Martha Hanlon is someone who I have been friends with and known for years. She is also a smart marketer and teacher. Martha and her business Wide Awake Business has helped small business owners hone in on their marketing, sales, business development, and team development.

Today, we talk about understanding your customers by asking them questions and the three biggest challenges Martha’s customers have faced. We talk about the importance of freeing up time to focus on the important stuff and strategies for understanding and finding customers. We also talk about the importance of having a plan and using and understand metrics.

You can find Martha here:

Martha's Website Wide Awake Business on Facebook

Show Notes

• [01:25] Martha has a business called Wide Awake Business where she works with small business owners to help with marketing, sales, business development and team development.
• [02:00] She has an MBA from Wharton and she has been working in her own small businesses since 2002.
• [02:20] Martha does a client survey to actually know what is going on in the mind of her customers. She sends out a survey every year that asks what her customers anticipate will be their three big challenges for the coming year.
• [03:14] The number three biggest challenge is not having enough time. The number two challenge is not having enough customers. The number one challenge is themselves.
• [04:16] How the owner doesn't need to waste their time on menial tasks.
• [04:54] If you have a hard time making appointments, pay someone to set the appointments for you.
• [05:36] We are booked with stuff, but a lot of it is somebody else's agenda.
• [05:58] Customer's make money. Marketing methods that are working right now. It's hard to organically grow your business on Facebook. Video is the new king in Facebook. Purposeful videos are working to get people to follow you to your offer.
• [08:18] Getting traffic to Facebook videos. Do them on a regular basis and build the value of the content. Also give viewers a way to opt in. Facebook Live is yet to be over used.
• [09:10] Don't do one thing. Share with database, boost or put an ad in, and use other methods to boost.
• [10:13] LinkedIn has had tons of changes. They keep changing their algorithm. Make connections with ideal customers. Then do something like send a personal email. Engage them ask questions about their business and what they anticipate as their biggest issue.
• [11:49] LinkedIn is about engaging. The same strategies don't work on LinkedIn and Facebook. The only thing that isn't changing is personal connection.
• [12:34] Where does your customer hangout on social media when it comes to business purposes.
• [13:06] People look on LinkedIn for consultants and coaches.
• [13:22] People look for products on Facebook.
• [13:41] The biggest mistakes are that people still think they can build an organic following on Facebook.
• [14:37] You have to encourage people to leave Facebook and go to your landing page and opt in.
• [14:57] Biggest LinkedIn mistake is not doing anything with your connections. Build communication and show off your expertise.
• [15:38] What is the next offer after the free offer. Build engagement with your funnel. Have a product funnel.
• [16:12] Product funnels provide information in bite sized pieces that are easier to absorb.
• [17:44] People who struggle with their businesses have an idea and then go out and do things. Successful people have an idea and then put a plan together.
• [18:33] Part of the plan is finding your target market. Get specific. When you know who your customer is then you can figure out how to market.
• [19:22] What is their income, age, behavior, then you can find where they are. The more clear you are on your customer profile then you can figure out how to find them. It's also important to have metrics in place.
• [20:21] What pages do people look at? How long do they stay? Find the sweet spot, then know you will have to change because people change. Stay on top of it.
• [21:08] Put systems and analytics in place.
• [21:53] Find your goal and five critical success factors to hit that goal.
• [22:44] Be courageous and ask for the price you deserve. Then have your metrics include financial information.
• [25:08] It happens because you plan and execute.

Links and Resources:

• Facebook Zero: Considering Life After the Demise of Organic Reach
• HubSpot State of Inbound 2016