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As a small business consultant and mentor, I often see entrepreneurs who expect their product or service to sell itself by word-of-mouth, so they put very little effort into marketing. Owners are frustrated or can’t afford all the sales pitches they see today on the internet and traditional media. I have to tell them that customers today are looking for new content to get their attention.
In my experience, the right activities and the right content are still needed to attract customers, but the rules for making these visible and effective have changed. Here are some basic rules that I have learned you need to follow to find customers and get the loyalty and credibility you must have to succeed:
1. Build personal visibility and customer relationships. Make sure your customers know that you are a real person, and not just an abstract entity. Participate in networking opportunities, including relevant trade associations, your local chamber of commerce, and customer feedback sessions. Be a visible human symbol for your business.
2. Highlight new ideas and solutions to relevant problems. Get credibility by providing supportive statements from experts and social media influencers. This is your chance to be seen as a source of real information, versus marketing hype. The result will be less customer focus on price and availability, and more on loyalty and discussions with peers.
3. Avoid highly technical jargon and use of acronyms. Make your content easy to read and understandable by your average customer, rather than assume they will be swayed by technical facts, figures, and technology details. Use metaphors and success stories to make your points, and keep the content succinct and relevant from a customer view.
4. Use eye-catching pictures, charts, and short videos. These days, users expect to see visually stimulating content, and shop with their eyes rather than read detailed content. Intersperse short paragraphs and bullets, with plenty of white space and attractive fonts to make the overall impact more visually appealing. Avoid information overload.
5. Content must address customer needs and desires. Too many businesses I know focus only on product features and usability. Every announcement and marketing pitch must get customer attention first by highlighting relevant interests and pain from a customer perspective, before moving on to features, competitive advantages, and pricing.
6. Spark discussions between customers and friends. Your goal is to have your content and messages go viral, maximizing impact with minimal cost. Introduce just enough controversy to get the message remembered and discussed among friends, without antagonizing anyone. Always be willing to answer questions and concerns in comments.
7. Minimize any appearance of direct marketing. Marketing collateral is easily recognized these days by customers, and universally ignored. People want content that applies directly to their perspective of needs and interests. You have only two or three seconds to get their attention, show how your solution solves their problem, and get them committed.
These rules may sound straightforward but they require a special skill and creativity to implement effectively. Don’t be embarrassed to get outside help or an agency to do the initial content work for you. You have only one chance to make the right impression on potential customers and get their support and loyalty. Or bring in an expert to train you and your entire team on the concepts.
Leading with the right content is key to positioning your business as a thought leader in your industry, providing a realistic perspective on customer interests, and keeps customers coming back for more. In other words, it builds the brand that they trust and you need for success in this world of aggressive modern competitors.
Related: 7 Rules To Follow When Crafting a Social Media Strategy