In the previous post, we discussed how businesses are throwing money at the business development challenge in today’s world. And they are wondering why it is not working.
In this post, we deepen our understanding of how today’s businesses are winning the marketing challenge without wasting too much “scarce” resources.
The current marketing game has changed dramatically in the past decade, and the customers are eluding businesses that are rooted in the old system of operating. Customers are congregating in another realm, and they choose to “make” or “break” a business in that realm. That realm is called the Internet.
Winning businesses are winning with their website and their social media pages. You may ask, how are they doing that?
Winning businesses make themselves found-able online
Winning businesses have created visually appealing websites with information about their products and services. Websites are easy to create and host for a business. A simple Google or Alexa search will return the website for a particular business.
Businesses also own social media pages and make it easy for customers and prospects to share information about their products and services with their friends and loved ones.
Customers do not need to call a business on the phone to inquire about products or services. They just navigate to the business website or social media pages to find any information they need about the business.
Anything customers or prospects cannot find online, they are able to send inquiry forms on the business’ website to request for further information or call back from the customer service department. Some customers will inquire on the social media pages of the business they want information from.
For example, if prospects are looking for prices or locations of the business near them, they just navigate online to find it.
Winning businesses engaging their customers online
Businesses are engaging customers and prospects online in such a way that, questions or inquiries asked on social media pages are answered quickly. Other people can also read the questions and answers and make comments or give feedback, which is also visible to everybody online.
Customer service has moved online and it is an open discussion forum for businesses and customers to interact and solve each others problems. After-sales service is currently done over the internet in this same way.
Winning businesses consistently provide valuable content online
Winning businesses are doing their marketing and web strategy centered continuously on creating and sharing valuable content. They are not throwing money away at overt mass email messaging, direct mailing or guerrilla online advertising campaigns.
Customers enjoy and respect timely and relevant information from businesses, and this shows responsibility and accountability on behalf of businesses.
Customers value useful and meaningful information that is promoted and widely shared online. Potential customers get information they can use whether they purchase from the company or not. This is the best way for companies to build goodwill, which brings more leads and sales.
Conclusion
Winning businesses in today’s world are consistently communicating with their customers over the internet by actively marketing their firm without being “pushy”. Marketing for these firms has become a day-to-day activity and not an ad-hoc campaign that just happens once or twice a year.
Today, these winning businesses are attracting leads and massive sales without even trying too much. They are simply locating themselves where the customers are also congregating – internet. Follow their lead as a content marketer and get to know your customers while being committed to also sharing super awesome content just for them.