Loyalty is in the experience

It’s been a little over a month since I attended Social Media Camp 2015 in Victoria, BC so I decided it was time I took a look at all of the notes I have. HINT: Take a notebook or device and take notes. Review them for content and write something about your experience.

This is the fourth SMC I have attended. It’s always a great event where “social” meets in person. I see people I know mostly because of their online presence. I meet people I follow online. I especially enjoy learning from the experts. They always provide helpful, actionable information I can use.

John Jantsch, of Duct Tape Marketing, was one of the keynote speakers and he spoke about content, loyalty and the brand experience. With so many ways to reach and connect with your audience, the marketing channels are fragmented. He suggests marketers need to find new ways to integrate the channels to create an overall brand experience.

“No one talks about a boring experience.”

There are many ways to interact with customers and it’s important to integrate all of the touch-points.  It’s up to you to provide insight, offer help, give guidance and share it through all of your marketing channels. Create the content a customer will need to to make an informed decision before they even enter your place of business or click the buy  button. One statistic John provided was that 57% of a typical purchase is made before a customer evens engages with a supplier. Consider that for a moment; more than half of your customers want to know more about you before they even move towards entering into a relationship with you.

“Are you providing information for your customers to make an informed decision?”

When creating content, consider what questions your customers are asking. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are an excellent source for relevant content and can be easily used to publish educational content. Know your value and exceed expectations. Become the trusted source for helpful, informative information. Give your customers something they can use immediately. If you don’t have any content to start, consider sharing other people’s content. By sharing, you become a trusted filter for your customers. And, in the end, that’s what we want as a business; to be trusted.

You know when you ask your friends about their experience with a business, they don’t talk about the product. They will tell you about the customer service, how they felt when engaging with the staff and all of the other little, intangible factors that lead to a purchase. They will also tell you to check out their website/social media channels  because the informative content or the immediate response to a question is what helped them decide to take further action. Give your customers a good reason to talk about you.

“Give your customers a great experience and they will become your brand ambassador.”