Tony Ciccarone

Contrary to popular belief, just because a lead doesn’t work out right away, doesn’t mean it never will. Additionally, even if the lead does not convert, that lead can become a referral source at some point in the future. Therefore, it is important to continually stay in front of all of your leads, providing value and engaging with your audience.

One facet of marketing that is extremely effective when it comes to staying top of mind is email marketing. Email marketing establishes credibility, keeps your email lists(s) updated, and keeps your brand top of mind for potential consumers or potential referral sources.

After a lead comes through, and you capture their email address, it is imperative that you add that contact info to your email marketing list. As time goes on, this contact may eventually have a need to use your services, or come across someone who may need to use your services. Unfortunately, without a tool to keep you at the forefront of their mind and relevant, they’ll forget you. With email marketing, though, your services, expertise, and contact information will remain at the forefront of their mind.

The bottom line? Don’t waste the leads you’ve paid for. Instead, keep them educated and engaged in regards to your business – it may eventually result in revenue.

Your confidence headed into a sales situation whether it be an email, a call, or an in person conversation is oftentimes what will make you or break you. If you don’t believe that you are successful or will be successful, how will you ever become successful?

When the graduates of our program receive leads through our PPC program, one conversation we have with them consistently is the importance of following up and staying consistent. This often results in the discussion of confidence – something we know all folks in sales roles can work on. 

We’ve compiled some of our favorite tactics for building self confidence for you here: 

Associate Yourself With Positive People

Negative input from any angle will only lessen your self esteem and eventually de-motivate you. Remaining associated with those who are not a positive influence has a much larger impact than many realize, but it truly is important that you audit who you’re surrounding yourself with, especially when you’re trying to gain confidence and take your business to the next level. 

Start Your Day Off Right

What do we mean by this? Thank or congratulate someone every morning. Showing gratitude and speaking positivity each day will in turn instill more and more confidence into yourself, making yourself more aware of your own accomplishments and talents. 

Write Your Successes Down

Recording your wins will allow you to go back and remind yourself of all you’ve been able to accomplish. It is easy to find yourself thinking you haven’t gotten very far, but providing yourself the option to see it in front of you on paper helps you to stay motivated and increases confidence. 

Set Weekly Goals

While some accomplishments may take weeks or even months to accomplish, make sure to set smaller, more short term goals that you can achieve every week. Checking things off as an accomplishment as often as every week is another excellent way to build confidence. 

We know that following up on leads and confronting sales calls can feel awkward and intimidating, but committing to not only doing them, but building confidence as well can make it less daunting and more enjoyable.

The “pulse article” function on LinkedIn is one of the most underutilized, but also important pieces of a strong personal LinkedIn strategy.

So, what is a “pulse article”, anyway?

While a personal LinkedIn account has the ability to post and share posts and different types of content, it also has the ability to publish longer form pieces of copy in the form of an article. 

Why is this so important?

The importance of the pulse article lies within its ability to establish credibility, which is an extremely underappreciated aspect of a marketing strategy because it is less of an instant lead generation tool, and more of a long term lead nurture tactic. Nonetheless, it is extremely important. 

The pulse article allows one to showcase their knowledge of their industry, while showing their audience that they care enough about them to spend the time creating a piece of free content that is for nothing other than to add value. 

At the end of the day, consumers want to do business with folks they know, like, and trust. This free and simple-to-generate piece of content is an excellent way to work toward that knowledgeable and likable status with your immediate network. 

What should I write about and how often should I post?

What you write about can and should vary. It should always be a piece of free information or education, as opposed to a hard sell. Additionally, it is important to make sure posts are timely and relevant, showcasing the authentic desire to help and provide value. How often you post can also vary, being as frequent to multiple times a week, or as little as once per month. 

While the pulse article is, again, not an immediate lead generation tool, it is an excellent way to continually interact with your network who you may turn into either clients or referral sources. 

For more information on how to utilize personal LinkedIn as a business owner, join us for our upcoming webinar on Tuesday, July 28 at 2 PM!

The importance of digital marketing has been proven time and time again, especially during recent times where many business models went remote overnight. In addition to the convenience of promoting your business at the tips of your fingers, it also: 

• Is less expensive and delivers a larger ROI than traditional media.
• Increases a business’ reach and connects with more potential customers.
• Caters to the mobile customers of today. 
• Offers an endless amount of ways to consume information: social media, email, content, banners, video, images and more. 
• Allows for interactive engagement with a business’ community. 
• Provides the ability to track and analyze cost of marketing efforts and which content pieces perform the best. 

How can business owners capitalize on digital marketing tactics in order to encourage business growth? 

• Have a professional website built that is functional on a mobile device, optimized for SEO, and heavily focused on conversions. 
• Develop SEO optimized content that is educational, informative, and easy to read. 
• Create social media platforms, fill in graphics and company information, and keep these platforms up to date with products, updates, and relevant industry news.
• Develop email marketing content and segment email lists accordingly. 
• Determine a budget for a Pay Per Click Campaign and promote relevant products through Google’s Ad platform. 

To All of Our Grads and Future Attendees,

This year has taken some unpredictable turns.

The unforeseen impact of COVID-19 has changed the way we do business and interact with loved ones, and we continue to protect those we can as we recover. To add to this crisis, we all saw yet another unarmed African American, George Floyd, killed in an act of police violence. But those eight minutes of video are a blink in the eye of an ongoing history and pattern of racial violence and oppression of minorities in the United States.

It’s time for a change, and that happens now.

We have every reason to be angry, but our African American grads, business partners, friends, and family have more reason. We will not tolerate hate, racism, and abuse. This past week opened all our eyes to the fact that there is still much work to be done in order to carry out and honor the foundation laid by the leaders of the Civil Rights movement decades ago.

Black lives matter. To say anything else would be to ignore a fire in our own house.

At Commercial Capital Training Group, we have always prided ourselves in offering opportunities, and we are grateful to our African American and minority grads who not only become amazing entrepreneurs but who also help to uplift other businesses and communities in the process.

I believe we must all continue to invest in our greatest qualities – our ability to improve ourselves, to better our behavior, to demonstrate empathy, and to raise our voices. Because it is only when we invest in those very human qualities that we can appreciate the rewards of positive change and a better tomorrow.

Thank You,
Kris Roglieri

Resources for You to Help and Provide Support

To provide help and support to African American communities across the country as well as those fighting for Civil Rights, consider donating to the following organizations:

Southern Poverty Law Center
Black Lives Matter
Alliance for Justice
National Urban League
ACLU
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
List of Bail Funds for Protesters

When running a lead generation campaign, the landing page is your first impression of your company and products that a potential client will see. Placing a large emphasis on the presentation and functionality of your landing pages is the first step in maximizing conversions. You’ll also want to consider the following: 

Make Sure To Establish Credibility

Prominently display your company name and logo on the landing page. This will convey the concept of transparency, and will deem you to be trustworthy. 

Collect Email Addresses Of All Visitors

Even if someone clicks on your page and doesn’t buy, you want to make sure you’re continuing to connect with them and offer as much free information as possible. It is imperative that there is a form to fill out which asks for an email address, so that you’re able to drop all visitors into your email drip campaign and build out your pipeline.

Make Use Of Testimonials

Social proof holds a ton of weight when it comes to persuading a consumer to buy. Working a testimonial into the landing page will help customers gain your trust early on in their research.

Be Clear With Bullet Points

Large blocks of text become boring and difficult to read. Spelling out your points in easy to read, bullet format will help get your points across in a simple to understand way. 

Solve The Problem

Without the ability to eliminate a pain point for customers, it is difficult to sell to them. Be clear, concise, and honest about what problem you’ll solve, and how you’ll solve it.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to force businesses to change their model for the time being, business strategies overall are becoming more reliant on digital marketing. These changes have increased the barrier and ability to reach customers they way they used to. A component to avoiding further loss is to develop a plan to stay in touch. 

We’ve seen the continual cancellations of conferences, trade shows, and other boots on the ground gatherings, and because of that businesses have scrambled to build an online presence and find a way to connect with their customers virtually. 

First, you’ll want to set up social media accounts and engage as much as you can. The amount of folks who are spending time online currently has skyrocketed, and sharing posts from accounts that you trust, responding to comments of your audience, and liking posts will not only drive traffic to your page, but will also let your audience know you are here for them. 

Next, take some time to write some longer form copy for the blog section of your website about what your business looks like due to the coronavirus, and what you’re doing to ensure quality. You can also talk about different tips or tricks you’d suggest on getting through these times as it relates to your industry. For example, if you’re a gym owner, maybe you’re continually offering advice on how to stay on track while at home. 

Finally, compile an email marketing list of contacts you’ve accumulated over time, and, similarly to the blog section of your website, keep your audience up to date and informed on changes with your business, what you’re doing to keep things running smoothly, and what they can be doing as well. 

Ultimately, you’ll be communicating the same or a similar message across all platforms, but the increased amount of “touch points” will keep the trust of your audience, and keep you at the forefront of their mind as a credible resource at a time where it’s needed most. 

After a month or more of social distancing due to COVID-19, it can feel at this point like a life of isolation is almost normal. With the uneasiness and uncertainty that comes with being disconnected from your normal routine and for some, complete disappearance of your day to day responsibilities, it’s easy to have similar fears regarding what life will look like when things do begin to open up again.

While life, business, and social activities may not be the same for quite some time, here are some things you can do to prepare for the end of quarantine.

Utilize Your Digital Resources To Stay Connected

LinkedIn is an excellent way to converse and network. Consider starting a conversation with a few of your connections you haven’t talked to in awhile, just to see how they’re doing or what they’re doing to keep things going during the quarantine. You may also research online groups in your industry in an effort to learn from peers on how they’ve been going about handling a time like this. 

In addition to LinkedIn, video conferencing apps like FaceTime or Zoom are great to sit and chat with co workers, employees, or clients face to face. While email, text message, and phone call are always an option, a face to face conversation can serve as a much more personal method of communication and can go a long way during a time where many are alone for a majority of the time.

Create A Routine

Between Tiger King and the idea that you definitely are allowed to stay in your pajamas if you want to, it can become tempting to completely fall out of your regular routine by sleeping later, going to bed later, working from the couch, etc, making it that much harder to jump back into your routine when the time comes. Beginning to add small pieces of your old routine back into your day such as a consistent wake time, the same check in call with a colleague, and a clear workspace will make the transition much easier. You may even consider using a mediation or sleep app.

Move Your Body

I’ve heard the term “quarantined potato” more than once in the last week, so I think it’s time to address it! Whether you’ve got a full basement gym, or live in a 400 sq ft studio apartment, moving your body every day will keep you both mentally and physically healthy. You can always head to YouTube to find free videos that can take you through something like an at home yoga flow or something of higher intensity, with no equipment of course. 

Email marketing will forever serve as a “must have” in the digital marketing space for a multitude of reasons. 

Email is an excellent way to generate a better experience for both customers as well as potential customers by offering consistent value and continuing to establish credibility. Email is also one of the easiest ways to track and measure what types of content your audience responds to and engages with the most. 

The most difficult thing business owners encounter when it comes to email marketing is actually building their list and getting email addresses compiled. When it comes to generating a strong email list, it’s actually much easier than one would think. 

Strategies for growing your list can include: 

Incentives

Different types of giveaways or opportunities to win prizes by sharing one’s email is an excellent way to encourage someone to opt into your email list. Incentives can be offered in person, over social media, or on your website. 

Collect Business Cards

Be diligent about collecting business cards at networking events. Even if you don’t particularly believe someone is in an industry that you’re interested in doing business with, remember that building a relationship with that person and gaining their trust through email marketing may result in a referral partnership. 

Provide Opportunity On Your Website

Make sure that each page of your website gives the user an opportunity to opt into your email list to receive constant, free, and valuable information

Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies when it comes to nurturing your audience. In order to reap all the benefits of email, though, it is imperative to keep the following components in mind. 

Segment Your Audience

If you make list building a priority, you will end up with a full and robust email list and not all of your audience members will be similar. This will result in your need to create different messaging and send it to different audience segments in an effort to connect with each person.

Place An Emphasis On Aesthetics

While it isn’t necessary to be an award winning graphic designer, it is important to make sure your branding remains clean and professional. Making use of free services like canva or mailchimp will help you to keep your email blasts on brand and looking legitimate. 

Automation

Automation can help with both time efficiency and can keep things streamlined. When content is batch created and scheduled out, things can automate over time without the need to continually spend time going in and writing new content.

Plan Ahead

Planning out multiple email drips in a campaign can make content creation easy and efficient. Understanding offers, new products, launches, and announcements ahead of time allows your brand to stay ahead of the game and lets your audience know you’re committed to keeping them retained and informed.