There are many more then 7 ways for small businesses to communicate with clients online today. This list is just a quick start to get you, the small businesses, to think BIG. The main point of having a website and being online is to interact and attract clients. As the Internet changes, new ways of interacting with clients emerge. What you have to understand as a small business owner is that technology is making it easier to communicate with your clients and see what they currently need. Interacting with clients builds your business. Here are the top ways to do this today.
Your website –
Create a WordPress blog with comments. Write posts that asks questions to get the customers and potential customers feedback. This will allow customers, clients and potential clients to ask questions or comment. Answer all comments and you will see interest grow. Not only are your blog posts picked up by search engines but your comments are too. Creating content on a weekly basis also creates consistency that your clients will come to expect.
Twitter –
Most people see Twitter as just saying what’s on your mind. Twitter is really about conversations. People talk directly to each other on twitter but the whole world can read your conversations. Using twitter properly will give your clients a faster way to reach you while telling the world about your expertise. It will also allow you to meet other professionals in your field.
Facebook –
If you’re a fan of a business you already know the plus side to Facebook. You can give coupons, specials and more to your fans. Also you can get direct feedback from your customers and potential customers with posts that they respond to. As you grow your business, you can grow a community of followers.
Newsletters(Mailing Lists) –
Sending out a newsletter to people interested in your company gives them a sense of communication. Give them information or recycle website posts. This is one of the oldest marketing techniques out there and with email mailing list software, it is very easy to set up. Put a form on your website for people to join your mailing list and give them a free gift to sign up! Use a Cloud Application like MailChimp!
Tele-Seminars –
Create a presentation or talk on a business topic. A free tele-seminar on your expertise will attract new clients and re-enforce the extensive knowledge you have. You then have a recording that can be given away or sold as a product. A great Cloud Application for this is Instant Teleseminars.
Video –
YouTube is free and has great comments and feedback potential. Create videos and post them on YouTube, put them on your Website, Twitter and Facebook pages. Videos can be about what you do, products you have created or sell. Almost anything can be turned into video.
Send them a Card! –
Using some online websites you can send a card in the mail to your list. This is not technical but can be done easier and cheaper by finding third-party companies to do the dirty work. The personal touch of getting mail will remind your clients about your products and services. All you have to do is fill out an online form, pick a template and upload your mailing list. A great Cloud Application for this is Send Out Cards.
Action Steps:
Look over the list above and see how many of these you are using in your small business today. For the ones you are not using, plan to complete one of the above each month. Do not do more than one per month, since each one of these will take time. Schedule out these interactions and keep them up on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. For example you can set up twitter posts ahead of time with cloud applications like http://timely.is – This would be daily. On your WordPress Blog you can schedule your posts weekly along with your weekly newsletter. This way you can spend one day a month writing out and scheduling your blog, twitter and newsletter for the entire month. It is time for small businesses to engage fully with clients online!
Good luck, and leave a comment below, Twitter or Facebook me. You can always contact me with any questions. I am here to help you with your online business struggles.