Heart Of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce

The internet is a bonus and a bane to most people. You can research anything, get your message out inexpensively, connect with people around the globe, and entertain yourself for hours. But it also has created a need for itself. It has a constant hunger for content. It provides a large bullhorn for people to pronounce their views and others are listening. That’s why influencer marketing has become so hot. What Is Influencer Marketing? Influencer marketing is a type of word of mouth marketing. Just like big brands may use a celebrity endorsement such as an athlete who wears the brand’s sneakers, influencer marketing uses well-known (or well-followed) internet personalities to talk about their product, service, event, etc. Just like in celebrity endorsements, this influencer has a fan base and is likely considered a pro in a given area. There are people who will buy your product/service or look into your organization just because the influencer talked about you. Where you fin...

As a small business owner, your reputation is everything. It will make or break your business. Warren Buffet understood the value of a good business reputation when he said, “ It takes  20 years to  build a reputation  and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” But protecting your reputation in the days of social media is hard. According to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, an unhappy customer will tell between  nine to 15 people about the incident.   This number gets amplified when they choose to do it in a social stream. Sometimes it’s not even anything your business did wrong.  How about this TripAdvisor review?  Can someone please get on that? Sure, we may snicker about some of those bad reviews but when they happen to your business, they’re not funny. So what do you do if your reputation is in need of a little help? Don’t worry. We have a list of things that can help...

Content is essential to your business becoming (or remaining) an industry leader. It’s fast becoming a differentiator as more and more customers do their research online and make purchasing decisions long before they speak with one of your salespeople. If you hate to write, but don’t want to pay someone else to do it for you, you don’t have to give up on content. You  shouldn’t . There are other forms of content production that are as effective in helping you become a resource for your customers as the written word is. If you’re not a great writer, chances are these other forms of media will also be a lot more compelling and engaging for your audience.  Video There are a lot of options in this category from webcam or cellphone production to slick agency creations. What you use depends on what you sell and who you’re selling it to. But even a high-end luxury brand can create a campy, low-budget production hit if it resonates with the target audience. Generally, you’l...

People buy from people they  know, like , and  trust . While you might be in the right place at the right time when someone is up against it, and they may buy from you once without  knowing, liking , or  trusting  you, for them to return, you’ll need more than luck. Know  and  trust  generally come along when you establish yourself as a likable business with a human behind it. It’s difficult for people to like you if they don’t trust you, unless you’re a villain and then being untrustworthy is your business. For most of us, that is not the case. You can’t like someone you don’t remember, so let’s get to work on establishing the like part of the sales equation.  Share Your Reason Think of how filmmakers or storytellers get us to like the main character. One of the ways is that they place him on a quest, or up against a challenge, that we want him to succeed in. Often it’s one we identify with. Share your reason for doing what you ...

Marketers everywhere insist that successful businesses should become more transparent with their audience. After all, people want to do business with those they know, like, and trust. And what better way to accomplish that than by showing your potential customers or clients who you are?  But transparency encompasses more than just your brand. There are times in your company history when you might have to become transparent with something uncomfortable or something you want to change. But just how far do you go? What Is Transparency? Transparency, when done well, is a cultural shift to become more open with customers, clients, and employees. Think of the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The golden ticket allowed one child and a guest to go on a tour of the mysterious factory. What wondrous things they discovered (and a little mayhem, but that’s a topic for another post). When transparency is done well, you can create that same interest in your company. In 20...

One of the most common mistakes businesses make is wanting to be all things to all customers. Just as in life and friendships, you will never be  everyone’s  “cup of tea.”  That’s okay. It’s more than okay.  Understanding this and attracting your ideal customer is the one way to build loyalty among your clients and provide them with the services and products they need. In personalizing your sales approach you will gain more, not less. Here’s how you can go about doing that: 1.      Decide who your ideal customer is.  There is a group (or maybe several groups) that you can help better than any other business. Who are they? Identify them, flesh out details about their demographics including: ○       How old are they? ○       How much money do they make? Do they have disposable income or are they living check to check? ○       What do they do fo...