To successfully capture the attention of today’s busy online consumer, you must effectively woo potential clients.
Much like dating, consumers want to be courted by your company long before you shove a product or service down their throat.
Just think back to one of your first-date experiences. Without some courting and wooing, rounding first or second base would have been impossible.
In fact, even attempting to “make a move” might have sent your date heading for the hills.
While social media might make consumers more accessible than ever before, pouncing on the opportunity without understanding their needs is a huge mistake.
Not only do you need to know your customers, you need to help them truly fall in love with your business.
I recently joined Wade Harman on his weekly Google+ Hangout, focused on relationship marketing, social media, and building connections online and was inspired to dive deeper into the thoughts shared between Jeff Sieh, Lany Sullivan and I on the show.
Below are three C’s critical to using relationship marketing effectively within your business: conversation, communication and community.
The 3 C’s of Effective Relationship Marketing
1. Create Meaningful Conversations
Relationship marketing, often defined as “relational versus transactional”, marketing strives to put the relationship between business and consumer at the forefront rather than as an afterthought.
No longer an accepted practice to simply push out a marketing message, businesses and brands are now expected to create conversation and establish rapport through their social channels.
It requires that you move away from the transactional mindset, and instead work to create meaningful, intelligent and worthwhile relationships that go beyond a LIKE, share or comment.
It’s what Jay Baer calls “Youtility.” It’s the ability for brands, businesses and entrepreneurs alike to infuse humanity into the sales process and tie interest to action.
It’s taking a promotional post or tweet and turning it on its head. Making it useful instead of promotional. Creating a conversation instead of simply pushing out a message.
2. Communicate Value
Instead of looking at your product or service and saying “what,” look at it and ask “who?” Who can I serve, help, give a little bit more to as opposed to what can I sell them today? I guarantee, the who is what will inspire engagement and ultimately, the action to purchase your product or service.
Marketing expert Seth Godin often asks his readers what the value of social media is if your message is dry, generic and boring? The idea behind his message is to create differentiation rather than simply conforming to what others are doing online.
If you want your message to connect, create impact and spread, you must communicate your value in a way that sets you apart.
Relationship marketing allows you to not only start the conversation, but also join the conversation. By doing this in an authentic way, you can offer a substantial amount of value simply by showing up on a daily basis.
If you can offer information аnd vаluе bеуоnd whаt іѕ сurrеntlу аvаіlаblе, уоu wіll bе embraced, appreciated, аnd financially rewarded.
On the other hand, if you choose to regurgitate thе ѕаmе tired message others are spreading, then you will quickly fall оut оf favor.
3. Embrace Your Community
Relationship marketing isn’t necessarily just about building relationships. It’s about nurturing and improving upon them.
Be a catalyst for change within your industry or niche. Step outside the norm and embrace your online community.
Identify who they are and how you can raise the bar when it comes to your customer service. Determine who your supporters, promoters, and raving fans are.
Now ask yourself:
- What do they like?
- What do they need?
- What problems do I solve?
- How can I continue to be of value?
The goal is to move away from the days of simply building relationships and into an era where we ARE the relationship.
What do I mean by this?
Strive every day to give more, share more, do more, BE more.
That in a nutshell is relationship marketing.
Watch the Relationship Marketing Google+ Hangout in its entirety.
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Loved your post and great comparison. You really hit the mark. To be able to sell to your consumers, establishing a good relationship is a must. Communicating and creating meaningful conversations is the first step.
As far as I can see, most messages on social media and blogs are “dry, generic and boring”. Even the titles are similar wherever you look: 7 mistakes …; 5 things you should to to …; Top 10 …; 27 influencers to follow … . I can see this type of titles everywhere.
Even worse. The same dry, generic and boring tactics are applied everywhere. Let’s take that stupid tactic of creating a question and sending it to as many influencers you can or gathering all kind of quotes from successful people.
This kind of material is stupid, dry, generic and boring. However, people like it so much. Whenever they encounter an article like this they swarm, jump on it make comments and tell how much they have learnt from it.
No matter how clever a strategy is, when everybody is using it, it becomes dry, generic and boring. However, it always work. Always!
Why should I work hard to “create differentiation” When “simply conforming to what others are doing online” guarantees success?
This simply blows my mind. The most stupid, dry, generic and boring articles are also those that enjoy the most success. The articles that conform to the rules of the game are those who get most comments, shares and fame.
The lack of value seems to guarantee success.
Mind blowing!!!
Hi Rebekah,,
Many thanks for sharing this well thought out article.So true when using online and social media it is important to give people the opportunity to get to know you with helpful advice and personality. Rosemary
Well said Rebekah. I’ve learned more from the email lists I’ve unsubscribed to that from anything else – in other words precisely how not to build relationships. I love your suggestions and even for those of us committed to relationship marketing there can never be too many reminders on the value of doing it the right way. Thanks!
Hi Rebekah
If I have learnt one things in 2013, it is all about community.
Whether it is your customers or colleagues or fellow bloggers.
We cannot do it alone, and helping each other out in what ever way possible is always a great thing.
The three Cs in 2014!
ashley
Rebekah,
I am a Relationship Healer so my focus is definitely on relationships but not so much on the marketing of relationships. However, even within the most intimate couples there is a need for stimulating, inviting and meaningful conversation, paying attention to the needs, desires and wants of not just yourself but the other person. There is also a need to create value, to offer something of value so the other person feels inspired and motivated to be with you and to give to you. In the end, everything boils down to relationships and marketing is part of what works.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
Rebekah,
Wonderful article.
Building relationships has being easy for me for a long time, but never though about build it for business … till a few months a go when a business relationship went sour and learned form it a lot.
The 3 “C” are great guideline and I recognize they are essential and the foundation to all long lastings business relationships.
Thanks you so much for sharing.
_nickc
Great article. I think that considering value for your viewership and community at large is the most important consideration for both conversions, link building, relationship building / PR.
If you’re not asking yourself questions about what your audiences needs, wants and fears are you’re always going to have trouble creating value.
Honestly though, the more questions you can ask yourself the better your marketing efforts will be. Questioning is the cornerstone to creating successful strategy in my opinion.
Hi Rebekah,
Great post. It seems that since people know they need to build a relationship with someone to advance in their business but they are not seeing the “building” part of it.
I have been getting some of the “fast build” instant messages and such. For example. “HI, how are you? How are the kids? Where do you live? and by the way look at my biz op.”
I hope more people will read your post and take it to heart and learn.
Have a great day. Monna
Embracing our community, I like that a lot because the only way to see an increase in yourself is surrounding yourself with like minded individuals and when we embrace what they say and do for us we can really see much improvement. Great list of the big C’s we need to concentrate on i our life!