How To Stay Top Of Mind Using The H.E.A.T. Method

Marketing your business online in today's fast-paced world is challenging, especially as the cost of doing business continues to increase, making it harder to run a business lean. Nearly 50% of small businesses fail over a five-year timeframe, with inconsistent cash flow being a major reason.? In order to present a solution, we must put the current climate into perspective.? With that being said here are 3 marketing statistics that everyone should know.

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• The average person spends roughly 2.5 hours a day on social media.
• The average person sees somewhere between 4,000 - 10,000 advertisements a day.
• The average attention span of a human is 8.25 seconds

Although 2.5 hours a day may not sound like much, over the course of a year that amounts to 864 hours... which is the equivalent to 36 full days a year! It goes without saying that Social Media is a great way to advertise your business, however it takes a strategic approach. Half the battle is getting noticed; the other half is being remembered.

One roadblock that many people run into is that they are quick to forget that most people go on social media so that they can be entertained. It's important to know that because if your audience is on a platform to be entertained, and you are there to sell and promote your business, there is a massive disconnect.? This means that eventually you may get unfollowed if you promote and sell too much, because it will get viewed as spam.

So what is the solution?? Introducing the H.E.A.T. Method.? It's a strategic way to market yourself on social media without spending any money by combining 4 key elements.? Humor, Education, Adding-Value and Trust.? When delivered properly, that will allow you to show your personality in your marketing, while demonstrating your expertise.? Combining those elements is crucial since people don't buy from brands, they buy from people who represent brands.

Let's unpack each of these elements:

Humor

This is extremely powerful for several reasons.? When people laugh, they tend to remember what made them laugh. So this allows you to cut through the noise and create a message that sticks.? However it's really not about being funny, it's about creating a connection and humanizing your brand.? A couple of simple examples include creating a Meme or a GIF, they can also be turned into advertisements that your audience will share, when that happens, they've essentially passed your business card along in a cool way.? As a result, you're able to show your personality in your marketing, and meet your audience where they're at... remember, they're on these platforms to be entertained.?

Education

In the world of business, people exchange money so that they can solve problems.? When you use education in your marketing, you're able to position yourself as a resource as opposed to merely a salesperson.? When this happens your audience will occasionally want to "pick your brain" on certain subjects that you're knowledgeable on. When this happens, you've generated a lead, by solving a problem.? By taking this approach, you're able to demonstrate your expertise and "sell without appearing salesy." A couple of examples can include blog posts and infographics.

Adding-Value

It goes without saying that we live in a world of scams, and prospects are becoming more and more skeptical of everything. With that being said, it's not what you say, or even how you say it. It's how your audience feels when they receive the message. You can use that to your advantage because when you introduce something of value to your network, they associate that value with you. In other words, you become the source.? Think outside of business for this, when you introduce your network to something that enhances and adds value outside of business, by proxy they are going to think of you as the source. Examples include networking groups, restaurants, music, hotels etc…

Trust

Nobody can sell you better than a satisfied customer. It's been said that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above and beyond any sort of advertisement campaign. With that being said, when you collect and repurpose reviews across social media, your satisfied customers are doing the selling for you. If you're someone who doesn't have a website or you're wondering where to start getting reviews, an easy place to start is by collecting "recommendations" on LinkedIn. This will allow you to display what the community is saying about you on your profile.

Imagine meeting someone in person just once, adding them on social media, and having your content allow them to warm up to you over time. By leveraging the H.E.A.T. Method, salespeople and small business owners can create a social media presence that does the majority of the selling for them. This is ideal for those who frequently attend networking events, and are looking for a simple and cost-effective way to make the most out of every event.

"When Your Marketing Goes Cold, Drop Some H.E.A.T."

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- Alan Stern