before you ready the satin sheets, the chocolate truffles and the barry white — i’m talking about unlocking business intimacy here. consumers should be enjoying a deeper connection to brands. they should know exactly where a company stands, and be the beneficiaries of an ongoing, personal conversation with the thought leaders behind the goods. that’s right, i said personal. far too often, however, there isn’t much thinking being offered at all. the leaders? well, they’re mostly in hiding. that intimacy dream? shackled. all of this, when one of the most basic tenets of brand acceptance and sales is that consumers buy from companies and people THEY LIKE.
this old school silence — still dormant despite having the greatest tools they could ever have to deliver their brand at their disposal — is trimming bottom lines each day. do i have your attention now? okay then. what are these tools i tease? for starters, it’s a meaningful blog platform and a vibrant social media presence.
THE B WORD. i can’t tell you how many businesses cringe or snicker at the mere mention of a blog — as if i’m some crazy, out-of-touch, coffee-shop slacker. a blog platform, where leveraged properly, takes the brand conversation to a richer and far more meaningful level. it establishes and reinforces intimacy. still in denial? take inanimate objects vs. people. i know that many of us love a trusted set of golf clubs or a mini cooper. i don’t care how cold you are, but you better have a closer relationship with your family, a pet or a significant other!
on one side of understanding this, you’re putting a face (or faces) to the products, services and information you provide to the marketplace. the stories of how people produce things and what it means to them. the fundamental problems in people’s lives that are being solved. reflections on how much better life is each day, thanks to the brand. yes, all of the intimate details. if you’re uncomfortable providing this sort of experience, then you should be asking yourself why. people need to know you to like you. humanizing a business from an entity to a collection of people is a huge initial win.
at an intermediate stage, you should be jazzed that people no longer need to visit your website to know what’s new. blogs offer something called rss feeds, where people can subscribe to your website updates. subscribers provide email addresses or they can’t get the goods. the latest content is pushed to these emails, which also means pushed to phones and tablets. stop and imagine the power of that for a second. brands being pocketed. buzzing. chiming. nudging. sounds like a cozy place to be, no?
on the advanced end of the spectrum, a spirited blog moves the tone of the consumer-brand relationship from indifferent all the way around to loyal. for those who’ve truly succeeded at building a strong return business cycle, you know this isn’t easily attained. it takes investment. it’s letting down your guard, connecting with people and being there time and time again. you become a regular, reliable force in a consumer’s life.
SOCIAL MEDIA VANITY. what’s more disappointing than the blog cringe? when it comes to talking about consumer relations, disappointment peaks with social media vanity. it’s like high school all over again. i need tons of “good time friends,” and i want each of them to like me (even if i don’t plan to invest in any of them). it’s also like the 25th reunion. i feel irrelevant. i need to cover up gray hairs and get back into the game. what is the social media equivalent? let’s launch facebook and twitter profiles!
if you seek relevance (and businesses can’t afford not to), then start by committing to colorful, harmonious business communications. don’t just create a social media profile to have one, then demand that people like you so you can get that count up. think in terms of cultivating real, lasting friendships. yes, again, i’m implying a personal connection. provide a voice (or better, a chorus) through your social media profiles. stay in front of these audiences (and they won’t likely be the same people at each). ask for requests. perform like every show is your last. make that brand sing.
don’t think in terms of likes. you want consumers to fall in love with your brand. like isn’t the stuff of unwavering commitments. like is maybe, and as long as you’re good. love, on the other hand, is can’t wait to tell my friends. love is putting that sparkling brand on your finger and showing it off. love is unconditional.
