Bike Lane Business Development
Small Business Development
file under SEO
If you search for anything on marketing, I guarantee that you will find a HubSpot post on the first page. They have been prolific bloggers since they started in 2006. In this post, they pull back the curtain a bit on how they rank so highly.
Read the post HERE
file under Sales
It has been a long time since I’ve heard any positive comments about cold calling, but this podcast episode had a frank discussion about it that hit home on a couple of points for me. It’s worth a listen. He also has an offer at the end to get his book and some training videos for free.
Read the post HERE
file under Advertising
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Facebook is one of the best places for budget-conscious small businesses to advertise. You can learn a ton about your customers and what they want and need.
Check out this post from Duct Tape Marketing on How to Generate Leads for $100 a Month Using Facebook Ads
https://ducttapemarketing.com/generate-leads-with-facebook-ads/
Photo by Jo San Diego on Unsplash
file under Efficiency
I love notebooks. I often picture myself with my Moleskin sitting with Hemingway in “A Movable Feast” in a Parisian cafe. Really, I have a problem. Well, I have many, but this is the one I’m talking about at the moment.
The problem I have is that I don’t go back and review them enough. I record things but it doesn’t stick. It is like a hard drive for my mind to save things that I will only reference if forced to do so.
The Cornell Note-taking System just might change all that. Find out why here:
Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash
file under Delegation
A common small business gripe is that there is never enough time in the day. Outsourcing can give you more time. My whole point of living in the Bike Lane is often a DIY mentality, but there are times that you should avoid the DIY and outsource.
With so many people working from home these days, there might not be a better time to find great outsourced talent.
DIY Marketers has an excellent post about how to do just that:
https://diymarketers.com/how-to-outsource/
P.s. If you understood that headline, you are my kind of person. (Let me know if you did bill@bikelanebd.com)
file under Event Marketing
If you spend much time behind the table at a trade show, your world has changed, and it does not appear to be changing anytime soon.
Zoom meetings have become a common experience for everyone these days. Take this opportunity to pivot into a virtual event. DIY Marketers has a roadmap for you to create, market, and capitalize on your own virtual event.
https://diymarketers.com/how-to-run-a-successful-virtual-event/
Image from Giphy.com
file under Social Media
My clients often ask me what time when and how often they should post on social media. There is actually an answer to it. HubSpot has an excellent post with a very in-depth study on the performance of volume and schedule.
One of the things that I was surprised by is that time of day on twitter does not matter. It is a great read and worth the 10 minutes it might take you. Read more below:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-frequently-should-i-publish-on-social-media
Photo by George Pagan III on Unsplash
file under Customer Service
Companies make all sorts of rules, some good, some bad. They are usually to keep some consistency in their product or service, or they are for safety purposes, and often n order to maximize profits.
Empowering your employees to bend or break the rules when it benefits the customer is a powerful tool to guarantee both happy customers and employees.
Shep Hyken has an excellent post with a good story about ridiculous rules:
https://hyken.com/customer-service-training/ridiculous-interpretation-of-rules/
Photo by Mark Duffel on Unsplash
File under: Customer Service
I began my professional career as a customer service rep and it was the best foundation I could have asked for. It has helped me every day of my professional career since. I believe that the best people to do business with have a customer service mindset.
HubSpot has a post here about developing those customer service skills, it’s directed at customer service reps, but it should be directed at every small business person out there.
This is one of the biggest things you need to make it big in the bike lane. Read more about it here:
https://blog.hubspot.com/service/excellent-customer-service-skills
Photo by Florian Schmaezz on Unsplash
File under: Customer Service
Has a salesperson ever answered your question, but didn’t actually tell you what you wanted to know? You are in good company.
Shep Hyken talks here about how to give your customers complete answers, not just answers.
https://hyken.com/customer-service-training/the-incomplete-answer/