In addition, Keap has made strides with its social media integration. You can now easily incorporate links to various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Reddit, and Instagram in your emails. The feature allows you to prioritize the social media channels that best suit your company. If you’re a visual company, you can simply drag Instagram to the top of your list. Moreover, you can also choose how you want the icons displayed, be it coloured or square, according to your preference.

Another commendable addition is the new menu feature. This can be used to include important links in your emails, like privacy statements and cookie policies. The menu allows you to organize these links either horizontally or vertically, offering flexibility to suit the style of your email.

Keap has also improved its mobile settings to cater to the large number of people who read emails on their mobile devices. You can adjust how your email appears on mobile devices, ensuring your content is always optimally displayed.

In conclusion, these new features of Keap's Email Builder are clear enhancements. They offer more control and flexibility to the user, making the email building process more intuitive and efficient. As always with Keap, if you have any questions or need assistance, their support team is ready to help.

As technology evolves, so do the tools we use daily. Keap is committed to delivering superior user experiences, and in that stride, we have developed a new email builder. This article will contrast the old and the new email builder, shedding light on the key differences and improvements.

User Interface

The old and new builders have similar interfaces, both offering a gallery of pre-made templates. However, the new builder offers a more streamlined, intuitive approach. You can select a template directly, although there's no preview option like in the old builder. Starting from scratch is also simpler in the new builder, requiring just a click to begin.

Image and Text

Both builders allow users to drag in an image, choose a logo, and resize it. Alt text can still be added for all images. Dragging and dropping text blocks is also similar in both, but the new builder handles headers slightly differently, which offers more flexibility and control over the layout.

Linking Text and File Download

Linking text to content on a website is a common feature, maintained in both versions. The significant change comes in file download. In the old builder, text could be linked to a file download. This isn't possible in the new builder. Instead, you must use the file manager to select a file from the system or upload a new one, and it only supports PDF or XLS files. If you wish to download any other files, you will need to host them on your website and link to that site.

Sending Emails

The settings for the subject line and preview text are located on the third tab in the new builder. Emails can be sent from the contact owner or a user, with no option for hard coding of email addresses, a feature that ensures better accountability and compliance.

The new Keap Email Builder is available now, offering an intuitive, streamlined experience. We want to inform all users that the old builder will be withdrawn on 1st November 2023, giving you ample time to transition to the new system and experience the added benefits. As always, Keap is committed to making your email marketing as effortless and effective as possible.

4. Customize your thank you website pages with helpful content

If you're not leaving your site with a warm lead, then chances are they won't be coming back. So make sure to provide helpful content for visitors on the thank-you page of any email subscrip

By using relevant, interesting content which is presented in an engaging way like with Infographic visualizations from Kissmetrics, we are able offer our users what they want or need when it comes time for them to leave us.

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1) Be prepared

It's important not only for networking events but also during everyday conversations with clients or colleagues. Preparation includes knowing what you want out of the conversation as well as knowing how it might impact other areas of your life (such as time management).

It's important not only for networking events but also during everyday conversations with clients or colleagues. Preparation includes knowing what you want out of the conversation as well as knowing how it might impact other areas of your life (such as time management). 

2) Make them feel special

There may be a reason for the honeymoon phase feeling so magical. The rush of new emotions is one thing, but when you're both in wooing mode it can feel like little touches are all that matter- handwritten love notes, flowers and chocolates from your beloved make life lightheaded during this time.

Lets be honest, you're not going to quite hit the clients in this manner. But what you can do is just go that extra mile to woo them. This'll make sure they leave you with a smile on their face. Remember that the customer relationship's are so crucial to the business. Take care of their needs and wants with a desire to make them feel as though you've got all day for them - no matter how busy things get!

3) Listen to your mother 

It's always the old-fashioned wisdom that holds up to time when it comes to people. So when it comes down to relationship building, go back and get a little bit of help from your mother/elders. She probably knows better than you anyways (I promise not tell her; she would never let me live this one down).

4)  Put the focus back on them

If you're a B2B provider, take the time to get involved with your clients. Spend some quality time getting familiarized with their business so that when they call for help or show interest in one of your services, you can really make an impression and be more than just "that guy."

5) If you build the relationship, they will come 

Beyond your product, people are looking to connect with others who feel and think the way they do. Your customers want more than just an additional service; they're seeking a connection that extends beyond their needs for you as well. This is why it's crucial to create something that goes far beyond what you offer -- because if you don't, someone else will inevitably take advantage of this need in them!

6. Take it slow

When it comes to romance, most people will agree that going slow is essential. It's the same for client acquisition and sales cycles! Slow down before you push yourself too hard in order to make a sale at any cost- your own sanity may depend on it! Just taking that little extra step back will make the world of difference in any relationships!

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What we will compare

The initial costs of implementing software can be where most of the project budget goes. While many enterprise software solutions do have a large upfront licence fee, small business software and specifically CRM and Marketing Tool have changed to a Software as a Service (SaaS) model.

A larger consideration is the cost of hiring experts to guide you through implementing the software and your time dedicated to learning and working with the experts.

It would be easy to fall into the trap of trying to minimise these cost too much. Of course, you do not want to spend money unnecessarily. But budgeting too little money can leave you without the help you need to make a success of your implementation. Any implementation that is not a success is a waste of any money.

When making a comparison of costs we will also consider the scope of the project. The more functionality being covered the more software you will need to licence and the more help you will need. Unless you figure it all out yourself, then the cost is associated with your time.

As well as software, we need to touch on the costs of integration to your other business systems.

Finally, there is the cost of hardware. That is computer systems, whether in your office or hosted off-site. By definition, SaaS solutions are hosted off-site and the costs of that, including any maintenance costs, are included in the monthly or annual fees.

Once you have implemented your initial scope, there are two costs. The first is the ongoing fees to keep the system running. The second is any further development or expert costs you require. Because the context of this article is CRM and Sales & Marketing, it would be likely that you will wish to add additional campaign or ideas. If you can do that yourself these costs will be low, but your time might be more.

Keap Family

Keap is a CRM and Sales & Marketing Automation tool with Small Business eCommerce.

As such many of the functionality needs are covered. This reduces the need to use multiple tools and set up multiple integrations.

The actual costs are dependent on how many contacts and users you have. Keap Pro, with 2 users and 2500 contacts costs £79 ($99) per month. There are no initial software costs. Indeed, very often the first months or two is reduced in price.

Check out https://getkeap.co.uk/pricing for details.

If you purchase Keap Pro directly from Keap, you only get 1 user and 500 contacts. In addition, you pay $500 for Kick Start. This is well worth the money as the expert assigned to help you will pay for themselves many time over in term of shortcutting your learning and providing a great marketing strategy.

When you buy Keap (any edition) from EXELA through from the https://getkeap.co.uk website you can get the same Kick Start with the same experts for £1!

EXELA offers a membership programme that will provide you and all your team with unlimited tickets to live training events, unlimited email support and reduced service costs for additional assistance you require. The most popular level of membership is Premium and costs £49 per month or £490 per years.

You can get details of this membership at https://exela.co.uk/assistance.

Keap is a SaaS resulting in no hosting costs.

Initial Cost: £40.50 (First month at 50%-off plus Kick Start for £1)

Ongoing Cost: £128 per month (£79 for the software & £49 Assistance membership)

Compared to a few competitors

Mailchimp

Mailchimp a very popular autoresponder. But it is NOT a CRM. There is no sales functionality. It has no eCommerce functionality. While Mailchimp does have a FREE and Essentials plan for $0 and $9.99 per month respectively their Standards plan at $14.99 per month is the most popular. This comes with 500 contacts.

Mailchimp claims CRM functionality but it doesn't really deliver. As contacts sign up they are added to lists. There is no way to search across lists for cohorts with particular behaviours of attributes. The standard edition is limited to 5 lists. After that, the price jumps to $299 per month for 10,000 contacts.

Many CRM's do connect with Mailchimp. For example, Pipedrive, which is good sales CRM costing £49.90 per month.

There is no "Kick Start" for Mailchimp. While it is fairly simple to learn it is time-consuming. If teaching yourself on YouTube is your thing, no problem.

Getting support for Mailchimp usually requires finding a Mailchimp Partner. The cost varies but $175 per hour is a reasonable budget.

Initial Costs: $1,174 ($299 plus 5 hours expert help)

On-going Costs: $299 (Mailchimp only)

Constant Contact

Constant Contact is an email broadcast tool. It has a nice builder and is simple to use, but it doesn't do very much marketing. £45 per month for 2500 contacts, seems pretty expensive. Keap Lite, at £39 per month does significantly more.

Focused at online store owners, but without any eCommerce functionality makes simple implementations cheap, as there is not much to do. However as soon as you get into Shopping Cart automation you will need to integrate to your cart platform and get some help from an expert.

Help is on offer at $595 per month or $220 per hour.

Initial Costs: $1,160 (£45 plus 5 hours expert help)

On-going Costs: £755 per month

Really Simple CRM

Really Simple CRM offers a good range of features. It starts at £25 per month for a Sales CRM. To add marketing functionality with the ability to send a reasonable quantity of emails will cost a further £38 per month.

Support is delivered via a knowledge base and online chat. There is no expert community offered. Without a partner community helping you this is going to be a DIY project. As such really not recommended.

Initial Cost: £63 (plus a lot of learning time)

Ongoing Cost: £63 per month

Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a good B2B Sales CRM. It starts at £49.90 per month for the recommended version and there is a free trial. There is an expert community that provides mentoring, training, webinars and chat support on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00 CET (13 hours).

The functionality is well suited for sales teams of more than five. Salespeople have an array of tools they can use to work their pipelines.

Sales Managers are provided with the tool they need to manage their teams.

Pipedrive integrates with Mailchimp and other technologies, at an extra cost.

Initial Cost: £924.90 (£49.90 plus 5 hours at £175 per hour)

On-going Cost: £49.90 (No marketing capability)

Is buying Keap a sound investment?

We have looked at the initial and ongoing costs of Keap and a few of the many, many competitors. Keap fairs well in terms of cost for the functionality provided.

But what about doing nothing and sticking with spreadsheets and a notebook?

If you are reading this article at all you will already have experienced the pain of trying to run and grow a business without providing systems that have been designed for the task. It would be crazy to try to keep your accounts up to date and comply with the tax regulations without bookkeeping systems.

Trying to use spreadsheets to automate your marketing and sales activity effectively is almost impossible. While you can programme in a good deal of sophisticated functionality in spreadsheets and connect multiple worksheets together using Zapier, the time it takes to build and managed spreadsheets is way more expensive than buying a piece of software designed for the job.

But how does Keap get you a return on investment?

Time-Saving

Consider a scenario where you get 10 new leads per week. Assuming  you send three emails to each lead and get a response from five. Now assume that you spend 30 minutes per responded trying to get an appointment and you manage to get three appointments.

As you are well organised we will assume that all your emails have been prewritten and you have saved them as templates.

To send lead each an email from the templates takes 1 minute each. That is 30 minutes. Then 5 x 30 minutes for the responded. Total is three hours to get three meetings.

If the leads coming into Keap all your follow-up emails are sent automatically. If people respond you can send appointment booking links. So the follow-up time is zero.

You save three hours per week. That adds up to 156 hours per year or 20 working days.

Increased business

This leaves five leads who do not respond and two appointments you did not get.

Just working on those numbers, if you have a much longer follow-up process than three emails, and consistently send these lead added value information it is probable that you will convert at least one more into an appointment.

That is a 30% increase in appointments.

Assuming that your sales conversion remains identical 30% more appointment will equal 30% more business at the end of the year.

Return on Investment

We have identified that Keap with EXELA support cost £128 per month or £29.54 per week. You save 3 hours per week. As long as your time is worth more than £9.87 per hour (minimum wage in 2020 is £8.72) you are at breakeven. Three hours per week is the same as about 20-days per year.

Add to this return an increase of 30% of your revenue with no additional marketing costs. You will probably get around a 10% increase in your profit, perhaps more.

With these numbers, it is difficult to understand a scenario where you didn't get a very healthy return on your investment.

Why people fail.

But some people do fail to get a return on their investment. Let's look at what could go wrong.

The single biggest reason people fail to get a good result from implementing Keap (or any other automation software) is they don't engage in the project. Some business owners make the buying decision but then don't put in the effort required to set the software up. The reason is that they are busy "doing the do". They are already under time pressure and never manage to schedule some thinking time the solve their automation challenges.

This is the exact reason we provide a Kick Start and ongoing assistance to our members.

We know what to do. We can do almost all the heavy lifting for you. We do need you to engage in the project and direct us to the most fitting solutions for your particular situation.

Next Steps

Contact the team at EXELA and we will show you what Keap is all about and explain how we implement it.

Here are some basic tips to boost sales:

Strong product

- First, it's important to have a good product or service and make sure that you're advertising its benefits. That way, the people buying your products will know exactly what they'll be getting if they do purchase them from you. If someone can't see any reason why they should buy something from you instead of somebody else, then there's no point in him/her even making contact with you - let alone purchasing anything!

Sales Communication

- Next up is how well we communicate. There are many different ways to get our message across effectively; one example would be emailing contacts when we want follow-ups on leads or appointments set up for demos. We could also reach out through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter by using hashtags. Another way in to communicate with potential contacts is through the telephone. It's a great way to make sure that people know what you're talking about. It also helps them get excited about your product!

Quality Content

- The third point we've covered so far would be content. It's important to have quality content for our blog posts or website because if they can't understand anything on there, then chances are they won't buy from us either. We need something interesting to talk about here as well: maybe an article of advice or information related to our industry? Whatever it may be, keep in mind this is usually going on alongside other promotions such as advertising campaigns.

Knowledge is Power in Sales

Another small tip I want to cover is being knowledgeable. It's important for us as people working in our field to be well informed about the products we sell because this reinforces their confidence in us. If we have all sorts of different information on the product or topic at hand, then chances are customers will feel like they can take an intelligent conversation with us too! Having plenty of knowledge related to our business means clients won't feel daunted by asking questions either. After all, if the person speaking has done their research it instils confidence in those listening.

Respond ASAP

- This is why it's important to get back to people promptly. When we know that somebody has contacted us, responded in a timely manner and then followed up with them later on if needed, this will help their trust grow too! It demonstrates our willingness to be engaged which is the first step of building any relationship. By being attentive and giving time, customers feel like they're worth something - you'll notice these results not just for repeat sales but also across different channels as well including social media advertising or email marketing campaigns.

Transparency

Be transparent and helpful when you are negotiating prices. Disclose the price upfront, practice being accommodating to negotiate as much with your customer that is possible for your company! Keep a list of specials or discounts in mind to offer them if they want more - even though this will take away from the profit margin on what you sell.

Staying Positive

When you are feeling down, it is important to keep a positive attitude. A happy demeanor will be contagious and attract customers who want what the business has to offer. No matter how many unsuccessful phone calls they have had in succession, every new contact should feel like their last chance at success for generating more leads or closing sales that can help lead them on the path towards financial recovery.

Dual Monitors

Are you someone who has some difficulty staying on task or focusing? You’re not alone. The average person is bombarded with distractions and can get lost in the digital world without realizing it, which makes working an absolute nightmare! Fortunately for those of us prone to distraction, there are a few things we can do to help make our lives easier by reducing interruptions from other websites that might distract us while trying to complete a project. One way would be having multiple monitors on your desk instead of just one- this will allow you more space so work becomes less tedious and frustrating because everything feels cramped when only using one monitor.

Read more...

The following tips will show you how to use content marketing to drive traffic, increase conversions and build an audience:

Webpage content

What's the best way to convert people into leads? It all starts with your website, which should always be seen as a lead generation tool. Your customers know when businesses try too hard and are being disingenuous while trying to increase conversions and make their profits. The key is subtlety: you want them coming back for more without even realizing it!

As a small business, it is crucial to rank high in search engine results pages (SERPS) for your targeted keywords. One way you can improve this ranking consistently is by using SEO tools. They can leverage strong keyword phrases and capitalizing on them with some simple marketing techniques. Techniques include an influential headline or call-to-action button within the content itself. Paying attention to how you label images' alt tags are very important. This is because Google can then display these when someone searches for those particular words or terms. Of course this makes them more likely than not show up as part of the first page if they appear!

Blogging

Think of your blog posts as a mecca for downloadable content. Whether you're just writing text, or breaking it up into bullet points and lists. Blogs are of course, great places to get creative and allow your audience in. You can link to other related articles within the text (great if you want people to explore more about what's discussed). Post embed codes for videos, podcasts and white papers that complement this article will also help drive traffic back here too! It’s not all fun though because using them is an excellent way of promoting events such as webinars or conferences coming soon – make sure they have separate links so we don't confuse our visitors in their own efforts at outreach!
A thoughtful tip: break down complicated sentences with lots of words by inputting periods.

The internet is a great place to find new things for free, and blogs are no exception. Writing compelling content mixed with some multimedia like pictures or videos can make your blog more interesting than just plain text alone! You may also want to format the links in your posts so that they open up on their own separate tabs within the browser window instead of redirecting back to another page. Just remember not have too many graphics because it will take extra time loading them all onto each page you visit; this could slow down how quickly someone gets around pages on your site if you include lots of visuals. Blogging is such an effective way to engage your audience!

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1. Use a CRM

According to data compiled by HelpScout, it costs 5 to 25 times more to acquire a new customer than it costs to keep a current customer and a simple 5% increase in customer retention rates can boost profits by as much as 95%. The first thing is to use a CRM. (customer relationship management) system to stay connected with your customers. This allows you the opportunity to retain customer loyalty and improve sales by providing a more personalized experience for each individual person or company.

Advanced CRM solutions like Keap take things much further even on a budget. You can automate contact and follow up with your leads using high-level personalization.

There is no ambiguity about the results that come from using a CRM. According to Nucleus Research, you can expect a ROI of $8.71 for every dollar spent when you use a CRM solution and data from Salesforce shows that using a CRM can boost sales by up to 29%, productivity by up to 34%, and accuracy in forecasting business outcomes/results by up to 40%.

2. Use email marketing

At an ROI of 4,200%, email marketing is one of the most lucrative forms of advertising. In simpler terms, for every $100 spent on marketing, you'll get around $4,200 back. As a small business, it's is an essential tool in your arsenal. It's the equivalent of a handshake in medieval times; it opens doors and paves new opportunities for you to explore.

On a budget, it should be integrated into nearly every aspect of your business, from sales to customer service interactions. One successful company that has mastered this is Wistia with its blog dedicated exclusively to email-marketing. In addition to this, Wistia actually has a video on their blog page regarding the importance of email marketing.

In order to build an email list , you'll need to have a form on your website that people can sign up for, or simply ask them when they make their purchase. Some of the main benefits of email marketing are increased conversion rates and higher customer retention rates. Once someone is subscribed to your list, it's important not to bombard them with messages too often, but have a healthy balance.

Several tips on building a mailing list on a budget:

• Make sure you have opt-in forms in every noticeable place on your website (sidebar, post footer, popup, etc.) to encourage people to join your email list. Buffer was able to increase its monthly email subscribers by 130% simply by adding sign up forms to more places.
• You could offer an incentive (could be an ebook, ecourse, a coupon, or some other incentive). As these are especially conducive for attracting subscribers to your email list.
• Be wary of using too many images in your email. It can cause delays or even trigger spam filters.
• Run a giveaway as a way to build your list - Josh Earl was able to add almost 200,000 people to his email list in 11 days just by running a giveaway.

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Strengthening your team is a very important step in maintaining the company. It's vital to keep morale high amongst your employees during uncertain times. This last year being a prime example of a year which fills any team with precariousness. Workers are more likely than ever before to jump ship when uncertainty strikes. You have to make them aware how much they’re valued and appreciated during a time of change.

Let's outline some basic tips to help you do so:

-Communicate with your team. Find out what they're personally feeling and how it's affecting their work performance. Know that everyone deals with uncertainty on a personal level in different ways - some people will stay loyal even when the company is struggling, while others may seek employment elsewhere as soon as things seem unstable

-Formally recognize achievements of those who have been performing well amidst all this change. Reward them for good behavior or results without making promises about the future

-Create opportunities for creativity among workers by providing new tools or resources which can inspire them to make something new and hopefully more innovative than ever before

Acknowledge the success of your team

It is possible that some employees will stay loyal regardless of how difficult things may seem. Others may seek employment elsewhere as soon as they sense uncertainty. One way to strengthen your team during uncertain times is to formally recognize achievements among those who have been performing well amidst all this change and reward them for good behaviour or results without making promises about the future. Create opportunities for creativity by providing new tools or resources which can inspire workers to come up with something new and hopefully more innovative than ever before. If you take these four steps — recognizing achievement, providing opportunity for creativity, staying true to worker loyalty even when it’s challenging, and rewarding outstanding performance – then you will have a healthy workplace environment for your team to thrive.

Always be an available leader

Another thing that a strong leader must always do is make themselves available. By being available, you are showing your team that their leader cares and is always looking out for them. It’s important to keep in mind that people will be more productive when they believe in what the company stands for—when employees trust management and feel like they have a voice at work. As an example, If you notice an employee who is feeling especially stressed, reach out to them with offers of . They will be less stressed and more likely to work at their best when they feel supported by the company.care and support.

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Automations are what make businesses more efficient. They allow for taking on more customers or projects without the need to hire any additional employees, which saves both time and money! 

If an employee only has two hours each day to manage all incoming email correspondence, how much are they really able or willing to do? Short answer – not enough! And this is where we come in with the automation side of things. We know how important communication is and our software takes care of everything else so that team members can keep their heads down on more meaningful tasks.

It's crucial that your business is able to grow with you as it grows – automations help this happen seamlessly. The last thing you want is a fast-growing company hitting its max capacity before they're ready! With automation software, this will never be an issue because of how easy it can grow organically in tandem with your growing needs. 

We may be years away from artificial intelligence on par with GLaDOS or Skynet. However, software has the ability to automate menial tasks so that humans can focus on more important things. Automations save time! It's no secret that the average business owner has a lot on their plate. Automating tedious tasks like database management means you can spend your valuable hours focusing instead on what will directly impact your bottom line most.

To ensure that your business can successfully grow as it grows – automation software helps this happen seamlessly by making it simple to scale with the company's needs. Salesforce, IFTTT, Zapier and Zoho are just some of the many types of automation software out there which easily allow you to take care of these tasks at an affordable cost (or even free!).

2. Modern software has revolutionized the way we communicate

Communication is key in any business . But if you're not taking advantage of modern software, it's like trying to drive a car without pedals. It just isn't going to work - and your business will suffer immensely for it.

It's no longer just about email, voice and chat. Today, you can get notifications on your phone or tablet of any new activity in the system, as well as collaborating with colleagues more efficiently through video conferencing.

Slack is an effective industrial communication tool developed by a company that was creating an online game. The platform offers many features, such as group chat rooms organized in private groups and through topics. It's used by so many businesses around the world due to it's software implementations and ease of use. One of the central benefits of this tool is it consolidates all your company’s communication onto a single platform.

VoIP services like RingBlaze make it easier for business owners to coordinate with others online while eliminating the need to use international access numbers. Not all communication in business is through text. With Slack, you can also send pictures and videos to your colleagues. You can also use VOIP.

Another thing that has been recently gaining popularity is video conferencing and live seminars. It doesn’t matter how big or small a company is because this software will allow them to share and discuss their ideas. Businesses are using browser-based webinar platforms to create online seminars to share industry-specific knowledge to professionals in the same industry.

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In this day and age, customer loyalty is a key factor in any business' success. It's been proven that the top 20% of customers generate 80% of your revenue. So make sure to reward them with exclusive deals when they come back or refer friends for more sales! Implementing an incentive program can help secure their support as well as create new leads through word-of-mouth marketing.

(Source of the infographic)

This infographic published by Invesp demonstrates the important connection between customer loyalty programs and increased customer retention rates. This in turn led to a 25% to 100% increase in profit per customer. Don't forget, loyal customers are the most valuable kind of customers.

Example:

A simple example of an effective loyalty program is the Starbucks Reward program,. They automatically gives customers a free drink or snack item after they have spent around $150.

This way they're not only rewarding their regular customers for their loyalty. They're also encouraging them to spend more money at the store and therefore create increased revenue opportunities as well. Customers who use these types of programs understand that they're getting a deal, and are therefore more likely to return.

For this reason, loyalty programs work best when they provide customers with benefits that will encourage them to come back for more rather than just one-time rewards. This is why products like gift cards or discounts on the next purchase can be very effective in increasing customer satisfaction and retention rates.

Click here to read the more detailed article on keap.com...

Keap is a sales and marketing automation software that helps entrepreneurs grow their business. It is designed to streamline the process of finding new customers, keeping in contact with past clients, and selling more products. Keap helps you get back to what matters most: running your business!

Growing a business is hard. Keeping track of all the important information for your company is even harder. But as an entrepreneur, it is your responsibility to grow and be successful.

Keap is a powerful, easy-to-use sales and marketing automation software for entrepreneurs. It helps grow your business by streamlining the way you find new clients while improving how every employee spends their time on the phone with them. With Keap, being in business has never been easier!

The problem with most CRM systems is that they're either too complicated or don't offer enough features to make them useful for small businesses. They also charge you an arm and a leg- which can be difficult when you're just starting out and barely have any money to pay yourself! 

Keap is a revolutionary marketing automation service that helps entrepreneurs to grow their business. We help you get more leads, converts and customers for your startup or small business. Keap will manage all of the tedious work involved with lead generation so that you can focus on what really matters: growing your company!

Keap helps solve this problem by providing entrepreneurs with the tools they need without breaking their budget so that you can focus on running your business instead of worrying about staying organized. We've made it super easy to add new customers, send emails from our platform, organize leads, create deals, schedule follow up reminders and more! And we'll never charge you extra fees as other platforms do! Our goal at Keap is simple: help small businesses grow while making sure they stay organized along the way. With us in your corner as your marketing automation partner.

So what to do if you are interested!

Continue the article on Keap.com...

Each published content piece is competing for audience attention. Make yours the most engaging and you’ll get a bigger following. As a marketer, you know the importance of branded content. It is one of the best ways to reach your target audience and make your company look like a reliable source for information. 

If you're looking for advice on how to create engaging branded content, this article will provide just that! In order to be successful with your branding campaigns, here are a few tips that can help you stand out in today's competitive world.

Tell Stories

Telling stories to your audience has been a tried and true method of engagement since the humble beginnings of the human race. We're storytellers. We craft narratives to inspire and influence. Telling stories in order to entertain and engage your target audience can make branded content more attractive. There are many different types of story you can tell as a marketer, including:

1. How did you get the idea for starting your business?
2. The success and failures that were a part of your journey.
3. Stories related to big client wins and industry awards.
4. The making of your product.
5. The people behind your company.

A story resonates with people, often on a more personal level. Here is an example:

"I started my business back in 2015 with my brother after I tried a really fun escape room for the first time. For those unfamiliar with escape rooms, it’s a real-life game where you and your friends get locked into a themed room with 45 minutes counting down on the clock. Before the countdown gets to zero, you have to solve the puzzles and put together the clues needed to complete your objective. Being a gamer at heart, I fell in love with the concept. The idea that I could make a career by writing, designing and creating my own live adventure games was thrilling to me, and that's how Jigsaw Escape Rooms was born. We currently have two locations and hope to open more in the future."

Matthew Prendergast, Jigsaw Escape Rooms!

Ask Questions

At one point, you have come across quizzes and contests that are quite interesting. Have you ever considered why this is so? It's because they make the audience think and take action ...

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When you find a friend that shares your passion and excitement for starting a business, it can be tempting to take the leap. However, there are many questions that need to be answered before making this decision. This article will help guide you through some of these difficult decisions so that you can make an informed decision about whether it's right for you!

What type of business are you starting? What does each co-founder need to do in terms of their expertise and skillset? How will this affect the business's long term success or viability? Who owns what percentage of the company--and how did it get divided up originally, if at all? Will one person take on a different role (such as CEO) because they have experience in that area already, or will both founders be equal owners out of necessity for lack thereof.

How you start your business with someone else is very important! You need to make sure that there are no hard feelings if--or when--the decision is made for one person not to continue on with the company full time. Be careful of drawing up an agreement so strictly over who owns what percentage that it becomes difficult or impossible should they want out down the road. If both partners work together and share ideas from day one, then it's much easier going forward. What would happen if something happened at home such as death in family or divorce? Would either party be able to buyout the other?

On one hand, having someone close by could make things easier because there are no surprises about personality clashes, expectations around how much work each person does every day might already be established.

Here are a few pros of starting a business with a friend:

- The best partnerships are typically forged between close friends. When you know somebody very well, it is much more likely that they will feel comfortable disclosing personal information and deeper goals with you; which could save you both time if something goes wrong in the future.

- Although you may have different interests and opinions at times, your friends are most likely driven by similar core values. You and your partner have known each other for a long time, which means you can communicate at length and depth when solving any issue.

- If you’ve known a friend for a long time, they probably have intimate knowledge of what talents/weaknesses that person has (and vice versa). When combined with how well people get along and if there is any trust between them this should allow an appropriate allocation responsibilities across the business without feeling like it's one-sided.

Here are a few cons of starting a business with a friend:

- When things are going well, friends may be able to communicate more easily. But when times are tough, depending on the sort of relationship, it’s often difficult being blunt with someone so close to you.

- Even if you have a defined 50-50 structure, there may be instances where one party works more than the other and feels like they deserve to get paid more. This can cause friction in your friendship or disrupt any peace that was already established when it comes to splitting up responsibilities.

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It is necessary to have a social media following these days. Even if you don't want one, you'll find that your customers and potential clients will judge how professional your company is based on the photos in your Instagram feed or by scrolling through the recent tweets from @yourbusinessname. 

Some businesses think they're too small for any sort of online presence. However studies show that 85% of all American adults are active on social media so it's not an excuse anymore! If you claim to be a business owner then being an active participant in this digital space should be at least somewhat important to you.

One of the reasons why it's now essential to have a social media presence is because people are more likely to do business with you if they know and like what your company stands for. You can also utilize online forums and discussion boards that relate specifically with what your company does.

Another huge benefit from having a social media presence is that you can easily find out about news or events in your industry. You can then use hashtags to find out about trending topics or you can use a tool called TweetDeck (free) which allows you to monitor hashtags that are related to your industry.

Here are some ideas of ways how you can establish an online identity:

- Create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.

- Share photos from behind the scenes at work as well as personal images capturing family life or trips abroad

- Blog about industry insights occasionally

- Post inspirational quotes that relate to your values in order stir up conversation among followers that agree with these same ideals (i.e., "Do More")

- Talk about current happenings not only within your industry but also general news stories happening around the globe.

You may be very surprised by how easy it is for other professionals in the field, potential clients, or even prospective employees to see your social media presence and make an accurate assessment of whether they want work from you based on this content alone. Don't forget! It's not just employers - it could be customers too! If you're serious about being successful in life then invest some time into your social media presence.

Check the link before for a more detailed breakdown on keap.com including a fantastic social media checklist which will help you on the growth of your business.

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Getting an audience for live events can be a challenging task. One way to boost registrations for an online event is by leveraging the power of webinars, podcasts or social media live streams like Facebook Live. Another one is by taking advantage of your event's location. 

You should create excitement with pre-event content and announcements like email blasts that continuously remind people about your upcoming events (don't forget social media). For attendees who share your event with friends, offer discounts and other incentives.

You should also make sure your event is as accessible and easy to find on the website or social media platforms that are being used. Include all of the necessary information -- including date, time, location, ticketing info (if applicable), speaker list, featured topics, sponsors/.

Boosting your social media following on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be a great way to get more event registrations for your organization.

Increase the exposure of online registration with in-person events - host an “informational” session at another location near you where attendees will have the opportunity to register by phone or email live from this other location that is easy to attend (don't forget about any time zone differences).

Create compelling calls-to-action throughout all channels including emails, website banners, flyers as well as social media updates and ads so they're everywhere potential registrants are looking! 

Lastly, don't forget about the post-event promotion! It's just as important to promote your event after it's over, and you should create content that summarizes the good times. Ask yourself if there are ways that people could have missed how they can register for this event.

Click this link for a more in depth article on keap.com regarding boosting your online events...

Inbound marketing is a technique that generates leads by capturing the attention of your potential customers. But if you want to generate more leads, you need to send out lead generation emails. These are messages that offer something valuable in exchange for an email address and can be sent at any time of day or night. In the linked blog post, we'll cover 10 proven techniques for generating quality leads with these emails!

Effective lead generation is essential to a company's growth. Without an effective system in place for gathering new leads, businesses will be unable to grow or make sales. Lead generation is the first step to success in business, but without a system for managing these leads you will find yourself overwhelmed and failing.

You need to have an email marketing strategy if your goal is to build quality customer relationships with potential customers. With effective lead management techniques, it's easier than ever before to capture new leads on any device using responsive design! In this post we are going over proven strategies for generating more high-quality sales with emails that convert into customers. .

- An email strategy should be an essential part of your marketing plan to help you deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time. In this article, we'll share with you some proven lead generation techniques that will put more prospects in your pipeline and increase conversions.

- Collecting leads is a process rather than one event so make information gathering as easy for potential customers as possible by providing them with signup forms on multiple pages on your site or via social media channels like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook! This helps keep people interested while they are browsing around and gives them different options for submitting their contact details.

- With over 90% of consumers viewing emails daily it's important not only know how to write compelling subject but how to efficiently send them out. Make sure your subject lines are clear and the links you include on any email capture forms are accurate to what they will be receiving when they complete it.

- Ensure a company's email address is listed in their social media profiles so that customers know where to contact for more information or support, rather than always having to go through customer service.

- It might sound simple but adding an image can really boost open rates! Including an engaging photo with every message helps personalize each one and increases curiosity which leads people to click into the content you're sending them.

- Don't let missing data stop marketing efforts cold turkey! Use CRM software such as HubSpot Marketing Automation to automatically send messages based on criteria. 

When you’re just starting out, it can be hard to determine the best offer for each of your customer/client content persona segments. You might feel like you need a promotion that will appeal to everyone (and therefore no one) or even worse, you may not have a promotions strategy at all!

If this sounds familiar, then I think the Promotions Waterfall approach is right for you. It allows you to determine the best offer for each of your customer/client content persona segments and then allows you to upsell (and downsell) as needed to make the sale. It also allows you to ensure that your customers/clients don’t get trained to expect offers from you in a planned cycle -- because if they do that, especially with a retail client or ecommerce client, they’ll end up having their expectations set higher than what is possible in any given time period.

Promotions Waterfalls are built by starting with the offer that you know will be most appealing to your customer/client content persona segment and working down from there. Often, this is achieved through the use of a tiered pricing system where customers have different prices for different levels or versions of products. The more expensive version often includes more. 

Instead of going into detail in this blog post, click the link below to see the detailed article on Keap.com written by Vix Reitano:

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Facebook ads are expensive and it's hard to know if they'll be worth the investment. If you run a small business, it can be difficult to justify spending $2,500 or more on Facebook advertising per month. But that doesn't mean you should skip out on this powerful channel altogether. There are ways for small businesses to get started with ad testing without breaking the bank. Facebook ads can be an effective way to market your business, but they come with a hefty price tag. How much does Facebook advertising cost? There are two types of campaign pricing: "Pay per click" and "Cost-per-thousand impressions." For every 100 individuals who click on your email, there will be a retargeting user on Facebook.If you’re hoping to get tremendous traffic within a short time and for little or no cost, your post or advertisement must be high quality.

Here is a useful budgeting guide for small businesses.  The cost of a Facebook ad depends on the type of campaign you want to run. A $200 ad will reach around 1000 people on average, which means you’ll need about 100 retargeting users per month for this price point if you want to make profits. The difference between choosing an "interest" or "audience" is that with interests, your ads will only show up when people have expressed interest in those topics while audiences allow more targeted advertising. So why are they so great?

• Non-intrusive. Facebook ads are not as intrusive in the lives of your target audience, which allows for a more personal experience
• Allows you to research who is buying from your competitors. With the help of targeting tools, you can find out what’s working and copy it
• Cost-effective. The prices for facebook ads are relatively inexpensive when compared to other forms of advertising
• Beneficial exposure. You get much more traffic without investing too many hours into an ad campaign

When we target specific demographics such as an age group, gender etc., our ads might turn out differently than if they were shown based on location alone (e.g.: If someone lives in Paris) where there would likely be fewer users but luckily their conversion rates may also not vary much from other regions because everyone has access to them through social media networks). Expect that one-third of your advertising budget should be spent on conversion marketing, one-third should be engagement, and one-third for growth.

Most people get stuck with Facebook ads because they don't have a plan. They just start running campaigns without doing any research or planning first. The problem is that most of these marketers are not sure what they're doing, and then when their campaign fails, it's over before it even starts. Our goal for this post was simple: To show small-business owners what it really costs when they put together a budget plan, so as not to exceed monthly advertising budgets or give up on social media marketing because they're tired of paying $200+ per ad while getting no results from them.You can avoid this failure by following three simple steps to success in your next Facebook ad campaign.

Step 1 - Plan out your budget (or how much you want to spend) and set up an account with the right settings so you'll be able to track everything properly later on. 

Step 2 - Create a killer landing page for your audience based on the demographics of who you're targeting (think about what would make them convert).

Step 3 - Once those are done, go ahead and create some awesome images for your ads!

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You have an important sales promotion coming up and you are not sure where to start? You want it to be memorable for your customers, but how do you know what will work best? This blog post has 26 ideas that will get your next promotion noticed. These promotional ideas range in price points and objectives, so there is something here for everyone. The goal of this blog post is to provide inspiration and hope when choosing a new sales promotion idea or campaign!

A sales promotion can do a lot for your business. It is a great way to acquire new customers and take advantage of seasonal opportunities. They are a short-term marketing tactic to create urgency and increase sales. It is however, extremely important to pick a promotional idea that meets your goals. The problem with most sales promotions is that they lack the punch. They’re just not interesting enough. So they get lost in the shuffle of all your other marketing efforts. And then no one notices them at all!

A promotion can be as simple as giving out free product samples, or running a contest where the prize includes some sort of purchase offer. The variety of ideas in this post should help you find something for just about anyone and everyone. The usual first sales promotion tip is to create a free sample giveaway. Another good promotional idea is to offer discounted prices on products for a limited time only. Doing so will encourage people who were considering purchasing your product in the future, but have been waiting because of price, to buy now instead!

We’ve compiled 26 ideas for sales promotions that will help you create some excitement around your brand. Whether you choose an old favourite or try something new, make sure it fits with your business goals and is aligned with your customer base. Click on the link below to find the full article with 26 ideas.

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The average website abandonment rate is around 68.49%. This means that you are losing almost 2 out of 3 visitors who land on your website!

Abandoning visitors can be a big problem for any business, especially when they come to your site with the intent to buy something. It’s like throwing money in the trash! It takes less than 0.05 seconds before a visitor forms an opinion about your company's site - so how do you ensure that first impression is positive?

You should understand that there are many reasons why people abandon their shopping carts and leave your website without buying anything from you. Keeping this in mind, it becomes very important for every online retailer or marketer to adopt specific strategies and tactics which will help them reduce the number of abandoning visitors significantly.  The following list includes key elements that contribute to keeping conversion rates higher and a better flow of engagement.

The first thing you should do is focus on improving the core design and usability of the site.

- The design should be clean, user-friendly and give a professional impression. If your site is not responsive, you're going to lose customers because it's hard for them to navigate on their mobile device.

- Picking the right colour scheme for your website can be a daunting task. Colours have the potential to impact moods and drive reactions from visitors, so it is important to choose colours that you feel will lead to positive outcomes.

-This may sound more than obvious but it's crucial to ensure that consumers are not being spammed by unfriendly ads and popups. There are many websites which do this, but why would customers want to carry on browsing? Would you want to stay on a site that does this?

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In the past, businesses have used direct-mail advertising to get their products and services in front of potential customers. While this approach is still effective today, it has been criticized for being invasive and impersonal. You must realize the audience will be viewing this marketing strategy with skepticism, so you must provide them with a means to contact your company. This will help build trust and give potential customers the information they need in order to make an informed decision about whether or not they would prefer to do business with you.

The coronavirus outbreak has caused many people to rethink how they are going to shop in the future. It seems that consumers want a more personal experience when shopping online or at local stores. They want to be able to connect with companies on a deeper level than before because they understand the importance of feeling valued by those who provide them with goods and services.

Businesses should consider using direct-mail marketing as an important part of their overall sales plan moving forward into 2014 and beyond. This strategy will help you create stronger relationships with your customers while also providing them information about your company’s new offerings and promotions that may interest them during these uncertain times . By offering discounts or coupons through this type of advertisement, you can attract new clients.

The drawbacks to direct-mail marketing are that you may be sending out too many pieces of mail, or not enough. It can also waste a lot of time and money on postage if the company does not know who is interested in their products . But it’s important to remember that this strategy offers substantial advantages as well - for instance the price, in relation to other marketing methods such as digital marketing it's much cheaper.

There are also ways to reduce mailing costs, such as creating your own stamps. You can save on paper and postage by using postcards instead of flyers or brochures . If you send out a promotional offer that's time-limited, then it will be more likely that the customer will remember when the deadline is approaching. 

Another huge advantage is that it's possible to track the response rate, so you'll know which are your best mailing campaigns. A contrasting disadvantage of direct-mail advertising is if there's a company doesn't have an established customer base or contact list then they will often need to rent one and this costs money.

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So you’ve just started a new business? Congratulations! But, before that excitement wears off and your head is all about launch day or what the company will look like in five years, it’s time to focus on building an audience. There are plenty of steps involved with creating a customer avatar for your marketing strategy. This can mean taking account their demographic, values and attitudes toward life or even the specific products they use in everyday life.

A customer avatar is a fictional representation of your ideal customer or client who you will target your product or service offerings at. You can use many techniques such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, etc., to discover what makes them tick and how they think about particular problems that need solving. Once you have an understanding of these issues then you can create solutions for them that solve their problem(s) in a way that aligns with their needs and wants.

The first step is defining your avatar's demographics (age group/gender/race/income level). Next define their psychographics (personality traits/lifestyle preferences). Then, describe what they use in their everyday lives and how this relates to your company.

Next you must focus on the specific needs of your avatar. What problems are they facing in their everyday lives? Which products would help them achieve what they want to do (such as a new car or a bike). Then, focus on the customer's level and how committed they will be to certain projects that you're offering.

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Complaints often go unanswered. This can lead to a lot of bad PR and lost customers. If you have a business, complaints from customers are inevitable. Complaints can be an excellent opportunity to show your customer service skills and build relationships with disgruntled consumers. 

To avoid having a customer not buy anything from you again, it’s important to first understand what may be causing these customers to complain in the first place. Some of the common complaints include:

-Product was defective

-Delivery time took too long

-Wrong product was delivered.

In these cases, it’s imperative that you try to solve the customer’s problem as quickly and efficiently as possible by understanding their concerns and following up with them until they are satisfied.

n this blog post, we will discuss how to handle customer complaints in order to turn them into opportunities for improved customer relations. Experiencing a customer complaint can be upsetting for any business owner, but the timeless nature of complaints dictates that not much will change. Regardless of the size or success of your business, you’ll always have a small percentage of unhappy customers.

The saying that you cannot please everyone is just as true today as it was a hundred years ago.It doesn’t have to be this way, though. The intimidating aspect for businesses in the present market is that it's never been so easy for customer complaints to be so prevalent, due to review sites, social media, emails, forums, discussion boards and much more. There are plenty of ways for you to respond effectively when someone has something negative to say about your business or product.

We're going to show you how you can get ahead in the game by learning from others who have been there before. We will look at real-life examples from companies that responded well (and not so well) when faced with a complaint . By the end of it all, you should feel confident in knowing what steps you need to take if an unhappy customer reaches out to your company.

The following are the basic 5 steps as a baseline which are then buildt upon in much more detail in the link below:

1. Always apologize for any inconvenience
2. Listen to the customer's complaint and try to understand where they are coming from
3. Ask questions that will help you better understand what their issue is
4. Be honest with them - don't lie or make excuses, just admit your mistake and offer a solution
5. Offer something in return if it's possible - even if it isn't much, customers appreciate gestures of goodwill or reduce costs associated with low levels of customer satisfaction

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