Hasn’t it always been about content? Forgive me for missing or stating the obvious, but haven’t marketers always been challenged to put the ‘thing’ in front of their audience? The thing that informs, persuades, niggles and nurtures them into noticing, believing, having an interest in, ultimately following you? Whatever format that takes, static, digital, animated, physical, short or long format (I won’t go on, you get it), content has always been there. Whether that piece of content should be there is a different question. If it serves a purpose, informs, persuades etc then maybe so. If it’s just a waste of someone’s time – yours in its development and creation, the reader’s in getting that far – is a different matter. If the piece counts, makes a difference then go for it. If you look at it and think ‘ so what?’, respin. Oh, and don’t let the medium cloud the message. Just because it moves, doesn’t mean it’s good.
I’d just like to say…
… that we all work for the same company. We may have different approaches but is that so bad? With the same goal in mind, we all want to sell the same stuff, to generate revenue and ultimately support a growing community of happy customers who extol the virtues of our employer. I might not go about it the same way that you would but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I might not agree with your approach either but that’s not to say it isn’t worth a try. Live and let live. Share the goal and values but let diversity take its path to delivery. It might work.
Testing customer loyalty
Sometimes, as a consumer, I visit a website and am amazed at how difficult the company makes it for me to buy something. I wonder, have the people responsible ever actually sat on the outside and tried being a normal customer, undertaking a normal journey like purchasing a stocked product?
I ran out of my favourite snack this week, nuts from by a boutique supplier in the UK but usually quick to deliver so I would survive that one day. I went to the website, filled the basket and clicked checkout. I had to login or register, there isn’t the choice to purchase anonymously. I gave my email address and most likely password but it was wrong. Tried another and to re-register but couldn’t as that email is already a customer (me). Asked to be sent a new password and on submitting that, it still didn’t work. So I went and searched Amazon which is sometimes an option but none were available. Went back to the website and filled in a form (out of hours) explaining the reset password didn’t work. Went back to my email later and discovered I’d been sent 5 (FIVE!) reset passwords, the last of which I also tried and still didn’t work. I got a reply to my email best part of a day later resetting my password more memorably, so I did manage to place my order and it arrived next day. That really tested me and I wonder if they’ve sat on the outside and looked in. Why should I have to register, I have to pay anyway and they get my details then. They’re lucky I really like those nuts.
On a related note, I filled in a form to download an analyst information paper for work earlier, from a technology competitor’s site. They sell customer experience management software too. Just as I was getting to the submit button, a chat box popped up, covering the submit button asking if I wanted help. Not really, though it did make me smile. Poor timing and unnecessary given the ‘journey’ I was undertaking, ironically to read on the subject of customer experience excellence. Ah well, I wonder how often we practice what we preach?
What’s the story?
The easy bit is choosing the data, the media, the means of direct or indirect communication to meet the people and start the conversation. The big question is, how are you going to stand out, why should they remember you, how are you going to connect with a stranger? No story, you’re leaving alot to chance with the bare facts. Time to fire up your imagination!
So it doesn’t work. It happens.
How annoying is that? You’ve researched, planned, scoped, written, created and delivered. But no response. It ‘missed’. What does that mean? You didn’t connect, you weren’t talking their language, they didn’t ‘get it’. So what now? Back to the drawing board; maybe not such a bad place for a marketer to be from time to time. Think again, refine, repurpose, resend. Measure. Second time round that complacency of knowing your market will have faded and you’ll be thinking like a marketer again. Focused on the right message to the right audience at the right time. Refreshing, isn’t it?
The hook
Without a hook it’s just words. The hook is the aha, the penny dropping. It may come to you at the oddest moment, but I think that may well be the one that makes the connection. Summarise your message and tease out the hook, it’s in there and it’s worth waiting for.
Think like a customer, act like one too.
I’ve had two instances online today, where I doubt that the customer experience team has ever actually put themselves in the position of a visitor and worked through a common journey. One was an airline, where online check-in left me in limbo even though I was logged in. The other was a sports membership where I was trying to upgrade from free associate to paid full member. Being already logged in, and offering a path to upgrade, it then told me that my chosen login was already in use so I could not proceed. Yes, by me… come on guys, make an effort. Think and behave like a customer, experience all the common journeys and if you get it right you’re the one. So often the differentiator is in actions, perceptions and success, not the product itself.
Stories, that’s what makes it real
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/09/words-sentences-paragraphs-stories.html
He’s right, of course. The story puts the facts in context, so we ‘get it’. How much easier is it to remember something around which a story is spun, rather than just being given the bare facts. It goes for everything, for b2b too. More so maybe, when the features and benefits are staring you in the face, stop and weave the tale that transforms them for the customer. Then you’re different. Then you’ll stand out.
Does ‘so what’ come before or after?
I’d put a quick round of ‘so what’ in first. Then again in public airing, most likely. But this is too true…
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451b31569e2019104dbc27f970c
Imagine. just, imagine…
Imagine how compelling marketing would be, if all campaigns had ‘imagine’ at their heart. You’d cut out the dull, dreary, unnecessary and over complicated facts and figures, and paint a picture that just might resonate with your customer. You’d share their pain and imagine their joy, share their journey and show you understand their goals. Maybe with fewer words, or just the ones that matter, and a select use of imagery to establish the connection. Imagine how compelling b2b marketing could be, with a little creativity. And imagination.
"so what?" marketing 