When it comes to engaging your customers using effective branding, think of it much like dating, only without the awkward silences (at least, you hope). The potential date you’ve been messaging on an app – Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, whatever – is a prospective customer; and you, my friend, are the brand. Not dissimilar to romancing, the goal is to spark their interest, forge an emotional connection, and, ultimately, earn their trust and loyalty. Getting them to try before they buy? That’s completely down to you.
Here’s how to engage customers by taking your cues from lessons in love.
1. Go to their place, not yours
We’ve all been there: you’re setting up a drink with a date only to be the one coming up with all the ideas about where to meet – or, worse, the only one willing to travel to someone mutually convenient. It doesn’t bode well. Likewise, a brand that doesn’t show an understanding of their customers or where they operate won’t benefit from high engagement. The best brands understand human dynamics and leverage them to create strong relationships on the right channels.
2. Don’t be a wally
Nobody likes someone who’s dishonest – fact. And that’s true for both customers and lovers. Don’t pretend to be something or someone you’re not – a brand that cares about the planet when you’re not doing anything to prove it, for example, or a person who loves animals when you’re highly allergic – and lay your cards on the table from the offset. While you may not be everybody’s cup of tea, you’ll attract the right people, and it’s that fanbase on which to build solid foundations. High engagement starts with brands that aren’t afraid to let customers know who they are with the proof to back it up so people can understand them and enter into things with open eyes.
3. Have great chat
The only thing worse than an awkward silence is dry conversation. ‘No banter’, as the kids call it. So, why is your brand only posting about product or emailing about purchases? Dry, dry, dry! To really engage your customers, think like a dating pro with all the best lines delivered in a timely, witty and sensitive way. It’s about demonstrating the human side of your business and putting a ‘face’ to the brand with conversation that reflects your personality. Also remember: being a good conversationalist is about listening and responding as well as talking, so ensure you interact as well as broadcast.
4. Make it meaningful
Good chat is one thing, but meaningless banter just becomes vacuous noise, so conversation needs to have purpose – between people on a date or between a brand and customer. Embed real value into the content you deliver to your audience, from insight to prizes or opinion, all of which takes real investment from your side but pays back in spades. The aim is to create comms your customers actively seek out and desire. Think of it like a date waiting for a text from you at the end of the evening. It’s that anticipation you want to replicate.
5. Appreciate their engagement
‘If you like it, put a ring on it’, so the old adage goes (or, at least, Beyoncé). When your date is engaged, it’s time to reward their affections, perhaps with another date in the diary. For customers, it’s less about dinner-and-drinks and more about personalising communication, creating a loyalty programme and encouraging their advocacy. Either way, it’s time to give back.
Get in touch with Bray St. to find out more about engaging your customers using effective branding.