How To Create Value For Your Customers
In today’s world of social media, influencers, business gurus and one-click shopping, it’s easy to forget the customer.
In a large and competitive marketplace, everyone is selling something – whether as a business owner or employee. Entrepreneur or artist.
And between the internet and the device in our pocket that connects us to over 3 billion people 24/7, we’re always trying to find our audience.
Just a cursory web search will reveal all manner of marketing chicanery to achieve this. Dubious email lists bought thousands of times over, strategies and methodologies to hack your social influence.
I once worked with a client who’s entire strategy, was to constantly bombard his fledging audience with the same communication on an almost daily basis. Attrition marketing at it’s best.
But aside from all this selling and jostling for position, how often do we try and create value for our audiences?
When Content Misses the Mark
There’s a business local to me, than I’ve seen grow from an empty premises to a viable enterprise.
The services they provide are niche, useful and in service to the local community.
However their social media accounts supporting their business are full of irrelevant, passive content, that fails to create value for their followers.
In terms of marketing a business, your audience doesn’t really care about the minutiae of your day.
It might sound cynical, but your customers are likely more self-interested than interested in you.
Unless you happen to be a world-famous pop-star, at which point I’d venture this blog post probably isn’t for you.
But even in the case of said pop-stars, their fame, talent and content creates value for their fans. Essentially to create engaging content you have two broad choices – inform or entertain (with a very sweet spot somewhere in the middle).
So instead of one-size-fits-all communications with pushy call-to-actions (‘buy now’, ‘click here’, ‘follow us’), try earning your customers’ engagement.
What happens when we make it all about them, and not us?
It’s not you, it’s them
The next time you create content, marketing or a brand communication, think to yourself ‘how can I help my customer?’.
If you’re a dog-sitting business, instead of posting photos of your dog, why not post 3 tips to make a dog sit still?
Or, if you’re a shoe repair shop, instead of Tweeting about the weather, why not create a blog on shoe care?
And if you’re a web designer, instead of sharing your availability, why not share your knowledge?
Creating value in this way not only serves our clients and customers, but we also create value for ourselves.
And in turn this helps us become better creatives, shop assistants, managers, and marketeers. And this makes for better businesses, improved services, and valued jobs.
In today’s world creating value is not just advantageous – it’s essential.
Just click here to…
– Greg Bunbury