Deciphering The Metrics - Part Four: KPI's

 

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This journey of ours comes to an end with this final piece of the four part series, but this really should be the tip of the iceberg as far as your Digital Marketing Strategy goes. These are the stats. These are what allows you to demand bigger contracts. 

It's not easy. The fact that this information required four, separate articles to effectively translate the information should give a clear indication of how delicate the digital marketing world actually is. It's not as simple as posting to social media and writing an occasional blog. It's not as inconceivable as many Marketing Agencies would have you believe either. This is not an impossible world, it's just a demanding one. It's not one you should try to "do on a budget." If you're going to play in this world, assemble your team and take the field. Just know that taking the field with inferior equipment and inexperienced play-callers can cost you more than you can recover. Get someone like Trending Up Digital Services on your side early in this game and give yourself a shot at victory. Our strategies are "Win-Win." You win. Your clients win. We win. 

Today, we look at KPI's. Key Performance Indicators are probably things that you're measuring already, even if you don't apply nerdy language to it. You own an HVAC company. Chances are you've looked at sales once or twice. That's a KPI. In fact...let's start there.

Sales - Everybody measures this one. In terms of marketing, sales need to account for the cost of acquiring that customer. How much did you spend in content to attract that customer. In order to accurately track this information, you need to know where they came from. Without a trusted Digital Marketing Partner, you're playing right into our grandfather's old "half your marketing dollars are wasted" strategies and there is clearly a better way. 

Leads - Sales Teams must communicate with the Marketing & Content Teams to know where their leads are coming from. Don't settle for a sales force that simply expects leads to multiply. Sales create ad-budgets and the cycle continues. Make sure that process is communicated or it falls apart quickly.

Profit - How much did you make? If this one needs to be explained, a marketing strategy is the least of your problems. Profit cures everything but sustainable profit comes from precision and strategy. Trending Up Digital Services doesn't do cookie-cutter marketing strategies. We get to know your company and the people within it so that we can aim at higher profits through proven marketing efforts. 

Members - If your site or business requires membership, pay close attention to any volatility in the numbers therein. Whatever direction the arrow is travelling, we want to know why. Capture success and avoid costly mistakes. Are there fake groups out there pretending to be you? Are they gaining members? Think that's something you should pay attention to? The best Marketing Directors catch that stuff in it's infancy and we have those on our team. Do you? Want to? Let's Talk.

Downloads - Does your company offer an e-book or some other kind of download-able information. Track where those downloads are happening and identify any opportunities presented in that data.

Recommendations - Make it easy for your happy customers to refer you. Invest in advocacy at all stages of your business. There is no better form of marketing out there than word-of-mouth advertising from trusted circles. Make sure your marketing team is on top of any platform that gives the public the ability to leave feedback. 

Key Pages - Always direct visitors to key pages within your site. Product pages, Registration Forms, Blogs, etc. Search Engine Optimization is not just about them finding you. It's about where they go and what they do once they're there too.

Retention Metrics - Keep the flock happy! If you've got existing customers, don't allow them to feel that you care more about getting new money than keeping theirs. New business is always the goal, but new sales can often come from existing customers if they feel that they are treated well after the credit card is run. Follow up. Respond quickly. Treat every customer as if they were a loved one. No matter how many times they call. Don't ignore them, or they'll be gone long before you realize it. 

There are a lot of other metrics that go into a successful, long term, marketing strategy but hopefully you have an idea of what goes into making this a component of your business. As we stated, this isn't a "try it on your own" kind of endeavor. You wouldn't fly a plane without a pilot. Trending Up is always ready to be your pilot.

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Deciphering The Metrics - Part Three: Positioning Metrics

 

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Over the last two pieces, we've discussed the Eight Basic Metrics as well as the Twelve Engagement Metrics necessary for success in this ever expanding online world. While the internet may seem wide open and free of regulation, there are certain rules that must be followed if you want your business to enjoy any of the benefits of Digital Marketing.

Monitoring performance as it relates to the metrics outlined in this series is a good start, but it is also a task that shouldn't be taken lightly. If you're going to deploy an online marketing strategy on behalf of your business and the people who make it work....do it right. It's not an expense, it's an investment. If the agency with whom you choose to partner feels like they sell more than they listen, get a new agency. You wouldn't keep spending money at a restaurant that served you what they wanted you to eat, would you? 

In part three of our four part Metrics discussion, we'll discuss the Eight Positioning Metrics to which your attention should be paid. Positioning Metrics let you know how you're being found. Growth or reduction in any of these metrics can be a key indicator and can serve as either warnings or green-lights. You won't know if you're not giving these details the attention they deserve in your overall marketing strategy.

Search Metrics - Search Engine Optimization is one of the most commonly deployed marketing strategies. If prospects can't find you, they can't hire you, so this is a critical metric. Pay special attention to your search rankings and any volatility therein. That data can be priceless in planning your next move, 

Brand Metrics - What are they saying about your brand? This is a cumulative metric that measures brand traffic in search, social, content, etc. This metric is most commonly used to measure the ROI of long-term campaigns. 

Reputation Metrics - Are they saying nice things about your brand, your products, and your people? This metric focuses on the feedback and comments received across all platforms. Companies who live and die by sales numbers alone will often miss the signs of impending doom by ignoring this metric. A tanking reputation drags sales with it. Always. If you wait until the slide starts to address it, it's too late.

Follower Growth - What did you post that resulted in follower spikes? If it grabs them, repeat it! There are many reasons to monitor the patterns of growth in your fanbase, but this is a critical component in the customer acquisition math. Likes are Leads....until they buy something, they're just an expense investment.

Keyword Value - Whether you're Team Apple or Team Android....Mac or Windows....doesn't matter. Google rules them all and we play by their rules. One of the rules we must all follow is Keywords. Google invented them and we all use them. Determining the value of a keyword lets us know if it is worth pursuing or not. 

PR Metrics - Most HVAC & Plumbing Companies aren't doing a ton of traditional Press Releases unless something has gone terribly wrong, but this metric is still important. Instead of journalists, most HVAC companies should measure the interest of manufacturers, hosts, and other entities that can help in "broadcasting" your news the way the press does for whatever company owns their station that week!

Reach Metrics - Awareness of your brand, until you're so big you are truly a household name, goes well beyond your logo and tagline. There's a reason McDonalds and FedEx still advertise and spend millions on marketing. How many times does an average customer see your ad? How long did the ad run? This metric measures across platforms, devices, etc. 

Competitor Metrics - What are the other guys doing? Is their campaign taking focus away from your company? Does it happen every year? Think we could use that to come up with a defense? The answer is yes. We could.

Trending Up Digital Services is ready to help you navigate these rough waters. Our brand is flight related, so we don't do boating analogies, but you get the picture. These metrics are a lot to deal with. Especially if you're running a successful HVAC business. We want to be your agency, so give us a call and let's setup a 30-45 minute Video Chat. At the end of that chat, we'll know if we're a good fit for each other. No sales tactics. No confusing jargon. Just getting to know each other, 

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It Starts At The Dinner Table....

Culture is a wonderful thing. Most of the time. There are some cultures that may interest you about as much as sitting atop a bonfire, but for the purpose of this discussion, let's assume we're talking about the kind of cultures most commonly associated with clever commercials and 'fun-to-say' menu items. Corporate culture is just as important to the continued health and relevance of a company as it is to a university or a sports franchise.

You're the owner of the company. You're the one they follow. It's your culture that they are buying into, so you better make sure you have identified it before they do it for you. Or even worse....before failure does it for you. 

That sounds harsh, but success these days requires more than just a clever tagline or a beautiful logo. Your passion has to be their passion. The people who are out there on the streets, entering the homes of your customers...if they aren't bought in....your passion dies before your prospect ever gets a chance to witness it.

Identify your message. What is that you want to say? What is it that you want your brand to say? Don't just be another HVAC company. Give them a reason to choose you over the other guy. You all have the same tools. You're all working on the same machines every day and dealing with the same issues. Culture is what sets you apart.....if you do it right. It can't be forced. It can't be demanded. It is something that others see you exhibiting and they want to emulate it.

So, what is it that goes into building an effective and prosperous culture for your small business? Do people really care if my team is wearing a pressed shirt, or do they just want their A/C fixed? Both! The answer is a resounding "BOTH" but it is delivered in the form of a check being written to the other guy if you doubt the importance of culture. 

Here we go.....

1. Credibility - If they don't believe you have the ability to deliver what they're out there selling for you, you've lost. Not only will a lack of credibility destroy your Sales Force from within, but word travels at warp-speeds within your Market if you can't fulfill your promises. The US Army Infantry Division has a motto - "Deeds Not Words." Think like an infantryman. Show them your work. Don't tell them about it. Besides...have you ever met a soldier who doubted the credibility of his unit?

2. Respect - We've all worked in an environment in which we felt disrespected in some form or another. It sucks. Does your team feel respected? Are their voices heard? If they feel respected at the "dinner table" then they will act with respect when in front of your prospects. Picture a High School for a moment. Picture any group of 20-30 High School aged students. Among them, you will be able to instantly identify those who are raised in homes where respect is a top priority. The ones who feel respected at home portray respect because it's part of their "culture." Use your dinner table wisely. 

3. Fairness - It's called "The Golden Rule" for a reason. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Sounds biblical because it is. The wisdom in that statement has been around, unchallenged, for that long. Don't play favorites. Don't reward groups when an individual achieved the results and vice-versa. Fairness is the piece that makes Win Win Marketing possible. 

4. Pride - Take pride in what you do. Remember what made it possible for your company to hire a team in the first place.,...pride in your work. Remember how proud you were when you won that first contract? As you drove away from that handshake, did the thought of cutting corners or cheating ever cross your mind? Hell NO!! You wanted to do the best job possible and accept the steady string of referrals that was surely to follow, right? Instill that feeling in your team and your brand will stand out among your prospects. Take pride in your brand. From the way you dress to the vehicles in your fleet....display the pride you have in what you do.

5. Teamwork - Nobody wants to be the one who lets his whole team down. If you are able to instill a genuine sense of teamwork among your staff then you work together rather than against one another. Individual goals are great and should be encouraged, nurtured, and even joined....but they should NEVER be allowed to hinder the collective goals of the team. Act as a unit, win as a unit. You get to be the coach who delivers that rousing halftime speech to propel the team to victory. 

6. Customer Focused - Don't put your team in a position where they don't believe you will protect the relationships they're working so hard to build. Sales takes trust, rapport, and a lot of time....if your team feels like you are only in it for the money and not the people who give it to you, they'll start to side with the prospect in situations where they should have supported you. Always identify the  benefit to the customer when implementing new policies. Your team will resist changes a lot less if they feel like the proposed changes will benefit the customer they have to explain it to.

Got questions? You should! Let's get together and discuss them.

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