How many times a day do you check your email?

I check my email about 100 times a day, though I know that may be inefficient and more than most.

The point is that most people check their email regularly and if you can get your message into someone’s inbox you get direct access to that person. Whether they read your newsletter then becomes a matter of choice (do I read it or do I delete it?) as opposed to chance, which is what other social networks provide unless special notifications are turned on.

Three years ago I ran one of my first social media strategy workshops and I had a photographer attend. During the workshop we had a lengthy conversation about how a newsletter would be a good tool for her to use in her business. She hated the idea. She hated getting newsletters and didn’t understand why she should send something to her clients that she would never want to get?

The answer I gave her is that not everyone feels the way she does and giving people the option to get content the way that they want is important. She decided to give it a go and her monthly newsletter is now one of her biggest sales generators.

She’s not alone. So many people don’t want to send newsletters because they don’t like getting them. But the key is to do it right. If you do, you’ll get huge value out of your newsletter.

Give value

Nobody wants to sign up for a regular sales pitch or at least, not many people do. When you’re planning your newsletter, make sure that you have a plan for creating value for your audience.

What does your audience want? What do they need? How can you provide that for them?

For us, we share free tips and tricks on how to use social media for business. For others, it could be discounts and coupons, it could be first access to programs or products, or it could be information sharing on how to get better at the things that audience cares about. 

Really think about who you’re talking to and what they would like to get. If you aren’t sure what they’d like, ask a few people and start there. 

Be consistent

When people expect to receive your newsletter and know what is likely to be in the newsletter they are more likely to open it to see what’s inside. Make sure that you send your newsletter at a regular interval. Once a week is a great amount, but if you can’t manage that, start with once every two weeks or once a month. 

Tell people about it

People won’t sign up for your newsletter if you don’t ask them to and tell them what the value that you’ve already decided that newsletter will have will be.

Make sure to have a lot of opportunities for people to sign up for your newsletter – on your web site, on your Facebook page, when you’re at live events. And don’t forget to include the why:

• “For first access to our latest programs;” 
• “For special deals on our products and services;”
• “For free information on the best ways to create a happy life.”

Whatever it is that you’re doing, don’t expect people to come up and ask you to be on your list, tell them they need to be there with a reason they can’t turn down.

Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment and tell me what you offer and how you convince people to sign up for your newsletter or share an example of a newsletter you get and what convinced you to sign up for it. And if you haven’t yet signed up for OUR newsletter, you really should! We provide free tips and tricks to help you use social media to grow your business online AND you’ll get a free copy of our Daily Social Media Checklist!

It doesn't take much to create a great customer experience

Last week I was in Toronto for meetings and I got into a cab and the very first thing I noticed was that there was a console in the middle of the back seat and it had packs of gum, candies, bottles of water and a few other things I didn’t explore.  My impression? “Aw, that’s nice!” 

Creating a great customer experience

The first thing the driver told me after I told him where I was going was that I could help myself to anything there, it was for me.  I immediately started thinking about how it really is the little things that can make all the difference in a great customer experience.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot

The cost of what was sitting in the console next to me was, tops, $10.  I helped myself to one candy, which probably cost 5 cents. Just the fact that I COULD take anything I wanted made me feel like I was having a great experience.  So I told him so and we had a great chat the rest of the way to the airport.

He pointed out the extra features he had in his cab.  There were nice, new, and crisp magazines in the pouches of the seats in front of me that I could read if I wanted, there were pillows on the back window that I could use if I wanted to get more comfortable (he said they were used a lot to prop up arms, especially on longer drives to the airport) and he told me about an arrangement he had at a hotel where he could pick up bags on behalf of customers.  He also told me about the car wash membership he paid for quarterly, never giving himself an excuse not to keep his cab in tip top shape.

We went on to talk about how the majority of his work comes from people calling him to pick them up and how many people tell him they prefer to get rides from him because it’s such a nice experience.  When the price of a cab ride can’t be changed because a meter is in charge, he stands out by creating a great experience; an experience that doesn’t cost him much at all but I BET gets him lots more in tips than his competitors.

It works offline and online

While this story is all about something that happened in person and not online, the lesson carries over to all spaces when you’re a business owner.  When you create friendly customer experiences, when you make people feel good, when you go above and beyond what you HAVE to do, you build relationships with people.  When you build relationships with people, those people will come back to you, even if it’s a bit more inconvenient or costs a bit more.

The cab driver gave me his card and told me if I ever needed to be picked up at the airport to just text him before I got on my flight in Ottawa. His card is safely tucked in my wallet now because I have a feeling I will do just that.

Have you had any great customer service experiences that were low cost but had big impact? Are there any little things that you do that do this? Leave a comment and tell us what they are!

Small biz profile: Tag Along Toys

I’ve known Patti Taggart online for 3 or 4 years now, but I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her in person over the last two years since we (finally) met! Patti is the owner of a fabulous little toy store in the west end of Ottawa called Tag Along Toys. She’s built a loyal, engaged, and active audience in her years of using social media, but she doesn’t do it by constantly telling people about her store. She does it by building relationships.

One of my very favourite reasons to visit Patti’s store is how wonderful and helpful she and her staff always are. Patti is an Early Childhood Educator (ECE), so her product choices reflect a commitment to help children develop a range of skills and interests through play. I’ve gone in with questions about what toy can help develop this or that and I always get great advice about what to get. I asked Patti if she’d mind answering a few questions about how she uses social media for us, and here’s what she had to say:

1) How long have you been in business?

Tag Along Toys opened in 2001, so just shy of 12 years. :)

2) Business owners often run businesses that tie in to personal interests or passions - what inspired you to start Tag Along Toys?

I am a Registered Early Childhood Educator. I had worked in the field for over 10 years at the time and thought maybe I could expand my use of ECE. I knew that Kanata did not have a specialty toy store and thought it would be a great complement to my education to open a toy store, as its related to my field in many ways.

3) What do you want customers to feel when they walk in your store?

I want them to feel welcomed and comfortable to walk around but also to feel we are approachable and open to help them find the perfect gift for the children on their list.

4) How do you convey that through social media channels?

I use Facebook quite a bit - not everyday - but at least 4-5 times a week. I use Twitter daily if I can to let people know about what’s new in store or what’s taking place in store.

5) How long have you been using social media to promote your business?

I have been using Facebook for almost 4 years and Twitter for almost 4 years too.

6) How much time do you spend daily/weekly managing your social media (and do your staff help)?

I don’t have my staff help me; I do it myself. I spend approximately an hour a day working on social media on both twitter and Facebook.

7) An hour a day can be overwhelming to a small business owner just starting out. But ultimately, that’s only 4-5 hours a week based on your answers. What would you say to the business owner that tells you they don’t have an hour a day?

Take 10 mins a day to sit and update Facebook pages, add a new item, ask your customers questions. On twitter try to do a minimum of 2-3 tweets a day and interact with at least 2-3 followers. Set aside 10 mins a day if you can. :)

7) What advice would you give to business owners who are thinking about or just starting out using social media?

Don’t be scared, don’t be shy. Put yourself out there and engage with your followers - not only about your business, but about some of your interests too, as it makes people get to know you the business owner and feel that much more comfortable to come into the store and start a conversation about a post or something you were talking about on social media. You get to know your customers better too. :)

It does take work but if you can put aside a bit of time each day it will help grown your business and target new audiences everywhere.

*****

Last summer, Tag Along Toys launched its brand new website that includes online shopping AND a blog! It’s an exciting time for Patti and her staff as they grow the business beyond the brick and mortar storefront. Thank you for the great advice! You can follow all of Patti’s updates by liking Tag Along Toys on Facebook and following on Twitter.

Small business resources: 2014 planning

We’re already a couple of weeks into January but we’re still working hard on our overall planning for 2014.  Today we’re sharing some resources that we’ve found helpful in planning our year. Leave us a comment and share some of the tools, tips, or tricks that have helped you get on track for a great 2014!

Leonie Dawson

(Affiliate Link)I discovered Leonie Dawson about a year ago. She’s a self proclaimed hippie and I will admit that at first I didn’t really think her content would be for me, but I was wrong.  Last year we bought her business planning document and liked it so much that this year we went on to buy both her business planner and her life planner (affiliate link).

I really like that she helps you close off the previous year and figure out what you learned, what you achieved and sometimes what you need to let go of.  Then she helps you figure out what your goals are for the coming year and how to break them down into achievable pieces.

(Affiliate Link)

Planner Pads

I’m not very organized; I readily admit it. We were told about Planner Pads by Amanda from Little Lotus Yoga and right away I saw how my brain and this planner could work together. :)

The concept is of a funnel.  You list everything you have to do at the top and then funnel it down to the right date and time. If you don’t do it when you funneled it down, it’s still on the list at the top to funnel down elsewhere.

Since I’m also a big fan of writing things out by hand, this planner has worked really well for me - and everyone else we’ve recommended it to has loved it as well. 

Wellman Wilson Consulting

We have a few planning documents we think can help you get 2014 off to a great start as well.

We have a planning document to help you figure out what direction to take your content in this year with purpose, goals and metrics.  We also have an editorial calendar for you to schedule content into ahead of time taking the guess work out of “what do I write today?!”

Are you ready to have an amazing 2014? We are! 

Lean In to what you truly want out of life

I’ve done a lot of reading in 2013, but the book that had the most profound impact on how I think about my past, my present, and my future is Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. 

I read many reviews of the book when it came out; mostly the negative reviews, in fact. I have a sort of morbid fascination with negative reviews, to be honest. What bothered someone so badly that they took the time to share it? Then I ask if their views sound even remotely rational. One scathing review of Lean In by a former Facebook employee convinced me that I had to read the book. 

Yep. I decided to add the book to my reading list based on the most negative review I read. 

Some of the most common criticisms included:

1. Comments about Sheryl Sandberg’s socioeconomic status and her inability to relate to women who struggle to support a family.
2. The belief that Sheryl Sandberg thinks every woman should want to rise to the C-suite. (One that I thought myself before I actually read the book.) 
3. Affront that women may be contributing to lack of change due to limiting beliefs they’ve internalized from a young age.
4. Affecting change for women in corporate America will not help women who slog away at minimum wage in entry level or unskilled positions. 
5. Her watered-down, oversimplified definition of feminism barely scratches the surface of the issues women face.

Having read the book, I have my own views on each of these criticisms:

Every perspective is worth hearing, whether you agree or not

One of the things I love so much about social media is the exposure I have to a huge range of different perspectives. I follow people who have a variety of different lifestyles. I don’t think it’s fair to discount anyone’s perspective simply because they have more money than I do. And even if Sheryl Sandberg can’t relate to someone who has more financial struggles, it doesn’t mean she hasn’t made valid points worth considering. How many times has a financial advice book written by a man been met with criticism that he can’t relate to the average man? What about career advice from men? Are they required to relate to the average man if they are affluent and have been all their life?

Then why is this criticism laid on Sheryl Sandberg and other women like her?

Be comfortable with your choices

Sheryl Sandberg believes that women aren’t adequately represented in the c-suite of Fortune 500 companies. I agree with her. When I watched her TED talk, I thought she was saying women should aspire to more in general. I had a problem with her views in that 15 minute talk, but her book goes into a lot more detail about her perspective. Her passion is clearly supporting women who want to climb the ladder to the c-suite, but she’s also supportive of every other choice women make professionally. My view is that women who don’t aspire to the c-suite need to own their choices and not feel inferior because of them. Doing the work of raising a family is no less important than running a corporation and no one has the right to make any woman (and more and more men) feel that it is.

Limiting beliefs exist, even if you don’t realize it

As I read Lean In, my eyes were opened to how many limiting beliefs I personally hold that have held me back at various points. I had a really strong role model in my mother, but I have still held back on negotiating at times when it was silly not to. I chose not to ask for what I wanted because I was encouraged by people I trusted not to ask: “If you ask, they may withdraw the offer.” I let fear rule my decisions. I know women who have stayed in jobs they hated because they had “secure” work and they wanted to have a family. They didn’t feel like they deserved better when they were already planning to take time off. These examples don’t even touch on the “I don’t have the skills/education/experience to do ______” beliefs. Women minimize their abilities far too much, and often give too much credit to others. We have to identify these beliefs and work on changing them - if not, cultural and structural change on the organizational level will only take us so far. For me, this was the most important message in the book.

Change takes time, but it has to start somewhere

Is it possible to affect change for women at the bottom of the ladder if you’re at the top? I believe it is if the people at the top are trying to make changes for those at the bottom. But if Sheryl Sandberg wants to be an example and speak out for women who are attempting to climb the ladder to the c-suite, it will impact those who are in entry level jobs and minimum wage jobs if that is their aspiration. For those who don’t aspire to senior executive status, they can lean in to what they do want. There’s no reason we should all want the same thing.

Focusing on one aspect of feminism is a smart tactic

Taking action or taking a stand and loudly proclaiming you’re a feminist is one thing. However, the issues that feminism deals with are so complex and numerous that focusing on a particular issue strikes me as more effective. Will Sheryl Sandberg supply all the answers to achieving equality in the c-suite? It’s doubtful. She’s only one person. However, she’s added valuable input to the conversation and introduced ideas (new or not) that many women may not have previously considered. 

Since reading the book, I’ve often had “Lean In moments” when I talk to Lara or clients now because I want so much for our business and my clients’ businesses not to be held back by doubt or limiting beliefs. 

My biggest takeaway from Lean In was the importance of supporting other women. I make a point of telling my friends who stay home with their children how much I respect what they do. I absolutely love working with women business owners to support them in their success. I am honoured to be part of several communities where (mostly) women are helping other women and encouraging them to Lean In to their dreams in so many different ways. It’s a great feeling to be part of so many communities that are supportive and uplifting. 

Have you read Lean In? What did you think?