Internet marketing has been plagued by vanity metrics and promotional jargon for years. Businesses are obsessed with how many Likes they can gain or pushing a “BUY NOW” sales message. If you want to gain new customers through Internet marketing, you need to reevaluate your message. Facebook’s recent Promotional Content update is a testament to how bad businesses have become with their me first attitude.
It’s Not About What You Get, But What You Give
Turning Internet users into customers requires more than just a promotional message. It’s essential for you to provide them with value. By consistently providing your customer with value, you build a treasure trove of trustworthy experiences with them so that when you eventually want to push a sale, it’s well received.
Before you write, share, or film something, ask yourself, “Will this bring value to my customers?” Value comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, but it can easily be fit into just a few easy to remember categories:
- Educate – Write a blog, FAQ page, or eNewsletter with information that will help your customer get more out of their experience with your business. Example: Write a blog post called, “10 Easy Ways to Make Your Next Party a Huge Success!” An educational blog post can be used to help bring in traffic from search engines or it could be used in a party confirmation email.
- Edify – Find ways to uplift others in your community and share it with your network. Did one of your team members just win a scholarship for college? Share the great news with your network! Did your local high school team just win a state championship? Celebrate their success too! Edify your customers with uplifting and encouraging information.
- Entertain – Between Buzzfeed, family, and friends, there’s a lot of noise hitting news feeds these days. Standout by sharing something fun. Share a relevant comic, YouTube video, or gather your team together to take a fun photo together.
Creating Value for Your Customers Makes You Different
Here’s the one big thing to remember: The world is full of ME first Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. When you focus on your customers, you build a massive advantage over your competition. Why? Because you’re among the rare breed of businesses that care. Use it to your advantage
