70% of our new clients actually come from Alignable. Here's how we do it
If you are a digital marketer that's just joined Alignable, welcome to the best business tool of your life. My business partner and fiancé Jeff and I use Alignable to connect with local business owners and support their digital strategy needs. We've found that business owners are more willing to chat and meet up through Alignable than they are through Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. It’s more efficient than drop-ins, cold calling, paid advertising and physical networking for our business. We've met some of our greatest clients, but on top of that, Alignable has allowed us to become connected to amazing opportunities in our local community. For us, that's Raleigh, NC.
The Big Step One: How We Succeed
Alignable is only as great as you make it. My first day, I spent hours poring over our profile, filling in every section, storytelling and tagging and picture-adding. We filled out our products and services with relevant images. We added personal pictures to the gallery to show that we’re real people living in the same city. Jeff and I each created a profile under our business. And then, finally, when the profile was perfect, we started to add people in our area that we thought we could help.
The Big Step Two: Local Online Networking
- Use the "My Network" tool to find business owners in your area
- You can click "category" to sort businesses by industry. I used this tool to focus lawyers, doctors, landscaping, HVAC, etc. It's especially great for when you want to target a seasonal business.
- Clicking the "new businesses" tab ensures that you are reaching out to active profiles.
- I don't typically type up a personal message until a business owner friends me back. The premade Alignable messages are too cute not to use! Once they connect, I know they are interested in a relationship. I pull up their website, "like" them on social media, and gather enough information that I can send a personal message. I send a kind, honest and short note out, usually asking to grab coffee at a local joint. (Everyone here loves coffee.)
- Import your contacts from LinkedIn or your email address book to find more friends you know. These don't count as "used" connections either.
- Utilize the forums. This is a GREAT way to get your name known in the community, both online and offline. Spend some time coming up with a well-thought-out response, and you will have people continuing to thank you and ask for your business throughout the year.
- We use our out-of-network connections to connect with local towns, rather than expanding our reach nation-wide. We operate in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill triangle, but we only live in Raleigh! Out-of-network connections allow us to connect with business owners in nearby towns, too.
- Once you've connected with a bunch of businesses, start a promotion. Alignable will alert your entire network!
Recommend Your Favorite Businesses! (They'll probably return the favor)
It's nicer to recommend businesses than just asking for them to recommend you. Here's your chance to say some really cool things about your favorite local spots and services.
Why We Succeeded
You know that saying: Never, never, never give up? Jeff and I are on Alignable every day, adding new businesses in our area and welcoming them, responding to forum posts and being a resource in general. It was a no-brainer to upgrade to Premium: one lead a month covers the cost and then some (and our efforts give us many more than one). Our premium status allows us to reach out to tons of local businesses.
Final Advice and What We Learned
Alignable was created to be a simple tool that brings business owners together. After you connect with them, it's up to you to take that connection to the next level to make a relationship and maybe even a sale. Like many things in life, you get out of Alignable what you put into it. Try spending three hours one day personally connecting with local business owners. I guarantee your schedule will be filled for the next week, and you'll unlock amazing opportunities and relationships in your community.
Have a question? Comment below!
Comments (1-10)
What sets Alignable apart from all other Social/Business sites is the fact that we are all encouraged to engages and interact with each other, rather than just make contacts!
This is more or less the way I have interacted with others whom seem barely interested in even completing their Profiles - What I say to them is:
“Those who fully develop their profiles with a picture of their smiling face out front with a good description of their ideal client, lots of pictures in their profile galleries that illustrate the nature of their business, and actively engage and interact with others are doing great - while those who appear to be barely interested aren’t getting very many Recommends, nor are they being taken seriously by others either.”
Since this is also true, I say:
"As a member that takes Alignable seriously, I testify to you that:
"I have been a successful seller and a happy buyer from other members of Alignable."
Great posts! I have been thinking about paying for premium. My target is corporate companies but everyone can use my service.
Great piece of very helpful information, Jo. Many thanks for the post.
Jenny, If I missed someone asking this, sorry, but curious, how long did it take to start getting clients on here for you?
I've only been on here a few weeks, but so far, 0% :) I know our business is probably harder since it's mostly service and repair, if everything is working right, I imagine people disregard ads like ours (we do printer, copier, scanner and fax machine service), I just hope people remember us for when they need us. But still am curious how long it took on here until you got a confirmed new client?
Great information and great presentation! "Alignable is only as great as you make it", is my advice for anyone using this service, as you said!Jenny Aquaro....Great advice!!!! Put some time into ALIGNABLE, and you get back what you put into it.
Respectfully
Dave MacDonald
B.T.W. we have an article about using ALIGNABLE as Musicians....
Jenny, Thanks a ton.. I have been marketing on FB, with multiple fan pages, using Linkedin some, Twitter and back at IG.. If this system here with Alignable can ease my burden where I can focus on clients both locally and throughout the US, than this most defiinitely would be the answer to my prayers.. I also enjoyed doing social media, but after a while with not much results but a bunch of marketers and who knows wanting to be my "Friend" on social media, it gets a bit overwhelming... Great Article, I have been a member for over a year but seriously after reading your article, I know I need to close the door, get back into the laboratory and get my Alignable working for me and my clients immediately.. Thanks again, keep em coming.. Robert J
Great info; thanks for sharing!
Maurice
Hello from beautiful Montana,
What fun to work together in your business. My husband and I have done that with real estate and other businesses. It is good to leave the business part in the office when it is time to focus on family time, however.
You have some excellent advice. Thanks for caring and sharing.
Judy Helm Wright--Author/Blogger/Intuitive Wise Woman
What you say is so true - I remember years ago when I joined LinkedIn - it was just starting then, and that's exactly what I did. I was setting up a new business in a highly competitive market, in London (England), and I hardly knew anyone there as I'd just moved there from Montreal, Québec! I met so many interesting people, many of whom I ended up meeting and working with and/or exchanging great business ideas and opportunities. I hope many others follow your good advice, Jenny! Great to meet you.
Marie Paule, Montreal (Qc)
Thanks, I appreciated this article and the hints on using Alignable. To be fully transparent, I have not used Alignable to pitch my business as it is still evolving towards its goal as one powerfully simple (to use) yet high impact transformation catalyst that is affordable, natural and inclusive. So the last few years using Alignable I just focused on answering the questions, which to me was continuous with my goal to help people where my varied experience might do so. I also value that many others step up and the culture of Alignable seems less about competition and more about collaboration. But I will follow the tips soon as am getting close to the point where I can tell my wife 'I really do have a business, this is not just a passion hobby". I think any of us in a position to really help people should do so and let the money fall where trust and relevance precede it.