What’s better than an epic SaaS company? A SaaS Company that prioritizes its employees and pays it forward with future generations in mind.
If you’ve been around here for a hot minute, you know our team at Woggle is ‘Team Zoho’ all the way. We can’t say enough about the platform’s incredible versatility and perks. We’re also Zoho Partners–we’re equipped to help business owners like you transition from your existing platform to Zoho. Our favorite SaaS company also does a fantastic job of looking into the future and building grassroots opportunities for talent.
Today, we’re bragging about Zoho’s humanitarian and environmental efforts; giving you even more reason to choose their platform for your business needs.
When you think of a software company, you probably don’t think of employees working from a fully functioning farm. Zoho purchased 360 acres to build its new headquarters in Austin, Texas. Shortly after purchasing the land, Zoho had a change of heart. Rather than build another modern highrise headquarters, they decided to create a farm. The timing was serendipitous. Shortly after the decision to start the farm, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States.
The rural project has been an incredible success—giving Zoho employees solace in the outdoors, access to the fresh fruit and vegetables they have grown, and a refreshing respite from skyscrapers and city noise.
One benefit of the farm is Zoho employees are bonding through their experimental farming projects. It’s an opportunity to tap into creativity and real-time problem-solving. Mickey Stanley, Zoho’s head of PR content, says, "The metaphor of the farm is to break down the silos, right? So we couldn't just compartmentalize all the different produce. What we want is this kind of loose learning process where everything isn't overly manicured and everything is kind of growing into each other. And we see what works."
Stanley shares another perk of Zoho’s unconventional farming workplace—the interpersonal interactions between the team members, “You go into an office and it's the same people in your section of the office that you see and talk to. But here, somebody could walk in and sit down next to you and be doing their work and you have the ability to make a new relationship with a coworker that you wouldn't otherwise."
We don’t know about you, but walking out to pick fresh fruit on a lunch break sounds amazing. That has been amazing for morale! Zoho’s farm isn’t its only innovative idea. As a matter of fact, Zoho is paying it forward in numerous incredible ways!
Zoho has taken its streak of genius and run with it, creating rural offices at other Zoho locations; including India, Mexico, Japan, and Canada. Zoho’s vision with these rural offices is to make opportunities accessible to talented individuals who may not otherwise be candidates for jobs in tech due to their location. Zoho decided to infiltrate the areas where the talent lies—setting up shop in rural villages and employing locals.
Zoho’s humanitarian efforts bring opportunities to people in small towns and villages. The additional benefit is that the current workforce issues of inflation, long commutes, and general life/work imbalances are alleviated.
The beauty of Zoho is its focus on creating a better world for its users and employees. Their initiatives don’t stop at the farm outside of Austin, Texas, or creating opportunities in rural villages around the world. The SaaS company also provides subscription relief to businesses impacted by natural disasters. Their eco-friendly reach is also impressive—they build solar farms that offset our carbon footprint.
Zoho is impressive in its own right when it comes to its technology and incredible offers for businesses like Woggle Consulting. Add the humanitarian and eco-conscious efforts and it’s a company that’s worth supporting.
Book a free consultation to chat about Zoho. Our friendly team is happy to help answer your questions!
Get to know Zoho’s incredible assets by reading more of our blog posts:
Emails still rank at the top of the charts in marketing and are crazy-successful if you execute them correctly.
Even with new social media platforms bursting onto the scene at what seems to be daily, a good old-fashioned email campaign still performs the best. Here are a few stats from HubSpot showing just how big of a punch emails throw at the competing platforms.
These stats are proof that you have a willingly captive audience that your organization only needs to tap into.
So, how do you create an email marketing campaign that engages your audience, generates new leads, and increases revenue? Don’t worry. We reached out to our partners at Lucent Creative, a female-owned digital marketing agency, and they agreed to give you the exact formula for a wildly successful email marketing campaign!
“Casting a wide net with your email campaign isn’t the key to success. You want to be specific by setting an overall goal for each campaign.”, Lucent Creative’s Founder and CEO, Kendall Walker shares.
Here are a few examples of goals you can associate with your email campaigns:
Lucent Creative’s copywriter, Nikki Newbauer, spoke to the value of setting specific goals. “Knowing your overarching goal for the email campaign will create synchronicity for your creative team. Everyone from your copywriter to graphic designer will be on the same page which creates a clear and concise path for your readers to follow.”
Below are the general categories most email campaigns fall under.
The more specific you are with the intention of your email campaign, the more success you will have in reaching your intended audience and reaching your goal.
“Readers will either opt-in by opening your email or deleting based on the subject line. Of course, you always hope your content will be enticing enough that email subscribers will open every email from your brand, but that isn’t the case.”, Nikki added.
Pro Tip: Spruce up your email subject lines with emojis and by using the subscriber’s first name.
Here are great subject lines to stir some engagement with your emails.
Of course, you want your writing to reflect the underlying goal of the email, but nothing gets people to unsubscribe from your email list faster than impersonal content. Write for humans, not sales (or whatever your email campaign endgame is). “If you choose to use AI platforms like ChatGPT to generate your email copy, please edit with a heavy hand. AI platforms may be able to churn out copy on a whim, but the writing is typically riddled with impersonal verbiage that isn’t relatable to readers.”, Nikki stresses.
Deep-Dive: To see more of our take on ChatGPT in marketing, read this post.
Nikki gave us a few tips to follow to make your email campaign a success.
Test your emails to see what your subscribers are engaging with. Knowing how your emails are performing is vital to your email campaign’s longevity. Use an email campaign platform that allows deep-dive analytics through A/B testing. Testing your emails is an entire science in and of itself so research how to set your platform to do the hardest work for your team.
Remember, your email campaign won’t be perfect. Use analytics to learn and adjust accordingly. Emails are a great way to build rapport with leads and build brand awareness. Follow these tips and let us know how your future email campaign goes!
Please do us a favor. Reach out and let us know if you’re finding these marketing posts useful in your business. Have a suggestion? Let us know!
We have been bringing you loads of social media tips and tricks lately. Your business will inevitably use at least one social media platform to increase engagement and leads. Our partners over at Lucent Creative, a woman-owned digital marketing agency, have kindly taught our team here at Woggle a lot about social media best practices. Now, we’re combining forces to highlight one of our favorite social media management tools—Zoho Social. Let's explode your social media reach!
It’s no secret that here at Woggle, we’re a bit obsessed with Zoho! We are Zoho partners after all. Once you see the perks of Zoho Social, you’ll want to jump into the deep end, too.
Bonus Reading: Are you just hearing about Zoho? Take a look through our blog archives to learn all about Zoho’s products. We recommend reading Why Zoho? and Zoho CRM isn't just for B2B, it's also great for B2C to get started.
Like other social media management software, Zoho Social allows businesses and agencies of all shapes and sizes to schedule social media content across multiple channels. It also allows your team to view analytics and gain insight into customer behavior, which is the secret sauce to perfecting your social media reach.
Zoho Social gives you what other platforms deliver when it comes to scheduling ability and analytics, but it provides more value than its competitors while costing less. Let’s take a deep dive.
Zoho Social has grit and some big names singing its praises. You can see that for yourself below.
Not too shabby, right?
Here’s what Zoho Social delivers with a radiant A+:
✔️ Unlimited posts- This is huge since most platforms have strict limits.
✔️ Deep-dive analytics are included- See how your followers are (or aren’t) engaging with your brand. Then, adjust accordingly.
✔️ Time-predictive posting- the platform suggests the best times to post according to when your ideal audience is active on social.
✔️ Real-time monitoring- don’t miss a comment or mention so you can stay on top of engaging with your audience and generate leads.
While it’s true that these features are common among social media platforms, the truth is you’ll pay less for these awe-inspiring features with Zoho Social than with competitors. We’ve done the math for you.
You may have heard of some social media management platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer, MeetEdgar, and Sprout Social. These platforms vary widely in price and features. For example, let’s look closely at the overall pricing and how many social media channels are included in the basic packages.
| SMM Platform | # of Channels | Users | Pricing |
| HootSuite *Professional Plan | 10 | 1 | $99/mo |
| Buffer *Essentials Plan | 1 | 1 | $6/mo per channel |
| Meet Edgar*Eddie Plan | 5 | 20 | $29.99/mo |
| Sprout Social*Standard | 5 | 1 | $249/mo |
| Zoho Social*Standard | 9 | 1 | $10/mo |
Zoho Social is generous in its allowance of channels (and unlimited posts). Thankfully, many of these social media management tools offer free trials so you can try them before you commit. Test Zoho Social with their 15-day free trial here.
Our team and clients are continuously impressed with Zoho Social’s in-depth analytics. Having a robust analytics report is the magic of a successful social media strategy. You can make every post “count” when you’re seeing engagement from your efforts.
Use this mini checklist as you shop for a social media management platform:
Pro Tip: If you’re still building a social media strategy, we recommend starting with a low-tier plan to best gauge what your marketing team will need and use. For more social media tips, check out this blog post.
Please note that platform comparison information may have changed since the publication of this post. We do our best to provide you with the most updated information but encourage you to check the websites for real-time price and feature comparisons.
Head to Zoho Social’s website for the full list of impressive perks. Zoho Social is especially effective when you’re in sync with Zoho’s other offerings. You can operate an entire business on Zoho!
If you’re not a Zoho user yet and want to book a free consultation with our team, simply fill out this form. A member of our awesome team will be in touch shortly.
Need a hand with social media reach, engagement and content? Reach out to our partners at Lucent Creative and tell them Woggle sent you.
Are you reaching your ideal client on social media? An increase in followers doesn’t always mean they’re engaged with your brand. Small businesses can’t ensure a captive audience when readers have an incredibly short attention span. Short of a “please silence your cell phones” message at the movie theater, your marketing team has to engage your audience through intentional content. (Hey, too bad we can’t pop some popcorn for you as you dig through this blog post.)
So, how do you make the most of your social media marketing efforts? We touched on the basics in 5 Ways to Get Strategic in Your Business Marketing, but today we’re going to touch on the importance of engaging your audience.
“I obviously know my audience.”, you say.
We trust you but hear us out.
We’re talking about the difference between knowing your audience and knowing what makes them tick, what their values are, and how you can build trust with them.
Let’s say you run a property management firm for income property owners.
Knowing you’re marketing to middle-aged people in the suburbs is a great start. Dig deeper and you realize that sure, your services are great for a middle-aged audience in the suburbs, but more specifically—those who have an average income of $150k, are close to retirement and want a done-for-them property management company for when they turn their home into a vacation rental and relocate.
Do you see the difference?
It pays to know your ideal client.
When you zero in on your target audience, you gain the ability to:
Pro tip: You may have a few ideal clients. Create a profile for each ideal client so you’re able to hone in on each specified audience in your marketing campaign.
Solidifying your target audience is half the battle. Now, it’s time to lead with customer service best practices. Engaging with your audience is vital for the success of your business. Even in a high-paced world, we all value quality time. We use the word “strategy” loosely here. The main idea is to create a culture of consistent engagement within your marketing strategy.
Here are some standout examples of excellent engagement across social media.
What’s to love?
Dove’s team commented on a suggestion for a new product scent. In less than 30 seconds, they validated their follower’s idea and said they’d pass it along. It’s an amazing example of hearing your out audiences and showing that they matter.
What’s to love?
A follower commented that the post didn’t specify the exact location and Visit San Diego took time to clarify. This simple point of engagement not only helped the commenter but anyone else that may have had the same question. Seems simple, right? Engaging with your audience clears up any misunderstandings.
What’s to love?
Kris replies to a comment saying the salad dressing recipe will be available in a few days. Engaging your audience creates opportunities to build anticipation for a future offer. Taking time to do this doesn’t just build trust with your followers, but gives them a reason to keep checking in.
Engagement with your audience is essential to building rapport with them, but how do you engage? Is it really as simple as replying to comments on social media? The short answer is yes!
We’ve put together some pro tips with our partners over at Lucent Creative.
We hope you’re learning from our social media series. Our partners at Lucent Creative are marketing gurus and we appreciate their help with all things marketing! If you haven’t already, go check out other posts in this series.
Chances are you’ve heard of ChatGPT—the AI superpower that has turned the marketing world on its head.
There have been a lot of debates surrounding ChatGPT, mainly if the AI platform will make the jobs of creative marketers obsolete. We addressed the hot topic in our article What You Need to Know About ChatGPT. Our overall impression of AI in marketing is this—embrace the new technology without putting all of your eggs in one basket. The gist? ChatGPT is a great tool to use in tandem with a marketing team (read: your business still needs a human touch).
We interviewed our partners at Lucent Creative, a woman-owned digital marketing agency, to get their input on ChatGPT. Their advice was so helpful for businesses of any size and niche that we know you’ll find at least one of these tips a game-changer. Let’s jump in!
“Think of ChatGPT as an acquaintance to bounce ideas off of. It’s an objective tool to get your team out of a creative rut.”, says Nikki, a content writer with Lucent Creative.
She walked us through a quick fake scenario to showcase how she uses ChatGPT when coming up with blog topics.
Here’s a rundown of the “business” and its content needs:
Business:
Books + Wine Time
Niche:
Brick-and-mortar shop in Washington with eCommerce capabilities
Content needs:
Nikki: “Taking all of this information about the client into account before using ChatGPT is vital. It’s going to provide the necessary parameters you need the platform to stick to.”
Nikki asks ChatGPT to ‘Generate 10 blog topics on the perks of a monthly book subscription’. Within three seconds, the platform has given us ideas to pick from!
Nikki: “Alright, now it’s time to dig deeper into your business’ needs and get more specific. For example, let’s say that the book subscription promotion will only begin with the fantasy genre. That eliminates ChatGPT’s first recommendation off of the list. Digging deeper, we may realize that the time-saving element of #9 on the list is most important to our target audience. Then, we may choose to create a mini-series of blog posts on the time-saving perk alone. ChatGPT.”
Nikki: “Here, I went broad with the demographic requirements. The blog topics are diverse enough to reach the business’ general audience, though a wide net isn’t always best. For example, Books + Wine Time may want to bring more awareness to their kids’ section in Q3, meaning they focus purely on creating content for that age range. This is where ChatGPT is a bit one-dimensional–regardless of its amazing input (impressive!), we still need to strategize which topics would be best and when. Remember, we aren’t using AI to write the blog posts. Even if we did, there would be an incredible amount of editing needed to perfect the client’s tone, intentions, and promo-specifics. We’re only going to use the platform to help us generate blog topics.”
Pro Tip: Do your homework with any blog pitch ideas you get from ChatGPT. Ensure the keywords are a good fit for your niche and make sure your title is SEO-friendly. It’s also important to create headlines that are entirely unique to your brand. Make sure your exact title hasn’t been used before. Plagiarism is no joke!
Now that we’ve found some great blog topic ideas for Book + Wine Time, let’s see how ChatGPT can aide in social media content.
Using one of the platform’s recommended blog topics, "Cultural Kaleidoscope: Diverse Reads Celebrating Different Ethnicities and Identities", Nikki asks ChatGPT to generate some social media inspiration.
She types, ‘Generate 2 Instagram posts on the topic "Cultural Kaleidoscope: Diverse Reads Celebrating Different Ethnicities and Identities" in a casual tone’ into ChatGPT.
Nikki: “The real gold here is that it even provided book recommendations and hashtags. Even still, it’s your content writer’s job to perfect your brand’s specific tone. At face value, this looks pretty close to perfect, but there are nuances that need to be addressed. For one thing, Books Wine time may not use emojis as liberally. The tone may be too casual for their audience. Lastly, the featured books may not be in stock at their store, meaning their “promotional post” isn’t serving a purpose.”
Next, Nikki uses ChatGPT to get some inspiration for the local wineries aspect of the content strategy. This time, getting painfully specific—as if Books + Wine time is a real client.
In goes the command—’Give me a LinkedIn post about partnerships with wineries in Washington state. Professional and educated tone.’
Pro Tip: Experiment with the length of your posts across various social media platforms to see which are most engaging with your target audience. Then, focus your efforts on posts within that word count range.
Again, Nikki stresses the importance of tweaking posts to fit the brand. “I think it’s best to use these as a very rough guide rather than simply replacing words and emojis. A professional writer knows how to make the post entirely unique to the brand without costing the team points in inauthenticity or plagiarism. Even ChatGPT needs to be edited with a heavy hand to make the content digestible for your audience.”
“As a content writer, I use ChatGPT to condense heavy research for me in an understandable synopsis.”, Nikki shares. “It’s a great way to break into writing mode when I’m feeling stuck on a topic.”
She cracks open ChatGPT again to show us around.
“Let’s say that Books + Wine Time needs to prepare a presentation for a stakeholders meeting. ChatGPT can be a great way to ease into the writing process.”
Nikki gives ChatGPT the details–’Write a 500 word presentation for stakeholders on the benefits of a book store partnering with local wineries for a fundraiser.’
Without five seconds passing, ChatGPT churns out the following and we all let out a collective gasp. Yes, it’s that dramatic!
Title: Uncorking Success: The Benefits of Partnering with Local Wineries for a Bookstore Fundraiser
Good [Morning/Afternoon/Evening] esteemed stakeholders,
I am delighted to present an exciting opportunity that promises to uncork success for our book store and the local community. Today, I will share with you the potential benefits of partnering with local wineries for a fundraiser. This collaborative endeavor not only strengthens our ties with the community but also offers a unique and memorable experience for our customers. Let's explore how this partnership can enhance our brand, increase footfall, and amplify our social impact.
One of the key benefits of partnering with local wineries is the heightened sense of community engagement it fosters. By aligning our bookstore with reputable local wineries, we showcase our commitment to supporting and celebrating regional talent and craftsmanship. Customers are more likely to embrace a business that actively contributes to the local economy and culture. This partnership nurtures a sense of community pride and loyalty, which translates to increased patronage and customer retention.
The combination of books and wine creates a unique and attractive proposition for our customers. It opens doors to a broader audience, including bibliophiles and wine enthusiasts alike. Our bookstore becomes a destination not only for book lovers but also for those seeking an enriching experience that blends literature with the art of winemaking. This fusion of interests helps us tap into new markets and expand our customer base, driving growth and revenue for our store.
Partnering with local wineries allows us to curate unforgettable experiences for our customers. Imagine book signings and literary events held amid the rustic charm of a vineyard, where guests can savor a glass of local wine while engaging with their favorite authors. Such events leave a lasting impression, nurturing a deep emotional connection between our bookstore and its visitors. This emotional resonance is key to building brand loyalty and generating positive word-of-mouth referrals.
Associating our bookstore with esteemed local wineries elevates our brand image and enhances perceived value. The collaboration reflects our commitment to offering sophisticated and culturally enriching experiences. Customers will view us not just as a retail establishment but as a cultural hub that champions local arts, literature, and wine. This enhanced brand image attracts media attention and favorable coverage, further amplifying our reach in the community and beyond.
Beyond the commercial benefits, a fundraiser in partnership with local wineries bolsters our social impact. This collaborative effort enables us to support charitable causes and community initiatives. We can designate a portion of the proceeds from the event to local literacy programs, fostering education and a love for reading among the youth. This purpose-driven approach deepens our connection with the community, showcasing our commitment to making a positive difference.
In conclusion, partnering with local wineries for a fundraiser presents an exceptional opportunity to elevate our bookstore's standing in the community, expand our customer base, and amplify our social impact. By combining the pleasures of literature and wine, we create a unique and memorable experience that resonates with our customers. This collaboration exemplifies our dedication to supporting local talent, fostering community engagement, and championing causes that matter.
I urge all stakeholders to consider the potential benefits of this partnership, as it aligns perfectly with our mission to be more than just a bookstore but a cultural catalyst. Together, we can uncork success and celebrate the joy of reading and the pleasures of local winemaking, all while making a positive impact on our community.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your thoughtful consideration and support.
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Position]
[Bookstore Name]
Pro Tip: “It’s so tempting to simply copy and paste the genius of ChatGPT into your next business presentation, but don’t do it! Always put in the extra work of personalizing your content to perfection. Your audience, including stakeholders, can sense a copy-and-paste job faster than you can deny it.”, Nikki shares.
Nikki shares a few other ways to incorporate ChatGPT into your marketing strategy (guilt-free). Use these prompts in your next marketing meeting.
Pro Tip: If creating privacy or return policies, partner with your legal team for the final approval.
ChatGPT is here to stay and we’re stoked to give this new platform an honest go of helping in our marketing strategy. Of course, it doesn’t eliminate the need for humans (and we’re even more stoked about that). Try ChatGPT in various areas of your marketing strategy and report back with how it went.
For more help with your marketing efforts, check out our friends Nikki and the rest of the team at Lucent Creative.
An active social media presence is vital for your business’ success.
You likely use at least one social media platform. If you’re not a Facebook fan, you’re probably on LinkedIn networking with other business owners. Maybe you’re obsessed with TikTok and mindlessly scroll on lunch breaks. The truth is, your ideal clients also hang out on social media whether it’s for work or buying some time waiting for their tires to be rotated.
The sheer volume of social media users puts your business at a disadvantage if you’re not showing up where your dream client or customer is.
Let’s check the stats from SproutSocial.
Now, if you’re like us—those astronomical numbers can feel overwhelming. With nearly 5 billion users (yes, BILLION!), where do you even start making a dent in reach?
Here’s an unpopular opinion: start anywhere—somewhere—and do it imperfectly.
The biggest challenge with social media is to nail down consistency and then, check the data to pivot where your ideal client is. We’re going to unpack a few of our tips and tricks with our marketing partners at Lucent Creative to help you get out of an uninspired rut when it comes to social media.
Pace yourself as a business.
The thing your ideal client is most drawn to is consistency. Here are a few tips to get your social media strategy working for you:
Remember, the goal isn’t to conquer all of social media—it’s to find your ideal audience and speak directly to them–turning them into loyal customers, of course!
A business may have 30,000 followers but fail to interact with people commenting with pressing questions. Nurturing warm leads is vital in any sales pipeline. When you think of social media as an opportunity to build rapport with potential customers, you’ll eagerly answer questions.
Not sure how much time to commit to interacting with followers? Here are a few ways our partners at Lucent Creative suggest tackling the task:
A bit of “small talk” on social accounts can do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to building trust with your audience.
Here’s where most brands feel pressure. Let’s take a moment to think through this before you create a mental block. Unique doesn’t necessarily mean your brand “outshines” other businesses on social media. The trick here is to create a unique experience for followers. It doesn’t matter how you describe your business—professional, whimsical, approachable, or “pun loving”.
Campaigns can look like:
Here are some examples of wildly different businesses creating something uniquely engaging for their audiences.
We all want to be inspired and Nike brought all of the good feels with this campaign. It engages the audience and gives them a clear call to action (tag your friends).
This campaign does a great job of helping the audience see alternative ways to use their product. You don’t have to be an avid hiker or skydiver to use a GoPro!
A smaller business in San Diego hosted an awesome giveaway—a one-of-a-kind accent wall! This is a great example of how a giveaway can engage your audience while getting more eyes on your product or service.
Help potential customers by painting a picture of how your product or service will improve their lives. Storytelling, interviews, and other “social proof” are effective ways to “show and tell” your product.
Whether you’re a realtor, consultant, or aspiring to create Nike 2.0, your business needs a social media presence. Take the overwhelm out of the equation by starting small consistent steps. Get in front of your audience and adjust your social media strategy as the data dictates.
Are you still feeling apprehensive? Our experts can guide you through the process. Get in touch for a free consultation and we’ll happily lend a hand.
PS: While you’re at it, go ahead and follow us on social!
How would you rate your current Client Relationship Management (CRM) platform?
Wait.
What is a CRM?
A Client Management System is the fairy godmother of organizing important client information. Everything from client contact information, where they are in the sales pipeline, invoicing details, and more resides in a CRM. An excellent Client Management system saves your team time, and money, and gives you a healthy return on your investment (ROI for our lingo-loving friends).
Whether you’re just now launching your business or you’ve been in the game for a while, you likely already know the importance of a CRM.
Here are a few fun facts from Zippia about CRMs to emphasize just how vital they are to your success:
Now that we’ve laid a solid foundation (your business needs one!), we will dive into our favorite–Zoho CRM.
The business management guru Zoho turns customers into raving fans and it’s no wonder why. Zoho offers just about any assistance with your business’s daily operations, from Zoho Sales IQ (their live chat app) to Zoho Books (their user-friendly bookkeeping app). Woggle is a Zoho super fan and certified partner because we have seen the impressive growth tools of Zoho in our business and the businesses of our clients.
Zoho CRM is user-friendly and has endless tricks up its sleeve. It’s so streamlined and agile for personalization that it feels like a total business hack.
Here are a few of the perks of Zoho CRM:
The list goes on and on, which you can find here. Does your CRM do all that? If not, you may be wondering how you can switch over (yesterday!). Let’s walk through a few FAQs first.
We’ve seen the migration process firsthand hundreds of times and we stand behind the process 100%. Not only is it easy to migrate to Zoho CRM, but it’s also safe. Zoho CRM takes the guesswork out of data migration—you don’t have to wonder if files aren’t supported, etc. Each step of the process is mapped and you’re given the prompts to follow for a smooth transition.
Yes! We’re happy to tell you that Zoho CRM migrates data from some of the business world’s biggest CRM platforms, including:
More CRMs are eligible and you can find detailed migration instructions for each platform on Zoho’s site. See, we told you they’re amazing!
Aren’t sure if you’re ready for the leap? Read more about how your CRM stacks up against Zoho CRM.
Going from your CRM to Zoho CRM is easy and Zoho makes it even easier with their step-by-step guides. Depending on which CRM you’re migrating from, it may take you more time or present unique steps.
The most comprehensive instructions are here.
Zoho CRM provides a custom-made setup to migrate from Salesforce, other Zoho CRM accounts, Pipedrive, Highrise, Insightly, MS Dynamics, Maximizer, or any other CRM.
You can migrate from Pipedrive, Highrise, Hubspot, and Insightly via API. All you need is the instance URL.
We highly recommend checking out Zoho’s notes before you begin the migration process to ensure your team has allocated enough time and resources. Read through Zoho CRM FAQs to get ahead of the ball and troubleshoot before you begin.
If you’re not sure Zoho CRM is for you, take time to explore these Zoho CRM tutorials for a sneak peek behind the scenes.
While Zoho CRM makes migration easy, we realize your team may be short on time, patience, or a combination of the two! Our experts have years of migration experience and as a Zoho Partner, we know Zoho inside and out. We’re happy to help your team migrate over to Zoho CRM so you can focus on your zone of genius. Get in touch for a consultation.
Do you know how to create a marketing plan that works for your business?
Marketing has been around for the long haul and though the means have changed, the goal is still the same—help potential customers see your service or product as the solution to their need.
There are endless resources that make marketing look easy and straightforward, but we’ve been in this game long enough to call out any “quick fixes” when it comes to marketing. We want to help you create a plan that works the first time. So, let’s cut through the marketing myths and get your team off on the right foot. We’re going to share the three most valuable assets of any marketing plan. Then, we’ll show you the tips and tricks to put it into action!
How does the adage go–“consistency is key”? New workout routine? You’ve heard workout instructors yell “Consistency is key!” at you through the screen. Changing habits? Consistency is key. It turns out the saying is a blanket truth for any lasting change you’re craving in your life. The same goes for your business. If you’re looking to improve ROI–consistency is key.
Consistency is important for your marketing plan because that’s how you get the data you’ll need to pivot your approach over time.
We recommend creating and sticking to a consistent marketing plan for three months minimum. Then, assess the data to see if your team is getting the desired outcome. Here are three quick tips to keep in mind as you’re building a marketing plan.
Let’s answer a few questions you may already be thinking through.
How do I know which social media platform is best for my business?
Begin by establishing your Ideal Customer. Once you know who is most attracted to and needs your service or product most, you’ll want to see which social media platforms your ideal customer uses. Take your offer directly to your ideal client or customer by showing up where they are. For example, a wealth management firm may know their ideal client are retirees. Research shows TikTok may not be the best social media platform to utilize for marketing efforts. In fact, the business may do best marketing on platforms like LinkedIn, or hosting local in-person events to promote their services.
Should I use new AI tools to write content for my marketing plan?
You can, but should you? We believe humans “write it best” when it comes to the desired tone and creating an authentic connection with readers. Our team has put together a whole blog post on AI here for further reading.
Are targeted ads worth the money?
Yes, we believe ads are 100% worth the money, but only if you’re targeting your ideal client. This is where you’ll want to flesh out your ICA (Ideal Customer Avatar). Know what they want, how old they are, their priorities, their income, and their overall values. When you target your ads, you’re increasing the chance of bringing in the customers/clients that will remain loyal to your brand.
Your marketing plan has to be in alignment with your business goals and unique needs. For example, your small yet mighty team doesn’t need to commit to a marketing plan that outnumbers your resources on hand. Successful marketing takes time, money, and—again, so much time! Therefore, time is your most valuable resource and it’s best to remain focused than to compare your marketing efforts to a Fortune 500 company. The best rule of thumb here is to go with consistency over perfection in the early stages.
Here are a few tips to keep your team focused.
What’s the goal of marketing? Should I aim for more followers before I focus on sales?
The truth is—followers don’t equate to sales. A business similar to yours may have 1.5 million followers on Instagram, but that doesn’t mean they’re getting engagement or sales from those followers. We recommend nurturing leads with authenticity. Build brand trust, show social proof that your product/service is helpful, and give followers valuable information they can use in their daily lives. Then, you’ll see a natural, organic progression to loyal customers.
How do I weave social proof into my marketing plan?
Find a way that is unique to your brand and will speak directly to your audience. For example, a cosmetics brand may provide social proof in video assets and see an impressive return because ideal customers can visualize the positive difference. Let the data show you which approaches work best for you and your audience.
Should I stick to marketing trends?
Nope. Trends come and go (very quickly!) in marketing. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment with trends, but it does mean you shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Marketing ebbs and flows. While your audience may be connecting more with a “trendy” competitor today, it doesn’t mean they will be tomorrow. Stick to what works. Again, keep an eye on your data regarding engagement!
While you shouldn’t get caught in comparison traps, we also don’t want you blindly throwing things to the marketing wall to see if it sticks. Continue to research algorithms, best practices, and lean into what your customers want from you. When in doubt, ask your ideal clients/customers for insight on how they want to keep in touch with your brand. Having direct feedback is the most valuable marketing asset you can have in your toolbox.
Should I use insights on every marketing platform?
Yes, we highly recommend budgeting for this. However, we also realize that data insights for a dozen platforms may not be feasible. In that case, watch the analytics on your primary marketing effort (i.e. email campaigns).
What if the analytics have plateaued?
If you’re not seeing any positive or negative changes in the data, it’s time to pivot. Create an addendum to your marketing plan to see the desired outcome. For example, your goal may be to get more people to sign up for your newsletter. Creating a new lead magnet as an opt-in for readers may be the most direct way to see new subscribers.
Your marketing plan doesn’t have to look any specific way. In fact, you’re at an advantage if you’re going against the flow. Create a marketing plan that is feasible, flexible, and also for your ideal client and not the masses. We’d love to chat with you about your business goals and how we may help create a plan that works for your business. Get in touch!
There’s something that all businesses have in common—the need for organization.
We heard that deep sigh from here.
Sure, not all of us have a knack for organization or even an interest in it, but we’ve found an app that helps even the most unmotivated of us to put things in order.
Whether you’re leading a team or are a solopreneur, it’s vital to keep all of your ducks in a row. Today, we’re bringing you a Woggle team favorite—(of course, it’s Zoho). We’re not saying you have to “Marie Kondo” your business, but we do think she’d be a huge fan of Zoho Flow because of its awesome efficiency. Let’s jump in for a quick tour of Zoho Flow and how you can utilize it in your business regardless of size, niche, or current workflow.
Let’s paint a picture.
Imagine having your work and personal tasks and delegation platforms siloed into one glorious app. Instead of getting distracted by constant notifications across various applications, you have a birdseye view of your workflow, pending tasks, and where the rest of your team is on projects. Incoming requests, client inquiries, and time-sensitive tasks are all housed in one, user-friendly data-view.
That’s Zoho Flow.
It looks something like this.
On the left, you have your integrated apps that are essential to the smooth flow of your daily operations. The workflow is seen at a glance on the right. Now, let’s dig deeper.
Let’s answer your burning question before we jump into the details of building a workflow inside Zoho Flow. We know you’re wondering, ‘Yeah, great, but does Zoho Flow work with the existing apps that I need for my business?’
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say, “Most likely!”
Zoho Flow is compatible with 800+ apps!
Here are just a few of the applications Zoho Flow seamlessly integrates with:
If you’re already onboard with Zoho, you’re ahead of the game because Zoho Flow will easily work with the Zoho apps you’re already using!
Click here for a full list of applications you can use with Zoho Flow.
Bonus Info: Read our blog to learn more about the awesome RingCentral app. Already using Zoho? Learn how to Improve Your Skills Inside Zoho’s The Workflow Academy.
If you’re like us, you have a lot of irons in the fire at any given time. Running a business doesn’t look the same for any two businesses out there, but we can guess you’re managing team communication, marketing efforts, and making sure clients are taken care of—all at the same time. Zoho Flow condenses your ‘to do’ list into one space and gives your team so much flexibility in setting up workflow.
Here are the main attractions:
Get your team on the same page at any given time with personalized workflows. Actions can be triggered along the way for each team member to take the lead in the client/project journey. No more manual delegation!
Zoho Flow easily communicates between your everyday work apps. Need your CRM to trigger an invoice for a client while also pinging your Marketing Director for a follow-up? No problem! Zoho Flow keeps everything from leads to daily communications in sync.
Have an overview of your workflows and any hiccups along the way. Seeing everything from a bird’s eye view allows you to fix issues as they arise. No more deep digging for the problem. Also, keep an eye on what’s working for your team and where the workflow can be improved.
Read more about Zoho Flow’s epic features here.
Here’s how custom workflows can work for your team. Imagine it—a workflow that keeps all of your essential apps in one place!
Zoho Flow is basically the fairy godmother of your business operations. It turns a hot mess express into a tangibly smooth-flowing business. Use our direct link to get started. As official Zoho Partners, our team can help you get set up and keep things running smoothly.
Not sure where to start with Zoho? Reach out to our team for a consultation!
What does your current marketing strategy say about your business? Whether you’re new to the game and the ink just dried on your LLC papers or you’ve been around long enough to reinvent your business several times, marketing is crucial to your success. Let’s clarify—strategic marketing is essential for the success and longevity of your business. Marketing trends come and go, and sometimes they even come back to leave again. If you pay attention to marketing tips for any length of time, you’ll see they ebb and flow like the tide which can leave business owners like us feeling overwhelmed, right?
Thankfully, our business partners and rad friends over at Lucent Creative, an all-female digital marketing agency, help us to stay focused and on-point with our marketing efforts. Today, we’re sharing some nuggets of wisdom their team shared with us. Before we jump in, let’s review a few stats about marketing.
These marketing stats are just scraping the surface of why strategic marketing is essential to the life of your business. Marketing gives you a platform to share your product or service, but strategic marketing gives you a direct line with your ideal customer. See the difference?
Let’s get straight to the tips from our friends at Lucent Creative. Take these five action steps straight to your team today.
Do you feel that your marketing strategy is complex, but not accomplishing much? If you’re following marketing trends rather than your ideal customer, it’s time to reassess. For example, if your ideal customers are retirees looking for wealth management options, your TikTok strategy probably isn’t yielding great results.
Lucent Creative’s CEO and Founder Kendall Walker shared,
“I have been in marketing for years and have seen a lot of ambitious and well-intentioned businesses stall in their growth because they weren’t focused on their marketing efforts. Thankfully, there are always opportunities to stop, reassess, and pivot. My advice to businesses with any marketing budget is to study where their ideal customers are and put their marketing efforts exclusively into those platforms.”
Read all about creating an email campaign that rocks with Zoho Campaigns.
Customers purchase from brands they trust. Earning the trust of your ideal client or customer requires engagement. Ironically, this is a step that is either neglected entirely or not focused on enough in marketing strategies. We got some insight into engagement with Lucent Creative’s social media strategist.
“I encourage clients to engage with their followers daily. If someone comments on your post, it’s crucial to reply. It’s a marketing 'hack' that humanizes your brand and helps build trust. Engagement doesn’t take a lot of time. If you spend ten minutes a day engaging with your followers in the comments and stories, I bet you’ll see an influx in sales soon. You’ve given them a reason to go all-in with just a few minutes of approachability.”
You may know what to say about your product, but do you know how to reach your ideal audience? This is where brand voice (what you say) and brand tone (how you say it) come into play. A business selling life insurance plans wouldn’t have the same brand voice or tone as a hot sauce company. Technically, anything could happen, but we’d venture to say it just wouldn’t be strategic or best practice.
Lucent Creative’s copywriter gave us a few tips in this area.
“Establishing your brand voice and tone is the foundation of your marketing strategy. It all starts with being incredibly intentional about who you’re talking to and how they can benefit from your product. Explore your ideal customer’s needs, struggles, purchasing habits, and anticipated hesitations about buying your product. If you do this, you’re going to set your entire marketing team up for success.”
Marketing isn’t a “set it and forget it” aspect of business. It’s as important as your product development, sales, and employee retention. What is working today may need adjusting next quarter.
Kendall Walker shared another piece of wisdom with us about the need for pivoting often.
“Marketing strategies need to grow and change with your business. Algorithms change, of course, but so do your customers and their expectations. What works now may not work next year. Keep an eye on the data, customer feedback, and ultimately, the trajectory of your business. Think of your marketing strategy needing frequent “checkups”. Schedule these and get your team thinking creatively about how to make your great strategy even better.”
How’s your website working for you? Read Your Guide to Designing an Epic Website
Be mindful to recognize and thank your loyal customers. Your business can do this in a lot of ways, but starting with a simple loyalty program or exclusive offers is a great place to invest your time and money. 75% of consumers will favor a brand if there is a loyalty program. 71% of consumers who are members of loyalty programs say membership is a meaningful part of their relationships with brands.
To wrap up, we asked Kendall, her social strategist, and copywriter to share their insight on how businesses can best show appreciation for loyal customers. Here’s what they had to say.
“I can’t stress the importance of creating the image of being a thorough and approachable brand. People want to know they can ask questions, express concerns, and rely on you, the expert, to give them valuable insight.”
Kendall, Lucent Creative CEO and Founder
“I agree with Kendall. The way to create a multiple-level point of contact people actually want to take advantage of is through intentional copywriting. Show your brand personality and always put the customer first in all of your written content. People catch on immediately if they’re appreciated and if they can keep trusting your business/product.”
Lucent’s copywriter
“To go along with this theme, I think it’s important to remind businesses that their social media is their “storefront” and their “first date”. This is the first impression of your brand. This goes beyond social media, of course. Your website matters. Email marketing campaigns are also a first-row view into your brand. Be consistent and your customers will continue to trust you and purchase from you.”
Lucent’s social media strategist
We all know marketing is important, but these five tips are ways to go the extra mile for your customers. The main idea is to not become complacent in your marketing efforts. Keep an eye on the data and your customers’ needs.
If you’re looking to partner with Woggle and Lucent Creative for your marketing efforts, get in touch to book your free consultation call.
