How to Hire a Remote Team, Part 1

by Mark Bloom | Feb 8, 2021 | Small Business Advice

What’s the Trick to Hiring Remote Staff?

Hiring remote staff works out better by following these tips

Ray Access has been a virtual company since its founding in 2014. Our work-at-home business model suits the type of work we do and the often-distant location of our clients. It simply doesn’t pay to keep an office when all our business is conducted via email and cell phone. And not having one keeps the overhead low.

Originally, Ray Access consisted of founders Linda Ray and Mark Bloom. We did all the work. But as the business grew, we needed help, eventually hiring (and sometimes firing) dozens of contract writers and support staff. Along the way, we’ve picked up insights into hiring remote staff, which we’d like to share if you’re considering doing the same.

How Do We Hire Remotely?

This question comes up a lot. How can we hire someone we’ve never met in person? The solution to this seemingly difficult problem is simple. After all, we ask the same of our clients. We want them to hire us to write their website content, blog posts or newsletters without ever actually meeting us.

When hiring remote staff, it’s all about building trust. You want to trust that your remote workers are doing the tasks you’ve hired them to do. Some businesses pay by the hour; we don’t. We pay per project, so it doesn’t matter to us whether it takes 10 minutes or 10 hours to do the work. The pay is the same. Our clients get the same deal: their price is the same, regardless how long it takes us.

What’s the First Sign of a Good Hire?

The first hurdle is prompt, professional communication. When prospective team members contact us — or when we contact them — the promptness of the reply tells us how eager they are regarding our opportunity. An unanswered email or a late response doesn’t send a positive message. There are valid excuses, but prompt replies create a starting point for any remote relationship.

Promptness isn’t the only criterion. When we’re hiring remote staff, the level of communication is also pertinent. Our goal is to get to know someone we’ve never met. The only clue, so far, is the way they communicate. We value communication as much as an assignment that’s well done; therefore:

We expect well-crafted email messages. Misspellings and incorrect grammar usage are clues that the candidate isn’t a good fit for us. You may feel similarly.
An unprofessional tone is another deal-breaker. We offer a source of revenue for our freelance writers. In return, we expect them to take our expectations seriously and maintain a professional approach.

How Do We Set Expectations?

At Ray Access, we don’t hold formal interviews when hiring remote staff. If you do, use a phone call or a Zoom meeting to meet your prospective remote worker. Once a potential writer passes the communication test, we offer a test assignment. The writer gets paid for this work whether or not we deem it good enough to use — unless we find it’s been plagiarized.

Along with the test assignment instructions, we send our style sheet and non-negotiable guidelines, in which we set our expectations for communication and work. We’ve fired contract writers for repeatedly breaking these expectations, although we usually give everyone a second chance.

The test provides an example of their work and makes them feel like they’re really working for us. We provide some coaching and encourage questions. We give enough time to complete the assignment. The process gives us an insight to how new writers work, what they’re capable of and how well they respond to instructions. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, we pay them and send them on their way.

Read Part 2 for more tips about hiring remote staff in our next blog post.

Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.

The Four Types of Writing

by Mark Bloom | Jan 25, 2021 | Writing

And How They Apply to Your Website

Know how and when to use the four types of writing

Since Ray Access is in the business of providing content to businesses, the principals know a thing or two about writing. The various research, writing and editing projects the company undertakes always has a clear purpose behind the scenes. No client is going to pay Ray Access to produce a word unless that word serves the business in some way.

The same is true for online content. All writing has to help you gain an audience, maintain your customers or build your brand. These are specific reasons for you to hire Ray Access. But there are four general types of writing, whether you do it for business or for yourself. Whenever you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, you do it to:

Explain
Persuade
Sell
Entertain

Let’s explore how each of these types of writing play into your online presence. You may intuitively understand that a social media post is fundamentally different from a website page, you may not understand why. That difference is its purpose.

1. Writing to Explain

This style of writing always involves the facts. You’re writing to explain a concept, a definition, a process or a procedure. This kind of writing belongs on specific web pages, where visitors want to learn about a specific topic in which your business has expertise.

Like all types of writing, you must know your intended audience well and write in their language. Your goal is to explain the primary points or the various details, depending on the readers’ desired level of knowledge. Additionally, format the content so that it’s easy for your readers to absorb the pertinent information, as people don’t consume online content like hardcopy content. They scan, instead of reading it straight through. Use plenty of formatting tricks, such as:

Subheadings
Numbered lists
Bulleted lists
Short sentences
Short paragraphs

2. Writing to Persuade

Also known as rhetorical writing, this type of writing has as its lofty goal nothing less than changing readers’ behavior. When you’re writing to persuade, you make arguments in favor of a certain course of action, whether it’s to buy something, click a button, provide an email address or vote a particular way. To reach its goal, to actually get readers to change their behavior, persuasive writing has to touch an emotional level. To do this, it has to contain more than just facts.

Rhetorical writing presents unassailable reasons for taking a specific action. Some web pages use this; others are just informational. After visitors know enough about your business to trust it, your deeper website pages can push them to take action. That’s the reason for call-to-action buttons and links. You want visitors to take that step since lead generation is the purpose of a compelling website.

3. Writing to Sell

While this and writing to persuade are similar types of writing, this type tends to be more forceful. You’re pushing readers to buy something you think they want or need. You see this type of writing in advertisements, and it doesn’t belong on your website. If you come off as too sales-oriented, you may scare away all but the neediest visitors. Save sales types of writing for your ads and mailers.

You can’t sell anything until prospective customers trust you, your product or your service, even if they really want or need what you’re offering. Remember, there’s another vendor around the corner of the internet. If you’re a known commodity, you can push a little stronger. Otherwise, you have to spend time building trust and providing social proof.

4. Writing to Entertain

While it may seem counterintuitive, there’s room in business for entertaining writing. Just as a little humor in a business meeting can help break the ice and engender goodwill, a little levity in business writing can earn kudos from its audience. The right kind of entertainment, aimed at its target market, can actually help your company sell its products or services. Entertaining types of writing:

Is memorable
Gains trust
Connects readers to your company
Often hits readers at an emotional level
Promotes your company’s brand

This type of writing may not find a home on your website, but it definitely has a purpose in social media, in relevant blog posts and in newsletters, especially as an engaging opening. Writing to entertain reminds potential customers that there are real people behind your business. And people like to do business with companies and people they like.

These four types of writing sometimes overlap in their purpose. Use all four wisely. Mix and match where appropriate. Wield your words with authority and sense of purpose, and you’ll help your business establish a loyal customer base. But if it’s too much to consider, hire Ray Access to do the hard part for you.

Writing Tips from the Masters

by Mark Bloom | Jan 11, 2021 | Writing

Tips Every Writer Can Use

You may not believe that poets, novelists, essayists and other world-famous scribes and literary masters have writing tips that any ordinary writer can use — even content providers like those at Ray Access. But writing is writing. While composing a stage play is a vastly different exercise than writing a blog post, both are forms of the same type of communication: the written word.

With that in mind, we present a random sampling of writing tips. You may not recognize all the masters below, but please search them out online if you aren’t familiar with their work. They are all great, in one fashion or another, and all are worthy of paying attention to. Good luck, stay motivated and keep writing.

writing tips from Mark Twain? Yes!

Writing Tips for You

Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else. — C.S. Lewis

Be your own editor/critic. Sympathetic but merciless! — Joyce Carol Oates

Do back exercises. Pain is distracting. — Margaret Atwood

Do not write long sentences. A sentence should not have more than 10 or 12 words. — V.S. Naipaul

Don’t overwrite. Avoid the redundant phrases, the distracting adjectives, the unnecessary adverbs. — Sarah Waters

Don’t use big words. If your computer tells you that your average word is more than five letters long, there is something wrong. The use of small words compels you to think about what you are writing. Even difficult ideas can be broken down into small words. — V.S. Naipaul

Don’t wait for inspiration. Discipline is the key. — Esther Freud

Each sentence should make a clear statement. It should add to the statement that went before. A good paragraph is a series of clear, linked statements. — V.S. Naipaul

Editing is everything. Cut until you can cut no more. What is left often springs into life. — Esther Freud

Go easy on conjunctions such as “but,” “and,” “yet,” and “however.” The prose may feel fluid to you when you use these; but if you go back and simply remove them the prose may be even more fluid. — Anne Rice

If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. —George Orwell

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. — Elmore Leonard

Increase your word power. Words are the raw material of our craft. The greater your vocabulary the more effective your writing. We who write in English are fortunate to have the richest and most versatile language in the world. Respect it. — P.D. James

Limit the use of the verb “to be.” There’s almost always a better verb. — Saul Stein

Never send [what you’ve written] … on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning — and then edit it. — David Ogilvy

Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say “Mortality rose.” — C.S. Lewis

Never use a long word where a short one will do. —George Orwell

Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass. — David Ogilvy

Never use the passive where you can use the active. —George Orwell

Never use the word “then” as a conjunction — we have “and” for this purpose. Substituting “then” is the lazy writer’s non-solution to the problem of too many “ands” on the page. — Jonathan Franzen

Never use words whose meanings you are not sure of. If you break this rule you should look for other work. — V.S. Naipaul

Prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them. — C.S. Lewis

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. — Mark Twain

Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs. — David Ogilvy

Use the right word, not its second cousin. — Mark Twain

[Write] every day. Make a habit of putting your observations into words and gradually this will become instinct. This is the most important rule of all and, naturally, I don’t follow it. — Geoff Dyer

Write the way you talk. Naturally. — David Ogilvy

How Outsourcing in 2020 Changed Businesses

by Mark Bloom | Dec 29, 2020 | Small Business Advice

Outsourcing in 2020 Prepared the Way for 2021

Outsourcing in 2020 meant saving money

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a number of fundamental changes in business. The businesses that have survived the assault on the normal world order either sustained considerable losses or adapted to the new ways that consumers shopped. Few businesses were unaffected by the coronavirus.

Some say the changes are for the better, as they forced businesses to become leaner and more efficient. Others point to the economic turmoil and ask how it could be good for business or the world. The fact remains, however, that the world is different than it was a year ago. These changes are likely to last into some or most of 2021, as vaccines roll out and other issues come to the fore.

Has Outsourcing Helped or Hurt Businesses?

Every time a business hires an employee, it incurs additional costs besides salary. Due to the pandemic, businesses learned that outsourcing in 2020 cut those costs. As a result, more and more businesses chose to outsource tasks that they had once hired people to do in-house. And so, outsourcing grew throughout the year.

In researching figures that reflect this new business reality, the principals of Ray Access learned more about outsourcing in 2020. In an effort to sum up the figures and impact of outsourcing on businesses last year — and so gain some insight into how businesses may behave in 2021 — we’ve decided to share an infographic about outsourcing statistics (see below or read the entire article at https://whydoeseverythingsuck.net/blog/outsourcing-statistics/).

What Are the Key Takeaways?

Nearly every industry saw their outsourcing investments grow. More than half of all small businesses outsourced some of their functions. Outsourcing in 2020 grew for many reasons, most often because businesses were interested in:

Increasing efficiency
Reducing expenses
Increasing flexibility
Improving in-house expertise
Allowing employees to do other tasks
Efficiently using available resources within the business

For all these reasons, more businesses made the shift to outsourcing in 2020. Many more will join them in 2021. And it’s become an international phenomenon as well, since the pandemic affected the entire world. While transitioning from in-house to an outsource model takes patience and a plan, it can reduce costs and become an industry staple.

That was 2020. For 2021, a comprehensive research project titled “Small Business Outsourcing Stats (2021 Edition)” from TechBehemoths.com covers similar information, but with updated data. It’s based on 324 surveyed companies from 38 countries.

When you want to outsource your content without sacrificing quality, contact Ray Access There are contractors in your area for every need, from graphics, PR and data retrieval to website design, development and marketing. Instead of simply hiring someone, save money and hire a contractor. Outsourcing in 2020 will become one of the major business trends for businesses in 2021.

10 Tips for Using Zoom

by Mark Bloom | Dec 15, 2020 | Communication

Is There a Better Way to Use Zoom Video Conferencing Software?

tips for using Zoom

As the pandemic drags on, more employees are beginning to feel the effects of Zoom burn-out. To avoid that and make better use of your time and video meetings, you need to find the best tips for using Zoom. Then you can minimize your meeting time and maximize the video conferencing software that’s gained so much popularity and notoriety in the past few months.

These tips for using Zoom may not all apply to your situation, but everyone who uses Zoom in any capacity will be able to gain some benefit by reading through this list of tips. Note that many of these suggestions are meant for those with paid Zoom accounts, not those who use the service for free.

Great Tips for Using Zoom

You’ve attended or held Zoom meetings. You may even recognize the pitfalls of the technology, from attendees who seem distracted to hosts who drone on and on. To get the best use out of the experience, follow these tips:

Schedule your recurring meetings. Zoom meetings aren’t always one-off events. If you hold a regular meeting through Zoom, you can schedule them all on a recurring schedule. The advantage of this feature is that you can use the same link for the meeting every time you hold it. You may still send out invitations, but the link is always the same.
Invite your attendees to get to know Zoom. You don’t want your attendees to be playing with backgrounds or accidentally mute themselves when speaking. If they’re new to Zoom, make sure they’ve already set up their default options and are already familiar with the software.
Have a list of talking points before you start. Don’t go into any meeting unprepared, but especially not a virtual meeting. To avoid burn-out for all your attendees, make sure you stay on target. You can accept questions and comments during your presentation, if that’s important to you, but keep the meeting moving forward.
Adjust your own video before you start. No matter what kind of device you’re using to connect to the meeting, make sure you come across visibly and in complimentary lighting. Make all your adjustments before joining the meeting to look as professional as possible.
Test your audio before joining the meeting. Make sure you’re audible, but not screaming at your attendees. If you’re using a built-in microphone, test the clarity and volume before you join your meeting.
Pick a neutral background. Be careful of using the Virtual Backgrounds that come with Zoom. While they may look cool, they take a lot of computer power and may cause parts of you to fade in and out if you tend to move around a lot. It’s better to find a place in your home or office that can make a neutral backdrop for your video meeting.
Silence all the other notifications on your devices. Don’t let everyone else know that “You’ve got mail” or that your Amazon package has just arrived. Keep it professional.
Mute all attendees when they arrive. Keep chatter to a minimum. You don’t want your group to be talking over you with each other. They’re in the meeting to get what you have to give. Of course, this is a meeting, not a video. When it’s appropriate, open it up for questions or allow feedback at times. And mute yourself when you’re not speaking.
Share your screen when appropriate. You don’t need a slideshow presentation for a Zoom meeting. Sometimes, you just want to show the interface to your software or a cool website. Get creative.
Remember you’re in a meeting. Behave just like you would in a face-to-face meeting. Dress appropriately, at least from the waist up. Be respectful of others. Remain professional at all times because people are watching you, even if it’s not your turn to talk. Don’t multi-task.

Remember these 10 tips for using Zoom, and you’ll have shorter, more productive meetings. You’ll feel better about them, and your attendees will thank you. That means they’ll come back for your next virtual meeting.

When to Outsource Your Small Business

by Mark Bloom | Nov 16, 2020 | Small Business Advice

Is It Time to Outsource?

Ray Access works for other businesses, as well as online agencies. As a contractor for your business or agency, we write:

But when is it appropriate for a small business to outsource? How do you as a business owner or agency owner know when to outsource and when to keep the work in-house? To answer these valid questions, we turned to fundera, which outlines the benefits of outsourcing in this clear graphic that we hope you enjoy and can use:

Could Your Small Business Reap the Benefits of Outsourcing?

Don’t Forget to Vote

by Mark Bloom | Nov 2, 2020 | Small Business Advice

Make Your Voice Heard!

Don't forget to vote, no matter whom you vote for

It’s not every day when you get to turn your attention to something other than your business. However, this is an issue that will have a direct impact on your business. Since Tuesday is election day, it seemed appropriate to write about why we all need to vote and how it affects your business.

“One person, one vote” is a guiding principle of our democratic republic. It’s incumbent upon each of us, as voting-age citizens, to cast our ballots, not just for the presidential election, but for every race that happens to be on your particular ballot. A democracy only works when people, including business owners, take the time, effort and energy to be involved. Don’t forget to vote.

Does One Vote Really Make a Difference?

While it’s not a national holiday, election day is of great importance to our country. And yes, every vote matters, so don’t forget to vote. In 1960, John F. Kennedy beat Richard Nixon by fewer than 120,000 votes nationwide. His electoral college victory was a wider 303-219 affair. But it’s not the closest race in US history.

In 1880, James Garfield beat Winfield Scott Hancock, a Civil War hero, by fewer than 7,400 votes, when most of the population hadn’t yet won the right to cast a ballot (meaning women and most minorities). But the closest electoral college race came in 2000, with George W. Bush and Al Gore. Gore won the popular vote by half a million, but lost the race 271-266. And these examples are just for president.

In state and local races, where smaller populations vote, results can get much closer. As recently as 2017, a race for the Virginia House of Delegates, a 100-seat legislative body, ended in a tie, 11,608-11,608. The name of each candidate was placed inside a small camera film canister, both of which went into a bowl. The State Board of Elections chairman drew one at random to select the winner.

How Does the Election Affect My Business?

History teaches us that the big businesses usually prosper under Republican administrations, while small businesses benefit from a Democratic president. But Ray Access doesn’t advocate one candidate or one party over another — you have to come to your own conclusions. Just don’t forget to vote. You have to weigh the benefits of all candidates on your ballot, consider the community you serve and then vote your conscience.

In 2021, a Democratic president may repeal the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which lowered taxes mostly for big businesses and wealthy individuals. A Republican president may try to broaden the TCJA and make it permanent. A Democrat would likely lower taxes for the lower and middle class, while raising them for the very wealthy. A Republican would likely do the opposite to spur “job-creators.”

Do Businesses Shape Communities or Vice Versa?

But as a business owner, you may benefit from supporting the community that supports you, whether it’s a neighborhood, a town, a state or a nation. If your community suffers, you most definitely will. But if your community prospers, you may too. They say a rising tide lifts all boats, so do what you can to keep your community afloat.

The best way to do that is to make time to vote tomorrow, if you haven’t already. Early voting and absentee voting have topped previous highs to foreshadow a massive voter turnout. That’s good for democracy, and it doesn’t make your vote matter any less. Don’t forget to vote.

8 Ways to Beat Procrastination

by Mark Bloom | Oct 19, 2020 | Small Business Advice

Working from Home Presents New Challenges

Don't let indecision stop you. You can beat procrastination!

As more and more people are forced to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are discovering the pros and cons of the situation they find themselves in. On the positive side, the commute is a lot shorter, generally from one room to another. Sometimes, you may go from one side of the kitchen table, where you just finished your breakfast, to the other side, where your computer awaits.

But there are problems, too, among them: how to beat procrastination. When you work from home:

You may feel compelled to take care of chores during the work day.
Your children or pets may need attention.
You may want to make a snack for yourself.
You may feel the urge to get up to stretch or go for a walk.
You decide to check on the latest sports scores or your latest online purchase.
And of course, your email always demands that you answer correspondence promptly.

Trying to take care of everything — and everyone — eats into your productive work time. You know you can get work done at home; you’ve done it before. But lately, you find other things to do instead of the work you have to do. How do you manage a situation like that?

Admit You’re Procrastinating

The first — and maybe most important — step is to admit that you’re suffering from procrastination. When there’s work to do, that should be your priority. In fact, if you used to work in an office, you know that you’d be hard at work if you were still there. The distractions are simply getting in the way.

But that kind of rationality doesn’t always work. You can beat procrastination, but it may not be easy. At Ray Access, we’ve been working at home since Day One, back in 2014. We’ve learned a thing or two along the way to help you beat procrastination.

Tips for How to Beat Procrastination

Here are six ways to beat procrastination and get your work done on time:

Whenever possible, start early. If there’s a project you know you have to do, don’t put it off. Start on it as soon as you can. Even if you don’t make lots of progress, you’ll still be ahead of the curve and ahead of where you would be if you put it off.
Work offline as much as possible. The internet is a major distraction. There’s email, entertainment sites and even news. If you have to do research, get it done and out of the way. Then rely on your notes, offline, to finish your project. Go online in spurts, when needed, but don’t linger.
Time your work period. Buckle down and work straight for a specific period of time, such as 15 to 30 minutes. Start with a shorter time if you need to and build up. Use an egg-timer, a stopwatch or the timer on your smart phone. Work the whole time until the alarm and then stop. Take a break and then repeat, as often as is necessary.
Don’t seek perfection right away. For many types of work, perfection is the enemy when you’re in the early stages. Seeking perfection from the get-go can stop you from moving forward. Instead, develop a process that often begins with a brain dump. Put down everything that comes to mind for the project. Try it out first and then fine-tune it. Sleep on it before you continue. That’s a great way to determine if your work is genius or garbage.
Break down your project into as many tasks as you can. This gives you a feeling of accomplishment for every little thing you accomplish. This tip takes planning, but once you start attacking those mini-tasks, one at a time, you’re motivated to keep going rather than putting off additional work. It also gives you something to check off your to-do list.
Remember how good completion feels. When you’re tempted to procrastinate, recall the last time you just went ahead and finished a project ahead of schedule. It probably felt great! This is particularly important for those not be getting many atta-boys from a remote boss. Use positive feedback to keep you motivated.
When all else fails, take a mental health break. Get up from your desk. Get away from the office. Take a walk. Go someplace different. Get out into nature. Recharge the juices and release the mind. When you come back to the desk, you may find that you’re in a much different frame of mind that allows you to concentrate better.
Hire professionals when you’re really stuck. While procrastination isn’t a listed mental illness, chronic procrastination carries serious consequences. You may get fired for it or lose clients because of it. Beat procrastination. It’s serious enough to take seriously. And don’t wait until your deadline before you hire someone to help.

The best way to beat procrastination is to refocus on the task at hand. Sometimes, that takes a trip away from your work. Sometimes, it takes a trick to train your mind to focus. Don’t be afraid to admit your problem and ask for help. If you’re really stuck writing your blog or trying to word your press release, contact Ray Access. We’ve never missed a deadline yet!

What Is Social Proof?

by Mark Bloom | Oct 5, 2020 | Content Marketing

How Does the Social Proof Concept Generate Leads?

The social proof concept is like letting your happy clients toot your horn

When you’re shopping for a product or service, notice what sways you about a particular brand or company. There are many factors that go into making a decision to buy, rent or lease. Some factors are intentional, but others are instinctual. When making a purchasing decision, ask yourself if you:

Buy only from a tried-and-true, familiar brand
Make a decision based solely on price
Pick the first one that looks good enough
Devote yourself to researching different brands
Rely on a brand’s reputation and past history
Look for a try-before-you-buy offer
Go with your gut feeling
Ask a friend, relative or colleague
Listen to a trusted celebrity’s endorsement

If you agreed with the final two choices, you’re not alone. Referrals depend on human psychological factors. The theory suggests that if others are happy, satisfied or ecstatic about a product or service, there’s a good chance you’ll feel the same way. It’s the next best thing to trying something yourself before you buy it, which isn’t always possible (consider restaurants or services).

Does the Social Proof Concept Work?

If someone — even a stranger — persuades you to purchase a product or service through his or her experiences with it, you’ve fallen for a marketing concept known as social proof. The social proof concept isn’t underhanded unless the individuals you’re listening to are lying or fake. In general, this is a respected and effective technique that turns your best customers into brand ambassadors.

When your clients rave to you about their experiences with your company, that’s an ego-booster. But when you can turn those same words into a lead-generator on your website, now you’ve entered the domain of the social proof concept. It works because potential customers want to know what others say about what you do. The more specific the accolades, the better.

What Do You Need to Show Social Proof?

A website isn’t a television commercial, even if you have video elements on the page. Your website needs to do more than just sell your goods or services. The social proof concept requires real reviews, in their own words, from real former clients. To pull this together for your website, you require:

Those actual reviews, submitted by former clients
The permission of those clients to post their words and names
Photos of those real people, along with permission to publish the photos
A section on the pertinent page of your website, such as a landing page or your Home page, to publish the reviews as social proof

The description of their experience is what matters, but the photos — along with the person’s name and company name — makes the social proof real. The words alone likely won’t persuade anyone. They have to be real, verifiable even. And if they are, they form a powerful reason for your website visitors to contact you, which is how leads are generated.

Social proof isn’t a new concept, even though it may be packaged under a new name — much like the term social distancing — but it is effective. If you don’t yet have social proof on your website, do it now. If you need help, you can always turn to the content marketing experts at Ray Access.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »