7 advantages of business process automation

7 advantages of business process automation

by | Jun 10, 2022

Business Insights

7 advantages of business process automation

June 10, 2022

Advantages of business process automation

In today’s highly competitive business environment, you must continually seek methods to improve your company’s efficiency. One of the best ways to improve your business’ efficiency is by automating your business processes.

Business process automation involves employing software to simplify repetitive business tasks without the need for human participation.

7 pros of automating your business processes

Lets deep dive into  some of the advantages of business process automation..

Increases Productivity

Business daily operations involve handling many repetitive tasks that consume and waste time. To avoid this issue, consider delegating your business tasks to ETL automation tools. This software can run various business operations simultaneously, saving your time. Additionally, digital solutions are fast and can work for longer hours compared to humans, enhancing the productivity of your business.

Also, when you adopt data warehouse automation in your business, you will enable your employees to focus on other tasks that need more attention. This way, they can become more creative and boost productivity,

Standardizes Processes

Every person has their preferred way of handling tasks. Therefore, if a business task needs to pass through many hands, the end product can be messy. 

To achieve uniformity, automate your business processes. Business automation software systematically organizes all procedures with phases following each other methodically until a consistent output is achieved. Moreover, the software ensures that your document passes through all significant steps. For a smoother process, you can integrate the automation software with data warehouse ETL automation to help you get information from different departments.

Nevertheless, you need to double-check your document manually to ensure it has all the significant information.

Improves Customer Experience

Improving customer experience gives you a competitive edge, enabling you to attract more customers to your business. Additionally, a good customer experience can help you retain existing customers.

If you want to improve customer experience in your business, consider data warehouse ETL automation. Automation software can help you improve the quality of your business services and ensure customer satisfaction in various ways. First, when you use data warehouse automation tools, you access your customers’ information fast at any time instead of wasting time perusing through papers. Also, when you automate your business processes, customers can get help at any time without having to call the customer care desk.

Saves Costs

Businesses often face the pressure to cut their operational business costs and increase profitability. One of the best ways to cut business costs is through business automation. Digital solutions will help you handle repetitive tasks, reducing the number of employees you need in your business. As a result, you can cut your wage expenses.

Another way business automation can help you cut on business costs is to reduce the wastage of resources. ETL automation software reduces the chances of making costly mistakes, leading to resource wastage. Additionally, automation software ensures your resources are optimally utilized.

Most people fear investing in business process automation due to the high initial investment cost. However, this investment is worth it since you will make a good profit in the long run.

Improves Scalability

As time goes by, your business evolves. When a business evolves, the number of employees and customers increases, meaning you’ll need software to accommodate your business operations.

For most people, expanding their business is a nightmare. However, if you adopt business ETL automation software, the transition will be smooth. This software will grow with you, and it can easily handle complicated tasks. Also, you can be sure that your business will not outgrow the software easily.

Boosts Employee Morale

Employee morale is a crucial benefit of business process automation. With this software, you can automate repetitive, boring, and tiresome tasks. 

This software also helps create a frictionless atmosphere for employees to do tasks efficiently since approvals are speedier. Therefore, teams save time waiting and reminding supervisors.

ETL automation software also promotes transparency in procedures, helping the management identify hardworking employees and give them the acknowledgment they deserve, boosting their morale. Finally, automation software may push people to innovate and enhance the way they work by freeing up bandwidth.

When you boost your employees’ morale, you encourage employee retention. When you retain employees in your business for long, you will save on the onboarding cost.

Improve Visibility

The management department can create a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) so that each team understands things they need to do to achieve important objectives. Often, organizations use an automation solution like a KPI dashboard software to improve the visibility of their business. This tool enables everyone in the business to see and track their own and the company’s success.

You can also consider using several dashboards to enable users to examine personal performance and review daily tasks. This way, the organization can better manage projects and boost productivity.

Conclusion

Nowadays, business process automation is essential in small and big business enterprises. However, the automation process is not easy. For this reason, you need to look for an expert to analyze your business and advise you on the best software to use.

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How to write a business letter: A detailed guide

How to write a business letter: A detailed guide

by | Jun 9, 2022

Business Insights

How to write a business letter: A detailed guide

June 09, 2022

How to write a business letter

Writing a letter nowadays may be deemed outdated. As such, people rarely practice or learn how to write a compelling business letter. The prevailing means of collaboration is email, with concise messages that adopt an almost universal presentation. But people do write letters in the contemporary business world. You may be surprised to learn that mailing is still an active and most preferred method of formal correspondence.

You may need to pen down a compelling application cover letter, a letter of interest, an invitation to speak at an event, a stakeholder invitation, and many more. With these types of engagement, formal writing is inescapable. An email will often become the last option or just a means for sharing the documents. For these reasons, you may want to sharpen your skills for your next job application or stakeholder invitation.

3 steps to writing an effective business letter

Let’s have a loot at some effective steps for writing a business letter.

Compose yourself

In any formal writing, you must understand the objective of the correspondence. You must also learn about your audience and know how to capture their attention. Writing business letters compels you to gather more details about the company you are writing to and the target recipient.

Tip: Ensure you have the correct information, such as addresses, titles, language, and gender. You don’t want to offend your reader with the first correspondence. This search for knowledge aims to enable you to make a lasting first impression.

Select a format

Business letters can adopt any of the three most common letter formats. One is the block format, which aligns all the letter elements to the left of the page. This is the preferred presentation style as it is neat and appealing to the reader. Here, you skip a line between paragraphs to maintain the appearance.

Another one is the modified block format, which is slightly similar to the block format with a few elements not justified to the left. The sender’s address, the date, signoff, and signature begin at the center of the page. All the other elements appear flash left with no indentation.

The third option is the semi-block format. This one is similar to the modified block with indented first lines for all paragraphs. Here you don’t have to skip a line between paragraphs. The sender’s address, date, signoff, and signature start at the center of the page.

Tip: Always select the block format for formal business letters to take advantage of the neatness.

Write your letter

With the knowledge about the recipient and a preferred format, you now need the composure to pen that compelling message. A business letter has several sections. Each must retain the accuracy, detail orientation, and simplicity required to demonstrate professionalism.

Format and tone

Be precise and concise, maintaining clarity throughout the letter. Avoid using contractions and colloquial terms. Use only formal language, adopt a professional tone, and double-check for grammar and spelling mistakes during and after writing.  

If you feel like you need help with a business writing, address professional letter writing services that offer personalized assistance with all sorts of essays including business letters. Online experts respond 24/7, so you can place an order and get polished templates of your letters composed by a professional writer. 

Sections of a business letter

Let us breakdown all the sections of a professional business letter:

Your contact information

This section contains your address. It informs the reader about the source of the letter and where to address the reply if necessary. Make sure to provide accurate details, including:

    •  Address,
    •  City, Zip Code

 Tip: Do not include your name and title at this point. Your name appears at the signoff. You may also exclude the sender’s address when using a letterhead.

The date

Below your contact information appears the date the letter was written. If you take several days to compose your message, you should indicate only the date you finished. At this point, your knowledge of the audience starts to show. You must format the date in a manner that your recipient is most likely to understand. For instance, Americans prefer the Month-Day-Year format, while Britons use Day-Month-Year. You must then format your date correctly to avoid confusion.

Recipient’s contact information

Remember the research you conducted when composing yourself to write the letter? This is the point where you start indicating the knowledge you gathered. Here you indicate the recipient’s details, including;

    • Name
    • Title
    •  Company
    • The Company’s Address
    •  City, State Zip Code

 Tip: Always write to a specific individual, indicating their correct details and title. Avoid using generic titles such as Manager. Instead, state the actual position to demonstrate your knowledge and focus. Always respect the titles and qualifications when addressing professionals. Use Dr. instead of Mr. Mrs. or Ms. when referring to a PhD holder or a practicing doctor.

Salutation

Use the name of the target audience in salutation, indicating their preferred title and name. If you know them directly or have an informal relationship with them, you can use their first name. Otherwise, use only the last name. Begin the salutation with Dear, followed by the title, then the name. If you are unsure of the gender or sex of the addressee, use a nonsexist salutation or the full name of the respondent.

    • Nonsexist Example: Dear Elon Musk
    • Formal Example: Dear Mr. Musk
    • Professional Example: Dear Dr. Musk
    • Informal Example: Dear Elon

The body

The first paragraph of the body is the introduction section. Here, you grab the reader’s attention with a compelling statement introducing them to the issue or reason for writing. Avoid generic or archaic phrases like I hope this finds you well. Maintain the focus on the topic precisely and concisely.

The rest of the body paragraphs represent a reason for writing and a pitch for your ideas or strengths. This is where you justify the importance of your message with a short explanation or description of the issue. Provide a background of the discussion.

The last paragraph restates the purpose of the letter and thanks the recipient. You may also offer to answer questions arising from the correspondence. This indicates your availability for a response. However, you should minimize this to one or two sentences.

The Closing

Select a professional closing salutation such as sincerely. Skip four lines between the closing and the sender’s name for the signature. Indicate the number of enclosures after the sender’s name, if any.

  Example: Enclosures – 3

Punctuation

Use a comma between the city and the zip code in the address section. Avoid using commas after each line of the address. Only use a comma between the day and year in the American date format. Use a colon after the salutation. Use a comma after the closing. Avoid informal closing salutations such as Regards. Do not use any punctuation after the sender’s name. Use the correct punctuations and spellings within the paragraphs.

Proofreading

The final step in any writing is proofreading. Check for typos and grammar errors before sending your letter. You may also ask a trusted friend or colleague to review the document and advise if any adjustments are necessary. Countercheck the company details and addresses one last time before sending the letter.

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25 most effective ways to get more customers for your business

25 most effective ways to get more customers for your business

by | May 3, 2022

Business Tips

25 most effective ways to get more customers for your business

May 03, 2022

Proven ways to get more customers for your business.

If there’s one question all business owners lose sleep to, it must be how to get more customers. That’s not surprising at all considering the fact that more customers equal more sales, thus more money.

But is it that hard to get more customers? Well, not to sound too pessimistic but 29% of small businesses fail because they run out of cash. 

So, in order to improve your sleep and boost your sales, we’ve made this guide on how to get more customers. If one thing’s not working, remember, there’s always something else to try – quitting is not an option!

Oh, and one more thing – don’t forget to identify your most loyal customers and nourish your relationship with them while searching for ways to get new customers. Because these existing customers are usually the largest door to new ones.

What brick-and-mortar businesses can do to get more customers?

We’re starting with brick and mortar because, in light of the eCommerce rise, these businesses became a sort of endangered species. If you like the advice below, there’s a special article with tips for retail stores that want to increase their foot traffic. 

To generate the most effective tactics, we’ve asked experienced business owners to share what works best for them. So let’s find out how to get more customers for your brick-and-mortar business.

Let’s find out how to get more customers for your brick and mortar business. 

Optimize your Google My Business profile

Sign up for and optimize your Google My Business Profile, this will enable you to show up on Google Maps for local searches in your local area. This includes filling in all relevant information on your listing including adding a detailed business description (mention your town/suburb/city and relevant keywords here) and completing the services section, plus regularly adding Google Posts and photos to your listing. 

You should also add your business to local business directories as well as gradually build up Google reviews from happy customers. Thus, consider having a QR code at your premises for people to scan and link this to your Google Business Profile.

Karen Dauncey, Founder ofThe SEO School

Market services you don’t provide online

Speaking of how to get more customers for your brick-and-mortar business, offering services that cannot be provided online goes a long way. Also, providing expert advice so that customers do not simply go online and buy something without consulting with you first is a highly effective strategy. 

Change the business model to a hybrid one, so that individuals can shop both in-store and online if at all possible. Make it simple for them to shop in person as well. Given that consumers are accustomed to receiving subpar service at the moment, it may be worthwhile to go the extra mile to ensure that your customers are satisfied. Offering services that can only be completed in person can be incredibly useful for the majority of companies. 

Tam Le, Founder of Steamaster

Develop clear cleanliness standards

To attract more consumers, I recommend that you develop a clear cleanliness protocol. People want to feel protected after a pandemic, so I would continue to emphasize the need for hygiene and publicize the idea that it is a priority. 

One method to accomplish this is to ensure that the store is immaculately clean. If you have a cleaning policy in place during the epidemic, I would recommend sticking with it for a little while longer. I would also make it known to your consumers that you do, in fact, have a strict cleaning policy in place. 

Display the policy in a prominent location where your customers may easily notice it, and incorporate it into some of your advertising materials. Providing cleaning goods, hand sanitizers, and masks at the front of the store can also help build consumer confidence in your business. 

Moreover, you can assign numerous staff to monitor and restock the supplies as needed in order to stay on top of things. Even after vaccines have been distributed, a few simple actions can help consumers feel secure enough to return.

Sahil Kakkar, CEO of WebSignals

Improve customer service

Improving customer service can make a significant difference to get more customers to your brick-and-mortar business. I believe that improving customer service is vital to reintroducing clients to the retail sector from the internet environment. 

It all begins with the simplest elements, from clean salesrooms and a friendly smile to competent employees and service. This means you have to hire the right staff. They should be polite, patient, resourceful, and able to deal with different people’s personalities, expectations, and needs. 

More often than not, it’s the stuff that makes the difference between customers leaving without purchasing anything and customers buying what they came for plus more. Each employee’s objective should be to satisfy the client. Their mantra should be service, service, and service again.

Teo Vanyo, CEO at Stealth Agents

Host a pop-up shop

Shopping in-person is not extinct. If you’re searching for a unique way to attract customers to your brick-and-mortar store, we also recommend trying a pop-up shop strategy. Another unique and engaging way to drive foot traffic to your business is to incorporate a QR code escape room event. By integrating QR codes in different parts of your store or surrounding area, you can create an interactive experience for your customers. This not only promotes engagement but also makes visiting your location more memorable and enjoyable. The short time of the shop’s operation instills a sense of urgency among shoppers, compelling them to turn up or risk losing out totally. Combine this with limited-time sales and promotions and added-value events such as happy hours, food trucks, or even hands-on activities within the area.

Offer incentives for in-store pick-up

To increase traffic to brick-and-mortar businesses, you can offer online incentives for the in-store

pickup of online orders. While some customers may choose to pick up their online orders and depart, others may like to continue browsing or notice something that piques their attention and inspires an impulse purchase.

Incentives can be as straightforward as guaranteeing no queues, a percentage discount off the whole order, or an in-store-only discount on a popular product or service.

Appealing storefront and display

You know how important first impressions are, right? Well, your storefront and display are the first things passersby see, and whether they’re inviting enough to make them enter depends on you. According to research, 24% of purchases are triggered by window displays.

But how do you create a visually appealing display? Here’s what experts suggest:

    • Play with visual elements – add color, depth, and height.
    • Yet, don’t over clutter the space. Keep it simple so it doesn’t overwhelm the viewer.
    • Add light, it makes the space inviting. Even if the colors are darker, illuminate them!
    • Create a story that is in tune with your brand. Your display should sell what you offer.
    • Update it regularly. 

The same rules apply to in-store merchandising.

Yes, you’re a brick-and-mortar business but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be present online. You may face some obstacles when going online, but nothing that can’t be resolved with the right people and mindset.

You can start with creating a website. Although this can be expensive or time-consuming if you decide to set it up on your own, it can bring a lot of customers to your store. In addition to that, blogging is another way to get more customers online. 

Now, you can say no to a website, but when it comes to social media it’s a major yes, whether you like it or not. Instagram and Facebook are the best platforms for B2C businesses, while LinkedIn is for B2B. You can use them to increase brand awareness, promote in-store promotions or sales, and much more. 

The thing with social media is that you have to be consistent and engage with your audience actively because they are your potential customers.

Local community

Synchrony’s research shows that almost 70% of shoppers live within the area of a retailer’s brick-and-mortar location.

Supporting local charities, attending fairs or shows, sponsoring sporting clubs and events, and joining a good cause – are all things that attract good publicity among locals. You’ll be practically promoting your business by giving back to the community. 

Additionally, this kind of presence in the community will help you meet the locals in person and learn their needs, which you can later use to shape your offer and approach.

Referrals and introductory offers

In the pursuit of attracting more customers and providing extra value, why not consider offering special discounts on products that can be delivered directly to their doorstep? Integrating a dinner delivery coupon into your promotions could be a strategic way to entice online savvy customers who value both convenience and savings. This approach not only offers certain cost benefits to your consumers but also enhances their overall shopping experience by providing them with quality meals at a discounted rate.

Leverage your existing clientele to boost foot traffic in your store. Create a loyalty program that will encourage satisfied customers to refer their friends and family to you. It’s a win-win situation, you retain your old customers and get new ones, and they, in exchange, get rewarded for their loyalty.

On the other hand, make sure your new customers feel appreciated too. Create special offers that will make them feel like they’re getting more value for their money. Bring-a-friend or coupons are just a couple of creative marketing ideas you could use to attract customers.

How to get more customers for your online business

The following tips will show you how to get new customers if you’re running an online business. Although, with more and more brick-and-mortar businesses getting online, these often apply to them too. So regardless if you’re 100% online, brick-and-mortar with an online presence, or click-and-mortar, here’s something that could help you get more customers.

Easy Checkout

Reduced friction in your checkout process, similar to the point made above about user experience, can have a huge impact on your conversion rates. Visitors should be able to utilize and navigate your site as easily as possible, but you should make it even easier for them to buy what you’re selling.

Remove any superfluous steps from your checkout process that can deter a potential customer from converting. Filling out forms with extraneous fields is a waste of time. Don’t let them run out of time and force them to start over.

David Glasser, PR Executive and Growth Director at Notta

Continue expanding your network

While it’s fantastic to rely on your current network to grow your client base, you may ultimately run out of fresh leads. You may have to look into increasing your network if you find yourself in this predicament. 

It’s impossible to succeed with a fantastic concept and a wonderful company structure if you don’t have any contacts who could be interested in assisting you. Therefore I recommend attending networking events, joining groups, forming partnerships, and seeing your network expand. We’ll go through that in greater detail later.

Steve Rose, CEO of MoneyTransfers

Give new customers free trials

Allow customers to try your goods for free. Free trials are a terrific strategy to sell since they bring in new customers and generate positive feedback. They also enable you to get additional input on new items and make necessary modifications.

Additionally, to convert them into loyal customers, you may boost the value of whatever you have to offer by giving free trials, and then convert people into paying returning clients later.

Instill the value of your product in this possible buyer, and make it evident that your service or product is exceptional. If you do this and provide excellent service, you will most likely be able to turn them into loyal clients.

D.C Foley, Marketing Manager at Perspective Pictures

Use Google AdWords

By creating targeted ads and bidding on specific keywords, I was able to drive relevant traffic to our company’s website and significantly increase conversions. This type of advertising is very effective for businesses that want to get more customers and not just get people to click on an ad. 

I’ve been using Google AdWords for years and have had a lot of success with it. Digital Marketing is a very competitive field, and I strongly encourage you to use the tools that are available to you to boost your online business. 

Yet, if you decide to use advertising, make sure you do thorough research on how to use the most out of your advertising budget, or hire an advertising agency so you won’t spend your money the wrong way.

David Rowland, Head of Digital Marketing at EcoOnline

Email marketing

There are undoubtedly a variety of tactics that can be effective when it comes to getting more customers for an online business. However, one that has consistently worked well for me is email marketing. 

Sending personalized, targeted emails to potential customers can result in a high conversion rate, as people are more likely to buy something if they feel like the seller is specifically addressing their needs. Additionally, email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with current customers and keep them informed about upcoming promotions or product launches.

Mia Clarke, Owner of InvertPro

Utilize social proof

Be authentic when it comes to social media participation – social media isn’t just a tool for driving traffic to your store, it is also a chance to tell stories about your company that people can share. Even if you try to convince your audience that your goods or services are of high quality, they will still rather hear it from someone else, preferably not affiliated with your brand.

Testimonials on your site will dispel any doubts your prospects may have about your product or service. This technique is especially effective since it prevents customer remorse.

Nathan Watson, CEO at Lion Locs

Create video content

Leveraging the popularity of video content is another great way to get more customers online. Video content is more explanatory, thus, it can give customers a better understanding of your products or services. 

You can showcase your products, explain how it works and discuss features so customers can be sure of what are they about to purchase. If you are trying to sell services, you can use video marketing by explaining how your services can help your customers. Moreover, you can include testimonials from satisfied customers as proof of your good work.

Focus on mobile optimization

Nowadays most people use their mobile phones to find everything they need, hence, you can get more customers to your online business with mobile optimization. 

If you don’t want to lose customers, it is essential that your website is optimized for mobile and you should make mobile visitors’ purchasing experience as simple as possible. Keep in mind you may need to redesign your checkout process or launch an entirely separate mobile website. 

A well-designed, highly optimized mobile experience is primarily concerned with navigation and user experience. The more difficult it is for visitors to find – and buy – what they want, the more likely they are to leave your site and go somewhere else.

SEO and content

We’ve all heard it – content is king! 

And one of the best strategies to get started with content marketing is to create blog posts based on long-tail keywords. This works well because there tends to be less competition for these types of keywords, while also being able to generate much more targeted traffic. This is also a great strategy if you’re also looking to initially build up traction with your website.

If you’re looking to enhance your website’s visibility and increase its online presence, incorporating a white hat link-building service can be an effective way to attract more customers. White hat link-building focuses on acquiring high-quality and authoritative backlinks that are obtained through ethical means. These quality backlinks drive traffic to your website and boost your search engine rankings, ultimately leading to increased exposure and potential customers.

Influencers

No, we’re not talking about paying A-list celebrities. Instead, we’re suggesting working with micro-influencers who have a highly engaged audience and are relevant to your niche.

Let’s say you’re an indie designer of sports apparel. Well, there are thousands of personal trainers and lifestyle bloggers that are passionate about workouts. Find out which ones target your niche the best and reach out to them with a business proposal. Some of them would ask but others will be glad to promote your line even if you just send them a box of your products for free.

Multiple delivery options

According to PSFK, 82% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from a brand with multiple delivery options. Hence, the more options you give to your customers, the more sales you’ll make. You may not have the capacity of Amazon but with the right strategy and partnerships, you can ramp up your delivery efficiency.

Find partners

Whether we’re talking about how to get more customers, expanding your market reach, or any business-related matter, it all comes down to collaboration and building partnerships with other brands.

Hook up with companies that you share customers with. For example, if you’re selling organic pet snacks, find a vet, a pet nursery, or even a dog walker to partner up with. Create a co-branding strategy together that will bring new business to both of you. Learn more about the benefits of the right business partnerships in this comprehensive guide.

Luckily, in today’s online business world, you can easily find business partners by leveraging the power of B2B marketplaces. Finding partners does no longer mean you need to spend a fortune traveling around the world. You can join one of the fastest-growing business marketplaces for free and get in touch with thousands of established companies worldwide.

Contests and promotions

You may think this is so-last-decade but the truth is that social media has resurrected contests. People love ‘winning’ free things, and they’ll do all it takes to get them. Share, comment, stand on one leg… Everything!

With only one Giveaway you raise brand awareness, reach a broader audience, attract new customers and engage current customers. That’s a lot of value for something that can cost you 40$ (or even less) and 15 minutes to create the post and share it on your social media channels.

Extra tips to get more customers even when the odds aren’t in your favor

The crisis comes out of nowhere. So you have to be prepared. Whether it’s a pandemic, an economic crisis, sudden downtime, or Armageddon, it’s your job to assess the situation and find ways to still get new customers and stay afloat. 

In a 12-year span we’ve seen one of the biggest recessions ever, and a pandemic that completely shut down the world. So it’s not a matter of question if it will happen again, but when.

On top of it, businesses often face crises not connected to any grave social-economic events. So you better prepare yourself for such times if you want your business to grow.

Preorders

There are a lot of obvious reasons why people won’t spend money on non-essential items during an economic crisis. However, pre-orders have proven to be very effective in changing people’s minds and getting more customers.

Here’s how Sophie from Twisted Squid leveraged preorders:

“I opened a preorder for a new t-shirt last night after getting the excitement built up on my social media. With the preorder, you got a free tote bag and art print. Didn’t pay for any ads and took £600 in 4 hours. Will definitely be doing more like that in the future.”

And another Reddit user came up with something similar for his favourite barbershop: 

“My favourite client is my local barbershop, and they have been hit hard [by the lockdown]. They are used to having 1 hour+ wait times for their first-come-first-serve location.

I was worried about them when things started spreading and while chopping it up, we had an idea to utilize gift cards for the first time. Their patrons love them and want them to stay open so they are in a prime position for a “pay ahead and get a discount” model. If you haven’t ever used gift cards maybe now is a time to try. We utilized the barber’s social media to get the word out and a good ol’ sign in the window.”

Added value

In markets where competition is fierce and service offerings aren’t wildly distinct, even at the best of times, brands are looking for ways to stand out. This is more relevant now than ever before, with consumers becoming even more money and value-conscious following the impact of Covid-19.

When it comes to choosing telecoms, insurance, or utilities provider consumers are faced with a plethora of choices but no obvious point of difference. Outside of brand identities, core values, and service, brands need to give the consumer an additional reason to choose them over their competitor.

The added value used to come in the shape of a ‘Parker Pen’ gift with purchase or perhaps a discount when you ‘buy today’. While the concept isn’t new, even pre-Covid-19, the playing field has changed. People have enough pens! Today’s ‘woke’ consumers want incentives that enrich their lives while protecting their pockets.

Free virtual yoga classes to focus on wellbeing, discounts on essential summer gear, or saving on sharing a takeaway with the family – these offer real added value. And it’s these kinds of rewards that are helping businesses chase the conversion.

Conclusion

You can notice that despite being divided into 3 sections: brick and mortar, online, and in crisis, with a little bit of imagination each of these tips can be implemented in all three cases. Combining some of the above-mentioned tips on how to get more customers can give you even better results than just relying on one method. However, it’s important to know your marketing niche and target audience so you can identify what are the best ways to get new customers for your business.

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15 leadership behaviors and traits of successful leaders

15 leadership behaviors and traits of successful leaders

Apr 10, 2022

Are you a good leader? A bad boss? Or a meek manager? Do you possess the necessary leadership behaviours to be successful? Oh, and are effective leadership behaviors and attitudes instilled from birth or developed throughout the years? If these questions bother you,...

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SwiftUI as an alternative for Android

SwiftUI as an alternative for Android

by | Feb 24, 2022

Business Insights

SwiftUI as an alternative for Android

February 24, 2022

Using SwiftUI as an alternative for Android for development

For many years, Apple has been known as one of the most innovative tech companies out there. They proved it once again a few years ago by releasing its brand new SwiftUI framework, which helps developers create innovative apps rapidly and effortlessly. Although there are some things that even this company can’t make simple enough for its customers, such as Apple’s fiscal year.

Anyway, what about Android and its alternatives to SwiftUI? The best one is probably Flutter. It is a free and open-source UI framework by Google. Flutter gives developers all the necessary tools to create applications for iOS and Android with a single codebase and programming language.

Another option is MobileUI, which is the first native UI framework based on Java for both iOS and Android. It uses Javascript, CSS, and HTML to create professional multi platform apps with user interfaces that auto-scale to various screen sizes.

What Is SwiftUI?

It is Apple’s framework, which uses the Swift language and helps developers build applications across all iOS platforms without much coding. Although it is brand new, it may feel familiar.

That is not a coincidence, for Apple did not create it from scratch. Before that, developers had UIKit, AppKit, and WatchKit. Unlike those, SwiftUI uses a declarative programming paradigm. In layman’s terms, developers do not need to write code for every little action anymore; instead, they can let the framework do everything for them.

SwiftUI provides developers with lists, stacks, and buttons to build user interfaces easily and quickly. Support for core technologies, such as accessibility and adaptive layouts, is also built into the toolkit.

Is There a Way to Make a SwiftUI App for Android?

If you have an app built in SwiftUI, you may wonder, “How can I reuse my code on an Android device?” Well, that is not possible, as they are incompatible. Java and Kotlin are used to create Android apps, while Swift is used for iPhone apps. Objective-C is the only one that works with both and helps with iOS to Android conversion. Otherwise, you will have to rewrite the entire code. To create an Android app, you may want to consider Jetpack Compose.

What Is Jetpack Compose?

Jetpack Compose is Android’s framework introduced by Google and used for building native UI. It also uses declarative layouts. Its main draw is that it allows developers to write less code, which leads to fewer potential bugs.

Furthermore, it uses Kotlin, which makes it possible to use all Kotlin structures directly in one’s view code. IF statements can be used to choose what should be rendered.

Finally, with Compose, you can call Compose code from Views and Views from Compose. Most common libraries work with Compose, so it is possible to start adopting anytime, anywhere. These and many other features make Jetpack Compose great, but how does it compare to SwiftUI?

SwiftUI vs. Jetpack Compose

A big difference is that the development process of Jetpack Compose was designed with the help of a large number of developers giving their feedback and trying to make it as convenient as possible. That was not the case with Apple’s SwiftUI.

Moreover, SwiftUI is strongly tied to a specific version of iOS. Jetpack Compose, however, supports all Android devices down to SDK 21.

And last but not least, with SwiftUI, all the changes are reflected on the preview canvas in real-time without refreshing. Unfortunately, when working with Jetpack compose, you will have to click “refresh” after each change. All in all, both toolkits definitely deserve your attention yet still have room for improvement.

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16 outreach marketing ideas for small businesses in 2022

16 outreach marketing ideas for small businesses in 2022

by | Feb 14, 2022

Business Tips

16 outreach marketing ideas for small businesses in 2022

February 14, 2022

Best ways to use Linkedin for startups

Marketing for a small business can truly be a nightmare, especially when you see all of the multi-million dollar industry giants spending tons of cash on their own marketing strategies. In such a situation, it is easy to feel hopeless and begin thinking that there is no way out.

But, fortunately, hope is not lost if you are a small business looking to market your product or service without spending a lot of money. When it comes to outreach marketing ideas, small businesses have several advantages.

Firstly, they are often more agile and can more easily adapt their marketing strategy to changing conditions. Secondly, they can be more personal and engaging, as they usually do not have the same level of bureaucracy as larger businesses. Finally, they can be more creative and innovative in their marketing efforts.

Outreach marketing can be an effective way to spread the word about your business or get some links back to your site. Therefore, keep reading and find different concepts that you can use to build relationships with other people who are interested in similar things and can help you get the word out about your brand.

Outreach marketing ideas for small businesses on a budget

The following outreach marketing ideas are creative enough to attract attention, yet all of them are based on solid marketing foundations, so you can rest assured that they will actually produce results. Moreover, they are all tried and tested by experts in the field and are already proven to built amazing relationships with other content curators as well.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great place to utilize outreach marketing. But, for best results, we follow a few steps. Firstly you need to identify your target audience. Once you have a good idea of who your target audience is, you can start thinking about what type of content and messaging will resonate with them.

Next, make sure you create valuable content that speaks to their needs and interests. Make sure your content is relevant, interesting, and useful for your readers, and spread the word online. The best way to do this is by creating LinkedIn articles either directly on the platform, or by sharing new content from your blog as a post.

You can also share your content on LinkedIn Groups or other discussion forums and send direct messages related to your outreach campaign. This will give you an opportunity to connect with potential customers in a non-intrusive way.

Lastly, don’t forget to analyze your efforts. Using LinkedIn analytics tools can help you learn more about how people are engaging with your business’ LinkedIn page, as well as what types of posts they’re most interested in seeing from you moving forward. When you know what works, don’t be afraid to increase the frequency of similar updates in the future.

David Wurst, Founder of WebCitz

HARO

One of the most effective outreach marketing ideas is the usage of HARO to increase backlinks, in an attempt to improve a site’s SEO. This method is popular with marketing firms because of the potential it has to generate media coverage and industry buzz surrounding any product or service.

By signing up to HARO, marketers can keep track of potential opportunities where reporters and journalists are looking for interviews and quotes about specific topics. Once an interview has been conducted, there is a very high likelihood that it will be published on one or more authoritative websites. This gives both the interviewed subject and their company exposure through media coverage and quality backlinks.

Brandon Schroth, Founder of Reporter Outreach

Reach out to popular podcasts

My go-to outreach marketing tactic has been to build a list of popular podcasts in my niche and pitch myself as a guest to each of them via email. While the audio content generates plenty of value from a brand awareness standpoint, links to the podcast episodes are often added to various websites, along with a link to my website.

This creates value from an SEO perspective, as these count as backlinks with potentially high domain authority. These links can also help to drive organic traffic to my website.

Andrew Helling, Editor-In-Chief and Owner of Rethority

Develop relationships with local bloggers and journalists

I have found that the best one of the many outreach marketing ideas for my business is to develop relationships with local bloggers and journalists. I can provide them with interesting and relevant information to feature on their blogs or publications.

In return, these bloggers and journalists are likely to share this information with their significant number of social media followers.

This has helped raise awareness for my business as an expert in my field.

    • Find bloggers who cover topics related to your business
    • Identify the blogs that have the biggest reach
    • Reach out to the bloggers and offer them information or products to review
    • Follow up with the bloggers after they’ve published their reviews
    • Thank the bloggers for their help in promoting your business

Ralph Chua, Owner of The Funnel Brother

Email and social media marketing

There are plenty of outreaching marketing ideas we tried and proved to be effective for small businesses. However, for us, the most effective is email marketing. Email marketing allows you to target a specific audience and send them tailored messages about your products or services. Another effective tactic is social media marketing. Social media platforms will enable you to connect with potential customers and build relationships with them.

Outreach marketing strategies, such as email or social media marketing, prove effective for small businesses because they allow them to connect with customers. Social media platforms allow you to build relationships with your target market by engaging them in conversation and providing them with valuable content.

Paula Glynn, Director of Search Marketing and Digital Strategy at Pixelstorm

The use of social media is not just for social interaction but is an important tool to boost the visibility of small businesses to potential customers. The use of Facebook and Instagram will
build relationships with our friends and followers that will engage with our product in a cheap and convenient way.

As we connect to them, we may also target their own friends or followers that will help to increase our brand visibility. We don’t have time to talk directly to them but as we post and share our product to these platforms day by day, they might help us to engage with our business.

Thus. for us it is social media marketing that is the most effective outreach marketing idea that helps us build the relationship. Just reach out to our audience, quality over quantity, post great content, integrity, and love what we are doing.

Michael JanBaldicana, SEO Specialist at Dream Chasers

Personalized outreach and cold campaigns on LinkedIn

As a marketing manager specializing in SMEs, I have to be really creative when it comes to outreach marketing ideas. In B2B, the most effective tactic we use is a personalized outreach that combines both cold email outreach and social media. Like most marketers, I always relayed on inbound to accomplish my goals. However, as an SME marketer, I have to be mindful not only of my targets but also the budget and resources available.

I spend over 60% of my modest marketing budget on MarTech and the rest towards cold campaigns on LinkedIn. My favorite strategy is to run campaigns to spark engagement and attract new followers to our LinkedIn page.

Each campaign targets a very precise audience that fits our target persona. Towards the end of the campaign, I learn about my new followers, their businesses, and ways animation can help accomplish them. I carefully review their content to date to explore any gaps filled by creating a video.

It’s worth mentioning that each email is carefully crafted for each recipient. As a results-driven animation studio, we genuinely care about the results we can provide to our clients – hence why I only approach prospects where I see a real opportunity. I never do spammy email blasts or annoying follow-ups twice a day, which I think can do more harm than good in outbound marketing.

Sandra Kaminska-Paciorek, Marketing Manager at Nibble Video

Reach out to influencers

Media influencers have taken the globe by storm, and as a marketer, I’ve chosen to use the power that influencers wield to increase brand awareness while still providing excellent customer service.

Our most recent effort to raise brand awareness and engagement included a freebie that they were encouraged to share with their followers. This worked because we got more social media followers and traffic.

You must exercise extreme caution if you intend to use influencers to promote your product or service. You must approach the appropriate influencer with the appropriate audience. You should research the influencer’s background and make sure they’re in your niche.

Tony, Founder of Profitable Venture

Giveaways

Offering free products or services by organizing giveaways on social media is another one of the proven outreach marketing ideas. They should be done routinely, such as offering t-shirts, caps, magic mirrors, or spa treatments to your consumers. Make sure you have eye-catching logos and pictures on your website and social media accounts to get people’s attention.

Moreover, you can also showcase your top sellers or best-selling items to further influence people’s buying decisions. Giveaways are the perfect way to build brand recognition, so you must leverage this marketing strategy before it becomes ineffective.

Rambabu Thapa, CEO at Orka Socials

Content marketing

One of the outreach marketing ideas that worked for my business and I will recommend to small businesses is leveraging content marketing. I have dedicated time to creating content that the target audience finds most engaging. However, bringing something new to the table is not always easy. So, one trick I have learned is to repurpose my content in multiple ways.

For instance, I share an infographic on one platform while a video on another. This increases my content ROI in a more strategic manner compared to other ways used earlier.

Also, I have realized creating a blog for a small business is a brilliant way to build brand awareness. You can share your original content regarding products and services on it. Moreover, implementing an effective SEO strategy can help find your target audience.

David Morneau, CEO and SEO Strategist at Breeeze

Focus on local SEO

Our favorite outreach marketing strategy is to focus on Local SEO, which is a form of SEO that includes location-based keywords and phrases. These location references should be in the website description or paragraph headings. Instead of paying for expensive ads, we use location-based search terms combined with target keyword phrases. For example, you can reference “marketing agency in ABC area” as well as “marketing agency” and “ABC area”.

Brenton Thomas, Founder, and CEO of Twibi

Embrace automation

With the changes to businesses that have taken place over the past couple of years, the competition online is now fiercer than ever. Many companies that were not competitors previously may now have become just that. Achieving a wide online reach, especially as a small business, can be challenging, and one tactic that we would recommend is to make use of automation.

Small businesses are often apprehensive about automation, worrying that it will mean they lose the personal touch. However, used with care and consideration, marketing automation tools can be a powerful way to increase your ROI, keep your brand consistent, and provide data to help you fine-tune your campaigns. By taking advantage of ways to carry out marketing ‘hands-free’, you can free up time and resources to focus on other areas of your business and all your new customers!

JM Littman, Director of Webheads

LinkedIn and Facebook groups

One of the best outreach marketing ideas you can find and we do in our organization is harnessing the power of LinkedIn and Facebook groups to connect with our target audiences.

We created groups that don’t advertise what we offer. Instead, we focus on building relationships with others and use them to get their thoughts and potentially become loyal customers. We create customized content that will resonate well with the members of these groups and encourage them to invite like-minded individuals who would learn from us.

Ezra Cabrera, Content Marketing Manager at SMB Compass

Personalize your emails

Make the subject line personalized by using the recipient’s name. It will make the recipient feel that it’s from someone they know and is not a business email. Make casual subject lines as it grabs more attention of the customers and is more compelling to get a response.

Start your email by showing gratitude towards your customers for making their first purchase, using your service, or for checking out your business profile on any social media platform. In the From part, it’s better to write the person’s name, post, and company name. Only mentioning the company’s name makes emails look more sales and promotional.

Content of the email should provide solutions to the customer’s and client’s problems, queries, and doubts. It should be informative and at the same time relatable to the needs and requirements of the customers.

Rahul Vij, CEO at Webspero Solutions

Be authentic

One of the rising marketing trends for 2022 is customers wanting authenticity from brands. They’re not only looking to connect with the product but the founders, the story behind how and why it started, and more.

Customers are looking for brands to show “who” they are by sharing the story about how the brand got started, their culture, the people behind the brand, and how they are helping make a difference in their customers’ lives.

This kind of authenticity helps humanize your brand and make it feel more approachable and trustworthy. This will be particularly important for larger corporations that can sometimes feel disconnected from their customers. Being able to connect with your audience will undoubtedly give you a better chance to do marketing outreach successfully.

Maegan Griffin, Founder, CEO, and Nurse Practitioner at Skin Pharm

Word-of-mouth marketing

Outreach case studies provide word-of-mouth marketing that builds trust with potential customers and helps elevate the reputation of our business. Clients will always give the most meaningful marketing material because it’s their honest review of your product or service.

These studies serve as an organic way to collect customer-centric content that you can then share on your website and social media channels. But they’re also an effective means of educating prospective buyers on your product’s various uses, features, and benefits. Spotlighting use cases as a separate tab in your About section can be a much more effective sales tool than an old-school cold call.

Shaunak Amin. I’m the co-founder and CEO of SnackMagic

Branding

When you are just starting your company and website, the best thing you can do is to create a solid sense of branding. The key to using branding to help make your website and business successful is to create a different and unique experience for your customers. Secret messages inside our packaging to an insert cart sharing the story about how Journ started that is signed by our founders help surprise and delight customers.

By remaining consistent and authentic with your branding throughout the various channels you use, it helps to establish your brand as one that is different and unique and one that will always strive to surprise and delight.

Sara Shah, I’m the Cofounder and Co-CEO of Journ

Conclusion

Generating high levels of traction is never a bad thing, especially for the betterment of your business. You might not see instant results from the outreach activities you engage in, but the good news is that most of the outreach marketing ideas suggested above are free or inexpensive to implement. If used wisely, these ideas can help small businesses grow and remain competitive in a competitive marketplace.

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