Eliminate the “hard sale” from your business
The power of marketing properly these days
Consumers ranging from Baby Boomers to Millennials have been oversold to and are tired of the constant noise of advertising that supposedly boost “sales.” There are better ways to get the good folks out there to buy your product or service without over-selling. Some call it inbound marketing, others call it content marketing, and another group of experts have named it value-add marketing. One thing is true for all of names; they represent marketing that cares about the customer and seeks to build a relationship with the audience.
The Fat:
Take a look at your content and ask yourself these things…
- Am I building a tribe?
- Is my tribe being rewarded with a premium customer experience?
- How can I keep improving my marketing?
This is how businesses and organizations stand out to customers in an over-stimulated, loud atmosphere of advertising and sales. It is simple: create a tribe and follow-up with a premium customer experience for your tribe (See: The Tribes We Lead). For some companies that is an in-store experience. Our online name for this premium customer experience targeted toward our tribe; content marketing. Let me give some context…
I began working at Berg’s Ski and Snowboard Shop in December 2013 with I was 18 years old. It was not long that I began to realize something special was going on in that ski shop in Eugene. There are people who have been going to the ski shop for years; regulars who knew the shop employees by first and last name.
Why do they come back? What information did they get that brought them back every time? You guessed it: its the premium customer experience.
I joined the “sales” staff in fitting and selling hard goods where I watched the craft. A good salesman knows his customers, knows his products, and imparts knowledge on their customers in plain English. He never pushes a huge sale, but informs customers of the new products and services that Berg’s offers that gives them benefits, usually in the form of comfy feet or easier skiing. Having those informative conversations allows the customers to trust the experts, nearly eliminates the sales atmosphere, and lets the customer feel like they have had immense value added to their experience. Customers become experts and can make proper decisions for themselves. Are you doing this with your online content?
This is an intimate and in-person example of the power of content marketing. Give your customer the knowledge to be the expert in your field. Be transparent about the tricks and tools of the trade. Offer great products and services, but most importantly, emphasize the premium customer experience.
