One of the common objections we hear when it comes to getting started with Engagement Marketing is, “I feel uncomfortable asking people to join, share, follow, subscribe, etc.”

Few of us like asking people to do something extra —especially small business owners.

You respect your customers.  You know they get bombarded by marketing from other companies.  You don’t want to bother them.  I get it. But to be effective at Engagement Marketing, you have to build your “ask muscle.”

You build this muscle the same way you’d start a program to build your biceps or quads: you get expert advice, you make it easy, and you start small.

1. Get expert advice

The weight machines at the gym can be a little scary. How do you use them? What’s the best starting weight? How many times a week should you use them and in what order? Instead of trial and error, you can get a trainer to help you develop a program based on your goals. Or, you can read a book and develop your own.

You may have similar questions regarding Engagement Marketing and asking people to connect with you. “Which tactics should I use?” “Which work best and why?” “Should I implement one at a time or do everything all at once?”

You can get answers to these questions by hiring a marketing consultant like one of Constant Contact’s Solution Providers. Or, you can figure it yourself by reading any number of blogs or books.

As an FYI, you can find a wealth of advice on the Constant Contact site. We have blogs that cover everything from email marketing and social media to technology and small business issues. We also have a Learning Center where you can download e-books, reports and past issues of our Hints and Tips newsletter. And, of course, you can read Engagement Marketing: How Small Business Wins in a Social Connected World.

2. Make it easy

To make your new exercise routine pay off, you have to make it “stick”—meaning you have to make it easy to get the gym. Creating a routine helps. So does adding it to your calendar. And, making sure you have clothes, a water bottle, and the right shoes, all help too. The point is you want to remove obstacles that prevent you from sticking with it.

When building your “ask muscle,” use easy-to-implement tactics that become part of your business routine—and that will stick.

Sign-up forms – Whether you have a blog or an email newsletter, a sign-up form encourages people to connect with you. Once you add it, you can forget about it. Easy.

Social icons – People can’t find you on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter if they don’t know to look. Show them the way by adding social media icons to each page of your site and to your email newsletter. Again, easy.

Collateral or Posters – Let the printed word or picture do the asking.  Put out a sign-up book or put up a poster with a compelling reason to join your list or social following. Business cards, name tags, ads, packaging—these are all excellent places to add URLs that direct people to your site or social platforms. To encourage instant connection, use the full URL, like this: pinterest.com/constantcontact. People can quickly key it in and viola, they’re now a follower. Or consider using a QR code that people can scan with their mobile device to open up the web page.

3. Start small

People abandon an exercise routine because they start out too fast get and get hurt:  they’ll run five miles on the treadmill the first day out or they’ll lift 25 pound dumbbells when five pounds is more appropriate.

When building your “ask muscle,” start with small “asks.” As you become more comfortable and proficient (and you see what works), you can move on to bigger “asks.” A couple of ways to start small:

Newsletter forwards – Every so often, ask your readers to forward your newsletter or blog post to friends or colleagues. You can also include a “forward to a friend” link in your email.

Social media shares – Create a piece of content that others will want to share: a funny or original image, a discount or special offer, or a report or e-book. Then ask people to share it with their networks. One or two shares is all you need to make you feel comfortable with this type of “ask.” (And don’t forget to celebrate your small engagement!)

As you build your “ask muscle,” you’ll find yourself becoming much more comfortable connecting with others. You’ll find yourself asking people face-to-face if you can add them to your email newsletter (yes, we have an app for that) or to follow you on social media.

And then you’ll know: you now have a well-developed “ask muscle”!

Do you have a tip for building your “ask muscle”? Please share your ideas.

The post Build Your “Ask Muscle” Without Having to Do Heavy Lifting appeared first on Engagement Marketing.

When it comes to small business owners and online marketing, there’s one complaint that never goes unsaid: too much to do, too little time.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the nonstop, constantly changing pace of online marketing. Sometimes you may feel like you just can’t keep up.

It’s important to remember that maybe all you need to do is keep pace with yourself.

Engagement Marketing emphasizes that your business’s biggest strength, and key to success, is strong relationships with your customers.

So before you throw yourself into the whirlwind of online marketing, ask yourself these questions with both your customers and yourself in mind. Remember: no matter how much time you put into marketing your business, your marketing strategy will only be effective if it is specific to you and your customers.

Answering these simple questions can help you decide where your priorities should be and how best you should spend your valuable (and limited!) time.

Who are your customers?

You know them better than anyone else. What are they looking for when doing business with you?

With all the distractions online, it’s easier than ever to tune out the information that doesn’t feel relevant. In fact, when people opt-out of an email list, 56% do so because they don’t find the content relevant.

Don’t make this mistake; take a moment to write down the three most important things customers want from your business. Keep these things in mind every time you send an email or post on social media.

What do you want your customers to know about you?

If you’re used to engaging with customers in person, it may seem strange to interact with customers while staring at a computer screen.

At first, you might not know what to write about in your email newsletter. You may even be using social media out of a feeling of obligation rather than inspiration.

A good approach is to make your online interactions as close as possible to what your customers expect from you when they are engaging in person.

Forgetting to humanize your online marketing is one of the biggest mistakes small businesses can make. Keep your language conversational, don’t be afraid to show off some personality, and add inviting pictures whenever you can.

Where should you be engaging with your customers?

With the rising impact of social media (Facebook recently reached 1 billion users worldwide!) you may be wondering if you can save time by simply communicating with your customers via social media.

What you need to remember is that email is still important because it’s the only way you can truly own your contacts.  This means you have control over who sees your email and don’t have to worry about Facebook algorithms or ever changing social networks dictating who gets to see an update.

Email and social media marketing can both have huge benefits for your business, but the results that come from using these tools separately barely scratches the service of what these tools have to offer when used together.

When do your customers want to hear from you?

By now maybe you’re feeling more confident about interacting with customers. But before you take online marketing by storm, spend a few minutes brainstorming a schedule for your marketing.

Remember those contacts that opted-out of an email list? The only thing they found worse than irrelevant content was businesses inundating their inboxes with emails too frequently.

How often you interact with customers differs a lot from business to business. As a rule of thumb, social media is often great for quick and frequent updates, while email should be sent for significant updates.

What’s most important is that your customers know what to expect. Making a schedule (and sticking to it) will help you plan your emails and posts and will allow customers to look forward to hearing from you.

Why Engagement Marketing?

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: customer relationships are the biggest advantage small businesses have over large competitors. By strengthening these relationships you are positioning yourself for success and building a free marketing team of dedicated customers.

Anytime you feel overwhelmed, remember that online marketing makes interacting with customers and growing relationships easier than ever before.

Now it’s your turn: what questions do you have for us to answer about Engagement Marketing? Ask away in the comment section below. 

The post Engagement That’s Right for You (And Your Customers) appeared first on Engagement Marketing.

You already know your customers are spending a lot of time online.

So how do you best engage with customers there?

It’s no secret people like to do business with people they know, like and trust. Even when you aren’t engaging with customers face to face, people still like to feel like they’re connecting with people. So don’t forget to add some personal touches to your online interactions.

Here are some ways you can humanize your business quickly and easily:

1. Use pictures of real people

With so many visual people out there, a visual aid is never a bad idea—especially when it comes to connecting with your customers.

Adding a welcoming picture to your business’s website or at the end of a newsletter will make people feel more comfortable doing business with you and it’s the next best thing to showing them a great experience in person.

Add a picture of yourself to show the face behind the business or just pictures of people enjoying themselves while at your business. Prospective customers want to know if other people had a favorable experience with your business. Adding a picture is a simple and friendly way to show them what they can expect when interacting with you.

2. Blog with personality

Social media can be a great place to show off some of your personality. And there’s no better place to let your personal thoughts and opinions come out than in a blog.

Starting a blog can seem pretty intimidating at first, but the benefits will quickly help you get over your fear. If you’re struggling with what to write, just think back to the last problem you helped a customer solve.

Remember, blogging is not as much about showing off your writing expertise as it is about showing off your business expertise. Focus on what you help your customers with every day and your blog will feel relevant and authentic.

3. Answer your customers

Imagine: a customer walks into your store, spends a few minutes looking at your products, and asks you a question. You look at them and…nothing. You just don’t answer them.

Do you think that customer would stick around to make a purchase? Probably not!

Ok, overlooking someone online is not as dramatic as ignoring them in person, but it can still turn a customer off. Take the time to look at any comments or posts related to your business and respond. They’ll appreciate your reply and see that there’s a real person behind the business—one who’s ready and willing to help them.

Strengthen those relationships

Whether you’re making a great first impression or building upon an established relationship you’re strengthening a relationship, which is what engagement marketing is all about.

When it comes to humanizing your business, the possibilities are endless. There are countless ways to show your customers a friendly, personable presence online—and the best part is that most of them are pretty quick and painless.

How have you let your customers get to know you while engaging with them online? Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

The post How to Put Your Best (Virtual) Face Forward appeared first on Engagement Marketing.

Content has been getting a lot of attention lately. After all, generating content is the best way to engage your customers when you’re not interacting with them face to face.

Even if you understand the benefit of generating content, maybe you’re still feeling unsure how to get started. Maybe you’ve already started, but still feel a little unsure if you’re doing it right.

That’s ok, we’re here to help. Below are 4 posts to help you understand content: where to find it, what you should say, and how to make sure you’re engaging your audience.

20 Places to Find Email Content — It’s Closer Than You Think!

Sometimes the hardest part of sending an email is figuring out what to say. Luckily, there are countless sources of inspiration out there and a lot of them are right at your fingertips! Check out this post for twenty places to find content quickly and easily.

How Your Local Bookstore Can Help You Consistently Create Content For Your Newsletter

Sure, you can find some content ideas with minimum effort— but who doesn’t love a quick venture to a local bookstore? If you’re feeling stir crazy, a change of place might be exactly what you (and your content) need!

14 Content Marketing Tips You’ll Read Because They’re in a List

Content marketing has a bit of a scary ring to it. Don’t let it intimidate you. Follow these 14 tips to create confident and irresistible content for any audience. Whether you’re just starting to create content or looking to improve your readership, these tips and tricks will work for you.

5 Ways to Create More Engaging Email Content

Once you get in your content groove, make sure you’re making the most of it with an engaged audience! Great content has influence. It feels relevant, authentic, and will maybe even inspire your readers to take action. The key to content marketing is creating engaging content that can also help grow your business. Read some of our ideas for engaging content here.

Great content is not out of your reach! In fact, your content can do a lot to improve your reach. Keep at it and feel free to ask us questions or share your experiences in the comments below. 

The post If Content is King, It’s Time You Joined the Royal Family appeared first on Engagement Marketing.

“We don’t want a Google+ Local page,” said the owner of a small business. “People can leave negative reviews.”

Another small business owner resisted sending out post-sale surveys—“What if our customers say something bad? Then what?”

Yes, negative reviews and feedback can be scary. Seeing this feedback gives you a shock; it means that your service or product isn’t up to snuff. None of us like to be criticized.

But, not all feedback is negative—in fact, much of it is positive. Whether negative or positive, customer feedback is where you’ll find opportunities to meet untapped needs, develop a new market, or improve your WOW! In other words, gold!

How to mine for those golden nuggets

It doesn’t have to take much time to analyze your customer feedback, which you can find in the following areas of your business:

Customer service: Does your company have a customer support number? If so, do you send out surveys automatically after support calls?  Retail, spas, or other in-person businesses—have you trained your front-line people to ask customers if everything was good? Do you have a place for them to record any issues (and have you empowered them fix them)? Have you ever sent a survey to your email list asking for feedback?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, gather up those surveys and spend one evening looking them over. Ask your employees what customers are saying.

Social media: No matter which platform you use, make it a practice to mine your fans’ feedback for insight into your business. Even “small engagement” can give you great insight—a thumbs up, a compliment, or a few shares can clue you in on what your fans like. And if you need some specific feedback, ask for it!

Review sites: Maybe your company isn’t listed on the big review sites or you haven’t received reviews yet. You can still read these sites to see what people say about your competition. Look for opportunities you can use to your advantage, such as a specific service not being offered.

Look for problems, bottlenecks, or suggestions

Group customer concerns or feedback insights together and list possible solutions. Prioritize your ideas and then implement them one at a time. Let customers know you’re addressing their concerns—in your email newsletter, through social media, or notices at your business.

A local gym, for example, received complaints that people were adding multiple friends to the “first come, first served” sign-in lists for high-demand exercise classes—a practice that excluded those who didn’t have friends to sign in for them and thus were “locked out” of classes. The gym changed its sign-in procedures and alerted members by posting notices in the locker rooms. Problem solved, members happy.

A small business owner of a software company noticed that his customers regularly stated that it was refreshing to call the company and have a “live” person answer the phone. The owner took this “helpful attitude” one step further and began offering software “tips and tricks” through his blog and newsletter. Customers thanked him—and traffic to his site began to steadily increase.

Encourage feedback

Your customers want to know you’re listening to them. When they feel their voices are being heard you’ll find many ways to use their feedback to your advantage.

Do you have a story of how you used feedback to grow your business? Email our content team at SocialSuccess (at) constantcontact (dot) com—we’d love to feature you on our blog.

The post Turn Customer Feedback Into Gold appeared first on Engagement Marketing.