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WELCOME TO THE SCORE HOUSTON TV SERIES,[SCORE Houston (#05): “Marketing - The Lifeblood of the Enterprise”]
THE ENTREPRENEUR'S JOURNEY WITH SCORE.I'M YOUR HOST, ANDREAS GOLDSCHMIDT, BUSINESS MENTOR AND SOCIAL MEDIA SHARED AT SCORE HOUSTON.
FOR THE LAST 60 YEARS, SCORE HAS BEEN PROVIDING EXCELLENT SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, PROVIDING FREE, CONFIDENTIAL MENTORING, AND MANY TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR DIVERSE BUSINESS AREAS.
OUR LATEST ENDEAVOR IS PARTNERING WITH THE TEAM AT HOUSTON TV TO DEVELOP A SERIES OF ACTIONABLE BUSINESS INSIGHTS.
EACH EPISODE IS A HANDS-ON GUIDE TO ELEVATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXCITING JOURNEY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
IN OUR LAST EPISODE, WE EXPLORED EMPOWERING SMALL BUSINESS DREAMS INSIDE THE SBA TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW HOW DSBA SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESSES.
A KEY STEP TO ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS IS TO DEFINE YOUR MARKETING ACTIVITIES.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHERE TO FIND YOUR CUSTOMERS, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE, AND HOW TO CREATE DEMAND FOR YOUR PRODUCT.
ALL OF THIS IS TITLED MARKETING THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE ENTERPRISE.
I'M EXCITED TO WELCOME A NUMBER OF SPECIAL GUESTS TODAY WHO BRING A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE IN MARKETING TO THE TABLE, BOTH AS MENTORS AND AS CLIENTS OF SCORE.
WELCOME BACK TO TODAY'S EPISODE TITLED, MARKETING THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE ENTERPRISE.
SO ARE YOU READY TO FIND CUSTOMERS, DECIDE HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE, AND HOW TO LEARN HOW TO CREATE DEMAND FOR YOUR PRODUCT? LET'S GET STARTED.
JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR TWO GUEST MARKETING EXPERTS AND MENTORS FOR THE EPISODE OSLO, ER, AND PABLO CONRAD.
FURTHERMORE, WE ALSO WANT TO WELCOME OUR SCORE CLIENT, DR.
CAR CAROLINA JIMENEZ, HONESTLY, CAROLINA AND PABLO.
OSLER IS A SEVEN TIME ENTREPRENEUR AND KNOWS HOW TO HELP BUSINESSES, HOW TO GET STARTED SUCCESSFULLY.
SHE JOINED SCORE ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO TO HELP OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS AND HAS BEEN FOCUSING ON HELPING CLIENTS IN MARKETING.
PABLO IS A MARKETER AND, AND A MENTOR WITH EXPERIENCE RUNNING THE MARKETING FUNCTION IN LARGE CORPORATIONS.
HE JOINED SCORE LAST YEAR AS A CERTIFIED MENTOR.
HE'S ALSO FULLY BILINGUAL, UH, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT OUR DIVERSE AND VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
SHE'S A LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST WITH A PRIVATE PRACTICE SPECIALIZING IN IMMIGRATION EVALUATIONS, CONSULTATIONS AND PUBLIC SPEAKING.
PABLO, CAN YOU HELP US POSITION MARKETING? WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? SURE, AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, ANDREAS.
YOU KNOW, MARKETING IS VITAL BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY DRIVES BUSINESS SUCCESS ACROSS DIFFERENT SECTORS.
MARKETING'S ROLE IS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES, UM, IDEATE ON WHAT TO DO, CREATE VALUE AND CAPTURE VALUE FOR A SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATION.
SO DOING THAT PROFITABLY, IN THE ESSENCE AT THE CORE MARKETING'S ROLE IN AN ORGANIZATION IS TO DEEPLY UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER NEEDS, CONSUMER NEEDS, CONNECT THEM WITH STRATEGY, FEED THE STRATEGY SO WE CAN DRIVE ENGAGEMENT AND DRIVE, UM, SOLUTIONS FOR THE BUSINESS SUCCESS.
BY DOING THAT, ALSO, WE CAN ALSO MATCH THE PRODUCT OFFERING WITH THE MARKET DEMANDS.
IT'S IMPORTANT THE ROLE OF MARKETING ORGANIZATION, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT HELPS TO BOOST SALES, BUT ALSO DRIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH CUSTOMERS AND, AND CHANNEL OPPORTUNITIES.
SO TO BUILD NOT ONLY, AGAIN, THE FINANCIAL SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY, BUT ALSO THE BRAND SUCCESS AND THE REPUTATION.
WELL, LET'S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER.
TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE MARKETING CONCEPTS THAT YOU SHARE WITH YOUR CLIENTS AND HOW CAN THEY APPLY IT TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES? THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SUPER EXCITING.
EVERY TIME WE HAD THE CHANCE TO ENGAGE WITH THE CLIENTS IN SCORE, WE OFTEN GO BACK TO THE MARKETING FUNDAMENTALS.
SO WE TALK ABOUT THE FOUR PS OF MARKETING.
WE TALK ABOUT A, UM, THE, A COMMUNICATION MIX.
WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE JOURNEY AND THE CONSUMER JOURNEY AND THE MARKETING FUNNEL.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FOUR PS, TRADITIONALLY COVERING SOME OF THE BOOKS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SCHOOLS OF THOUGHTS AS A PRODUCT PRICE, PROMOTION AND AND PLACE, ALTHOUGH SOME AUTHORS AS A FIFTH P AS WE KNOW, WHICH IS ABOUT PEOPLE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO WE HELP OUR CLIENTS TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT PRODUCT, TO BE SOLD AT THE RIGHT PRICE THROUGH THE RIGHT CHANNEL, AND USE THE RIGHT COMMUNICATION TOOLS, RIGHT? SO WE HELP, UH, NAVIGATE OUR CLIENTS THROUGH THOSE, UH, FILTERS, IF YOU WILL, OR MARKETING FUNDAMENTALS.
ALSO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, LET'S SAY THE MARKETING FUNNEL, ALSO, THERE ARE WAY MANY WAYS OF DISCUSSING ABOUT THAT.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE NOW USES THE ONE EMBRACED BY GOOGLE, WHICH IS
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UNDERSTANDING THE AWARENESS OF A BRAND TO DRIVE CONSIDERATION, TO DRIVE CONVERSION, TO EVENTUALLY DRIVE LOYALTY.ALSO, WE USE THAT FUNDAMENTAL MARKETING TOOL OR THINKING TO GUIDE OUR CLIENTS THROUGH WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR BUSINESS, RIGHT? WE GO BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS.
AND LASTLY, THE OTHER THING THAT WE TALK, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MARKETING IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS.
AND IN THAT WE CAN GUIDE OUR CLIENTS TO USE EITHER ONLINE OR OFFLINE, TRADITIONAL OR NEW PAPER, UH, RADIO, TV, DIGITAL, SOCIAL, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE NEEDS, BECAUSE WE HELP CLIENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WANT TO COMMUNICATE, WHAT THEIR AUDIENCE IS, HOW TO FIND THEM, AND THEN THEY CAN MAKE CHOICES ON WHAT TO USE.
SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING AND WE MATCH THE FUNDAMENTAL MARKETING TOOLS WITH THEIR NEEDS.
HOW CAN A BUSINESS OWNER OWNER GET ORGANIZED AND GET STARTED? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
SO OUR TYPICAL ANSWER FOR THIS IS CREATE A MARKETING STRATEGY.
THAT TO ME IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS.
UH, WHEN I GET A NEW CLIENT AND ACTUALLY HAVE A MARKETING QUESTION, I TYPICALLY, UH, POINT THEM TOWARDS A VIDEO, UH, FROM PATTY ROSS, FROM GOLDEN STATE MARKETING.
SHE'S ONE OF THE SCORE MENTORS, AND SHE'S LAYING OUT A SEVEN STEP PROCESS THAT CLIENTS SHOULD REALLY RUN THROUGH TO BETTER DEFINE WHAT THEIR MARKETING IS ALL ABOUT.
WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE? THEN WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT CUSTOMERS, AND THAT TO ME IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP.
WHAT ARE OUR CUSTOMERS REALLY ALL ABOUT? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS ACTUALLY OUR IDEAL CUSTOMER? UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WALK A STEP IN THE SHOES OF OUR CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THAT HELPS US, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND WHAT REALLY THEIR NEEDS ARE.
AND WE CALL THAT TYPICALLY BUYER PERSONAS.
THAT'S THEN FOLLOWED ACTUALLY BY STEP THAT WE CALL SWOT ANALYSIS, UNDERSTANDING OUR STRENGTHS, OUR WEAKNESSES, OUR OPPORTUNITIES, AND OUR THREATS, WHICH THEN ACTUALLY TRANSLATES INTO WHAT WE CALL IN MARKETING SPEAKER USPA UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION AND EASILY TRANSLATED THIS IS REALLY WHY SHOULD THE CUSTOMER BUY FROM YOU RATHER THAN FROM ANYBODY ELSE.
ONCE WE HAVE THAT USP, WE ACTUALLY THEN TALK ABOUT YOUR STORY.
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION? WHAT IS YOUR VISION? UH, WHAT IS, WHY DO, WHY ARE YOU IN BUSINESS? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE? AND THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT INPUT INTO YOUR BRAND, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS A KEY ELEMENT OF OUR MARKETING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, OFFER.
THEN THE NEXT PART IS HOW DO WE ACTUALLY WANT TO GO TO MARKET? WHAT ARE THE ROUTES TO MARKET? AND HOW DO WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE? DO WE WANT TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA? WHAT ARE KIND OF THE BEST WAYS FOR US TO COMMUNICATE? ONCE WE HAVE ESTABLISHED ALL THESE, UH, BUILDING BLOCKS, THEN WE ACTUALLY KIND OF PUT THEM TOGETHER IN WHAT WE WOULD CALL A TACTICAL PLAN.
WE EXECUTE THAT PLAN, AND VERY VERY IMPORTANTLY, WE MEASURE 'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ACTUALLY THE THINGS WE'VE KIND OF LAID OUT IN THE BEGINNING AS OUR OBJECTIVES, AS OUR GOALS, WE ARE TRULY MEETING THEM.
'CAUSE IF WE DON'T MEET THEM, WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO ADJUST OUR PLAN.
AND SO THIS BECOMES, YOU KNOW, AN EVERLASTING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CYCLE WHERE WE ACTUALLY GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AT OUR MARKETING ACTIVITIES.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY WANT TO KIND OF ACHIEVE.
WHY? BECAUSE IT HELPS US, YOU KNOW, HAVING OUR MARKET, YOU KNOW, ON BEING ON SOLID GROUND.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE SHOOTING IN THE DARK.
AND EVERY NOW AND THEN WE'LL HIT SOMETHING.
IT IS TRULY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WELL THOUGHT THROUGH AND IT'S GOTTEN A GOOD PLAN ON WHERE TO GOING.
UH, AND WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT TODAY, UH, DR.
KINI, UH, ONE OF OUR CLIENTS, UH, UH, CURRENTLY.
I UNDERSTAND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE ON HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO TRULY UNDERSTAND YOUR BUYER PERSONAS AND HAVE THAT EDUCATE HOW YOU MARKET AND HOW YOU ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, FIND NEW CUSTOMERS.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO MY MENTOR, DAVID LURIE.
HE CONNECTED ME WITH YOU ALSO.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR HIS GENEROSITY WITH HIS TIME, HIS TALENTS, AND HIS SKILLS.
SO FOR ME, I'M A, IN A VERY UNIQUE POSITION WHERE I USED TO DO MARKETING BUSINESS TO CLIENT, AND BECAUSE I WORK A LOT WITH IMMIGRATION CASE A HUNDRED PERCENT, I HAD TO SWITCH TO BUSINESS TO BUSINESS.
SO I HAD TO UNDERSTAND THAT BUSINESS PERSONA.
SO THAT REALLY ALLOWED ME TO KIND OF MAXIMIZE MY MARKETING EFFORTS.
AND GOING BACK TO WHAT PABLO WAS SHARING, THE FIVE PIECE FOR ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT WAS PEOPLE.
ONCE I MAKE A GOOD CONNECTION WITH THE ATTORNEY, I KNOW WHERE TO FIND THEM.
I GAIN THEIR TRUST, THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO REFER THEIR CLIENTS TO ME.
SO IT SWITCHED MY WHOLE MARKETING STRATEGY.
INSTEAD OF TRYING TO, LIKE YOU SAID, KIND OF JUST HIT EVERYWHERE AND HOPING SOMETHING WILL STICK, KIND OF MAXIMIZING MY ENERGY THAT I WAS INVESTING.
THIS IS A REALLY KIND OF GREAT EXAMPLE, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE DECISION UPFRONT OF WHERE YOU WANNA INVEST AND ACTUALLY HOW TO GO TO MARKET, RATHER THAN ACTUALLY WHAT WE CALL A B TWO Z BUSINESS TO CONSUMER.
REALLY ENDING UP ACTUALLY WITH A MORE BUSINESS TO BUSINESS PROFILE OF YOUR CUSTOMER.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT TIME TO ACTUALLY NOW TAKE A BREAK.
UH, AND AFTER THE BREAK, WHEN WE COME BACK, WE WILL TALK ABOUT DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AS WELL GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SOCIAL
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MEDIA.HURRICANE SEASON IS FROM JUNE 1ST TO NOVEMBER 30TH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT OFFICE WANTS TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED, KNOW YOUR FLOOD RISK.
HALF OF ALL FLOODED PROPERTIES HAPPEN OUTSIDE THE FLOODPLAIN.
VISIT FEMA'S FLOOD MAP SERVICE CENTER TO KNOW YOUR FLOOD RISK.
INSURE YOUR PROPERTY BY FLOOD INSURANCE TODAY.
FLOOD INSURANCE POLICIES TAKE UP TO 30 DAYS TO GO INTO EFFECT.
ALSO, MAKE SURE THE POLICY HAS ADEQUATE COVERAGE FOR YOUR HOME AND PROPERTY.
PROTECT PEOPLE AND PROPERTY FOR FLOODED HAZARDS.
DRIVING AROUND BARRICADES COULD BE A DEADLY DECISION.
DON'T DRIVE ON FLOODED STREETS OR IN AREAS THAT ARE PRONE TO FLOODING.
THE FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT OFFICE HAS LOTS OF HELPFUL INFORMATION ON HOW TO FLOOD PROOF YOUR HOME.
IF YOU ARE BUILDING IN THE FLOODPLAIN, FIND OUT WHAT PERMITS ARE REQUIRED@HOUSTONPERMITTINGCENTER.ORG.
BE AWARE OF SPECIAL REPAIR AND IMPROVEMENT RULES FOR HOMES IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
FOR MORE FLOODPLAIN TIPS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR GIVE US A CALL.
I'M YOUR HOST, ANDREA GOLDSCHMIDT, AND WE ARE TALKING TO OUR MARKETING EXPERTS, ALER INGER, PABLO CONRAD, AND OUR CLIENT KIM LAWRENCE ALSER.
LET'S WELCOME OUR NEXT GUEST AND CLIENT, MS. KIM LAWRENCE ALSER.
KIM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
AS YOU'VE SAID, MY NAME IS KIM LAWRENCE ALSER.
I AM THE SILVER HAIRED SOCIAL MEDIA MAVEN OUT OF EMERGE MARKETING CONSULTANTS, A LOCAL BOUTIQUE DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY HERE IN THE HOUSTON, TEXAS AREA.
AND SO YOU WERE ASKING ME ABOUT TRADITIONAL MARKETING.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WE'RE TALKING PRINT ADS, TV, RADIO, IN PERSON, NETWORKING, THINGS THAT BASICALLY ARE KIND OF A ONE AND DONE, OR IF YOU'RE IN THE PASSING THAT YOU'RE SEEING.
AND THE DIGITAL REALM IS MORE OF A WAY HOW WE'RE CONNECTING WITH OUR, OUR FOLKS ONLINE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOCIAL MEDIA, MARKETING, EMAIL MARKETING, DIGITAL ADS, UM, AND I WOULD EVEN THROW IN TEXT MESSAGE MARKETING IN THERE AS WELL.
AND THESE ARE JUST DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CONNECT WITH OUR CLIENTS INLINE AND OFFLINE.
AND TO HAVE THE BEST STRATEGY FOR YOUR MARKETING IS A GREAT TO USE A COMBINATION OF ALL THE ABOVE AND DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
SO SAY SOMEONE WANTS TO USE NETWORKING MAILERS AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THEY'RE DOING THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND CONNECTING WITH FOLKS EMAIL MARKETING AS WELL.
WELL, SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN EVER INCREASING REQUIREMENT FOR ANY IN ALL BUSINESSES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY BEST PRACTICES TO SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCE? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
IT, IT HAS BECOME SO INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
I WOULD SAY, ESPECIALLY POST COVID, WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TOWARDS SOCIAL MEDIA MORE THAN LOOKING ON SEARCH ENGINES TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BUSINESSES ONLINE.
THAT WAY THEY GET A FEEL FOR WHO THE BUSINESS IS, WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY, WHAT THEIR VALUES ARE, AND WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN TO THE PEOPLE OUT IN THE PUBLIC.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS A BUSINESS OWNER, YOU KNOW WHO YOUR AUDIENCE TRULY IS, BECAUSE IT'D BE NICE TO SAY THAT EVERYBODY'S MY PERSON, BUT WELL, LET'S BE TRUE THIS, IT'S NOT THE CASE.
SO WE REALLY WANNA MAKE FOCUS ON WHO WE'RE TALKING TO, SO THAT WAY YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLATFORMS FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
NOT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE ON TIKTOK, NOT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE ON INSTAGRAM.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU, YOU FEEL YOUR PEOPLE ARE.
SO, AND WITH THAT, ONCE YOU FIND YOUR PLATFORMS, IT HELPS YOU DECIDE WHAT YOUR CONTENT'S GONNA BE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU KNOW WHO YOUR CLIENTS ARE.
AND THAT COMES DOWN TO CONTENT.
SO THERE'S SO MUCH CONTENT OUT THERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
IF PEOPLE ARE POSTING ONCE A MONTH, IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE BEST PRACTICE, BUT YOU REALLY NEED TO BE OUT THERE.
NOT ONLY DOING REELS, WHICH I KNOW CAN BE REALLY HARD FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT MAKING SURE YOU'RE DOING CAROUSELS EDUCATIONAL, PUTTING A LITTLE HUMOR IN THERE IF, IF YOU'RE FUNNY, UM, TO REALLY CONNECT WITH YOUR PEOPLE.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE CONTENT REALLY COMES IN, INTO PLAY.
AND THEN ONCE YOU GET THAT GOING, YOU CAN REALLY START LOOKING AT YOUR ANALYTICS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS OWNER.
'CAUSE IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE THOSE LIKES AND COMMENTS AND THE LITTLE HEARTS
UM, BUT WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT ANALYTICS, WE'RE LOOKING FOR REACH LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU ACTUALLY GETTING EYEBALLS ON YOUR CONTENT?
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'CAUSE WITH MARKETING, AS YOU ALL KNOW, EYEBALLS ARE GONNA BE THE MOST IMPORTANT.'CAUSE THE MORE OFTEN THEY SEE YOU, THE MORE OFTEN YOU'RE GONNA BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THEIR MIND WHEN IT COMES TIME TO PURCHASE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT YOU ARE OR YOU'RE WORKING WITH.
UM, AND THE BIGGEST THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA IS THAT
DIFFERENT METRICS ARE COMING INTO PLAY.
UM, I DON'T WANNA NAME NAMES, BUT THEY'RE CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
LIKE EVERY OTHER MONTH THERE'S SOMETHING NEW GOING ON THERE.
SO THE ONE THING TO REALLY KEEP IN MIND MM-HMM
WITH CHANGE, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO STAY FLEXIBLE AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO PIVOT WHEN NECESSARY, WHICH IS GONNA BE HUGE FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
IF YOU CAN PIVOT AND STAY FLEXIBLE, YOU'RE GONNA KEEP GOING FURTHER AND FURTHER.
AND IF OUR AUDIENCE WANTS TO LEARN MORE, ARE THERE ANY FREE RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN USE FROM SCORE? ARE THERE? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THERE ARE GREAT WEBINARS AVAILABLE ON THE SCORE WEBSITE, WHICH IS AMAZING AND FANTASTIC.
AND THEN THEY EVEN OFFER LIVE WEBINARS.
THEY JUST HAD ONE YESTERDAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, WHICH WAS KIND OF FUN TO SEE, AND IT KEEPS YOU ABREAST OF WHAT MAYBE OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING, WHAT OTHER THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
BUT JUST REMEMBER NOT, IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE THOSE THINGS IN HAND.
AND THERE'S SO MANY GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH SPECIALISTS LIKE MYSELF OR OTHER SCORE MENTORS IN THE AREA TO KIND OF REALLY PROPEL YOUR MARKETING.
AND DON'T FORGET, THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS AI AND WHILE AI IS HUGE AND MASSIVE AT THIS POINT, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, YOU CAN'T BE VERY GENERAL WITH AI.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA USE AI, MAKE SURE YOU'RE BEING VERY SPECIFIC AND INTENTIONAL WITH WHAT YOU PUT IN SO YOU DON'T GET ANY GENERIC CONTENT SO YOU DON'T END UP LOOKING LIKE YOUR CLOSEST COMPETITOR.
SO IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR US TO THINK ABOUT DIGITAL MARKETING? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THE, I CALL IT THE DIGITAL MARKETING TRIFECTA.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAIL MARKETING, AND YOUR WEBSITE.
SO SEO, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, THOSE ALL WORK TOGETHER HAND IN HAND TO REALLY BOOST YOUR PRESENCE ONLINE.
SO WHEN YOU GET SOMEONE ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT ARE INTERESTED, YOU GET 'EM OVER TO YOUR WEBSITE AND GATHER THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS, AND THEN YOU CAN PULL THEM INTO YOUR EMAIL NET, UH, YOUR EMAILS, SO YOU CAN DO YOUR NURTURING SEQUENCE WITH THEM THAT WAY.
SO YOU CAN KEEP THAT CONNECTION GOING.
BECAUSE WITH MARKETING, THE MORE CONNECTIONS YOU GET, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE TO CONNECT AND WORK WITH FOLKS.
EVERYTHING ON DIGITAL IS EXCITING, IS NEW.
AND OF COURSE WE KNOW THERE IS DATA ABUNDANCE AROUND DIGITAL MM-HMM
WHICH MAKES US THINK ABOUT DATA ANALYTICS.
ANY THOUGHT, KIM, THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US ABOUT DATA ANALYTICS LEVERAGING DIGITAL? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT YOUR ANALYTICS WITH INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, WHEREVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IT'S GREAT BECAUSE IT HELPS PINPOINT WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE WORKING WITH YOUR CONTENT.
SO LOOKING AT, LIKE I SAID, YOUR YOUR REACH IS GONNA BE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE WE WANNA KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING EYES ON YOUR CONTENT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT ANALYTICS.
SO WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF IT, BECAUSE ONCE WE KNOW WHAT IS WORKING FOR YOUR PARTICULAR BUSINESS, YOU CAN START UTILIZING THAT AND LEVERAGE YOUR, AGAIN, MAKING MORE OF THAT CONTENT.
TO MORE CONNECTION AND BRINGING MORE PEOPLE TO YOUR, YOUR PAGES, WHICH IS AMAZING AND EXCELLENT.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE ON DIGITAL MARKET WITH DIGITAL SOCIAL MEDIA, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT COMES DOWN TO CONNECTION.
GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED IN YOUR, YOUR POSTS, GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH YOUR BUSINESS.
SO WHEN THEY FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY WANNA WORK WITH YOU, THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL BE REACHING OUT AND CALLING YOU TO MAKE THOSE APPOINTMENTS AND SET UP THOSE TIMES TO ACTUALLY WORK WITH YOUR COMPANY, WHICH IS HUGE.
SO LEVERAGE THAT, THOSE ANALYTICS TO REALLY HELP YOU FOCUS ON WHAT CONTENT YOU NEED TO BE PUTTING OUT TO THE WORLD AND YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS.
IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER QUICK BREAK.
WHEN WE COME BACK, WE WILL DIVE INTO THE ROLE OF WEBSITES FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND TAKE A CURSORY LOOK INTO AI TO HELP YOU AS AN ENTREPRENEUR ON YOUR MARKETING ACTIVITIES.
WE ARE A CITY OF COLLABORATORS WHO BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER'S INSPIRATION, STRENGTHS, AND CULTURES TO SHAPE A FUTURE WE ALL CAN SHARE.
TOGETHER, WE ARE MORE THAN 7 MILLION INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE SOMETHING THAT CAN NOT BE DISCOVERED, TASTED, OR INVENTED ANYWHERE ELSE.
COME ON, A MOVEMENT, A MOMENT, A FUTURE.
WE CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER.
IN FACT, CLOGS FROM THESE ITEMS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF SEWER OVERFLOWS IN HOUSTON.
OUR PIPES ARE DESIGNED TO TRANSPORT WATER, PEE POO, TOILET PAPER, AND SOAP.
HERE ARE A FEW ITEMS TO KEEP OUT OF TOILETS AND DRINKS
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IN THE KITCHEN.PUT GREASE IN ITS PLACE THE TRASH.
SIMPLY POUR IT INTO A HEAT RESISTANT CONTAINER.
COOL IT, THEN TOSS IT IN THE TRASH.
THIS INCLUDES FOOD ITEMS SUCH AS MEAT, FATS, BUTTER, AND CREAM OILS, AND EVEN DOUGH AND BATTER.
ALL FOOD SCRAPS SHOULD BE TOSSED IN THE TRASH IN THE RESTROOM.
ONLY FLUSH THE THREE PEAS, PEE POO AND TOILET PAPER.
TOGETHER WE CAN PROTECT OUR PIPES FROM CLOGS AND OVERFLOWS.
LEARN MORE@PROTECTOURPIPES.ORG.
METRO IS HERE FOR YOU EVERY DAY, PROVIDING SAFE, RELIABLE TRAVEL OPTIONS.
WE TAKE YOU TO CELEBRATIONS AND HELP DURING EMERGENCIES.
WE'RE ALWAYS LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE MANAGE TAXPAYER DOLLARS RESPONSIBLY.
AND THANKS TO OVERWHELMING VOTER APPROVAL, WE'RE BUILDING TRANSIT FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW SO THAT YOU CAN DRIVE LESS AND DO MORE.
WELCOME BACK TO THE FINAL SEGMENT OF TODAY'S EPISODE, MARKETING THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE ENTERPRISE.
WE ARE JOINED BY OSLER MINGER, PABLO CONRAD, AND OUR CLIENT KIM LAWRENCE, WHO'S BEEN SHARING AMAZING INSIGHTS.
SO ANDREAS, WHAT'S THE ROLE OF A WEBSITE FOR TODAY'S, UH, ENTREPRENEURS? SO THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION.
IT'S ALSO ONE THAT ACTUALLY IS NOT VERY EASY TO ANSWER BECAUSE IT REALLY DEPENDS ULTIMATELY WHAT BUSINESS YOU ARE IN, WHAT TYPE OF WEBSITE YOU NEED.
AT A MINIMUM IT CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE GREAT INFORMATION, GREAT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS, UH, WHAT'S YOUR BUSINESS ABOUT, WHAT'S YOUR PRODUCTS, WHAT'S YOUR SERVICES, UH, YOU KNOW, IT CAN, IT IS A, A GREAT, YOU KNOW, AREA TO ACTUALLY SHOW TESTIMONIALS FROM EXISTING CUSTOMERS AND ACTUALLY SHARE ANY OTHER INFORMATION.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR STORY.
I ALWAYS ACTUALLY RECOMMEND TO MY CLIENTS TO ACTUALLY PUT THEIR STORY ON THE WEBSITE 'CAUSE IT HELPS CREATING A PERSONAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BUSINESS AND THE CLIENT.
SO THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT THAT'S THE MINIMUM, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE IN E-COMMERCE, ACTUALLY YOUR WEBSITE IS YOUR BUSINESS, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST A A JUNK.
IT ACTUALLY HAS BECOME YOUR BUSINESS.
AND SO THEREFORE IT'S BECOMING REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL TO ACTUALLY CHOOSE THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS TO.
SO WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IS KIND OF MAKING SURE THAT YOU REACH OUT BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY START BUILDING A WEBSITE AND ACTUALLY GET SOME REALLY GOOD ADVICE ABOUT WHAT DO YOU REALLY TRY TO ACHIEVE AND WHAT'S THEREFORE THE BEST SOLUTION THAT WE REALLY SHOULD PURSUE.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I ALWAYS LIKE ACTUALLY KIND WHEN PEOPLE REACH OUT TO SCORE AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BEFORE WE ACTUALLY MAKE THE DECISION.
SO AS AN EXAMPLE FOR ACTUALLY BUILDING A KIND OF PURE INFORMATIONAL WEBSITE, MOST OF THE KIND OF, UH, DRAG AND DROP, UH, WEBSITE BUILDERS WILL BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR IT FOR DOING THAT.
IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING INTO E-COMMERCE, IT REALLY BECOMES CRITICAL TO ACTUALLY TAKE A SITE THAT ACTUALLY IS REALLY EXPERT IN E-COMMERCE.
AND FOR, YOU KNOW, CAROLINA ACTUALLY WHEN SHE WAS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HERE BEFORE, SOMEBODY WHO HAS A BUSINESS THAT'S VERY DEPENDENT ON ONLINE SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS AND ACTUALLY MAYBE EVEN HAVE, YOU KNOW, ACCEPTING PAYMENTS BEFORE THAT, IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT SOLUTION AGAIN THAN ACTUALLY E-COMMERCE.
SO HAVING THAT DISCUSSION BEFORE IS REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL AND SCORE CAN TRULY HELP YOU GET THAT INSIGHT.
WHAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT AND WHERE I ALSO KIND OF LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF REALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, CLIENTS REACH OUT IS WHO CAN ACTUALLY HELP YOU ON THIS, RIGHT? IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, A LOT OF THAT STUFF YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO YOURSELF, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY COMPUTER LITERATE TODAY AND YOU KNOW, WITH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DRAG AND DROP, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ACTUALLY BUILD A BASIC WEBSITE YOURSELF.
NOW, WHEN IT ACTUALLY GETS MORE COMPLICATED, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA KIND OF GET HELP AND YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH THE CLIENT ABOUT WHETHER IT'S BETTER TO ACTUALLY WORK WITH A FREELANCER, YOU KNOW, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, CHEAPER, BUT YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY MAY BE MORE CHALLENGING AND ACTUALLY FINDING THE RIGHT ONE MAY BE MORE CHALLENGING OR YOU'RE GOING ACTUALLY WITH A LOCAL MARKETING AGENCY LIKE KIM, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKES A KIND OF BIG DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HORSES FOR COURSES IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY.
NOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THEN ON WEBSITES IS ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THEY TELL THE STORY OF YOUR BUSINESS, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCORE WEBSITE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY SHOWS ON THE WEBSITE THE THREE THINGS WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING, RIGHT? UH, FIND A MENTOR FOR THE MENTORING SITE, UH, FIND A WORKSHOP FOR ACTUALLY KIND OF THE WORKSHOPS THAT YOU KNOW WE ARE OFFERING AND FIND A RESOURCE WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY KINDA SHARING A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS FROM, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS, UH, PLAN PERFORMERS, ALL THE WAY TO LIST OF, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL, UH, UH, UH, POTENTIAL LENDERS.
SO IT, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR WEBSITE IS VERY WELL ALIGNED WITH WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
NOW THE LAST POINT I TYPICALLY TRY TO
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MAKE, YOU KNOW, WITH CLIENTS ON THIS IS DON'T OVERSPEND ON BUILDING THE WEBSITE.'CAUSE QUITE OPENLY THAT IS THE SMALLEST PART OF THE OVERALL COST OF A WEBSITE.
THE BUILDING IS REALLY ONLY A VERY SMALL PART.
WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS ACTUALLY THAT YOU GET FOUND AND IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE COSTLY TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SEO OPTIMIZATION TO ACTUALLY HAVE EDWARDS AND ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS.
'CAUSE YOU CAN BUILD THE GREATEST WEBSITE.
IF NOBODY'S FINDING IT, IT ACTUALLY HAS NO VALUE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT'S THE WEBSITES, YOU KNOW, OBJECTIVE, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE, AND DON'T OVERBUILD FROM THE GET GO.
ACTUALLY KIND OF GET SLOWLY INTO THAT.
MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOTTEN ENOUGH OF A FOLLOWING.
AND ACTUALLY, AS KIM'S BEEN SAYING IN KIND OF THE PREVIOUS SEGMENT, REALLY MAKE SURE THAT YOU INVEST INTO THE TRIFECTA TO ACTUALLY BEING FOUND AND REALLY ACTUALLY HAVE THE EXECUTION ON YOUR SIDE.
SO I GET FROM YOU THAT THEY'RE STILL VERY USEFUL AND RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT FOR OUR CLIENTS, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S NOT THE ONLY WAY FOR THEM TO REACH A TARGET AUDIENCES.
SO ANOTHER QUESTION ANDREA SEES, WHAT OTHER DIGITAL MEDIA CHANNEL TOURS ARE OUT THERE THAT OUR CLIENTS OR ENTREPRENEURS CAN USE? YEAH, SO, SO SOCIAL MEDIA.
KIM'S BEEN GIVING AN EXCELLENT OVERVIEW ALREADY OF ACTUALLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS ALL ABOUT.
UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER KIND OF KEY ELEMENT AND, AND KIM'S BEEN VERY BRIEFLY KIND OF GETTING INTO THAT AS WELL, UH, WAS HOW DO WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE RIGHT WAY TO, YOU KNOW, USE, UH, EMAIL MARKETING? BECAUSE IF YOU WANT TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL AND REALLY HAVE ONE-ON-ONE MARKETING, IT BECOMES VERY CRITICAL FOR YOU TO ULTIMATELY USE THAT AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO REALLY WORK THE SALES FUNNEL AND ENGAGING AND ACTUALLY OFFERING SOMETHING TO YOUR CUSTOMER IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
SO I ALWAYS RECOMMEND MY CLIENTS TO ULTIMATELY, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE MAYBE A BROCHURE OR SOMETHING ACTUALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY POSITIONS YOU AS AN EXPERT IN EXCHANGE FOR THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO ALLOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UH, TO UH, TO KIND OF HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING FOR PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU AN EMAIL ADDRESS, RIGHT? IT'S A VERY TRANSACTIONAL SOCIETY AND YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO GIVE DATE FOR THAT.
SO WE TALK ABOUT WEBSITES, WE TALK ABOUT OTHER CHANNELS INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAIL MARKETING AND THE LIKES, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE OUT THERE TODAY THAT EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS AI ASPECT.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT AI? AI IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE MARKETING INDUSTRY BY GIVING BUSINESSES POWERFUL TOOLS THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND TARGET THEIR CUSTOMERS.
UM, THERE'S HUGE AMOUNTS OF DATA OUT THERE, AND BY ANALYZING THIS THROUGH AI PLATFORMS, THEY'RE ABLE TO PREDICT CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR AND MAKE PERSONALIZED TARGETED RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY'RE ABLE TO AUTOMATE REPETITIVE TASKS SUCH AS EMAILS AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT YOU NEED WITH THE ADMIN.
AND THIS ALLOWS BUSINESS OWNERS TO REACH THE RIGHT AUDIENCE AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE RIGHT MESSAGE.
AND IN RETURN, OF COURSE, AS BUSINESSES, YOU GET INCREASED SALES, INCREASED ENGAGEMENT, AND INCREASED IN OVERALL BUSINESS GROWTH THAT YOU CAN SEE.
BUT, UM, AI, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT AI PLATFORMS AND THESE ARE CONSTANTLY IMPROVING IN CHANGING, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER TOO.
I KNOW WE NEED TO WRAP UP SOON, PROBABLY, BUT, UH, KIM, ANY THOUGHTS FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE LEVERAGING AI? YES, WITH AI, I WOULD DEFINITELY FOCUS ON YOUR PROMPTS.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY I CAN GIVE TO ANYBODY USING AI IS TO REALLY FOCUS ON WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN YOUR PROMPTS SO YOU CAN GET THE BEST INFORMATION BACK THAT YOU CAN REALLY, TRULY LEVERAGE TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS.
LEY PABLO AND OUR CLIENTS, CAROLINA AND KIM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY AND SHARING YOUR MARKETING INSIGHTS WITH OUR VIEWS.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US WHILE SEEKING A MENTOR FROM SCORE, YOU CAN REQUEST A MENTOR OR FILL OUT THE CONTACT US FORM ON OUR WEBSITE AT SCORE.ORG/HOUSTON.
IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR TOPICS YOU'D LIKE US TO COVER IN FUTURE EPISODES, DO NOT HESITATE TO REACH OUT.
YOUR FEEDBACK IS MOST IMPORTANT TO US.
OUR NEXT EPISODE WILL BE HOSTED BY JADA HARRIS AND WE WILL DISCUSS SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING.
DON'T MISS IT, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE YOU AGAIN AT THE NEXT EPISODE.