Have you ever ever stepped into a brand new position in an unfamiliar {industry} and puzzled the way you’ll ever stand up to hurry? Many entrepreneurs face this problem. It requires buying mountains of {industry} data shortly. Studying to learn the market wins, understanding your buyer’s needs, and navigating this transition aren’t any small feats, and the strain to ship outcomes can really feel insurmountable while you’re nonetheless discovering your footing.
That’s what Social Pulse: Retail Version episode’s visitor Staci O’Prey excels at. The sector advertising and marketing supervisor at Coldwell Banker Realty chats with host Agorapulse’s Chief Storyteller Mike Allton.
[Listen to the full episode below, or get the highlights of the Social Pulse: Retail Edition, powered by Agorapulse. Try it for free today.]
Might you share your preliminary strategy to utterly new industries?
Staci O’Prey: Once I began within the advertising and marketing area as a marketing consultant means again in 2004, my purchasers have been advertising and marketing to my demographic. So it was straightforward. It was pediatric dentistry. I had a younger son, so it match me completely. It was a med spa. It was actual property the place it was proper at the moment once I was trying to purchase a house with my husband. So it was very straightforward for me to market.
To myself, I used to be the avatar, the shopper persona as we prefer to name it, and that went on for about 10 years.
After which I ended up getting a consumer who was a garden service and tools supplier and likewise golf carts. So at first, I wasn’t even positive I used to be going to take him on as a consumer. I used to be a little bit nervous and didn’t know if I might do properly for them, so I simply dug into it and researched them and their opponents.
Once I seemed on-line at their social following, which they didn’t have on the time, I additionally checked out their opponents, so I used to be capable of get my feelers out for who it was that they have been trying to assist, what their ache factors have been, what the demographic was, and what the psychographics have been.
It was a whole lot of analysis to start with, but it surely was properly price it.
How do you stability studying all this details about industry-specific traits and knowledge with delivering advertising and marketing outcomes as shortly as potential?
Staci O’Prey: Once I took purchasers on, I’d give about two weeks to do this analysis and perceive who it was I used to be advertising and marketing to.
There’s a stability. So, while you convey on a brand new consumer, if it’s simply social media, they count on day one, they’re going to have posts and engagement, and every part goes to be nice. There’s studying and making use of.
As you’re taking these two weeks to study the consumer and study the opponents, you additionally wish to present them with their advertising and marketing. On this instance, social media. So what I did for this specific consumer on the time was whereas I used to be studying, I took their content material.
I had them do a brief video on who they have been, what their why was, and what their story was. Some buyer testimonials, some user-generated content material. So I had issues that have been going out, and we have been beginning to construct within the algorithm. We have been beginning to get seen.
By the point I needed to do a few of the advertising and marketing and posts for a product or a service that they’d, I already had some engagement there, and so I might get proper into it, however I used to be all the time studying the entire time.
It was simply that preliminary, I’d say, in all probability the primary 30 days of getting up and operating, researching, getting content material from them, sharing their story, after which going with the move after that.
At first, for people who find themselves simply beginning with social media advertising and marketing they usually’re a brand-new enterprise, it may be a little bit bit overwhelming. However with all the issues that now we have, all of the instruments that now we have, particularly now with AI, there was no AI, there was no ChatGPT once I was wanting in and researching. So now you’ll be able to even begin your preliminary search with an AI product, say ChatGPT, get a top level view and go from there.
What key methods have you ever used with these new goal audiences?
Staci O’Prey: I discover that competitor analysis—let’s say once more with that social media instance and what are they posting? Are they promoting? You could find out what particular person or what firm is promoting on Fb, what their advertisements seem like, and the way a lot they’re promoting.
So it’s a sneak peek at what they’re doing but in addition discovering out what that consumer or that prospect:
- The place are they discovered on-line?
- Are they a Fb particular person?
- What platforms are they on?
Perceive what their ache factors are.
Utilizing the garden tools and repair supplier is so removed from something that I knew about. So it was like, “Okay, who’re their purchasers?” They’ve householders. They’ve service suppliers, garden and landscaping. I don’t know something about that. I even went to the clubhouse at my HOA and requested the man who ran the landscaping for our neighborhood. Simply bought an thought of the tools that they used and simply sparked up a dialog with him—which I all the time would say hello and see him—however understanding how a lot tools have they got on their truck? What sorts of issues do they seem like they need assistance with? And I do know it’d sound odd, however that’s who I’m advertising and marketing to for sure merchandise that they’re promoting.
So I’ve to know: How can I assist them? I’m offering a service. They’re offering a service. What will make their lives simpler? Once more, what are their ache factors?
After which becoming that into the content material, even with the way in which that I’d write a caption or an e-mail topic line within the e-mail physique, one thing that I’d write for a demographic like myself once I was doing pediatric dentistry. I understand how to speak to an individual, often mothers often in the identical age vary.
With this specific consumer, I had modified my wording even from once we have been transferring and we ain’t taking it with us. We ain’t taking the issues with us. Clearly, I wouldn’t use that at a med spa or I wouldn’t use that for pediatric dentistry, however attempting to get in that lingo, and that speak of that demographic, I discovered useful.
Now, I used to be the primary particular person they’d ever employed. They have been ready to rent somebody in-house, so I used to be non permanent, however wow, they have been blown away as a result of they by no means had one, they by no means had advertising and marketing. Two, the outcomes that they bought, the press charges, and the engagement on social media. It was new and it was recent, and their family and friends began seeing some of these items.
Nevertheless it was the primary time I had ever executed advertising and marketing for a product. I had all the time executed service. As an example, in pediatric dentistry, you don’t simply ship one thing out and get a affected person. It takes time. You need to construct that belief. Identical with an actual property agent. This isn’t “I’m sending you an e-mail or I’m posting one thing on social media, and rapidly you wish to checklist your private home with me.”
It’s a long-term play. It’s a protracted sport. And so once I did the product, I used to be blown away. Social media advertising and marketing organically. We have been simply doing it organically and simply e-mail and textual content campaigns. They have been bombarded with individuals reaching out to attempt to get a product to get some lawnmowers, they usually have been promoting golf carts, they usually have been blown away.
I used to be blown away as a result of I don’t usually hear from the consumer that morning or that afternoon after one thing’s gone out they’ve simply had 5 orders inside the hour. So it does work if you understand how to strategy that demographic and that particular person that you just’re trying to market to. It’s crucial.
Have there been issues that didn’t pan out the way you’d hoped?
Staci O’Prey: There wasn’t something that I’ve executed with the consumer that was a complete bomb. There was one occasion the place I used to be working with an actual property group and he wished to construct his YouTube channel and YouTube shorts weren’t round at the moment.
This was in all probability 2019. We have been doing long-form video, so I’d say 4 to 6 minutes max, and it was all about on the market by proprietor and it’s a kind of issues throughout the board, and I ought to have stated this earlier than: All the time do your key phrase analysis. As a result of when you’re doing, when you’re advertising and marketing, whether or not it’s a dentist or a lawyer or a health care provider and also you’re placing this content material collectively, you wish to be sure that the way in which that you just construction it’s optimized for Google, search engine optimization. So that you wish to search these key phrases? What are individuals wanting up?
And so I discovered it on this occasion individuals weren’t actually searching for a sale by proprietor, however this agent wished to have a library on his YouTube channel, hopefully, to get some key phrases in there and get picked up when individuals have been looking out it. However he wished to have a library.
So what we did is we took that 4 to six-minute video and I chopped it up and I had little trailers, teasers, and now the reels. So we’d put these out on Instagram and Fb after which have them go, watch the entire video, and return over to the YouTube channel. There weren’t a whole lot of, I believe within the first month, perhaps six individuals clicked on that video.
It was in all probability greater than I believed, okay, that is actually only for a library, however I wished it to achieve success. What we did after we completed it was like a seven-video sequence on the market by the proprietor. I believed, “Okay, they’re watching, there’s engagement on the brief movies. Is it the size of the video? Is it the content material, or is it the caption?”
I used to be engaged on his web site concurrently an internet designer. He was an professional in seven neighborhoods and 7 suburbs. I had him go to every of these areas and movie a brief thirty second neighborhood highlight, which we known as Neighborhood Highlight, and he bought in entrance of the digicam. One among them was at a golf course and wrote a mini script for him saying, “That is the place I’m at. Give some key factors.” It’s 400 lovely houses, simply little tidbits in regards to the space. Make it brief and candy. Put that on his YouTube, put that on his Instagram. And it was like 230 within the first two weeks.
So I believed, “Okay, that’s what they wish to see. They wish to see the precise space that they’re going to purchase.” He targeted on homebuyers. Loads of brokers I’ve labored with deal with listings, however he was a house purchaser. Individuals wish to see the realm. We all know how many individuals are coming to the San Antonio space. We’re fairly positive the place they’re going to wish to transfer, however let’s give him a little bit bit extra as a result of we wish to allow them to know that he’s not solely an professional in actual property, however he’s an professional within the communities within the space.
The extra he was on digicam, the extra they bought to know and belief him and really feel comfy with him.
I don’t know if the primary sale by the proprietor would’ve been a failure however I prefer to suppose it was a win as a result of we discovered that by slicing these movies down and altering the placement and altering the subject, it ended up being an final success. So it was a win-win, I believe.
What position does creativity play in an unfamiliar {industry}?
Staci O’Prey: I believe creativity is essential since you’re studying, particularly with a finances. I’ll begin this with being artistic and problem-solving with a finances. As a result of when a social media supervisor or advertising and marketing marketing consultant brings on a consumer and also you’re targeted on small enterprise house owners, they don’t have an enormous finances.
So it’s important to do with what you could have and be artistic, equivalent to user-generated content material. Let’s say you could have signed on to do 5 posts every week and get user-generated content material. You are able to do contests, let’s say pediatric dentistry. Present us your smile and win a $50 coupon or an Amazon present card or one thing like that.
One of many contests that we did—it is a whereas again, I simply remembered—was The place within the World is Your Toothbrush? And so the youngsters, it was over summer season break and they might go to grandma’s home with a toothbrush. They’d go tenting and take an image of their toothbrush, after which that gave them, I believe we had 110 photographs submitted, and you can simply put up one a day. Now you wouldn’t wish to do this ’trigger that may get redundant. However all of that content material you’re not needing, that consumer’s not needing to pay for somebody to provide you with a graphic design. That’s all user-generated content material.
Once I’ve labored with actual property brokers, having user-generated content material can be testimonials. No matter {industry} advertising and marketing or a social media supervisor is niching or engaged on, there’s one thing which you can get testimonials for a yoga studio, testimonials for a espresso store, any of these companies, you can have these people who come into your small business.
Take a photograph, and tag the enterprise. Put the placement on within the enterprise and that spreads and that goes so much farther than having to promote on a regular basis.
Fb promoting is dear. So when you, I all the time say when you can nail down your natural and then you definately want some extra, then clearly herald that paid promoting.
There’s a fast instance from throughout Covid I had simply taken on this specific actual property group. On the finish of 2019, so we have been proper on the cusp of every part getting shut down.
Now, an actual property agent is an area enterprise, so would it not be finest to assist your native companies? We had all the companies principally shut down, all the eating places, all the domestically owned present outlets, all these issues have been shut down. And the way did we determine the best way to assist them? What we did was we ran a few contests, so we have been capable of go in and get present playing cards, after which we’d have user-generated content material, take an image, or no matter.
I can’t keep in mind precisely what the competition was, however we’d have individuals identical to you’ll see on Instagram and Fb, tag a pal, do all that great things after which we might assist the native enterprise. They will’t go into the enterprise, however they’re getting cash by us giving them present playing cards. So once they do open up the one that’s received that present card they usually have been so appreciative of that.
While you’re supporting your native companies and you’re a native enterprise, they’re going to assist you again. I additionally inform purchasers that individuals are busy, particularly the brokers that I work with, they usually can’t get on Fb and Instagram, and LinkedIn and and touch upon every part or put up daily and put a brand new reel up.
However what they will do is perhaps spend 10 minutes within the morning and 10 minutes within the night after they’ve eaten dinner and remark and have interaction with native companies and subsequently assist them. There are methods to get artistic and generally we get extra artistic once we’re caught in opposition to the wall.
However I prefer to suppose that the majority of us within the social media {industry} and the advertising and marketing {industry} are artistic and we often find yourself arising with one thing good and we are able to brainstorm with the consumer additionally
How essential is collaboration in adapting a advertising and marketing technique to a brand new {industry}?
Staci O’Prey: I really like that query. Collaboration first for the marketer is essential.
Once I first joined the Social Media Supervisor Group, in all probability in 2015 or 2014, I used to be searching for a bunch to take the courses, study in regards to the platforms, and find out about social media advertising and marketing in a little bit bit extra formal setting versus simply watching free YouTube movies. And I’ll inform you that was one of the best $1,400 or $1,500 I’ve ever spent. I’m nonetheless involved with these individuals who I went to courses with. We’ve executed masterminds. We did one in Atlanta Georgia in 2019 once I wanted assist for a brand new consumer, a brand new {industry}. These are the people who I’m going to. I do the analysis on-line, I do this, however I all the time attain out and say, “Has anyone ever executed a golf coach or no matter {industry} it’s?”
And there’s all the time somebody within the group who has executed that. So collaborating together with your colleagues, I believe, is big. We had an enormous group with the Social Media Supervisor Faculty, after which we had a little bit offshoot from that next-level advertising and marketing group. We had already been working within the area and doing that stuff, so the questions that you’d get within the newbie group, like what’s your favourite third-party software program?
These issues time and again, we have been engaged on methods in our group. All the time useful, particularly in case you are a solopreneur and also you’re working from residence, you don’t have a advertising and marketing workforce round you, and it’s all the time good to bounce concepts off of different individuals. Having colleagues and constructing relationships with colleagues in your {industry} is essential. Collaborating as a enterprise I believe can be crucial as a result of once more, you’re each native companies. If we’re speaking within the native enterprise area, I’m pondering of your native city and perhaps a espresso store and I’ll use an actual property agent once more since you’re seeing the identical individuals.
You’re residing in the identical space. This world is small, individuals appear to know all people after some time, particularly while you get on-line and oh, you recognize her and you recognize him. And I believe it’s actually about supporting one another, supporting different native companies. All of us have the identical fears, is my enterprise going to achieve success? Am I reaching the suitable individuals? Am I reaching anyone? So collaborating each as a enterprise and as a marketing consultant, I believe is big. Very helpful.
Mike Allton: It’s so big. You’re so good. Completely. And I couldn’t agree extra with the purpose about connecting with colleagues. I’m an enormous proponent of making mastermind teams with you and simply three or 4 different people who find themselves not in your precise firm, they’re in different firms, different companies, or different solopreneurs, if that’s what you might be as a social media advertising and marketing skilled maybe. However people who find themselves about the identical tempo and place of their journey in life so that you just guys can get on a name each week or each month and speak collectively about what you’re every experiencing and assist one another.
It’s such a profound life expertise to have the ability to assist others ’trigger, gosh, you’re serving to your self the entire time. I’m questioning although, as a result of we’re speaking about, becoming a member of a brand new {industry}, attempting to determine what the viewers is. We’re studying a brand new firm, in fact, determining the market, and studying in regards to the gamers in that area. What in regards to the channels? As a result of I do know, we’re speaking about a few totally different industries. As an example, already on this dialog, some is perhaps nice on LinkedIn. Others clearly needs to be specializing in, say, Fb or Instagram.
Do you could have a course of for testing or figuring out one of the best channels for a specific {industry}?
Staci O’Prey: Completely. That’s the place the analysis turns out to be useful. And the demographics the place these individuals are on-line when you’re attempting to focus on a 55-plus crowd. You’re not going to be on Snapchat, I imagine Fb continues to be the preferred social media platform, however you’re going to wish to be the place your purchasers and your prospects are a whole lot of testing.
You may know that this specific group of individuals that you just’re concentrating on is often on Fb and Instagram. So begin there. If you happen to’re enterprise to enterprise, I believe the plain selection can be LinkedIn. However you don’t know till you strive.
If you happen to’re doing issues organically, you could have extra leeway. If you happen to’re a brand new social media supervisor, when you’re doing enterprise with customers, you go together with the plain. You see what your opponents are doing, the place are they at? In the event that they’re operating advertisements, you too can examine on that. However as I discussed earlier than, I imagine it’s best to all the time attempt to do one of the best organically, your basis, your web site, and your Google Enterprise presence ensure that every part is up and operating within the basis and construct up from there. Some industries, I believe, do want that fixed Fb promoting and Instagram promoting. I do know I’m utilizing these two platforms, however for lots of the people who I labored with up to now, these have been their key platforms.
However you do have to check, so go together with the plain. After you’ve executed your analysis and also you perceive who your avatar is, and who your shopper is, see how that works. After which you’ll be able to department off, particularly organically. You’re not dropping something.
You may go to LinkedIn if you wish to attain the enterprise crowd, even customers, or on LinkedIn for an actual property agent.
They’re attempting to achieve customers in the event that they’re on Fb and Instagram.
On LinkedIn, are they going to achieve customers? Positive. Is that going to be their important focus? Possibly they’re pondering, “I’m reaching out to title reps, mortgage lenders, property administration, and relocation providers.” That’s the place they’d in all probability do higher on LinkedIn with a enterprise strategy. They must change their wording and their focus. However, utilizing the plain that you just’ve researched and also you’ve seen success in different companies, particularly your opponents, simply hold an eye fixed out on the panorama. All the time know what’s occurring. That’s the factor about social media, digital advertising and marketing, typically, is what we used to have, again within the day, we had postcards, flyers, and occasions, then we bought an internet site, after which we’re emailing.
Now now we have social media, and it simply retains increasing. When you study one thing, it’s prefer it’s already modified. You need to study once more. So it’s important to do this while you’re working with purchasers and determining this has labored for some time, however there’s a whole lot of noise round this new platform. Is that this one thing that we wish to examine? You don’t should throw all of your eggs in a single basket, however just remember to’re on prime of the place individuals are going and what appears to be profitable. You are able to do that by studying {industry} publications. I discover a whole lot of info from Fb teams, Mari Smith on Fb, Social Media Examiner, Agorapulse weblog, and my colleague teams, Google Alerts.
Social listening is all the time on prime of it. So you recognize what’s up and coming ’trigger the worst factor is to have your consumer ask you about one thing, a brand new platform or one thing new that’s come out, they’ve seen the competitor do, and also you don’t know something about it. So it’s essential. When you’ve executed the analysis you’re researching isn’t completed, it’s ongoing ’trigger it’s important to go up with the instances and the adjustments on all these platforms and new platforms too.
Mike Allton: That’s terrific recommendation and thanks for shouting out people like Mari Smith and Social Media Examiner and naturally, I respect that. We’ll have hyperlinks to these sources within the present notes.
We even talked to Mari on this present early on ’trigger she has a wonderful useful resource as is people like Jen Herman. If you wish to sustain with what’s occurring with Instagram, Mari is all about Fb.
How are you at the moment measuring the enterprise impression of this social media exercise from that {industry} context?
Staci O’Prey: That’s an excellent query as a result of social media managers share within the frustration while you tackle a brand new consumer, they wish to know why the competitor has 10,000 followers they usually solely have 300.
I believe we’ve gotten a little bit bit away from that, but it surely was all the time about: What number of followers can I get? You will have 10,000 followers, however solely 20 are interacting, so it’s extra about amount over amount.
So, how do you measure that? Then you definately have a look at the engagement for social media, you’ll be able to see the engagement. You may as well see when you’re doing e-mail campaigns, you’ll be able to examine all these analytics. Are individuals opening up the e-mail? Do they click on by? Are they going to the hyperlink that you just wished to ship them to?
Promoting is simpler since you’re paying for a specific amount, you’re getting these analytics which you can see proper there, however organically it’s a little bit bit tough to go to a consumer and clarify that to them. It may very well be a slippery slope taking any individual on that’s simply searching for an arrogance metric—whereas the enterprise general can be more healthy with high quality engagement, measuring that, particularly with these lengthy sport purchasers, these long-term purchasers, or the actual property brokers the place they’re not going to have somebody knocking on the door, “You’ve been posting on my social media,” or “I’ve been posting on my social media for 2 months now and I haven’t gotten something.”
It takes time, and it’s important to clarify the natural technique of the algorithm and getting these engagements in likes. Now, in case you have a product, they’ve individuals coming within the door, not all the time, however you’re capable of see extra shortly, particularly the consumer. “Oh my gosh, I’m getting all these telephone calls!” So, that’s nice. However you even have to offer them with analytics. In order that may very well be individuals within the door, it may very well be the employees, ensuring that when the client-customer comes, they mark within the database. “This particular person discovered us within the e-mail, this particular person discovered us on Fb.”
Lots of people don’t do this. Companies, they’re busy. They may have a receptionist, any individual on the entrance desk, they’re busy, they’re not going to return in and mark that. However that’s essential. That’s old-fashioned. How many individuals got here within the door and also you marked it? If product-based or providers like a yoga studio or a espresso store. They may mark that down. However in case you have a protracted sport consumer, long-term consumer getting away from the self-importance metrics and looking out on the engagement, ’trigger you’re going to see that progress ultimately. After which with emails clicking by what’s occurring? If you happen to’re operating advertisements, who’re they going to your product web page?
So I have a look at a whole lot of issues. I have a look at a whole lot of various things and see what’s working. I don’t wish to sound hokey, however I keep in mind feeling a vibe while you met with the consumer, and issues have been going properly. You simply all have been on the identical vitality wavelength and issues have been operating, and so that you wish to keep and go together with that and it makes the marketing consultant or the social media supervisor wish to do a greater job.
Something however self-importance metrics. It’s good to get the additional followers. All the time good to get engagements.
However with regards to followers, don’t let that be the one factor you’re , as a result of, in the long run, you need these high quality people who find themselves going to in the end turn into prospects.
Thanks for studying the highlights from this episode with Staci O’Prey. Don’t overlook to search out the Social Pulse Podcast: Retail Version on Apple or Spotify, the place we’re digging into the challenges, successes, and tales of social media and group professionals within the {industry}, identical to you. And don’t miss different editions of the Social Pulse Podcast just like the Hospitality Version, Company Version, and B2B Version.
