What Have You Given Them Lately?
In the past, it was quite often enough to slap up a site and open for business, and you’d most likely do okay. Not anymore. Competition is keen, and those who don’t recognize that delivering value is the primary goal of any business online are destined to find themselves scrambling to make ends meet. This is particularly true when it comes to marketing via email or social media. Let’s have a look at why this is so.
Why delivering value is job one!
The primary reason is it helps your brand stand out in a sea of mediocrity. Monitor conversations online and you’ll see, for the most part, two types: ones that slam a business or product and ones that effuse praise. Just about anything is ignored. Making these people talk about both you and your brand in a positive light is your job, and the the easy way do that is by over-delivering. That can happen in many ways. It might mean delivering surprise bonuses, sales, appreciation gifts and more. Any of these can delight the customer, who will in turn share their experience as well as return for more!
Why email and social media are different
While your website and other pages you have online have a measure of built-in credibility, you have to work a bit harder for the same results in both email and social media. This means delivering value! The main difference lies in the reality that while they are both, at least marginally, permission-based marketing vehicles, each audience is particularly attuned to being “sold to”, and won’t tolerate it. In email, it’s not as bad, as email has long been a marketing vehicle. What’s different now is the need to deliver value as part of your message, so as to engender enough trust that they’ll “allow” you to send the sporadic marketing message. In your social media channels, it’s a lot more volatile on the subject of marketing messages. However, that makes it a perfect vehicle for enticing them to the next phase with a value proposition. Once they opted into an email list from your social media channels, they are much more likely to be open to your marketing messages.
Make value your mission! When you do this, no matter which medium you are working in, you’ll discover a far more responsive and loyal crowd!