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First-Person Data: Collect and Protect

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Compliance takes a leading role in marketing strategy

The accelerating use of Generative AI that’s occurring in business entities large and small has sparked privacy concerns in data management and IT security teams, marketing C-Suites and the offices of corporate governance/compliance attorneys. Whether the leadership at your organization calls itself progressive or conservative, it’s absolutely necessary to develop data implementation and risk management protocols, and create a crisis management public relations strategy while you’re at it, when integrating artificial intelligence backed software tools into your business operations.

Protecting client relationships and brand reputation has persuaded many organizations to bake compliance regulations into their marketing strategies, in particular those supported by GenAI. International Data Corporation (IDC), a global market intelligence and data provider for the IT, telecommunications and consumer technology markets headquartered near Boston, MA, cautions that stringent data compliance protocols are no longer merely optional, but are necessary, to avoid financial and reputational harm.

We’re all personally impacted by the increasingly pervasive use of AI and you are well aware that data privacy is high-priority to your client (and you). Regular reports of cyberattacks and data breaches intensify concern. While the the expansion of AI-powered software systems result in a more efficient, responsive and personalized experience that clients value and now expect, it’s usage simultaneously makes clients wonder about the security of their data. Research by Publishers Clearing House found that 86% of Americans are more concerned about their privacy and data security than the state of the US economy. However, 62% either don’t know or are misinformed about how their data is being used.

Sigh. There is an upside, however. Advanced risk monitoring tools, automated reporting and responsible AI frameworks can act as gatekeepers and companies achieve regulatory requirements. Businesses that integrate transparency and ethical AI practices into their governance policies and procedures can reduce the possibility of data breaches and other AI-related risks and simultaneously enhance client trust and strengthen the company’s brand reputation.

There is also legislation designed to reassure consumers that protecting their personal data is serious business and is, in some municipalities, the law. Protective measures meant to safeguard the processing of personal data is demonstrated by the change of privacy features at Google, the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), whose purpose is to protect the privacy and personal data of individuals in the European Union and European Common Market and the adoption of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

What is first-party data?

First-party data is information your company has collected directly from clients and prospects, site visitors, or social media followers. First-party data comes directly to you and the more touchpoints you provide, the more opportunities you will have to collect this information. It is an extremely valuable type of data for businesses. In comparison, second-party data is shared by a trusted source, while third-party data is data aggregated from other sources, which can include social media platforms and public records.

Marketers recognize that personalization is the cornerstone of a pleasing and potentially memorable customer experience and that collecting, implementing and storing client data —first-party data—is integral to personalization. Marketers enter first-party data into customer relations management (CRM) systems to enhance personalization, use CRM predictive analytics to get insight into client behaviors and preferences, recognize client segments and then target marketing campaigns accordingly. Sources of first-party data include:

  • Client demographic info
  • Client buying history
  • Leadgen campaigns
  • Client or prospect interactions with your website or app
  • Surveys and other online feedback that clients may participate in
  • Client, prospect or other visitors user-generated content or social media conversation transcripts
  • Blog, email and newsletter subscribers
  • Program registration lists, e.g. webinar, workshop, or meeting sign-ups

Why do you want first-party data?

First-party data helps you to paint a picture of your client and develop a reliable buyer persona. It is enormously useful because it delivers accurate client and prospect information—user info from all the touchpoints—that enables you to target the right buyers for your services or products. You’ll also be able to make better informed decisions when figuring out what personalization looks like to your clients.

First-party data enables marketers to build a customer experience that reflects user purchase history, if applicable, or other known preferences and behaviors that enrich and enhance the customer experience. Personalization is like the bartender who knows your drink or the waiter who shows you to your favorite table. Now you’ll have an accurate blueprint to follow when figuring out how to nurture a brand community of long-term clients who are happy to buy your products or services, make personal referrals and generate good word-of-mouth on social media.

Transcribe first-party data into your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform to create a database of everyone who’s visited your website and social media platforms. But before you start using your first-party data, think about what you want to achieve, to ensure that you’ll maximize its many benefits. You may want to do one or more of the following:

  • Building brand awareness 
  • Expanding leadgen activities
  • Encouraging repeat business and discouraging client churn 
  • Re-engaging lapsed clients and non-converting prospects
  • Growing your thought leadership content audience—blog, newsletter, podcast, webinars, speaking engagements

When you get enough first-person data to have confidence in the size of your sample, begin to implement your strategy—segment your audience and use your first-party data insights to maximize conversions on your website by optimizing user experience, targeted marketing messages, the buyer personas to understand your customers and create customized emails or (email) newsletters that will be relevant to the primary sectors (e.g., hospitals, schools, for-profit, not-for-profit, small business, global enterprise).

As well, Freelance consulting specialists and other B2B entities can follow the highly aligned and targeted account-based marketing format to produce relevant and personalized content to your market segments across the digital channels you occupy— posting tailored content in a various formats (e.g. blogs, videos, e-books, case studies) that resonate with those audience segments.

The ability to personalize marketing outreach activities cannot be overestimated—96% of shoppers say they’re “likely to purchase when brands send personalized messages.” Meanwhile, a 2025 consumer trends report generated by Businesswire found that “three out of four surveyed shoppers have already abandoned brands they once loved in favor of those offering more personalized experiences, while 81% say they routinely ignore marketing messages that don’t feel relevant”. When you throw in the harsh realities that client acquisition costs are increasing, client lifetime value is decreasing and the competitive landscape is intensifying, making the most of first-party client data becomes imperative. But the catch-22 is that possession of client personal data, which often includes contact info and credit card numbers, is a risky proposition.

Collect data, protect data

The widespread restrictions on third-party cookies by leading web browsers presents real challenges to the collection of first-party data, even when enabled by data collection by sites you control (e.g., your website). With Google putting the brakes on third-party cookies, plus Edge, Firefox and Safari shutting off cookies, first-party data is more valuable than ever.

How can businesses safely collect this essential marketing/ sales resource and simultaneously navigate obstacles around data security and client privacy expectations? The implementation of advanced security measures to protect against fraud and data breaches is a must-do. Ensuring compliance throughout the transition is also crucial, especially with evolving data privacy regulations.

In addition to conducting regular security audits to ensure data is secure, businesses should go beyond standard encryption practices and adopt advanced security measures such as tokenization for sensitive data fields, which minimizes the risk of exposing real data should a breach occur. It is recommended that companies should leverage automated tools for continuous security monitoring and compliance checks that can provide real-time alerts on suspicious activities that help to preempt potential security incidents. 

Maintain client trust

In Freelance consulting, trust and expertise are foundational. Clients entrust their sensitive data, strategic plans and proprietary work flow processes to you and expect their information to be kept private and secure. That is an ingredient in your recipe to win confidence, build strong, lasting relationships and establish and maintain your image as a reliable partner. You, Freelance friend, must institute all reasonable measures to protect client sensitive information, but as you know, the growing cybersecurity security threats can make that task feel like an ongoing battle. Here are effective defensive, low or no-cost, tactics you can take:

  • Read up on cybersecurity best practices that have SMBs and Freelance consultants in mind on the Small Business Association SCORE website.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication adds a layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity with both a password and a confirmation phone call or email.
  • Secure file permissions ensure that only authorized individuals can create, edit, or share sensitive documents. Encrypt sensitive documents and store them in the cloud to add another layer of security by instituting more stringently controlled access.
  • Hard-copy documents that contain sensitive information should be stored securely in a locked cabinet or safe when not in use.  
  • When possible, conduct meetings during which confidential topics will be discussed in person rather than on videoconference calls.
  • Devise an incident response/crisis communication PR strategy that provides explicit instructions, defines responsibilities and details your data recovery strategy in the event of a security incident. Your organization must respond quickly and in a calm and professional manner that demonstrates your control over matters and ability to resolve the incident and inform and reassure clients as you do.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: AI-generated image courtesy of StockCake

 

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Let’s Optimize Your Website Chatbot

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Over the past several years, you’ve most likely noticed that chatbots have become a standard feature, particularly on corporate websites. Whether the user is a prospect on a buyer’s journey, searching for basic product info, or a customer looking to resolve a (hopefully!) quick service request, maybe an exchange or return, experimenting with the generative AI powered resource known as chatbot seems reasonable to many. After all, if it appears that you’ll be able to transact your business more quickly and easily, why not give it a try?

But unfortunately, many users have been disappointed by what they expected would be a good experience with a time-saving new technology. A survey conducted in 2023 found that while 68% of business website visitors have interacted with a chatbot just 35% agree that most of the time, the chatbot helped them achieve their mission. Meanwhile, 77% of users felt their chatbot experience was frustrating.

Duly noted but nevertheless, the corporate bosses are determined to making GenAI adoption a success. They’ve decided that chatbots are the future and the future is now; they envision chatbot as the portal where customers and prospects will access product information, register complaints and obtain refunds or exchanges—all without the assistance of the company’s (paid) employees, BTW.

The bosses are fully aware that these often mundane interactions are critical to customer satisfaction and loyalty, brand image and sales but as of now, users are reporting that their chatbot interactions are lacking. The 2023 survey referenced above also showed that 88% of business website visitors would rather speak with a human customer service agent via telephone when seeking information or resolving a problem, clearly indicating that today’s chatbot is in need of refinement. The current fixes don’t always work, according to users, resulting in what could be a great resource to come up short because the solutions that users want aren’t programmed into the thing. If the corporate champions of generative AI chatbots would like to realize its full value—and I suspect that even disappointed users would agree that the potential value of generative AI chatbot is considerable—the customer experience must be prioritized when programming and implementing the technology.

Customer service and IT teams are on notice to fix chatbot problems and fortunately, they are beginning to realize that the chatbot challenge isn’t primarily technological—it’s psychological. It seems obvious that chatbot developers would be greatly assisted by researching and verifying the solutions that users want and their expectations regarding the overall chatbot experience. In a 2024 survey, 85% of customer service leaders reported that they are currently exploring more user-friendly chatbot solutions.

So, Freelancer friend—does your website have a chatbot or have you, like me, hesitated to adopt a resource that ought to be a good thing, but your own user experience with the technology hasn’t lived up to your expectations? Or maybe those of you who have installed a website or social media chatbot might like to improve the experience? If you’d like to refine the responses, visit the Frequently Asked Questions document, which is the knowledge base for the chatbot. You’ll be able to make edits there and the chatbot will integrate the new information in its responses. Below are enhancements you may want to incorporate as you work to optimize your company’s chatbot experience and facilitate user satisfaction, enhance the perception of your brand and drive sales.

Conversational tone preferred

Research has shown that up to 35%  of customers behave differently when interacting with chatbots, as compared to a human agent, because interacting with a machine feels less personal. Make your chatbot communications more personal and welcoming by programming the system to respond like a friendly and efficient human customer service agent. A conversational yet professional tone, appropriate expressions of empathy (“I’m sorry to hear that”) and giving other common responses that (“How does that sound?”) can encourage users to feel comfortable and trust their chatbot interaction, behaviors that contribute to a positive customer experience. Also, creating a human-like avatar and giving it a name makes users feel that your chatbot is more relatable and trustworthy.

Your chatbot can even “learn” to give understated compliments that can discreetly recommend purchases. In fact, many customers respond favorably to gentle endorsement of their choices (“Yes, this tie will look both fashionable and professional”) and up to 12.5% are inclined to accept chatbot purchasing recommendations. Still, be aware that attempting to make your chatbot too chummy by programming in what can be perceived as false flattery and a turn-off. Overly personal language triggers suspicion and makes customers feel manipulated. Keep the compliments fact-based, professional and aligned with the professional tone that customers expect from a chatbot.

Customers in a hurry want just the facts

Customers who are in a hurry, or those who are upset and feeling that expectations have not been met, just want to fix their problem, quickly and satisfactorily. Feelings of disappointment and frustration override the preference toward human-like chatbot responses. Research has found that dissatisfied customers were 23% less satisfied when met with conversational chatbot “empathy” when there is a problem to fix. At those times, customers prefer a straightforward, all-business chatbot interaction that is fast and efficient.

Furthermore, conversational responses can raise expectations and inadvertently heighten frustration if chatbot responses do not quickly and accurately produce problem resolution. It will be useful to program your chatbot to shift into all-business mode and respond quickly and clearly when frustration or urgency are detected. In high-stress situations, it’s better to not seem “human” at all.

Advertise accuracy

Advertising the potential benefits of using your chatbot is a good thing! Let visitors to your website or social media sites know that your chatbot is able to quickly and correctly answer questions and solve problems, save time and make accessing information easy. Broadcasting the likelihood of success generates the expectation of a positive experience, promotes trust in the chatbot and encourages customers and prospects to take a chance with your chatbot. Inviting website visitors to “try it, you’ll like it” can potentially increase chatbot engagement by up to 22%, according to a 2021 study.

This point was reinforced in another 2023 study of chatbot interactions that revealed when users engaged in identical conversations with human customer service agents and the chatbot, 8.5% reported they were less satisfied after using the chatbot. But when chatbot benefits were highlighted, for example, announcing 24/7 service availability, 37% of that same subject group reported they were more satisfied with the chatbot than with the slower, and less-available, human agents. Give your chatbot an enthusiastic endorsement and you’ll encourage its use.

Getting better all the time

The best way to improve the performance and acceptance of your chatbot is to help it get “smarter”. Research shows that users were up to 17% more likely to accept the chatbot’s suggestions when told that the chatbot is on a continuous learning curve and is not limited by a static algorithm that’s upgraded only intermittently. It seems a chatbot that’s “enrolled” in ongoing continuing education is favored over a presumably knowledgeable human customer service agent.

In other words, tell the world that your chatbot is always being improved with the ongoing addition of new information and user feedback. It’s like working with an enthusiastic young intern—users may be inclined to forgive occasional small errors and appreciate that each interaction will be better than the last. Without this explanation, some users might have limited confidence in this resource (perhaps a result of underwhelming, if not disappointing, chatbot experiences on other sites). Make the effort to optimize how your chatbot communicates by training the technology to deliver customer service that meets, or exceeds, user expectations. Finally, know that it is also important that human interaction should be available to your customers and prospects when they request it.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Dzmitry Auramchik

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TikTok Countdown: Proceed to Pivot

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The Supreme Court announced on Friday January 17 that it voted 9-0 to uphold the Senate-approved “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act”, a ruling that defined TikTok and other apps owned by Chinese corporations that operate in the U.S. and have more than a million U.S. users as a national security risk for America and compelled ByteDance, owner of the popular TikTok social media platform, to either sell out to a U.S. company or cease operating in this country as of Sunday January 19, 2025. On Saturday night January 18, ByteDance shut down TikTok in the U.S., per the SCOTUS ruling. Site visitors were greeted with the message: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

Furthermore, the SCOTUS ruling prevents American companies from hosting or delivering content for the Beijing-based social media platform unless parent company ByteDance sells the platform to a U.S. buyer, or a U.S ally. A source close to TikTok reportedly said that “multiple critical service providers” indicated to TikTok that they would no longer carry the app or its data, which forced the app offline. Service providers cited fears that the ban would be applied starting Sunday January 19, despite Biden administration signals to the contrary. The app went dark on Saturday January 18 about two hours before the shutdown deadline and as of Sunday January 19, the TikTok app was not available at the Apple App Store or the Google Play store.

But in true soap opera cliff-hanger style, TikTok did not remain offline in the U.S. for any length of time and leave 170 million U.S.-based TikTok users in the lurch. In fact, it was evident that TikTok would quickly resume operating in the U.S., perhaps inspired by a growing awareness by lawmakers of both parties that the decision to force a TikTok closure is quite unpopular. Some congressional leaders who originally championed the TikTok law are now considering delaying enforcement. So, Washington is setting up to pass the buck—surprise!

  • A U.S. official has confirmed that the outgoing Biden administration would not force TikTok to cease operations in the U.S. on January 19 and will allow the incoming Trump administration to implement the law.
  • In a TikTok video, platform CEO Shou Zi Chew asked President-elect Donald Trump to find a solution that keeps the site available in the U.S. Trump said he would “be making the decision” about TikTok and confirmed that he discussed the platform with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a phone interview with NBC News on January 18, the President-elect confirmed that he would “most likely” delay the TikTok ban for 90 days after he takes office on January 20 but added that he had not yet made a final decision. Incidentally, Mr. Shou expects to be in attendance for Trump’s inauguration.

What would a TikTok ban look like?

OK, so what might the world look like for TikTok users if the unthinkable happens and the site really is banned in America for a significant length of time? Before going any further, let’s confirm that it will not be illegal to have TikTok on your phone. TikTok has been banned in the U.S. as of January 19, but it’s not illegal to keep the app on your phone or other devices.

  • No new downloads: TikTok was removed from app stores on January 19 and aspiring new users were unable to download the app. Current user accounts were blocked and shown the message detailed above.
  • No updates: Those who are somehow able to access the site would no longer receive updates and the site would eventually stop working properly. Functionality would diminish.

If you are one of the approximately 7 million U.S. residents who use TikTok one minute videos to promote a business, you are advised to act now to protect your entity. President Trump‘s vow to keep the app available notwithstanding, the clock really is ticking and this drama is your wake-up call. It’s imperative that you be proactive and prepare to pivot into Plan B and develop actionable strategies that enable the transfer of your business marketing functions out of an exclusively TikTok arrangement and into a safe, multichannel harbor. Whether or not there is a prolonged TikTok shutdown, keeping all your eggs in one basket has always been risky and is nearly always inadvisable. There is strength in diversity and that’s our mission today. Let’s discuss Plan B—your pivot and survival strategy.

“We have to save it”

As you’ve heard, the TikTok shutdown was in effect for just 14 hours and President Donald Trump pledged to issue an executive order following his inauguration and give TikTok a 75-day reprieve before the SCOTUS law goes into effect, saying that “We have to save it.” President Trump suggested that a 50% American ownership of TikTok is his preference at this time. If TikTok plays a vital role in your marketing campaigns, you can breathe again—-but this soap opera isn’t over yet and you would be wise to use the 75-days to get your house in order.

1. Build and optimize your own website

You relied on TikTok and don’t have a business website, you say? You should protect yourself and take control now, by way of a DIY site-building (and tutorial assisted) project or by outsourcing to a Freelance web developer colleague whose references you’ve checked, so that you can create a website solution that’s customized to fit the needs of your business venture. The only online platform that you completely control is your website. Social media platforms belong to the company that owns them, meaning that your TikTok content actually belongs to ByteDance and your Facebook posts belong to Zuckerberg. If that thought doesn’t motivate you to create a functional website for yourself, I don’t know what will.

On your website, you own and control your marketing content and can also sell your products and services, post customer surveys and calls-to-action and, maintain a sales/marketing funnel for inbound customer appeals and, best of all, you’ll own and control all customer data that you collect and maintain because the site is yours. Keep in mind that your website can and should be designed to function as the primary hub for all activities that drive customer engagement and transactions of any kind. Furthermore, be certain to enable site cybersecurity and configure https in your website address, which is the secure version of http, the primary protocol used to send data between a web browser and a website. The principal motivations for https are authentication of the accessed website and protection of the privacy and integrity of the exchanged data while it is in transit.

2. Develop a robust email list

Congratulations to you if your TikTok following is significant—but during the site shutdown, all of your customer contact info was Missing In Action, beyond your reach. Because email marketing remains a powerful resource, act now to find an alternative platform that gives you control of your most important piece of customer (and follower) data—email addresses. Investigate and compare email marketing platforms and get started ASAP. Once you’ve selected a provider, create opt-in forms to grow your list as you continue contacting and nurturing your relationship with your loyal base of customers. Your email list is how you own your audience and you must be able to support mutual communication between your audience and your company.

3. Diversify your online channels

Don’t be complacent and let yourself remain a one-trick pony. The TikTok drama reminds us all that social media platforms you rely on today might be gone tomorrow. A good defensive strategy is to spread the wealth and consider multiple channels for your content and customer outreach, guided by the platforms your target market follows. TikTok followers are obviously visual and gravitate to videos, so think Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Facebook for your Plan B pivot into multiple channels—plus your website, which will be the gatekeeper of everything. Pinterest, a visual imagery search engine, could be another useful marketing channel that your customers and prospects like. Diversifying will give you better control over customer engagement and monetization, so instead of betting the house on a single platform, spread your bets.

4. Create a viable sales/marketing funnel

Why not launch your pivot by creating landing pages that lead prospects and other followers to sales/marketing funnels you’ve established on different platforms and advertise your powerful new online presence? It will also be good for brand building to give prospects (followers) and customers a reason to connect with you outside of social media — whether it’s a free e-book, a special offer, or a chance to join a community of customers and followers. You could do well to check out Constant Contact to automate those funnels and turn prospects and followers into active customers.

5. Use SMS marketing to connect instantly

SMS marketing (text messages) can give a jolt to customer outreach. You can invite your email list members to opt-in for real-time updates (always request permission, even if you send the first message without asking first) and exclusive offers via text. This tool can be one of your most powerful ways to stay connected with your target market and reach them instantly. For example, a strong SMS list can boost sales conversion rates of limited time special offers and also lift attendance at your webinars and podcasts where you are a guest or the host.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©Shopee Mobile Malaysia Sdn.Bhd.

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3 Ways That Competition Works for You

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When you operate a business, competition is a fact of life. It’s only natural to be unsettled by the thought of competition—it could put me out of business!—but in fact, the presence of competitors in your marketplace sector is a good sign, better than you think. If you adjust your perspective and dial back your (understandable) fear, you’ll learn that competition can pay dividends. You have to know where to look.

To make competition work for you, begin by identifying your principal direct and indirect competitors. Direct competitors offer products and/or services very similar to what your entity provides; indirect competitors offer “Plan B, ” products or services in a different category altogether but which your target customers perceive as an attractive alternative. For example, a box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses are indirect competitors for Valentine’s Day gift giving.

B2C business owners can easily ID and research competitors who operate either a physical location or e-commerce site by running a key word search and browsing competitors’ websites. You can also follow-up and visit storefronts, to check out the location and the merchandise and say hello to the owner (or the manager). B2B business owners can likewise conduct a key word search and visit the websites of direct and indirect competitors who operate in your geography (or beyond). You can evaluate the products and services catalogued on the sites, but meeting your B2B competitor peers will probably take some effort. Most work from home and even if an office is maintained, it would be inappropriate to drop in without an appointment. Your best option is to look for competitors at business association meetings and other networking events.

It’s good business to benchmark two or three of your most successful direct and indirect competitors and learn the secrets of their success. Some of what they do might work for you, too! Read on to learn how you can turn competition into a win for your entity.

Barometers of marketplace potential

This insight is only an estimate and is not based on metrics specific to your organization but as a rule, if businesses similar to your own are doing well in your marketplace, it’s indication that your venture could also do well. That local competitors are thriving is convincing evidence that there is money to be made.

Remember, though, that many factors contribute to building a successful business and in the B2B sector that would include influential relationships and strength of reputation, access to decision-makers and the ability to consistently meet or exceed client expectations. Another factor is market saturation—established companies may be doing well, but is there enough demand to allow newcomers to prosper?

How you can succeed

Not only are competitors your canary in the coal mine of marketplace potential, another useful dividend that competitors offer is teaching you to become a more astute business operator. So as you study the websites of your main competitors, pay attention to the descriptions of direct competitors—products and services that resemble yours—and indirect competitors—products and services that offer a credible alternative to what you sell.

Furthermore, make note of the calls-to-action you see—which are especially clever and compelling?, the blog or newsletter archive, scheduled speaking engagements—what are the topics and who is the host organization?—and the client list. Those operating in the B2C space can browse the websites of competitors (or visit a local store) and inspect the products and services offered, note the pricing strategy, assess any add-on and up-selling deals and even see the available payment options. In either the B2B or B2C space it will also be instructive to tour the social media accounts—which platforms are used?— and witness how competitive brands interact with customers.

It’s best if you don’t simply copy everything your competitors do. Every business is unique, even amongst direct competitors. If something looks like an intriguing possibility for your venture, test for effectiveness and optimize for your target clients and brand.

You are also advised to resist the urge to compete on price, unless your competitive intelligence shows that your prices are significantly higher than the amount charged by two or more competitors for a similar product or service. It’s tempting to cut prices to gain market share, but it’s a strategy that seldom works in the long run. Aiming to under-price competitors can only put you in a race to the bottom and that’s not what you want. Particularly in the B2B sector, focus on demonstrating and articulating value as you position your products and services in a premium tier.

Cooperate and collaborate when necessary

Now to be seriously counterintuitive, the most savvy and pragmatic Freelancers recognize that it is not a given that competitors are destined to be your adversaries. Assuming that there will always be a certain amount of hostility between you is shortsighted and could possibly cause you to lose out in some way. While you may never trust certain competitors, it’s nevertheless a good idea to be strategically cooperative when necessary. Ideally, there will be enough trust and respect that allows you to build alliances, cooperate when necessary and, in some cases, even collaborate with selected competitors (while observing boundaries, of course).

You never know what the future will bring—the time may come when it’s mutually beneficial for you and a competitor to align professionally and do a little business.  For example, if a policy or piece of legislation is expected to have a strongly positive or negative impact on your industry or working environment, it would be a compelling ice-breaker if you were to reach out to certain competitors and propose that you join forces to oppose or endorse pending legislation that could affect your livelihood.

Don’t be shy about engineering an introduction if you are fortunate enough to encounter one (or more) of your competitors at a chamber of commerce or other meeting. Your competitive intelligence strategy is to be friendly and ask for an exchange of business cards, so that you’ll have contact info. Getting to know your competitor colleagues as individuals is good business. You never know where those relationships might lead.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © The Walt Disney Company. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the animated movie produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Pictures in 1937. Based on the 19th century German folk tale published in Volume I of Grimm’s Fairy Tales (1812) by the brothers Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859) Grimm of Hanau, Germany.

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Eyes On the Competition

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As was noted in three or four recent posts, business data and other forms of business information, which may consist of the observations and predictions of researchers, journalists and other experts, have always been an essential resource for business owners and leaders. As we move through the 21st century, data-driven decision-making, enabled by powerful software programs and artificial intelligence, has become the hallmark of responsible business management.

Chief among the market research that every successful business owner or leader must do is assess the competitive landscape in his/her marketplace. Questions you’ll want to find answers to include:

  • Who sells products and services similar to your own?
  • Who are their customers?
  • What is the estimated size of their market?
  • Who dominates, how and why?
  • How do the marketplace leaders attract and retain customers?
  • What is their price range?
  • How successful are they?
  • Can you launch your venture alongside these competitors and achieve sustainable success?

Mapping your competitive landscape also includes identifying direct competitors, meaning companies whose services and products closely resemble your own and indirect competitors, that is, those whose products and services present an alternative choice within a similar price range that can be sold as a potentially satisfactory solution. Understanding the difference between direct and indirect competitors can be simplified by comparing the process to shopping for a Valentine’s Day gift.

The chocolate shops are all direct competitors, with price as a potential differentiator, because chocolates are more or less interchangeable. The same can be said for florists. But chocolate shops and florists are as well one another’s indirect competitors within a similar price range because for $50.00, you can buy either a nice bouquet or a nice box of chocolates.

Start your investigation with a key word search using terms commonly chosen to describe your company’s products and/ or services to see who appears and how they rank. Whoever makes it into the top 10 are the most successful of your competitors. You can also check out member lists at the business and professional groups you’ve joined (yet another reason why business associations are a good investment). Visit the websites of the top 4 or 5 competitors in your search, along with their social media pages and Yelp reviews.

Make note of speaking engagements made by the principals—-host organization and topic, along with company participation in local charity events and business awards and nominations received. If successful competitors have done any of those things, don’t be ashamed to follow with a me, too.

Popular products and services

Knowing what sort of products and services are best-sellers for your top competitors is tremendously useful intel and will enable you to make smarter decisions about building your solutions and making your prospect’s hot buttons blink.

So try to figure out what competitors sell the most, what sells the least for them and what’s somewhere in the middle. Keep the best sellers in mind as you design your services, perhaps adding a differentiating something extra to create more value in a way that’s affordable for you, or that you can sell at a premium.

Finally, watch for what gets revised and what gets dropped. Notice how products and services are described and positioned and, if possible, priced. Learn from competitors’ mistakes.

Leadgen strategies

Absolutely, spend time analyzing the website landing pages and social media accounts of your major competitors. You want to know how they keep their pipelines filled and how they persuade prospects to remain on the buyer’s journey. What informational goodies and special offers have they sprinkled into their TOFU, MOFU and BOFU ( top, middle and bottom of the funnel)?

You may find the inevitable free-for-the-price-of-your-email-address e-book or highlights of a keynote speech delivered at a popular conference. You’re looking for inspired, desirable content choices that you hadn’t thought of, so you can offer something similar as a way to engage prospects and stimulate lead creation.

Blog and newsletter content

Pay attention to topics that are most often covered and those that are infrequently discussed. Notice also if certain topics are spotlighted during particular months. Observe which types of posts are often shared on social media and note which platforms are most often used (and which ones used the least). Your objective is to help yourself plan a content marketing strategy that features topics of interest to prospective readers and simultaneously support the premise that you are a reliable source of good information and a capable professional.

If you’re feeling more curious, use a traffic analysis tool to search for the blog-related URLs in the Top Pages list. Analyze their unique page views and visits, conversions, traffic sources ⁠— make note of all the data that’s presented. Publishing a respected blog or newsletter could become an integral building block of your success. .

Selling points

What objectives emerge as the core purpose, the main problem-solving motivation, that your competitors speak to when communicating to prospects—on their website and social media platforms, in case studies, and testimonials and in their newsletters and blog posts? What do they aim to help their customers achieve when making the case to do business with them? What descriptive language is used? Also, what benefits do they emphasize to persuade prospects to reach out to them?

Moreover, what competencies do your competitors trumpet as a valuable resource that their clients prize and prospects desire? Is it a specialized academic degree, skills certifications, prior work experience and/ or prestigious client list?

Call-to-Action

What you want to know is how competitors sell their CTA. “Buy now” and “click here” are phrases you can think up on your own. The purpose of this research is to see examples of (presumably effective) CTA pitches, both the give-away info and what is said to create an appetite for it. The information offered should be something that prospects are likely to find useful, or somehow interesting and for some items they’ll be willing to surrender their email address to obtain it.

A free 30-minute phone conversation with you or a team member that will allow serious prospects to get insight and answers about how your products and services might help them achieve a goal or solve a problem should make a tempting offer. Click the link to learn more about effective CTAs (gotcha!):

https://freelancetheconsultantsdiary.wordpress.com/2021/04/06/a-call-to-action/

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Krystle (L, Linda Evans) and Alexis (Joan Collins) were eternal rivals and fierce competitors on the prime time soap opera Dynasty (ABC-TV 1981-1989)

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New Year’s Resolutions for 2022

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Happy New Year! I’m psyched to welcome you to 2022 and thank you for stopping by to read. There can be no party without you and together, we are going to make this a very good year. Because we’re at the top of the year, capodanno, as the Italians so eloquently say, I’ve decided to revive my New Year’s Resolutions tradition, something I haven’t done since January 2019. Considering what the entire world has been slogging through since 2020, you may appreciate some inspiration to get yourself in racing form.

Join a business group

Freelancers and other business leaders need community. It can be lonely at the top. You need a way to meet and interact with peers, whether or not they become your besties. Business organizations and professional associations provide forums where Freelancers and (small or mid-size) business owners can talk to colleagues who understand your challenges and motivations. Along the way, you’ll build personal connections and you may also find your way to business opportunities.

If you’re not sure where to start, visit the website of your local chamber of commerce; the chambers are great resources for B2B, B2C and B2G facing business owners and leaders. Another useful organization is The Freelancers Union, an online national group that is a good resource for all types of information, from professional development workshops designed for self-employed professionals to medical, dental and other types of insurance coverage. https://www.freelancersunion.org/

Analyze your website and social media data

Fully leveraging the potential of the digital presence of your company is unquestionably a must. Whether selling to B2B, B2C, or B2G clients, the winners are those who are guided by actionable data when making decisions and developing business strategies. If you haven’t done so already investigate Google Analytics, a free and powerful online tool that helps you discover the right approach to the customer journey and customer experience that your company offers, supplies e-commerce, call-to-action and landing page insights, plus more. https://analytics.withgoogle.com/?utm_source=google-growth&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=2019-q4-amer-all-gafree-analytics&utm_content=analytics&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsILp4eCW9QIVDovICh2FKAT0EAAYASAAEgJPJPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
If you can budget about $25-$50/month, invest in a social media analytics service such as Zoho Social, Hootsuite, Buffer Analyze, or HubSpot to further enhance and refine your strategies and campaigns and measure ROI.

Become a better leader

There are multiple paths that one might take to developing and enhancing leadership skills and it can begin with reading. Reading one or more leadership themed books each year will open your mind and make you rethink your usual approaches to problem-solving, decision-making, negotiation and communication, for example. I’m a regular reader of the Corner Office column that appears in the Sunday New York Times.

You may be inspired by this tale of entrepreneurship The Unfair Advantage (2020) by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/50714359-the-unfair-advantage

You may be shocked but intrigued by this tale of commodities trading The World for Sale: Money, Power and the Traders (2020) by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52199304-the-world-for-sale

When you join a business or professional group, you’re also likely to be introduced to leadership roles in the group (on the membership committee, for example). The chambers and also Rotary Clubs can introduce you to local not- for-profit organization leaders, who can show you how you might contribute your time and talent to a philanthropic cause that resonates and further expand your network, enhance your brand and maybe add to your skill set as well.

Prioritize revenue generating activities

Decide which of your revenue-generating activities could pay off if you plan well— then follow through and execute! Depending on your business and target clients, it could be email marketing outreach to potential prospects, attending certain conferences or trade shows, sending hard copy direct mail appeals, or running FaceBook ads. Once you know what your revenue-generating strategy will be, calculate about how much time you’ll need each week or month to gain traction and meet your financial goal. Then, get to work.

Communicate with clients

Staying in contact with clients throughout the year is good business, even when you reach out to those you haven’t worked with for a few years. Through your outreach, you remind clients past and present that 1.) you’re still in business and 2.) you may be able to help them with achieve a goal or solve a problem. A few years ago, a study by the uber-consulting firm Bain & Company confirmed what decades of anecdotal evidence shows —- that it’s easier to keep an existing customer than to find a new one.

So send a copy of your newsletter, blog, case study or white paper to clients, attached to a quick and friendly email that mentions a couple of reasons why they’ll find the read worthwhile. Also update clients when you give a talk, moderate a panel, or appear on a podcast. Pick up the phone and invite your most important clients to lunch.

Delegate or outsource

Delegating, or outsourcing if you work alone or with a small team, is essential for you to be able to have time to yourself and think about how to find innovative ways to expand your business. If you want your business to thrive and grow, you need to start trusting the people on your team, or identify other talented and trustworthy Freelancers, to take over certain tasks.

Upgrade your skills

The world keeps turning, expectations evolve and what we need to know to maintain the trust and respect of current and future clients shifts with the times, along with how we package and deliver the services we offer. What expertise do you need to own to better reach or more effectively serve your clients? What do you need to know to more efficiently run your business?

Help yourself to figure things out by reading articles that address your industry and niche within it—-what new technologies are gaining traction or what are new uses of existing technologies? What are the thought leaders in your industry and niche predicting? What are your clients doing to position themselves for future demands?

With that information in hand, you’ll understand how to upgrade your skill set. Maybe you’ll finally become truly proficient in using Excel, or learn to become more comfortable giving virtual presentations.

Nurture your health

Unless you’re up against a big project deadline, structure your time to allow yourself to have a day or two off once a week. Burnout is bad for business. Allow yourself to sleep the number of hours your body needs (adults usually need 7-9 hours daily). Eat a balanced diet that contains the basic food groups. Give yourself a daily intake of water that approximately equals one-half of your body weight in ounces. Participate in moderate to vigorous exercise at least three hours each week. Maintain your social connections by staying in touch with friends and family.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © William Stephen. Thoroughbreds racing at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY

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3 Easy Hacks to Grow Organic Searches

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In the lazy waning days of summer, ambitious Freelancers (and we are all ambitious) can implement a few quick hacks to ramp up leadgen and bring fresh possibilities to our sales pipelines. Now is the time to energize your marketing tactics and push to bring in potential clients who have both motive and money to do business. Setting up for a healthy fourth quarter is everyone’s goal, whether your target clients will return to the office soon or delay until January. Freelance consultants would be wise to encourage local organic traffic to their website, that is, site visits that are not prompted by pay-per-click campaigns by way of Google adwords or some other paid advertising service and are made by bricks and mortar businesses in your geographic location. Enhancing your company’s presence in local organic searches is a potentially game-changing inbound marketing strategy for any company and it’s within your reach.

Let’s pause here for a minute and discuss what is known as referral traffic—- it has significant impact. When a visitor clicks a link to move from one website to another, the original site is considered the referrer. The referring site can be a search engine, a social media platform, a blog, or any website that contains links to other websites. So—-the more you post in digital publications, social media sites and whatever online forums, the more your company name and URL will appear in direct searches. A potential client who has your company on a short list for follow-up will probably visit a big search engine and type in your company name to see what comes up. You’ll want to have several impressive postings available.Organic local site traffic is sent from search engines, most often Bing, Google and Yahoo, and is influenced by Search Engine Optimization.

The better your website ranks for descriptive keywords common in your product or service category, the more readily will your business appear in local organic searches. Big businesses have the advantage, but small and mid-size companies should nevertheless strive to be found. Your digital presence, bolstered by relevant keywords, including long-tail keyword phrases that impact the increasingly important voice searches, will eventually produce an increase in your website’s local organic search traffic and improve your positioning in search results. Here are three free actions that you can take now.

I. Frequent posts

Blogging, writing articles that appear in digital publications and getting quoted in online media outlets will enhance both your credibility and visibility. Frequency is a big plus. If you can keep up and publish a blog or other article or get quoted about once a month, in a few weeks or months your company may show in organic searches, even if not in the coveted top 10 (first page). In 2018, we learned that powerhouse Google follows the E.A.T. algorithm—-Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. In other words, quality content counts.

Your use of key words and long-tail phrases should not be heavy-handed. Sprinkle them into your content where they fit, so when prospects type those words into a search box, or speak them into Alexa or Siri, you’ll increase the chance that your business name will appear in local searches, at least in the top 20 names for your locale.

II. Social media presence

Being active on social media is one of the best ways to communicate and engage with current and potential clients, as you become familiar with their priorities and also drive traffic back to your website. The website hosting service Go Daddy found that 61 % of its high-traffic sites had an attached Facebook page.

While having a Facebook page and Twitter account is more or less considered a requirement for most businesses, establish your company presence on platforms that your clients and prospects follow and trust. B2B likes LinkedIn and Alignable is growing, as is Clubhouse.

III. Search engine sign-up

Register your company on Google My Business and Bing’s Places for Business, free services that will give your organization a boost in local SEO. For best results, provide lots of descriptive info about your business, including optional categories.

Treat your Bing and Google listings like social media platforms. Update them at least quarterly by adding educational info, text. or video and discuss some aspect of a company product or service is a reliable and efficient solution for goals that users want to achieve (but not a sales pitch). If it will be politically correct, ask a couple of clients to write a (positive!) review. Rumor has it that both search engines ignore reviews and other content that is more than six months old.

Thanks reading and Happy Labor Day,

Kim

Image: Traffic gets heavy in a Venice canal, August 2013

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Make Doing Business Easy

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Do you know what business you’re really in? I have asked this question of readers before. It remains a question that every Freelance professional or business owner should periodically explore and confirm the answer. The unspoken motives that bring clients to your door (or website) are powerful. They will evolve and adapt to the times. In order to maximize the success of your venture, those motives must be understood in the present. The drivers that brought in clients five years ago may not be persuasive today.

Add to the mix that attention spans are short and seem to be getting shorter. We are used to 140 character tweets, sent by everyone from middle school teens to captains of industry. On August 25, 2020, it was announced that there were 100 million active TikTok users each month in the U.S, uploading and viewing 60 second cell phone videos.

Everyone wants what they want now, bring it to me fast and make the way to get it easy. Instant gratification. Folks have been working from home for more than a year and they’ve come to enjoy sitting at home in their jammies, only reaching for a professional-grade shirt when a video meeting demands their presence.

Online ordering and home delivery of everything imaginable rules the day. Despite the gradual lifting of pandemic restrictions across the states, it appears that many pandemic-driven customs will remain. Whatever is fast and easy-peasy —-convenient—-is now an expectation and that’s what it takes to win the hearts and wallets of customers. Anazon CEO Jeff Bezos is well on the way toward reaching his stated goal of becoming a trillionaire.

In other words, no matter what business you determine that you’re in, the operational aspects of the buying process must be easy, seamless and convenient as customers perceive it. Let’s look at how you and your team can set that into motion.

Technology to the rescue

The right tech solutions are your ticket to making it easy and convenient for prospects and current customers to do business with your organization. The right tech solutions can also make it easy and convenient for you, Freelancer or business owner, to more efficiently manage your company by utilizing targeted software, if you will, for certain routine tasks. You and your team can then apply the time saved to working on the business—-analyzing Key Performance Index data and using the findings to develop strategies and action plans that will most likely be effective, for example.

Bring convenience to your website visitors by installing a chat bot, programmed with a half-dozen concise answers to common questions that prospects ask, that make it easy and convenient to find what’s important while in the initial stage of their decision-making process. Add links written in a bold font and brightly colored lettering that call attention to links for company contact info, the blog or newsletter, case studies or white papers and your upcoming podcast or webinar appearances. Devise an appealing Call to Action and you’ll persuade visitors to learn more about your products, your services and you.

Check website tabs to make sure that visitors can intuitively find company press releases, articles published by you or about the company, customer testimonials and any business awards, nominations, or recognition your company has received. Get site visitors to decision-influencing information quickly and easily.

Enable the sale by installing e-commerce software that you’ve determined is a good fit to make ordering, shipping and paying easy to navigate and secure with encryption.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Hugh Laurie (l) as Bertie Wooster, British gentleman and member of the Idle Rich, with Stephen Fry as Jeeves, his sardonic but loyal butler, in the BBC-TV adaptation of the P.G. Wodehouse Jeeves stories.

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e-Commerce Insights

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Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.  Just because everything is different, doesn’t mean that anything has changed.  Way back in the middle of the 20th century, business owners and advertising/marketing specialists learned through experience that the response rate to advertising campaigns, known today in the internet age as the conversion rate, is about 3%.  When you distribute a marketing flier in a chosen geography to announce a new business, for example, either by door to door leafleting or through a mailing, you can expect that 3% or so of the recipients will show up and buy at some point.

In the internet age, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube will announce the grand opening.  The business owner will spend several thousand dollars to launch a website that’s e-commerce ready, with a user-friendly and secure payment system and reliable shipping.  Social media accounts are created, text and photos begin the digital marketing campaign.  According to Statista, U.S. retail B2C e-commerce sales in 2017 were approximately $409,208,000 and 2018 retail B2C e-commerce sales have been projected to reach or exceed $461,582,000.

That’s all to the good, but recent research indicates that the internet age has only barely advanced the original direct marketing response rate.  E-commerce sales conversion rates are about 4%, meaning that 96% of your website visitors do not buy.  Your website may be able to attract customers from all over the world, but no matter.  Whether your customers are down the street or in Amsterdam, aided by technology or looking at a flier that was left in the entrance of their apartment building, only a handful will respond to your advertising outreach.

The offline (i.e., in person) sales conversion rate is much more favorable, estimated at 30%. Why such a big gap between online and offline purchasing? Consumer behavior researchers note that trust is integral to making a purchase online or offline, but I’ve not seen research on why trust develops at a much greater rate in offline shopping. I suppose it can be attributed to seeing is believing?

There is another factor as well, one that seems to be overlooked when the discrepancy between online and offline sales conversion rates are compared and that is, the in-store sales help.  The good ones can lead a customer down the garden path with a nice smile, a warm greeting, knowledge of the merchandise and the ability to answer questions and reassure.  Good sales help are integral to generating revenue for the store.

Derrick Neufeld, Associate Professor of Information Systems at Western University’s Ivey Business School in Ontario, Canada and Mahdi Roghanizad, Assistant Professor at Huron University College also at Western University in Ontario, Canada, designed an experiment to study motivating factors in 245 research subjects and learn what might influence online purchases, from facts about secure online payments to the website’s font sizes and colors.  The research subjects were asked to visit the website of a bookstore in Australia that had been in business for 17 years and with whom none of them had previously known or patronized and to then make some buying decisions.

Neufeld and Roghanizad found, surprisingly, that objective information about privacy and secure payment systems have less influence on purchasing than do subjective factors in website design that signal trust.  Online purchases from an unknown entity, in particular, involve risk and potential customers rely more on subjective clues that communicate trust, such as “professionalism” and aesthetics, to make themselves feel comfortable enough to put their money down.

So how might you use this information to support online purchases from your company website? It sounds as if you’d be advised to work with a very talented web designer who understands both the aesthetic and technical aspects of the craft.  The e-commerce focused website must have attractive page layouts and fonts, expert product photography (and maybe a video, too), colors that psychologists have determined will appeal to customers who are known to buy your B2C product and a good overall flow to the website pages.  I recommend that even if it’s a second-tier priority, include a line that verifies the security and privacy of customer financial information.

Think of your e-commerce store in the way that proprietors of bricks and mortar locations do and create an experience that communicates the best that your brand has to offer.  Make your website an attractive, welcoming environment that offers quality merchandise, intuitive navigation and excellent customer service.  Make shopping a satisfying experience, as it is meant to be.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph: Custom tailoring at Lagu Hong Kong Tailor in Hong Kong, China (2012)

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Unlock the Answers Buried in Your Website

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You may be contemplating giving your website a makeover and to ensure that you include the information that prospective clients desire most before you invest time and money on the project,  you’re smart enough to collect data that will serve as your site blueprint.  You want to confirm the role of your website—how much and what kind of information will persuade prospects to pursue follow-up? Reports that indicate how visitors interact with the site are the only way to examine, consider and interpret visitor behavior and then make adjustments in the site if needed.

Google Analytics will do that job and at no charge.  Google Analytics is a most useful service that helps one to find out who visits the website, the pages that receive the most visits, the length of those visits and actions taken while on a page.

1. Acquisition

Where do site visitors come from? Are you receiving referrals from search engines, your social media accounts, or other websites where you’ve contracted to maintain a link to your website?

2. Behavior

What are visitors to your site doing? Behavior Analytics show the pages visited, the    length of time spent on each and how visitors travel through your site. You’ll learn the content that visitors value most and least.

3. Conversion

Do sales take place on your site? Do visitors sign up to receive your newsletter or blog?

4. Goals

You can create conversion metrics to track actions such as sales and registrations for a class or webinar you will give, participation in a survey, or sign-ups for your blog or newsletter.  As a brand reinforcing grace note, you may create thank you pages to acknowledge actions taken (because positive reinforcement matters!).

5. In-page analytics

Find out the percentage of visitors who clicked on links or buttons on specific pages.

6. Key performance Indicators

If you’ve developed the milestones called Key Performance Indicators that identify each noteworthy action that leads to achievement of your goal, you can monitor them.

7. Mobile

I assume that a healthy percentage of Internet users are working from a mobile device. Find out that percentage and have it in mind when you design your new site or post new content.  Make visits to your site mobile friendly.

8.  Overview

Each section of Google Analytics offers an overview report, which presents high-level data that enables you to make a basic status report of that segment of your site.

9. Queries

This gives the search engine optimization report and lets you know the keyword rankings and click-throughs for your site.

10. Views

Here you’ll find five ways to see the data of any of your reports.

11. Web property ID

FYI, the web property ID is the tracking code that identifies your website with a 7 digit number, followed by the 2 digit property number.

I’m a little embarrassed to say that after putting up a website in 2007, I’ve only just signed up with Google Analytics this month.  What took me so long? I look forward with anticipation to reading and interpreting my website reports.

Thanks for reading,

Kim