The title of this Eastwood post is ‘Realevance’ and no, that’s not a typo. It’s just our mashed up version of ‘relevance’ and ‘real’ – as in getting real with relevance. So enough word play, where are we heading with this you ask? I’ll tell you but first let me ask one question: What are people saying about your product or service as they consider a purchase? One answer is: Not much. An even scarier answer is: No idea. If you’re not quite sure of your answer, then keep reading.
We all know the importance of keeping your sales message relevant to your customers. It’s all about focus and delivering what you promise. But real-world relevance has to do with customers being interested in what your business does and knowing that it’s useful in their lives. And no where else does this fact show through than on the numerous social media websites.
Consider the customer initiated conversations that are happening everyday on social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The experiences of your customers are not contrived or in isolation, but they’re part of a larger purchasing process. Connections made through social media websites influence perceptions of your business and can multiply your message or debunk it entirely.
This customer controlled layer of discussion can be unsettling to many businesses not use to working in the age of social media. So it’s time to get Realevant with your sales message. While you can’t control all the conversations related to your business, here are some steps you can put into action:
- Gather together your team and ask “How important to your customers are each of your sales promises?”
- Gather examples of actual customer experiences that demonstrate successful delivery of your sales promises.
- Perform a touchpoint analysis of your marketing efforts and customer generated social conversations.
Work to encourage relevant and engaging discussions around your product or service and your customers will be happy and more likely to buy or take positive action.
