5 Questions Your Audience Really Wants to Ask

To cut through the clutter, communicate effectively and boost engagement, you need to know and anticipate the questions that are really on your target’s mind.

After working in corporate communications for 15 years, I’ve noticed common questions that audiences want to know – but don’t always ask for directly.

Build brand trust by proactively answering these common questions in every communication you prepare:

1. So what?
Share how your message is relevant to your audience’s needs. Specifically, how will your ideas impact their lives?

2. Why should I listen to you?
Establish your credibility up-front to encourage your audience to pay attention to your message. State how your individual experience or company’s expertise make your ideas meaningful for your audience.

3. What’s in it for me?
State the benefits your audience will gain from making time to absorb your message. By including specific benefits, you may compel your audience to act.

4. What do I need to do?
Include a clear, concise call to action. Be specific when telling your audience what action you need them to take, such as subscribe, contact us or download now.

5. Why now?
To motivate your audience to act, include a deadline — even if it’s arbitrary. People will respond more promptly if you give them a time limit. Timeliness is particularly important if your audience includes editors or journalists, as the media thrives on new information.

Using these tips will help you connect and engage your customers; however, they also apply to internal communications for your colleagues.

What other questions does your audience really want to know?

Lisa Goller helps businesses tell their story. As a Strategic Freelance Writer & Editor, she helps executives and entrepreneurs stand out, look good and save time. Learn more at lisagoller.com

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20 tips for working remotely (& productively)

To boost cost efficiencies, morale and retention, a growing number of companies are embracing programs for staff to work remotely. Whether they work from home, a coffee shop or a library, employees have greater flexibility than ever in their choice of workspace.

A 2012 Reuters Ipsos worldwide poll indicated one in five employees works from home frequently, with 11% of Canadians working remotely at least one day per week. Several employers in Toronto are encouraging employees to work remotely this summer to avoid commuting challenges during the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

Yet with the freedom of working remotely comes the responsibility to continue to produce terrific work. Use these 20 practical tips to maximize your productivity and build trust while working outside the office.

Productivity Boosters

• Establish a dedicated work space
• Set work hours and stick to them
• Create a daily task list of your specific priorities to stay focused
• Commit to output (vs. effort) to measure your success
• Pause in the middle of a project to make it easier to jump into the next day

Office Resources

 

Invest in office necessities:

• Computer, VPN, high-speed Internet, Wi-Fi, printer, smartphone, hands-free headset
• Ergonomic desk and chair

Be flexible and consider your colleagues’ and business partners’ communication preferences:

• Phone, email, text, instant message, face chats, Microsoft Link, WebEx
• Skype, Google Hangout, WhatsApp for smartphones, etc.

Consider using cloud-based services:

• Dropbox or Google Drive for collaborative file sharing
• Asana for project management

Protect Your Personal Brand

  

Set clear boundaries:

• Dress up every day, even if you don’t have any meetings
• Let your friends and family know you’re unavailable during work hours
• Be clear about your working hours
• Schedule non-work appointments early in the morning or near the end of the day
• Minimize online distractions like Facebook, YouTube and Candy Crush

Stay visible:

• Check in with your team and boss several times a day
• Make an extra effort to stay connected (e.g. coffee with colleagues and clients)
• Keep all your interactions businesslike and professional

Take Care of Yourself

• Since “sitting is the new smoking,” take regular breaks (go for a walk, exercise, stretch)… then get back to work
• Get out of the house every day for fresh air and socializing
• Set more boundaries: Keep the TV off and stay out of the kitchen
• Celebrate your wins and accomplishments to stay motivated

Personally, I’ve worked remotely on a regular basis since 2011 in both corporate and entrepreneurial roles. Today my clients span the globe, from North America to Qatar, New Zealand, Switzerland, the U.K. and Ireland. As such, I can attest that these tips can help you and your team remain focused, productive and happy — no matter where you choose to work.

Do you work remotely? If so, what tips would you add?

Lisa Goller helps businesses tell their story. As a Strategic Freelance Writer & Editor, she helps executives and entrepreneurs stand out, look good and save time. Learn more at lisagoller.com

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The Most Cost-Effective Marketing Tactic

What powerful marketing tactic builds brand awareness, creates trust and establishes long-term value – all at a low cost? The most effective way to win new customers and grow your business, especially when starting out, is word of mouth.

Word of mouth spreads the word about your business by encouraging delighted customers to recommend your company to their friends, family, colleagues or neighbours. Online reviews also provide word of mouth that drive sales and business results.

Just how powerful is word of mouth? Research by Nielsen showed 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. This

How to Boost Word of Mouth Marketing
Whether you’re a CMO or an entrepreneur, use these tips to unleash the power of positive word of mouth and lucrative referrals for your company:

1. Share your ideas: Proactively create content to answer your target’s most common questions to demonstrate your knowledge, position yourself as a subject matter expert and establish credibility. Write a white paper, offer a webinar or speak at industry events to showcase your talent and be seen as a thought leader.
2. Network: As a Harvard Business Review article states, “Networking is sales now… Today if you don’t have access to a network that gets you introduced, you can be brilliant and get nowhere.” So, get out and meet your target market – and their influencers.
3. Connect: Listen to your target, join the conversation about your brand and encourage conversation. Respond to their feedback to build meaningful, lasting relationships.
4. Be social: Embrace technology and social media. They have increased connectivity, making it easier than ever for consumers to do your marketing for you.
5. Set expectations: Tell new customers that, in return for your company’s high-quality customer service, you and your business rely on word-of-mouth referrals.
6. Set a time limit: Offer a time-bound referral bonus, such as a two-week window, for customers to receive a specific discount or gift if they refer you to their network.
7. Make it easy: Use a specific process, such as providing a referral form on your website for customers to fill out.
8. Surprise them: Leave a positive lasting impression by offering an unexpected gift, such as a free additional 30-minute consultation or an inexpensive accessory many customers need.
9. Show gratitude. Thank anyone who refers your company to others. Making a quick phone call, send a handwritten note or send a gift for a referral to say thank you is always worth the effort.
10. Standardize your process: Automate and schedule your referral process and correspondence, including thank-you emails. Use your CRM system and calendar to generate reminders so you handle each step at the right time.

Proof Word of Mouth Works
The following mini case study provides evidence of how well-executed marketing campaigns can boost word of mouth (or digital “word of mouse”) and enhance business results.

November 2013:
Volvo release the “Epic Splits” video featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme on YouTube. On its release date alone, the video earned over 6.5 million views and 32,000 shares.

December 2013:
Within four weeks, the video earned its 6-millionth share across social networks, making it the most shared video on YouTube.

Marketing Results:
The video received extensive media coverage (20,000 editorial pieces online alone) from all over the world. The positive word of mouth fueled more than conversation: Volvo truck sales immediately rose 31% over comparable monthly sales from the previous year.

To generate word of mouth, use a strategy that reflects deep insights and value-add for your customers. As John Moore, marketer for Starbucks and Whole Foods says, “If people are not talking about you, they are forgetting about you.”

How does your company encourage positive word of mouth?

Lisa Goller helps businesses tell their story. As a Strategic Freelance Writer & Editor, she helps executives and entrepreneurs stand out, look good and save time. Learn more at lisagoller.com

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Sources:
Barquilla, Brian. 3 Ways to Boost Word of Mouth and Referrals for Your Business. Entrepreneur.com. January 30, 2015
Fox, Justin. The Freelance Economy Still Runs on Word of Mouth. Harvard Business Review. October 9, 2014.
Rood, John. 6 Tips for Increasing Word-of-Mouth Referrals. Start-up Collective.
Whitler, Kimberly. Why Word Of Mouth Marketing Is The Most Important Social Media. Forbes. July 17, 2014.
Zander, Christina. The Van Damme Dividend? Volvo Truck Sales Rise 31%. The Wall Street Journal. December 18, 2013.