Even if your business has never been vilified online, you likely know someone who has that can testify to how detrimental negative comments can be. Whether or not the complaints are valid, they’re now on the record for all to see.

When faced with this situation, you have three options. One is to ignore it and hope it goes away. It won’t.

The second option is to respond online by calling out the customer as irrational. Before you do that, know that caustic comments reflect more on the sender than the receiver and there’s really no delete button in cyberspace.

Your third choice, and the one that’s best for your business, is to publicly acknowledge and address the situation immediately. How you go about resolving the issue will make all the difference when it comes to maintaining your reputation and increasing customer loyalty.

Here’s a three-step process to solving the problem.  (more…)

Events are a great way to deepen relationships with current customers and can help you attract new ones. When done right, events are also one of the best ways to get people to take the next step, from interacting with you on Facebook or reading your newsletters, to actually visiting your store, restaurant, or office. But successful events don’t just happen. To create a successful event, you need to develop a strategy that incorporates your different marketing channels so that you can promote your event, reach the right audience, and drive meaningful business results. Following are some “top tips” to help you run a successful event

Have a clear goal.
Think about what you want to get out of your event and, just as importantly, what you hope your attendees will get out of it by being there. For example, the goal of a retail store’s open house may be to increase foot traffic to the location. But what does the customer get out of it? Make sure to offer them an incentive to come, such as discounts, door prizes, or giveaways — in addition to the affordable merchandise, exclusive information, or other “just for attendees” benefits, of course.

Send a personalized invitation.
It’s a good feeling when you’re invited to a “special event.” Take the proactive approach in attracting potential attendees by sending them a personal email invitation. Make your customers feel wanted by sending them a finely crafted message that refers to them by name. Mary  Smith will feel more of a personal connection from a “Dear Mary” invite than a “Dear msmith@mail.com” or a generic “Hi there” salutation.  (more…)

Social platforms such as Facebook®, Twitter®, Google+™, LinkedIn®, Pinterest® and Instagram® are cost-effective avenues for connecting with your target customer base, raising awareness about your brand and building credibility within your industry. Through the strategic use of social media, you can:

1. Showcase Your Business’s Human Side. It’s easy for consumers to think of any business, no matter the size, as “they” or “them” or “that company”—the implication being that they’re dealing with a non-thinking, non-feeling entity with one goal: taking their money. Social media allows you to put names and faces to the people and personalities behind the products and/or services your business provides. Responding to questions, comments, praise and complaints in real-time allows current and potential customers a peek behind the curtain, to see the real people that make it all work.

2. Build Industry Cred. When not directly interacting with current and prospective customers, your social sites provide you and your staff a forum to display the breadth of knowledge and depth of passion you have for your business. It’s an opportunity to take off your salesperson hat and allow your expertise to speak for itself. Examples might include posting links to blog posts, videos, or articles that speak directly to your offerings. You could post links to sites that provide background information or history of your field. Maybe it’s something as simple as posting quotes that you’ve built your business on. Anything that informs your audience, either about you or what you provide, will work.  (more…)