So it’s ugly out there right now. No one is buying. Leads aren’t converting. Business has been better. I’m no economist, but if the past is any indication of the future, people will start buying again.
So what in the meantime?
As we use every morsel of patience we can drum up, it’s time to nurture our leads and prep our potential buyers for when the time is right. Here are some things we can do right now.
- Commit to content creation. Start a blog on your website and provide valuable articles and resources there for your customer.
- Add social media sharing buttons (like the ones below) to your blog posts so readers can more easily share your content with others.
- Install a newsletter sign-up form on your website to start collecting email addresses from interested parties.
- Then send periodic e-blasts with resources and updates on your company. Make the e-blasts short, and include links back to pages and blog posts on your site where you can further engage them.
- Use social media channels like Twitter and LinkedIn to identify and follow potential customers, journalists, trade publications and industry authorities.
- Then start conversations with those people. Don’t be pushy or sell to hard. Be genuine and build relationships.
- Participate in LinkedIn discussion groups. There are probably a few, if not many, that are relevant to your industry.
- If you’re running print ads, include unique URLs that direct readers to great landing pages with the most relevant content for that specific audience.
- Perform an audit on your website. Is the information there useful to your customer? Is it easy for them to find what they’re looking for? Are there clear calls to action that allow them to get in touch? If not, fix it.
Unless you practice some kind of sales wizardry, there’s only so much you can do to change someone’s mind when they’re not ready to buy. But if you nurture relationships and become a valuable resource for them, you’ll be top of mind when they are ready. Don’t sit around waiting for a better economy. Get back to marketing.
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