If you're new to the world of digital marketing, it's easy to feel like you need to immediately get your hands in as many cookie jars as you can reach. But take it easy there Cookie Monster; catching up with your competition is a necessity, but you actually don't need to do everything all at once. Getting thousands of Twitter followers or Facebook likes might seem like a good goal, but it's not a reasonable expectation, nor does it bring you what you need most: loyal customers.
To illustrate this point, I'm going to steal an anecdote from Dave Kerpen, the CEO of Likeable Local who recently gave a talk at our 2015 Global Convention in Miami. Dave referenced a line from The Social Network that goes something like, "You know what's cooler than a million dollars? A billion dollars." However, Dave's own spin on the quote is, "You know what's cooler than reaching thousands of people on social media? Reaching the right 100 people who will become your most loyal customers."
And it's so true because out of thousands of people who follow you after you run a contest or run some other gimmick to generate followers, how many of those do you think are truly interested in you? Not many! But fear not, we created a short video on 5 Steps to Securing Top of Mind Brand Loyalty the right way:
1. Get to Know Your Customer Better
It's a pretty simple concept, no matter what industry you're in: the more you know about your customers, the better you can serve them. If you sell burgers and fries, understanding what is most important to people who like burgers and fries is key to the success of your business. Do the customers in your area care more about getting a burger and fries for cheap, or are they willing to pay a little extra for high-quality ingredients? Are they interested in a milkshake option or do they prefer pop?
Whether you sell burgers or digital marketing solutions, every little detail you can learn about your customers is an asset to your business.
2. Prepare Your Story
Your brand's story isn't about you; it's about your customers. That's not to say you can't have a unique brand with its own culture and story that stands out from the crowd. But at the end of the day, you have to be certain whatever you're saying resonates with a group of people, which means your story depends on your audience. Find out where your most loyal followers hang out online, tailor your story to whatever channel you'll be presenting it on, and set it free to engage with people the way they want to be engaged.
3. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize
In 2015, you just can't get away with casting a wide net and hoping for the best. That's lazy marketing, and it won't work. You won't, for example, get successful results by targeting 18-36-year-old females with a given campaign, because that group is still incredibly diverse. These days, you need to personalize your marketing messages on a more granular level. Emails, landing pages, and social media ads should be aimed at specific groups of people who will gain real value from engaging with your marketing. And the more value you provide, the more likely you are to attract a loyal group of followers.
4. Quality and Consistency
Lost in the daily clamor for content is the real reason we need to create content in the first place: to build value, thought leadership, and trust in order to attract an audience. If you find yourself creating content just to create content, you're likely working without a purpose - and that's no good. Great content still wields so much power, so whether it's blogs, whitepapers, or product demos, make sure you have a goal in mind before you start.
5. Encourage Feedback
As we've talked about, marketing is a two-way street. It's a conversation, not a speech, which means you need to be listening to and encouraging feedback from, your audience. If you're able to master the skill of listening - easier said than done in life and in marketing - your audience will tell you everything you need to know about your brand and its products and services.
