Chapter 9
Reaching Out
“Almost overnight, the Internet’s gone from a technical wonder to a business must.”
—Bill Schrader
By reaching out beyond clients, customers, employees, and colleagues to your community and to other businesses, you enhance your company’s visibility and image. Now you can reach out more than ever online through networking sites, links and affiliate programs, and ever-expanding interactive options, from discussion boards to opinion polls. Reach out to as many people as you can with your announcements, but also encourage people to visit you online or in person. As you consider your announcements, be aware of increasing your visibility in all of the places where you will post those announcements.
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
Opinion polls show that people love to participate in opinion polls! Hosting opinion polls that are related to your business on your website is an enticement for people to bookmark to see the new poll and check out results of those in which they participated.
You might choose to include commentary on the topic or poll outcome or simply to host the poll.
You can use opinion polls to find out what your customers are thinking, what drives them, and what matters most to them.
Some polls can be silly, fun, or marginally related just to keep your site interesting and motivate people to check back.
When announcing or sending out customer service surveys, realize that few people take the time to complete them. However, the information you will receive from them is extremely valuable. Announcing an “opinion poll” may be more enticing.
When results are important to you, entice people to participate and show your appreciation for those who do participate. Offer a small incentive if you can.
Opinion polls can be formal or informal and can be via any medium: e-mail, U.S. Postal Service mail, telephone, face-to-face, or, most commonly, online. Opinion polls can contain yes/no or multiple-choice questions.
Knowing what your existing and potential clients or customers think about your and your competitors’ products and services helps you focus on your market’s wants and needs.
When conducting a survey or poll that is more than a quick single question, always say up front how many questions there are and/or how much time the survey or opinion poll is expected to take.
Thank those who participate both before and after they complete your poll or survey.
You don’t have to know how to create an online poll or have a professional Web developer; you can find online sites to help you post and track Web polls.
You can use opinion polls to encourage people to join your mailing list if they’d like to know about the results, future polls, and information related to the poll. This is a good way to increase your mailing list with people who are interested in your area of focus and might not have found you (or checked back) otherwise.
Phrases
“Which of the following best describes your current lifestyle? ______ Very active ______ Somewhat active ______ I move when I absolutely have to!”
“Cast your vote! We’re creating a new look, and we want to look good to you. Please click on the two templates below to rate each option on look, functionality, and overall appeal.”
“How did you find us? ______ Referral ______ Online ad ______ Print ad ______ Other”
“Please rate our service to help us better serve you! ______ Excellent ______ Good ______ Fair ______ Poor”
“Please fill in the field below with any comments you’d like to share. We appreciate your business and your feedback. Thank you!”
“How do you make most of your electronics purchases? ______ Online ______ Phone order ______ In a store”
“As every member of this site knows, there are many good reasons to go vegan! Which is the primary reason that motivated you to make the choice? ______ Health issues ______ Animal welfare ______ Environmental concerns ______ I do it for my spouse/parents/another family member (or because they’re doing it and vegan food is usually all that’s in the kitchen)!”
“This week’s This or That poll: Chocolate or Vanilla?”
“Where do you advertise most? ______ Online ______ Print media ______ About equally online and in print”
“Where do you get your health information? ______ Popular magazines and televisions shows ______ News programs ______ My doctor ______ Family or friends ______ A certified nutritionist ______ Other”
“Do you own your own home?”
“Do you recycle?”
“Do you have health insurance?”
“Take our annual Best of poll! Click here to make your choice for the best businesses in town!”
“What do you have to say about our service? We’re listening!”
“Please help us identify the services and products that best suit your needs. Completing this survey should take less than 10 minutes.”
“To show our appreciation, we will send a gift certificate / coupon for a 10% discount on your next product or service to all who respond.”
“Please rate our service using the following scale: 1 = poor, 2 = below average, 3 = OK, 4 = good, 5 = excellent. ______ Timely ______ Responsive ______ Pleasant ______ Friendly ______ Beneficial”
“About you:
“How long have you been ______ ’s client / customer?
“How often do you shop / use our service?
“Do you use our facilities in other locations? Which?
“Do you recommend ______ to friends and relatives?”
“Tell us about our products / services:
“What do you like most about working with / shopping at ______?
“What do you like least about working with / shopping at ______?
“What services or products would you like us to add?”
“Thank you for participating!”
“Interested in joining our list? If you’d like to know about the results of this poll and hear about future polls, results, and updates about insurance rates / real estate / travel deals / tech trends, click here to join our list!”
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
Everyone seems to connect to everyone else’s resources.
Mutual arrangements to post complementary links on websites allow both parties to gain significantly greater exposure.
Links through networking pages are more fun and friendly than ever.
Networking site links can help you find resources with referrals by people you trust.
Collaborative business efforts enhance all concerned. By developing alliances with like businesses, you can strengthen your delivery system, expand your customer base, and offer your customers more options.
Developing alliances with complementary businesses attracts new markets.
Alliances with like businesses may increase your product/service array and retain customers who may be ready to change to larger providers.
One way to increase your visibility exponentially is to link to other appropriate websites. You may belong to a business or trade organization. Many offer to link member websites to the organization’s site, helping you reach unexpected markets.
If you decide to offer an online affiliate program, you’ll want your announcements to entice as many people as they can. This automated referral system allows you to bring in new customers who might otherwise never have found you in exchange for a small percentage to the business or individual who hosted your logo on another site.
Phrases
“Visit our Facebook page and link to us for fun daily updates and posts!”
“Let’s be friends! Link to us on any or all of the following sites where we regularly post updates and respond to customer comments.”
“Let us share our success with you! Join our affiliate program!”
“Earn up to 15% for referrals!”
“Becoming an affiliate is as easy as 1-2-3! (1) Sign up using our quick, easy form. (2) Place our logos or product photos on your website using the links provided to you as an affiliate. (3) Every time someone who clicks our link from your site buys from us, you earn 15% of the total purchase.”
“As a One-Stop-Web-Shop Affiliate, you can access our marketing materials to post on your website, e-mail, and online promotions. Link to our store and instantly increase the number of products you have to offer while earning 5%.”
“Click here to learn how you can earn passive income by promoting environmentally friendly products!”
“Our affiliate program offers friendly, responsive service and top-rated tracking software. Click here to read more!”
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
Customers appreciate the apparent bonus of a collaborative arrangement such as a restaurant discount accompanying the purchase of local theater tickets or a small vase of flowers provided by a local florist in a hotel room. Such collaboration gives the theater or hotel a unique touch and gives those local businesses exposure.
For any alliance, no matter how short term, have a written agreement. Be clear about what you can and can’t do and about your expectations.
Phrases
“Biltmore and Holland clients will benefit from an expanded selection of investment options.”
“Dante Hall ticket holders receive a 20% discount at Angeloni’s II on show nights.”
“The Downtown, Milford’s boutique hotel, has partnered with the Milford Tennis Club and Shax Golf Course to offer discounted recreation to guests.”
“Spend $100 at our office supply / office furniture / printing company and get 15% off a one-hour consultation with The Ultimate Organizers consultants.”
“Buy a dress or suit at Mambo’s and get a discount card for a pair of shoes or a handbag at Salsa’s.”
“BeachFront Trust and the Foundation for a Cure have teamed up for the second annual Riverfront Musicfest, an outdoor festival featuring live bands along the riverfront. The event will raise funds for the two local charities.”
“As part of Natural Planet Magazine’s commitment to bring our e-newsletter subscribers useful information on new products, services, and educational programs, we want to share the following message from one of our partners, Beauty Cares Cosmetics.”
Participating in Your Community
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
Initiatives in partnership with local schools, universities, and charities help your business and the community. Depending on the size of your staff, you may select any of a number of options.
Company-wide initiatives such as blood drives, charitable collections, and participation in runs, walks, or telethons all strengthen internal bonds and external appreciation.
Many companies encourage employees to donate time to local charities and to serve on community boards. Employees who do should receive recognition and thanks.
Think of what products, services, or support your company can give, but ensure that the real and hidden costs are comfortably within your budget. No one wants to see your business suffer as a result of helping. It’s as true for companies as it is for individuals that you can do more good if you take care of yourself.
Schools and youth programs are always looking for people to share information about careers to show children and teens a broad scope of opportunities and possible directions they can consider for themselves.
Contributing to the sponsorship of a local event might be a very small cost for the amount of good press exposure.
You don’t have to contribute to a local event to have a presence there. For a cleanup in the park, invite employees to participate and give them company shirts, hats, and/or water bottles.
Phrases
“Metro Corporation is participating in the Fun Run for local charities on March 20. Run along and join the fun!”
“Want to do more? When you sign up for the Fun Run online, you’ll have an option to start your own page and invite people to sponsor you. Feel free to run away with this option. It’s a great cause!”
“So far we have 22 people signed up online for the charity run and private sponsorships are up to $725!”
“Thanks to all who have signed up for the run!”
“Levy’s appreciates your business and is dedicated to supporting the community. Visit our website to see what we do to give back locally.”
“Building the Library—Book by Book! The library is seeking book donations. Bring your good-condition books to the conference room and we’ll drop them off at the library on Friday, August 23.”
“Partners in Reading is a local group that recruits business employees to volunteer one hour each week to preschoolers enrolled in the Town Library program.”
“Take the afternoon off! Employees who would like to speak at the school career day or the youth center’s What Can You Do? Career Day event, e-mail Beverly at [email protected].”
“Rock Solid Products is a proud sponsor of the local community service fundraising gala. The attached agreement outlines our donations of in-kind and monetary contributions, our understanding of our responsibilities, and our standard expectations of the charities whose events we sponsor.”
“Please call or e-mail with any questions regarding the attached sponsorship agreement.”
“We care!”
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
Testimonials from clients and customers reinforce a company’s positive image.
Testimonials help potential clients or customers relate to existing ones and give credence to claims ranging from outstanding service to product benefits.
Testimonials also offer clients and customers an opportunity for visibility in print or online. Because they give exposure that could act as a marketing vehicle for those quoted, you can encourage people to contribute by promoting that exposure.
A client or customer can speak of your services in more glowing terms than you can—or at least sound more credible and unbiased doing so.
Get permission to use client, customer, or company names. Some companies must run the requests through their legal departments; don’t ask at the last minute when you’re in a hurry to publish on a deadline.
Many people will ask you to write the testimonial for them and show it to them for approval; do it.
The most effective testimonials include concrete language that references benefits or service.
Some options are more technologically complex than others. Do what is feasible for you. If you like an idea that might be costly, search for a simpler alternative.
“Please help us help others!”
“Would you like to spread your good fortune?”
“If you’re happy and you know it, click your mouse! Click here to write a brief testimonial to let others know about your success.”
“For our 20th anniversary, we are compiling comments about our services, our products, and our employees for an online Anniversary Celebration Album. We welcome your comments and permission to acknowledge you.”
“Our new website will feature satisfied customers and clients in both print and audiovisual media. To be included, please complete the following form.”
“Adnil Company will be honored at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting. We would welcome comments from our Advisory Board Members for the event program book.
“We put our customers first! But don’t take our word for it. Click here to see what people are saying!”
“Are you happy? If you’re a satisfied customer, send in your story for our testimonials page! With your permission, we’ll name you and your company and even include a live link to your company website. If you’re not happy, we want to know that, too! Feel free to call or e-mail or post your comment or concern in our public forum. We want you to be happy!”
“Can we quote you on that? We’ve received so many positive comments on our forum, we’d like to create a Testimonials page. Please click new the new ‘Quote me!’ tab under the comments field if we can have your permission to use your statement on our site. (You will have the option to give a blanket release ‘Always quote me’ or a one-time release ‘Applies to this comment only.’)”
“Nitch One’s community outreach coordinator, Deena Horn, is a finalist for the State Chamber of Commerce’s Big Heart Award. We know that she’s worked extensively with you and would appreciate a letter that we can forward to the award committee, describing how she’s helped you.”
“To those who offered to write testimonials on Mark’s behalf, we appreciate your time constraints. If you wish, we would be happy to take your comments and draft a letter for your editing and approval.”
“How are we doing? Please click here to provide your feedback. Please check the box marked ‘Quote me!’ to fill out a brief form that will give us permission to post your comments. Thank you!”