When you’re running a small business, one of the hardest parts is consistently finding new customers. Social media is great for visibility, but algorithms change. Paid ads can get expensive. What you need is a reliable way to reach potential customers directly, and that’s where email comes in.
But here’s the challenge: people don’t just give away their email address for nothing. You need to give them a reason. That reason is called a lead magnet.
A lead magnet is something valuable you offer in exchange for someone’s email address. It could be a guide, a discount, or even a checklist. The goal is to attract the right people, build trust, and start relationships that can turn into sales.
In this blog, we’ll cover 10 simple lead magnet ideas you can create this week, and how to actually make them work for your business.
What Makes a Great Lead Magnet?
A great lead magnet doesn’t have to be complicated. It just needs to do three things well:
Solve a real problem your ideal customer is facing.
Be quick and easy to consume.
Connect directly to the product or service you sell.
For example, if you’re a fitness coach, a “5 Healthy Breakfasts Under 10 Minutes” checklist could be a great choice. It solves a problem (what to eat), is easy to read, and ties back to your fitness programs.
10 Simple Lead Magnet Ideas for Small Businesses
1. Checklist
A checklist is one of the simplest yet most effective lead magnets. People love them because they’re quick, actionable, and give an immediate sense of progress.
Examples:
A real estate agent could share “10 Things to Do Before Selling Your Home.”
A wedding planner could create “The Ultimate Wedding Day Checklist.”
2. Template
Templates save people time and effort by giving them a ready-made structure they can follow. They’re especially powerful if your audience struggles with getting started.
Examples:
A social media manager could share a “7-Day Instagram Caption Template.”
A financial coach could offer a “Monthly Budgeting Template.”
3. Quick Guide or Mini eBook
Guides and eBooks allow you to show your expertise while helping your audience solve a specific problem. Unlike a long book, a mini guide is short, easy to read, and practical.
Examples:
A skincare brand could offer “The Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Skincare Routine.”
A bakery could share “The Home Baker’s Guide to Perfect Cupcakes.”
4. Discount Code
Discounts are a classic lead magnet for a reason. They provide instant value and encourage first-time buyers to take action right away.
Examples:
A boutique clothing store could give “10% Off Your First Order.”
A local gym could offer “First Month Free When You Join Today.”
5. Quiz
Quizzes are engaging because they’re fun, interactive, and personalized. They also give you insights into what your audience needs.
Examples:
An interior designer could create “What’s Your Home’s Décor Personality?”
A nutrition coach could build “Find Your Perfect Meal Plan Quiz.”
6. Free Consultation or Discovery Call
Offering your time for free can be a powerful trust-builder. It lets potential clients experience your value before committing to your services.
Examples:
A marketing consultant could offer a “Free 15-Minute Strategy Call.”
A financial advisor could give a “Complimentary Retirement Planning Review.”
7. Resource List or Tools Guide
People want shortcuts, and a curated list of tools or resources saves them hours of searching. This positions you as both helpful and knowledgeable.
Examples:
A freelancer could share “5 Free Tools Every Small Business Owner Should Use.”
A travel agent could create “Top 10 Packing Essentials for Stress-Free Trips.”
8. Worksheet or Planner
These interactive tools help your audience take action immediately, which makes them more likely to see results and remember your business.
Examples:
A nutritionist could create a “Weekly Meal Planning Worksheet.”
A life coach could design a “Daily Productivity Planner.”
9. Video Tutorial or Training
Videos feel personal and are often easier to understand than written content. They’re especially powerful for businesses that demonstrate skills or show results visually.
Examples:
A bakery could share a “5-Minute Video: How to Decorate Cupcakes Like a Pro.”
A fitness coach could create “3 Easy At-Home Workouts for Busy Professionals.”
10. Case Study or Success Story
Case studies prove your expertise by showing real results. They help potential customers picture themselves achieving similar outcomes.
Examples:
A business coach could share “How One Client Doubled Their Sales in 30 Days.”
A cleaning service could showcase “How We Transformed This Office in Just 2 Hours.”
How to Make Your Lead Magnet Work
Creating a lead magnet is only half the battle. To make it truly effective, you need to set it up properly and ensure it works for you around the clock.
Promoting Your Lead Magnet
Your lead magnet only works if people can find it. Promote it everywhere: on your website homepage, in blog posts, across social media, inside your email signature, and even during events. The more visibility it has, the more sign-ups you’ll get.
Keeping the Sign-Up Process Simple
Don’t overcomplicate it. If you ask for too much information up front, people won’t sign up. Keep it to the basics. Usually, just a name and email address are enough. The goal is to reduce friction so it’s easy to say yes.
Following Up with an Email Sequence
The lead magnet is just the start. What matters most is how you follow up. Send a welcome sequence that introduces who you are, explains how you can help, and shares more valuable content. Then, naturally guide your subscribers toward your products or services.
Making Sure It Connects to Your Business
The biggest mistake small business owners make is offering a lead magnet that has nothing to do with what they sell. Your freebie should attract people who are interested in what you actually offer.
For example, if you run a bakery, don’t give away a free guide on digital marketing. Stick to something like recipes or baking tips.
Final Thoughts
Lead magnets are one of the simplest and most effective ways to grow your audience and build lasting relationships with potential customers. You don’t need to spend weeks creating them. With just a bit of effort, you can launch one in a few days and attract the right people to your business.
So, instead of waiting for new customers to stumble upon you, create a lead magnet this week and start building your list.
Need help creating the right lead magnet and setting up your email funnel?Schedule a free consultationwith us today, and let’s make it happen.
https://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/10-Simple-Lead-Magnet-Ideas-Any-Small-Business-Owner-Can-Create-This-Week.png12602240Kathlyn Angeles-Timbolhttps://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SocialSpeak-Logo.pngKathlyn Angeles-Timbol2025-09-10 10:40:402025-09-17 15:00:1210 Simple Lead Magnet Ideas Any Small Business Owner Can Create This Week
When sales slow down, many small business owners reach for the easiest lever to pull: discounts. Slash prices, post a “limited-time offer,” and wait for the orders to roll in.
Sure, it works…. Temporarily! But here’s the problem: discounts may give you a short-term bump, but rarely build lasting growth. In fact, they often hurt your brand more than they help.
If you want consistent sales and loyal customers, there’s a better strategy: storytelling.
The Downside of Relying on Discounts
Discounts feel safe because they’re simple. Lower the price, and watch sales spike. But over time, they can hurt your business more than help it.
Here’s why:
They train your customers to wait. If people know you’ll run a sale soon, they’ll hold off until prices drop.
They attract bargain-hunters, not loyal fans. These customers care more about the deal than your brand.
They eat into your profits. You can’t win a long-term price war unless you’re a big brand.
They make you blend in. Competing on price alone makes you just another option. People can easily forget your brand once the discount ends.
Why Storytelling Works Better Than Discounts
Discounts might grab attention in the short term, but they train customers to see your brand as a bargain instead of something valuable. The moment a competitor offers a lower price, you risk losing them.
Storytelling, on the other hand, builds something discounts never can: an emotional bond. People don’t just buy what you sell. They buy into the meaning and the feeling behind it.
A strong story makes your brand memorable. It shows who you are, what you stand for, and why your business matters. When customers connect with that, price becomes less important. They’re not comparing cents; they’re choosing you because your story resonates. And that connection turns one-time buyers into loyal fans who stick around long after the sale.
Real-Life Examples of Storytelling in Action
Take, for example, a local café that shares how it partners with small farmers. They highlight the farmers’ dedication, the care that goes into every bean, and how each cup connects customers to a larger story of community and sustainability. Suddenly, that latte isn’t just a drink; it’s part of something meaningful.
Or think about a fitness coach who shares his story about being bullied as a kid. He grew up overweight and was often teased for his appearance. Until one day, he decided to change. He hit the gym, became obsessed with learning about fitness.
When he tells this story, clients don’t just see a trainer. They see someone who’s walked the same difficult path they’re on. That authenticity creates trust and inspires them to believe, “If he can do it, so can I.” And that emotional connection is far more powerful than any discount on training sessions.
How Small Businesses Can Use Storytelling
The good news? You don’t need a Hollywood scriptwriter to tell stories that sell. Here are a few simple ways to start:
Share your “why.” Why did you start your business? What drives you?
Tell customer success stories. Highlight how your product or service changed someone’s life.
Show behind-the-scenes moments. Introduce your team, your process, or even your struggles.
Tie your brand to values. Whether it’s sustainability, community, or empowerment, show what you stand for.
Use storytelling across platforms. Weave stories into your website, social media posts, emails, and ads.
When Discounts Make Sense
Of course, this isn’t to say discounts never have a place. Strategic discounts can be incredibly effective when used thoughtfully. For example, offering a limited-time promotion to launch a new product can spark curiosity and bring in first-time buyers who might not have discovered your brand otherwise.
Discounts can also work well during seasonal events, holidays, or when you need to clear out inventory to make space for something new.
The key is ensuring your audience understands the “why” behind the discount. It should feel intentional, not desperate.
Final Thoughts
Discounts may grab attention, but stories build relationships. And relationships are what create repeat customers, word-of-mouth referrals, and long-term success.
So, ask yourself: Are you training people to wait for your next sale? Or are you giving them a story worth remembering?
Because people may forget your prices, but they’ll never forget your story.
https://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Blog-Banner.png12602240Kathlyn Angeles-Timbolhttps://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SocialSpeak-Logo.pngKathlyn Angeles-Timbol2025-08-15 10:50:562025-08-17 16:51:11Why Storytelling Sells More Than Discounts
It’s a familiar story. And if you’ve ever looked at a competitor’s massive following and wondered, “How are they getting clients?” you’re not alone.
Many small business owners work hard to grow their social media followers, thinking it’s the key to success. But here’s the truth: follower count is just a number. It may look impressive, but if no one’s liking, commenting, clicking, or buying? That big number isn’t doing much for your business.
What moves the needle? Engagement.
In this article, we’ll discuss why engagement matters more than your follower count and how you can start focusing on what truly grows your business online.
Follower Count vs. Engagement: What’s the Real Difference?
Let’s start with a quick breakdown:
Follower Count is the number of people who have hit the “Follow” button on your account.
Engagement includes likes, comments, shares, saves, clicks, direct messages (DMs), and replies to your content.
Here’s the key thing to remember:
Follower count measures reach.
Engagement measures relationships.
One is a vanity metric. The other is a value metric.
You can have 5,000 followers and barely get a like on your posts. Or you can have 500 followers who consistently interact, comment, ask questions, and click your links.
Why Engagement Matters More
1. The Algorithm Rewards Interaction
Social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn use engagement to decide what content gets seen.
If people like, comment, or share your post, the algorithm says, “This is valuable. Let’s show it to more people.”
That means higher engagement = more visibility without spending a dime on ads.
2. Engagement Builds Trust
Trust isn’t built with a single post. It’s built over time through repeated, meaningful interactions.
When people see you show up regularly, answer questions, reply to comments, and genuinely offer value, they begin to trust your brand. And trust is what leads to action.
Engagement Drives Sales
People don’t buy because you have a big following. They buy because you’ve built a relationship with them.
A thoughtful comment or a helpful post can turn into a DM. That DM can turn into a consultation, a booking, or a sale. Engagement is what opens the door.
Engagement Gives You Insights
Engagement is like real-time market research.
It helps you understand:
Which posts spark conversation
Which ones get ignored
Which topics lead to website clicks or replies
Your audience is telling you what they care about if you’re paying attention.
How a Small, Engaged Audience Can Outperform a Massive One
You don’t need to go viral to get results.
Let’s say you have 1,000 followers. If 10% regularly engage with your content, that’s 100 people who are listening, learning, and potentially buying. That’s powerful.
Now, compare that to an account with 10,000 followers, but only 0.5% engagement. That’s just 50 people interacting. It’s half the engagement with ten times the audience.
It’s not about how many people follow you. It’s about who’s actually paying attention and cares about what you do.
How to Improve Engagement (Without Being Online 24/7)
Worried you don’t have the time to “engage all day”? Good news: you don’t need to.
Here are five expert-backed tips to improve your engagement strategically:
1. Create Content Your Audience Cares About
Skip the generic quotes. Focus on your audience’s questions, challenges, and goals. Helpful tips, how-to guides, and behind-the-scenes content work well. Build your content around that.
Quick Tip: Use the “you” test. If your post focuses more on your audience than your business, you’re on the right track.
2. Post Consistently (Not Constantly)
You don’t need to post every day. Even 2–3 well-crafted posts per week can keep your brand top of mind. Set a schedule you can stick to.
3. Ask Questions and Start Conversations
People love sharing their opinions. So instead of just posting about your business or sharing tips, ask them to join the conversation. Use polls, “this or that” posts, or simply ask your audience to weigh in.
4. Be Human, Not Just a Brand
Show your face. Share a behind-the-scenes look. Tell your story.
People connect with people, not perfect brands. And when your content feels more personal, your engagement will naturally increase.
5. Track What’s Working
Look at your analytics. Which posts got the most likes, comments, saves, or clicks?
Keep a list of top-performing posts, and use that data to guide future content.
Don’t Chase Numbers, Build Relationships
A huge follower count might look good on paper, but they don’t pay the bills.
Engagement is what turns followers into fans, and fans into paying customers. So the next time you feel discouraged by slow follower growth, shift your focus.
Remember, you don’t need tens of thousands of followers to grow your business. You need a loyal, engaged audience that trusts you and wants what you offer.
At Social Speak Network, we help small business owners create meaningful content that drives engagement, builds community, and supports their bottom line.
Book a free consultation and let’s build a smarter strategy that works for your business. Let’s turn those likes into leads and those followers into fans.
Have you ever seen a brand campaign that’s so interesting it captured your attention and didn’t feel like an ad at all? It got you hooked from the beginning, leaving you enthralled until you realized they were selling something.
That, my friends, is the power of storytelling in marketing.
In today’s fast-paced digital world, consumers are bombarded with a constant stream of advertisements and promotional content. As a result, it can be challenging to break through the noise and truly connect with your audience.
One such method that has proven to be highly effective is storytelling.
In this blog, we will delve into the art of storytelling in content marketing and explore how it can help businesses effectively engage and connect with their audience.
Why Storytelling Matters in Content Marketing
The Science Behind Storytelling and Its Impact on the Brain
The power of storytelling lies in its ability to tap into the human brain’s natural inclination for narratives.
When we hear a story, various regions of our brain light up, including those responsible for emotions, empathy, and memory. This neural response fosters a deeper connection with the content and enhances information retention.
Storytelling releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocin, giving the audience a positive and memorable experience.
How Stories Evoke Emotions and Create Memorable Experiences
Emotionally charged stories are more likely to resonate with the audience, making the content unforgettable.
They spark something within us, making us feel joy, sadness, excitement, or empathy for the characters involved.
Think about a story that moved you deeply, perhaps a heartwarming tale of friendship or a powerful account of overcoming adversity. Chances are, that story has stayed with you long after you first heard it. This emotional resonance enhances information retention, making the story’s message more likely to stick in your mind.
In marketing, brands that effectively use storytelling to evoke emotions create memorable experiences for their audience. By triggering positive emotions, they forge a positive association with their brand.
Similarly, stories that evoke empathy or address common challenges build a sense of relatability, fostering a deeper connection with the audience.
Differentiating Your Brand Through Storytelling
In today’s competitive business world, standing out is crucial. Storytelling can help your brand do just that. It provides an excellent opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves.
Sharing authentic and compelling narratives helps humanize your brand. It makes you more approachable and relatable to consumers. This authenticity builds trust and credibility.
A well-crafted story that aligns with the brand’s values can leave a lasting impression, ultimately influencing purchasing decisions.
Incorporating Storytelling in Content Marketing
How to Tell Stories Through Written Content
Written content offers a versatile platform for storytelling. When writing blog posts and articles, begin with attention-grabbing openings that pique the reader’s curiosity.
Develop a narrative that engages the audience throughout the content, and end it with a compelling call to action that encourages further interaction.
Videos and Visual Storytelling
Visual storytelling through videos, animations, and infographics enhances the emotional impact of your message.
Use creative visuals to complement the narrative and evoke emotions effectively. Consider incorporating customer testimonials and success stories into videos for a powerful storytelling experience.
Using Real Stories to Build Trust
Real stories from satisfied customers serve as powerful social proof for your brand.
Utilize case studies and customer testimonials to highlight how your products or services have changed your customers’ lives. These stories build trust, assuage doubts, and reinforce the credibility of your brand.
Tips for Crafting Compelling Stories
1. Start Strong with Attention-Grabbing Opening
Hook your audience from the beginning with attention-grabbing openings that spark curiosity and intrigue. A strong start sets the tone for the rest of the story, encouraging readers to continue.
2. Use Conflict and Resolution to Maintain Interest
Incorporate conflict and challenges into your storytelling to maintain the audience’s interest. Ensure that the resolution offers a satisfying conclusion and reinforces the central message.
3. Leverage Emotions and Empathy to Connect Deeply with the Audience
Emotions play a significant role in storytelling. Use empathy and emotional triggers to forge a deeper connection with your audience. Appeal to their emotions, as they are more likely to inspire action and engagement.
Final thoughts
Storytelling is a potent tool for engaging and connecting with your audience in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Incorporating storytelling into various content formats, such as blog posts, videos, and social media, opens up endless possibilities to captivate your audience across diverse platforms.
Remember to align your storytelling with your brand’s unique voice and tone to maintain consistency and reinforce your identity.
Go ahead and tell your story! Let your brand’s narrative unfold to captivate your audience and drive your business toward unprecedented success.
https://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SocialSpeak-Logo.png00Kathlyn Angeles-Timbolhttps://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SocialSpeak-Logo.pngKathlyn Angeles-Timbol2023-07-26 10:16:412023-07-21 17:32:45The Power of Storytelling in Content Marketing: How to Engage and Connect with Your Audience
Love it or hate it, email remains to be one of the primary means of communication. Despite its age, ubiquity, and versatility, most business owners assume that it is one of those things that doesn’t work. Maybe that’s even you and your practice.
Email is actually a great option for marketing and promoting your practice. Here are 6 reasons why healthcare businesses and providers should do email marketing.
Create a stronger relationship with patients
According to a study that was conducted by researchers from Pew Internet, 80% of internet users have searched for a health-related topic online.
You know that there is a demand for healthcare content. People have already given you permission to email them. Now, they expect you to give them something in return.
Email is a great place to share relevant and timely health information. You can share some tips on how to avoid flu at work or how to keep kids safe while playing in the snow.
Your subscribers are already looking for these types of information online. By sending relevant and well-crafted healthcare content regularly, they’ll see that you care about their health and well-being. The more value you provide to your subscribers, the more they’ll look forward to hearing from you. When that happens, you’ll have a better chance of earning their trust and loyalty.
Personalized communication
People love it when businesses and treats them as an individual. Email marketing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to show your patients and subscribers that you value and care about them. It allows you to keep in touch with your audience on a regular basis. It can be as simple as “Thank you for subscribing”, a sincere “Happy Birthday” or some healthcare tips.
Personalized emails are more likely to be opened and read. Make sure that you address the recipient by their name. It is also a good idea to use a person’s name in the “from” field. People are more likely to trust and relate to an email that comes from a person as opposed to a business.
Cost-effective
There are a number of channels you can use to market your practice online. But email remains among the simplest, most cost-effective ways for you to market yourself and your practice. In fact, sending a monthly newsletter to your email list could cost you nothing more than your time. The best part? It lets you send your message around the world in seconds.
With the rise of social media, many businesses have abandoned email marketing, and we’re not surprised.
There are 4.3 billion internet users across the globe. Approximately 80% of them have social media accounts. That’s huge! But here’s the thing. The average click-through rate for a Facebook post is between 0.5 and 2%. If you have 1,000 followers, that means only 5-20 of them will see your posts.
Contrary to popular misconception, email marketing has great delivery and conversion rate. Almost everyone has an email, and they check it every now and then – while eating, while working or while waiting for the bus to arrive.
If you want to reach your target audience, you can do so through email. While not everyone will click and read the email, they are 80% more likely to do so than a Facebook post they might not even see.
Preferred method of communication
Email is far less obtrusive than a phone call or in-person visit. Plus, it is perceived as a more private outlet than social media. For this reason, many people prefer to communicate via email when it comes to their healthcare and medical needs.
A decade ago, people would use email to communicate with their family and friends. But a lot of that has shifted to social media, video chat, and texting. Email, on the other hand, is often reserved for work or business transactions, especially when dealing with very sensitive information.
Target select audience
We all know that the content is what makes an email great. But there is no point in sending out well-crafted, high-quality content if they are directed to the wrong audience.
Email marketing gives you the freedom to organize your contacts into segments. That means you can communicate with them based on their age, location, interest, etc. This way, you can easily customize your message for the different audiences you communicate with.
If you’re an emergency clinic, age would be an important demographic. For instance, you can send content that is centered on slips and falls to older adults on your list. For young adults, it could be about sports-related injuries.
By segmenting your list by age group, you can tailor the content of your email to suit the specific health interest and current situation of the recipient. When relevant content reaches the right audience, you’ll stay on top of mind with patients, establish a strong relationship, and build lifelong trust.
Do you read product reviews before you purchase something new? Do you trust customer ratings better than the sales pitch of a seller?
From deciding which smartphone to buy to where to eat and finding a new doctor, at least 93% of people read through reviews before making a decision. The majority of them are interested in knowing what previous customers and clients have to say before making a purchase or booking an appointment.
How Impactful are Customer Reviews?
Customer reviews had become the layperson’s gauge for the trustworthiness of a product, service, or company. According to a Spiegel Medill research, products with reviews are 270% more likely to be bought than unreviewed ones. For more costly items, this probability increases to up to 380%. This simply shows how important and impactful customer reviews are.
Positive reviews can feel like a warm hug that validates the work that you do, but it does way more than that. It can establish your business’ credibility and trustworthiness to the general public. This can directly increase your market and translate to sales. It’s a waste of a free resource if you don’t use customer review in your sales plan.
How can you maximize the power of a review in your everyday marketing? Through what strategy can you use it in boosting your sales?
Let us give you some ideas.
Include them on all the pages of your website
Customer reviews should be on your website’s landing page. This is where you can create conversions and build a customer base. Since the landing page is dedicated for readers to make a transaction, seeing reviews and testimonials on this page can influence their actions.
Beyond the landing page, it will also benefit you to include at least one review or testimonial on each of the pages of your website. This way, no matter what page your readers are on, they are subtly assured of your good reputation with consumers just like them.
Share them on social media
It’s no secret how most of us rely on social media for information. Globally, at least 4 billion of us are on this platform. That’s a massive reach! This then becomes the perfect venue to share your customer reviews.
Reviews on social media are from random people. Your readers perceive them as unbiased. Most people take it as a personal recommendation rather than as a sales pitch. They are more likely to be persuaded by it.
Posting exceptional reviews and those from influencers and celebrities can boost not only your confidence but that of your potential consumers, too. Make use of your social media reach to highlight what others have to say about you.
Include it in your emails
Digital marketers can attest that until now, email marketing is still the most profitable tool out there. It can generate $44 for every $1 spent, so it only makes sense to use it in your marketing strategy.
Including customer reviews in your emails will increase your credibility off-site. Reviews in emails can give recipients an idea of the benefits they can get should they transact business with you. They would want to know more about you, and would thereby generate higher conversion rates.
Incorporate them in your marketing collateral
On a non-digital platform, collaterals continue to be an effective marketing tool. Include snippets and shots of customer reviews on your posters, brochures, and flyers. You may even consider including it in your business card.
This can speak right to potential customers who are already within your vicinity. It increases the chance of an immediate direct response. If not immediately, since you’re targeting customers directly, they can quickly come back and finalize doing business with you.
Highlight it in your advertisements
Research shows that user-generated promotional materials get four times more click-through rates. The reviews you receive are already free user-generated content that the public intuitively trusts. Make the most of it by making it prominent in your video advertisements. Not only is this less costly, but it is also perceived as reliable by many.
Ensure that your business provides spaces for customer reviews, such as in your social media accounts and other reputable crowd-sourced review sites. Once you receive their feedback, you can now use them for purposes that best serve your market.
If you need help with digital marketing, we’re here to help. Book a free 30-minute consultation call with us and we’ll work together in create a marketing strategy that will get people through the door.
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We’ve been talking a little bit about really looking at your overall digital marketing strategy. This is something that we help our clients throughout the year. Because as we start a new year, we always look at, “Okay, what do we need to adjust for this year, what are our goals, what do we want to do?”
We usually have those quarterly goals, and now we’re entering in the second part of 2020 and it’s time to reflect on what’s working, what’s not working, and what we need to do for the remaining part of the year, but then also projecting into the new year.
I know it seems a little crazy to already be thinking about 2021, but things change, and so today we’ll talk about your target market and how to educate them.
What do those posts look like? How does building that relationship works with your target market? So a few things that I want you to do is just take a quick minute to reflect on your social media footprint, so to speak.
So what have your social media struggles been? What goals have you set for your social media strategy or that you want to set moving forward? And what social media platforms are you currently using, and which ones would you like to start using? So think of which ones are you using.
Re-evaluate the platforms you’re using
Think of which ones do you think that your target market is using. If you’re spending a lot of time on Twitter, for instance, and you’re not getting a lot of followers and you’re not getting a lot of engagement. But when you post on to Instagram or Facebook, you’re getting a lot more engagement. That may mean you need to re-evaluate the platforms you’re using.
Just because they’re out there doesn’t mean you need to be on all of them. Sometimes Twitter or Instagram works great for some of our clients, and other times they don’t. So it’s really thinking of where your audience is.
Survey your audience
One good way of doing this is sending out a survey, putting together a survey for your email list. “What platforms do you use the most? What times of day are you on those platforms?”
Really wanting to get that feedback from your audience so you can understand where they’re spending their time as well. And then going more into, “Do you have that target market clearly defined?”
Identify a niche you want to target
Sometimes we ask a business, “What’s your ideal client?” And they’ll say, “Oh, anyone, I work with everyone”.
Well, over the past 12 years of us being in business, we’ve learned that we don’t want to work with everyone. We have a clear niche of people that we want to work with.
If you are a healthcare practitioner, then you have a little bit more of a clear niche if you are an OBGYN, if you’re a family practitioner, if you are an orthopedic surgeon. It’s easier to define that target market because your service is already niched. If you are a realtor or even a massage therapist, a chiropractor, you’ll want to think more about the type of person you want to work with.
Questions to help you define your target audience
Do you know who they are?
Do you know how to find them and where to find them?
Are they using social media?
Where and how can you find them?
Do their core values align with yours?
And this is something that we’ve talked about in the past that’s really important to us as a company, is defining those core values and making sure that the people you’re working with aligning with that.
Tailor your content for your target audience
Are you engaging with your target market? Are you putting together content that is speaking to them?
If your audience is mostly families with younger kids and you’re putting content up about retirement or AARP, that’s a disconnect of your audience and your content messaging.
If you are a family practitioner, maybe your patients are more 55-plus, and you’re putting out kid activities and healthy kids snacks, you’re missing that connection with your audience.
So really identifying who are your clients or customers now, which ones have you really enjoyed working with and you have that relationship with, and then identifying why. Why do you like working with them? How do you get more clients or customers like them? So that’s really figuring out your target market, and then now that you’ve identified kind of looking at your social media footprint, you’ve looked at your target market.
Set SMART goals
Now let’s set some goals. And so it’s important to think of those smart goals for social media.
Specific. Your goal should be very clear, simple, and defined. Something along the lines of, “We want to grow our Facebook page to reach 3000 likes this year”.
Measurable. So how can you track these goals? Do you have a system in place with your email marketing that you can track how many emails you’ve gotten or how many likes? What are those analytics that are in place for you to be able to measure your results?
Achievable. Going into achievable, so this is kind of like what I said with being specific, make sure you’re setting goals that you can reach it.
If you have 100 likes and you want to get 10 million, that may not happen in a year but setting something simple, “We want to get to 2000. We want to have a thousand sign-ups from our paid efforts on social media this year.”
If you have 100 likes and you want to get 10 million, that may not happen in a year but setting something simple, “We want to get to 2000. We want to have a thousand sign-ups from our paid efforts on social media this year.”
Realistic. So again, if your goal is to reach a million likes on your Facebook page but you only have 146 to start with, that may not be achievable within the next six months or next year. But how can we bring it into, “Okay, I wanna reach 2000 likes, I wanna reach 5000 likes.” And if that’s your number, then put in place that realistic of, “How am I gonna do that? What does it mean for me to reach that goal?”
Time-sensitive. If you say, “Oh, I want a million likes”, well, maybe over the course of 10 years or five years or three years that can happen. But, “This is my goal for the next six months. This is what I want to do, this is how I really wanna build those relationships with my target market to make sure that I am speaking to them.” And that leads me into the next piece, of Educate.
Educate your audience
So now that you identified your target market, you know who they are, you know what their interests are, you know their lifestyle, and they’re already, hopefully, seeing you or doing business with you, and so now it’s really important to educate them.
I love social media brands, whether they are a local business, a big brand, but they tell a story. And they highlight their customers.
The American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association do an amazing job with their social media campaigns. They are constantly highlighting stories of people that are struggling with diabetes, how they’ve overcome it, how their families overcome it. They’re always putting in place different resources and tools for their audience. And their audience, they have a mix of kids with Type 1 diabetes to adults with Type 2 diabetes, and their marketing is very clear. They’re educating each niche of their target market, they’re speaking to them on their level.
If you are a family practice or a massage therapist or a chiropractor, your clientele may vary in age and interest. So then it’s really figuring out, “What does that content look like? How can you take the time to educate each of them?” And this can be telling stories.
Tell your brand story
This is a great way to see that brand personality behind your business. I want to learn about who you are as a business owner, who your team is, where they come from, what are you guys passionate about.
Sharing stories on a personal level about the business, but then also having your patients share their stories. So when they started to come to see you, maybe they had a really tight cramp in their back and it was really hard for them to sleep. You know, over the course of three months of getting a massage or whatever that time frame is, they were able to feel normal again, and they were back to their old self and being able to play with their kids and go on their morning runs or whatever that story is.
People really resonate with stories. I don’t care what industry you’re in, stories are really important. And they’re educational because people want to say, “They’re like me. They have that issue too, I’m not alone.”
And so the storytelling piece is a very important piece of your marketing, and if you can take it a step further and do some videos around that storytelling if you can have your client or your patient do a video testimonial or story. And then as you do your stories for your side, use those, do videos, interview one of your staff members or your nurses or your doctors. Really have that brand personality there.
Build your network
Make sure that you are building your network. So now that you know your target market, you’re speaking their language. Look at who’s liking your posts and start to educate them and reach out to them. So, people that are liking your post, you can go and invite them to like your page.
In our next vlog, we’re gonna be talking about doing some more, like boosting posts and Facebook ads, and so this is another way you can increase your networks by utilizing boosted posts and ads to reach your target market. So right now you may be going into different Facebook groups or looking on Instagram for certain hashtags.
If you are in a certain city, you want to look for people that are in your area. Start following them. Really work on building that network of your target market on the platforms you’re using. And that is a really important piece because you wanna make sure that once you get your people in that you keep them and you’re staying top of mind with them.
Final thoughts
So those are just a few components of your overall digital marketing strategy. Our next vlogs, as I said, will be around how can you implement email marketing and content upgrades and boosted posts into your digital marketing strategy.
If you need help creating this strategy, if you need help with identifying your target market and really being clear on what your social media strategy should look like, we are here to help you.
Head on over to socialspeaknetwork.com and schedule a free 30-minute consultation. We look forward to working with you. Have a great day.
https://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Identifying-Your-Target-Market-and-Educating-Them.png12602240Amber Irwinhttps://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SocialSpeak-Logo.pngAmber Irwin2020-06-24 10:31:202020-06-19 15:15:12Identifying Your Target Market and Educating Them
Dr. Nick graduated from Sherman College of Chiropractic in 2004 where he earned the honors of Magna Cum Laude and the Rising Star award given to a recent Sherman College graduate who has demonstrated exceptional achievements and service in the community. Dr. Nick’s focus on education came from growing up in a household with two amazing teachers as his parents. He has lectured both internationally and locally on a wide variety of health and life topics. Dr. Nick first learned about the importance of a healthy functioning body during an internship in a pediatric oncology unit in Madrid, Spain. From that point on, it was his mission to learn as much as possible to be able to help as many people as possible.
When Dr. Nick is away from the office, you will find him spending time with Dr. Rachel and their “magic man” of a son, Noah. He also enjoys spending time with friends, gardening, running, practicing American Sign Language, spending time in nature, reading, and playing basketball.
https://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/chiropractic.png7201280Caitlin McDonaldhttps://socialspeaknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SocialSpeak-Logo.pngCaitlin McDonald2020-06-17 15:02:142020-06-17 15:07:44Interview with Dr. Nick Kapustka on how to Build Relationships as a Chiropractor during COVID-19
Introducing Buffalo + Sparrow Yoga Collective with Cole and Rachel.
We founded Buffalo and Sparrow Yoga Collective in 2017 when we realized we both share a passion to make yoga more accessible to people affected by trauma (which we believe is everyone). Yoga, when taught through the lens of trauma sensitivity, can be an important part of a treatment program for individuals with PTSR (Post Traumatic Stress Response) and all individuals benefit from connecting deeply to themselves. Through this perspective. we hope to create yoga environments where individuals feel safe and supported as they witness their trauma symptoms and learn tools within yoga to self-regulate when those symptoms present. Our dream is for everyone experiencing trauma symptoms to have the ability to live life as their whole self… free from trauma symptoms. We believe that yoga, when taught with intentionality around trauma, can support in this journey.
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We also understand many folks might feel more comfortable in their healing process when learning and sharing space with those in their own affinity groups. If this is the case for you, please head over to our collaborators tab to learn more about where to to go in order to support yourself in the safest way.
In this podcast we review the exact strategy Social Speak uses with their healthcare practices to boost new consultations and build brand loyalty online.
Please view the video at Youtube if you would like to see the screen share – click here to access.
The Social Speak Digital Strategy for Medical Marketing (our Roadmap to Digital Marketing) includes:
If you are looking to increase the ROI from your digital marketing in 2020, please reach out to schedule a consultation today! We can’t wait to learn more about your practice.
Listen to the Podcast
Watch the Video
Read the medical marketing transcript
00:01 Caitlin McDonald: Hello and welcome to the Social Speak Network podcast. My name is Caitlin McDonald and I am one of the co-owners over here at Social Speak. So today, we were gonna wrap up the year talking about SEO as we’re moving into 2020. But I’m kind of pulling an audible and I really want to take the time to share the exact strategy that is working right now for our healthcare clinics. Now, this strategy is one that we’ve been utilizing for quite a while. However, it’s really working right now, so I want to make sure that moving into 2020, you’ll be able to implement this for your healthcare practice. Now, we also are available to help out as well. This is our specialty, managing the marketing campaigns for clinics and hospitals across the country. So if you do wanna schedule a free consultation, we’d love to chat with you, see if we’re a good fit, and I give you a couple of tips and pointers to get you moving in the right direction.
01:08 CM: So this strategy really utilizes a lot of different marketing techniques, but it is pretty straight forward. So I’m gonna be… If you’re on our podcast, I’ll be talking through everything. If you jump over to our YouTube channel, you’ll be able to follow along and I’ll be able to show you some of the tools that we do utilize for our clinics and if you prefer reading, the transcript will be on our blog probably next week.
01:42 CM: So let’s get started. Let me share my screen here. And as I mentioned, the first part of our process really begins with the strategy. So when we’re taking a look at the strategy, we want to focus on a few different things. First and foremost, we do still utilize social media marketing. Social media is there to expand your reach and spread your authentic brand voice online. If you’re targeting younger individuals, older individuals, it really doesn’t matter, you need to prove that you are active online and a legitimate business. One of the ways to do this is by posting to social media accounts.
02:28 CM: So doing this builds brand loyalty by staying true to your values. It also helps you stay top of mind. Yes, your posts won’t necessarily reach everybody who’s following you online. In fact, it’ll probably only reach a couple of people, so we utilize ads to help with this as well. However, if somebody is actively looking for you, most likely your Facebook page will show up high in the search results so you wanna make sure that you are active there. And then, Facebook and social media also help you cultivate relationships and attract clients.
03:03 CM: The second piece of the strategy that we follow is blogging and SEO. Creating content, any content isn’t gonna work anymore, it’s creating the right content at the right time for your target market. So what does this actually mean for you? It means creating timely information so that you are found online, and it helps to build trust with your audience. For a couple of practices, what we are doing is doing physician interviews or interviews with your staff and transcribing those in a Q/A format, so that you are answering the questions that people are actually looking for online in a way that’s easy to digest and where they can really start building trust with the physicians in your practice.
03:55 CM: And then the last way is through lead generation. So with lead generation, really, our goal is to capture prospect information. Yes, you have to be aware of being HIPAA compliant, but we’ll dive into that. So here, you need a strategy to boost your new leads, to shorten the sales cycle, or that cycle for actually getting a prospect in the door, booking a consultation, and then also to increase your recurring revenue. So if you know somebody who typically comes in for one procedure, then ends up coming in for follow-up visits for something else, it might be good to focus on that first procedure and getting leads for that so that you can then share information through email marketing or in the office itself to get them booking those follow-up appointments as well.
04:52 CM: So this is where it gets really fun and it’s actually putting together that plan and diving in to do what you need to be doing for your marketing. So this is our roadmap to digital marketing and really goes through all of the different steps. Today, I’m gonna be focusing mostly on this lead generation piece. So, in lead generation, we’re really reaching people during their patient journey. So, as I mentioned, we’re figuring out what symptoms they have, what problems they’re experiencing and how they want to live their life differently if they come in and see you.
05:33 CM: So when we’re doing this, we’re utilizing Facebook ads for brand awareness and to get leads, Google AdWords for search targeting, and this is a great way to get people when they’re making that decision about who they’re gonna work with, and Facebook ads for re-targeting. So here, Facebook and Google really are the ad networks that we are utilizing for this. So I’m gonna jump on over here and I have up Google AdWords. Most of you probably already have an AdWords account. However, if you call… This is kind of a nice little tip, if you’re just getting started, tipping your toes in the water, you can actually call up this number here in the top of the page and a representative can help you set up your first campaign. If you don’t have someone on staff who knows how to set up AdWords, I do recommend utilizing Google’s own network of consultants who can set that up because it’s complementary. And again, a great way just to get started. Now, as you’re building more in-depth campaign, setting up conversion tracking and things like that, I do recommend working with an expert. Our team has a team of experts on staff who can help out with setting up campaigns, restructuring them from what Google originally sets up or what a previous agency has set up to make sure that they’re actually working for you.
07:08 CM: We oftentimes come into clinics and see that the geographic area isn’t quite right, or maybe a mixture of different services are piled into one ad group. All of these things can be detrimental for your practice. So an example of this, I just did a search for “pediatrician, Marlborough, Mass” and there are three that come up. But if you take a look, there’s no ads here. So if you are a pediatrician around there, it’s a great thing, [chuckle] a great opportunity for you. But what you’ll see is there are oftentimes fewer ads than there are doctors and other listings that come up. So that’s a great way to make sure as you are creating your campaign, that you’re showing up up here at the top. I don’t have Facebook up, but Facebook is very similar as well. Oftentimes, a health clinic will come on in… Or, excuse me, a marketing agency will come on in, they’ll set up a Facebook account and, or even someone on your staff. And one problem that we’ve seen is that oftentimes, these ads aren’t targeted for your audience correctly. So you want to make sure that you are being very specific in your targeting at least at the beginning, so that you can learn who’s responding to your messages and who isn’t.
08:42 CM: For Facebook, for example, let’s say you are working with individuals who have non-healing foot ulcers. Typically, this is caused by diabetes, so you can actually target people who have shown an interest in the National Diabetes Association, for example. They’re not gonna say on their profile that they have a foot ulcer, but they are going to be following, or most likely going to be following or have expressed interest in a national organization or a magazine, or another coach or something like that who has targeted them already. So this is a great way to kind of refine your messaging.
09:26 CM: Additionally, let’s say, your practice focuses on, I had pediatrics before, what you can do is you can target people, potentially, who just got married, or who have a toddler or have a… Or following other parenting pages. And this might be a great way to narrow down your target market there. Now, within those ads themselves, there are a few things that you need to really do in order to see a return on your investment. So one of the first things that we utilize is lead pages. Now, lead pages is not HIPAA compliant, however, you can embed a form on here that is HIPAA compliant so that the leads go into your system, the lead capture system, and the landing pages are just hosted on your website, built by lead pages.
10:30 CM: The reason why we do this is because we want them to be very specific and tailored towards that one service and towards that one target audience. So if you’re targeting a, I don’t know, a family member of somebody, who has somebody else in the family who’s suffering from addiction, you’re running ads to raise awareness about the support and resources that are out there, that landing page is gonna be different than what you want to appear or the language that you want to have that’s geared towards that person who’s suffering themselves. So here, lead pages is just the tool that we utilize. You can build a landing page just through WordPress, but we love lead pages because it is very easy to alter the page style, it allows you to do AB testing, so create two different versions of the same landing page, and have lead pages automatically show which one, whichever one, and then over time, you can tell which one is performing better. It also has great graphs. So typically for healthcare centers, we utilize conversion tracking a few different ways on lead pages itself. We want to optimize the number of people who are clicking on a link.
11:51 CM: Here’s a little example right here to schedule a consultation. That will then open up a pop-up, on that pop-up is the form that you create through that third party. So, on lead pages itself, we can’t tell how many people have then filled out the form, but that’s why we use the Facebook Pixel and Google Tag Manager. So here, lead pages, again, it’s just a great, easy way to set up those landing pages and test them. And have it be where it’s just a single page rather than going to… And I’ll just click on, I don’t know, one of these… So let’s say this is your website, this is the UMass Memorial Health Care Center. So if somebody goes to this page from an ad, there are so many other places to click. So we found that that is not good for increasing your ROI and conversion rates. So having a page that they go to where it’s just that single page with the call to action of scheduling a consultation, it works really well. Then there’s a question of what content should you utilize on that page and in the ads. So we actually have a form on our website, and I’ll put this in the description, socialspeaknetwork.com, work with us, onboarding lead generation.
13:27 CM: And this is geared towards kind of a broader audience than just healthcare centers. But you can fill it out and here you can select free consultation is what you’re trying to get. But then we have questions here that really will help you identify those key concerns, key questions, key fears of your patients, your target patients, and we have the questions so that they lead you through exactly sort of what you need in order to create the ad text as well as the text for the landing page. And so, we help you kind of really identify and nail down your target market and then create a story around it. So, in this story, we often do actually start with a sentence or two that’s somebody’s story. It could be your own story, a patient testimonial, or even just a made-up story that fits in with the benefits that you can provide for your clients, for your patients. From there, we go into the benefits of actually coming in to see your practice, and finally, the call to action to schedule a consultation. Creating a doctor video around this as well is also a great way to increase brand awareness.
14:56 CM: So again, work with us, onboarding lead generation, the link is down below. But you can just go through this exercise, and at the end, I believe that we do have, even go through an email sequence that you can utilize at the end, when you click submit, we will send you in an email those answers that you put in there so that you can then copy and paste or utilize them, you could also print out that form if you don’t wanna submit the information. However, we’re happy to chat with you about the process as well. So those story ads work really well on Facebook. And then, on Google, we’re utilizing headlines and short calls to action to contact you.
15:52 CM: Now, once somebody clicks on an ad, they go to lead pages, then what happens to them? If you don’t have to be HIPAA compliant, we recommend utilizing MailChimp. It’s very cost-effective, it’s a great way to get started, and it has wonderful bells and whistles that a lot of the big boys have. So it’s a great way to create those welcome series, as well as quick follow-up emails and everything.
16:22 CM: Now, if you are HIPAA complaint, we highly recommend utilizing Influx MD. It looks like not all the images have loaded on here, however, we have a great relationship with them. And so, a lot of our clients utilize us to help facilitate the creation of emails and everything, and basically, Influx MD takes somebody from being a prospect to scheduling their first consult. From there we’re really able to track the ROI. Influx MD is able to tell through our tracking where the patient or the prospect originally came from. It can automate and systematize the process of sending those initial questionnaires and forms that somebody needs to fill out. And then it can directly sync up with your patient management system. We really like it, just because it helps with the customer relationship as well as the lead management and then it has that sales and email marketing automation as well. So it really reduces the burden on your staff and helps prove how effective the marketing is. So, we utilize this a lot. We utilize Google analytics and we utilize Facebook Pixels as well, just to see where leads are coming from, see the cost per lead and everything like that. So, let me just jump back over here, see if there was anything else. Okay, and this is… It’s actually just a health coach, but it kind of shows you that process with the landing page, they click the button, here’s the form, and then they get a drip sequence of emails.
18:13 CM: So if you have been wondering if your marketing is working for your healthcare practice, maybe you didn’t quite have as good of a year in 2019 as you had projected and hoped. This process is really what we’re seeing to work right now. So we start with the Facebook just having information going out to your accounts to build trust in your brand, then we utilize blogging as one piece, and a physician interviews as another piece of your SEO strategy. What we’ve really been seeing work well for SEO is building back links. And so, submitting your website to different directories, different websites to have the link added to content. We have a whole team that’s working on that. It is a very manual process, but we have seen tremendous results there because you do wanna make sure your organic listing or your website is showing up organically as well as the ads and the map listing and everything. And another piece of that SEO is building reviews on Google and on Facebook, just so that you can have that social proof. So those reviews work really well to make sure that your map listing is showing up higher, as well as social proof.
19:42 CM: And then, it’s running the ads. So we run ads based on interest targeting on Facebook, keywords on Google, and then retargeting ads on both Facebook and Google, to make sure that if we’ve already paid for somebody to get to the site or landing page, we are recouping some of that cost by showing them repeat ads. Of course, we haven’t collected any information about them, it’s just based on the cookie on their website, that Facebook and Google are in charge of. [chuckle]
20:16 CM: From here, we utilize or we recommend utilizing a tool like Influx MD to make sure that you are remaining HIPAA compliant as you are emailing and creating relationships with these prospects who have become leads. And throughout this whole process make sure that you have the Google Webmaster tool… Excuse me, Google Tag Manager, so that you can track conversions, as well as clicks for phone numbers, or map clicks. And the Facebook Pixel installed on your site so that you can really track the ROI from Facebook ads.
20:53 CM: So I hope that this has been helpful leading through the actual techniques and strategies that we utilize for our clients. If you do want to schedule a consultation, we are more than happy to schedule a time for you. And we’d love to learn more about your practice, your target market and what you’re currently working on and struggling with right now. Thank you so much for tuning in and we will see you in the New Year on the Social Speak Network podcast
