Basim Mirza

 by Basim Mirza

Digital Marketing: Understanding The Varying Degrees

networking, growing networks, linkedin, prospecting

 

Over the years I have managed to build an extensive network that has brought incredible benefits. From going best seller to landing dream clients. Other than growth, if there was one concept I could really point to that helped me get to this point, it would be what I call “Degree Networking”. This concept was first brought to life by Stanley Milgram’s in the book Individual In A Social World written in 1967. Back then there wasn’t the technology and infrastructure to support the level of networking we conduct today.

Networking, Six Degrees of Separation, Stanley Milgram

In today’s world, Digital Marketing is making it possible to open up new connections and possibilities. This means that every mutual contact can direct you towards a desired opportunity. Whether that’s meeting people asking them for referrals, or connect with an influencer on LinkedIn and have access to his or her contacts.

To really understand the impact behind this methodology, you’ve got to understand who would be the direct connection, and who’s the end referral. Once you know the former two, you’ll be able to route a path towards your destination.

Referrals, Networking, Prospecting

Your destination is the referral you want, which is based on your needs. You have to know exactly what it is you’re looking for. Your inquiry will be sent to the mutual contact, it is up to that person to make the introduction. Whether he or she decides to make the introduction, it will depend on 3 key factors:

  • Trust between you and the mutual contact
  • Validity of your request
  • Strength of relationship between the mutual contact and referral

By strategically identifying your target prospect, and having a disciplined approach towards asking for referrals, you’ll be able to make full use of your extensive network. If you keep doing this, you’ll continue to grow your networks exponentially, have access to more valuable resources, become a more valuable resource to others, and build social proof.

in Business / Marketing / Networking / Social Media 0 comments
 by Basim Mirza

Use Burning Questions To Write Premium Content

Over and over I see businesses make the same mistakes. They think they know what their audience wants, and then go ahead and create content they think people will like! This approach doesn’t attract an audience because you’re not relating to them in the first place. This is exactly why you must ask your audience the right questions, you must know what questions they are asking. Ultimately this leads to the problems they’re facing. So what is the right approach? Study the process below, and try to relate to the example I’ve laid out for you.

bq1

When you build content, you should start with questions for your audience. These are your prospects, these are the very people that would buy from you, ask them “What are your 2 most burning questions about (your subject here)?” Once you’ve gotten at least 10 responses, you will know what’s valuable. You can store these ideas into a content back (Evernote is great for this) From this you’ll develop resources that’s considered premium content. Content that is valuable in the marketplace. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask direct questions to better understand your audience, that way you’ll know how to better position your content.

2feedback

 

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 by Basim Mirza

How To Produce Valuable Content

In 1992 an average person in North America was presented with about 3,000 commercial messages per day. In 2006, that number hit 30,000 per day! For business owners this number is much higher. If we look at this now, you can only imagine where we are at with receiving commercial content. In fact, the invention of a junk mail folder was only a small step to relieve what seems to be a massive pain point for most consumers. In some countries governments are strengthening privacy acts to ensure people aren’t being targeted without permission, and relevant content is reaching. This really means that if you’re putting content out there in the marketplace, it has to be quality. Planning out your content will ensure you don’t make this mistake. I’ve seen this over and over, too many people come up with content in the last minute. You can tell with most blogs or articles that it hasn’t been looked over by a copywriter, or there hasn’t been thought on who the content is being sent out to. Really take the time to build your content, and make sure it’s there to pre-empt our buyer before the sale is made.

Once you’ve found your sweet spot with your content, it’s important to think about the delivery. This really just means how your user is going to receive the content. It’s a fact that over 65% of people are visual learners, which could mean that you should have enough content in the form of video to capture your audience. Are you able to convert your content into infographics? We’ve complimented this whitepaper with an infographic that breaks down the same concepts. Have a look and see the difference this approach could make. Then you may want to consider putting out enough audiobooks for auditory learners, these could be your most loyal engagers. Here are some vehicles that resonate the most with your audience:

  • Video Courses and Modules
  • Articles and Blogs (consider embedding video modules into your blogs)
  • Research Reports and Whitepapers
  • Infographics and Visual Diagrams
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