Echovine Communications - BlogEchovine Communications - Bloghttps://echovine.co.za/blogsFri, 24 Oct 2025 01:25:21 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Mastering Your Message]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/mastering-your-messageMarketing used to be simple, anyone with some flair for working with people or the creative could pull it off. Even having a website used to be fairly ]]>
Marketing used to be simple, anyone with some flair for working with people or the creative could pull it off.
Even having a website used to be fairly simple. Words like integration between platforms or content generation and syndication did not exist.

As long as your website was up and running you were happy.

Then a few other things happened. SEO, Google algorithms and mobile apps, online marketing, social media, blogging and our beloved content generation and management to name but a few. Suddenly what seemed simple became somewhat more complicated.

Your communications, marketing and web providers used to be three very different companies, one taking charge of your PR, the other marketing your services and the latter your online presence, until it all became too expensive and dare we say it too complicated?

So how DO you choose a provider that is right for your business?
Have they established that you have a marketable brand?
Have they devoted time to analyse your business, market and competitors?
Have they considered strategies to generate revenue for your business from various angles?
Can they expand your website as your business grows?
Will social media be integrated into your web design?
Do you need a mobile app or an online press office?
Who managed your SEO (Search engine optimisation)
Will there be on-going maintenance of your blogs or content?

Your needs, target audience, pricing and competitors will change in the future. Oh yes, the millenials are on their way and their ideas and views of the world are much different than those you have marketed to before.

Isn’t it time that you find a partner that can pull all the strings together?

Let’s just get started already! The value of a strategy
When or do we ask how did you start your business? Did you just decide one day to set up shop? Or did you sit down and plan what you wanted to achieve?

If you’re not sure what your business goals are, how can you possibly convey its values, benefits and returns to your clients?

Let’s look at your website for instance, it might have a spectacular design, all the bells and whistles, but without a proper strategy that is aligned to your brand, that defines your target audience and distinguishes your offering from that of your competitors, it will do nothing for your business.

A comprehensive web strategy should include:
  • Who your ideal clients are and where to find them in an online environment
  • What you are offering and why it will matter to your clients
  • What social media sites you should be active on

What content your site needs and in which format, in order for your clients to react to and interact with in a positive manner

Your answers will guide your website development, your content, your social media efforts, as well as other touch points, such as regular communication with your clients and your onlinge campaigns.

It’s overwhelming we know.

There used to be a time when money was your most valuable commodity. If you had a large advertising budget you would outshine the rest. Communicating with your customer through traditional media did the trick. You would place a snippet in your local paper, perhaps record a radio piece, design a great-looking magazine advertisement or print some flyers. Your customer would phone you and ”just like that”, the job was done!

Of course budget is important and something worth doing is worth doing well.  With too little budget, there is a point where you begin to simply waste money, because you are not reaching the requisite communications thresholds. BUT where, when and how to spend it is just as important.

Even though constant visual reminders are great for brand building, traditional media is losing market share.  Your customer is no longer interested in YOUR sales talk, they want to know how you will add value to THEIR lives.

What’s with the jargon?

You regularly hear the words, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, online presence, web traffic and SEO.  What does this have to do with running a business?

Well, human attention is in rather short supply. We are now living in an attention economy and suddenly no one is interested in your sales message, they would rather just turn to Google and find what they are looking for themselves.

We know, you need results and you need it now! But without a plan this is not likely to happen. So, where do we start?

Your business needs to be analysed, with the help of a customised online communications strategy. Wow, big concept!  This is a working document that determines who you are, who your target audience is, what excites them, why your product or service will benefit them, where you can find them and how you should speak to them.

Need help? Echovine Communications is a holistic communications agency offering both offline and online expertise.

Contact us today to find out how we can help your company to get started on the right track!
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]]>Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:09:25 +0000<![CDATA[The exponential evolution of Video Marketing]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/the-exponential-evolution-of-video-marketingSocial media is more than just posting two sentences and a link on Facebook or LinkedIn. It is more than retweeting a funny video. And it is more than ]]>
Social media is more than just posting two sentences and a link on Facebook or LinkedIn. It is more than retweeting a funny video. And it is more than the theory of “customising a message for your target audience”. In a world of constant flux, it is becoming more and more of a challenge to stay connected with your audience.

The year of the video
2017 was dubbed as “the year of the video”. Audiences want to see content rather than read content, and they want you to get to the point within 6 seconds!

The basic principal of video is this: the more senses you engage, the better. But at present, a video is no longer just a video.

Meet Interactive Videos: a phenomenal way to interact and engage with audiences.

Interactive videos are almost like video games where the viewer is presented with options to choose from. What they see next is dependent on the choice they have made a second before.

But why video?
Pretty cool, right? But what does this mean for your business? Here are short and hard facts:

  1. Videos boost conversation and
  2. It is a great tool for remarketing which increases your engagement and frequency.
  3. You will get your money back! The first three months of ROI statistics (views over impressions) will predict when you will start seeing ROI.
  4. Videos build trust(because it’s easier for the audience to engage with).
  5. Google also loves video! This is great for your brand’s Google ranking.
  6. Video is more accessible and appeals to your mobile users (not just millennials).
  7. You can explain anything in a video.
  8. It prompts lazy
  9. Video also encourages social sharing, meaning your viewers will share it on their personal timelines, resulting in higher impression ratings.

Okay, so what is the catch?
– You have only 6 seconds to make an exceptional impression and get to the point.

– Putting the right content out there is easier said than done. You cannot just know about your audience. You have to KNOW your audience as individual members! Only then will you be able to discern what they want to see and what will prompt their engagement.

– Subtitles are of cardinal importance. Luckily YouTube can generate them for you automatically.

Some tips for video marketing
– Have a strategy. If you don’t know where you are going, it doesn’t matter where go.

– Be innovative. Play around with different types of video (animation, 360 degrees, interactive, etc.) and the tone of voice (happy, motivating, energetic, sad, etc. – refer back to have a strategy).

– Go live! We have had numerous Facebook Live Q&A sessions with Munchkins. Parents could post questions and get answers immediately.

– Choose the right platform. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter ask for different content and length of videos.

– Have great intros and outros. Get to your point and remember your call-to-action. Remind the viewer (more than once if possible) why they are watching your video in the first place.

– Use the correct metrics. Just because you had 10 000 views doesn’t mean 10 000 people will start buying your products and services. Impressions and views, however, do tell us how your brand awareness has grown. “Views” include all views, from 5-second views to full length views. Know what you are looking at (excuse the pun).
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]]>Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:09:25 +0000<![CDATA[Socionomics, why your business should be online in 398 words]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/socionomics-why-your-business-should-be-online-in-398-wordsWe all know there is a lot of mumbo jumbo out there and who really understands all the trends and statistics anyway? So in only 398 words allow us to ]]>
We all know there is a lot of mumbo jumbo out there and who really understands all the trends and statistics anyway? So in only 398 words allow us to explain something that really makes sense.

Internet Growth in South Africa
  • South Africa has a high mobile penetration with continued access towards smart phones and affordable data.
  • The growth in Facebook users (11.8 m in 2015) alone shows South Africans as a connected audience who wants to interact and converse about the products and brands they buy.
  • The South African Internet economy accounted for R59 billion in 2011 and is set to grow with 2.5 % in 2016.

Target Audience
  • Your target audience represents a middle-class clientele who are already online looking for immediacy and instant access to relevant products that will satisfy their needs.
  • No more retail or office hours – You can now market 24 hours a day and by driving traffic to your website. Online purchase decisions can even be made after hours.
  • You can target these users according to their age, interests, location and other demographics resulting in qualified buyers.
  • Your consumers are tired of traditional advertising methods that interrupt them through sales messages but are not engaging with them on a more personal level. So they tune out, making traditional advertising a costly marketing expense.

Competitors
  • Your competitors are already online and reaping the benefits by selling to your target audience.
  • Examples of their current campaigns through Google AdWords, Facebook and YouTube shows they have built a loyal following and their online stores attract millions in traffic.

Formats
  • Consumers today require information that will add value to their lives.
  • So your campaigns cannot only compete on price and product specification, but you also have to sell your brand as a high-quality user experience.
  • You can create brand awareness and trust in your brand through good content.
  • Your target audience can also increase your visibility and sales through viral marketing and social sharing.
  • Your website should be optimised for mobile viewing so that audiences can access your content while they are on the move.

Return on investment
  • Compared to traditional advertising, your ROI is much higher since many online advertising models follow a pay-per-click model, which means you only pay upon engagement and the advertising is uniquely targeted to qualified buyers.
  • Online advertising is much more affordable and extremely measurable through free online tools.
  • Don’t be ignored, talk to us today about how we can get your business online in a cost-effective manner.
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]]>Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:09:25 +0000<![CDATA[What's this obsession with Persona Marketing]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/whats-this-obsession-with-persona-marketingYou are doing everything right according to the textbooks: you have a brand-new website and you are active on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Yet, you ]]>
You are doing everything right according to the textbooks: you have a brand-new website and you are active on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Yet, you don’t get qualified leads from all your efforts, not to mention the amount of money you’ve spent!

What are you doing wrong?

It’s all about your message and those who care to listen to it. In other words, talking to the right people by telling a story they can relate to!

To know how to write your posts on social media, you need to know to whom you are talking, by creating one or more buyer personas.

What and who are these “personas”?
Buyer personas are like characters: they are fictional, yet very realistic representations of your ideal customers. You have to keep in mind how they think, what they want to achieve in life and why they do what they do.

Buyer personas are based on solid research, not assumptions!

How well do you know your audience on Facebook and your ideal customer?
It takes intensive effort to get to know your customers. You cannot just assume that you know them. You need to talk to them! Linda Bustos, Director of E-commerce Research at Elastic Path identified three key techniques you can use:

  1. Have one-on-one interviews with your customers and ask in-depth questions
  2. Observe them by spending a day with them and asking relevant questions.
  3. Listen when your customer tells you about your product: what it does, how well (or bad) it, how it’s used, etc. This is an excellent way to understand how they perceive your product or service.

Columnist Arnie Kuenn also suggests making use of lead forms and talking to your sales team. Additionally, you can interview your support staff, analyse how your audience consumes content and evaluate current content using A/B testing.

What do you do with all this information?

It is best to combine the above research with market research.

Then you can start creating full portraits of your buyer persona/s. A typical framework includes

1. Basic information such as:
    1. Name
    2. Age and generation
    3. Gender
    4. Marital status

2. Demographic information such as:
    1. Career, job responsibilities and roles
    2. Company size
    3. Life outside of work
    4. Income
    5. Budget

3. Behavioural information such as:
    1. What keeps them up at night
    2. Pain points and challenges
    3. Role in purchasing
    4. How they consume content (Facebook, email, magazines, etc).
    5. How often they look for specific content
    6. Whose opinions they trust

So how do you create messages your audience will respond to?
The first step is to familiarise yourself with the buyer’s journey.


Figure 1: The Buyer’s Journey (HubSpot)

You will find that your customers are scattered across three different stages, and you need to get their attention during each stage. You need to meet them where they are.

During the Awareness stage, your customer realises they have a problem. Your message will confirm that you can fix their problem. A typical message will tell them about your products and services.

When they reach the Consideration stage, they will start looking for solutions. Here your message needs to touch their pain points. This means that your message should focus on one problem, one product/service and one solution.

When they are ready to make a purchase in the Decision stage, your message needs to communicate your competitive advantage. Why should they choose you and not someone else? Here you can offer demos, special prices and free trials.

You can also incorporate the PESO model, developed by Gini Dietrich:


Figure 2: PESO Model (Spin Sucks)

In simplest terms, the PESO Model allows you to separate the content and communications you create into media buckets that align with all of the available marketing channels. The PESO Model enables you to better integrate your marketing efforts by identifying opportunities and gaps.

  • Paid Media. Paid media, in this case, doesn’t refer to big, fancy commercials and highly creative print ads. On the contrary, paid media for social media includes advertising, sponsored content and email marketing.
  • Earned Media. Earned media is what we know as either publicity or media relations. It’s getting your name in print. It’s having a newspaper or trade publication write about you. It’s appearing on the noon news to talk about your product. It’s what the PR industry is typically known for, because it’s one of the few tangible things done.
  • Shared Media. Shared media is also known as social media. It’s evolving as well, and continues to build beyond just marketing or customer service teams using it. Soon, organisations will share it as their main source of communications, both internally and externally.
  • Owned Media. Owned media is otherwise known as content. It is something you own, and it lives on your website or blog. You control the messaging and tell the story in a way you want it told.

Why do you need to go through all this effort?
Founder of buyer personas, Toni Zambito, explains 6 reasons why you need to know your customers:

  1. They give you inside infoto adjust your marketing and sales strategies.
  2. They tell you about the words that trigger them and to which messages they will respond.
  3. They provide qualitative and quantitative informationto adjust your customer strategy.
  4. They tell youhow they will use your product and what you need to do to improve the user-friendliness of your product.
  5. Chances are, you will outperform your competitors.
  6. Globalisationis not just for the big companies anymore. “Companies are entering new markets with little knowledge of regional buying behaviours and little room for errors.”

Toni also predicts that if “researched in the right way, buyer personas can help organisations to accomplish an understanding, which has long been absent.”

What happens now?
It is ideal to formulate personas prior to any strategy and to share your buyer personas with your whole team so that they understand who they are trying to engage. Everything you do and don’t do will revolve around your buyer personas.

If you want to be successful, you need to be consistent. Success will not come overnight. Be consistent in your messaging, what you say, how you say it and to whom you are talking to. It’s okay if your persona slightly changes (as they will according to their journeys), but don’t scrap a persona just because you haven’t seen any ROI in a month.
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]]>Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:09:25 +0000<![CDATA[How your online presence, influences your sales.]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/how-your-online-presence-influences-your-salesThis is the story of Tom, a 37-year-old entrepreneur with an established small business. Tom has always depended on traditional marketing and word of ]]>
This is the story of Tom, a 37-year-old entrepreneur with an established small business. Tom has always depended on traditional marketing and word of mouth to reach his customers and sell his products.

Why has his sales declined?
Suddenly Tom realises that his customers aren’t engaging with him anymore and his products are lost between the clutter created by his competitors. He heard about digital marketing and social media and that he should have conversations with his target audience, yet he remains pessimistic if this will really work. He also feels overwhelmed about which platforms to choose, what to say and how to say it. His lack of knowledge in the area is making him lose all hope for the future.

What if…?
What if Tom had a specialist partner who could be just as passionate about his business and his vision as he is and who could steer him through this digital jungle with confidence and integrity? Tom decided to take the first step and google Marketing and Communication Consultants and soon learned about EB Consulting.

Targeting his audience
With the passion, guidance and knowledge of the digital marketing specialists at EchoVine Communications, Tom was able to release his fears. He could share the future vision of the business he struggled so hard to build, with them and soon learned that there is a systematic process in place for understanding his target audience, competitors and what the core messages are that he should convey in the digital space. He could also entrust them with the implementation of his marketing strategy whilst remaining an active partner in creating a brand story his clients loved.

With time Tom has gained followers on social media and his website traffic has increased significantly, also resulting in more product sales. What is even better is that Tom learned more about what his target audience really wanted through his conversations with them on social media and could adjust his products accordingly. He also gained raving fans who are now promoting his products for free by recommending it to their peers.

Do you need help to ignite your story?
Contact the team at EchoVine Communications today, so we can set up a coffee date and get to you know your heart.
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]]>Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:09:25 +0000<![CDATA[Launching websites: how hard can it be, right?]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/launching-websites-how-hard-can-it-beOne of the areas within the scope of what we do as e-Marketing consultants and content marketers includes creating digital platforms that can be class ]]>
One of the areas within the scope of what we do as e-Marketing consultants and content marketers includes creating digital platforms that can be classified as living extensions and representations of the clients and brands we work with: aka websites.

We have:
  • project managed and co-created websites from scratch;
  • updated outdated websites; made recommendations on the content and design of existing websites as part of our digital strategy service;
  • (discreetly) shrugged our shoulders and rolled our eyes at ‘do-it-yourself-websites’; and
  • cried actual tears during the tedious process of launching websites

We live in an age where anybody, given enough time (to watch endless online tutorials), resolve and tenure (think late nights and copious amounts of coffee) can indeed create and launch their own websites, but at what cost?

Many of our clients have had to learn the hard way: Free isn’t always the best option.

So, we urge you: Have a look at the following (by no means exhaustive) list of essential elements before embarking on the journey of creating what is supposed to be a professional reflection of your brand and/or product offering.


Wind: the resolve to get it done
Congratulations! You’ve launched your business and you feel you are ready to get started on your website. We could not be more excited for you.

Let us however just start with this tiny disclaimer: getting a website off the ground requires passion, energy and a certain measure of resolve. You will need a relentless will to stay buoyant throughout the process, because some days you will struggle to feel a breeze of excitement, while others may leave you feeling like a leaf squashed against a window by gale force winds. However, once you see the end-result, your website may just become the wind beneath your proverbial bottom-line wings.


Earth: the foundations
Choosing service providers: This may come as a shock, but not all web developers are created equal. Some can custom code and design websites, whilst others only work with website templates (such as WordPress), and only but a handful also have the ability to create a website that actually communicates with your clients through adequately written content (copy) and can apply search engine optimisation (SEO) principles so your website can be found on Google..

We are not saying such allrounders do not exist, but just be wary of ‘’too good to be true website offerings’’ that promise all-inclusive packages at very low rates. They may be good coders and designers, but make sure they also have a dedicated copywriter (who understands SEO and the principles for online copywriting), and editor for creating your content.

Domain registration and hosting: Your chosen web developer will register your website domain (e.g.: www.joepublic.com) and set up your hosting (we always recommend Hetzner for hosting purposes in South Africa). Hosting packages are usually charged per month and includes email accounts (e.g.: johndoe@joepublic.com), unlimited traffic (to your website) and all-SSD storage space (for storing and backing up your website and email account files).


Water: the content and design
The content for your website is a huge component and can be a very daunting task. Contrary to popular conceptions, content does not only consist of copy (and copy is certainly not merely a case of duplicating what you have used for your brochure onto your website).

Content creation for your website should include:
  • your corporate branding (which should be guided by your corporate identity): if you don’t have a corporate identity, please STOP everything and consider commissioning one BEFORE proceeding with any marketing-related material for your company). This includes but is not limited to: your logo; corporate colours and fonts; brand values; tone of voice; as well as preferred style and image direction;
  • a sitemap (menu structure) and relevant sub-categories (for drop-down menu items);
  • fleshing out content and copy for each menu item (e.g.: About, Services, Our Team, Contact Us, Privacy Policy etc.);
  • researching and deciding on authentic and unique images and/or visuals to accompany each page or service;
  • creative copy and calls to action for homepage banners (that also need to link to other relevant pages on your website);
  • meta tags and keywords for the website’s back-end (theSEO we spoke about earlier)
  • once your website is live, you will also need to update the content regularly if you wish for your site to rank well (over time) in searches (blogging is a good strategy for this purpose).

Design:
Most web designers will require your corporate branding and homepage copy (which includes the aforementioned menu structure) to commence with a prototype of your landing page design. This design is used as the benchmark to establish the preferred look and feel for your website. It is also the first impression you will leave with any visitor. If it doesn’t sell you in 30 seconds, you are already off to a bad start. Depending on the service provider, they may present one or two possible variations for approval.

Once this is finalised, they can commence with the design and development of the rest of the website (based on the content) and adding special features and functionality.


Fire: maintaining and marketing your website
Once the above process of planning for and launching your website is finalised – which can take anything between 6 to 8 weeks (or longer, depending on the scope and size of your website) – the REAL work starts, and answering the following questions are important:

  • How will people KNOW about my website?
  • How will I drive traffic to my website and secure business/an income from it?
  • Will I have the time and resources to set up and manage social media platforms (to help create awareness, improve SEO and drive traffic to my website)?
  • Will I be able to make regular back-ups and install software updates for my website?
  • Can I commit to writing and uploading at least one blog article (and relevant image) per month to my website?
  • Will I be able to navigate the back-end of my website sufficiently to make relevant content updates and will I have the time to do this?


Website project management: combining the elements
At EB Consulting, we have keen insight into the holistic process of developing and launching websites. We take a partnership approach in guiding our clients through every required step and essential elements for launching a website that works.

Get in touch with us today to learn more.
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]]>Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:09:25 +0000<![CDATA[Social Media Trends for 2022]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/social-media-trends-for-20222022 Social Media Trends webinar, emphasizing the rise of Brand Awareness and Employee Experience. It underscores the value of brand values, employee communication, and social commerce trends. The Metaverse concept's emergence is also noted as a notable trend in shaping social media dynamics.]]>
I hope you have by now all found your rhythm for 2022 (despite this horrible heat wave) and are ready to utilise the unique opportunities it may bring us all. So along those lines…. I attended a virtual Social Media Trends webinar last week showcasing interesting world-wide research on the latest trends for 2022 and thought I’d share some insights:

Goals
Although Customer Acquisition was a big trend in 2021, interestingly enough, Brand Awareness has been moved to the top spot in 2022 with Employee Experience as another serious contender.

So what does this mean?

• It simply means that customers/clients are no longer just looking to satisfy their own needs but also want to experience the storytelling and personality behind your brand. Your company values ranked at 58 ‘% as one of the factors that consumers consider when making buying decisions. By getting employees to talk about their work and what they do motivates other businesses to buy from you as a B2B business and encourages your clients to also share their experiences.

• Furthermore both potential employees as well as existing employees want to be communicated with and acknowledged on social media for their achievements. Employee recruitment through social platforms will see a huge surge this year and specialists geared to do this will be sought after.

• Covid has also upped the competition on social media due to more people and businesses being online. Gaining customer insight from social media in order to improve the customer experience will be vital as businesses will need to become more customer centric. Consumers are taking control of our brands. Personalised content is therefore paramount.

• Producing engaging content has been identified as one of the huge challenges as more and more channels are created. Brands who partner wisely with content creators are gaining advantage on social media by connecting with your audiences through creative messaging and not just selling to them.

• Social customer service and care has been fuelled by Covid-19 and social media had to make products and services easier to find and consume. The experience needs to be easier and simpler. The start of virtual brand relationships are being seen between customers and brands and actual pics of customers talking about your products will be trending. User generated content created by your customers/clients are seen as more trustworthy and engaging and interacting with your clients on social media is therefore important. So it might be wise to find those customers willing to talk and be brand advocates and rewarding their loyalty by incentivising them.

• Social commerce is also gaining a lot of traction for e.g. shops on Instagram. Facebook and Instagram are still seen as the most effective B2C platforms with LinkedIn as the preferred B2B platform although many businesses utilise the other platforms successfully as well. Brand communities are being created on social media where brand loyalists will discuss your brand and products or service.

• Influencer marketing and the co-creation of content with influencers will be another creative way to showcase your brand and tapping into new markets.

• For those ready for virtual experiences – the Metaverse – Virtual Reality Spaces where users can interact – are becoming real and as such Gucci sets the trend. Our kids are already meeting and playing with their friends in these metaverses. Now brands are finding ways to insert their products into these experiences – fascinating! Read more here

I am looking forward to exploring new and innovative ways to apply your brand and core messaging this year.
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]]>Mon, 24 Jan 2022 14:45:00 +0000<![CDATA[Why your client doesn't care about your brand and what to do about it.]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/why-your-client-doesnt-care-about-your-brand-and-what-to-do-about-it2022 Social Media Trends webinar, emphasizing the rise of Brand Awareness and Employee Experience. It underscores the value of brand values, employee communication, and social commerce trends. The Metaverse concept's emergence is also noted as a notable trend in shaping social media dynamics.]]>
So, you have registered your company, all the paperwork has been done, you have your website up and running. It’s been at least 6 months, but your sales are not what you thought it would be.

About to give up already?

Before you do, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Have I really thought about WHY I am not getting the desired sales?
  • Have I set myself realistic goals?
  • Do my potential customers even know that I exist?
  • Am I sending out the right content through the right channels at the right time?

It is important to understand that not all leads will turn into conversions (aka buying customers). It is also important to know what needs to be done during each stage of the marketing process in order to increase the number of customers from your sales leads. Being in business requires dedication, commitment, consistency, patience and a whole lot of hard work.

Do not give up yet! Here is some free insight into the customer journey (aka the sales funnel):

The Purchase/Sales Funnel




Awareness
First and foremost: for your company to have a customer, that customer needs to know that you exist and must be able to find you.

At the very top of the funnel this represents anyone who is nowhere close to buying your product or services.75% of potential customers are looking for information to fulfil a need they have, so at this stage it is important to provide educational content:

  • The customer needs to know what your company does and if it will solve any of their problems or needs.
  • It is crucial that your website is found through organic search with the right and relevant key search terms for your product or services.
  • During the initial stages of building your brand you need to create awareness through content from your website shared on your social media channels.
  • Your strategy at this stage mainly consists of organic SEO marketing, which includes content marketing (among others).
  • Your goal is to create content that will raise awareness of your brand and attract a large number of leads.

This process does not happen overnight and needs some thought and planning!

Remember: Creating awareness is NOT selling your product or service!


Interest
After successfully creating awareness and making your potential customers aware that you exist, you will need to continue building interest in your product/offering. These are the customers that have made it to the middle of the funnel. They have possibly visited your website (or sent you a query via one of your platforms) and have some kind of information about your company.

Research has shown that a potential customer will take one of two actions within 40 seconds of visiting your website: 1. stay; or 2. leave.

Is your website relevant, engaging, and easy to navigate and does it have the right content?

  • Once interested, the customer should be able to find all the information they need; be presented with the opportunity to sign up for newsletters; opt in to competitions; read your blog; or go to your social media pages, etc.
  • At this stage you are aiming at building trust. This can be achieved by providing “social proof”, such as testimonials on your website and on social media platforms.
  • Remember that at this stage the potential customer is also comparing you to what your competitors have to offer – so, do you stand out?

This is the perfect time to use email marketing to send them more free relational content (that will add value to their lives) or invite them to further engage with you, to increase the likelihood of choosing your product or service.


Consideration
Your potential customer has now made it to the bottom of the funnel: they have all the info they need; they have compared you with competitors (if any); visited your social media platforms; read your blogs, etc.

  • They are now at the stage of considering “your offer”.
  • They are very close to making a purchasing decision but have not really made up their mind.
  • At this stage you need to send out automated emails, reminders, calls to action, free trials anything to encourage and sway the potential buyer to make a buying decision.
  • They now have an intention to buy, trust you somehow and are now evaluating everything; they might have already put some things onto a wish list.

They’re at the tipping point, and you need to determine what type of messages, content, and promotions will give them the last little push that motivates them to buy. You cannot afford to let them get away. They need to be nurtured to the purchasing stage.


Purchase
After going through all the stages of the sales funnel, your customer has finally decided to buy your product or service. Well done!

Your lead has now finally converted into a customer. If you have online purchasing functionality (aka a shopping cart), do not make it too complicated, time consuming or annoying for the customer to make the purchase. You can still easily lose a customer and their sale at this stage. The buying process should include no more than 3 steps, from choosing the desired product, to making payment.

Retention/relationship, repeat business and referral

It is vitally important to try and retain that customer for repeat business: If possible, get their feedback/review, as well as referrals and testimonials, which will aid in boosting your brand identity, and provide you with information to improve your business.

It is not only important to retain your existing customers, but also to keep those that you have within any of the other stages of the sales funnel engaged and retained. The challenge here is to build a customer base, continuing to pour more people into the funnel, monitoring which ones are at what stage and determining what they need.


Your next step
We know what you’re thinking:

‘’Heck, all I want to do is sell my awesome product or help people with my amazing service offering.’’

Don’t panic, if all this talk of funnels, content, sales and retention has made your head spin. Just give us a call or drop us an email. As digital brand strategists and implementors, it is our specialty to partner with our clients through this process.

Get in touch with EchoVine Communications today
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]]>Mon, 24 Jan 2022 14:45:00 +0000<![CDATA[Privacy Policy]]>https://echovine.co.za/blogs/post/privacy-policyThe privacy policy for Ecovine Communications.]]>
​This privacy statement was last updated on June 23, 2021 and applies to citizens and legal permanent residents of South Africa.

In this privacy statement, we explain what we do with the data we obtain about you via https://echovine.co.za. We recommend you carefully read this statement. In our processing we comply with the requirements of privacy legislation. That means, among other things, that:

  • we clearly state the purposes for which we process personal data. We do this by means of this privacy statement;
  • we aim to limit our collection of personal data to only the personal data required for legitimate purposes;
  • we first request your explicit consent to process your personal data in cases requiring your consent;
  • we take appropriate security measures to protect your personal data and also require this from parties that process personal data on our behalf;
  • we respect your right to access your personal data or have it corrected or deleted, at your request.

If you have any questions, or want to know exactly what data we keep of you, please contact us.

1. Purpose, data and retention period
We may collect or receive personal information for a number of purposes connected with our business operations which may include the following: (click to expand)

1.1 Contact – Through phone, mail, email and/or webforms
For this purpose we use the following data:
  • A first and last name
  • A home or other physical address, including street name and name of a city or town
  • An email address
  • A telephone number

Retention period
We determine the retention period according to fixed objective criteria: Unlimited

1.2 Newsletters
For this purpose we use the following data:
  • A first and last name
  • A home or other physical address, including street name and name of a city or town
  • An email address

Retention period
We determine the retention period according to fixed objective criteria: Unlimited

1.3 To be able to offer personalized products and services
For this purpose we use the following data:
  • A first and last name
  • A home or other physical address, including street name and name of a city or town
  • An email address
  • A telephone number

Retention period
We determine the retention period according to fixed objective criteria: Unlimited

2. What if you don't provide us with your personal information?
If you don’t provide us with your personal information, we may not be able to provide you with the information, products or assistance that you are seeking.

3. Cookies
Our website uses cookies. For more information about cookies, please refer to our Cookie Policy. 

4. Disclosure practices
We disclose personal information if we are required by law or by a court order, in response to a law enforcement agency, to the extent permitted under other provisions of law, to provide information, or for an investigation on a matter related to public safety.

If our website or organisation is taken over, sold, or involved in a merger or acquisition, your details may be disclosed to our advisers and any prospective purchasers and will be passed on to the new owners.

We have concluded a data processing agreement with Google.

5. Security
We are committed to the security of personal data. We take appropriate security measures to limit abuse of and unauthorised access to personal data. This ensures that only the necessary persons have access to your data, that access to the data is protected, and that our security measures are regularly reviewed.

6. Third-party websites
This privacy statement does not apply to third-party websites connected by links on our website. We cannot guarantee that these third parties handle your personal data in a reliable or secure manner. We recommend you read the privacy statements of these websites prior to making use of these websites.

7. Amendments to this privacy statement
We reserve the right to make amendments to this privacy statement. It is recommended that you consult this privacy statement regularly in order to be aware of any changes. In addition, we will actively inform you wherever possible.

8. Accessing and modifying your data
If you have any questions or want to know which personal data we have about you, please contact us. You can contact us by using the information below. You have the following rights:

  • You have the right to know why your personal data is needed, what will happen to it, and how long it will be retained for.
  • Right of access: You have the right to access your personal data that is known to us.
  • Right to rectification: you have the right to supplement, correct, have deleted or blocked your personal data whenever you wish.
  • If you give us your consent to process your data, you have the right to revoke that consent and to have your personal data deleted.
  • Right to object: you may object to the processing of your data. We comply with this, unless there are justified grounds for processing.

Please make sure to always clearly state who you are, so that we can be certain that we do not modify or delete any data of the wrong person.

9. Submitting a complaint
If you are not satisfied with the way in which we handle (a complaint about) the processing of your personal data, you have the right to submit a complaint to the Information Regulator South Africa:

P.O Box 31533,
Braamfontein,
Johannesburg,
2017
Complaints email:complaints.IR@justice.gov.za

10. Children
Our website is not designed to attract children and it is not our intent to collect personal data from children under the age of consent in their country of residence. We therefore request that children under the age of consent do not submit any personal data to us.

11. Contact details
Esme Brink
7 Slanghoek, Welgevonden Estate Durbanville
South Africa
Email: az.oc.enivohce@emse
Phone number: 078 099 5032

We have appointed a contact person for the organization’s policies and practices and to whom complaints or inquiries can be forwarded:
Esme Brink
7 Slanghoek, Welgevonden Estate Durbanville

Akismet

We collect information about visitors who comment on Sites that use our Akismet anti-spam service. The information we collect depends on how the User sets up Akismet for the Site, but typically includes the commenter’s IP address, user agent, referrer, and Site URL (along with other information directly provided by the commenter such as their name, username, email address, and the comment itself).

WP Mail Logging
When you use this site several actions (e.g. commenting) trigger the dispatch of emails. They contain information about you associated with your email address. Which data are part of these emails depends on the action performed. These emails are stored and accessible to the site management as log.

Popup Maker
Please refer to Popup Maker’s Privacy Policy for more information
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