The lifeblood of a business is leads. You can’t get new customers without first getting new leads. But you have to organize these leads. Let’s use simple numbers. If your revenue goal is 6-figures or about $8,400 a month and your offer is $400, then you must sell 21 to meet your revenue goal. If your sales closing rate 10%, then you need to speak at least 210 people qualified leads per month. How do you keep up with all those people? That’s the beauty of a CRM system.

CRM What & Why. Simply put, a CRM is a system created to manage, monitor, and maximize interactions with leads as they go through a process structured to convert them into customers. The ultimate purpose is to organize, keep track of, and make sure no potential client falls through the cracks. By centralizing customer data, a CRM helps businesses streamline their sales, marketing, and customer service efforts. It allows for personalized communication, better understanding of customer needs, and more informed decision-making, ultimately leading to higher customer satisfaction and increased sales. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or running a growing team, a CRM can be the backbone of your customer management strategy, ensuring every interaction is meaningful and nothing is overlooked.

CRM Pipeline. For a streamlined focus, we’re going to concentrate on key components or “pipes” at the beginning of the pipeline: attraction, capture, nurture, marketing, and sales. There are more pipes after conversion that create a flow through the lifetime of your relationship after their first sale. These initial stages are crucial for laying the groundwork for a successful customer relationship. While the journey doesn’t end here, focusing on these areas ensures that potential clients are effectively guided through the early stages of your process. After conversion, additional pipes continue to support and enhance the customer experience, fostering long-term loyalty and growth.

CRM Best Practices. Just like there are SOPs or standard operating procedures, you should have SLPs or standard lead procedures. In other words, your customer relations should be a well-oiled machine that eventually a sales team can follow with success. Elements of focus for this process include consistent lead tracking, timely follow-ups, personalized communication, and regular data updates. By establishing clear guidelines and routines, you can ensure that every lead is handled with care and precision, reducing the chances of missed opportunities and improving overall conversion rates. This level of organization also makes it easier to onboard new team members, as they can quickly align with the established procedures and contribute to the sales process.

CRM Challenges. Implementing a CRM system isn’t without its challenges, but being aware of them can help you navigate the process more smoothly. One common hurdle is user adoption—getting your team to fully embrace the new system. This can be mitigated by providing thorough training and emphasizing the long-term benefits of CRM for their daily tasks. Another challenge is maintaining data quality. It’s crucial to keep customer information accurate and up-to-date, as outdated data can lead to missed opportunities and ineffective communication. Additionally, while it’s tempting to customize your CRM extensively, customization overload can result in unnecessary complexity. Focus on essential features and gradually introduce customizations as needed.

Get MORE on this topic from the replay of the Unlock Your First 6 Figures MORNING SHOW, where we go into detail about this article. Sign up to get the Morning Show (show notes and replay links) in your inbox by going to https://ShaCannon.com/show

Within our email marketing platforms, as we as contacts that have opted in to receive notification or delivery of something, in addition to ongoing emails from us, there lies the decision of lists vs tags. Lists are used to manage an organize subscribers into separate groups based on broad criteria. The most highly recommended broad separation for lists are leads, clients, and past clients. All other segmentation is the job of a tag to show the hierarchy within each list; especially used to score individual leads. Let’s talk about 4 main segmentations for tags without getting too technical.

Lead magnets. This is usually how a lead gets into your email marketing world. They accepted your invitation to know more or receive something. Upon accepting the invitation, the trigger that starts an automation to give what was promised is tag. That tag should be specifically named for the lead magnet used and the lead should be placed on the client list. The next step is to nurture them in ways that help them progress through the lead pipeline to evidently become a client.

Behavior. As you are nurturing your list with tips, tools, conversation, information, etc… you should use calls to action (CTAs) in your emails. As your contacts are clicking on links or not clicking on links, they should be tagged to give them a status based on their behavior. General behaviors for tags are: interested/not interested (did they click the link to the offer), active/inactive (how many tags do they have), action/non-action (did they click at all), this type of interest/that type of interest (did they click one thing over another), etc… Based on their behavior to your email content you should be communicating in ways that influence behaviors indicate more and more interest, activity, etc… that will 1) create like, know, and trust and 2) encourage them further down the lead pipeline to become a client.

Attendance. A great show of interest is whether or not someone signed up for a virtual event and then whether or not they attended. Signing up is a behavior that could get them a tag such as action over non-action. But their actual attendance should be tagged as attendance, rather than non-attendance. Attendance at multiple virtual events should be a sign of a high lead score for sales conversion, conversion is toward the end of the lead pipeline.

Purchase. Ultimately we want all of our leads to become clients. If you have an offer ascension then they should be tagged for each purchase as they ascend the ladder of offers with communication that pushes them toward the top purchase. However, a purchase makes them a customer or client so they should also be removed from the leads lists and added to the client list after purchase. To go deeper and more technical with segmentation, you can use tags to identify what kind of customer or client: new customer, what level customer (based on your offer ascension ladder), active customer, and past customer (based on either end of service or length of time since last purchase). Now you can communicate with each segment based on their status to move clients to high levels of purchase, keep high-ticket clients happy, or recapture past clients.  

Needs support infusing these new strategies into your email marketing, let’s talk. It’s FREE. ShaCannon.info/talk

If technology is a game changer for small businesses to close the digital divide with big businesses in terms of growth and revenue potential, then within this year, artificial intelligence (A.I.) is leading the tech value race. At the forefront of A.I. for small businesses right now is ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI, designed to understand and generate human-like text based on given prompts.

“GPT” stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer.” This name breaks down into three key components:

1. Generative: This indicates that the model is designed to generate text. It can produce coherent and contextually relevant text based on the input it receives.
2. Pre-trained: Before being used for specific tasks, the model undergoes an extensive training phase. During this phase, it learns language patterns, structures, and nuances from a vast corpus of text data. This pre-training enables the model to have a broad understanding of language and context before it is fine-tuned for specific applications.
3. Transformer: This refers to the type of neural network architecture used by the model. The Transformer architecture allows the model to weigh the importance of different words in a sentence or paragraph, enabling it to generate more coherent and contextually relevant responses.

ChatGPT can help small businesses improve marketing and sales, as well as make more informed decisions for sustainability and innovation, all of which are crucial for growth and competitiveness in the market.

Marketing is creating and nurturing relationships to build connections that result in the like, know, and trust needed as a foundation for making sales.

         First, train ChatGPT by giving it this information about your business:

• Brand Identity and Values: What your brand represents and its core values
• Target Audience: Specific details about your target market and customer personas
• Current Marketing Efforts: What marketing strategies you are currently using
• Budget for Marketing: How much you can allocate towards marketing activities
• Digital Footprint: Your current online presence, including website, social media, and online reviews
• Market Trends and Competitor Strategies: What trends are influencing your market and what strategies competitors are using

Now, use these categories to ask the included questions of ChatGPT to get custom information to create a marketing plan:

1. Develop a Strong Brand Identity:
   • What are the core values and unique selling propositions of our business?
   • How can we visually and verbally communicate these through our brand?
2. Create a Comprehensive Digital Marketing Strategy:
   • Which digital marketing channels (social media, email, content marketing) are most effective for our target audience?
   • How do we allocate resources across these channels for optimal impact?
3. Leverage Social Media Marketing:
   • What content strategy will engage our audience on different social media platforms?
   • How can we use social media analytics to refine our marketing approach?
4. Implement Effective Email Marketing Campaigns:
   • How can we grow and segment our email list for targeted marketing?
   • What type of content and email frequency will drive engagement and conversions?
5. Utilize Content Marketing to Establish Authority:
   • What kind of content (blogs, videos, infographics) will resonate with our audience and showcase our expertise?
   • How can we optimize our content for SEO to increase visibility?
6. Track and Analyze Marketing Results:
   • What metrics and KPIs should we track to measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns?
   • How can we use this data to continuously improve our marketing efforts?

Sales is the process of converting marketing relationships into paying clients.

First, train ChatGPT by giving it this information about your business:

• Sales History and Performance: Data on past sales performance and existing sales processes.
• Client Relationship Management: How you currently manage client relationships.
• Sales Team Structure: The composition and functioning of your sales team.
• Customer Journey Map: A breakdown of the customer journey from discovery to sale.
• Networking and Partnership Opportunities: Existing and potential networking channels and partnerships.
• Sales Goals and Targets: Specific sales goals and targets you aim to achieve.

Now, use these categories to ask the included questions of ChatGPT to get custom information to create a sales plan:

1. Enhance Sales Strategies and Techniques:
   • What sales strategies can we implement that align with our business model and customer preferences?
   • How can we train our sales team in these strategies and monitor their performance?
2. Build and Maintain Customer Relationships:
   • What tactics can we use to build long-term relationships with clients?
   • How can we use CRM tools to manage and enhance these relationships?
3. Develop a Client Retention Plan:
   • What strategies can we employ to increase customer loyalty and retention?
   • How can we use feedback and client interactions to improve our services?
4. Expand Business Network and Partnerships:
   • What networking events and platforms can we leverage to build new business relationships?
   • How do we identify and approach potential partners that align with our business goals?
5. Create Value-Oriented Sales Proposals:
   • How can we tailor our sales proposals to highlight the value and benefits of our services?
   • What are the best practices for effectively communicating these proposals to potential clients?
6. Implement Performance Metrics for Sales:
   • What are the key performance indicators for our sales team?
   • How do we track and incentivize high performance in sales?

Sustainability is the survival of a business through practices, processes, and systems that support the continuance of the business.

First, train ChatGPT by giving it this information about your business:

• Business Nature and Services Offered: What services do you provide, and what is the nature of your business operations?
• Current Environmental Impact: Are there any known environmental impacts of your business activities?
• Supply Chain Details: Information about your suppliers and the materials or services you procure.
• Operational Practices: Details on how your business operates daily, including energy use, waste management, etc.
• Stakeholder Expectations: Insights into what your customers, employees, and partners expect in terms of sustainability.
• Current Sustainability Initiatives: Any ongoing efforts or past attempts at sustainability.

Now, use these categories to ask the included questions of ChatGPT to get custom information to create a sustainability plan:

1. Assess Current Environmental Impact:
   • What are the current environmental footprints of our business operations?
   • How can we conduct a comprehensive sustainability audit?
2. Identify Sustainable Practices Relevant to Our Industry:
   • What are the best sustainable practices adopted by similar service-based businesses?
   • How can these practices be adapted to our specific business model?
3. Set Clear Sustainability Goals:
   • What specific, measurable sustainability goals should we set for the short, medium, and long term?
   • How do these goals align with our overall business objectives?
4. Develop a Green Procurement Policy:
   • How can we source environmentally friendly supplies and services?
   • What criteria should we use to select eco-friendly vendors?
5. Implement Energy-Efficient Practices:
   • What steps can we take to reduce energy consumption in our office or operational spaces?
   • Are there any incentives or programs available for small businesses to become more energy-efficient?
6. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle:
   • How can we minimize waste in our daily operations?
   • What opportunities exist for recycling or reusing materials?
7. Optimize Digital Operations for Sustainability:
   • Can we leverage digital tools to reduce our environmental impact (e.g., cloud computing, paperless systems)?
   • How can we ensure our digital infrastructure is energy-efficient?
8. Engage Employees in Sustainability Efforts:
   • How can we encourage and train our team to adopt sustainable practices?
   • Can we create incentive programs to motivate sustainable behavior in the workplace?
9. Communicate Sustainability Efforts to Stakeholders:
   • How can we effectively communicate our sustainability initiatives to customers, partners, and the community?
   • Can we use our sustainability efforts as a differentiator in our marketing and branding?
10. Monitor, Review, and Report Progress:
    • What metrics should we use to track our sustainability progress?
    • How often should we review our sustainability goals and strategies?
11. Explore Partnerships for Sustainable Development:
    • Are there local businesses, non-profits, or government programs we can partner with to enhance our sustainability efforts?
    • How can these partnerships be mutually beneficial?

Innovation is all about bringing new life into your business by doing things in new and exciting ways for your clients, as well as being new to your industry or business in general.

First, train ChatGPT by giving it this information about your business:

• Market Position and Competitors: Your position in the market and information about your main competitors.
• Customer Demographics and Preferences: Who your customers are and what they value in your services.
• Past and Current Service Offerings: Details of your service portfolio, including any changes over time.
• Feedback and Market Research: Any existing customer feedback or market research data.
• Resource Availability for R&D: Information about resources (time, money, manpower) available for research and development.
• Technology Adaptation: How quickly and effectively your business can adopt new technologies.

Now, use these categories to ask the included questions of ChatGPT to get custom information to create an innovation plan:

1. Conduct Market and Industry Analysis:
   • How can we regularly gather and analyze information about current trends in our industry?
   • What are the best sources of insight for emerging trends and customer preferences?
2. Identify Emerging Opportunities:
   • What new or underserved market needs can we identify?
   • How can we use our unique strengths to address these opportunities?
3. Foster a Culture of Innovation:
   • How can we create a workplace environment that encourages creativity and experimentation?
   • What initiatives can we implement to regularly generate and discuss new ideas?
4. Engage with Customers for Feedback and Ideas:
   • How can we effectively gather feedback from our customers to guide our innovation efforts?
   • Can we create platforms or forums where customers can share their ideas and needs?
5. Implement Agile Methodologies:
   • How can we adopt agile methodologies in our project management to enhance flexibility and responsiveness?
   • What training or resources are needed to successfully implement these methodologies?
6. Invest in Research and Development:
   • What percentage of our resources can we allocate to R&D to drive innovation?
   • How can we balance short-term business needs with long-term innovation investments?
7. Explore Collaborations and Partnerships:
   • Are there potential partnerships with other businesses or institutions that could foster innovation?
   • How can we leverage these partnerships to access new technologies, skills, or markets?
8. Leverage Technology to Innovate:
   • What emerging technologies can be integrated into our services to create new value for customers?
   • How do we stay updated about technological advancements relevant to our business?
9. Train Team in Adaptability and Innovative Thinking:
   • What training programs can we provide to enhance our team’s adaptability and innovative capabilities?
   • How can we encourage continuous learning and staying abreast of industry trends?
10. Monitor and Adapt to Regulatory Changes:
    • How do we stay informed about regulatory changes that might affect our industry?
    • What systems do we have in place to quickly adapt to these changes?
11. Evaluate and Adapt Business Model:
    • How often should we review and potentially adapt our business model to stay relevant?
    • What criteria should we use to determine if a change in our business model is necessary?
12. Measure and Evaluate Innovation Efforts:
    • What metrics can we use to assess the success of our innovation efforts?
    • How can we use these metrics to guide future innovation strategies?

Needs support infusing these new strategies into your business planning, let’s talk. It’s FREE. ShaCannon.info/talk

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is changing the landscape of so many industries. Chris L. Davis of Automation Bridge always says, “You don’t buy technology. You hire it.” Once I understood that concept, I recognized that in small businesses, entrepreneurs don’t just hire technology they hire it before they hire people. A.I. is giving entrepreneurs even more power to close the digital divide and have the success of larger companies. The question I am asked most is, “Where do I start with using a.i. in my small business?” To incorporate most things into your business where they will have the most impact, I always recommend starting with your client journey. Those 6 basic phases (awareness, inquiry, purchase, onboard, service, and offboard) are the heart of your business. So let’s start there.
**This is not an exhaustive list and instead just the beginning of how a.i. can help your small business in different categories with different tools. Research and find even more categories and tools.

1. Awareness Phase. How does someone come into awareness of your business (marketing)? Here are some categories of marketing and the a.i. that can help and a list of tools for each:

Creatives
Art
• Dall-E – text to art
• MidJourney – text to art
• Images.ai
• Designs.ai – logos, video, speech, etc… maker
• Stable Diffusion
• Spline AI
• 3EFY.ai
• Meshcapade

Photo
• StarryAI creates avatar images
• Remini – edit pictures and video
• Hitpaw – edits pictures

Video
• Create Videos
   o HeyGen – AI version of you for videos, ads, etc… (face swap)
   o Synthesia – text to voiceover and video (create talking avatar)
   o Pictory – text to video
   o Descript
   o Filmora
   o Runway
• Video Editors
o Magisto
o Vidyo.ai
• Video transcription
o Type Studio

Audio
• Text to speech
o Murf
o Lovo.ai
o Speechify
o Play.ht
• Soundraw – generates music
• Wondercraft AI – turn written content into engaging podcast episodes

PowerPoint Decks
• Tome
• SlidesAI.io
• Beautiful.ai
• Decktopus
• Slidesgo
• Plus AI
• Gamma

Misc
• Fronty – turns an image/mockup into html code for a website

Social Media
• Repurpose IO (autopost)
• Flick
• Content Studio
• Heyday
• Cortex
• Taplio
• Tweethunter

Marketing Specific Writers
• NeuralText
• Anyword
• AdCreative AI
• MarketMuse
• Scalenut
• Cohere Generate
• HyperWrite
• Copy.ai

2. Inquiry Phase. After finding out that your brand exists, how do they inquire about your service? This phase is ruled by a.i.’s most common tool: chat bots. Here are a list of tools:

Chatbots
• Chatbot Live
• Hugging Chat
• Lyro by Tidio
• Tawk.to
• Chatbase
• Chatling
• Revechat
• Botsify
• Mobile Monkey
• EBI AI
• Chatfuel
• AgentGPT

3. Purchase Phase. After inquiring about your service, how do they purchase (sales)? Most of the payment processing systems we already use have added an a.i. component: PayPal: Uses AI for fraud detection and risk management, Shopify: Employs AI for personalized shopping experiences, Stripe: Integrates AI for payment fraud detection, Square: Utilizes AI for sales predictions and customer insights, and Klarna: AI-driven insights for smoother payment processes. So let’s talk about the a.i. that solves a huge problem for most service-based businesses, getting from proposal to contract to payment. Try these a.i. tools and platforms:

AI Proposal Creation and Management Tools
• PandaDoc:
• AI Features: Uses AI for creating personalized proposals, analyzing proposal performance, and optimizing templates.
• Use Case: Streamlines the process of drafting and managing proposals, enhancing personalization and engagement.
• Proposify:
• AI Features: Offers AI-driven insights on proposal interactions, automated workflows, and version control.
• Use Case: Helps in tracking proposal engagement and streamlines the approval process.
• Qwilr:
• AI Features: AI-assisted design and content suggestions, analytics for tracking proposal engagement.
• Use Case: Enhances proposal aesthetics and provides insights into client interactions.

AI Contract Management Tools
• Icertis:
• AI Features: AI for contract lifecycle management, risk assessment, and compliance tracking.
• Use Case: Automates contract processes and helps in identifying and mitigating risks.
• DocuSign:
• AI Features: AI-powered analytics for contract insights, automated workflows, and digital signatures.
• Use Case: Streamlines contract signing processes and offers insights into contract data.
• Kira Systems:
• AI Features: Uses machine learning for extracting relevant information from contracts and documents.
• Use Case: Speeds up due diligence and contract analysis processes.

4. Onboarding Phase. After the purchase, how are they onboarded to your service? Here are a few a.i. categories and tools that can help:

Calendar/Scheduling
• Calendar.ai – intuitive company, team, and client calendar
• Reclaim
• Clockwise

Automation
• Zapier
• Paddly
• IFTTT
• Make
• Bardeen

Notetaking/Assistants
• Fireflies
• Mem
• Otter.ai
• Airgram
• Krisp

5. Service Phase. It’s time to get to work. How are your services carried out and supported? Here are a few a.i. categories and tools that can help:

Productivity
• Notion – notebook, task management, project creation, collaboration
• AI Agent – workflow

Research
• ChatGPT – solves anything
• SlideSpeak – summarizes and answers questions about powerpoints and docs
• SummarizingTool – summarizes notes
• Feedly – news, research trends and round ups
• Genei
• Aomni
• Poe.com

Writers
• Jasper.ai
• WriteSonic
• Jenni AI

Grammar & Content Checkers
• Grammarly
• WordTune
• ProWriting Aid
• QuillBot
• ZeroGPT

Email Inbox Management
• SaneBox
• EmailTree
• Reply.io
• Lavendar.ai
• Superhuman

Misc
• Feathery – build customizable forms with no code

6. Offboarding Phase. Many forget this final phase, but it is very important because without it there is no clear end to the service. How is your offboarding process supported? Besides an offboarding meeting, an important element is to get client feedback.

Client feedback
• Qualtrics: AI for experience management and feedback analysis
• SurveyMonkey: Uses AI for survey analysis
• Medallia: AI-powered experience management
• Clarabridge: AI for customer feedback and sentiment analysis
• ChurnZero: AI for churn prediction and customer retention
• BombBomb: Specializes in video email marketing, allowing users to record and send video messages directly through email
• Bonjoro: personalized video messaging service, primarily used for customer engagement, onboarding, and relationship building

Needs support infusing these new strategies into your business planning, let’s talk. It’s FREE. ShaCannon.info/talk

Not only does the research show that business owners need to “touch” a potential client at least 7 times before they will buy, but touchpoints are an important key in relationship building before and after the sale. Touchpoints serve as bridges that connect you and your brand to create awareness, nurture, and create loyalty. Let’s talk about 4 categories and the touchpoints you can utilize within those categories to build your bridges.

Marketing is the heart of your brand’s outreach efforts, and it takes many forms to reach your target audience effectively. Here is a list to start incorporating from:

• Marketing Campaigns
• Paid Social Advertising
• Influencers
• Affiliate Marketing
• Content Sponsorship
• Referral Programs
• Pop-up Store Experiences

Visuals can be a subset of marketing but it deserves it’s own consideration. Here is a list to start incorporating from:

• Billboards
• Merch
• Packaging
• Web banners
• Social covers
• Signage
• Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences
• Interactive Product Displays
• 360-degree Product Images
• Product Catalogs

Thought Leadership is important to establish when your expertise is the direct service of the business. Here is a list to start incorporating from:

• Event Speeches
• Presentations
• Training/Workshop
• Borrowed Audiences
• Media
• Publication
• Content
• Whitepapers
• Industry Awards

Communication doesn’t stop once you’ve gotten the sale, you have to stay in touch to strengthen the relationship. Here is a list to start incorporating from:

• Email
• Voice notes
• Videos
• Text Message
• Phone calls
• Direct Mail
• Chatbot/Web Chat Support

If you need support with creating touchpoints for your business, let’s talk. It’s FREE. ShaCannon.info/talk

Most of what entrepreneurs do to garner sales has to do with trying to get the attention of their ideal clients. What if I told you that there is a way that when a person ideal for your service needs you, they can find you? Back in the day, they would use the Yellow Pages book and thumb through to find the type of service they needed. To rise to the top of the list of all the businesses under that service, businesses used “ABC”, “Acme”, and “AAA” to be first in the alphabetical results. These days, the key is to be search engine optimized. Check out 4 questions with answers on search engine optimization (S.E.O.) useful to be found online by ideal clients looking for your service.

Where are the engines? Simply put, a search engine is a program that searches for and identifies items in a database that correspond to keywords or characters specified by the user. It is used especially for finding particular sites online.

Google is the #1 search engine in the world. Other search engines include Bing, Yahoo!, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Startpage, Qwant, Mojeek, Searx, and Swisscows. A few you may have heard of and others you probably did not know existed. However, Google is the top dog, and if you made sure your online presence was optimized to rank there you’d be just fine.

Let’s talk about YouTube. It is not a search engine in the traditional sense, but it is a search engine in how people use it. If we were to add it to the ranking, it would be the #2 search engine in the world. The platform ranks videos for relevant keywords. When a user searches for a keyword, YouTube will display videos that are relevant to the search query. To hit gold, choose subject matter that your ideal clients are looking for and title your videos in a way that answers the questions they are asking when they look for your expertise or service.

How do I rank? Now that you know where the engines are, let’s talk about the strategies to get ranked. You may think that having a website is overrated. So many people are using landing page platforms, funnel platforms, and shared marketplaces, so why have an independent website?

First, you don’t own others’ platforms and you will always be subject to their rules and control. But second, when you do the work to rank with SEO on their platforms, they get the SEO “credit”. Instead, you should build your own website and optimize it using relevant keywords throughout your website.

One way some business owners leave SEO on the table is by not using links on their websites from other high-quality websites. Known as backlink building, and it can help to improve your ranking in search results.

Use social media to promote their website and content. This can help to reach a wider audience and drive traffic to their website.

What is the “key” to it all? The key to great SEO is the use of keywords. Pun intended. Add keywords in titles, headers, descriptions, and content. Use keywords in the metadata in the general information of your website, on pages, and on pictures. Yes, I know what your next question is… Where can you get some of these keywords? Lucky for you I have more than a few resources for you. You can perform a keyword Search using NeilPatel.com/ubersuggest, Semrush.com, or Infinitesuggest.com.

You can also do research by asking questions that give you more insight on what words to use.

To question answering platforms include JustAnswer.com, AnswerThePublic.com, AnswerSocrates.com, OpenAI.com (ChatGPT), Bard.Google.com, and WolframAlpha.com.

To get in the know of the trends and what your ideal client is talking about online, try these platforms: Trends.Google.com/trends, BuzzSumo.com, MeetGlimpse.com/trends, ExplodingTopics.com, and Viralfindr.com.

Another great strategy is to go where your ideal client is discussing their problems, likes, dislikes, etc… to peek in on the language they are using and the questions they are asking. Both Reddit.com and Quora.com are useful for that.

Who can help? As you can tell by now, SEO isn’t for the faint at heart. But no worries, there are people that can help you to be successful with it. Here is a general breakdown of who those people are and what they do (these results came from BARD, listed above as a research platform).

       An SEO consultant can help you to improve your website’s ranking in search results by optimizing your website for relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and getting backlinks to your website.

         A virtual assistant can optimize your SEO by researching and identifying relevant keywords, creating and optimizing content for those keywords, managing social media accounts to share your content on social media regularly engaging with your followers to drive traffic to your website, and monitoring and keeping the numbers of basic SEO performance.

       A web designer can create a website that is SEO optimized by using the right keywords and phrases throughout the site, including in the title tag, meta descriptions, and content. But in a deeper dive, they can optimize the website’s code and structure to make it easy for search engines to crawl and index your pages.

           A marketing consultant can give strategies that are tailored to your specific business and goals, oversee the implementation of the SEO strategy to ensure that it is effective, then measure and report on the results of your SEO efforts to track your progress and make necessary adjustments.

          A content writer can help you to create high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience and that will help to improve your website’s ranking in search results.

If you need support with how best to apply SEO to reach your first 6 figures in revenue, let’s talk. It’s FREE. ShaCannon.info/talk

My hack to figuring out what processes, technology, and people you need in your business is to map out your client journey. From awareness (someone seeing your marketing) to them inquiring about your offer to your follow-up system to get them to buy to their purchase to your servicing the offer to offboarding them from the offer.

What does it take to transition from one step to the next? Also, what does it take to complete each step before going to the next step?

To be successful is to take the friction out of your processes. Keep them from being slow, keep them from having unnecessary steps, keep them from costing too much money, keep them from being unnecessarily hard, etc… The well-oiled machine that is big busy creates a gap that small businesses are not always equipped to close. They have more capital to fun problems, processes, and people. What stands in that gap is technology. However, if you aren’t in the know of what technology is out there to fill the gap then that digital divide could cost you the health and growth of your small business. Let’s talk solutions.

All-in-one vs Best in Class. Small business budgets run point on the decisions for what technology is used. This leads to the purchase of a lot of all-in-one technology (technology that has more than one key function). However, there are considerations to be sure the money you are saving is an actual savings. It doesn’t matter that you pay less for one tech that does a lot of things. If the functions aren’t user friendly or the tech doesn’t do all of the things well, then you are paying less only to get less than you need. Whatever the limitations are, should not be counted as a value add. Consider what is the flagship function or what is the company know for doing well and use it for that. Never forget to check the price of using all of the best-in-class versions of what you need. Years ago, I used GetResponse just because for $49 a month I got unlimited landing pages, CRM/email marketing, and webinars. However, my landing pages never connected to the email marketing smoothly. I lost time and always ended up needing customer service. When I switched to Active Campaign, Lead Pages, and Zoom; each were best in class for what they were known for and I had a better user experience for not much more than the cost of GetResponse as an all-in-one.

Web-based + App-based. There are a lot of web-based platforms that have the convenience of the availability of an app version. Such a convenience allows you to work key components of your business in a portable or remote fashion. You can run your business from a phone or tablet. It also allows your clients the same convenience. Such examples are CoachSimple (coaching platform), SuiteDash (onboarding and other functions), Slack (communication), PMS (Asana, Trello, BaseCamp, etc…), and more.

Project Plans. With PMS or project management systems you can lean into better organization to get more things done. You can create a board for managing tasks. This is great for list makers and the forgetful alike. For your linear processes, use the columns of the board to list the tasks for each step of the process. For more complex projects, you can plan the execution of events, marketing campaigns, social media management, etc… The fewer team members that you have, the more structure and process you should have. This is what allows small businesses to do bigger things.

Tech Trends. Stay in the know of technology innovation. Because technology is the great equalizer for small and larger businesses is technology. There are always things being developed that can solve problems and make your business function better and be more competitive but it can’t help if you don’t know it exists. Search and review the year in tech reports from past year. Search and review the tech trends being predicted for the next year. And all through out the year, consult different tech trend sources such as journals, newsletters, and podcasts.

If you would like to explore about tech and your particular business, let’s talk. ShaCannon.info/talk