These days, EDUCATION is directly tied to SALES…

Customers’ decisions are based on what they LEARN about you, which includes how they feel about you.  This significantly affects the success of your business.

We are now living in a fast-moving digital information age.  People research and compare-shop more than ever before.  It’s becoming a standard part of our shopping due-diligence.  In this economy, we want to spend wisely.

Even when people aren’t shopping, they are often doing some other related exploration or research on the Internet. –These are all places your business can potentially be, with complementary information or support.

With all the purchasing options out there, relationship-building and credibility are also a critical component of the educational/promotional process. The more people see and hear about your business, the more likely they are to also trust you.  Studies show that it takes an average of 5 times of seeing you (or hearing about you) before indulging in your website.

How can you increase business awareness and ultimately sales, for greater success?:

Address the different ways people learn.

–Provide left-brained “information” as well as right-brained engaging/experiential “transformation.”

If you miss the full-scope of this growing educational/experiential reality, you will certainly miss out on reaching your market potential. It’s important to recognize how customers come to “know, understand, like and trust you.”

The following are examples of how you can educationally “INFORM” and “TRANSFORM” (externally with customers and internally with your business development and management):

Inform your customers of your campany, brand, and all the ways you serve and support:

a) Clarifying and defining words expressing what your business does, presented in your website and all your collateral materials.

b)  Convincing messages –from tag lines, value-propositions, “calls to action,” to reinforcing/attracting visuals, etc.

c) Greater informative depth, regarding your company, staff/people and product (things that you may include on your “about” page, “company story,” etc.)  Also, include some of these details with helpful/educational articles,  blogs, PR, and interviews.

d) Stats and research discovered that can help your customers/market-segments within their business industry, lifestyle needs, and concerns. (Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and provide information they can utilize!)

e) “How to’s” to help your customers with their lives and/or businesses.

f)  Blogs, Newsletters, Articles, Whitepapers, Webinars, Seminars, etc. –Poise your company as an information leader –with a position of expertise and authority.  Become a valued-resource.

Be an informed, teaching and learning organization internally:

a) Commit to being an educationally-informed company in order to be truly dedicated to continually improvement for your business growth. Adjustments and tweaking, based on what you learn, make a huge difference in your success!

b)  Create an active information reporting system with your team to discuss and learn from your analysis data. (Do your web analytics.  Be informed about what’s being said about your company and business -on the Internet and beyond).

c)  Encourage and reinforce extended educational learning and outreach with your team.  Reward for information and related ideas that are acted upon or implemented.

d)  Keep an open-door policy for knowledge-sharing (rather than holding back or keeping it “close to your chest”).  In smaller businesses it’s especially valuable to have cross-educational training.

Transform your potential and current customers into an active community of fans and supporters:

a) Use the “show me, don’t just tell me” approach.

b) Create actual positive experiences with your customers that reflect your business vision, mission and values. Be sure your customer service and product quality are where you envisioned them to be.  The more positive experiences you create, the better!

c)  Build in as many engaging multi-sensory experiences as you can.  You can educate and entertain. Be creative! Be different!

d)  Be sincere and authentic in “your voice.” Bring your authentic uniqueness and voice forward (Read a blog on discovering your “muse”).  Build upon you and your team’s interests and passions; make them part of your outreach.  Target specific market segments based on these connections.

e) Share stories, customer testimonials, case studies, create “review” opportunities (where applicable).  Stories bring a connective, real human element to your business.

f) Provide relationship-building opportunities with collaborations, cross-promotions, live events and social media networking. Build and support your fan pages and community groups.  Tap into a variety of targeted networks.  Reach your targeted communities… speak, present, and educate!

g) Make the “experience” of your website a positive one! Be sure your website is easy-to-use, understand and navigate!  –This is as much an experience of your company as anything you do.

Transform your business internally:

a) Build greater work-satisfaction and opportunity with your team. Use story-telling to create bonding with your team… share!  Learn from one another… Create communication systems and updates to support this.

b) Create an annual (or bi-annual) team-building and creative brainstorming event to support each year’s business planning.

c) Reward any creative, “transformative” ideas, supporting relationship building, outreach, communication, strategic partner building and other breakthroughs!

The new formula for success is:  Be a dynamic EDUCATOR!  Educationally “inform and transform” throughout your multi-channel marketing.

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**** Web Marketing Therapy (WMT) helps businesses unleash the power of their valuable assets through integrated web applications, delivered through customized support and a proven success process.  WMT has a full-service web marketing agency and an educational training/support team, assembled and designed to meet each client’s specific business and empowerment needs.

Web Marketing Therapy Related Links:

• Successful Businesses Engage in Good Matchmaking!
• Business Success: Questions for Boosting Your “CUSTOMER I.Q.”
• Small Business: Active Listening & Learning for Greater Earning!
• What is Your Website’s “Authentic Sell-Ability”?