Do You Need a Reason to Follow a Brand?
What does it take to follow someone online?
I often ask my colleagues at Viral Access this particular question, “Why should people follow us?” If you, as marketers, are still unsure of the answer, then I think it is the right time to create a value proposition.
According to the marketing giant Hubspot, 64% of businesses have established value propositions. Now, crafting a powerful and memorable value proposition is indeed important, but unfortunately, very few businesses actually have an effective one. As a matter of fact, recent studies confirm that only 2.2% of companies have useful and functional value propositions.
So, how do you craft a compelling value proposition? The easiest way is to ask your audience, since you know that the best value proposition often comes from and contributes to both the brand and the audience. Some handy ways that businesses do is to add a poll to their Facebook page or send out surveys to find out the reasons why people are following them.
Speaking of the ‘perfect’ value proposition, here are some pointers that marketers should always remember. First, keep it simple. Use straightforward language, be clear on what you are offering and avoid industry jargon at all costs. Second, make it memorable. A great way to dig out everything in customer’s minds is to figure out what makes your company, your brand, memorable. Emphasize on the features or benefits that you offer to differentiate yourselves from your competitors. Third, give something valuable. Reach out and provide the values that the customers are hungry for. It’s also important to highlight how brands can help customers to achieve their goals.
Value propositions enormously help brands to build rapport with customers, only when they are written effectively. Admittedly, this is far easier said than done, as developing a value proposition takes tremendous efforts, ranging from collective thinking and input to experimenting with it. But, if you want to keep the message clear and concise, you have to know your customer well and keep collecting feedback from them.
Let your customer know that you understand them, but at the same time, you have to manage their expectation by constantly surprising them one step at a time. As a result, you will become more valuable than merely a Facebook “like” or a “follow us” button. When your customer “likes” you because you’re valuable to them, believe me, they will start spreading the words to their peers.
Get ready to go viral by that time.
