May 2023
I MESSED UP!
March's newsletter was a disaster. Thank you to those who pointed out that something was not right. I apologize. I was looking for a faster way to create this monthly newsletter and thought I had found a "method" that would work. Unfortunately, when the email was sent, it was not able to retrieve all the elements. This month, I have gone back to manual work, which involves a lot of cut and paste. However, I hope this newsletter is more readable.
If you recently signed up, Hi! 🖐🏻 I'm Andrew and I run Digital.Done.Right. If you've come across my website, you've probably figured that out somehow. I like hearing from my readers so I know what interests you.
I received interesting feedback on my website and the content I am sharing, which made me rethink what I am producing. The feedback indicated that my content seems to be written for myself and not for potential clients or others interested in learning more.
On one hand, I often write in a technical style using industry-specific terms that are not understandable to the average reader. On the other hand, the information I provide does not address the reader's questions. Both of these points have made me think about how to address this issue.
I know how to "rewire" this using the principles I learned in my 2021 Google User Experience Design course. One of these principles involves defining the target audience, identifying the problem to be solved, assessing the audience's knowledge of the situation, and determining how they would like the information to be delivered. So, I understand what needs to be done. Now, I just need to clear some time in my calendar to dedicate to this task.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how this format is working for you. Also, what would you like to see more or less of? Anyway, thanks for being part of my journey.
Hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter! ☺️
/Andrew
NEWSLETTER DESIGN
This is the structure of this newsletter. Go to the parts you are more interested in!
Tom Sawyer Travels (my updates)
Online Growth Hacks (industry specific, see below)
Growing your business online (other tips and hacks)
Latest podcasts
What else? (is there something left I want to share?)
Tom Sawyer Travels
Here I share random experiences I make along the way. 👇🏻
OFFLINE BUSINESSES ARE IGNORING THE INTERNET, AND IT'S COSTING THEM DEARLY: A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE FUTURE-PROOF ENTREPRENEUR
April 14, 2023
Just because you're an offline business doesn't mean you can ignore the internet and social media.
There are major missed opportunities for cafes and restaurants that aren’t using the web to promote their biz, which is just messed up. Wake up, people! You gotta communicate with your patrons and check those comments on your online profiles if you wanna stay relevant and attract new peeps.
There are 2 parts to this story. This might not work in a single post but they run together in my brain so here I go.
Online Growth hacks
I post on social media every Saturday one tip, idea or tool to grow your local business. As a subscriber you never miss a beat!
Growth Hacks for Food Trucks
I know this is a little late but the last newsletter was a catastrophe! Here are the 8 “Growth Hacks for Food Trucks” all in a row.
6-PART SERIES ON GROWING YOUR FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS ONLINE
I only know the food truck business from one side: the customer's side. So no tips on cooking, pricing, or optimizing your production. What I do know is how to get noticed online. In this six-part series, I will dive into the different strategies and techniques food truck owners can use to boost their catering business online.
Inside tip: it ended up being an 8-part series!
08 MAXIMIZING THE IMPACT OF YOUR CATERING BUSINESS THROUGH TARGETED CALLS TO ACTION
The article focuses on the importance of tailoring your Call-to-Action (CTA) according to the different stages of the customer buying cycle. The customer buying cycle includes awareness, interest, evaluation, and decision, and each stage requires a different approach. By using different CTAs at different stages of the customer buying cycle, your food truck can effectively engage with customers and guide them toward making a purchase.
07 MAXIMIZING BUSINESS GROWTH THROUGH NETWORKING: STRATEGIES FOR YOUR FOOD TRUCK
Networking is a crucial component of growing a food truck business. Building relationships with other business owners and potential customers can help increase exposure and bring in new business. From attending local events and connecting with like-minded groups to offering catering services, there are numerous ways to network and grow a food truck business.
06 CREATING AN ENGAGING NEWSLETTER FOR YOUR FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS: TIPS AND IDEAS
Creating a newsletter for your food truck business is an excellent way to reach out to your customers and keep them informed about all the latest news, events, and special promotions. By offering a mix of behind-the-scenes content, recipes, cooking tips, industry news and trends, and more, you can provide your customers with valuable information that will keep them coming back for more.
05 BUILDING YOUR EMAIL LIST: STRATEGIES FOR FOOD TRUCK OWNERS TO INCREASE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AND BOOST SALES
Email marketing is a powerful tool for food truck businesses to connect with their customers and promote their offerings. By building an email list of interested customers, food truck owners can send targeted and personalized messages to drive sales and increase customer engagement. In this article, I will explore the strategies and tips for building an effective email list for your food truck business.
04 BOOST YOUR BUSINESS WITH CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS: HOW TO GET MORE REVIEWS FOR YOUR FOOD TRUCK
Getting more customer reviews and testimonials is a key way to boost your food truck business and stand out in a competitive market. By showcasing the positive experiences of your customers, you can establish credibility and build trust with potential customers. In this article, we'll explore how you can use customer testimonials to drive sales and growth for your food truck.
03 STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD: UNIQUE SELLING POINTS FOR YOUR FOOD TRUCK CATERING BUSINESS
In today's competitive food truck marketplace, standing out from the crowd is more important than ever. By focusing on your unique selling points and highlighting them in all your marketing materials, you can attract new customers and grow your business. In this article, I'll explore how to make the most of your locally sourced, healthy, handmade ingredients and use them to differentiate your food truck catering business from the rest.
02 REFERRAL PROGRAM: THE SECRET TO GROWING YOUR FOOD TRUCK CATERING BUSINESS
Referral programs are a great way to grow your food truck catering business while rewarding your existing customers. By offering incentives and making it easy to refer friends and family, you can grow your business and attract new customers. This article will show you what they are and how they can help you succeed in growing your business.
01 SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY: HOW TO BOOST YOUR FOOD TRUCK CATERING BUSINESS
Social media is a powerful tool for businesses in today's digital age, and it's no different for food truck owners. With the right strategy in place, you can reach a wider audience, increase brand awareness, and drive more catering bookings. In this post, we will guide you through the steps of creating a social media strategy that works for your food truck business.
Growing your Local business online
TIPS & TRICKS: HOW TO SET UP AND OPTIMIZE A GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE
Google Business Profile setup and optimization is an important measure to improve the online presence of a business and attract new customers. Here are steps you can follow to set up and optimize a Google Business Profile.
UNLEASHING LOCAL BUSINESS SUCCESS: PROVEN FORMULA FOR THRIVING ONLINE
As a digital marketer, I specialize in optimizing websites, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and developing social media strategies. By implementing these strategies, local businesses can attract more customers, increase sales, and thrive in the digital world.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: HOW REGULAR ONLINE EXPERIENCE AUDITS CAN ENHANCE YOUR USERS' JOURNEY
Providing a positive online experience is critical for businesses to attract and retain customers in today's digital world. As customers' expectations continue to evolve, it's essential for businesses to conduct regular Online Health Checks to ensure they're meeting their customers' needs. In this article, we'll discuss the benefits of regularly conducting an Online Health Check.
GET FOUND ON GOOGLE: THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING UP YOUR GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE
Are you looking to increase your online visibility and reach more customers? Setting up a Google Business Profile is a must for any local business looking to establish a strong online presence. Discover how a well-optimized Google Business Profile can help your business show up on Google Maps, improve your search engine ranking, and drive more foot traffic. Don't miss out on the benefits of a comprehensive online strategy - read on to learn more!
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT MARKETING FOR LOCAL BUSINESS SUCCESS
Are you a local business looking to improve your online visibility and attract more customers? Content marketing can help. By creating valuable, engaging content that speaks to your target audience, you can build trust, boost your search engine rankings, and drive more traffic to your website. Don't miss out on the benefits of content marketing for your local business!
Latest Podcasts
No new podcast made recently. All the time has been going into the relaunch of my business and podcasting has slipped. It will return!
What Else?
My random last-minute thoughts. ✌🏻
MORE AI ANTICS v1
I am guessing if you read my newsletter then you have heard and perhaps tried one of the new AI chatbots. I installed Microsoft’s Bing app and tried it out. OK, not bad but certainly a different experience from ChatGPT. The more interesting thing is that I used Bing! I have not had a PC or used Microsoft Windows in many years so this was something new. I have not seen the numbers yet but the CEO of Microsoft wanted only a small percentage of Google users to come over and use Bing and he will have won. Guess he likely has those numbers by now.
I wanted to plan a 3-day holiday across a small region of Louisiana later this year. I was born there so know the area pretty well but I have not lived there for over 30 years. I prepared my prompt and entered it into ChatGPT. As expected, within a few seconds I had an itinerary with sites to see, places to stay, and a few pointers I did not know about. Not perfect but 90% there. Yeah, wow.
I use Notion as my organization tool and am writing this now in Notion. They added AI just last month and I can access it by hitting the space bar and asking a question. Save me the step of having to move over to my browser and access ChatGPT then get the response and copy&paste it back here. A real-time saver. What’s also interesting are some the of default prompts Notion has built-in. The one I will use right now and show you the result is “improve my writing”.
MORE AI ANTICS v2 (improved by AI?)
If you're reading my newsletter, I'm guessing you've heard of and perhaps even tried one of the new AI chatbots. Recently, I installed Microsoft's Bing app and gave it a try. It wasn't bad, but it was certainly a different experience from ChatGPT. Interestingly, I used Bing - I haven't had a PC or used Microsoft Windows in many years, so this was something new. I haven't seen the numbers yet, but the CEO of Microsoft only wanted a small percentage of Google users to switch over to Bing, and if he achieved that goal, he would have won. I guess he likely has those numbers now.
Later this year, I wanted to plan a 3-day holiday in a small region of Louisiana. I was born there, so I know the area pretty well, but I haven't lived there in over 30 years. I prepared my prompt and entered it into ChatGPT. As expected, within a few seconds, I had an itinerary with sites to see, places to stay, and a few pointers that I didn't know about. It wasn't perfect, but it was 90% there. Yeah, wow.
I use Notion as my organizational tool and am writing this in Notion right now. They added AI just last month, and I can access it by hitting the space bar and asking a question. This saves me the step of having to move over to my browser, access ChatGPT, get the response, and copy and paste it back here. A real-time saver. What's also interesting are some of the default prompts Notion has built-in. The one I'll use right now to show you the result is "improve my writing."
Was it any better? Tell me your thoughts or experiences with AI.
Hey, if you made it this far then, thanks! I hope it was worth your time and if you have a comment please let me know. I am on a journey to learn how people and organizations are coping with this New Normal.
If you are interested in sharing your story or know of someone who might just reach out. Use the contact form here and leave me a short note. I would love to hear your story.
Thank you for coming here and sharing your time with me.
/Andrew
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