With 2022 well and truly underway, it is clear to see that there has been a considerable shift in the way we communicate with our audience. Due to a number of reasons we are all tired of discussing, connecting with others has been discouraged and even stigmatised. And that makes perfect sense, given the circumstances, but leads to a deficit when it comes to establishing, maintaining and enhancing customer relationships.
Successful companies know the importance of connecting with people. In the aftermath of the ongoing pandemic the very real digital boom that’s been unleashed will present golden opportunities to really connect with audiences. From the cherished and long established ones to the unknown, merely potential ones.
Here are some solid helpings of advice when it comes to reconnecting with your audience during this digital surge:
1. Content that’s as interactive as possible can garner unprecedented results
It’s a content epidemic. We can’t go anywhere without being bombarded by information, and as consumers, it seems like we have to ingest everything just so we don’t miss out. Our brains sometimes feel like they want to shut down from all the stimulation, but there is another way: interactive content that gives your customers a way to participate in what you’re putting before them, instead of simply reading or watching with glazed-over eyes.
Having a well planned and expertly executed content strategy can go down a treat with a bit of imagination and the appropriate attention and concern for your audience.
Interactive online calculators are a simple example; they are popular tools for starting conversations with customers. They allow you to collect data about your client based on their input and automatically tailor a quote to their specifications providing a more customised experience. Such calculators are often found in B2C but have just as many uses for businesses operating in the B2B space. Product pages with fixed estimates are good candidates for getting this functionality set up in order to start a more personalised conversation.
2. The show must go on
Creating beautiful, engaging video content is a great way to educate and entertain your target audience. With traditional static videos the customer’s role can be passive in understanding how an experience might address their needs but with interactive footage, they become active participants who are able to create feedback loops by actively engaging throughout each piece of info-tainment.
Video marketing is an excellent way to engage your target audience. To do so, you have several steps to go through to ensure success; including choosing the right KPIs for video content and defining who will be watching it in order to create videos tailored specifically toward their needs or interests.
When you use personalised interactive webinar invitations, data collected from quizzes and surveys as well as downloadable content, you can cut through the clutter your audience has become accustomed to. If your customers see their name on a story they’re more likely to stay engaged, because it feels like they’re partaking in something unique with yourself included.
Sales content is typically interactive, branching videos. It’s like the “choose your own adventure” books from when you were younger – only these decide what buyers should do with their lives instead of making decisions for them.
Demonstrations offer an immersive and entertaining experience that helps people understand your business models, products and services better.
3. Bring things to life with live
82% of people prefer live video from a brand over standard social posts.
Live video is nothing new, but in a time where face-to-face interaction with customers and prospects may be limited due to work hours or other personal commitments, live streaming your videos gives you the chance for constant engagement and it’s also simple: all that’s required from users are their smartphones.
In fact, the more real and less rehearsed your videos are the more authentic they will seem and your audience will love you more for it.
Just a quick search will show you just how popular live Q&A sessions are as a way to convert both existing and new contacts.
4. Conversation breeds relation
Chatbots are an affordably effective marketing and customer service tool that can be leveraged on your website. They’re no longer seen as a new tool, but with more online purchases and a bigger revenue share online than at any other time in the history of the universe, how you use them could make all the difference.
In other words, chatbots can be an invaluable tool in understanding your buyers and giving them what they want. Ecommerce and B2B websites are no longer static, passive things – you have the opportunity for true conversational marketing with human conversations addressing any unique need imaginable. And business is built on addressing needs.
When it comes to content, digital marketing is a powerful tool. The internet has changed the way we do business and communicate with our customers. In order to be successful in this new world of technology, you need an expert team at your side that understands how everything works – from email marketing campaigns to social media strategies. We can help you reconnect with your audience by providing services like blog writing or any number of unique customer touch points which will boost traffic and leads to your business. If all of this sounds intimidating and you want help enacting and implementing, let us know.
With passion and professionalism in abundance, Vida Barr-Jones has an impressive track record of establishing and meeting business goals. Vida brings 34 years of commercial experience, having spent eleven years as a Board Director at Europe’s largest FTSE-listed office products wholesaler. Vida is an inspirational leader known for excellent communication and engagement across all levels.