There’s been a huge shift in marketing in just the past few years. From a mindset that had companies marketing to customers with little thought of actually hearing anything from a customer (until purchase or after), now marketing is all about “community.” That is, businesses need to start marketing to potential customers with the goal of talking with them, hearing what they have to say, building a relationship with a prospect possibly long before any purchase takes place.
In essence, businesses should strive to become “a part” of a customer’s life instead of “intruding” into that life.
Now, instead of sending advertising or marketing to people via one-way channels (think television, radio and prints ads as well as direct mail via their mailboxes), marketers are finding they have to go where their customers are — and mingle with them!
Business Lead Widget 1
Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs, Squidoo, and other online social media sites make it very easy for people, including businesses and their prospects, to connect with one another. Savvy business owners understand that interacting on social sites is almost (almost!) like building relationships among friends.
How can you benefit? Join these sites and start sharing and giving advice. Don’t sell. Offer information. Tell them how to choose between your product/service and another. Advise them on how best to use your product and how it works best. How can your customers use it most effectively — or even differently — for best effect? Let them know details of your offering, which helps them make a decision (seemingly on their own) regarding whether or not to purchase your product/service.
Do this and you build a relationship with your past, potential and current customers. With this relationship you earn their trust and trust helps people buy from you once, twice, even many times.
Let GoiMarketing.com help you set up a social media marketing plan. Your return on investment long-term will be such that you’ll wish you had started marketing in this manner long ago. Contact us today!
