, , ,

First Impressions Matter More Than You Think!

 

Are we that superficial? Yes we are!

When you watch the Oscars or flip through magazines at the grocery store, is your first instinct to check out (and comment on) the clothes, hair and makeup? Of course! We all do it.

So… why would it be any different when people visit your company’s website

Let’s make one thing clear: the most powerful marketing and sales tool available today is video.

But if you put that video on a website from 2012, that video alone will not convince anyone to buy from you. Your favourite celebrity can have their hair and makeup on point, but if their dress looks like a #ThrowbackThursday post come to life? Nobody’s buying what they’re selling.

Why? Because first impressions matter. Once you have someone hooked, of course they want to dig deeper and find out more.

But feeding that first, superficial impression is critical.

Cupcakestop

Your website is your storefront.

Because as they say, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

So take care of your image. As strongly as I believe in the power of video, video is not magic. Nothing is. You need to address the whole package.

Here’s an example. A friend of mine owns a dessert store that is heavenly on the eyes and stomach. I love everything he makes and have been a happy customer for 10 years!

A while back, he told me he was closing his downtown store to open an exclusively online store. That sounded great! As long as I could still buy the goodies I love, I was happy.

So one day, I start craving something decadent. I do a search and find both his website and Facebook page.

“Oh no!” was my first thought, “That can’t be him. That is not the product and company I love.”

What happened??? Turns out, he had recently spent $3000 on a website with tons of text… and no pictures. SO what….The French and English text were all cluttered on the same page and there were no tempting images of the delicious desserts I remembered.

Looking at it, I wanted to pull my hair out!  Totally LOST opportunity for anybody who lands on this website. It is life and death for his business. It is thousands of dollars, it is PR opportunities. Or people who would call him for a “cupcake wars” show…

Yes, we, as customers, are that superficial. First impressions count, even for customers who know your product. They can have doubts if what they see doesn’t reflect the quality they expect or remember. The last thing you want your POTENTIAL clients to have…is any doubts…they are already analyzing if they want to give you their money or not…and there are other people who can help them solve their problem, put EVERYTHING on your side.   Your image is the equivalent of your product. When you can not be present in person, your website, social networks and videos do the work for you. If you don’t look good, sales won’t look good either.

Your website is your storefront!

Life moves fast, fast, fast. People’s eyes move even faster. What you present to the world has to be visually attractive and has to make people want to buy from you in that moment.

Here’s my advice to you: Yes, your client is that superficial. Accept it. Cater to it. Put your best foot forward on your website and social media profiles. Show off! Don’t be shy to look your best or make the mistake of thinking it doesn’t matter that much. It matters SO much!

Invest in some amazing images, reduce the amount of text on your homepage, use a nice font, put some thought into your colour scheme and post some engaging, quality videos that make your company come ALIVE!

Sometimes when you are “in it” it’s difficult to see from the outside. That’s normal. That’s why people like me exist! 😉 With 25 years of PR experience, having been responsible for cultivating that critical first impression for clients to show the world, I know what to look for and I know how to make you shine.

On our first meeting, I listen closely to what you have to say about yourself, your business and your goals. I take a good look at your image: website, social networks, elevator pitch… all of it.

From this deep dive, I create a video concept to present to you. Something that truly makes you shine. But it’s more than a video. It’s a basis for your image, your first impression. Once you are happy with your image, I coach you to be the best that you can be on camera

The end result is a powerful tool to boost your visibility and attract your next clients. It’s a fast and easy process where you sit back and I do all the work!

Don’t put your business’s image in the hands of someone just because they are family, friends or have done a few websites in the past. Do what you have to do to make certain your product and company look their best!

Tell your story, use video as a way to stand out & do the selling when you are not there!

We are superficial. We will run to your store if you show it off and make it shine. But we will also turn away if we aren’t drawn to what we see. Call me. Let’s make you shine!

 

Cupcake image

image is everything

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

/0 Comments/by
, , , ,

THE INVISIBLE FACTOR

 

As a PR veteran I am often asked for my top PR tips. This is the one that my experience has shown to be most impactful: The Invisible Factor.

Wait. Isn’t PR all about… visibility???

Let me tell you a story.

A while back, I was worried about my precious dog, Kayla. She had a lump. I took her to my local vet who is very close by. It’s a nice place, convenient to get to, very professional and everyone there seems to know what they are doing.

Any time I take my dog there, she jumps on me like a scared little kid, “Don’t leave me here pleeeease! I am soooo scared!”

But my dog has never had any major issues, and I have never had to leave her with the vet, so this place did the job just fine.

But now Kayla had this lump, and it had grown. I started out scared enough, but when we got to the vet I got even more scared as the vet started listing off all the alarming possibilities.

The vet wanted me to leave my dog with her immediately and agree to have her operated on with all the extras, of course.

My gut was telling me no.

If you’re not a dog person, at this point you probably think I’m a crazy woman. But if you know dogs, you know they are more intelligent than many people think. So it was, in part, my dog’s scared reaction to this vet that gave me pause. But also something else. I could not put my finger on it, but I knew I did not feel 100% confident in this vet who is literally just 3 minutes from my house. Maybe it was because the last time they called to check on Kayla’s wellbeing, they spent most of the call telling me about all the (expensive) vaccines she should come get, ASAP!

I listened to my gut.

I decided to take Kayla to a vet that is nearly an hour away from my house.

Many years ago, I went to school with this vet’s wife, Caroline, who is a vet herself.

As kids, going to her house was like going to a farm. You never knew if her mom or a duck would answer the door! When she told me she wanted to become a vet, I thought how well that suited her. In fact, she gave my dog her very first checkup! I never went back only because of the distance.

But now we had an emergency.

Caroline had once told me that her husband was more of a veterinary surgeon, so I made the 50 minute drive out to see him.

We had a quick chat where he told me that he had grown up in a house much like Caroline’s, except they also had ostriches! He had told me about his passion for animals and I could see Kayla feeling comfortable with him.

He had the invisible factor.

He had built his veterinary hospital and staffed it with wonderful people who all had the invisible factor too. I felt confident leaving my dog in their care.

I felt that she could be operated on and everything would be alright.

My husband thought I was crazy to drive so far when a perfectly good vet was just 3 minutes away. But when he came with me on surgery day, he got it. He felt it.

You see, this vet, nearly an hour away, loves what he does and so does everyone who works with him. He took the time to find solutions for me that the other vet never told me about. Kayla was confident with him and never tried to jump on me as I left her to be operated on.

Before and after the surgery, he called to answer all my questions and explain exactly what was happening.

My husband, my dog and I could all feel just how much he cared. And that’s it. That’s the invisible factor. Caring.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a vet, a restaurant, a retail store or even a bank. When you care, when you truly, deeply care about what you do, and you bring that passion to every interaction, people feel it. They can’t see it. You can’t put it on a billboard. But it can be felt, and people know, instinctively, when it is genuine.

Look for people who care and be someone who cares.

When looking for help or guidance, seek out people with that invisible factor. You won’t see it, but you’ll feel it.

When thinking about your own PR, aim for the invisible factor to shine through, not just in marketing or advertising, but in every interaction with clients and your audience. It’s this factor that makes video testimonials so powerful. The camera does not lie. When someone speaks from the heart, their words come to life!

Kayla

So my best PR advice to you is this: Care about your clients. Care about what you do. And don’t be shy about letting that care shine through. It may be invisible, but some of the most powerful things in life are.

/0 Comments/by