Blog Post- Digital Tools for Success

City of Burlington

Economic Development Department

December 6, 2021

Digital Tools for Success

Are you a business owner looking to enhance your customer experience with digital tools? The US Black Chambers, Inc. hosted a virtual event led by Marsha Lynn Hudson, a social media and business strategist, on July 22, 2021. During the event, Hudson dropped valuable wisdom to take your business and brand to the next level.

Check out the highlights of her presentation below:

The first concept you must understand is your mission. How do you help your clients? What is your mission? This step is crucial to strategizing your outreach and branding. Next, you should define the customer. Who is your ideal client and where do they spend the most time? This could be on social media, online groups (Facebook, LinkedIn), videos (YouTube). When narrowing down your ideal client, it is necessary to recognize their gender, age group, income, and behaviors.

Once you know your target market, move to focusing on the customer encounter. A customer is any person or organization that needs and wants your services or products. To reach these customers in the digital age, it is essential to be familiar with the digital tools available to you. You then use those digital tools to create an experience for your customer. The experience should always be geared towards solving a problem or challenge for your customer. It is all about what you can do for them. By creating a lasting experience, you begin to build a solid brand. Your brand refers to what people say about you when you aren’t present.

Diving further into crafting the customer experience, you ought to refer to Marsha Lynn Hudson’s 4 step customer journey, also known as the funnel to turn “lookers into bookers.”

The 4 step customer Journey

Awareness- How do customers discover you?
Interest – How do you establish value in your platform? Do you entertain, inform, and inspire?
Decision- At this step people make decisions and should be directed to your web page.
Action- The final step is for the customer to make a purchase.

There are a variety of digital tools to increase customer retention. According to Hudson, your most valuable marketing tool is your website. Every 2-3 months you should review your website as if you were a potential customer. Is it clear on you home page what you can offer your client? What do you do for them exactly? Additionally, you should have an about page for potential clients to connect with you and your social medias.

Next, social media is a popular channel to engage your audience and promote your products. According to Hudson, there are 6 buckets of content to use on social media, emails, blogs, videos and podcast.

Be human and authentic. This is your “why?”
Go behind the scenes. Let people know what you do.
Motivate and inspire your followers with quotes.
Educate, inform, teach about your content area.
Use videos. Be entertaining! TikTok, Instagram reels, and other short video clips are increasingly popular and attractive to young audiences.
Let them know about your products and services without a hard sell. There is a time and place to make hard sells. Don’t overdo it, as it can taint the relational factor between you and your potential clients.

Take note that there are three parts to a good post: an image or video, valuable content, and relevant hashtags. Also, there are good days and times for positing that will increase your chances of getting more visibility. Posting on the best times and at the right times is a new trend to follow for 2021.

Facebook 1-3 (Thursday and Friday)/ Wednesday around 11
Instagram 10-3 (Wednesday and Friday)/ Saturday around 10 am

Another extraordinarily impactful digital tool is email marketing. Email can be your best friend. Studies show that every person on your list is worth at least $15. Choose an email provider to schedule an email at least 2-4 times a month with Mailchimp or Convert Kit. Always give value first before making a sale. People don’t always want to get emails with you trying to push product. They are more likely to delete your emails or unsubscribe if all you do is try to make a sale. Hudson also recommends drafting emails with good subject lines that people will open.

Emails help you to stay on top of your customer base’s minds, build relationships, prompt sales, and increase your overall revenue. If you are wondering how to grow your email list from ground zero, see the tips listed below.

Gather all emails that you have from other mail
Think of past clients
Family and friends can be a part of your email list
Start with a good list of 25-50
Make lists and put them in your new service provider
Don’t buy emails

People love videos, so don’t neglect this marketing strategy. The algorithms will let more people see your videos. People will follow your brand because of videos. Studies show that more people will make a purchase after watching a video. Make a 2-3 minute video with your phone and add to your social media once a week. A short form video is one of the hottest trends today. You can build a brand with video.

What’s the process of creating a stellar video?

Sit in a comfy place
Make sure to use natural lighting or a selfie lamp
Have a unique opening to your video
Give some valuable information from your industry or about your business

Another great way to engage your audience and build a solid brand is to blog! Blogging establishes thought leadership and positions you as an industry leader. You can add a blog to your website or link tree. A blog can be short filled with valuable information for your readers to enjoy.

Podcasts, an additional digital tool for marketing success, are becoming increasingly popular. People listen to them in the car, on the treadmill, and at home. A podcast can be like your weekly radio show. Get started with a 40 dollar podcast mic from Amazon and a host site like anchor.fm, which is free. Always link to your social sites or website in the show notes.

Lastly, a great way to build relationships with future clients is through groups. Join 2-3 Facebook or LinkedIn groups. Join groups where your ideal client may be active. Participate in the groups at least once a week by posting some valuable infographics or flyers. Create your own group and build a network of like-minded people. Use the groups to also introduce people to you and your services!

If you are a busy entrepreneur, like most, all of this can seem quite overwhelming. Below is a list of scheduling tools to help you save time and reduce stress.

Facebook creator studio
Later.com
Buffer
Canva

If you are worried about how to execute all of these tactics, Marsha Lynn Hudson says not to fret. “Remember that success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally. It come from what you do consistently. Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practices every day.” Set aside a bit of time every day and you will begin to see results before you know it!

Chandler Vaughan, Project Manager, EYOS Fellow

Looking for more information on how Burlington’s Economic Development Office can help you? Sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.