Love Affair with Customers

What can content marketing do for your business?

May 22, 2012

Content marketing.  It seems like everyone’s talking about it. But what exactly is it and what can it do for your business?

Odds are, if you’re doing any marketing at all — you’re at least accidentally dabbling in content marketing.

First — it goes by many names.  Some people call it custom publishing or branded content.  Other people slap the label of social or digital marketing on.  And all of those names are accurate.

Content marketing is a broad term for any marketing technique that creates and distributes valuable, helpful and relevant information that demonstrates that you know your stuff.  These tactics draw the attention of people who are already your customers or could be your customers and they consume, share, and value the content.

The ultimate goal of content marketing is to create a sense of trust and comfort that will lead to someone making an initial purchase, making an additional purchase or referring you to someone who’s ready to make a purchase.

There are other benefits as well.  It’s a powerful way to establish yourself as an expert, to shorten the sales cycle, to impact SEO results and depending on your business – to educate, entertain, and inspire your audience.

I found an infographic from Visual.ly that I think does an excellent job of not only demonstrating many of the different possibilities when it comes to content marketing — but also gives you a sense of which tactics deliver what outcomes.

Check it out! (click here to download larger version)

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Content marketing is important but not free!

May 21, 2012

One of the things that irks me is when I hear a marketing “expert” extoll the virtues of content (or social or digital) marketing and to close the sale — they remind their audience — “and best of all, it’s free.”

Poppycock. (I know…such language!)

At MMG, we believe there’s not really an organization in existence that can’t benefit from a content marketing program.

But like most good things — it’s not free.  Access to some of the social networks might be free — but creating compelling content that demonstrates the value of working with you is going to cost you time, attention, dedication, money, and a host of other things.

I elaborated on this thinking over at the MENG (Marketing Executive Networking Group) Blend.  Check out my post (by clicking here) and let me know what you think.

 

 

Related articles

• What Makes Good Content Marketing Great? (problogger.net)
• Elements of a Strong Content Marketing Campaign [INFOGRAPHIC] (contently.com)
• The Grande Guide to B2B Content Marketing [Free eBook] (contentmarketinginstitute.com)

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Let’s talk business, social and joy!

February 25, 2012

I’m fortunate that I am invited to guest blog in some of the most prominent and cool spots on the web.

Every once in awhile, those opportunities converge and it’s raining Drew‘s thinking everywhere you turn.

Come join in these conversations around the web:

Marketing Profs Daily Fix: In this post, I suggest that many business owners would be smart to think differently about how size matters.  By staying focused on your organization’s sweet spot — you can actually get smaller while your profits, reputation and opportunities get bigger.

Come read what I had to say and join in the conversation by clicking here.

Marketing Executive’s Networking Group’s Blend: In the social media space, we sure seem fascinated with toy talk.  Pinterest is our latest obsession.  But we often lose sight of the most important social media tool of all.  Do you have it?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Click here to read/share.

IowaBiz:  Some companies just exude a cultural joy that makes you want to do business with them.  And guess what — that doesn’t come from some company manual or marketing plan.  It comes from letting the employees share their genuine joy.

Come see a very real example of this sort of joy and tell us where else you’ve see it by clicking here.

I’d love it if you wanted to jump into any or all of these conversations!

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What’s your purple goldfish?

January 11, 2012

Get your free copy of Stan Phelp’s book!

A few years ago, I met Stan Phelps, another marketing guy, online (I think he commented on my blog and we started chatting via email) and before I knew it — we were friends.  He was just dipping his toe into the blogging waters and I tried to be helpful along the way.

Fast forward to today, January 11, 2012.

Stan’s first book, What’s Your Purple Goldfish*, is being released today.  I’ve read it and know you’re going to love it.  Really love it.

I’m also very humbled to say that Stan asked me to write the forward for his book.  So I can think of no better way to introduce you to Stan’s excellent book than to share with you a bit of what I had to say.

“…He understood that marketing is about being so remarkable that people can’t help but talk about you.  That if you absolutely delight someone – they will not only come back but they’ll bring friends.  They become your sales force.

Stan delivers this marketing truth over and over again in this book all wrapped in the idea of lagniappe.  What’s so awesome about the whole notion of marketing lagniappe is that it not only teaches us what to do but more importantly, it reminds us that it must be done from the heart.

True lagniappe can’t be faked or forced.  We banter the word authentic around too much these days.  But for lagniappe to work, it must be just that — real and offered without expectation of anything in return.

In other words – you do it because you want to, not because it’s in a marketing plan document or because your ROI calculator told you it would generate a 42.36% return. (And no…there’s no such thing as an ROI calculator!)

As you read the stories that Stan has collected for this book, I think you’re going to be amazing at the creativity and generosity that many businesses have and in the end, I suspect you’ll be inspired to let your inner spirit of lagniappe loose.

You’ll probably fill up a notepad with ideas of how you could do a little something extra to enchant your customers.  When you’ve turned that corner and are thinking about them rather than what’s in it for you – you’re truly ready to practice lagniappe.

I honestly believe that the guys in the white hats do win in the end.  And companies that embrace the belief that if you give first and you give generously – you will earn customers for life are marketing’s good guys. This book shows us time and time again how to make that happen.

In the end, this book is Stan’s own lagniappe for all of us.  A genuine gesture of sharing what he truly believes with the hope that it is of great value to us.  I’m so happy for you that you’ve found Stan, his book and are about to receive a gift that could, if you let it, change how you do business forever.”

True to his belief in lagniappe — Stan is making it possible for you to enjoy his book for free.  (You can buy the paperback version here* if you’d like to go that route)

Option #1:  If you own a Kindle and are an Amazon Prime member, you can download the book for free by visiting this page.  This offer is good for the next 90 days.

Option #2:  You can download a free copy from Scribd by clicking here.

Option #3:  You can buy a paperback copy here (only at this site) and if you email your receipt to Stan (click here to do that) then he’ll send you a signed paperback and a little surprise for free.

The book is well worth the $16 and it’s a freaking steal for free.  Get it however you choose to — but get it.  And as you read it, hopefully the marketing lagniappe stories will inspire some lagniappe of your own.

Go on… get the book.

*Amazon affiliate link

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Do you know how to hit the peak?

December 11, 2011

Get your team and company to peak!

I read a book that seems to fit perfectly with some of the questions we’ve been asking as we think towards 2012.

Peak by Chris Conley (click here to buy*) is a book about deciding what matters.

After climbing to the peak of the hospitality industry, Chip Conley—CEO and founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality—was rocked to its foundation and suddenly undercapitalized and overexposed in the post-9/11 economy. This situation made Conley reconnect with psychologist Abraham Maslow‘s iconic concept of the Hierarchy of Needs and rely on Maslow’s theory of human motivation to help his business flourish once more.

In his book entitled Peak, Conley explores how he applied translations of Maslow’s ideas to his company’s business practices and brought it back to the top.

Conley looks at a company from three perspectives.  The employee, the customer and the investor.

From the employee’s POV:

People want to work for a cause, not just for a living. Conley, suggests there are three kinds of relationships someone can have with work: You can either have a job, a career or a calling.

Meaning in work relates to how an employee feels about their specific job task. It is the achievement of meaning at work that realizes transformation. So how can meaning at work be achieved? Conley believes an employee must align intrinsically to the mission of the company. If the company can identify its higher calling: what philanthropic, strategic or humanistic mast it “pins its colors to” – then the employee can in turn find meaning.

From the customer’s POV:

The greatest risk facing a company?  Getting comfortable with purely satisfying customers rather than delighting them. When a company’s leadership is focussed purely on meeting the expectations of their customers, the company can become a sitting duck for a surprise competitor with a new mousetrap.

To address the unrecognized need of its loyal customers, companies need to find a way to give them what Conley calls “an identify refresh” – some status, some belonging. How do you do that?

The first step is to be willing to ask: What business are you in? (much like we asked ourselves — what do you really sell?)

Like Apple or Harley Davison, can we offer something beyond the product?   What are the unrecognized needs of our customers? Apple positioned themselves at the top of the pyramid bysuggesting to customers that with an Apple product you can do anything –technology is the byproduct.

Harley Davidson, through HOG owner groups created a social connection.

How can you do it? Help your customers meet their highest goals. Give your customers the ability to truly express themselves. Make your customers feel like they are part of a bigger cause. Ultimately, offer your customers something of real value that they hadn’t even imagined.

Conley’s book is loaded with thoughtful, educational stories and counsel for entrepreneurs as well as Fortune 500 managers, taken from his own hard earned experience as well as other business books. One of the best features of the book are Conley’s numbered lists sprinkled throughout the book.

I think you’ll find this one both inspirational and actionable.  A good year end read! (want more inspiration?  Check out Conley’s TED talk.)

 

 

*Amazon affiliate link

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What can the average Joe learn from Steve Jobs?

October 10, 2011

I can’t remember a world mourning the loss of a business leader like we’ve witnessed this past week after the announcement of Steve Job’s death.  The fact that FEEL the loss, that we GRIEVE this man’s passing and that we WORRY that no one can take his place tells you something.

What other business leader do you have genuine feelings for?  What other CEO’s speech did you search for on YouTube?  For me, the answer is no one.

As I read, watched and listened to the many eulogies and memorials written for Steve, I kept thinking — but how does who and what Steve Jobs was all about relate to you and me?

Odds are, we aren’t going to work for a company like Apple.  We aren’t going to bring products to market that literally re-define the category.  We aren’t going to have hundreds of thousands of people downloading our “state of the company” addresses.

So what’s the take away?  Other than loving our Apple products and marveling at how they’ve changed our behaviors and habits — how can we emulate the legacy of Steve Jobs when we’re just average Joes?

I believe that Steve Jobs was genuine and that he would have been the same Steve Jobs had he run a hardware store or worked in obscurity for his lifetime.  Here’s what I think he would have been like, no matter what, and what you and I can strive for:

He believed with his whole heart in what he was doing: There were plenty of naysayers and we all seem to forget that Steve and Apple had a falling out.  But he believed in it to his core.  He believed in it enough to go back and try again.

How about you?  Do you believe in your product/service to that degree?  If the company fired you…. would you fight to get back there to finish what you started?

He understood the power of simplicity: Whether it was a speech or a product, Jobs boiled things down to the essential and then made it easy for us to grasp.  He didn’t blather on — he told us a story that led to one core message that we could remember and re-tell.

Take a look at your website, your brochures, your sales proposals and your presentations.  Are you trying to shove five pounds worth of information and bullet points into a one pound bag?  At a glance… could I tell you the most important takeaway?

He knew you couldn’t fake it long term: The man was who he was, warts and all.  He didn’t try to be anything different.  He knew he couldn’t sustain it.  He didn’t wear ties because a meeting was important.  He didn’t hide his giddiness over a new product because it would be unprofessional.  He wore his heart on his sleeve because he understood that for many people — he was the brand.  And brands are all about consistency and trust.

If I visit your office, your website or your home — do I see the same person?  Do I recognize the same values and beliefs?  Even if you don’t own the joint — surely you want to work for a company that shares your values, don’t you?  Do you not allow your business contacts to be Facebook friends because they might see something you don’t want them to?

He understood marketing: Watch this very old and so so quality video as a very young Steve Jobs talks about marketing and brands.  He got it.  I think much of his success can be tied to his understanding that every company, big or small, needs to stand for something.

If you asked your clients what your company was all about — would they list what you sell or would they talk about what you believe?  (Email subscribers — click here to watch the video)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmG9jzCHtSQ&feature=channel_video_title[/youtube]

No matter what you do — you can bring a little of Steve’s heart and business acumen to your work.

Godspeed Steve Jobs — thanks for reminding all of us how it should be done.

HT to our friends at brand dna for reminding me that this video was worth sharing.

Related articles

• Steve Jobs: 11 Acts Of Vision (informationweek.com)
• What I Learned From Steve Jobs (myventurepad.com)

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Do you take yourself seriously?

October 7, 2011

At McLellan Marketing Group, we live by our core beliefs.  One of them is:

We take our work seriously.  Ourselves… not so much.

Let’s be honest here.  None of us save lives every day.  (Okay, if you actually do… you have my permission to skip this post) Sometimes, I think we need to just get over how important our work is and lighten up.  In front of our clients.  Let them see we have a sense of humor about ourselves.

Why?  Because they’ll actually enjoy working with you more.

Check out these planes from Kulula Airlines.  No doubt their work is serious.  They propel humans 30,000 feet into the sky and have to get them back down safely.  But that doesn’t mean they have to be uptight about everything.  Southwest Airlines has nothing on them!

What do you suppose the flying experience is like?  I’d sure want to try it!

That’s delivering the brand and some word of mouth worthiness at the same time!

Check out these photos… and enjoy your Friday.  Be sure you read the labels.  Some of them are hysterical. (Email subscribers — if you can’t see the pictures, click here to view them.)

Kulula Airlines #1

Kulula Airlines #2

Kulula Airlines #3

Kulula Airlines #4

 

My thanks to blog reader Amy Roppe for sharing these with me!

 

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What are you doing to generate word of mouth

October 6, 2011

 

Amazon’s Vine program

We all know how awesome word of mouth is.  We know it beats any mode of advertising and that over 90% of consumers say it’s the most compelling factor in their decision to buy.

We all want it.  We want our customers to go skipping down the street, singing odes to us.  We want them to pull out their rolodex and drunk dial their peers to shout our praises.  We want them to tattoo our logo on their rear end. (Hey, it works for Harley)

So we patiently sit and wait for them to do just that.  And we wait.  And we wait.

Perhaps it’s time we actually do something to make it happen.

Amazon created a program they call Vine.  They have formed a small cadre of customers and inved them to be Vine members.  A Vine member gets two free books or any other item (they provide a list…you choose from that list) that Amazon sells every month. In exchange, you agree to review those items.  Good, bad or ugly — once you publish your two reviews for the month, you’ll eligible to get more free stuff the next month.

I’m a Vine member.  Of the 12 or more reviews I have written, almost all of them have been positive.  A couple effusive and a couple were so-so.  So at least 80% of the reviews they’ve gotten from me have been praising the products.  They generated word of mouth because they set out to get it.

If mega-store Amazon has to actively create word of mouth opportunities, what do you suppose the odds are that you’ll suddenly get a bunch of spontaneous praise?

Exactly.  Which is why we need to purposefully and actively generate it.

How could you do that in your business or how are you doing it today?

 

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You’ve got a bird in your hand. Now what?

August 8, 2011

 

… Do you value what you already have?

Like the old idiom goes…a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.  I’d argue, when the bird is a customer, the ratio is even greater.

For years, at the risk of preaching, I have been banging on the idea that we spend way too much time and energy chasing after potential customers and way too little time and energy romancing (and creating a love affair) our current customers.

I’ve pushed on the idea that our math is all backwards.  It’s cheaper and easier to get more (and more profitable) business from our existing clients — and yet, our “new business” efforts are always aimed at strangers, rather than those friendly, pre-disposed to love us customers.

Which is why I’ve always enjoyed and respected Becky Carroll and her blog Customers Rock.  Becky is an Age of Conversation author and a huge believer in the power of treating customers like gold.

So when Becky emailed me and asked if I would read her new book The Hidden Power of Your Customers (click here to buy*) I have to admit — I already knew I would like it.  Because I knew it would tout the importance of creating love affairs with your customers.

I just finished it — and wanted to share it with you.  As I suspected, Becky spends time making the points that I’ve  made above.  But the lion’s share of the book is spent showing readers HOW to cultivate and celebrate their current customers.  Becky teaches us the how using the acronym ROCK.

R = relevant marketing. This is all about talking to your customers how and when and where they want it.  Which, of course, means you need to listen/ask them.

O = orchestrated customer experiences. Brilliant companies are very purposeful in crafting customer experiences that deliver delight and marvel their most valuable clients.  It doesn’t happen by accident.

C = customer focused culture. I don’t care how smart or insightful a leader you are — if honoring your customer isn’t baked into your organization’s culture… it won’t happen.

K = killer customer service. This is all about consistency. (as you know, one of the cornerstones to good marketing)  When your brand and values are woven into your organization’s culture…. your entire team is able to deliver incredible customer-centric service, regardless of circumstance.

One of the best aspects of this book is the collection of case studies.  Becky went beyond the usual suspects and tells tales of customer loving companies like Nicor National, Salon Radius and Sanuk.  (Nope, I’d never heard of any of them either!)  The fresh stories add a depth that other books are missing.  However, no book on treating customers can leave out stories from Disney and you’ll enjoy those as well!

If you want to build an organization that truly treats its current customers as a precious commodity — this book will serve as a valuable guide to making it so.

Check it out and let me know what changes the book inspired.

 

*Yup, it’s an affiliate link and I was sent a copy of the book by Wiley. However…as you know, I get 4 or 5 books a week.  I only recommend the ones I genuinely believe you’ll value and enjoy.

 

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How CustomInk.com creates a love affair with me

July 19, 2011

...they even send love notes!

There’s no valuable and ROI focused marketing goal greater or more effective than to create a love affair with your customer.  Remember the perks:

• It feels good
• It’s easier to sell more to a current customer than something to a new one
• It’s more profitable
• It generates word of mouth
• It’s incredible for employee retention

And here’s a little case study to prove my point.

We’re an agency, I sit on the boards of several not-for-profits and I was very active in my daughter’s high school.  All of that adds up to a ton of t-shirt purchases throughout the year.   A few years ago, we stumbled upon CustomInk.  I was shopping for cheap, t-shirts for a fundraising event for one of the boards I’m on and couldn’t find the right quality for the right price locally.

The experience I had with CustomInk that first go around made me a customer for life.  And every interaction I have with them since that first one just reinforces my buying decision.

Here’s how they create a love affair with their customers.

They are accessible: Live chat on their website, a phone number to a real person, very fast e-mail support — I’m pretty sure I could even send them a carrier pigeon and they’d get back to me.

They give me the tools to be successful: Whether you’re a novice and need clip art and suggestions to a pro who wants to upload print ready files — they have easy to use tools to let you do business with them the way you want to do business.

Their store (website) is well organized, has lots of help prompts and let’s me get to it: God love them for organizing their site in a way that lets me search by price or by color or by quality.  I never have to wonder “where would I go to do XYZ” because I always know.

When things go wrong (on our end)– they bend over backwards: If they think your shirts (or whatever you print) aren’t going to turn out well due to a design issue or if they just think your logo needs to be cleaned up — they do it.  They’re helpful and they don’t make you feel like a dope.

They support what I support: Every time I do t-shirts for a fundraising type event — they call the organization and make a donation.  It’s not a huge dollar amount ($20 or so) but the gesture means a great deal.

I get a person: Once my t-hsirts are in production, the work is assigned a staff person who oversees the order until it is shipped.  When I e-mail or call – I am connecting directly to that person.  When I have an art question — I’m assigned an art person who helps me get it right.  Follow up question — go back to your person.

They’re grateful: They go out of their way to let me know they appreciate my business.  I’m sure I am a small fish in their pond but they always check to make sure we were happy once the t-shirts get delivered and as you can see, every once in awhile, I get a hand written note.

None of what they do is rocket science but all of what they do is a sincere effort to connect with, support and thank their customers.  They’re an online company that understand the importance and power of creating real relationships.

I feel the love…and love them in return!

How about you — is there a brand that’s created a love affair with you?  How’d they do it?

 

 

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