Today I’m going to talk about how to build relationships with your customers through different forms of writing.
Just like building any relationship, building relationships with customers involves three major points:
know yourself
know the “other”
and find many ways to connect
Image: http://blog.us.cision.com/2009/01/top-10-newspaper-blog-networks/
Step One:
Like in many relationships, before your organization can be a good partner, it needs to know what they stand for, whom they want to attract, and what their goals are.
This is the difference of a dog walking service saying, “We want to be known for helping working professionals lessen guilt for not being able to exercise their dogs.”
Verses we aim to send out 500 fliers.
From those initial questions, your company should be able to define the values it wants to offer. That dog walking service would want to be associated with: dependable, no guilt or stress, pass on love for these cute dogs.
What if you went on a first date and just talked about your golf game? BORING! Think about writing as not selling your products, but addressing what is really interesting to your date.
“People don’t care about products and services, they care about themselves and solving their problems” (Scott, 138)
Step two:
Get to know your dates. Identify buyer personas
For instance, Runner’s World might identify Allison who runs at least 20 races a year.
Susan who is a mom.
Gary who is a self-deprecating, funny high school biology teacher. He might do some fun-runs or 5Ks a couple of times a year.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--13637-0,00.html
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-275--13652-0,00.html
http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-520-492-0,00.html
Step Three: After you name them, imagine who they are.
What is important?
Allison wants to get faster.
Susan wants to know how to balance family time
Gary wants to feel stronger, but still feel good about himself.
Images: http://www.runnersworld.com/channel/0,,s6-240-0-0-0,00.html
Traditionally, you’d find this out through surveys, interviews
But to take it a step further, read what they read
Ask yourself, what publications, blogs, websites, facebook pages, and search words attract each persona? Then read them to capture tone and interests.
Runnersworld.com
http://stupidmommy.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com
http://www.yogajournal.com/
Step four:
Design your website to reach each of these different personas. But instead of having a broad swath, hoping to catch them in the same place, direct them towards what they want. Runners World directs Gary to the Newbie Chronicles, Allison to training plans, and Susan to women’s running.
http://www.runnersworld.com/channel/0,,s6-238-0-0-0,00.html
While some of your website will talk about your products, in writing to build relationships, remember to address what they are interested in. People can see through weak copy to just sell products.
Avoid jargon, cliches. Write and engage how they want to hear it; you know this from reading what they read.
Scott, 152
Once you know yourself and the other, there are many different dates you can go on... sometimes you want to play putt-putt and sometimes go to the arcade!
Many companies offer blogs through their sites. Patagonia’s Cleanest Line has stories and photos from people on amazing adventures, and posts about environmental issues. It will make your date say, “ooh, I didn’t know you know about fly fishing in alaska!”
http://www.thecleanestline.com/
Webinars are seminars on the web. Imagine Susan, the running mom, seeing a webinar with Paula Radcliffe and Kara Goucher about staying fit while raising a family. She will definitely check it out.
By hosting webinars, your company gains not only more website hits but also respect and trust. Find interesting topics and famous people to host!
Similar to webinars, white papers offer expert reports about subjects that your personas are interested in. They are often technical, and scientific. These will help your company to be associated with the experts.
It’s like quoting an NPR story over cocktails...
Podcasts and video podcasts are fun and interesting ways to engage with your customers.
Christine Kane is a personal coach who offers free podcasts about topics that potential clients might be interested in.
And Nike sponsored three runners to make a silly video about a climbing/running/rolling style called Parkour.
This is like going to the movies!
http://christinekane.com/blog/subtle-sabotage-the-game-of-playing-not-to-lose/
http://broadbandsports.com/node/2846
Newsletters have been an old standard in the marketing world, but if you offer the usual coupon for 10% off every month, you’ll lose customer’s interests. THEY ARE BORING.
Costco does a good job with this. In this issue, they feature Toms shoes... they don’t even sell them! I used to laugh at the thought of reading this, but when I sat down and read it, I found out it’s awesome!
Charts and graphs may be getting closer to talking about the product, you might offer information about the general market or images to inspire people to have an emotional reaction.
Camps, for instance, might offer a link for a summer slideshow to help campers and families feel connected all year.
http://www.redoakrealty.com/market-research.htm
As a brief recap:
First
Know your organization Values
Know your buyers personas
Read what they read
Speak like they speak
Then:
Continue to build relationships
Engage-- outside of product
Have fun.
