Customer Engagement

• Digital Main Street is designed to help main street small businesses grow by adopting digital tools and technologies

• The goal of this presentation is to give small businesses resources to use while working remotely, and effectively boost their customer engagement to help in the future

Customer Engagement

Table of Contents

• Social Media

• Primarily Instagram focused

• E-Mail Marketing

• Google My Business

• Additional Resources

S O C I A L M E D I A

Importance

Social Media has become the digital strategy with

the most reach, with approximately 2.89 billion

people currently using it. It allows you to increase

the exposure of your business, generate leads, develop loyal customers, build a community,

increase traffic, and finally, generate new leads.

Tip 1: Have a strategy in place

Tip 2: Post consistently

Tip 3: Utilize Instagram's built in features

Tip 4: Use third party tools

Social Media:Key Tips for Engagement

1. Have a Strategy in Place

• Set your businesses unique goals

• Questions to get you started:

• What is your main objective? What do you want to talk about? Who do you want to reach? What is your brands aesthetic?

• Find your target audience

• Create an avatar

2. Post Consistently

• Don't "post and ghost"

• Use a content calendar to plan ahead

• Some options: Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Later, Planoly, and Falcon, etc

• Create automated messaging to direct message

• Create pre-set hashtag groups

• Create your own #Hashtag

• Hashtag research and hashtag generators• Local and universal

• Beware of shadow banning

• Keep in constant contact, and have your contact information readily accessible

Hashtag Search and Hashtag Groups

• Hashtags to Search• Local geography (neighbourhoods, city, townships, etc)• Loyal followers• Giveaways and contests• Products you sell or compete with

• Hashtag Groups• Industry• Niche• Community• Location• Events or special occasions

Content Calendar

3. Utilize Instagram's Built-In Features

• Stories vs. Posts

• Stories

• Polls

• Questions

• Countdown

• Quiz

• The😍 slider

• Posts

• Some ideas: testimonials, behind-the-scenes, promotional posts, brand store, video content, etc

• Sharing or reposting relevant content from other accounts

• Personalize it to your brand

• Captions that keep their interest

• Stay consistent

• Include your hashtags

4. Utilize Third Party Tools

Apps to help give you the added edge:

• Photo Editing: VSCO, PsExpress, Huji Camp, Collageable, and Canva.

• Video Editing: Kapwing and PICFX

• Stories Upgrades: Unfold, Canva

• Tagging Tools: Toptager.com, Hashtagsforlikes, KeyHole

• Analytics: Social Insight, and Social Rank• Others: Kicksta (increase followers) and Trello

(organization tool)

Keep Track of Your Metrics

Content Calendars not only help to automate your posts and create content, but also to be

aware of the increase in engagement and reach, by looking at follower’s growth, likes,

comments, shares, visits, and more.

E M A I L M A R K E T I N G

Email marketing is a form of marketing used to communicate directly with customers and followers via email.

It is used for many reasons: to promote products and services, provide updates, and build connections with your community.

What is Email Marketing

Email Marketing does not always look like selling a product or service. It can be used in many ways to engage with your customers and potential customers before even selling them anything.

Email marketing is great way to serve your community.

Email Marketing is Not Dead

• Direct communication with your audience, straight to their inbox

• More effective than social media

• You OWN your e-mail list

• Measurable

• Cost-effective

Not Convinced Yet?

Email marketing is THE most effective online marketing tactic. Second is social media and third is content marketing, which is mainly blog posts and other written content on your website...

With email marketing, you’re delivering amazing content right to somebody’s inbox. You’re not competing with hundreds of other photos and captions on someone’s feed, and you’re not hoping

people will land on your website to read the content you’re writing.

- Jenna Kutcher

What value do you deliver?How can you serve your audience?

What are your goals with email marketing?

What do you want to sell/promote?

How often will you be emailing?

Who is your audience?

Email Marketing Strategy

How will you be different than others?

Sign Up for an Email Marketing Service

• Mailchimp

• ConstantContact

• AWeber

• FloDesk

• ActiveCampagne

• GetResponse

• There are many, many more! Just choose one.

• Stay on brand by customizing template

Building a List: The Opt-In

• Your offer: What will you give subscribers in exchange for their email address?

• Research: What made YOU opt into emails?

• Automate: Send a welcome email with the freebie right when they sign up

• Once you have your offer, set up opt-in forms on your website, social accounts, etc.

The Freebie Offer

• A discount or coupon code

• Free shipping

• A printable calendar

• An e-book or guide

• A printable template or workbook

• A waitlist spot for a sold-out event

• A resource guide

• A checklist

• A webinar or online course

• Journaling prompts

• A free ____ with purchase

• Anything else that provides value

The Emails

• Easy digestion. Keep the copy simple and short. Three sentences per paragraph.

• Come up with a template that works for you• Captivating "clickable" subject lines

• Click-bait but don't under-deliver in the email

• Have a conversation with your audience; don't just sell• 80-90% serving; 10% selling/pitching• Gently invite them to the pitch

• Serve your audience

Your emails should have one mission and one mission only. They’re a tool to allow your audience to know, like, and

trust you on a deeper level.

You’ll use them to serve, serve, serve, and serve some more before EVER selling. I so often see brands only popping up into inboxes when they have a new product or service to

push. This is the fastest and surest way to LOSE subscribers. Who only wants to be sold to?

Serve

Upcycling Content

• Reach all platforms

• Maximize your efforts

• Upcycling content: repurposing content

by changing its form• Email > infographic

• Email > blog post

• Email > several IG posts

• Email > video

Email Marketing During a Crisis

• Serve, don't just sell• How can you help?

• Tone should be sensitive• Gentle invite to buy

• Policy and response updates

as they happen

• Make listening a priority

• Make emails "skimmable"

Laws

• Get consent to subscribe

• Double opt-in option

• Unsubscribe button

• CASL = Canadian Anti Spam Legislation• (July 2014)

G O O G L E M Y B U S I N E S S

Google My Business is a great platform for stores to display all sorts of information like

their hours of operation and areas they service, in addition to really elaborating on the types of

products and services they provide.

Google My Business

Google My Business Example

Reviews

• Restrictions on responding – COVID-19• Under usual circumstances, you should always reply to

review even if they're older• Have a personality and sense of humour• If ever there’s a negative review, respond kindly offering a

discount or to contact the customer directly to rectify the situation• Sympathize and redirect them to message you directly• Move the conversation offline

Google's Response to COVID-19

Posts, Offers, and Promotions

• Do it and do it often

• Call To Action Button• Call Now, Learn More, or Buy Online

• No followers? No problem

• Redirect them to Google Shopping• Connect to Shopify

• Facebook/Instagram

Insights

• Important metrics to pay attention to:• Direct vs. Discovery• Where are they• Day of the week/time of day• Click through rate• Google Search vs. Maps

• Clearly define goals and come back to them after making changes• Subscriptions• Engagement• Brand Awareness

Messaging

• Install remotely• Apple AppStore, Google Play Store, etc.

• Message back and forth with customers like a text message

• A newer feature, so if you are using it be sure to promote it

More To Consider...

• Categories, and subcategories

• Labels

• Photos and 360 Images• Identify your logo and header image

• Service Areas• Ontario

• Toronto• East York

• Bayview Leaside

A D D I T I O N A L R E S O U R C E S

Additional Resources

LinksNeil Patel on Strengthening Customer Engagement

57 Local Online Business Directories

How to Create Strategies for Organic vs. Paid Social Media Marketing

How to do a hashtag search

Social Media Content Calendar

How to build an Instagram strategy

5 Way to Serve Your List

Google's Response to COVID-19

Learn with Google - Google Ads

Google Ads YouTube Channel

Connecting to Shopfiy

Upcoming Webinars