Connecting with your audience is very important if you want to create a successful marketing campaign. Unfortunately, getting in sync with your customers is often easier said than done. In today's fast-paced, content-driven society, your audience is constantly reading, multitasking and learning about new products. With a wealth of information at their fingertips, users feel like they don't have to settle for the first thing they see. If a business or service isn't up to their standards, they can easily find another one. This means you really have to stand out if you want your company to grow and succeed. Fortunately, though, it's easy to catch your audience's attention if you learn from their behaviors and values. Here are five things you should do to better connect with customers.
1. Create Quality Content
The number one way to foster a relationship with your customers is to generate original, high-quality content. A marketing campaign is virtually useless if you're not creating new content for your customers in some way. The average person spends over thirty hours online per month, and you can probably guess what they're doing for most of this time. If you're like most people, you probably spend a fair amount of time navigating social media sites, reading blog posts and searching for terms on Google. What do all of these sites have in common? They all offer users interesting or informative content. If you really want to connect with your audience, why not give them something they'll value? Writing blog posts and informative articles, posting on social media and creating videos or infographics are all great ways to build brand awareness.
2. Create Multitask-able Content
Today, most adults are adept multitaskers. Even when we have down time we're often doing several things at once. We check our smartphones while watching TV or draft an e-mail while listening to the audio from a YouTube video. Chances are when your audience is reading articles or social media posts, they're also doing something else like cooking dinner or talking to a friend. That's why it's important to make sure your content is multitask-able. While this may sound complicated, the concept is pretty simple. You want users to be able to get the gist of your content just by skimming it. To do so, use a conversational tone and avoid long, overly complex sentences. Divide your article into shorter paragraphs, and be sure use sub-headings. While your readers aren't stupid, they will bypass an article if it takes too much effort to understand.
3. Know What Your Audience Likes
How can you cater to your audience's needs without knowing what they like? If you want to target content to your audience, it's imperative that you know their needs, wants and preferences. You can use this information to build your brand and create the most applicable content. For example, if your target audience is 18 to 35-year-old men, you may find out this demographic loves sports cars. Then, you could write an article on DIY oil changes or budget auto detailing. If your demographic is really into self-help, you could write about things to consider when choosing a rehab center.
4. Know the Power of Social Media
Social media sites are some of the most popular that users visit, especially when they’re multitasking. That means it’s very important for you to not only have a presence on social media but also to be active on the sites. Be sure to post on social media regularly, and share anything about your business that’s appeared on the news or other sources.
5. Don't Undervalue Face-to-Face Encounters
As important as it is to be active online, many customers still value face-to-face interaction. Seeing your customers in person shows them that you care. This can truly set you apart from your competitors and foster a relationship with your clients. When you do have the opportunity to meet customers in person, make the most of the experience. Arrive at the venue early, and stay after to answer questions. The more effort you put in, the more you’ll get in return.