Are you listening enough; to customers, employees, and market trends? Often times we get over zealous with the sales approach that we forget to really listen. I know it can be difficult to slow down once you set up your Wazala store and you’re in the zone, but lets look at the benefits of listening first.
Social media and internet networks have given small businesses even more speed and agility to craft promotions, marketing strategies, and sales pitches. Even though speed in industry is a great advantage with it comes a feeling of disconnect from customers if not done properly. Messages and pitches can feel extremely rushed and attack customers in a flurry of convoluted nonsense. This kind of marketing strategy can damage your brand.
Your social media strategy should be built to last for the long haul. Today everyone has a smart phone or tablet device and our minds are always moving to the next update or notification. Your brand must be aware of how consumers are receiving your messages and tailor them to win the war instead of fighting small battles. Not every opportunity to share your message should be taken. Only the opportunities that add value to your brand should be considered. Listening to the market and how customers consume content is the only way to gauge how opportunities will be valuable to your brand.
Creating quality content for your brand is a given, but what is quality content? This is a question that all savvy marketeers and business owners should be asking daily. The answer is never the same and comes solely from the customers themselves, but you have to listen. Quality content relates your brand to customers through entertainment value by including personal elements like humor or education. This kind of content connects your brand to customers and will foster debates, comments, questions, and brand awareness. Listening to what your customers say about your content will give you clues for future strategies.
Give listening a try and see how it changes the way you create content. Remember that your content is a conversation with your customers. You need to make that conversation interesting and take time to stop and listen or else they will go elsewhere. Good luck.
