Move Toward Conversation
What’s next in the world of marketing? As technology and society rapidly change, so too should our tactics for attracting new business. There is a major shift happening right now in the world of marketing, and it is being lead by social media.
Social media is all about communication and networking. Sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook bring people together digitally. So it should not come as a surprise that marketing is headed toward two way communication, or conversation.
Think of the blog. This is a concept that has been around for years now, but which has recently taken off in the business world. Not only are businesses rushing to put blogs on their sites, they are actually starting to use the blogs appropriately to communicate value to customers and browsers alike.
Rejecting the Push Mentality and Embracing Relationship
Social media has its fair share of marketers that don’t get the change yet. Twitter is a great example of this. It is a resource that thrives on bits of information being shared between contacts. It is easy to go back in forth and stay connected, because there does not have to be a lot of input or time spent reading lengthy articles (like this one!).
However, there are a lot of people/companies on Twitter that try to use it just to push information, without taking the time to engage and build up relationships. They don’t understand that consumers are looking for value and conversation. The businesses that get this are constantly engaging in conversation. In fact, they are leading the conversation with interesting and useful information that tends to draw a crowd.
Be a Conversation Leader
So, what does this mean for you? Well, this is actually good news. Your marketing campaign doesn’t have to be flashy and expensive. Instead, you can just start sharing more with your current customers, which will at the same time begin to attract new ones. A blog is a great way to start this. It provides a setting where you can communicate one to one and one to many at the same time. Readers can interact with you via comments, customers can learn from you, and browsers can find out about you. Social media sites are a logical next step. Use them to network with new people and to connect with current customers.
The best thing you can do is to be a conversation leader. This is someone who talks about something interesting and who has developed the authority or charisma that tells people that they should listen. You become the conversation leader by providing valuable information. It can be about your product if it helps your customers to use it better. Or, it can be about your industry or market. You can provide information that will be helpful to a wide range of people, customers and browsers alike.
Technology Leads Us Back To Local
The conversation is the next evolution of marketing. It is, in many ways, about rediscovering our roots. Business used to thrive on relationship. Much of that has been lost because of technological advances. Wal Mart exists as it does because of technology, for instance. In a bit of delicious irony, it is now technology that is leading the charge back to the relationship. Communication methods on the internet are making it possible to connect in meaningful ways with a wide group of people and customers.
I think the world is ready for a shift back to local. But it won’t necessarily be a full shift back to local brick and mortar businesses, though there will be some of that. Local will have a new definition. It will be about knowing people. I see this strongly through my connections on Twitter. There are several companies I am now doing business with as a result of getting to know the key players and the owners via Twitter. If I have a question, I can reach right out to my connection at the company, because we have built a relationship. So shopping local will encompass the whole world, but it will be focused on doing business with people you know and companies that are conversation leaders.
What can you do to move your marketing toward conversation? I suggest that you start a blog, for one. Also, become more involved on sites like Twitter and Facebook, with the purpose of becoming a conversation leader. You can also become a conversation leader in other ways, both on and off line. Look for new opportunities to add value to customers and browsers alike.
photo credit: Sarah Jane
__
Bradford Shimp is the publisher of All Biz Answers.
