by tradesmeninsights | Apr 29, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
By John Sonnhalter, Rainmaker Journeyman at Sonnhalter
Think about the people you care about and like both in your personal life as well as your professional one. I bet one of the reasons you like them is because they take the time to listen.
You know it’s hard to have a conversation with someone who’s always talking. In business, I think the best salesmen are the ones who take the time to find out what the customer’s problem is and then offers options for fixing it.
I find that those same people who want to talk a lot don’t worry much what’s said about their company or brand on the internet, and that could come back to bite them big time in the long run.
I recently read a post by Zoe Summers in Social Media Examiner that outlines ways to use listening in your business life (social listening is also known as social media monitoring). Here are some highlights:
- Generate leads by solving problems
- Attract new customers
- Discover where your target audience hangs out
- Use as a customer care tool
- Get feedback on new products
Another post by Jay Baer, 6 Parts of Your Company That Should be Listening to Social Conversations, I found extremely interesting and wanted to share some highlights. Some are obvious; others we all should put on our list.
- Sales – Listening programs give you the opportunity to find prospects when the timing is perfect and when they’re actually asking for answers you have.
- Marketing and PR – Listening helps make sure that the language you’re using as a company is the same language being used by the people you’re hoping to hook.
- Customer Service – Customers are airing their concerns, questions and grievances over social media channels, especially if traditional channels prove less than helpful.
- R&D – You can fuel your idea engine by harnessing the input, thoughts and creativity of the online audience.
- HR – The obvious potential here is talent recruiting, in both finding potential employees and examining their online social graphs.
- Executives and Management – They can understand market trends through the unfettered viewpoint of the online masses and determine whether they’re behind, ahead of, or riding the curve.
So next time, whether it’s online or in person, take a deep breath and listen first.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 28, 2015 | Marketing Tips
By Rachel Kerstetter, PR Architect, Sonnhalter
Last fall, Sonnhalter was recognized by HubSpot as an agency that “gets” positioning and has found its focus. (Check out the blog post here.)
It’s no secret that we’re known for our B2T marketing communication niche and that we really dig in and get our hands dirty. But the question we often get is:
“Does B2T limit you?”
The short answer is “No!” The opportunities in our niche seem limitless, in fact more than half of our business is generated by relationships with brands located outside of our hometown.
A deep understanding of the audience of the B2T marketplace not only helps us help our clients, but it also helps us form relationships.
Truly understanding your audience: their needs, their jobs, their struggles and their personalities are key to making any marketing communication effort successful.
It’s important to keep in mind that you can’t be all things, to all people, all the time. Identify your strengths so that you can hone your focus.
And of course, when you need help, be sure that you consult with someone who really “gets” your audience.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 22, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
By Chris Ilcin, Account Superintendent at Sonnhalter
Photo Courtesy of Osborn
Do your employees know where your products are used? Do they know the applications the parts they make make possible? Are they aware of the history and critical nature of your company? There are many simple, cost-effective ways to increase productivity and morale by implementing a program that lets them know.
To land new business, you’re always told to “Tell Your Story” well. It’s just as important to tell it internally. Why?
• It makes employees feel like part of the plan – Let them see the big picture and where you as a company fit into it
• It helps them see the long view, not just their day-to-day part in it – There’s a plan, not just a daily task
• It builds internal networks – If Engineering tells their story to Customer Service, everyone sees people and faces, not silos
• It allows them to be brand ambassadors – If they know the story you want told, then that’s the story that gets re-told
So how do you reach them? That’s the easiest part—the same way you reach new customers:
• Host an Employee Open House – Let them show off to their kids, and see what goes on in other departments
• Giving a tour of your facility? Engage employees – Don’t treat them like an extension of the machine they’re working, but have them describe what they do, and the cost savings, quality assurance or other aspect of their work
• Start an internal newsletter – It’s a great place to either post external press releases, or develop case studies for outside use
• Cover the Walls – Advertising blown up as posters reinforce your brand internally and when guests tour your facility
• Let them hear & be heard – Have a quarterly or monthly meeting of non-managerial representatives from every department, and allow for an open exchange or ideas, complaints and stories
• Highlight your company’s history whenever possible – Old ads, press clippings or photos give a sense of pride and place
• Have a mission statement – And stress it internally. Print it on business cards, coffee cups in the vending machines; anywhere it will be seen regularly
You don’t need to be told that Manufacturing has gotten a bad rap. For years it’s been the butt of jokes, seen as a “dead end” and been declared all but extinct in this country by countless talking heads.
Well those people are wrong. And the house they left to get into the car they drove to the studio where they made their comments is testament to it. And it’s time your employees knew that too.
I once heard a really cool story about the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. It has a unique elevator that kind of side-steps its way up to the top of the arch. Well if you look into the arch, instead of out at the view, along the way you’ll see large welder-generators. They’ve been there since the Arch was built in the mid 60’s. Because of the way the arch was made, it was impossible to move them, so they just left them, placed another (which also got left behind) and kept building.
As a former employee of that welding manufacturer, I think that’s fascinating, and if I could ever get over my nagging fear of heights, it would be the best part of the trip up. To know that something that was made in the same building I worked in was instrumental in a project like that, it just boggles the mind. All the “ordinary” people, doing their “ordinary” job at factories all across the country added up to a modern marvel like that. Inspire that sense of awe in your employees, and they’ll help do the heavy lifting of establishing a brand.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 14, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
By John Sonnhalter, Rainmaker Journeyman at Sonnhalter
Let’s face it, we’re all in this for the same reason. To talk with people who share the same interest. We must always be tweaking and improving what we deliver.
So in order to get them to give up their email, we better come up with some interesting and helpful stuff that will make them want to read our emails for future gems. It’s not only what you have to say, but how you say it. Beyond being potential customers, these contractors can be your best friend by sharing it with their peer group.
Here are some tips to building a better list of contractors and tradesmen:
- Think like a contractor – What are their pain points? Give them practical solutions.
- Talk like a human – Don’t use marketing or sales speak. Keep it conversational.
- Give them a reason to sign up – Sneak peeks at new products, exclusive product demos.
- Ask the contractor what they want help with – Get engagement from the audience you want to reach.
- Don’t be afraid of humor – People like to smile and it shows more of your human side.
- Reach out to contractors – On a regular basis, randomly pick several contractors and have a product manager call and pick their brains on possible new product ideas.
Emails are back and stronger than ever if we do them right.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 8, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
By Chris Ilcin, Account Superintendent at Sonnhalter
If you’re like me, you’ll flip the channel when commercials come on. Hopefully, unlike me, you’ll remember what you were watching when the break is over.
Well tradesmen are the same way, so don’t expect them to actively seek out a 5-minute commercial on YouTube. All the search terms in the world won’t make people sit through a video that does nothing more than pat yourself on the back for making such a great product.
If you want eyeballs, and the increased search results they equal, you need to show how your product fixes their problems. Here are a few tips:
- Make it
Solution Based – Why does this product exist? What problem does it solve, or how is it best used. Make the solution, not the product the focus. This also gives you a chance to showcase your “total” solution; customer service, technical support, anything else that sets your solution apart from the competition.
- Keep it, and Your Customers Moving – Just like a good commercial, an effective video should drive the customer somewhere, in the shortest amount of time available. Website, local distributors, a call center. Figure out where you want them, and give them a reason to get there.
- Be Yourself; or Have Someone Else – If you’re not funny, don’t try to be now. Work with what you have. Or better yet, add another person. They can bounce ideas and concepts off each other instead of the camera and both will feel more natural. One set up I’ve always liked is a “Product Expert” being interviewed by an “Everyman.” This way they can tease the pertinent info out, rephrase it in common language and keep the conversation moving.
- Know What You’re Good At – Even the best message can get lost with poor delivery. Now isn’t the time to hire your Brother-In-Law’s cousin. Highly qualified freelancers are available across the country. Put out feelers through friends, social media, your PR people and vendors, and get quotes. And not just for camera, but sound, direction, editing and production. Done correctly, a video will become the first interaction a potential customer will have with your company, so make it count.
- It’s All in the Prep – Just like painting a room, most of the work should take place before the job gets started. Have a script, a shot list, a location, talent, and props in-hand. Make sure everyone is on the same page about goals and message. Editing is great, but it can’t make words or actions you never shot magically appear.
- Say It or Show It; Not Both – A picture is worth a thousand words, so save the words for something else. It’s a video, not a book (or blog post) so keep text to an absolute minimum.
- Multitask – As long as you’re hiring freelancers, setting up lights and everything else, cover a few other bases. Product photography, other solutions or products that can be shown in the same set-up, video for trade show use and social media all can be taken care of. With a well-choreographed crew, you can shoot 3-6 short videos in one day. So make the most of it, but keep to your priorities.
- Consider All Platforms – Where do you want your video to be watched? Everywhere. On your website, YouTube, Facebook and mobile devices. So keep it as short as possible. Even the best smart phone right under a cell tower won’t play a 10-minute video without a pause or two, so don’t try your viewer’s patience.
- Don’t Re-Post; Re-Direct – Once you’ve uploaded the video to YouTube, make sure you let everyone know. But do it through links and redirected placement. For instance, don’t embed the video on the product page; embed the YouTube link. That way all the views are being accumulated in one place, increasing that number and moving it up the search results.
- Tag, So You’ll Be It – Think like a customer, or potential customer. They don’t know the products part number or trademarked name. So while all that should be in the tags, so should more generic terms and phrases, as well as your competitors’ names, terms and phrases.
- Keep An Eye On It – Once it’s posted, track it. How many views does it get after a week, a month and a year? Use the Analytics options on YouTube (all free) to see how people are finding it, how long they’re watching it and re-post it someplace every few months.
- Don’t Take Comments Personally – By now you’ve been living with this project for a few months, and feel pretty happy about the end product. So negative comments, which are almost guaranteed in the internet age, are going to feel like a personal attack. They aren’t, and the biggest mistake you can make is to feed the trolls. Address legitimate concerns as diplomatically and quickly as possible, but don’t add fuel to a fire.
Video is an incredibly powerful tool. It works in almost any setting; in an office, on a sales call, or in the field. Make it as effective as possible, and it can sell the product, reinforce your brand and be relevant for years to come.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 7, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
By Robin Heike, Production Foreman at Sonnhalter
Project meetings for marketing activities are so important for all who will be working on them, so let’s make sure we make the most out of them.
We usually start out with a creative brief initiated by the lead person for the project. This sets the tone and objectives for the project, so when the team does get together, they have a clearer picture of what needs to be done.
We use a creative brief to get the process going, and it might help you if you don’t have a formal process.
Here are the key elements:
- Project description – Give overall scope of what needs to be accomplished.
- Background – What are your current problems? What are possible key solutions? What are the current beliefs and what are the desired ones?
- What do you want the communication to do – introduce a new product or service?
- Target audiences – who are your primary and secondary audiences?
- Unique Selling Proposition – what sets a product or service apart from your competitors?
- Support points – give back-up features and benefits.
- Mandatories – logos, association bugs, tag lines.
- Tone – informative, leadership, etc.
- Deliverables – ad, e-blast, event, product sheet, blog post?
- Timeline – when is it due?
- Budget – Self explanatory.
Complete info includes direction/message to convey, any background info including examples, photos if they are being supplied, deadlines for completed project (who is responsible for what or where we can gather needed info/pieces and when and how a project will be presented).
Written details supplied on all project paperwork is so important since each person usually has more than one project in the works/on their mind.
Project meetings are most effective when all info that will be available is discussed with everyone who will be working on the project.
Think about the people you care about and like both in your personal life as well as your professional one. I bet one of the reasons you like them is because they take the time to listen.