3 Things For June 3rd, 2021

The Long Game, Phishing Scams, and Online Reviews

For Love of the Long Game

Marketing is very much like dating. The 8 seconds you have to capture someone’s attention is the pickup line. But the courtship toward something truly meaningful is where the work comes in. And that is what branding is all about. Branding is the long game; a courtship that eventually, if done right leads to love.  That’s right – brand love. Build trust, communicate, and bring the joy. And with your brand love, you also will enjoy brand loyalty. But what if you hear “let’s just take it slow”? Well, I’m not saying that it’s over, but it’s probably over. You see, you moved too fast. I realize that you think bases are made to run, but if you hit it out of the park, you don’t have to. No one likes being sold and all good relationships take time. And having that meaningful relationship, something that really lasts, means building on a strong foundation. The all-star didn’t just start hitting those home runs yesterday. That was 10,000 hours of practice. The good news is, great loves last a really long time!

The Power of Online Reviews

In today’s digital world, online reviews are powerful tool for small businesses. Not only do positive reviews help to drive sales, but they also help reassure people that the product of service that they’re about to buy is worth their time and money.

According to a recent study, 91% of people read online reviews when looking to make a purchase, and of those, 84% trust review websites (like Google My Business and Yelp) as much as they would with a personal recommendation. Further more, the average customer is willing to spend up to 31% more with a company that has excellent reviews.

Why Are Online Reviews So Important? 
• Reviews help your business get easier found online
• Reviews give your business credibility and help build trust
• Reviews impact purchasing decisions and drive sales
• Reviews provide important feedback from customers

Here Are Some Tips for Receiving & Utilizing Reviews: 
1. Simply ask customers to leave a review following their purchase or experience. If someone is telling you about what a great experience they had with your business, ask them in the moment while they’re feeling inspired.
2. Make it as easy as possible for customers to leave you a review. A great way to do this is by sending customers an email with links to your review pages.
3. Make sure you reply to your online reviews, whether they are positive or negative. This shows that your business cares, plus both customers and search engines like to see this.
4. Spread the word and share your positive reviews on your social media, website, and in marketing campaigns!

If you have questions regarding your business’s online reviews or online reputation management, our team at Strategy 3 can help. Reach out to us today via call, text, or email to learn more! 

Don’t Fall for Phishing Scams

Don’t click a link in an email unless you know it is from a legitimate sender, it could be malware! We have noticed an uptick in contact form submissions coming into our clients’ websites that are malicious attempts at loading malware to their computers. This can cause some serious issues; you should be vigilant and skeptical if something seems strange or off about the messages you receive. A common malicious message that we have seen recently comes from someone claiming that the images on your website are copyrighted by them and you are using them illegally. In addition, they request you click on a link that will show the images in question. This link will install the dreaded malware that you want to avoid. If your website was built by Strategy 3, you can rest assured that we only use images that we have permission to use or have purchased the right to use them on your website. If you receive one of these messages, please trash the message and be sure not to click the included link. Other messages along the same lines may come through to you; If you have questions or concerns about the validity of a message, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at Strategy 3 about the message in question so we can determine if it is something that you should be concerned about.

What Do Our Customers Have To Say About Working with Strategy 3?

“I love working with Leah and the Strategy 3 Team! They are so passionate about helping our team create a marketing portfolio that matches who we are. I dreaded posting things to social media and working on marketing pieces. Working with Strategy 3 has completely eliminated my stress around marketing and assisted our team to present a professional and consistent online presence.” – Samantha C. Thank you for your wonderful review, Samantha!  If you have had a great experience working with Strategy 3, please consider leaving us an online review on our Google My Business or on Facebook!