As a Copywriter and Brand Story Strategist, one of the top questions I get is: “how do I convert more customers online?”
In this post, we’ll discuss the biggest shift to better connect with your dream customers, so you can continually convert high-paying clients — and build the high-impact, long-lasting business you were made for.
Keep Reading to Learn…
- The ONE word that will change how you connect to people, for good
- The #1 mistake businesses make on social media… and the ancient mindset to bid fare thee well to if you plan to succeed
- The 5-minute test to diagnose whether you’re exciting your customers, which leads to clicks… or alienating them and sending them to the business down the street
- A side-by-side example of what not to do versus what to do if you want to convert more customers
- 3 business statistics that will change how you do business, and save you way more time — so you can make more money and increase your impact, all with way less effort
Sound too good to be true? Keep reading to find out 😉.
The Social Media Mindset to Leave Behind
From the questions swirling in your mind (“Did I respond to that email?” “What should I eat today?”) to the next checkbox you’ve yet to fill on your jam-packed to-do list, running a business can be quite a chaotic pace.
And so I’d like to invite you, if you will, to step with me now back in time… to a much less complicated place.
The year was 2007. I was living my dream as an out-of-the-house undergrad at a well-known party school, the biggest question on my mind being “how much ramen can I afford to get me through this week?” (who can relate? 🙋🏻)
I had just walked into the apartment I shared with two strangers-turned-best-friends — girls I’d offered to move in with after one hour of meeting, at a fraternity mixer — when my roommate Tracie yelled out,
“Hey Ché, did you sign up for Facebook?”
Facebook? What’s that? What a dumb name.
“It’s a website where you can keep in touch with people at our school,” Tracie explained.
“Oh, so now I can stalk that cute guy in class… online?” I giggled.
(Oh, baby college Ché and your doe-eyed daily musings)
If you’ve been around long enough to have used Facebook from the start, you’ll likely remember the original prompt on the status bar:
“What are you doing?”
Or, in other versions, “(Your name) is…”
For example:
Ah, yes. The first (or one of them) invitation to broadcast our inner world, to the entire world.
The #1 Thing Business Owners Get Wrong on Social Media
As a social media manager at the height of its inception for companies like King’s Hawaiian and Western Digital, it’s been my job to convert more customers: whether that meant getting more likes; more comments; or even more purchases offline. And I did this, by studying how people wanted to interact with one another, and with brands online.
As social media began to explode, businesses took notice and hopped on the wave. After all, the two-way nature of these platforms allow you, as a business owner, to connect to customers the way traditional, one-way advertising never allowed.
The problem is: many businesses then and even now, treat their business accounts like the Facebook of 2007.
They’re still operating from the me-first mentality, posting captions as if answering Facebook’s original “what are you doing?” question. Businesses today are still writing from their social media accounts to share their inner world, with the entire world.
Unlike 2007 Facebook, your customer’s biggest question, whether she finds you online or off, is not “what are you doing?” but “what can you do for ME?”
As a business owner here to solve a problem for a specific type of person, you get to use your unique gifts to help your customer become the HEROINE of her own story, with you acting as the HELPER setting her up to achieve her dreams.
Which means: it’s time to flip the script to start talking TO and ABOUT your customers more, and less about what’s on your mind (you can take to 2020 Facebook, for that 😉).
Convert More Customers Online — With Just One Word
Your customers want to know how you, as a business, are here to help them overcome their biggest problems so they can achieve their big dream.
The businesses that learn how to properly share this narrative — that is, their Brilliant Brand Story — will stand out in a noisy crowd, convert more and stick around.
And that’s why the most effective way to convert customers is in the power of one word: You.
The most effective way to convert customers lies in the power of one word:
You.
By forming sentences around the words “you” or “yours”, this shows me you are writing TO your customer. Sentences riddled with the words “I”, “me”, or “we” (or any other form of those) on the other hand, show me that you’re speaking about yourself the most.
As we’ve discussed in this post, your customer is the heroine of your Brand Story. And your Brand Story is the message of how you uniquely help your customer overcome a problem to achieve her dream.
And so, here’s a quick diagnostic test to know whether you’re highlighting your customer or yourself… and possibly getting passed over for a similar business down the road:
The 5-Minute Customer Conversion Test
1️⃣ Take one paragraph from your last Instagram post; email newsletter; website.
2️⃣ Count how many times you write “I” or “we” vs. “you” / “your”.
❓ Which word do you use more?
🔥 HOT TIP: For every time you write “I / me / we”, you SHOULD be droppin’ “you / yours” at least 3 times.
Now, let’s take a look at what this “formula” looks like in the wild so you can see just what I mean.
Convert More Customers Online: An Interactive Example
Let’s look at two fake businesses side-by-side to show you the impact one word — in this case, “you” — makes.
In this scenario, you get to be the customer… so hooray! Take off your business cap and let the businesses come to you.
Imagine it’s beach season and, as much as you can’t wait to hit the water, you’re concerned about the sun’s effects on your skin.
So, after reading your mind and targeting you through never-ending ads, Instagram serves you ads from 2 specific companies… each owned by a different woman.
After reading their captions, which of these two women would you rather purchase from?
Caption from Woman A:
“My Glow Around the Globe creme is the best protective facial cream on the market. It was inspired by my travels around the isles of Greece, and then Caicos. And as I sell more, I’m excited to take even more trips across the world thanks to my blooming business.”
Caption from Woman B:
“I created Skin de la Mer creme with your inner being in mind. As you lavish its richness on your face, you will glow with ingredients sourced from the Adriatic Sea itself. After all — your outer beauty, while protected from the natural barriers within this creme, is simply an expression of the glow within. And that’s something I could never replicate… only help you celebrate.”
My hope, and bet, is that you’d buy from Woman B… because she’s speaking to how she’s here to help you, not just herself.
Yet how many of us have seen ads or social media posts which speak from the perspective of Woman A?
Furthermore, how many of us have been Woman A in our own copy… (no shame if that’s you, because I am here to help!).
Now try the 5-Minute Customer Conversion test on the paragraphs from Woman A and Woman B. What did you find?
When you fill your statements with “you”, not just “I / me / we”, you show your customer: “I see you. I understand you. And I am here to help you.”
Eye-Opening Statistics That Will Help You Convert
When you understand your customer’s biggest pains and step in to help her overcome that problem to achieve her biggest dream, you’ll not only convert a new customer; you will win her loyalty — that is, her repeat business, and her friends.
Why is this important? Just check out these telling statistics:
Stat One
An existing customer is 60 – 70 percent likely to buy from you, whereas a new prospect is just 5 – 20 percent likely to buy. (via Small Business Trends)
What this means for you:
Focus on keeping your current customers happy, not just winning new ones, and you are (on average) 6.5x more likely to convert. That is, to make a sale.
Stat Two
80 percent of your future profits will come from just 20 percent of your existing customers. (via Small Business Trends)
What this means for you:
Have you heard of the 80 / 20 rule? That 80% of your gains will come from 20% of your efforts? This rule perfectly mirrors this “future profits” estimate. This also is the key to minimizing needless effort while maximizing return: focus on serving your current customers better than anyone else. And it starts with your Brilliant Brand Story.
The 80 / 20 Rule goes for your current customers too. Focus on serving them well and you’ll get more than you can give.
Ché Elizaga Castro, Come Alive Co
Stat Three
When referred by a friend, people are 4x more likely to make a purchase. (Extole)
What this means for you:
People talk about things they love. They also talk about businesses they stand by. Be buzz-worthy — not just with a viral Instagram post, but in how you treat and serve your customers — and you will be the next best secret, bubbling in the open.
Let’s Connect You to Your Dream Clients!
What has been your biggest challenge converting customers?
I’m here to help you connect to your customers seamlessly, and to bring your biggest dreams to life!
After all, don’t you and your business deserve it?
