The thing is this – most of the reports tell you what to expect, which leaves you feeling overwhelmed about how to tackle marketing in 2020.

We all know that social media plays a big role in consumer behaviour. And, as long as technology continues to advance, social media will be an integral part of marketing.

So, if you’re a micro or small business owner looking to build your brand – without burning a hole in your pocket, then this blog is for you.
Learn the social media marketing strategies that you can implement today.

Let’s begin.

1. Social Media Marketing Strategy 2020: Conduct More Live Stream Videos

Social media live streaming has made a huge leap in recent years. It went from novelty to necessity. The definition of live streaming is the broadcasting of real-time, live video to an audience over the internet.

The reason for its leap is due to its effectiveness to create engagement.
If you haven’t guessed by now, engagement is the name of the game in social media.

Source: Neil Patel

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Youtube rolled out this feature in late 2015, 2016, 2017 respectively.
Recently, LinkedIn has joined in.   

Can you guess which two factors that drive the need for people to watch live stream videos?

Is it to help them to be:

– Informed?
– Up-to-date with the latest news?

Or it is to help them to feel:

– Connected?
– Involved?

Believe it or not – 60% of people watch live streaming to stay up-to-date followed by 54% of people wanting to feel involved.

So, what type of information do you need to feed your audience while making them feel involved in the process?
Below are some suggestions:

– Talk about a limited time special deal.
– Share something newsworthy that is specific to your industry.
– Announce a change in the way you conduct business.
– Run a competition and announce the winner.
– Conduct a Q&A.
– Conduct a mini-workshop.

Before going live, create a post on your Facebook and announce that you will be going live in 30 mins.

If you plan to do a Q&A, use the information you have gathered from your audience and turn it into a series of posts for your other social media platforms.
This technique is called re-purposing. You can re-purpose different pieces of content from just one live stream video.
Think blog posts, audio, infographic, etc.

Re-purposing content is nothing new, but it is your life vest to a sea of hungry people.

2. Social Media Marketing Strategy 2020: Experiment With Paid Social Ads for Lead Generation

There have been claims that organic listing in social media is dead. The answer: not at all!
However, to generate leads, there is one thing that it requires – the support of paid social ads.

Social ads simply mean to use a social media platform to run your advertisement. The concept is the same with Google Adwords except that it is done through social media instead of a search engine.

Lead generation simply means the action or process of identifying and cultivating potential customers for your products or services.
This is perfect for getting people to subscribe to your mailing list as a result of taking up on your offer.

So, why advertise through social media?

Social media ad spend reached $84 billion worldwide this year – finally overtaking print advertising spend

– Zenith Media

Given that statement, let’s use Facebook as our choice of platform.

If you’re worried about the cost of advertising, then you’ll be glad to know that Facebook has a new advanced tool which makes the cost-to-benefit ratio attractive to those with smaller budgets.

Put simply, Facebook’s ad platform has made it accessible to businesses with small budgets by providing targeting/localisation capabilities to reach your intended audience.

If you have ‘boosted a post’ before and found it an expensive endeavour with little to no return, then this recent change may provide some reprieve – to a degree.

Spending money on ads doesn’t guarantee success.
To help you create an ad and monitor its performance, here are two suggestions:

Read this article – 9 Tips To Write The Best Facebook Ads

Use ‘Facebook Insights’ to monitor your ad’s performance.
However, if you’re after something different, you can find both free and paid tools online.
Just type into Google or any search engine of your choice “free benchmarking tools for Facebook ads.”
Alternatively, you can read this article – The Best Free and Paid Facebook Analytics Tool

– To learn how to use the new Facebook tool, watch this video:

3. Social Media Marketing Strategy 2020: Focus On Quality Over Quantity

Years ago, people went overboard to spread themselves across every social media platform they could register on.
And, because consistency is an important factor, people often create a single post and hit ‘share’ on every platform.

The thing you have to keep in mind is that you will have the same subscribers following you on multiple platforms.
Hence, the reason why you must create unique content.   

2020 is all about building strong connections by choosing quality over quantity.

To determine which two platforms to use and excel in, examine your ideal client, the platform’s demographics and the types of content users post on those platforms. Ideally, you want to stick to at least two platforms – three as the maximum.
Any more than that and it will become harder to build connections.

4. Social Media Marketing Strategy 2020: Create A Reaction In Posts

Since the number of likes on Facebook and Instagram has been hidden from view, there has been a shift on other metrics such as reactions, comments and shares. You see, Facebook’s algorithm uses engagement signals to prioritise posts in newsfeeds.
In other words, you should strive for a reaction from followers.  

But, is there a reaction worth more than another? The answer: no.
A study showed that all reactions are equal when it comes to engagement.

So, why is a reaction worth so much to Facebook? Well, when you think about it, posting a reaction takes longer to do as you have to hold down the like button to select a reaction. This indicates there is a higher level of engagement.

Source: Smart Insights

For your posts to gain exposure on newsfeeds, here’s what you need to do:  

Vary your posts to elicit a reaction.
This means that you will need to incorporate funny memes, heartfelt messages – anything that may get a reaction over a simple like.
Just remember to stay true to your brand. That means sharing things that reflect your voice and your personality. This should be in addition to posting informative content because such content is likely to be shared – even if it is only shared in messenger. Why is that so important to mention? It counts when someone shares your post in a private message.

5. Social Media Marketing Strategy 2020: Set-Up Instant Messaging For Customer Support  

Since 2015, messaging apps have been gradually gaining traction. Nowadays, they are the preferred method for customers to contact businesses.
According to numerous articles, over half of consumers are choosing ‘Message Us’ button over a ‘Call Us’ button when seeking support.  

Instant messaging is not the same as conversational marketing. Conversational marketing uses intelligent chatbots specifically designed to move consumers through the sales process by way of real-time conversation.
This type of marketing can be a pricey venture for micro and small businesses alike. While conversational marketing may not be part of your budget, consider setting up instant messaging for your business.

Instant messaging is effective because of the convenience.
Yes, believe it or not – consumers claim messaging is a simple and easy way for them to get in contact.

The three most popular free messaging apps are:

– Facebook Messenger
– WhatsApp
– WeChat

Facebook Messenger is by far the most popular and has been considered the best tool for businesses to date.

Source: Social Examiner

But, if you’re looking to explore other options, RocketBots has a list of 7 apps that will help you to determine the right one for your business and your consumers.  

In Conclusion

There are 5 cost-effective ways to build your brand using the social media trends of 2020.
Start by conducting live streaming videos to keep your audience involved with up-to-date information.
Experiment with paid social ads for lead generation using Facebook’s new and improved platform.
Focus on quality over quantity of engagement to build strong connections.
Strive for reactions in posts to gain more exposure on newsfeeds and set-up instant message for customer support.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Alternatively, you can share this blog by clicking on:
1. Facebook icon
2. Select ‘share’

Subscribe to my blog!

Be notified of a new blog post as well as monthly copywriting tips that I only share to my subscribers 🙂

The post Social Media Marketing Strategy 2020: 5 Ways To Grow Your Brand appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.

The problem with consistency is that at one point or another, you encounter a blank document and a blinking cursor.
In other words, you run out of ideas.

The key to writing consistent and engaging social media content is to include a mixture of self-promotional, educational and user-generated content. User-generated content means that your users create the content themselves.

Below is a list of 9 social media content ideas to help you boost engagement and grow your following.

1.        Blog Quotables

Select one or two sentences from your blog articles and turn them into quotable posts to share. Do this regularly as part of your social media content strategy to pique interest from readers and encourage them to read your website content.

Canva and Crello are online graphic design tools that give you access to photographs, graphics, fonts and a variety of templates from social media content to invoices. Both tools are free and easy-to-use.

2.        Q&As

Prospects have a lot of questions about your product/service, especially when they are at the stage of research.
To assist them through this process, create a series of posts to answer commonly asked questions.

A simple, yet effective way to increase participation is to get them to ask you a question so you can provide an answer in a follow-up post.

3.        Behind-The-Scene Snapshots

Promoting a service-based business can be hard due to its intangible nature. The reason why behind-the-scene snapshots work well is that it gives prospects a sense of what it is like to work with you.

Always accompany your snapshots with a couple of sentences to provide context.

4.        How-To-Guides For Product-Based Businesses

Educational content is a no-brainer when it comes to providing value to prospects. To make how-to-guides shareable for social media platforms, take some of the information from an existing e-book or email autoresponder and turn it into a series of post.
This technique is called re-purposing.  

5.        Tips For Service-Based Businesses

Finding topics to write about can be difficult at times.
The best way to tackle this is to think in the shoe of your prospect: What information can they take away from your page that would make their lives easier or happier?
For example, you offer a course on public speaking, so, therefore, your tips can be on breathing techniques, preparedness, etc. 

The information you provide is not only helpful but it also gives them an insight as to what they can expect through your paid services.
Sometimes, you have to give away free valuable information in exchange for building trust.

Sometimes, you have to give away valuable information in exchange for building trust.

Toni Wells Copywriter

6.        Client Success Stories

Now and then, users want to know what your product/service has done for your past clients.
Client success stories provide credibility and should be part of your social media content strategy.
If possible, include a profile picture of your client along with his/her statement to give a face to the name.

7.        Video Contest

Run a competition wherein people can send in their video testimonials of your product/service. You’ll find that video testimonials hold more value than the prize you’re giving away.

8.        Industry Updates

Every industry is influenced by the ever-changing technological landscape. Put simply, technology affects a buyer’s attitude, experience and interaction; think Uber Eats. 

Empower users with up-to-date information to create a sense of reassurance as the ‘go-to’ brand for industry updates.
A way for you to source this information is to subscribe to Think With Google.

9.        Polls

Engagement is the name of the game in the world of social media content, which is why polls work a treat.

Use polls to gain insights from users by asking them what they would like to see or test them with what they have learned from your page since subscribing.

In short, include a mixture of self-promotional, educational and user-generated content to boost engagement and increase your following.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Alternatively, you can share this blog by clicking on:
1. Facebook icon
2. Select ‘share’

Subscribe to my blog!

Be notified of a new blog post as well as monthly copywriting tips that I only share to my subscribers 🙂

The post 9 Exciting Ways To Engage & Grow Your Following On Social Media appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.

The contents of your email autoresponder are created in advance and pre-set at a specific time with the help of your email marketing software.

The biggest mistake when writing content is the lack of variety. If you are constantly pushing the hard-sell button by only promoting your products/services, readers will tune out and unsubscribe to your mailing list.

The biggest mistake when writing content is the lack of variety

Toni Wells Copywriter

The key to keeping readers engaged is to provide value. In doing so, you build their trust and an emotional connection, which increases your conversion rate.

Below is a list of 5 ways to add value in your email autoresponder. 

1.        Promote Your Products/Services Through Storytelling & Testimonials

Pitching sales with the use of statistics, pie charts and graphs are now a thing of the past. Tell people what you can do for them by incorporating client testimonials or storytelling as a way to promote your products/services. The reason why storytelling is powerful is that it uses real people with real problems.

Do this regularly in your autoresponder to build an emotional connection and inspire them into action.

2.        Provide Educational Content Or Training Material

Tips, advice, how-to-guides, videos or anything that you have produced in the past and/or present to help readers. The ratio of educational content to the above point in your autoresponder should be 2:1.

If your business doesn’t have any educational or training material to promote, then you should invest in a copywriter to assist you. 

3.        Ask Readers For Feedback

Requesting readers to partake in activity helps with engagement. It could be asking their opinion on a hot topic or just simply asking their feedback on the information you have provided thus far. Just make sure that the topics are relevant to what your business is promoting to avoid confusion in your autoresponder.

4.        Provide Helpful Resources To Readers

Give your readers a helpful leg up by providing personal recommendations of podcasts, books, e-books or Youtube videos of other businesses.

This doesn’t mean promoting your competitor, but rather it complements your products/services. For example, you are teaching your students how to write proposals and grants, so, therefore, you can recommend a podcast for building an online business. This complements your services and helps those who are looking to build an online writing business.

Do this throughout your autoresponder and your readers will appreciate you for it.

5.        Ask Subscribers To Add Your Email Address To Their Safe Sender List

All efforts should be made to reduce your emails making its way into people’s spam folder. Provide readers with instructions on how to add your email address to their safe sender list. You may choose to link a series of Youtube videos to assist them in place of written instructions. Repeat this in your autoresponder as a reminder every 6 months or so.

In short, engage readers by building their trust and emotional connection through educational, storytelling and interactive content in your email autoresponder.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Alternatively, you can share this blog by clicking on:
1. Facebook icon
2. Select ‘share’

Subscribe to my blog!

Be notified of a new blog post as well as monthly copywriting tips that I only share to my subscribers 🙂

The post Email Autoresponder Content: 5 Ways To Keep Readers Engaged appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.

Absolutely.

To establish long-term sales, you need to build a relationship with prospects. That’s where content comes in.

Content is the most critical element of any marketing campaign. It plays a key role in changing the customer’s attitude and influences prospective sales. If you are a business owner struggling to produce long-term sales, consider a copywriter to write your content.

Below is a list of 7 content-related issues and the ideal medium for tackling each, plus some tips to help you get the most out of your copywriting.

1. Need To Win Back Past Customers

A challenge that all owners face one way or another is to win back past customers. And the ideal medium for tackling this issue is a direct mail long copy. Unlike many other forms of promotion, direct mail is a tried and tested medium for changing behaviour.

A challenge that all owners face one way or another is to win back past customers

Toni Wells Copywriter

What is a long copy you ask? Long copy is more than 4 pages in length and it involves a lot of time in planning, researching and writing. A copywriter will produce content that speaks directly to your past customers, dealing with their objections and presenting a great offer.

Tip: if you want your direct mail to stand out, consider a package that includes an eye-catching envelope to go with your copy. The quality of the artwork and the quantity will depend on your budget.

2. Clients Need A Reason To Read Your Newsletters

Newsletters (print or digital) create awareness and keep clients informed about your product or service. No one wants to read boring company newsletters, but if it’s done in an engaging way, people are likely to spend the time reading it.

Organisation is key to a successful newsletter so this requires a lot of planning. A copywriter’s role is to gather the stories and write the content. Examples of content are a balance between serious and light-hearted stories, editorials, interviews, competitions and quizzes for readers to partake.

Tip: for the print option, it is best to check the level of involvement as some copywriters are actively involved in the printing and distribution process.

3. No Time To Write Blogs

Writing a blog can take a significant amount of time. However, it’s not just the writing component itself; it’s the planning and strategizing that goes along with it.  
 
You see, writing blogs without a content strategy is like long-distance driving to a destination that you’ve never been before. You hope to get there without running out of petrol along the way.

A copywriter will help you come up with a series of topics, a schedule for each publication with action-driven content to increase your readership and convert them into paying customers.

Tip: ask if the copywriter has a content promotion strategy as part of a package deal to help increase your blog’s exposure for your social media channels. 

4. Your Website Isn’t Bringing In The Right Target Market

Ask yourself this question: Is your website a reflection of your brand? Does it portray your style, format and tone? Above all, does it speak to the right target market? If not, then your website copy needs a little TLC.

A copywriter’s job is to take out the bland copy and transform it into your ideal customer by speaking their language and presenting them with a solution. In terms of value-add content, a copywriter will produce literature (e-books, white paper, infographics) to convert information-seeking readers into loyal customers.

5. No Social Media Presence

This issue is not as common as businesses placing all of their focus on social media; however, the absence of social media hinders growth.

Social media provides an easy outlet for your customers and prospects to learn about your business in bite-size chunks.

A copywriter will come up with a plan designed to pique prospects’ interest in your products or services with engaging posts. Such posts may contain a mixture of customer reviews, industry news, questions to readers, quick tips and advice, contest posts, etc.

Tip: if you require copywriting done your website or another digital medium, ask a copywriter to provide a package deal that includes social media. This may help you save some money.

6. Emails Aren’t Being Read

Email marketing is a beast in itself. It harnesses the power to convert, but it also can deter prospects away should the content be meaningless or ‘too salesy’. If your emails aren’t being read, there can be a number of reasons for this:

Content isn’t engaging

One method used to engage with readers is to tell stories. Stories are powerful because they are lessons. They reveal a problem and to put it simply, your business is the solution.

Wrong target market

A common problem with email marketing is writing to the wrong target market. Segmenting your recipient list so the information is useful and relevant to them. Segmentation is simply the process of breaking up a mailing list into smaller lists. This method works best for large mailing lists.

Subscriber list is small

Everyone must start somewhere but if you are struggling to grow your list, the best thing to do is to entice prospects by offering an incentive to sign up. An example might be reserving the best insider tips or how-to guides. Any information that is considered ‘gold’ must be saved only for your subscribers.

In any case, a copywriter can fix those issues by writing a series of educational, storytelling and promotional content to increase your email click-through rates and grow your list of subscribers.

7. Unsure How To Announce A New Product/Service

If you have the budget for it then a radio announcement is one way to let people know about this new addition. A copywriter not only writes the script but also brainstorm scenarios such as character play.

All in all, a copywriter is there to come up strategies and write the content so you can focus on the most important thing which is running your business. 

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Alternatively, you can share this blog by clicking on:
1. Facebook icon
2. Select ‘share’

Subscribe to my blog!

Be notified of a new blog post as well as monthly copywriting tips that I only share to my subscribers 🙂

The post Businesses: Got These 7 Issues? Here’s How A Copywriter Can Help appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.

Direct mail is a type of marketing in which businesses send letters, postcards, or other promotional materials to past, current or potential customers. It is almost always a response-oriented medium.

The history behind this medium is rather interesting. In the year 1000 B.C, an Egyptian landowner wrote an advertisement on a piece of papyrus offering gold for the return of a runaway slave. 

You’ll find a classic direct mail package contains an outer envelope, a letter, brochure and a reply card. The format of your direct mail will vary depending on your objective but the sales letter is the heart of the package. The sales letter does most of the selling; the brochure is used to highlight sales points, illustrate a product and provide technical information not covered in the letter. Speak to a copywriter for their advice on the format.

a classic direct mail package contains an outer envelope, a letter, brochure and a reply card.

Now that you know the definition, below are benefits of a direct mail campaign.

1. You Stand Out

People’s inbox continues to fill up with emails while mailboxes are seeing decrease inactivity. This can be an advantage for your business as people are likely to appreciate a beautifully presented package over an automated email.    

2. Personalised Touch

A letter is a one-to-one communication as opposed to space advertising which will be seen by thousands of people. Although direct mail is mass-produced and distributed in bulk mailings, the reader views mail more personal over a magazine.

Direct mail should not sound spammy. Avoid hype to stimulate a personal feel and increase your response rate.

3. Store For Reference

Given that 54% of readers store your letter for later reference means that they are most likely to contact you when they are ready to make a purchase. Quite simply, you are not going to get a 100% response rate with any campaign. However, your direct mail addresses the consideration stage of the customer buying cycle because you are giving them something tangible.

Now that you know the benefits, let’s take a look at the essential components that make a direct mail campaign, a successful one.

4. Database

Another way to increase your response rate is knowing your audience. This information will form your database. While it would be nice to send your direct mail to thousands of addresses, you must do the research first and know who you are marketing to. Indeed, you want to avoid costly mistakes such as mailing a babysitting campaign to a retirement village.

5. Eye-Catching Design

We all know the saying: first impressions count. Since you have 3 seconds to capture their attention, the design of the envelope is essential. It must not look cheap or spammy otherwise it will end up in the bin.

The most effective direct mail campaigns connect with the reader on an emotional level before the reader can process any logical information. While the design of your envelope will come down to budget constraints, it’s worth the investment. 

6. The Sales Letter

This is the hardest working part of the package. The words must have a nice flow with a tone of enthusiasm and sincerity. Above all, identify the problem and the solution to it.

7. The Offer

Let’s face it, people are offered discounts and freebies day in and day out. And unfortunately, it comes to the point where many are desensitised to such offers. Having said that, your offer must be something of value in return for prospects responding to your letter; think of a customised offer rather than a generic one. Time is a valuable resource so it works very well in this case. Consider free consultation, trial offer on a product or service, just to name a few.

8. A Clear Call-To-Action

This is not the same as the offer. A call-to-action tells the prospect what to do next. An example might be to visit your website for more information, call the office, book an appointment, etc.

9. Timing

Timing is everything. While it is impossible to predict when a prospect is going to spend money, you can focus on constraints of seasons, government incentives, economic factors, etc. This will help you make an informed decision on the timing of your direct mail campaign.  

In short, direct mail can be an effective marketing medium if it is done properly. Curious to know if this strategy is right for your business? Speak to a copywriter to discuss your options today.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Alternatively, you can share this blog by clicking on:
1. Facebook icon
2. Select ‘share’

Source: The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert W. Bly

Subscribe to my blog!

Be notified of a new blog post as well as monthly copywriting tips that I only share to my subscribers 🙂

The post Direct Mail: 9 Things You Need To Know appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.

While social media platforms like Facebook have its advantages, it should not be the face of your business nor should it be your first port of call. Rather, it should be a marketing tool to complement your website.

With that being said, let’s take a look at 7 reasons why a Facebook business page should not replace a website.

1. Limited Functionality

Each section has varying character limits. For example, the about section has a limit of 155 words compared to an offer description which has a limit of 50 characters. Others range from 600 to 1000 characters. While this is sufficient for most businesses, the disadvantage of a small character limit is that it makes it difficult to portray the benefits without it coming across as ‘hard sell’. 

Even if you look past the issue of a character limit, pre-determined categories prohibit the ability to structure and present content the way you want it to appear to prospects.

While Facebook’s e-commerce platform has improved over the years, the payment options for customers are still limited.

Quite simply, a website gives you the freedom to write content without a character limit and structure content without the use of pre-determined categories. Above all, implement a payment system for a seamless and stress-free experience for customers.

2. Minimal Exposure

It’s no secret that Google’s search results are in favour of websites over a Facebook business page. This lack of exposure, therefore, creates a reliance on word-of-mouth and repeat business. 

The way Google operates is that it will only present information that it considers relevant to the user. In other words, you may find that your Facebook business page is buried away on page 7 of the search results.

At this point you may be thinking: even with a website, there’s no guarantee that it won’t be buried on page 7.

The answer: content is king.

You see, quality and frequency of content are the two elements that you must implement in order to improve your website’s rank.

In short, the best type of content is one produced from a website.

If Google alone wasn’t the biggest hindrance, let’s talk about Facebook’s 2018 algorithm change.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke about this change in a recent post.

In Mark Zuckerberg’s own words:

“The first changes you’ll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your friends, family and groups….

“As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media.”

All in all, this update creates meaningful interaction from family and friends. Sadly, not so much for businesses like yours or mine.

3. Diminishes Connection

Like all social media, it’s one way to drive traffic to your website but it should not be the place to host all your content.

Like all social media, it’s one way to drive traffic to your website but it should not be the place to host all your content.

Toni Wells Copywriter

Believe it or not, content such as an informative blog plays an important role in fostering relationships and even influences prospective sales.  
A Facebook business page doesn’t have the same capacity as a website to deliver content in a purposeful way. 

Facebook should complement your website, not annihilate it.

4. Prevents A Good User Experience

We all agree that creating a Facebook page doesn’t require much effort. Do you think that users feel this way when they see a business page with no website?

Quite simply, the look and feel are not the same as a well-constructed website.

5. Decreases Brand Awareness

Even if you customise your own page by adding features or redesigning the look, it still doesn’t do justice to your brand. And let’s face it, the URL on a Facebook business page can’t match having your own domain.

A website allows you the freedom to design content that reinforces your brand.

6. You Are Not In Control

Facebook’s constant algorithm updates mean that you never know what to expect and because Facebook owns the platform, you don’t have full control of your own page.

Just imagine if something happens to your page and you lose some if not, all of your content.

A website, on the other hand, gives you the ability to back up your content and if you get stuck, you have access to support from your web host. Trying to get support from Facebook is like trying to get blood out of a stone.

7. No SEO Advantage

Facebook may provide free advertising; however, there is a limit. If you want to increase your visibility, you have to pay a daily fee to ‘boost’ your post.

With a website, you can invest in search engine optimisation (SEO) to increase the quality and quantity of organic traffic from Google to your web page or website. Moreover, it has been proven that organic listing is the best return on investment.

Overall, a Facebook business page has its advantages. However, a website triumphs in all aspects of functionality, exposure, user experience, content delivery, brand awareness, content design and SEO.

Good news is that setting up a website doesn’t cost as much as you think. If you need assistance with your copy but worried about your small budget, speak to an SEO copywriter to discuss your options.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Alternatively, you can share this blog by clicking on:
1. Facebook icon
2. Select ‘share’

Subscribe to my blog!

Be notified of a new blog post as well as monthly copywriting tips that I only share to my subscribers 🙂

The post 7 Reasons Why Facebook Business Page Should Not Replace A Website appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.

Believe it or not, the cost of having a website during the Web 1.0 era of the 1990s was more than $10,000! Nowadays, you can host a site for less than $5 per month or register a domain name for under $15 per year. 

Fees aside, let’s take a look at 7 reasons why small businesses must have a website.

1. Your Digital Footprint Matters

You can’t foster a relationship without words and in this age of information, customers expect to see a website.

You can’t foster a relationship without words and in this age of information, customers expect to see a website.

Toni Wells Copywriter

When you think about it, customers are constantly roaming the web in search of businesses like yours so chances are that they will choose one that has a website over one that doesn’t.

It is that simple.

2. Provides Credibility

Place yourself from a buyer’s perspective; would you question a business’ existence if you came across one without a website? Indeed word of mouth and business cards are an essential part of advertising; however, the information doesn’t travel as fast as it would take to search the web.

Quite simply, a website is the ultimate credible medium at your disposal.

3. Builds Trust

90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. You can rely on review sites to host these for you but why not make it easy for customers to read reviews and information on your products/services in one area?

Remember, it’s all about making peoples’ lives easier.

4. Eliminates Tyre Kickers

Every business experiences tyre kickers which can drain your valuable time. An informative website will separate the serious from the not-so-serious when it comes to doing business.

5. A Powerful Marketing Tool

You can implement tools such as a landing page to market directly to past and future customers.

A landing page is built to drive traffic for a specific marketing campaign goal such as signing up to your email newsletter.

Email marketing isn’t ALL about sales. Indeed the end goal is to get a sale but the major point to email marketing is about customer relations. Think of it as inviting people on a digital journey. Once you have them aboard, you can nurture that journey with informative content to make their life easier/richer/happier.

6. Instant Updates

It’s no secret that Google loves fresh content.

From an SEO perspective, fresh content is an important factor for improving your website’s rank. Unlike print advertisements, updating your site is instant and easy to do. It is a win-win situation.

7. The Roots Of All Content

A website should be the trunk of all content. Think of it as a tree with the roots representing different content and your site being the trunk. In other words, any information that customers read about your business whether it be from a newsletter or brochure should direct them back to your site for more information.

All in all, a website is one of the best long-term investments your business can have. It is a powerful marketing tool to foster relationships between past and future customers, provides credibility, builds trust and eliminates tyre kickers. Lastly, it is a convenient medium for updating content.

Remember, good things take time, therefore, speak to an SEO copywriter to establish your digital footprint today.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Alternatively, you can share this blog by clicking on:
1. Facebook icon
2. Select ‘share’

Subscribe to my blog!

Be notified of a new blog post as well as monthly copywriting tips that I only share to my subscribers 🙂

The post 7 Reasons Why Small Businesses Must Have A Website appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.