What Really Grows a Business?

Have you ever thought about starting a revolution? 

Me neither. Ok, not a "revolution" per se...

But disruption?

No, not that kind of disruption.

Now that is more like it. DISRUPTION.

Sadly, that is how it feels to be “in marketing” today.

How Does a Business Grow?

Not just pay-your-rent-grow but skyrocket-grow, like all those You Tubers making millions talking about…well, mostly nothing…that kind of “grow”? How does a business or charity organization with a really impactful purpose and value grow?

This is how I have spent my entire week. Embracing all that “disruption” in the world of marketing. And it started last year really, but when this whole Sears thing flooded my news alerts I knew that I had to really look deep into the vortex and figure a few things out.

I work with small businesses and non-profits. Certainly not the most lucrative segment of the industry, but definitely the most rewarding. And with Sears going under (and we all know, it is going under) I was worried.

 Along the digital highway we have a whole roadway littered with icons of retail crumbling under the weight of “the Internet.” But If Sears can fail - with the backing of a Billionaire Investor - how can anyone on Main Street USA succeed?

And since I am the small business owners “answer” to growth…I have had to totally stop in my tracks and change how I do what I do so that I can actually help these businesses grow.

Let's go back in time.

Three years ago digital marketers were in a totally different digital sphere. Everything we learned and knew and took notes on then, was tossed out and replaced, again. But this three-year-shift feels different. Those three-years feel more like six-years. So could the pace of disruption actually be going faster?

For most of my clients, today already feels light-years different. And not just technology different (although technology is changing more rapidly than most of them can grasp), it’s the “culturally” different part that has so many small business owners blown off course.

And the historian in me tries to explain to them that this is the price of advancement. It’s like the Model T replacing the horse.

But I know that isn’t really true. The Model T just started this whole cultural upheaval. Today, in 2019, we are not only culturally different in the processes we use to communicate, we are also totally different DNA different.

(Note: I am serious about this DNA thing. I heard this on NPR. For reasons that have to do with the incredible pace of newer and faster technology; combined with human biology-- that actually takes thousands of years to develop- we, humans, are still operating in our day-to-day decision making, with the push and pull of our reptilian brain.

That reptilian brain is telling us to "fight or flee" when our phone buzzes...you know, with an alert about our sisters selfie posted on Facebook -- their fifth "#most-romantic-vacation-in-Europe" – which sets off a wave of panic as we torment ourselves whether or not to “like” it ; while it also serves to remind us of our own reality where we still haven’t figured out how to pay for our medical insurance that doubled again!  

Yes, we live in a totally different culture. How we do what we do, how we decide to do what we do, and how we help others do what they want to do—it is all fast paced and different but still controlled by a reaction system that hasn’t even adjusted fully to the replacement of the horse by that four-wheeled Model T automobile back in 1915!

Help Wanted

So, as a social media coordinator/consultant, I know that "just posting and tagging" isn't going to cut it--unless you pay a team of specialists- some to do ads on Google, some Facebook, someone to tweak your coding and design on your constantly updating website. Add in a few essential AI software programs and plugins and you may just be able to hold steady until you get a lucky break.

Well, it’s not really that dismal, but these things are taking a real toll on the every day business owner. Especially the ones who still don’t have the digital literacy of a, well I cannot say five-year-old, because most toddlers do have a pretty good digital grasp….so let’s say, they do not have the digital literacy skills that most people under 35 intuitively have.

And then, there is content--we are in the draught of content creation. I kid you not, never before has so much content been needed yet so little really relevant content produced. And the irony is that it has never been easier to spread content around and get recognition for it...It’s true, today it is so easy and almost free to share your expertise!

So I find myself, as a long-time digital 'expert" and content-creator, in a good spot--I know how to spin content--7 days a week--doesn't matter what it is or what someone does. I can turn dental floss into a humorous and insightful story with pictures! Yes, that too! I know Photoshop, so trust me, that combo can be very enticing.

Those who can do. Those who can't teach.

But can I teach it?  Do I need to teach it?

Well, if I want to actually make money and help my clients, I must teach it. And of course, I can teach it. I am a trainer too, but that isn’t what small business owners hire me to do. They want “growth.”

The reality is that growth and content are symbiotic. Sure, I can write it for you, but the real truth is that in order to get that You Tuber growth, you have to be the star in your own movie. In other words, you must write about who you are and what you do, authentically.

But writing is hard for most people who just “do” their jobs. You know, the whole generation before the Millennials! But a business today must be able to write and share content at an accelerating pace if they want to grow. In fact, writing content is what marketing is really all about. Always has been. The difference is that today, instead of sounding quick-witted and polished ads, society wants things to be authentic, personal, and real. So you have to learn!

Writing content for your business is like learning to ride a bike.... sure, it's hard, awkward and feels horrifying at first…..but once the wind is in your hair you never get off that thing....and the best part is that one day, after a bit of practice, you learn to drive "the content- car" and that is when that whole You Tuber things really begins to make sense. But I am getting ahead of myself.

I like analogies. And if you are reading this far into the “revolution manifesto” you probably need one about now. 

If you really look deep into social media marketing today........you can see that it is just the “9 to 5” version of the networking breakfast from 1995.

Back then it was a simple formula: In order to grow your business….You had to show up at some coffee shop at 7AM and sit with other weary eyed professionals sucking down coffee and waiting their turn to do a 5-minute elevator pitch, pass around business cards, then go back to work and send emails and thank you notes to follow up. You had a carefully planned system for asking for referrals, and then follow up again….seven was the magic number in 1995. You had to “follow-up” with prospects seven times before they trusted and bought from you.

TIME is MONEY

And just like the 1995 networking system to growth, your digital marketing of today just needs time and perseverance. And yes, good tools do help--a good suit, nice cards, and sweet pitch..but success then and today isn't really about the tools. It was, and is, more about consistent, unwavering belief and action. Ask any billionaire today and they will tell you the same thing.

The Core of Marketing: You have to know who you are and what you want so you do the right things (in the 1995 example, you wanted to show up to the right networking breakfasts, not the Mommy and Me ones if you were selling corporate bank accounts.)

And just like the 1995 Model, digital marketing needs time to embed and compound. The more you showed up at 7am, the more you grew. So your digital marketing has to have a plan, a long-term, goals-based, in advance plan for outreach - The "awareness" portion of the Buyer's Journey. (And yes, that is a thing. read more)

Throw in lots of content (a good pitch, good brochures, good thank you and follow-up notes aka--blogs & articles) for the trust to grow - The "research" portion that everyone today must do, obsessively in fact, at all hours of the day or night. Tap, tap, tap. Apply blue-light filter for safety and then tap, tap, tap some more.

Did you know that on average we all do about 300+ digital touches without even thinking about it when we want something? We click and tap at a faster rate than any 1980’s executive secretary! Think about it....Every single click touches data somewhere. 24/7. It just doesn’t turn off!

There Already Is A Wall

So where is all your good content that you had paid to produce when you created your website? 

Behind the wall....

Yes, "The Wall"

Google algorithms are everywhere carving out pathways that "it" identifies and uses to surround each and every Internet user. Google knows everything about you so it will work very hard to give every single user the content that the individual user favors. Why is that a problem?

For starters: that means that every piece of data you are offering has to be good, really AI-friendly good, if you want anyone to even see it...Which is the whole reason that Google advertising really works when a business knows exactly who they are targeting. 

But there is another way. A revolutionary way. 

What if your content was to be "shared" by humans? Now we are talking!

 The 1995 Rule was Three Who Tell Three. Adding up those “Three’s” to a word-of-mouth system that kept small business growing at a record pace. In the digital age it is multiplication…One person shares to Facebook multiplied by their 300 Friends x 10% engagement = new followers for you…..and so so on.

Sidebar: so the Russian’s figured this out and sent their bots into the digital sphere, acting like humans and seriously giving YouTube and Twitter engineers something their reptilian brains would want to flee from....but that's another article.

My point is, assuming an actual human finds the right data points and they bookmark them or save to their Pocket.... Then, the actual decision to buy/support this business/organization is already made by the time they get to you.

It's True! Once a potential customer comes to your business website shopping cart, or chat line or hits send and makes a phone call or, hello,….they actually show up at your business…… They are in baby!

53%/72%/80%/95% ready to buy what you got (although these statistics vary widely, they are all over 50% so that means sold.)

So all a business has to do at that point in the Buyer’s Journey is send in their "closer," (which really means easy, fast check out process or a person who asks for their credit card.)  

Let’s assume it all goes perfect. The real news, the real revolution is not in the sale/buy/purchase/decision. In fact, the sale isn't even the win.....the digital win that is!

Nope.  

In order to win at the Digital Marketing Game, digital algorithms need  human connections 

(or deep pockets for bots--I think you saw that one coming.)

It's the "advocacy" part that is critical.

Advocacy from customers, donors, volunteers, employees, board members, and vendors: humans.

Now do you see the revolution?

Pink Hats or No Pink Hats - We Do Have A Revolution

Who has time to follow up with all those "sales" and ask for referrals, reviews, and shares?

This is where that reptilian brain is kicking in and freaking you out, isn’t it?

Breathe.

Just breathe and hear me out.

Think about this: the minute a human someone buys something/gives something/anything to a business----what does that business want that human to do next?

Well, first: If you are a normal business owner, you really want this human to enjoy whatever "it" is they just bought. You want them to feel good about it, right?

So you take a moment and thank them and that is how you remind them how good they feel.

It's not rocket science. 

Just like the 1995 example, a simple thank you goes a long way. In fact, in the digital age, a real thank you note might just be considered extraordinary.

So, assuming you do that, promptly, in a well-written note or card, this is when the magic happens.

Once you have thanked your customers and reminded them how awesome they feel, you must [and this is the critical 2019 stress point in marketing] You must get them to talk about how they feel. Not in a ten-minute studio produced testimonial video (although that would be nice.) You need every single decision-made/purchaser who feels good to leave you reviews, invite others to take a look, to share and repost your posts to their family and friends (aka other humans.)

That is the Holy Grail in 2019.  

Once you have figured out how to get enough of your human people doing that...advocating for you, out of love and feel-goodness...BAM.  

Now you finally hit your 10,000 fan mark.

And then, it's just math. [10000 fans x 25% open rate = X (X x 15% decision-making = sales) ….or some other nerd analytics guidelines.

Trust me, its math. More people, more emails, more fans = more business success.

It’s a simple process, right?

Well, like the reptilian brain analogy on NPR, it is not so simple when it comes to actual humans. Business owners want things to happen fast so they hire a social media person to make posts and share things, but when the daily droplets don’t turn into snowballing sales, they get frustrated and pull the budget, going back to their nephew who just graduated from college and knows how to upload videos.

In reality... It is really very simple. So hold off on hiring your nephew.

1. Make a plan for the entire year. Right now. 
2. Look up all the cool national hashtags holidays and month celebrations and make a real plan of action to get the word out about you, your incredible business. 
3. Then, write down all the questions that people ask you about your product or service.
4. And then, make another plan to write out the answers to those questions in regular steady doses of posts, articles, and newsletters.
5. Finally (and this is the real kicker) just like 1995, go out and actually meet people. Real people, not just bots on Twitter.

Seth Godin says the future of marketing is community

The true revolution is being able to find people who think like you wherever they are in the world. Our geographic limitations are being erased. Marketing is not for “everyone” anymore, but rather for “people like us”.*

Real People, Like Us: A Community.

So that is what my role really is: Community Coordinator. Not just keystrokes and Photoshop posts, but real outreach that impacts “the community” that houses a place of business; and in “our community,” one handshake at a time, we find people who support what we have to offer. Eventually those one-handshake-humans will share your message on their digital front porch and BAM...now you have growth!

Like I said, a Revolution... to “destroy the perfect and enable the impossible” with.....

#digitaldivide #digitalmarketing #contentmarketing #communitymarketing

* Source and Seth Godin and NPR/KPCC

Maria Bereket is a Digital Marketing Community Coordinator. She is a marketer, economist, researcher, trend hunter, small business advocate, and a passionate early childhood education activist. She has been in the marketing game for many years and knows all too well what life was like back when the Yellow Pages were so powerful they could be used as a booster chair, but her digital/social media marketing knowledge is what sets her apart...because Maria knows how to bridge the digital divide for a small business, advance their team marketing skills, and redirect the 21st Century workplace chaos into the future. Write me

https://www.visioncritical.com/seth-godin-says-the-future-of-marketing-is-community