Inbound Marketing For Business BrokersWhat every business broker needs to know to win potential sellers in a digitally powered world

Adam RayFounder & CEO

(857)250-0735info@biznexus.com

How to leverage the internet to build brand awareness & trust with business owners over time ?

Marketing to business owners has changed completely….

40%

60%

25% 17% 17% 15%

Buying decisions are largely made online BEFORE connecting in person...

75% 83% 83% 85%

2013

20142015 2016 2017

Before speaking with a professional in person

In-Office

12%

88%

2018

Source: Google ZMOT Study, 2016

Traditional buying decision model

Stimulus FirstMoment of Truth

SecondMoment of Truth

“I love / hate this!”“Sign Me Up.”“I’m interested.”

Stimulus FirstMoment of Truth

SecondMoment of Truth

“I love / hate this!”“Sign Me Up”“I’m interested.”

Customer behavior has changed

Stimulus ZeroMoment of Truth

FirstMoment of Truth

SecondMoment of Truth

“I want this.” “I love / hate this!”“Sign Me Up.”

Contributes to next person’s ZMOT

“I’m interested.”

The ‘zero-moment-of-truth’The moment someone decides they want something.

Online

In-Person

12%

88%

2018

Do you stand out where people are making first decisions?

Customer Journey

Generate Interest

Awareness

I’d like to know about selling my business... That looks appealing.I want to know more. I need this!

Interest & AwarenessSocial / Search Advertising

Email / Text Marketing Referral programs

YouTube / Video AdsTelevisionBillboard

Online display advertisingNewspaper / Magazine

RadioWord of mouth

Customer Journey

Awareness

Be Found & Stand Out

Findability

“Sell my business boston”“Business brokers in austin”“Business broker near me”“top business brokers”

Search

Organic SearchPPC

MapsDirectories

Apps“Near me”

Customer Journey

Awareness Findability Reputation

Be Chosen

Research

Blogs & ArticlesReviews

Social MediaFriends and family

Other Business Owners

ZMOT

This broker is popular! They have a lot of reviews, from mostly satisfied business owners like me….

Customer Journey

Awareness Findability Reputation Conversion

Signed Contract

EngagementWebsite

AppOnline booking

Phone Call

It’s really easy to book a consultation

Customer Journey

Awareness Findability Reputation Conversion Advocacy

Be Talked About

ExperiencePost-engagement

expectations vs. reality

Social PostWrite a Review

Discuss with friendsBlog

Quick, knowledgeable advice. You should really check them out.

Customer Journey

Channels impacting your Customer’s Journey

Awareness Findability Reputation Conversion Advocacy

StimulusSocial / search advertising

Email / text marketing Referral programs

YouTube / Video adsDropnotes

BillboardOnline display advertising

Newspaper / Magazine / Radio

Research

Blogs & ArticlesReviews

Social MediaWord of mouth

Engagement or Purchase

Website

Online ProfilesOnline booking

On-site commitmentSalesperson

Phone Call

ExperiencePost-purchase expectations

vs. realitySocial Post

Write a ReviewBlog

Word of mouth

Search

Organic SearchPPC

MapsDirectories

Apps“Near me”

GPS

Contributes to next business owner’s

decision to sell

It’s important to set up your inbound marketing strategy sequentially...

Wasting $$ Marketing Budget 101

Awareness Findability Reputation

Awareness Findability Reputation Conversion AdvocacyBroker

B

Stimulus Research Purchase ExperienceSearch

Broker

A Conversion Advocacy

Business owner sees Broker A’s ads, but then finds some bad reviews.... Broker B has multiple reviews with 4.5 stars

Advocacy

Awareness Findability Reputation

Awareness Findability Reputation ConversionBroker

B

Stimulus Research Purchase ExperienceSearch

Broker

A

Wasting $$ Marketing Budget 101

Now motivated to sell, the business owner chooses Broker B despite first seeing Broker A’s ad.

Don’t let your competition piggyback on your own ad spend & marketing efforts.

Where is the smartest place for a business broker to start?

Start with the free stuff and work your way up...

3 Key Focus Areas & Stages

Awareness Findability Reputation Conversion Advocacy

Contributes to next person’s decision

2

1. Optimize your online brand for conversion2. Become findable & influential3. Target, automate, nurture & capture

12

3

Step One

22

Optimize your online brand for conversion.

Step One

23

Optimize your online brand for conversion.

Fix Your Online ProfilesFor the most part, this is 100% free and very high value..

Conversion - Google My BusinessOptimize for free to get found by local sellers

Why is this important?● Think of this as the internet’s most important free phone book

○ It’s critical you’re listed correctly, and placed to get found● 60% of Americans use smartphones and tablets to search for local services● 80% of searches happen on Google● This is a GREAT way to maximize your visibility for local search● You NEED to be on the first page for search results in your area

○ “Sell a business”○ “Business valuation”

Google My Business TipsFree tactics to help get you into the Google “Snack Pack”

1. Get your business info right and add a description

2. 3 posted reviews minimum, preferably within the last 6 months

3. RESPOND to those reviews (all of them)

4. Post daily5. Add photos

Conversion - LinkedInOptimize your online profile the way you optimize your realworld profile

Why does this matter?● Community of over 575 million professionals around the world● Establish yourself as a qualified authority● Leads & referrals● Context & relevance● Business owner relationship building● Attract talent

LinkedIn Profile TipsOne of the most powerful, free tools available….

● Keep your headline simple, clear & speak to the “croc brain”○ Example: “I sell valuable businesses.”

● Use keywords in your summary○ Passionate elevator pitch○ CTA

● Get recommendations & endorsements○ Social proof○ Get your happy clients to post reviews

● “Linked” company icons● Add your profile link to your email signature

Conversion - Other OptimizationsAlso important, but not highlighted for main presentation

● Twitter● Facebook company page● Industry focused directories & platforms

○ IBBA○ BizNexus○ BizBuySell○ Businessbroker.net○ Company profile page

Conversion - WebsiteForget SEO for now. Just have one so you don’t lose trust.

Must haves:● Clean, simple design● Simple engaging headline text & imagery● No grammatical errors● Contact form● Social media links● About page● FAQ page● Testimonials● CTA

Step TwoPosition Yourself to Get Found Online

Step TwoPosition Yourself to Get Found Online

Reputation - Social MediaWhat, why & how.

● Use a tool that allows you to easily schedule & post relevant content across LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Google My Business

● Aim for consistent, relevant value (don’t try to close a sale in a social post)

Track Maven

Reputation - BloggingYou’re a business broker. Outsource this.

● DO NOT use a copywriter unfamiliar with M&A● Use a copywriter whose primary language is English● Read, edit & approve anything before it goes live (especially early on)● Preferably use a copywriter who is already working for a business broker● Make sure you own all content● Expect to pay $25/$300 per post depending on length and originality of content

Reputation & Advocacy - ReviewsTips for leveraging the power of online reviews to help you get found

● 91 percent of 18 - 34 year old consumers trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from a friend or family member

● 61 percent of consumers over 55 years old want businesses to have 4 or more stars

Reputation & Advocacy - ReviewsTips - How to respond to positive reviews

● Write a personalized response to all reviews● Thank the customer● Make sure you mention your brokerage name so that the review shows up in

your search engine results● Market yourself, market how good your service was. Ham it up.● Invite the customer to do something (spread the word, call for advice, etc.)

Reputation & Advocacy - ReviewsTips - How to respond to negative reviews

● Acknowledge, apologize & sympathize● Throw in some marketing. Spin it if you can.● Keep it short & sweet (three sentences)● Don’t mention your brokerage name if you don’t want the negative review to

show up in business name search results● Include offline contact info with a prompt to contact you directly

○ Take the conversation offline asap

Step ThreeGet proactive & target.

Step ThreeGet proactive & target.

Awareness - Email MarketingIt still works. A must-have arrow in your outreach quiver.

● Higher ROI ($38 ROI for every $1 spent)● Reach (+/- 5 billion email accounts globally)● It’s still the preferred communication channel● GREAT new tools becoming available for non-tech users● It’ll be here forever

Basically, -this is something every broker has to do consistently and it’s not going away….

Awareness - LinkedIn Sales NavThe best B2B targeting out there...

● Target your prospects based on:○ Job title○ Industry○ Location○ Company size○ Seniority○ Keyword

● The platform is rapidly changing into a content focused ecosystem

Awareness - Facebook AdsWhether you like the platform or not, the targeting is superior.

● Everybody spends a lot of time on Facebook, including business owners● FB provides the most targeted advertising available ● It’s the cheapest paid advertising out there● Great way to increase brand awareness and retarget● Highly measurable, and can become very, very cheap and effective once

you get it right

Display AdsRun display ads on sites related to your business, and target only the prospects you want, even within a specific area.

Google SearchAdWords Search Network. Display at the top of search results with keywords related to selling a business.

Facebook Ads

People turn to Facebook for a variety of specific interests. This gives this platform the ability to reach a targeted & retargeted audience.

YouTubeVideo ads for your business on YouTube. Video will be increasingly important.

Sales NavigatorHighly targeted. Time consuming but effective. Some features more effective than others.

Email MarketingHighly effective even in 2019. Who do you know who hasn’t opened a cold email?

Awareness - Outreach Go-To’s

Adam RayFounder & CEO(857) 250-0735

info@biznexus.com

Thank you.