I met Shane Petty, the founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Revved Business, at a networking breakfast earlier this year. We exchanged business cards, and I was super-impressed with an email he sent me later that afternoon, thanking me for chatting it up with him but also telling me he looked at my website and would love to offer ways to improve my traffic.
We had a phone consultation, and within a few days, I received a video link to him going through my website and talking me through his suggested changes – all of which were spot-on, and all of which drove more traffic (aka paying clients) to find me.
Revved Business concentrates on delivering leads and clients to small businesses through online marketing. In previous blogs, I’ve written about the importance of marketing, and Shane was gracious enough to have a Q & A with me to give his expertise on how a business can increase visibility – and get new clients.
JS: Hey Shane, thanks for talking with me today. Tell me about yourself and what your company does.
SP: Well, first I’m a husband of 21 years and a father of 3 kids. I grew up in San Antonio and after attending Baylor University, stayed in Waco for 19 years. I’ve been working in traditional and online marketing since 1996, and launched Revved Business in 2010.
JS: Therapists are notoriously horrible at marketing themselves. How do you suggest someone starts?
SP: You’ve got to define your target market. Write down a description. If Johnny or Sally walked into your office – who are they, what do they look like, what are their ages? Then you need to research your competition. Who are your biggest competitors, who are you up against? A person also needs to know how much a month can you spend to acquire a new client. Say, for example, if a therapy client is worth a lifetime amount of $1,000, you should plan on spending 5-10% to acquire that client.
JS: What are the biggest mistakes you see with small business owners and their marketing practices?
SP: I think one of the biggest mistakes is that they don’t know the ROI of their marketing spend, and that goes back to understanding the basic value of acquiring a client. If you spend $125 for a $500 client, you need to look at that.
Another thing is they don’t understand technology. Today, it’s adapt or die, because it’s all changing so quickly. For instance, Twitter was so popular and now that’s changing – people are on Instagram and SnapChat. So you need to know where you’re ideal client is hanging out.
Also, people don’t have clear, concise, measurable goals. They don’t know what they can or cannot spend. Make a business plan, and revise it as needed. You really should visit it at least quarterly, but it’s better to do it monthly. Especially if things aren’t going as well as you want them to be.
JS: A therapist has started out but has limited marketing dollars. In your opinion, what gives the biggest bang for their buck?
SP: You need to understand, again, where your clients are. Figure out where they are hanging out. Do your legwork so you aren’t spinning your wheels. Are they on YouTube? Then maybe you make some value-based videos. Are they on FaceBook? Facebook Ads are a cheap and easy way to target specific populations.
JS: What are the apps you use and can’t live without?
SP: I use Freshbooks for my accounting system, it’s easy to use and tracks everything. I use Dropbox to manage all my files and share with clients. Facebook is the social media I use the most. People generally are not buyer-intent on Facebook, but they are always looking at you. That could turn into a client eventually if they see you enough.
JS: What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out?
SP: Here’s the thing – you have to figure out if you have more time than money, or more money than time? Probably it’s the former at first. 10-15% of the population are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. If you have more time at first, then get creative. For example, I was watching the Spurs play on Sunday, but I was on my computer and working on stuff during the game. And always, always count your costs. I’m amazed at business owners that don’t track their costs.
JS: Thanks, Shane, for speaking with me today.
SP: It was my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
You can find out more about Revved Business at www.revved.biz, or contact Shane on LinkedIn.
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