Half My Advertising Is Wasted, I Just Don’t Know Which Half”

I read an interesting (and disturbing) statistic recently from Forbes. It stated that 45% of CEOs agree that ‘marketing efforts are wasting money’.

Yes, I’m an accountant (and proud of it) but I’m also a business owner. In many respects I’m in a unique position. I not only have to run and build our firm, I also get to advise dozens of other business owners (our clients) on growing their firms, making sure their financial management is as good as it can be, and ensuring they don’t pay a penny more in tax than they have to.

However, we are different to most accountants because we take an active role in helping our clients grow. That’s why we invested a considerable sum to give our clients access to one of the world’s leading sales and marketing systems (the BGSvault).

But when I read that statistic from Forbes, it reminded me of a famous quote from department store mogul John Wanamaker, who said: "Half my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half".

It’s fair to say I have this discussion regularly with a number of our clients. They don’t measure the results of their marketing, so they have no way of knowing what’s working and what isn’t makes my team and me very ‘number conscious’. We do measure everything. That includes our marketing. I want to know if I spent X on a strategy, what return did I get?

Why is that important? Well, it means I know which strategies to invest more of our hard-earned money into and which strategies to ditch or try and improve. It’s not rocket science, but as small-business owners we have to watch the pennies and leverage as many things as we can.

I also smiled when I read that statistic from Forbes. I wonder how many CEOs actually know what their marketing results are and which strategies work. It is highly likely they are just like John Wanamaker—they haven’t got a clue.

This one simple act of measuring the results (or lack) of ALL your marketing is so simple, yet it will have a significant effect on the growth of your firm.  It’s your job to make   sure   you  put  in  place  a  mechanism that  gives  you this  data.  In   my   experience,  I can  tell you, it is TRANSFORMATIONAL!

4 tips to Optimise your Email for Mobile Devices!

74% of smartphone owners use their devices to check their email (Source: Gartner)

It has been estimated by Radicati that by the end of 2018, mobile email users are expected to total over 2.2 billion & 80% of email users are expected to access their email accounts via a mobile device.

Rather than the statistics, if you check at how you check your email versus how you were doing it just a few years ago, you will realise the importance of smart phone email compatibility.

Mobile Email Usage! Source: PanoramaStock

The rate at which emails are opened on a mobile device is rapidly increasing. So, when it comes to your business’s approach to email marketing, you need to make sure your messages look great no matter what size screen your audience is using.

Here are 5 easy but important tips to optimise your email so that it is responsive to both small and big screens alike:

Formatting

An easy way to make your emails more mobile-friendly is to use a single-column template. This will make it easy for people to see all of your information without having to click to zoom in. People consume information differently on a smaller screen. One of the biggest differences is how quickly they can scroll through and scan information. As such, you should format your email content for people who like to scan. Start with a short header message that sets up the content people are about to read. The copy that follows should be clear and concise. Replace lengthy paragraphs with short, snappy sentences that let people know what you’re doing, why it’s important to them, and what action you’d like them to take. You should also avoid lengthy paragraphs that can slow down the reader and distract them from giving your content the attention it needs.

Images and Branding

Include an eye-catching image that helps the reader connect with the message you’re sending out. Bear in mind that on many mobile devices, images won’t display automatically and some will turn off displaying images by default. As such, it is important not to overload your email with too many images and to always make sure you have text to provide the details people need.

Include High Resolution Images

High resolution images will ensure images are sharp and crisp. Readers will be pleased with the content present. More than that, it will improve the click-through rate of images' hyperlink!

Strong Call-to-Action

Now that you’ve set your message up to work well on mobile, the last step is to make sure your readers clearly understand the action you want them to take. If you want people to show up to an event, or call to place an order, it is important to clearly state what you want them to do and give them the information they need to take action. If the next action is online - to visit your website, register for an event etc. then you should include a link that’s visible and easy to click on any screen size. Remember that on mobile devices, your readers need to be able to use their finger to click or scroll. Avoid stacking multiple links or putting different links too close together. Whenever possible, add a button that’s easy to click from a phone’s small screen.

Why businesses can benefit from cloud accounting?

Cloud computing has become increasingly pervasive over the last few years and many software developers now provide cloud-based services. But what is the cloud, and how can cloud accounting software benefit your business?

‘The cloud’ is another term for ‘the internet’. Cloud computing refers to the practice of accessing data or programs over the internet, instead of using your hard drive or office server. Cloud accounting software is software that can be accessed online. Traditional small business accounting programs require installation and can present a number of problems:

·    Costs and complications of backing up data and installing upgrades

·    Insecure data storage and protection

·    Limitations on the amount of devices running the software

·    Limitations on the amount of people able to access the software

Cloud accounting software eliminates many of these issues. For example, data backups and software upgrades are carried out automatically, saving your team the laborious job of performing these tasks manually. In addition, data security is enhanced: you no longer have to worry about a laptop or hard drive falling into the wrong hands, as the data is stored remotely and can only be accessed with the correct passwords. This also means that incidents such as fires or floods no longer carry the risk of permanent destruction of client data.

In terms of software access, cloud accounting companies provide a number of options, giving business owners greater opportunity to enhance teamwork and collaboration without compromising control. Many companies provide flexible price plans, allowing businesses to scale their accounting function according to their needs and budget. 

Perhaps the most significant advantage of cloud accounting is that it allows businesses to access their data and software from any device with an internet connection 24/7. Small business owners can therefore stay connected to their data and accountants from almost anywhere, providing greater control and peace of mind. 

Top 3 benefits to your business:

1.         Clear, real-time overview of your current financial situation

2.         No installation necessary and updates are automatic, allowing for more time to be spent on more important work

3.         Everything is backed up automatically, and your data is more secure

Talk to us about getting a demo, we’d be delighted to show you how easy it is to move your accounts to the cloud!

How to keep your clients happy? 8 Simple Steps!

Keeping existing clients happy is a lot easier than acquiring new ones. But that’s easier said than done.

Think of yourself as a customer. When you walk into a shop, you expect to be treated in a certain way - a smile, a small greeting, “Hello, how are you?” and you want to feel like you matter.

You don’t want to be treated as just another customer. Excellent service makes a difference to how you perceived the experience and if you return to that store again.

Opposite our office we have a coffee shop called Rise. If I ever want a coffee, I go there and wouldn’t think about going anywhere else. This is all because of their excellent customer service.

Even before you are at the counter ready to order, you’re greeted with a friendly “Hello” and the staff make you feel valued and appreciated. Here are a few ways you can keep your clients happy so they are amazed by your service and never want to leave…

1. GIVE FREE ADVICE

If you come across as only wanting fees from your clients, they’ll run in the opposite direction. Giving free advice shows that you care about your clients’ success. It doesn’t mean you have to be on the phone with them every day answering a list of questions, but if they know you’re available to give advice when they need it, you’re more likely to be referred.

Don’t think about trying to sell them other services - treat it as a form of developing the relationship with your clients.

2. UNDER-PROMISE AND OVER-DELIVER

We say this a lot to our clients, but it’s true! If you promise someone too much, you’re putting pressure on yourself just to impress.

If you can see them for one hour a week, but you tell them they’re entitled to 30 minutes of your time every single week—they’ll be blown away when you over-deliver.
 

That’s a lot better than making promises you can’t keep (even though your intentions are never to break them).

3. COMMUNICATE CLEARLY WITH CLIENTS

If there is anything clients like - it’s to be kept informed, even if you have some bad news to tell them. Don’t let months go by without speaking to them. And this goes for your team too. Make it part of your team ethos to regularly keep in contact with clients about their workload. No matter how small the situation may seem, if a client’s work changes, they should be informed. 

It will go a long way in creating excellent customer service. 

Feedback emails are a great way to check in with clients to make sure they’re happy with the service provided. Ask your team to send an email to clients every few months making sure that everything is running smoothly. (This is a great way to keep your firm moving forward.)

4. BE AVAILABLE

Similar to point 3, communication is key to developing a strong relationship and making sure everything runs smoothly. 

You can’t be available every hour of every day, but there’s nothing worse for a client than not being able to get in touch with their accountant. Set aside a few hours a day when you are free to chat to clients if they ever need you and let them know that you’re unavailable any time outside of these hours.
 

People don’t like to be left in the dark about things, and if they haven’t received a response back from you within a few days, then they will lose confidence that you care.

5. DELIVER WORLD-CLASS WORK

This goes without saying really, but if clients aren’t satisfied with the service provided, they will cancel.
The primary reason clients came to you is because of the service you provided, and not how great your customer service is. Keep track of any work your team might do for clients, so you are always aware of the status of their work.
 

If your service isn’t up to scratch and they don’t see results - you can expect a cancellation.

6. ASK YOUR CLIENTS QUESTIONS

The only way to know what your clients want is to ask them. Feedback emails (as mentioned earlier) are an excellent way to over-deliver. And it goes a long way that you made the effort to ask.
 

Ask questions about their company too - find out the best times to communicate with them, what excellent customer service means to them, what their goals are and more. Establish what their expectations are and exceed them. Treat this as an opportunity to get to know your clients too.

7. MAKE EVERYTHING PERSONAL

People like personalisation and not being treated as just another client (think back to what I said about Rise earlier). This means every moment of truth with the client should be personal - from their name on letters to a personal touch to emails.
 

Make all of your clients feel appreciated. If you’re holding an event - invite them along. Invest time in building a relationship with each and every one of them.

8. UNDERSTAND THEIR POINT OF VIEW

Your clients are busy people and you won’t always get a response from them as quickly as you’d like. If you know that you need something from them, then asking the day before isn’t sensible. You have to put them first. 

Put yourself in their shoes. If they’re upset with how a member of the team has spoken with them, empathise and do everything you can to turn the situation around. Get the facts from your team and see the situation from the client’s side. (This doesn’t mean they’re always right, but look at things from their side)

PJ

For Accounting, Marketing, Business Building help, contact us:
☎ 020 89310165 | ☏ 07900537459 | ✉ info@apjaccountancy.com

We're on Social Media too :)
     

Understanding Twitter Analytics To Get You Results

I f you want to improve, you have to measure your results to see what isn’t working and, more importantly, what is.

The good thing is, if you have a Twitter account set up, you can view your analytics for FREE.

‘Why do I need to see my analytics?’ you might be wondering. As with every other marketing strategy, you should be evaluating the results so you can prioritise your time on strategies that give you the results you want.

Image Source: PanoramaStock

And everything is displayed simply on your screen so you don’t have to be a marketing expert to understand what pieces of data to dig out.

Twitter shows you everything so you can really get to know your audience and see what they like. It’s no use just presuming what content they like from you.

It’s crucial that your audience appreciate your content or you’ll notice that nobody seems interested in your services.

Here’s how to access your analytics dashboard:

• Sign into your Twitter account
• Next, visit ads.twitter.com. It will automatically link your account to this page
• Across the top of your screen will be Campaigns, Creatives, Analytics and Tools.

You only need to focus on the Analytics section for the information that tells you everything you need to know.

From there, you can view:
• Followers
• Tweet activity

1. From the followers section, you can view your followers’ demographics, interests and gender.

Why is this important?

If all of your followers are from a location far away, then you know that they probably aren't going to be potential clients. (Instead, you can re-focus your content to talk about the industry.)

If this is the case, you may also want to target Twitter users who are from your location.

You can also evaluate the pace at which your account is growing (by that, I mean the rate at which you are getting more followers).

If you hover over each segment of the section called Your current follower audience size, you can see the speed at which your account is growing.

Followers increase is great news, but remember that the data only makes a difference if it is what
you want.

Check the analytics for the main language of your audience.

Check whether your audience are potential clients. If the analytics show that most of your followers spoke French(when your potential clients are English), you have to change the way you target users. 

2. Tweet activity

This part of the analytics is probably the most important. Your content is the core of your social media presence.

If your followers don’t like your content, then they probably won’t be interested in your services.

Just to break it down, here’s what Impressions and Engagements mean.
Impressions are the number of times users saw your tweet on their timeline.
Engagements are the total number of times a user has interacted with your tweet. For example, a retweet, favourite or reply.

Tweet with an image have more engagements than just text.

The goal is to have more engagement. If people just see your tweet and do nothing with it (i.e. retweet, reply or favourite it), you need to restructure your content strategy.

Let’s recap on the key points for maximising your Twitter presence.

Once a week, or every fortnight, look at your Twitter analytics to evaluate what is working. Rather than focussing on the bad, focus on what gets you results. And keep doing that.

Look at what types of tweets get more engagement. Do images perform better? Or text? And if text, what type of content? Informative? Jokes? Business advice?

Social media is forever evolving. So you may need to review your strategy every few Months.