Yesterday, I was thinking about being a customer. That's right, all day long everyone else is the customer / client but then suddenly I realized that I am a customer too and because of that I have an opinion on what the best marketing strategy has ever been for me (as a customer and as a marketer).
I will not keep you waiting, the secret marketing strategy is Personal Engagement. Before you stop reading and move on, let me explain what I mean by personal engagement and why it's so vital but yet rarely ever practiced.
What I mean by personal engagement is taking the time, as a company or corporation or service provider, or whatever your business is and making me (the customer) feel as if you care, are listening, and update me on what's happening with my product / service / project, etc. And I do not mean doing it generically with some "form letter" type of feedback. I mean – use the massive amount of social tools and modern-day Internet to reach out and speak to me directly. Yeah, direct contact with the customer.
Now, imagine how you feel when a company does this. Have you ever said, "wow, I can not believe they actually talked to me …" or, "Is this email really directly to me?".
We have grown accustomed to being shoved off to the side and forgotten except for the occasional mention here or there or the "Thank you for your business" style of commerce. Well, I say there is no excuse any longer to not engage directly. Too many customers? Hey, deal with it and engage with me anyway because I do not care about your other 15,000 customers, I care about me.
I'm not being selfish – but I am saying to anyone out there that is providing a service or delivering a product that if you want to raise that barrier of competition to it's highest level then start taking a more individual interest in your customers and talk to them directly. Do not reach out to do a survey. Do not reach out to cross-sell.
Here are some ways that would really make you stand out and make me a customer for life (which is exactly what you should want):
* Follow me on twitter and mention me to others. Hey we all love to be mentioned!
* Comment on my Facebook page and let me know you took the time to even stop by
* Comment on my Blog
* Email me updates on my current project or service service I have with you – talk to me directly
* Ask me for my opinion in a more direct and personal way – not with a survey
* Watch what I post and read and then send me a good book – surprise me
* If you are a service provider, educate me on a topic, offer to show me your place of business, call me up and ask me for advice on something
Those are just a few ways I would feel engaged. Yeah, I know they all sound "good" in writing but you are busy planning and growing and worried about the economy, etc.
Well – think of it this way, while you are planning and growing and worried, someone else is getting my business by using a bit of personal engagement. Not only that, they have earned a customer for life – and you can not plan or grow with that model!
