should consider taking their radio advertising to regional and local stations.

Local radio stations tend to be an important way for the surrounding community to stay informed on events and news. Businesses can more easily connect to the community and their target customers by advertising on these stations. Most local radio station listeners are loyal and engage with their favorite station by calling in for contests, making comments or music requests. That means that if you advertise regularly, you’ll be better able to brand your business and create brand awareness.

Here’s an example of a radio ad we converted into a video promoting some of our local businesses:

TV Advertising

For decades now, TV advertising has been a very effective way to reach and engage with potential customers. Not to mention, local cable ads are very affordable. With the use of both audio and visual effects, TV ads create a mixture of motion and emotion. TV creates a more powerful impact than either of the two by themselves. That’s why television commercials can transmit more information to the viewer.

But that’s not it. When done right, video advertising enables you to display your product, demonstrate its use and the advantages of buying it. It can also help businesses connect emotionally with potential customers, which is so important in today’s climate.

Here’s an example of a local TV ad for one of our clients:

Multi-Screen Advertising

Did you know that the average US adult spends 78 thousand hours of the life watching TV? Knowing that statistic, it’s hard not to think that businesses should still be investing their marketing budgets in TV advertising. There’s a great opportunity out there to reach target audiences by being where the intended audience is hanging out. Not to mention that when you combine Television and Digital Advertising, you’re more likely to increase your ads impact.

Internet advertising will not replace traditional media, it will compliment them. – Jeff I. Richards

This type of advertising allows for more specifically targeting geographic and demographic areas, meaning you’re spending your advertising dollars on reaching your most likely customers.

Ready to invest in Traditional Advertising?

Contact Advertising Is Simple today! We help small to mid-sized business owners who are too busy running their businesses to focus on their marketing and advertising efforts. We specialize in traditional advertising as well as digital marketing with a strong focus on Search Engine Optimization, website design, mobile website design, pay-per-click campaigns, and original content management.

AdvertisingIsSimple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

A Guide to Small Business Loans Available Through The Cares Act

April 8, 2020 by Advertising

If you’re a business owner who is currently trying to figure out how to survive amid the spread of COVID-19, we’re here for you. As you probably already know, the U.S. Government put together the Cares Act that is offering solutions and small business loans to help navigate these difficult times.

To help you better understand all options available out there, we put together this infographic that explains some small business loans that you might want to consider.

Here at Advertising Is Simple, we’ve been working nonstop to help our clients weather this storm and come out on the other end even stronger than before. As a small business, we understand the value of community support and we know that by coming together, we can overcome anything.

Got more questions about small business loans?

Here are some other helpful resources to check out:

FAQ: CARES Act Relief From Employer Payroll Taxes

Which Loan Program Is Right for My Business?

Small Business Development Center – Disaster Assistance

10 Commonly Asked Coronavirus Small Business Loan Questions

5 Things Small Business Owners Can Do

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan

Emergency Small Business Loan Guide

[Printable] COVID-19 Customizable Flyer: Health First

[Printable] Delaware Emergency Order for Open Shops (Out-of-State Residents)

If you have more questions or would like to find out how Advertising Is Simple can help your business, contact us today!

Advertising Is Simple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

How to Identify Your Ideal Customer Using a Buyer Persona

February 11, 2020 by Advertising

While digital marketing is a multi-faceted job, one of the most important responsibilities for us digital marketers is to know who we’re talking to. Without defining that perfect buyer persona in the beginning, it’s rather challenging to turn leads into loyal customers later on…

That being said, you can’t execute a successful digital marketing campaign without knowing your target market. Want to know how to identify your ideal customer? Here’s what you need to know first.

What Is a Buyer Persona?

According to Alan Cooper (a pioneer software developer), a buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research, customer demographics and behavior, real data about your existing customers, and your understanding of their motivations and challenges.

Whether you’re in the midst of developing a product or getting ready to launch a marketing campaign, we strongly recommend considering your buyer persona before you dive into this next step. There’s nothing worse you can do for your business than sending out the wrong messaging that doesn’t resonate with the people you want to do business with. However, if developed correctly, buyer personas will point you into the direction of customers who will bring you the most revenue on a long-term basis.

Identifying Your Ideal Customer Using a Buyer Persona

Great tools to start with are Google Analytics and Facebook Audience Insights. Those existing demographics can point you in the right way of who your buyer personas might be. Pay attention to the characteristics such as gender, age, visitor location and their interests.

Another way to identify your ideal customer is to review your existing customer base. Can you identify the contacts that decided to do business with you in the past? This is important to keep in mind because you don’t want customers who are just interested in seeing your content. You want those who are making purchasing decisions!

Part of the process of creating a strong buyer persona is to understand your unique selling points. How does your ideal customer engage in your sales process? What can you do to help them solve their problems? What about your content? Is there a call to action? Those are all questions you should be asking yourself before nailing down your ideal customer.

Need help?

Contact Advertising Is Simple today! We help small to mid-sized business owners who are too busy running their businesses to focus on their marketing and advertising efforts. We specialize in Internet, TV, and radio advertising, and are particularly vested in Search Engine Optimization, website design, mobile website design, pay-per-click campaigns, and original content management in order to help our clientele claim their share of the marketplace.

Advertising Is Simple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

How to Get Client Testimonials to Up Your Marketing Game

September 27, 2018 by Denise Bernstein

One of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools for your business are client testimonials. Why? Because they deliver value from the people that know your services or products best.

If you’re wondering how to ask your clients to provide feedback about your work, we have great ideas that bring quick results. Check them out below!

8 Ways to Get Client Testimonials

Ask Immediately – Timing is everything! You should reach out right after completing a project for your client. If they’re happy with your service, they will surely want to share feedback with you right away.
Create a Review Sheet – Create your own document to solicit review on your Google My Business, Facebook and Yelp business listing to encourage your clients to leave reviews. Have the links go directly to your reviews page.
Make it Easy – It’s important to provide simple ways for your clients to leave a testimonial. Whether it’s linking a specific page you want your reviews on in the initial email request or bringing a camera to the meeting for a video testimonial, make sure it’s all clear to follow!
Ask the Right Questions – This is especially important if you’re asking your clients to provide a video testimonial. Having a set of questions to answer by your clients will help you get the information you need fast and efficiently. Not to mention, it will be much easier for your clients to provide specific feedback!
Offer Different Ways to Provide Testimonials – If your clients are not comfortable with providing a review in front of a camera, ask them for a written testimonial. Also, determine whether you need more feedback left on your Business Facebook Page, Google Listing or any other local directory. Make sure your clients know how to leave a review on each platform!
Look Out for Testimonials – Sometimes you don’t even have to ask for reviews. If you received a complimentary email from your clients or they left a great comment about your work/ products on social media, ask them if you can share it on your website. Just remember to put all screenshots in a separate folder to keep it organized before sharing.
Create a Testimonials Page – Encourage your clients to provide a video testimonial so you can share it on your website. It will help your business with ranking higher in search, which equals to capturing more leads in the future.
Use an Automated Service – There are certain platforms that will do the work for you. Just set up an account and customize your review request to start gathering those reviews. Customer Lobby is a great place to start.

See examples of our client testimonials below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKf1XegdbGw

https://youtu.be/KKf1XegdbGw

Related article: 10 Steps to a Stellar Online Reputation

What’s your most effective way for getting client testimonials?

Advertising Is Simple is a full-service marketing agency located in Wilmington, Delaware helping small to mid-sized businesses with all their digital marketing, radio and television advertising needs. Call us now.

Call 302-407-0431