Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Meet Darcy Peters, Senior Customer Advocate Manager at Buffer, whose diverse journey from fitness entrepreneur and Marine Corps officer to Customer Advocacy maven is a testament to resilience and adaptability. In this candid interview, Darcy shares her experiences balancing work, family, and personal growth while embracing challenges and nurturing a fulfilling career at Buffer.🖊️Check out Darcy’s Start Page and connect with her on LinkedInHi Darcy, thanks for joining me! When and how did you get started working at Buffer?I started at Buffer in November 2015, seven and a half years ago. I previously owned a fitness business and used Buffer for scheduling social media posts. After selling the business, I took a course called “Smart Success” by Chalene Johnson and realized I wanted financial stability and to work on a team for someone else’s mission. One day, while scheduling posts at Starbucks, I noticed a “Buffer is hiring” banner on their website. Buffer was scaling from around 25 to 80 employees at that time, so there were many open positions. I applied for a Customer Advocacy role back when it was called the Happiness Hero. And at the time, we were called the Happiness team instead of Customer Advocacy. And so I was hired for the role of Twitter Happiness Hero, so I would be the one to jump into all of the support tweets that came through. That’s how I joined Buffer.It’s been that same area the entire way through. Some months after I came on, there was an opportunity to have a manager role for Social Support, so I moved into that at that time. But as far as the area goes, I’ve stuck with it.You’ve been in your role for over seven years, which is quite a long time. Why have you stuck with the role, and how has Buffer encouraged you to stay in Customer Advocacy?That’s a good question. One of the main reasons is the dynamic nature of the role, and Buffer as a whole is a very dynamic company. We have the autonomy to identify problems, suggest solutions, and jump into challenges. We’re comfortable with failing, learning from it, and pivoting. Because of these aspects, I haven’t been doing the same thing every day for seven years. My role has evolved, allowing me to try different things and stay engaged. In addition, I’ve been able to grow my skill set, both in Customer Advocacy and as a manager. This continuous growth and the opportunity to face new challenges have kept me interested and motivated throughout my time at Buffer.Do you have any side projects or personal ventures outside of Buffer? How has working at Buffer been supportive of these pursuits?I’ve dabbled in a few side projects, such as reselling items and exploring modern calligraphy. I’ve always been interested in crafts and tapping into my creative side. However, I haven’t delved too deeply into these projects due to my family commitments, which include three children and hosting their Chinese teacher at our home. Additionally, maintaining our house and yard occupies much of my time. One of my significant non-work-related activities is volunteering for my children’s language immersion school. I serve on the school board and act as the co-chair of their school accountability committee, where I work on writing bylaws. Additionally, I manage the school’s social media accounts. These roles are unpaid and involve a significant time commitment similar to a paid side project, but they help me develop skills that can benefit my work at Buffer as well. And while these side projects haven’t been major money-makers, Buffer has supported my personal pursuits and interests.What would you say is your favorite perk of working at Buffer?It’s difficult for me to pick a favorite, as I appreciate many aspects of working at Buffer. However, I think the ability to work where we are happiest has been a huge benefit to my quality of life and work-life balance. This flexibility allows me to spend time with my family, such as taking my kids to California for three weeks over the summer to visit their grandparents while still being able to work. Additionally, I can work from home or a nearby Starbucks, which lets me quickly pick up my kids from school after a meeting. This flexibility is something I value greatly in my day-to-day life.As a customer advocate, how do you structure your workday and workweek? Do you work specific hours or with any time zones outside your own?My work schedule is designed around my family; I have three children in elementary school. I wake up at 5 a.m. and work for about an hour before getting the household up and running. While my husband makes breakfast, I continue working and sometimes use a screen reader app to catch up on long threads as I get ready. After dropping the kids off at school, I resume work and try to fit in a workout during the middle of the day as my break. I continue working until it’s time to pick up the kids and take them to any sports activities, during which I may still work. I typically reserve evenings for family time.I work Monday through Thursday and occasionally jump in to help with after-hours incidents in Advocacy. On Fridays, Advocacy leads take turns being on call to support the team as needed. During on-call days, I don’t necessarily have to work but need to be aware of what’s going on in case any issues arise.Do you think your work week differs significantly from a typical work week for someone not at Buffer, given the need to be available online during weekends and the flexibility of your schedule?While we do have weekend support, those individuals have a different four-day workweek. My work week might be different from some teams, but others also have on-call rotations as part of their position, so I wouldn’t say it’s drastically different in that regard. However, my daily work routine may be quite different from many people who may not have children or aren’t the primary caregivers for their children. The way I split up my workday, with breaks for workouts or assisting my kids, could be unique compared to how most people work. That being said, this schedule works well for me and suits my needs.How does working in Customer Advocacy at Buffer impact your daily life outside of work? Have there been any unusual situations or unique considerations you’ve had to make in your personal life because of your role?As a manager in Customer Advocacy, I handle escalations involving policy-related situations, which can sometimes be tricky. For example, I recently dealt with a customer who kept requesting a refund for a purchase made in September 2021, even though they were told they couldn’t have one. Advocates needed someone else to reiterate the decision, so I stepped in. These situations require a higher level of responsibility, and I often take time to think them through, ensuring I get it right based on my understanding of our terms and policies.Another aspect of my role that impacts my daily life is the ability to use longer breaks for reflection. When I’m driving or engaging in mindless activities like walking, I can think through challenges related to customer tickets or ongoing projects. I often use the Notes app on my phone to talk-to-text, recording my thoughts for future reference, whether it’s for Customer Advocacy blog posts or project ideas.These examples may not be exactly “out there,” but they do highlight some unique aspects of working in Customer Advocacy at Buffer and how it influences my daily life outside of work.So going back seven years, what is your strongest earliest memory of working at Buffer?A memorable experience that stood out to me culturally was when I joined Buffer with three young children. I assumed I’d need to explain my childcare plans to my lead at the time, Kara. When I started explaining, she told me I didn’t have to and that if I needed any support, to just let her know. That level of trust was new to me, as I came from a military background with strict accountability. Buffer’s trust in me as a professional made me feel more confident, which allowed me to do better work because I felt valued and didn’t need to hold back.Can you share your career journey in detail, from your studies to your time in the military, your fitness brand, and ultimately ending up at Buffer?I began my career journey by studying broadcast news and working various fitness-related jobs, such as teaching gymnastics and working as a lifeguard. I attended Pepperdine University, where I led acapella singing groups for church sessions. After graduating with a BA in broadcast journalism, I married my husband and worked as an administrative assistant in a construction business in Orange County, California.I had always been interested in joining the military or law enforcement, so I decided to enlist as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. I trained to become a combat engineer, choosing it over public affairs, as it was more physically demanding and different from my previous experience.During my training, my husband was injured overseas and medevaced back to the U.S. I took four months off from my training to help with his recovery before returning to complete my training and serve in Afghanistan. After coming back, my husband was medically retired from the Marine Corps, and I decided to leave the military as well to start a family.We moved to Colorado for a lower cost of living, and I started teaching fitness classes and writing a blog. Eventually, I found an opportunity with a fitness franchise called Fit for Mom and purchased one of the largest territories available. I built five locations within the territory, hired instructors, and managed the business.As my family grew, balancing the demands of the business with my personal life became increasingly challenging. Feeling guilty about not giving enough time to either my kids or the business, I decided to sell the franchise. I continued working in fitness while taking a course to soul-search for what I truly wanted in life. This course led me to discover Buffer.Though I didn’t have tech experience, I applied for a position at Buffer, showcasing my customer service experience and injecting my application with personality. I was fortunate to be selected from numerous applicants, and I’ve been happily working at Buffer ever since, grateful for how well everything lined up in my life.Given your diverse work experiences, including the Marine Corps, owning a business, and now working at Buffer, how have those experiences influenced your work at Buffer?The managerial aspect of my previous experiences has definitely impacted my work at Buffer. In the Marine Corps, I was a captain and had to manage dynamic situations in life-or-death circumstances. This has helped me maintain a sense of calm in more hectic situations at Buffer.Owning a business has also contributed to my growth as a manager at Buffer. I’ve learned many entrepreneurial skills working here since we all have ownership over various parts of the company. Looking back, I can see how I could have done things better in my own business with the knowledge I’ve gained at Buffer.These varied experiences have aided me in managing different aspects of my role at Buffer, especially in staying calm during high-pressure situations like when Buffer goes down and the inbox starts flooding with emails. I strive to see things from a different perspective in these scenarios and to communicate that perspective in my leadership. However, I must note that I’m not unique in this regard, as all the advocates at Buffer excel at handling such situations.What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while working at Buffer, either related to your work or your personal life?One significant challenge I’ve faced at Buffer is improving my approach to one-on-one interactions with team members. Last March, I started a course called Leaders Who Coach, to help me interact more effectively in one-on-one situations. The course encouraged stepping back, asking more questions, and helping individuals find their own answers rather than providing answers or leading the conversation.Changing habits is always difficult, and I’m still working on refining my approach. I believe that the way we conduct one-on-ones can significantly impact team members’ sense of empowerment. As a manager, I’m constantly thinking about whether I’m doing what’s best for the team members, and I recognize that there will be failures along the way.The challenge is to continually seek feedback, understand how my actions are impacting individuals at different stages of their journeys, and keep looking for ways to improve. It’s an ongoing process to ensure that I’m effectively serving the needs of everyone I lead.Some people suggest that you can’t “have it all”, often meaning that you can’t be professionally successful while also dedicating significant time to your family and personal life. Based on your time at Buffer, would you say you’ve attained professional success, or are at least on the path to it, however you define it for yourself?I would say an absolute yes, I believe I’ve attained professional success at Buffer. My growth and skills as a manager have increased significantly, and my awareness of the tech space has expanded. Even though I’ve stayed in the same area, I feel like I’ve had plenty of opportunities for growth and development, both within the career framework and as an individual.Regarding the balance between professional and personal life, I realized during my sabbatical that the flexibility and balance I enjoyed didn’t disappear when I returned to work. My life is enriched because I have challenges and get to think about things I enjoy and work through problems that interest me. This personal growth enhances my ability to serve my family, as I’m happier and more fulfilled. To me, this balance between personal and professional life is the key to success, and I am grateful for the opportunity to experience it at Buffer.🗒️Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, check out the other Buffer Diaries interviews.

SEO isn’t easy — it often requires an entire team of people who solely focus on SEO within your marketing department to get it right. That’s why many companies choose to outsource their SEO to an SEO agency/service.

But where do you start? And how much will it cost? These are some of the first questions businesses may have when thinking about hiring externally.
In this post, we’ll explore what SEO agencies do, how they structure their prices, and how you can tell if they’re worth the cost. Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents

What do SEO services do?
The Benefits of SEO Services
How SEO Services Structure Their Prices
Basic SEO Plan Pricing
Enterprising SEO Plan Pricing
How can you tell if an SEO service is worth it?

What do SEO services do?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important marketing strategy because it helps you rank higher on search engines.
By hiring an SEO service, you can partner with an agency that uses several tactics to increase your rank and traffic. These tactics include keyword targeting, keyword research, content marketing, link building (both internal and external), and more.
Since there are several different kinds of SEO (on-page, off-page, technical, and local), there are services available. Some provide an all-in-one service others focus on just one type of SEO.
Foundational services usually include the following:

Keyword research
Technical SEO audits
On-page setup
Competitor analysis
Website blog content
Link building
Link auditing
Guest blogging
Local SEO
Citation building
Review management
Google Business optimization

The Benefits of SEO Services
Many companies choose to use SEO services so experts can execute their marketing strategies.
These companies can help you improve your rank on search engines, increase conversions, and boost authority. Let’s go into more detail.
1. SEO services help improve your rank on search engines.
With an SEO service, you’ll have an expert handling your content marketing, so you can improve your rank on search engines and drive traffic to your website.
Reaching people organically in this way is important to your company as it builds brand awareness and brings visitors/leads to your site.
Organic is one of the best ways to bring in leads because you’re helping potential customers that will then turn into leads and sales. Improving your rank on search engines will bring that traffic and get your product/service in front of more people.
2. You can increase conversions with both paid and organic leads.
SEO is necessary for your site because it can help generate leads. By using an SEO service, you can increase conversions from paid and organic efforts.
When people come to your site from organic efforts, an SEO service will help turn them into leads and convert them into customers by using their expertise in content marketing, lead nurturing, and lead generation.
Additionally, SEO services often help with PPC and display ads, meaning they can help increase your paid leads as well.
3. They help boost authority and build brand awareness.
The overall goal of SEO is to help boost authority and build brand awareness among your audience, teaching your audience to trust your company.
An SEO service can help with this by implementing an involved strategy focused on consistently publishing content related to your products and services, and adjusting as necessary based on results.
Now that we know what SEO services are and why they exist, let’s discuss how much they cost.

How SEO Services Structure Their Prices
SEO services can structure their prices in several ways, whether they’re on retainer, charge hourly rates, or charge by the project.
These services also take into consideration the competitiveness of keywords, whether you’re running a local or national campaign, the type of project, and whether they’re an individual freelancer or a full-service agency.
Typically, hiring services can cost an average of $1,000 to $10,000 monthly.
SEO services also usually come in different packages, bundles, and plans. Let’s review what a basic SEO plan might cost compared to an enterprise SEO plan.

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Basic SEO Plan Pricing
A basic SEO plan usually features several automated services and the bare minimum for organic reach. This often includes title tag creation, technical SEO maintenance (image sizing, page speed, etc.), citation building, and monthly reports.
Usually, an SEO service will use software and tools to automate these processes, allowing them to offer more cost-effective packages. A basic SEO plan may cost anywhere from $500 to $2,500 per month.

Enterprise SEO Plan Pricing
An enterprise SEO plan will include more specialized, customized campaign work.
You’ll most likely have a dedicated customer success manager and work with several departments on content marketing, technical SEO, PPC ads, and more.

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An enterprise plan will likely include keyword research, analytics and reporting, PPC ads, title and meta tag creation, technical SEO maintenance, content creation (lead magnets, blog posts, ads, ebooks, etc.), link building, and monthly reports.
This plan will cost more, ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 monthly. Remember, costs can quickly increase depending on the service your hire, so it’s important to know which service is worth it.

How can you tell if an SEO service is worth it?
The main reason there’s such a variety in cost is that many types of SEO services exist. Whether it’s a freelancer or an agency, either will structure their pricing differently and have varying levels and areas of expertise.
For example, Scorpion is an SEO agency specializing in legal and home services marketing. Other agencies might specialize in B2B marketing. It’s important to remember that with specialized expertise comes higher pricing.
To determine whether or not an SEO service is worth the cost, consider the types of packages they offer, the per-project cost, the hourly rate, the experience and expertise, and their client testimonials.

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Here are some things to consider.
1. Can they demonstrate proven results?
Make sure to look for proven results from any SEO service. What do previous clients say? What kind of results did they see? Do they have case studies to share?
Look for data, videos, reviews, social media posts, and other points that prove they know what they’re doing. Social proof will let you know how likely you are to succeed and what results you can expect.
2. Do they feature customer testimonials?
Pay particular attention to testimonials, customer videos, and case studies. These will show you how happy other clients have been with the service, and they might even explain the type of packages and projects.
The more happy customer there are, the more likely you are to have a similar experience.
3. Do they implement white-hat or black-hat SEO tactics?
Some SEO tactics are allowed, like white hat, and some are not allowed by search engines, like black hat.
Black-hat tactics include keyword stuffing, blending text into the background, and more. Look out for shady strategies that don’t sound right or try to manipulate the system. Then, run in the other direction.
4. Are they willing to explain your customized strategy?
A reputable SEO service will explain its strategy, approach, services, and the results you can expect to see.
That’s a sign that their service is worth it. If they can’t do that, they may be working off the whim without a clear direction — something you don’t want.
Getting Started
SEO is an important marketing tactic responsible for driving leads and revenue. These strategies aren’t going away anytime soon.
That’s why many companies look at SEO services, figure out what services they need, find a plan that fits their budget, and seek an agency to partner with.

 

 

Understanding your customers is essential for building a successful business. It enables you to tailor your products and services to meet their needs and expectations, which ultimately leads to increased customer loyalty and profitability. But how do you go about understanding your customers better? In this article, we will explore some methods and processes that can help you gain valuable insights into your customers.

Customers want businesses to understand their individual requirements and expectations, while 66% of them feel they are often treated like numbers (Salesforce). We prepared this guide to prevent your customers from feeling this way.

 

Interested in how well your company understands customers? Take a Cupid Score!

 

Step 1: Ask your customers directly

 

One of the best ways to understand your customers is to gather information about them from them. This can be done through various means, including surveys and polls, focus groups, and the collection of customer data on purchase histories and website analytics, among others.

Surveys and polls can be conducted online using tools like Email Designer Studio or personalised banners on the main page of your store. These tools help you gather information about customer demographics, preferences, and behaviours.

In contrast, focus groups involve a small group of customers discussing their thoughts and opinions about your products or services. This can provide valuable insights into their needs and expectations.

The most advanced way to ask customers directly about their preferences is by employing tools such as the Customer Preference Center. You may not be aware of this, but the majority of your online store customers would be willing to voluntarily give you information about their interests and product preferences. This information is called Zero-Party Data. Declarative data, given freely and voluntarily, is the closest thing on the internet to face-to-face conversation. The Customer Preference Center allows you to ask customers questions via the channel they prefer (email, WhatsApp, etc.), on specific days and at the hours that they prefer to gather personal information and product preferences in the most straightforward manner possible. Zero-Party Data works best in conjunction with First-Party Data.

First-Party customer data, such as purchase history and website analytics, can help you understand customer behaviours, preferences, and patterns. This allows you to identify opportunities for growth and tailor your marketing and sales efforts accordingly.

 

Step 2: Analyse customer feedback and implement improvements.

 

Once you have gathered information about your customers, it is important to analyse the data and use it to implement improvements. This can be done through a dedicated feedback team, automated tools for gather and analysing feedback from online reviews and social media, or surveys.

A dedicated feedback team can help you collect and analyse customer feedback on a regular basis. They can help you identify trends and areas for improvement, and work with other departments to implement changes.

Surveys can also be used to gather feedback on specific products or services. This can help you identify areas for improvement so that you can make appropriate changes.

Automated tools such as analysis software can help you gather and analyze the feedback found in online reviews and on social media. This can provide insights into customer satisfaction and sentiment, allowing you to quickly identify and address issues.

The pinnacle of customer data analytics is a second-generation Customer Data Platform (CDP). Empowered with machine learning and fed with Zero-Party data from the Customer Preference Center and Personal Shopping Inbox, or even surveys, such CDPs integrate customer feedback in the form of preferences into a 360-degree unified customer profile. In conjunction with data gathered by a dedicated feedback team, such a data set provides you with a high-resolution picture of your product or service from the customer’s viewpoint.

 

Step 3: Implement processes that ensure employees have a deep understanding of customer needs and expectations.

 

Finally, it is important to ensure that all employees have a deep understanding of the needs and expectations of your customers. This can be achieved through a customer-focused training program, employee training on communicating openly with customers to seek their feedback, and having a customer service manual.

A customer-focused training program can help employees understand the importance of customer satisfaction and provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to deliver excellent customer service.

Encouraging employees to communicate openly with customers and seek feedback from them can help build strong relationships and cultivate a culture of ongoing improvement. Providing employees with a customer service manual equips them with guidance and best practices for providing excellent customer service. A manual can guarantee uniformity across all customer interactions and contribute to a robust brand reputation.

 

Wrapping Up

 

Understanding your customers is crucial for transcending ordinary customer relationships and reaching customer intimacy. By employing these and other methods to learn more about customers, and then analyzing customer feedback, implementing improvements, and ensuring that all employees have a deep understanding of customer needs and expectations, you can build strong relationships with your customers, increase key loyalty-related KPIs such as customer lifetime value, reduce churn, and enjoy a stable, satisfied customer base.

 

At its most basic level, email forwarding is a way for businesses to expand their audience reach by getting more eyeballs on their emails. By having people forward your emails, you can gain exposure with greater numbers of potential customers. Also, a forwarded email provides you with more brand exposure, and if people like what…
The post 6 CTAs That Will Get Your Audience to Forward Your Email appeared first on Benchmark Email.

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