A revolutionary marketing strategy proven to drive sales and growth They Ask You Answer is a straightforward guide to fixing your current marketing strategy. Regardless of your budget, you are almost certainly overspending on television, radio, and print ads, yet neglecting the number-one resource you have at your disposal: the Internet. Content marketing is no longer about keyword-stuffing and link-building; in fact, using those tactics today gets your page shuffled to the bottom of the heap. Quality content is the key to success, and you already have the ingredients in-house. This book shows you how to structure an effective content strategy using the same proven principles that have revolutionized marketing for all types of businesses, across industries.
Author Marcus Sheridan's pool company struggled after the housing collapse; today, they're one of the largest pool installers in the U.S., turning away millions of dollars in business they simply cannot accommodate every year. How did he manage it? He answered questions. This book shows you how Marcus's strategy can work for your business, and how to use your keyboard to bring customers through the door.
Boost your company's web presence with methods that work Build a level of trust that generates customer evangelism Leverage your in-house resources to produce winning content Utilize tactics that work, regardless of industry or sector When people have questions, they ask a search engine. If you have answers, the right content strategy will get them to the top of the search results and seen by millions of eyes every day. Drop the marketing-speak, stop "selling," and start answering. Be seen as an authority, not just another advertisement. They Ask You Answer describes a fresh approach to marketing and the beginning of big things for your business.
Author(s): Marcus Sheridan
Publisher: Wiley
Year: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 240
Foreword
Introduction
Part I A Very Different Way of Looking at Business, Marketing, and Trust
Chapter 1 The Fall
How I Became a “Pool Guy”
2001 to 2008: The False Economy
2008: The Wheels Start to Fall Off
Chapter 2 A Massive Buying Shift and the Blur Between Sales and Marketing
Chapter 3 This Book Won’t Work for You If …
Chapter 4 The Discovery of They Ask, You Answer
Chapter 5 They Ask, You Answer Defined
Chapter 6 Brainstorming the Questions You Are Asked Every Day
Putting It into Action
Chapter 7 The Ostrich Marketing Strategy
Chapter 8 The CarMax Effect
The Beginnings of CarMax and a New Way to Sell
Putting It into Action
Chapter 9 The Discovery of The Big 5
Chapter 10 The Big 5, Topic 1: Pricing and Cost: Why We Must Talk About Money
“Every Solution Is Different”
“Our Competitors Will Find Out What We Charge”
“We’ll Scare Customers Away”
Chapter 11 How One Article About Money Generated More Than $6 Million in Sales
Putting It into Action
Chapter 12 Case Study 1: High-End B2B Technology Company Generates More Than $8 Million in Additional Revenue
About Segue Technologies
The Snowball Begins
Segue Technologies’ Astounding Growth
Improving the System to Produce Content
Chapter 13 The Big 5, Topic 2: Problems: How to Turn Weaknesses into Strengths
Chapter 14 Addressing the Elephant in the Room
Chapter 15 How Talking About Our Problems Generated More Than $1 Million in Revenue
Putting It into Action
Chapter 16 Case Study 2: An Equipment Financing Company Becomes a Digital David and Conquers the Industry Goliaths
About Smarter Finance USA
Smarter Finance USA Embraces They Ask, You Answer
Smarter Finance USA Focuses on Educating Small Business Owners Searching for Equipment Loans Online
Smarter Finance USA’s Educational Content Pays Off in a Big Way
Chapter 17 The Big 5, Topic 3: Versus and Comparisons
The Results
Putting It into Action
Chapter 18 The Critical Need for Unbiased Content
Disarmament: The Quickest Way to Build Trust
Chapter 19 The Big 5, Topics 4 and 5: Reviews and Best in Class
Putting It into Action
Chapter 20 Using Reviews to Establish Yourself as an Expert
Chapter 21 The Impact of Discussing Competition
Putting It into Action
Chapter 22 Case Study 3: Small Retail Appliance Store Dominates Online and Makes Millions
About Yale Appliance
A CEO Becomes Head of Business Development
Yale Appliance Tackles the Tougher Questions
Yale Appliance’s Success with Inbound Marketing
Chapter 23 The Competition
The Bad Fits
The Customer
Chapter 24 How They Ask, You Answer Saved River Pools and Spas
Part II The Impact of They Ask, You Answer on Sales Teams
Chapter 25 How Great Content Is a Total Game-Changer for Sales Teams
The 7 Major Benefits of Sales Teams Embracing They Ask, You Answer
Chapter 26 A Dramatic Discovery
Chapter 27 Assignment Selling
An Example of Assignment Selling in Action
The Special Rights of the Teacher
What Homework Can Tell Us About a Prospect
Chapter 28 How One Remarkable Couple Changed My Perspective on the Power of Content to Sell
Chapter 29 Content Never Sleeps
Chapter 30 How to Use Assignment Selling to Avoid Common Pitfalls
Chapter 31 How to Use Assignment Selling to Determine Compatibility
Chapter 32 Case Study 4: How a Healthcare Startup Became the Thought Leaders of an Entirely New Industry
About Health Catalyst
Phase 1: Uniting the Marketing and Sales Silos
Phases 2 and 3: Live Webinars and Events
Success and Plans for the Future
Part III Implementation and Making It a Culture
Chapter 33 The Power of Insourcing and Using Your Team to Create Incredible Content
Chapter 34 Case Study 5: How Block Imaging Embraced a Culture of Insourcing
The Silos Must Be Eliminated
Understanding the What, the Why, and the How
Chapter 35 Starting Off They Ask, You Answer with a Bang: Company Workshops
Principle 1: Buyer Expectations Have Changed
Principle 2: The Way Search Engines Work
Principle 3: The Way Consumers Search and The Big 5
Principle 4: Group Brainstorming of Content Ideas
Principle 5: The Impact Content Can Have on the Sales Process and Closing Rates
Principle 6: The Reason Why Everyone’s Voice, Talents, and Knowledge Are Critical for Success
Principle 7: The Editorial Guidelines Going Forward
Principle 8: A Look into the Future
Chapter 36 The Content Manager: Qualities to Look for, How to Hire One, and More
Someone Must Own It
Choosing the Right Leader of Your Content Marketing Efforts
Trained Journalists May Be a Perfect Match for Your Content Marketing Needs
How to Make Sure Your Potential Content Manager Is the Right Fit for Your Company and Brand
Chapter 37 The Importance of Having the Right Tools: Measuring Return on Investment, the Power of HubSpot, and More
1. The Continuous Ability to Measure ROI of Your Digital Marketing Efforts
2. The Ability to Track Lead Behavior and Use This Advanced Intelligence Throughout the Sales Process
3. The Ability to Test Your Website
Part IV Creating a Culture of Video… In-House
Chapter 38 We’re All Media Companies and the Visual Sale
Chapter 39 The Selling 7: 7 Videos That Will Immediately Impact Sales and Closing Rates
Chapter 40 The Selling 7, Video 1: The 80 Percent Video
Putting It into Action
Common Questions Regarding the 80 Percent Video
Chapter 41 The Selling 7, Video 2: Bio Videos for Email Signatures
Common Questions Regarding Bio Videos
Chapter 42 The Selling 7, Video 3: Product and Service Fit Videos
Common Questions Regarding Product and Service Fit Videos
Chapter 43 The Selling 7, Video 4: Landing Page Videos
Common Questions Regarding Landing Page Videos
Chapter 44 The Selling 7, Video 5: Cost and Pricing Videos
Common Questions Regarding Cost and Pricing Videos
Chapter 45 The Selling 7, Video 6: Customer Journey Videos
Common Question Regarding Customer Journey Videos
Chapter 46 The Selling 7, Video 7: “Claims We Make” Videos
Common Questions Regarding “Claims We Make” Videos
Chapter 47 Personalized Video for Email: A More Human Approach to Direct Digital Communication
1. Choose a Simple Technology
2. Show Your Team Exactly How to Use It Until They’re Proficient
3. Teach the Power of More Effective Subject Lines
4. Learn How to Create the Perfect Thumbnail
5. Stick to the “Don’t Stop” Rule
6. Leaders Must Set the Tone with Their Internal Communications
Chapter 48 How to Hire an In-House Videographer
Identifying Personality Traits of a Videographer
What a Good Videographer Candidate Should Demonstrate
Extra Interview Questions for Your Videographer Candidates
A Simple Video Assignment as Part of the Interview Process
Chapter 49 Team Buy-In on Video, Performance Tips, and Long-Term Success
1. Don’t Stop
2. But You Can Do It Again
3. The 3-Second Smile
The Problem with Scripts
Getting Buy-In and “Embracing the Messy”
Chapter 50 Case Study 6: How a Lifting and Rigging Company Became the Ultimate Example of They Ask, You Answer Success and Culture
Mazzella’s Initial Approach to They Ask, You Answer
Their Commitment Began to Pay Off
Mazzella’s Success Came Down to Hiring the Right People
Why Insourcing Outperforms Outsourcing Every Time
There Are No Silos at Mazzella
Educating Customers, Employees, and Entire Industries
The Results
Part V How to Build the Perfect They Ask, You Answer Website
Chapter 51 Real-Time Conversations Are Changing How They’re Asking and We’re Answering
The Way We Communicate Has Fundamentally Changed
What Is Conversational Marketing and Where Did It Come From?
You Can’t Dictate the Buying Process
How to Start Conversational Marketing for Your Business
Your Questions Answered About Conversational Marketing
Chapter 52 Self-Selection: The Next Phase of Search, Sales, and the Way We Buy
Wix: A Classic Case Study on Giving Buyers What They Want in Real-Time
How to Use Self-Selection Tools for Your Business
Common Questions Regarding Self-Selection Tools
Chapter 53 Website Priority 1: Proper Homepage Design and Messaging
Homepage Layout
Chapter 54 Website Priority 2: Obsess Over Honest Education
Chapter 55 Website Priority 3: Premium Education
Chapter 56 Website Priority 4: An Equal Mix of Textual and Visual Content
Chapter 57 Website Priority 5: Self-Selection Tools
Chapter 58 Website Priority 6: Social Proof
Chapter 59 Website Priority 7: Site Speed
Part VI Your Questions Answered
Chapter 60 “How Do I Find More Time to Make This Work Within My Organization?”
Create Blog Posts from Emails That Answer Questions Very Well
Start Talking to Yourself Out Loud. A Lot.
Participate in Blogathons or Videoathons with Employees
Hire a Content Manager Yesterday
Remember That Insourcing Is a Very Big Deal
Learn How Each Employee Best Communicates and Run with It
Turn on the Camera and Hit Record
Stop Doing the Thing That Does Not Bring the Greatest Returns
Is It Really About Time, or Is Something Else Going on Here?
Chapter 61 “How Long Will It Take They Ask, You Answer to Work?”
Content Marketing the “Right” Way
5 Stages of Content Marketing Success
Chapter 62 “Are Content Marketing and They Ask, You Answer Just Fads?”
What Is Content Marketing Exactly?
Chapter 63 “How Can I Keep My Team Engaged in the Content Process?”
10 Ways to Keep Your Employees Motivated to Participate in Content Marketing
Chapter 64 “I’ve Been Told If We’re Not Adding Anything New to the Conversation, Then We Shouldn’t Be Talking About It — Is That Right?”
Chapter 65 “Can I Just Hire an Agency to Do This for Me?”
Chapter 66 “How Can We Afford to Do This?”
Chapter 67 A Revolutionary Marketing Strategy
End of Book Resources
Appendix 1 Get Your Scorecard Grade Yourself on They Ask, You Answer Right Now
Appendix 2 More They Ask, You Answer Resources
They Ask, You Answer Scorecard
Real-World Results
They Ask, You Answer Playbooks
Recommended Digital Sales and Marketing Software and Tools
Free Templates and Downloads
Recommended Books and Further Reading
Appendix 3 Accelerate Your They Ask, You Answer Success with IMPACT
Consulting
Workshops
IMPACT Live
IMPACT Elite
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index
End User License Agreement
