One of your company's biggest challenges is obscurity. Obscurity. Because how do you get customers to buy your products if they don't even know who you are? Don't.
If you want to grow your business, attracting attention is your top priority. That's why networking is an important piece of the puzzle. That's why CEOs go out and raise capital. If you get people's attention, and create awareness, only then, do you have a chance to win their business.
It seems like a simple concept, but proves difficult to master. Most companies are bad at getting attention.
They still throw more the 200 billion a year at TV advertising, while everyone tapes their programs to flush the advertising. Companies still advertise on roadside billboards, while drivers and passengers are mostly fixated on their phone screens.
The best way to get attention is to do something positive or useful for your customers.
OK, it may take a little more effort, but it is far more cost-effective and it can give you a loyal fan base for your brand.
There are three ways you can give value to your customers. You can teach them something, entertain them or give them a "wow experience."
Teach them something
Ties.com is an e-shop that sells ties.
How can they increase their value to their customers? By learning what questions their customers have about ties - and also taking the time for how to answer them in a super convenient way.
By looking at the Google Keyword Planner, they found that people search 550,000 times a month for the search term, "How do I tie a tie?"
So there was a great opportunity there. Ties.com decided to write a fantastic guide that shows exactly how to tie the most popular knots, using videos, descriptions and images. And this is 10 times better than anything else you'll find online on that topic.
In fact, the guide did so well that ties.com decided to start the "Man Academy," with additional knowledge for men who are concerned with their style. They have a complete guide to ties, but also, for example, a guide on how to tie your dress shoes like a pro.
The most important lesson? That you understand your customers' questions and formulate your answers 10 times better than they can already be found there. Remember, you're trying to demonstrate value here and not get lost in the noise.
Entertain them
It just depends on your niche whether your audience does want to be informed with blog content - and that's OK. If people visit you to feel good or escape from their responsibilities, entertainment might be a better way to get through to them.
Take BarkBox.com, for example.
Barkbox is a monthly subscription service with surprises, snacks and goodies for your dog. If the company wanted you to get involved and bake your own dog treats or cookies, educational content made sense.
But I think Barkbox fans mostly want to have fun with their dogs and share stories with their friends. And that's probably why BarkBox decided to entertain - rather than teach their customers things. They build more value for their customers that way.
They ran the blog BarkPost in't life. You will find hilarious videos, catchy stories or cute photo collections. According to BuzzSumo, BarkPost's top articles earn more than 600,000 shares and interactions. Not bad, if you ask me.
The Bark & Co crew also uses other free tools, such as social media platforms, to further entertain their fans. BarkBox has nearly 5,000 Instagram posts and is followed by more than 1.2 million people.
Give them a "wow experience"
Sweetgreen, a new salad bar in the US, recently opened its doors. Besides good products at a good price, their customers find that the online ordering module and takeout policy make the difference.
First, the ordering process is very user-friendly and a pleasure to use. The interface is inviting and also mobile-friendly. You can also see the price and calorie count go up and down as you add or remove ingredients. It's simple and intuitive.
All you have to do then is tell them your pickup time. Then when you arrive at the bar, you cross the queue and take your salad from the rack. That's it.
It's a simple move. But respecting the customer's time makes them brand ambassadors. Many customers make it a ritual and convinced colleagues to give it a try, too.
And that is precisely the best part of wow experiences. The more you make sure people get them, the less advertising you will have to do because others are doing it for you.
Every day companies fail because of their obscurity. If they don't create awareness, they don't even give customers a chance to learn about their products or services.
And whether you're teaching things or entertaining, consistency is key. One piece of viral content is nice, but it quickly gets buried under all the noise if you don't demonstrate value over and over again.
If you answer my question once, I will be happy. If you answer my questions every time, you become a reliable source of information for me.
So rather than continuously pushing your products to your customers, try to give so much value until they are almost begging you to buy something from you.
