Now more than ever, the need to persuade applies to the interviewer just as much as it does to the interviewee. But how do you master the art of persuasion for your business, brand, and personal life? By creating authentic emotion, of course!
Emotion is a powerful acceleration of one’s brand. What does this look like? Conversion expert Brandon Smits says you need to cultivate a connection, stay relevant and ask yourself: Is my motive or call to action, reflecting myself or my prospective client?
When you master the art of channeling emotion through your content’s beating heart, then you will start to generate sponsorships, partnerships, credibility, and a profitable business model.
In this episode of the Social PR Secrets podcast with Lisa Buyer, Brandon Smits, CMO at Solar Cheat Code and Partner at Eight Loop Marketing Agency, dives into the do’s and don’ts of persuasion, shares tips on conversion, and lays out the best action plan when it comes to connecting with potential clients. And he answers every entrepreneur’s million-dollar question: “How can I tell if my content is working?”
Brandon Smits: Pinpoint the Problem, Test Solutions & Generate Results
After beginning his career in the field of SEO nearly 10 years ago, Brandon climbed his way up the marketing ladder. With a specialization in optimization conversion strategies, he used this melting pot of marketing knowledge to start his own agency, Solar Cheat Code. His team helps residential solar companies generate leads by identifying the client’s problem and testing appropriate solutions.
At both Solar Cheat Code and Eight Loop Social, Brandon coaches marketers and entrepreneurs on how to create the perfect ‘marketing sauce’. What is marketing sauce and how is it made? Well, the ingredients vary on a business-to-business basis but what remains consistent is the basic need to persuade.
How to Optimize the Power of Organic Search
Social media is the face of organic search, whether your Instagram is a personal or business account. Brandon says that if your posts follow a relatable and natural approach, then you have a high chance of developing a profitable brand. And once your followers, who have never met you before, feel as if they know you and what you stand for, then you have mastered the art of persuasion in the organic social realm.
How to Authentically and Emotionally Connect with Your Audience
- Determine your target audience.
- Analyze the various versions of marketing personas among brands. What are their goals? How do they successfully market this persona? Which persona works best for your brand?
- Make sure your content meets your followers’ best interests: It’s about them, not you!
Once you’ve added these 3 ingredients to your ‘sauce’, it’s time to see whether your output of content is creating conversions.
Using Persuasion to Get Conversions
A basic rule of thumb when it comes to paid search is: If your brand is nothing without it, then your business model needs a revamp. Here’s the starting point to getting conversions. Ask yourself: Can I get a stranger to book a call with my sales team or make a purchase without ad influence? With Brandon’s applicable guidance and tips, the answer will eventually be, yes!
Where to Start & What To Say When On the Marketing Call
Brandon says that the strategy call has its own intrinsic value. You want your prospective client to be excited about jumping on this call, open to learning what they need to do to solve their problem and believe that they will benefit from your team.
- Get a stranger to book a call with your sales team.
- Validate your mechanism to get them over the fence.
- Nurture your prospect’s needs. Instead of framing the booking like a chore, make the call-to-action very clear. Say this, “use our five-step evaluation tool that will put you on track to get desired results” rather than, “schedule a call today”.
- Make the client/customer feel happy!
- Tell the client that you look forward to working with them in the future if everything checks out.
Timing is Everything to Brandon Smits
“Timing is so critical… I feel like most of the leads of the world happened during the bathroom.” — Brandon Smits
On average, it takes 23 call attempts to reach a homeowner. How do you decrease this number? Try double dialing, or calling the number twice in a row to enable urgency. Or perhaps try a less intimidating and more inviting angle. Send a text to your prospective client. Even though they opted into the call less than 24 hours ago, they may not be prone to answering calls from unknown numbers.
Many people say that if someone calls and they don’t leave a message, then it probably wasn’t important. Playoff of this mindset by implementing a voicemail drop. This immediately sends the homeowner a voice message after one or two rings.
Want More Tips from Brandon?
Check out Part one of his Social PR Secrets: The Art of Persuasion, the Offer and the Experience With Brandon Smits
Some topics in this episode include:
- Develop Content that Creates Emotion
- Organic / Paid Search
- Social Media as an Organic Approach
- The Art of Persuasion
- Marketing Sauce
- Understanding Whether Your Content is Working
- Data v. Gut Piece
- Automation and SMS Marketing
- Tips on Generating Conversions
- Brandon’s Business Model
- Creating the Best B2B & Agency Experience
- Advice on Bottlenecks
- Marketing Accessibility Interface Platform
- What’s Working with Paid Seach
- Nurturing the Sales Process
- Timing is Everything
- SEO
Links Mentioned:
Connect with Brandon Smits
