How to influence the gossip

Reputation is all about gossip!

Your reputation is based on what other people say about you (usually when you’re not present). 

And what leads to those comments?

Their experience of you, your business, your content – and what they’ve heard about you from other people.  It’s like Chinese Whispers, one person says something and another repeats it to a different audience - and adds a bit.

That means that you need to watch every step you take, every move you make (thank you, Sting) because people are watching you.  Not as in stalking, but they notice if you are always late to meetings, or are inclined to put other people down.  They notice if you always turn up with sweet treats, or give away useful books, downloads, etc.  Everything you say and do has an impact on the ongoing gossip.

Many a reputation has struggled because of some chance remark.  “Oh, she’s so disorganised, always forgets to bring the right papers.”  The sad fact is that you may only have done this once, on a day when you had a row with your teenager before breakfast and the car had a flat tyre when you went to head out.  That just means that you have to ensure it doesn’t happen again (being disorganised – not teenagers and tyres, they’re just life).

Create a positive impression

The stats vary, depending on who did the poll and when, but overall it’s unfortunate that people tell around three times as many others about negative experiences as about good ones.  We expect a good level of service, so we don’t get excited when we get what we expect.  That means you need to be outstanding to get that positive gossip.

What could you that would make people remember you in a good way?

It has to go beyond simply following up promptly or sending information on time.  There needs to be something beyond that.

Think about things that have stuck in your mind when you’ve been on the receiving end of great service.

• The hotel that folded towels into animal shapes.
• The phone provider who gave you an extra charger, with a quirky message on the box ‘For your other mansion!’
• The garage that left a little ‘car hamper’ after your first service, with tissues, screen wipes, rubbish bags, a pen, some mints, etc.

It doesn’t have to be a gift, it can simply be doing something unexpected that is really helpful.

The key to success is consistency.  This is a long term marketing strategy, not a flash in the pan.  Keep doing the right things, being friendly, helpful and willing to go beyond the expectations and your reputation will shine bright.

It’s not about the numbers

 

I caught someone talking on Instagram recently and, while there was a good bit of swearing, he had a strong point.  Winning at social media isn’t about going viral, it isn’t about thousands (or even millions) of connections.  But that seems to be what everyone is chasing.

What is it that works?

Being authentic.

Being transparent.

And most importantly, being the expert that people immediately think of in your genre, in other words, an Authority.

Being successful isn’t about being everywhere and all things to all people.  You need to decide who you really want to talk to and then find out where they hang out and get involved.

Choose a platform, the one where your ideal clients are most active, and then be present, be visible and engage.

Social media isn’t a one way street and commenting genuinely on other people’s posts often gets you more noticed than your own posts!  Most platforms will tell you what time of day your followers are most active, so make some time in your diary to be live on the platform at that time and be visible.

This isn’t an opportunity to sales pitch everyone.  That’s the fastest way to turn people off.  You just need to be visible, helpful and engaged. 

Being interested is more important than being interesting.  There’s an old cliché, ‘People are interested in people who are interested in them’, and, while it is a cliché, that doesn’t mean it isn’t true!  So be interested - visibly.

What to post

Share you wisdom, but be you.  What are the biggest challenges your ideal clients face?  How could you help with that?  Share your wisdom and, if you have clients you’ve helped with the exact same problem, use their testimonial and results to underline what’s possible.

Personally, I hate making videos, but I find they get good engagement and they don’t have to be very long.  I often tell stories about how I learned key lessons in my skill area as well as sharing ‘how to’ information.

By all means be quirky – it attracts eyes.  On a recent LinkedIn masterclass (run by The HoLT, thank you Alex Thompson) the suggestion was to kick off with what you don’t do – the overall message was something like ‘Don’t ask me to fix your car, but I can fix your copy’, but in a longer form. 

There’s no rule that can be reliably applied, but try some different approaches.  Next week the algorithms will probably have changed again, but quality and authenticity will win out.

Is your marketing built on rock or sand!

 

Every business needs to do marketing to survive.  No marketing = no customers!

However, there are many different marketing strategies and one size definitely does not fit all.

A few networking meetings and random social media posts may fall into the category of ‘marketing’, but they are not a strategy.  Effectively, an occasional ‘when I have time’ approach is not going to work.  That qualifies as marketing built on sand.

OK, you may not have a dedicated marketing person in your business, or you may have outsourced some or all of your marketing activities, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to have a marketing strategy and a plan to follow.

Marketing focus

There are a number of elements that you’ll need to incorporate into your marketing strategy. 

Brand

How strong is your brand?  Where does it appear?  Is it consistent?  Do the people in your team know your brand colours and fonts – and use them accurately and consistently?

Ideal client

A detailed description of your ideal client is the foundation for everything else you do.  What business are they in?  What are they worried about (that you can help with)? What do the like doing?  What don’t they like doing?  What are their business challenges (that you can help with)?  What is their personal style, age, gender, position?

Marketing tools

There are dozens of marketing tools; which ones are you using?  Are they right ones?  Have you explored other options?  Which are the best to reach your ideal client?

Website audit

Is your website up to date?  Is the message on target?  Does the copy grab the ideal client’s attention and keep them engaged?  Is it what they are looking for?  Are there clear calls to action on every page with an easy route to do what you’ve asked?  Are all the links working?

Social media review

Which platforms are you active on?  Are they where your ideal clients are active?  What is your posting policy?  How do you deliver consistent value?  What is your strategy to open conversations with potential clients?

Blog

Adding valuable content to your website regularly is a good plan, but is it the right content?  Your blog is your opportunity to show off your expertise and position yourself as a specialist.  Do you have a content planner to keep your blog fresh with regular new material?

Email list

How do you get people to sign up for email list?  When was the last time you updated your lead magnet?  How do you nurture the people on your list?  Are you making sales through the list?

Networking

Do you attend regular networking meetings, either live or online?  What is the return-on-investment?  It does take time, but continuing to attend a group that doesn’t generate business, either directly or through referrals, is not a good plan.

These are the core elements, but there are others.  It’s a good place to start.

If you’d like to book a Marketing Focus Strategy session, check this page and contact us to book your appointment.