Why are you not doing the same?

There is nothing cheesy about a free offer. Offering a free product or sample of your expertise on your website and on your social media channels is an effective way to capture attention, leads and ultimately customers.

A giveaway helps to grow your business by:

• Showing potential customers the quality of your service.
• Giving clients a better idea if you are fit for them.
• Sparking word of mouth.
• Introducing a new product.

That’s everything you hope that marketing will do for your business. Now, how to do that without giving away the store?

What to offer online

 Set aside cliche tradeshow giveaways, like pens and mugs, and think more strategically — and digitally. What product can you offer to visitors to your website that has actual value?

Your expertise.

A downloadable how-to guide, for instance, offers visitors a real resource and information that they can use. They’ll get something from you — just a taste — and will hopefully want more.

But what you are offering has to have more value, or content, than they can get anywhere else with a Google search. It should be something only you can provide them. Put some effort in and produce a piece that is useful and an example of the quality and service they could expect from you if they were to become a customer.

How to offer it

Look, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Even the people clicking on the word FREE on your website are not fooled. They know that in exchange for this “free” content, they are surrendering their email and other information to you. And you will be following up. That’s how it works. So don’t be shy. They came to you. If you impressed them with the quality of your giveaway, they’re likely to be interested in hearing more from you.

So don’t give away anything on your site without first having visitors fill out a form (the forms can be easily plugged into your website). That is how leads are captured. Then follow up. First with an auto-response that you have strategically prewritten, and then with more smart content marketing pieces. Keep proving your value.

The plan is for the leads that you’ve captured from giveaways to become future conversations, and then sales.

Forget the cheese. That’s how the sausage is made.

At Prime Concepts Group  we can help you turn your expertise into multiple streams of income.

Here are questions you should ask yourself before you hit the publish button.

Is your headline effective?

The five to seven words you write at the top of your blog posts are way more important than the 800 words or so that follow. The headline is the first — and when it is not effective, the only — words readers see. If those few words do not hook them in an instant, they won’t read your content any further.

There is no one way to write an effective headline that will appeal to every reader. Tastes differ. But there are things to always keep in mind:

• Know your audience. The idea is to communicate quickly, clearly and directly to your target reader. That starts with knowing who they are, and what interests them.
• Keep it short. Research shows that typical readers scanning a page or screen only read the first and last three words of a headline. That makes six words the sweet spot.
• Grab attention. The headline is a lure in the media stream. Make it shiny. Wit and puns are welcome, as they are inviting to readers. Clever is good, but not always enough. Be strategic, too. There are no real rules but these: Try not to be dull or dumb.
• Watch your keywords. You’ve carefully weaved keyword phrases into your copy. That helps search engines and customers find you. Is there an opportunity to use an SEO term or short keyword phrase in a headline? Try it. But don’t force it. If it doesn’t read naturally, leave it out. It’s important to write conversationally, not as if you are relying on search terms to build your sentences. Timely, topical and relevant content ranks higher today when it reads conversationally.

Is there an image?

Images attract the eye. Every blog post should have a photo or graphic at the top, one that can accompany the headline in the social media stream. You should keep that in mind when writing your headline, in fact. “Write to the picture,” is an old media practice that still applies today. And if your post is long, it’s a good idea to include more images, including graphics and other decorative elements, throughout.

Is there an alt-tag for the image?

Every photo, chart, or infographic you use in your blog post should include alt text. Think of alt text as photo captions for search engines. Readers don’t see them, but Google does. They’re scanned by search engines just like your text is, so you want to make sure they show up in search engine results pages (SERP).

How to include alt text on your images depends on the CMS you are using, but here are some best practices when writing alt text:

• Be specific, not general. Use proper nouns for people and places and describe the action in the image, exactly. For example: “Babe Ruth swings his bat at Yankee Stadium” is better than “A baseball player during a game.”
• Get to the point. Don’t start by writing “An image of …”. Just start describing. You want to use as few characters as possible. Screen readers begin cutting off alt-text at about 125 characters.
• Easy on the keywords. Google can tell when you are stuffing. If you have selected the right image to accompany your content, and used common sense to describe it succinctly, that will do as much for your SERPs as using keywords.

Have I fully checked the spelling and grammar?

Every word processing program has tools for checking your copy for typos. But spell checkers can’t help you with errors. You can’t trust them to save you from embarrassment when you mistakenly use then instead of than or advise instead of advice. So long as it is spelled correctly, spell checkers will let you use any word. Make sure you are using the right one. Run a second (and third) spell check yourself.

Have I used the right formatting?

Your content should be clean and easy to read. That will keep eyes on the page and help with search engine results.

The key to formatting a blog is to keep it simple and consistent:

• Break the copy into bite-sized sections, using subheads to guide the reader through your article.
• Use bold text for headlines and subheads.
• Double space between a subhead and the copy beneath.
• Use italics for tips, references, or author info at the bottom of the post.
• Use bullet points for lists. These do not need to be full sentences, or contain punctuation, such as periods. But be consistent. If one bulleted item has a period, for instance, then they all should.
• Use numerical lists for explaining steps, such as in a recipe.

Have I tagged and categorized?

Tags and categories make it easy for readers to navigate your blog. They also aid search engines in understanding the content on your site. Don’t forget to include them. They’re optional to include in WordPress posts, but you should do it anyway.

• Categories are broad. Your content will be organized in a sidebar under these category headings, making it easy for readers to explore more of your thought leadership on the topic. This post, for example, is categorized under blogging.
• Tags are specific to the content. Tags for this blog, for instance, might include: Headline writing, blog formatting and alt-text. They really drill down to the details, allowing readers to find exactly the information they are looking for.

Have I used the header tags correctly?

The header tags in your CMS are not for style reasons — they’re for search. Make sure you are using the correct headings for your content.

You don’t have to know code. Your CMS will give you format options in a drop-down menu, such as Header 1 (which looks like

in code), and Header 2 (

).

Search engine crawlers read these headers closely to understand your site and rank your information accordingly. When possible, use keyword phrases in your headers to aid with SEO.

Header tags range from one to six. The most important is your

. That is the title of your post, the main headline. Every other headline (the section headers and subheads, etc.) in your content should be an

or below, and they should follow in descending order. You wouldn’t follow an

with an

, for example.

Have I got a social sharing plan?

Finally, do you have a plan for sharing your blog post? It’s not enough to just post it on your on site and hope people find it. You’ll want to push it on social channels. There is a whole other conversation to have about effective content marketing and social media strategy, but let’s just get through this post first.

To get the most return on this piece of content, be strategic about how you frame your blog post and appeal to the audience at each channel.

They differ and so should your approach. Here’s a few tips on using the big three channels for organically promoting your business blog content.

• Twitter The character limit is a feature, not a bug. So keep it short, and keep it coming. Tweet once and then schedule additional tweets to go out over the course of the week. Write two versions of the promotional tweet, testing which works best.
• Facebook Make it personal. Facebook is the most intimate of channels, most likely to be where you’ll reach sympathetic friends and family. Don’t be afraid to ask for likes and shares.
• LinkedIn It’s not personal, it’s business. You’re likely to get more people engaging with your content if you post it within LinkedIn, rather than expecting users to follow a link to your blog and leave the site.

Need more advice? If you’re interested in refining your blog or your entire brand, Prime Concepts Group is here to help. 

Regardless of your business size or model, the majority of your clients and customers look you up online before considering a purchase. This is why your website needs to make one heck of an impression. An average user spends only a fraction of a second before deciding to stay on it or leave.

The average attention span of a person has reduced in the past few years due to the constant use of technology and it’s only getting shorter. This gives you a very small time frame to capture a lead and convert it into a sale before the prospect gets distracted by a competitor’s ad.

We have compiled a list of 5 ways to create a winning homepage that generates leads and makes that cha-ching!

1. Use content that speaks to your audience
   

   A homepage has to be written from a prospect’s perspective. You need to put yourself in their shoes and get into their mindset before attempting to write copy. To make a homepage convert, it needs conversational copy that keeps the prospect engaged until the very end. A killer headline sets the stage while a benefits-oriented narrative resonates with a prospect’s deepest fears and strongest desires. Compelling copy evokes emotion while social proof and credibility enable one to make a decision. 

2. Have an appealing website design and layout
   

   Research says that three-fourths of online consumers judge a company’s credibility based on the company’s website design. You might have been in business for decades and maintained a pristine reputation but the aesthetics of your website play a pivotal role in how your company is perceived. If the pictures take an eternity to load or if the layout is confusing, a prospect might lose interest and move on to a competitor’s website.

3. A Powerful CTA or Call-to-Action is important
   

   Sometimes a website may have the most thought-provoking content but it doesn’t make up for a lack-luster CTA. It needs to be visually eye-catching and contextually persuasive for a prospect to take action.  Your CTA should motivate prospects to buy a product or service, subscribe to a newsletter, sign-up for a complimentary trial, or do exactly what you want them to.

4. Appease the search engines with Search Engine Optimization or SEO
   

   Website traffic is imperative to generate leads and gain new customers. Your prospects use a search engine like Google or Bing to look for products and services. Having SEO practices in place ensures that your website always shows up higher on the search results pages. There’s a lot more to SEO than just rankings but you could always do some research or have an expert do it for you.

5. Make your website mobile-friendly
   

   A large percentage of your prospects land on your website using their smartphones. This means your website needs to serve its purpose on smartphones and tablets just as well as it does on desktops. Responsive Web Design ensures easy access across devices and you’ll never lose a prospect because your website didn’t provide a great user experience on a smartphone.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list. There are multiple ways you can improve the converting rate of a homepage. The pointers above provide a great start to create one that attracts and retains prospects and keeps them interested all the way to the CTA. A high-converting homepage is an absolute must for all businesses and as achievable as it is, there is always room for improvement.

Interested in having a homepage that converts? Contact us by filling out the form.

But through all his debauchery, Santa and his band of helpers offered important lessons you can use in business. I’m Jeff from Prime Concepts, and in this final episode of Do You See What I See? Business Lessons from holiday classics – we present the top 5 business lessons from The Christmas Chronicles.

And before we get started, all of us at Prime Concepts want to wish you a happy, safe, and festive holiday. We hope you get that skateboard you always wanted, kid. All right, let’s do this.

Lesson 1: Trust Your Instincts

This one goes out to all my entrepreneurs out there. Kate saw in some old Christmas videos an arm that, since it was dressed in the familiar red-and-white attire, she presumes to be Santa. So on Christmas Eve, she enlists her brother, Teddy, to help her prove it’s really St. Nick by setting up a trip wire and a hidden camera.

And by God if she wasn’t right. Santa appears on film, the kids follow him out the door, and hijinks and tomfoolery ensue.

Without belief that her idea would work, Kate never would have experienced the adventure of a lifetime. And you should have the same belief in your ideas because no one else will share your enthusiasm and passion if you don’t display it first. If you have a need for a new product or idea, that means a lot of other people do, too. Bringing it to life isn’t easy, but it’s worth the time and effort. Now, get out there and make it happen!

Lesson 2: Your Mistake is Not Someone Else’s Responsibility

When Santa’s reindeer notice a curious Kate trying to keep up with the sleigh, they get spooked and Santa loses control, eventually breaking down after a quick teleportation to Chicago. Hopefully, he landed at Midway, not O’Hare – O’Hare is crazy on Christmas Eve.

In spite of Kate and Teddy’s insistence on making it right, Santa attempts to shoo the youngsters away. But they won’t be deterred, eventually talking their way into Santa’s good graces and convincing him to accept their help.

That’s called responsibility. When you cause a problem or make a mistake, it’s on you to fix it – not your boss, not the client, and certainly not Santa Claus. He has enough going on. No – it’s YOU. Don’t leave the problem until it’s fixed, don’t make someone else clean it up, and don’t let it happen again.

Lesson 3: Find Opportunities to Boost Morale

Sitting in a jail cell on Christmas Eve due to the understandable skepticism of one hardscrabble police officer, Santa could have bemoaned his circumstances, accepted defeat, and made life miserable for everyone around him. But he didn’t! He literally got the band together by pulling instruments from thin air and granting all the suspects the miraculous ability to play and perform. Naturally, that lifted everyone’s spirits and Santa was released, free once again to terrorize – I mean delight – the streets of Chicago.

When things aren’t going so well at work, that’s not the time to wallow in fear, anger, hurt feelings or bitterness. No, that’s the time to pull everyone together, offer encouragement, and grow as a team. Plan a fun outing after-work or order in lunch. Promote a work-life balance. Be available. Teach someone how to play the guitar and then sing along to “Honky Tonk Women.”

Lesson 4: Give Your Team Members Chances to Prove Themselves

Let’s talk about Teddy. He lost his dad, he gets himself into dangerous situations, and eventually he’ll just have to be “Ted,” which doesn’t sound cool at all. Or Theodore, my goodness. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

All Teddy needs is a little push in the right direction. Some guidance. Someone who really believes in him. That someone turns out to be Santa Claus, who nurtures Teddy from a hardened car thief to a … I guess like a little bit nicer car thief?

But Santa lets Teddy drive – not just the stolen car, but the sleigh, too, when Santa and the reindeer really need to get moving. It’s nothing Teddy has done before, but Santa believes and Teddy gets the job done.

Put that kind of faith in your team. Challenge them to do things they haven’t done before, even if they’re not comfortable or not ready. Instill confidence in those who lack it. Let each team member know what you believe they can do, and eventually they’ll not only believe, but they’ll do it.

Lesson 5: Break Your Own Rules Sometimes

Santa … is Santa. Ya know? He wants to do things the right way, make everyone happy, keep his reindeer safe and put everyone on the NICE list.

But it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes things go a bit haywire and you have to take a new approach, maybe even go a bit outside your comfort zone. Santa’s rough edges made that a bit easier for him, but it can be difficult. But as long as you’re acting with integrity, it’s ok to break from the norm in the name of getting it done.

Santa probably didn’t want to steal a car or have to match wits with the police, but he did it in the name of saving Christmas and making children around the world happy. When it’s for the greater good, it’s good.

That wraps up our holiday series. Join us next month when we bring you Business Lessons from National Dress Up Your Pet Day. Oh, we’re not doing that? The video…but we are dressing up our pets, right? OK, thank goodness.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these business lessons from our favorite movies, and we sign off with more love and cheer to you and yours this holiday season.

Welcome back to another episode of our winter series, Do You See What I See: Business Lessons from holiday classics. Today we’re talking all about The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. What lessons can we swipe from this everlasting story of hope and self-improvement? Let’s get into it…

Lesson 1: Your Worldview Is Not Their Worldview 

As the Grinch looks upon the town of Whoville from the top of his mountain, he witnesses the spirit of Christmas unfurling below. This is a problem for the Grinch because his heart is much smaller than the average Who’s heart and cannot… er… will not entertain such joy. As he grumpily watches on, the Grinch engineers a wonderfully, awful idea… an idea he believes will squander the happiness in all of Whoville. . Spoiler Alert, the Grinch is going to steal Christmas. 

There is a massive flaw in the Grinch’s plan, however.  You see, the Grinch decided that the joy in Whoville is from the materialistic side of Christmas… from the gifts and the gluttony. But to his dismay, after stealing every last bit of Christmas, the Whos gather round together and sing with joy.  The Grinch’s plan… has failed. 

Every person, prospect, client, you name it, holds a unique perspective and worldview. And this worldview influences decisions. As marketers, you can never assume that your worldview is the correct worldview. To truly understand your prospects, you must put the time in, conduct the research, hit the pavement, and ask the hard questions. That way you won’t be watching others share and spread love on Christmas morning while you ask yourself what went wrong.

Lesson 2: If a Solution Doesn’t Exist, Make One

While the Grinch crafts his disguise to build his imitation Santa, he hits a speedbump that has the potential to stop him in his tracks. He’s got the suit.. Check.  The beard.. Check.  The sleigh… check. But what about those reindeer? As far as he knows there are no reindeer to be found in Whoville. While this momentarily sets the Grinch back, he gathers his resources and sets out to create one.

There will, without fail, come a time when a problem arises whose solution does not yet exist.  While you could sit back and wait for someone else to create one, you’ll miss out on the opportunities and potential gain had you developed the solution yourself. And here’s the deal, if you’re experiencing this problem, I guarantee other business owners are too… so build that solution and offer it for sale, or give it away for some sweet reputation equity. 

Lesson 3: Timing is Everything

While the Grinch may have misjudged his market, he didn’t mistime his market. Much like you and I, the Whos had been undoubtedly preparing for Santa’s arrival for a while.  So why did the Grinch put so much stress on stealing their ribbons, wrapping, tags, tinsel, trimmings, and trappings the night before Christmas? Why not steal all those things a few days before Christmas? Would it have made the same impact? 

Of course not.  Everybody knows that excitement builds on Christmas eve, and it’s participants go to sleep at its peak, all of which explodes on Christmas morning. Meaning, the opportune time to crush the maximum amount of joy would be by stealing everything the night before Christmas.  

Timing is everything and must be carefully calculated with every decision. It will affect the success of your product launch, the click-through rate of your email campaigns, the units sold on your next sale, or even news from your press releases. Consider the impact timing will make on all of your endeavors to maximize your returns. Then sit back and reap the sweet fruits of your labor.

Lesson 4: Value Your Team

It’s hard to watch the Grinch transform into the anti-Santa, not because he’s a foul one or a stink, stank, skunk, but because he is a terrible leader.  Max, his trusty sidekick, wearer of many hats and no doubt the backbone of this entire operation, is treated terribly throughout the entire scene. Not once is he recognized for his hard work, resourcefulness, or willingness to succeed.

Although Max didn’t abandon the Grinch…. What if he did? Sure, Christmas wouldn’t have been stolen, which would have been great, but that’s not the point. The Grinch wouldn’t have been able to execute his plans, but more importantly, his heart wouldn’t have grown two sizes too big. He would have remained a rotten, grumpy, grouch.

Your team is valuable and they ought to be valued and no one wants to work with someone who is always complaining and brings down the company culture. With so much invested, what would it cost you to lose them? What opportunities will you lose out on? I’m willing to bet that losing one valuable team member will greatly set you back.  So take time to show your appreciation, whether it be monetarily, verbally, or really in whatever love language speaks to them.

Remember that there are always lessons to be learned and that we can find inspiration for our work almost anywhere. The Grinch got it right—albeit by trial and error—Christmas isn’t just about packages and bows, it means more… it means business!

The American viewing public only gets to spend half an hour with Frosty every year, but we darn sure make the most of it. In one annual special, Frosty does a lot more than just say Happy Birthday and talk to animals. He also shows us lessons we can still apply to business more than 50 years since Frosty was first rolled up. I’m Sean from Prime Concepts, and this is Part Four of our series, Do You See What I See, Business Lessons From Holiday Classics.

Today we’re covering the top five lessons from, you guessed it…Miracle on 34th Street. No, of course, it’s Frosty the Snowman. Let’s get started.

Lesson One: Hire Your Weaknesses

No one man or woman is without their fair share of weaknesses. Achilles and his heel, Superman and Kryptonite, Donald Trump, and Facts. It’s part of what makes us human. But, weaknesses are not limited to just humans, snowmen have them too. Do you know what it is? Heat.  Along his journey, one of Frosty’s companions requires warmth to continue and Frosty’s not the type to leave one of his own behind.  Knowing that building a fire would come at the expense of his life, Frosty calls upon the forest critters to work together and build a raging flame.

While it’s important to continually invest in oneself and one’s team to better their bests, it’s crucial to understand when the return isn’t worth the investment.  Time is a limited resource and it’s not always viable to learn that new skill or develop the necessary requirements to achieve a certain objective. That’s why you need to hire your weaknesses when it’s called for. This will allow you to focus on the highest and best use of your time. Sure frosty could have built that fire, but at what cost? Certain dearth? That would be a hard pass for me.

Lesson Two: Chase Trends, Not Fads 

While we’re on the topic of the natural lifecycle of snow…It’s stressed throughout this Christmas special, that Frosty was birthed into a cruel and limited existence. In fact, the entire movie is a race against time to save frosty’s life from the impending temperature change. Now, it stands to reason that if the hat is what brought frosty to life, then why not use that magic on an object with more permanence? Would the kids not be satisfied with Thomas the Toaster or Charlie the Coatrack?

Fads are here today, gone tomorrow. So don’t build your brand around them. They are fleeting moments of interest, like Tamagotchis, Frozen Yogurt Stores, and sunlight injections. Of course, seize the opportunity, lean into them if possible, but don’t build your foundation on them. Instead, set up your shop on strong trends, changes that will have a lasting impact and shift the entire marketplace, such as the continual implementation of artificial intelligence. Hey Google, can snowmen contract ephyezema? 

Lesson Three: Celebrate Your Victories 

I’ll be honest with you, I’m glad the children didn’t have the foresight to create Charlie the coatrack, because Frosty the Snowman is the quintessential hero’s journey. As the temperature rises and the weight of Frosty’s expiration starts to grow, the hero approaches his first challenge–death. But death is no match for this hero and his guides! With no time to spare, the brainstorming begins and subsequently ends on the first and only idea… get Frosty to the North Pole. And with that, they celebrate their victory with a parade through the streets.  

Although this is probably one of the least significant reasons to throw a parade, the logic is solid.  These kids were facing one of the most tragic events in their lives and they were able to overcome it, in a matter of minutes. That’s a reason to celebrate.  What’s important to note here is the impact this makes on everyone involved. The mood drastically shifts from sad, to happy, to ecstatic.  How leaders lead in times of victory drives the company morale in a positive or negative way. Next time you change your password more than a day before it expires, go ahead and throw yourself a parade. You deserve it.

Lesson Four: It’s Not What You Know, It’s How Well You Execute

This next lesson is one everyone needs to hear and come straight from the top, the big man himself. No, not Santa, I’m talking about our CEO Ford Saeks. 

The movie opens on a class full of school children being entertained by Professor Hinkle, the magician. It’s a shame they couldn’t get Bill Nye the science guy. After the middle-aged professor performed failed trick after failed trick, Hinkle slings his magician’s hat into the trash… and rightfully so. He’s awful. The school children repurpose the magician’s hat and inadvertently unleash the hat’s magic… apparently for the first time. Hinkle chose the life of a magician and has pursued it his entire life, so why wasn’t he bringing inanimate objects to life way sooner? 

This is a classic archer, not the arrow situation. Anyone can learn to do something, but knowing how to do something is very different than actually doing it.  To achieve success, you have to actually do. Execution is key. Because in the words of Ford, it’s not what you know, it’s how well you execute it. Hinkle had the tools to succeed and the knowledge to do so, but he wasn’t able to execute. 

Lesson 5: Consistency is Key

Finally, after the team lands a hail mary, Santa himself delivers Frosty to the North Pole. Hooray, the day is saved.  And He lived happily ever after in North Pole where over the next few years he eventually became but a distant memory in the mind of all those children… That’s exactly what would have happened, had Frosty not set the consistent expectation that he would be back on each and every Christmas day. 

In everything you do, be consistent. Are all of the branches of your brand communicating the same values, using similar strategies, working in unison to create a consistent identity? Consistency means your target audience is being exposed to core messages repeatedly, which will ultimately solidify your brand recognition.  And that’s why we all know the tune Frosty the Snowman and why we’ll all have it stuck in our heads long after this video. 

OUTRO: With a Corncob pipe, a button nose, and a heart of Gold, Frosty the Snowman slid into our lives more than 50 years ago and hasn’t loosened the grip on our collective soul ever since. In spite of his likely tobacco addiction, Frosty has a lot to teach us about life, business, and sweating off the extra pounds. We love ya, Frosty.

And we love that you watched this video. If we left out a business lesson you found in Frosty the Snowman, share it in the comments below. And stay tuned for the next installment of Do You See What I See.