Your customers are purchasers, influencers, decision makers and prospects, right? With the launch of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linked our customers and prospect are now in control of the conversation, states Dan Ziman, Director of Marketing with Lithium Technologies, Inc. In a recent article, Ziman recognizes that we have all spent a great deal of and effort building, managing, and analyzing our websites, but now our existing and prospective customers are demanding ever greater levels of interactivity; and they want not only more interactivity with you but also more access and engagement with one another.
That means managing your brand has become increasingly difficult. We have paid careful attention to search results, customer experience, and internet lead generation, 2010 is forcing us to face that We need to engage with our customers and prospects—or risk losing them. Ziman shares key steps you can take to engage with that customer network—and therein lies the opportunity.
According to Ziman, one of the most powerful, proven ways to build your brand and customer network is through online communities like Facebook and Twitter. Organizations are using these mediums to identify and engage customers who willingly share insights, help solve support issues, and drive word-of-mouth marketing on their behalf. Also, customers can get answers quickly; and by knowing the reputation of other members, they know whom they can trust. Use a reputation community system. Online communities are not just a place to view information. You've got to know who you can trust based on community feedback. In addition, it will help you quickly figure out who your brand advocates are and encourage your most knowledgeable customers to frequently participate. You must manage the interaction as well. Encourage repeat visits. Create areas where they can return within the community, such as a contests, feedback, and photos where only those with similar reputations can go and participate. Promote early and often. It's critical that everyone knows about the community and can easily navigate there from any place on your website. Businesses will find their communities to be one of the most visited Web areas. Use mobile. Can your community can be easily viewed and used from any mobile phone. Communities are not just for when you're at your desk. People use communities when shopping at the store, traveling, or grabbing a cup of coffee. Pay attention to all visitors. In particular, consider those non-active users or "lurkers"—people who visit the community, view information, and move along and don't participate in the discussion. Have your team review ways to engage with new customers and potential members of the community. Focus on search results. SEO is critical to your success. Managing the customer network on your domain will lead to far better results than if those conversations take place elsewhere. A holistic SEO strategy will help your customers and your extended business network find you when they're searching for answers and ideas. Finally, the key to managing a successful community program is measurement. According the survey noted above, the top two analytics for measuring success are (1) number of active users (34%), and (2) how often people post/comment (32%). But success must go deeper to ensure people return to the community. You should evaluate a composite index of community components, including members, content, traffic, responsiveness, interaction, and liveliness. By Promotional Channels, a Connecticut Marketing Company
Here are Ziman's Proven Tactics For Engaging Your Customers:
