The relationship between you and your clients shouldn’t be solely focused on business transactions. Deeper client relationships start with a willingness to get to know your customers on a personal level rather than as a number on your invoice.
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But there are nuances that go into obtaining a loyal customer base and advancing them into motivated brand advocates willing to promote your products on your company’s behalf. To assist you in making those deeper connections, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best relationship-building strategies below.

1. Listen More Than You Talk

Deep client relationships happen easily when you teach your sales staff to listen more than they talk. When clients are given the opportunity to be heard, they are candid and forthright about what they need, and they feel valued and appreciated in the process. They feel safe with their sales rep and with your company when they sense that you are actually trying to understand what is happening in their world instead of focusing on what is going on in yours. - Vanessa Nornberg, Metal Mafia

2. Exchange Life And Business Stories

Moving from a client-vendor interaction to a client-partner relationship takes a little bit of time and a lot of trust. Trust is built not only when you deliver and communicate well on client needs, but also when you get to know them. One simple way to build that trust is to show genuine interest in the person you are working with. Get to know your client. Ask questions about how they got started or where they grew up. In exchange, share your story. This may seem like it’s intrusive, but you would be surprised how far a simple nonwork-related conversation can go. Don’t force it, but keep your ears open for opportunities to dig a little deeper, and you will start to build a comfortability and trust that can set both sides up for success. - Joel Mathew, Fortress Consulting

3. Make Time For In-Person Meetups

This may seem overly simplistic, but truly connect with clients outside of business (if you can and it's appropriate) and do good work for them on a professional level. We have had some of the same clients for over two decades now. Part of cultivating deep relationships, in addition to keeping them happy on a professional level, involves making time to see clients in person. Take them to lunch, bring food to their staff and invite them to sporting events. If those are not feasible, just reach out over the phone and ask them how they are doing. Be genuine in your interactions and make them a priority. - Kristy Knichel, Knichel Logistics

4. Ensure You’re Providing Value

Too often I see entrepreneurs make decisions based on what they assume the client wants. They end up trying to sell a product, rather than build a relationship. When in doubt, ask questions. Find out if you are providing value or wasting their time. Listen to their answers and show them that you understand their objectives and you care about their business. If they respond by telling you what you want to hear, that's a good tipoff. It means that you're providing them value and you're helping them accomplish their goals. You don't have to be an expert at every product or service they use, but you do have to show them that you know their goals and that you understand the problems they have. - Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day

5. Check In Regularly

Unexpected check-ins do wonders! A few times a month on my drive home, I’ll call a few of our clients just to check in with them. No agenda at all—just a friendly call to say “Hi” and hear how things are going for them. Even if you don’t reach them, leaving a friendly voicemail does wonders to strengthen the relationship. And, of course, if you have too many clients to call individually, sending a handwritten note just to say “Hi” works equally well! - Arian Radmand, IgnitePost

6. Ask For Their Feedback

Pay close attention to any areas where clients express dissatisfaction. You can use tools such as surveys and polls to gauge how customers feel. However, it's best to talk directly to people when you can. Ask them if there's anything they feel could be improved. Some customers won't give you feedback unless they are prompted. People will appreciate it if they know you really care. Personalized service makes it more likely that customers will give you referrals. You can do this in an informal way, such as by sending out quick messages via email, text or social media to inquire about someone's purchase or service. - Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting

7. Overdeliver

It's always good to know that you are appreciated, so your clients need to feel that, for you, working with them is a privilege and not a casual deal. One tip I would give to every business is to overdeliver. Provide your clients with an excellent product or service and always give a little extra on top. Your clients will appreciate your efforts no matter what industry you are in. - Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

8. Communicate Consistently

You’ll get to know your clients the same way you get to know anybody in your life—through consistent communication. Whether it's asking for feedback or engaging them through social media (depending on the client you're working with), staying in touch is key to forming a deeper relationship. People like to know that you're thinking of them, whether it's personal or professional. Keep communication active after the job is done. This will help them to feel like more than just another number in your books. The best part about engaging clients like this is that it can encourage work in the future. If you stay in touch, not only do you gain a new professional relationship, but you may also guarantee further employment down the line. It's a win-win! - Nick Venditti, StitchGolf

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Source: https://www.forbes.com/
Image Credit: Photo by MART PRODUCTION

Online safety is critical when you’re serving e-commerce customers. If proper protocols aren’t followed, e-commerce sites can easily fall prey to cybersecurity breaches, which may expose private customer information.

These security breaches can cost your company both in money and in customer loyalty, so it’s essential to prioritize shoppers’ online safety. To help you secure your consumers’ shopping experience, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council outline the key security steps companies should take with their e-commerce sites.

1. Always Use A Payment Provider

Never store credit cards yourself. Always use a payment provider like Stripe that will take the liability away from you. People can live with losing their email address, although they don't like it; what people won't forgive you for is if you lose their credit card information. Even if you're not selling products, but rather recurring subscriptions, there are payment providers that will store this information and manage all of it for you. Taking this step is especially important as an early-stage startup before you have the resources in place to get proper security software and internal IT security personnel. - Andy Karuza, Base64.ai

2. Create Best Practices

It's all about data privacy. Even people who know about data privacy don't fully understand how valuable it is. Find standard best practices for making sure your customers’ data is secure on your website. Be transparent about your policy with it. This doesn't just protect your consumers—it protects you as well. - Tyler Bray, TK Trailer Parts

3. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication

One of the best ways to keep your customers safe online is to enable multi-factor authentication for returning visitors. We always ask our customers to register with their phone number or email address so we can confirm their identity before they make a purchase from our site. This tip helps us track who is accessing our site and from where. I believe being mindful of how users log in can dramatically improve e-commerce safety and security for shoppers around the globe. - Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

4. Use Fraud Prevention Tools

You need to make the most of fraud-checking and virus protection software. When you're dealing with other people's money, you need to take every step you possibly can to ensure that all transactions are completed as safely as possible. Nothing will ruin trust in a company faster than a data breach, and nothing will lose you money faster than having to compensate burned customers. If you predominantly sell online, you need to stay on top of cybersecurity. Hackers, sadly, are only getting more sophisticated with their tactics, so you need to do the same. Fraud prevention tools in particular can protect both you and your clients from falling victim, so it's a beneficial investment for everybody involved. - Nick Venditti, StitchGolf

5. Look Beyond Native Security

Most companies need to take the time to look beyond the native security of the platform they are using. The website-building sites like Squarespace or WordPress and popular store-building sites like WooCommerce or Shopify make it easy to set up an e-commerce store, but the security they come packaged with leaves a lot to be desired. While some of these sites (like Shopify) are a bit better about native security than others, they all have security plug-ins or third-party security features that you can add. The farther away you can get from a generic security setup, the less likely you or your customers are to be victimized. - Salvador Ordorica, The Spanish Group LLC

6. Install An SSL Certificate

Having an e-commerce site automatically comes with the responsibility to keep your customers safe from intrusive hackers. One security step companies should take is keeping private information secure by installing an SSL certificate. This is a tool that encrypts data that's in transit from the customer's browser to the server of the payment processing site. In other words, it's preventing a customer's personal information from getting stolen. For example, my company accepts payment through third-party processors like Shopify Pay. An SSL certificate prevents hackers from stealing payment information in the process of them making a purchase. - Emily Stallings, Casely, Inc.

7. Educate Your Customers

As business owners, it's our duty to protect our customers’ information online—but you need to understand that your customers might not know how to do it. So, educating them about cybersecurity is extremely important. Remind them to change their password and access credentials from time to time, back up their data regularly, install authorized software, etc. You can also send them relevant newsletters that help them learn more about keeping their data safe online. - Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

8. Keep Everything Up To Date

There are quite a number of things an e-commerce store needs to do to keep its customers safe and feeling safe. That includes being safe as a business because if you get hacked as an e-commerce site especially, it'll be hard to convince your customers that they'll be safe buying from your website even if they themselves weren't affected personally. I'll say that you, your staff and your customers should be security conscious. Build your site on trusted and tested internet infrastructure. And when you do, keep the place up to date. Hackers are crawling the net looking for opportunities to destroy businesses. And they've learned to target small ones that think hacks happen to big corporations only. Small businesses are easy targets. - Samuel Thimothy, OneIMS

9. Invest In A Quality Hosting Provider

An e-commerce site's safety depends heavily on the hosting provider they use. New business owners may think that it's a good idea to use cheap shared hosting, but this option becomes expensive in the long run. You also want to use a good hosting provider that can upgrade your usage and solve technical issues fast. Such providers are proactive when it comes to monitoring threats and security issues. Start by investing in a reliable hosting platform or make the switch to a good one fast. It'll reflect in the speed of your website and will help protect your site and customers from data breaches. - Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner



Source: Forbes.com
Image: Courtesy of The Individual Members

For many Americans, a cup of coffee is a morning ritual that perks them up and keeps them going throughout the day. Even though most people now work from home, many are still frequenting local cafés for their daily cup of joe or buying a fresh bag of coffee roast that they can brew at home.

If you own a local café and are looking for ways to drum up business, the following coffee shop marketing ideas can help you attract new customers. 

Why effective coffee shop marketing ideas are essential

Most people are always in need of a good cup of coffee. Between 2020 and 2021, nearly 167 million 60-kilogram coffee bags were consumed worldwide. This market brings a lot of competition — as a coffee shop owner, you likely have a few chains in your neighborhood vying for customers. Effective coffee shop marketing ideas are essential to attract new customers.

9 coffee shop advertising ideas

The right café promotion and coffee shop marketing will help you compete and attract new customers in your area.  Here are nine tips on how to do it effectively.

1. Offer redeemable promotions in your store

One of the more tried-and-true coffee shop marketing ideas involves offering online promotions that are redeemable in-store. If you have an email list, send out printable coupons or include a QR code that your customers can scan at the register for a discount. 

Promote your in-store discount through social media and your email list to boost visibility and drive more people to your café.

2. Optimize your site for local searches

Most people turn to their mobile phones and digital devices when looking for a local business. For instance, roughly 75% of those who own smart speakers use them to conduct local searches weekly. If your site isn’t optimized for local searches, you could be missing the customers who live in your neighborhood. 

Make sure your listings on Google My Business, Yelp, and other local databases are accurate and updated often. Check your address, phone number, website address, and hours. Set one up if you don’t have a Google My Business account yet. This will ensure your café shows up in Google Maps when someone searches for coffee shops near them.

An updated business listing ensures that your coffee shop or café will appear in Google search results. This listing typically includes your business hours, customer ratings, and where your café or coffee shop is located.

3. Host an event

Another way to attract new customers is by giving them something for free, especially if they visit your café or coffee shop. You can do this by hosting new roast tasting events, get-togethers for local remote workers, and other gatherings designed to get people out of the house and into your shop. 

If you host a tasting, for example, people can sample the products that your coffee shop is selling. Offer a discount on the sampled flavor or, if it’s a limited-edition type, hand out coupons customers can use if they return to the shop after your event.

Promote the event by creating social media ads that target those who live in your area. You can run a Facebook ad, for instance, aimed at people living in your city who love coffee.

4. Create hyper-local ads

Of all the coffee shop marketing ideas available, social media tends to be the most popular because it’s easy and cost-effective. Run sponsored posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram promoting your café. Coffee shop advertising doesn’t have to be over the top.

Take some interesting pictures of your merchandise or baked goods and create a targeted ad for people in your area. To do so, choose location-based targeting when you’re setting up your ad. You can also use local keywords and phrases in your posts and photo captions, appealing to people in your neighborhood.

5. Incentivize in-store visits

To draw in customers, offer a discount or a deal that can only be applied at the register. Send out postcards through the mail that people can redeem for a discount. 

Or start a loyalty program like a phone-based or physical punch card people can use to get items for free after they buy a certain number of drinks. Most people are likely to recommend a business with a good loyalty program. Make it worthwhile to stop by your store.

6. Partner with local influencers

Businesses have long used celebrities to improve their credibility and drive business. With the rise of social media, influencer marketing has grown to about $13.8 billion. If your brand is represented by someone customers trust, they may see you more favorably. 

Because they tend to have a smaller following, local influencers are usually more affordable for coffee shop advertising. Before choosing your influencer, set your goals for the campaign. 

Are you interested in appealing to a particular demographic? Do you want to improve your social media following? Or do you want to connect with people interested in craft coffee and special roasts? 

When you define your goals, you can find the right influencers. If you’re unsure where to find influencers, you can check with an ad agency that sets up these partnerships.  With your goals and budget in hand, you can work with them to find the right representative for your brand.

7. Listen to your customers

If you have a suggestion box, use customer feedback to improve your restaurant customer journey. If you don’t have one, look through your online reviews and social media interactions to see what you can work on. 

Maybe customers think they have to wait too long during peak times. In this case, you might want to hire an extra part-time barista or improve your training to cut down on wait times. 

You can also ask your customers to suggest new flavors or roasts that they’re interested in.

8. Start an email list

Put a sign-up sheet at the cash register and offer a discount to people who opt into your email list. Include a sign-up form on your website’s home page, and let people know that they can sign up for exclusive deals and discounts by joining your list. 

Once you’ve built your list, create a newsletter offering your customers store news, coffee tips and tricks, promotions, and announcements. Create content that is valuable to them. 

9. Jump on a holiday

With marketing, every day offers a reason to celebrate. Look at holiday calendar sources and find coffee-related events to celebrate on your social media page.

Celebrate National Coffee Day on its social media by offering customers a free cookie with their purchase. Like The Coffee Break Company did here, use hashtags to appeal to a broader audience and expand your reach.

​Drive business to your coffee shop today

Whether you’re new in town or trying to attract some customers away from the competition, you need to market your shop in ways that stand out. The coffee shop marketing ideas discussed in this article can help boost your visibility and bring people into your café. 

Start by optimizing your internet presence for local searches. When people can find you online while craving a cup of joe, they’re more likely to stop by your shop. Create a Google My Business account and a business account on Yelp. Update your name, address, phone number, website, and hours.

Next, add some local keywords to headlines and descriptions on your website. If you’re a staple on local “best of” lists, mention it on your homepage.

Once your local internet presence is established, start brainstorming events and café promotions, using your social media pages to alert people about your coffee shop. You might be hosting a grand opening or a coffee tasting event. Whatever the occasion, use a combination of digital and traditional marketing tools to promote it. 

Once you’ve generated interest, you can start improving your chances of attracting new customers to your shop.





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Source: Constantcontact.com
Image Credit: Constant Contact, Google Search, The Coffee Break Company's Facebook page

There’s a story behind the start of every business, and many entrepreneurs write books to share their own. Whether it’s a motivating story of overcoming challenges, an inspiring story of passion or a story full of practical lessons and advice, an entrepreneur’s first book can be used to help them grow their business.

To share insights on how to do that, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

“For entrepreneurs who have just written their first book, how can they leverage it to help grow their business? Why is this effective?”

Here are a few of their best ideas.

1. Use Your Book as a Lead Magnet

“Have you considered using your book as a lead magnet for your business? Would customers and prospects alike gain value from your book? Would it be beneficial to land speaking gigs with an audience of potential business partners? If your answer to this is ‘yes,’ then do just that. Use your book as a base for your content marketing strategy. Turn that book into 500 to 1,000 blog posts.” ~ Samuel Thimothy, OneIMS

2. Seek Endorsements

“Get endorsements for your book. The direct benefit of getting endorsements is that it saves your target readers time. Endorsements immediately reduce your customers’ risk, which means they’re more likely to turn into buyers. Endorsements also help your product’s exposure. The person endorsing you can email their distribution list about your book, or they may even interview you for their blog.” ~ Shu Saito, Fact Retriever

3. Generate Media Coverage

“Entrepreneurs can leverage their books to get clients, build their brands and generate media coverage. Although most entrepreneurs won’t make money from their books, they will be able to use their books to build their thought leadership, expertise and credibility, get more customers or clients and get a traditional publishing deal.” ~ Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
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4. Feature Your Book on Social Media

“As a first-time author, you’ll have a built-in interest in what you have to say, especially if you’re currently successful. This strategy is effective because the go-to place for anything new or informative about your business is, in fact, social media.” ~ Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

5. Book Speaking Engagements

“My books are some of my proudest accomplishments. I go on tour and do speaking engagements to promote them. At first, they were smaller audiences, but the more books I wrote, the larger the audiences became. Add so much value that your audience thirsts for the next publication. Books are excellent tools to leverage for business because of the authority you achieve and the audience you build.” ~ Matthew Capala, Alphametic

6. Create an Email Marketing Campaign

“Entrepreneurs that have just written their first book can use it to create an email marketing campaign that builds their email list and drives traffic to their website. Email is a vital tool for marketers and business owners to grow their businesses and attract more customers to their content. You can break your book down into snippets and send them to subscribers in an email drip.” ~ Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

7. Establish Yourself as an Expert

“A new book is a massive opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in your field. You can leverage your book by breaking it down into smaller digestible pieces—blogs, articles, social media posts, etc. The possibilities really are endless. Spreading this information across these channels and any other appropriate space will ensure you reach your ideal audience and provide value.” ~ Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

8. Offer Review Copies to Industry Peers

“One of the most effective methods is to offer review copies to as many people in your industry as possible. If you know anyone who’s another author or influencer, it’s even better. It’s best to get the book in front of reviewers before you even publish it so you can start off with social proof right away.” ~ Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting

9. Sell Your Book on Multiple Platforms

“You can leverage your book to grow your business by offering your work on multiple platforms, including Amazon, for both physical copies and audio. When someone finds your book on these platforms, there’s a good chance they will want to know more about your career, products and industry. Building intrigue by making your book readily available will make it easier to grow your business.” ~ John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

10. Host an Event

“Use your book as a marketing tool for the rest of your business by creating an event and giving the book to your friends, clients and colleagues. Later, turn this conversation into free marketing by inviting them to post on social media to tell their friends about the book and your brand. This gives many people an opportunity to learn about your business.” ~ Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day

11. Get Involved in Relevant Communities

“One way to use your book to grow your business is to get involved in relevant communities across the internet. For instance, if you own a marketing SaaS, then decide to write a book on marketing, you could easily promote your book (and business) on relevant social media forums and groups. People interested in marketing may read your book and then check out your site.” ~ Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

12. Improve Your Web Presence

“Being a published author is a major boost to your image, especially online. With the help of an SEO expert, you can easily use your author status to rank higher on Google searches relevant to your business niche. Improving your web presence like this can increase your visibility to new customers or clients.” ~ Bryce Welker, Real Estate Schooler



Source: smallbiztrends.com
​Image Credit: Depositphotos