5 ways to connect with your customer (without social media)
📣 PSA: Social Media isn't the only form of content.
I have to admit.
I start to sweat when I see businesses putting all of their marketing eggs in one basket 😨
Why? Because pursuing only one type of content limits your brand exposure and (if I'm honest) is a little risky.
Think about it this way...
If your social media accounts were to disappear tomorrow, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘭?
A successful content marketing strategy is multi-faceted and includes a strategic blend of different content formats.
Choosing the right content type for your business
One of the biggest questions most business owners ponder is, "What type of content should my business create? 🧐
Should I create a blog? Is a webinar a good idea for me? Is email marketing dead?
My answer 9 times out of 10 is simple:
👉 It depends on where the eyeballs are.
So how do you choose? 👇
It all comes down to what platforms your customer is active on and engaging with. This can depend on various factors from age, interests, location, preferences, lifestyle etc.
Are your customers looking for tips? Are they seeking out a demo? Do they need a quick solution to a problem they are eager to solve?
Your content should be based on your customer’s needs.
5 Powerful Forms of Content
With so many content forms out there, you might feel a lot of pressure to make every type of content.
Even the thought of doing that is kind of exhausting, right?!
The good news is that you don’t need to make every type of content- just the ones that work for your business.
Here are 5 types of content that can help you connect with your customer (without social media)
Email Marketing
If social media went away tomorrow, how many customers would you lose?🤔
Email marketing is owned and controlled by you, making it an extremely valuable marketing resource. It's also one of the few channels where your customer has specifically asked to receive information from you- so you are reaching an already engaged audience.
Email marketing can take many forms, from welcome sequences, and retargeting emails to newsletters & promo campaigns and allow you to connect directly with your customer via their inbox.
Blogs
“People don’t read blogs anymore, right?”
Wrong.
Blogs remain one of the effective ways to attract customers to your website. Answer your customer’s questions, speak to their pain points, share tips, talk about your product/service, demonstrate how you can help your customer, and showcase yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
And the great news is that there are many types of blogs to choose from, including:
How-to blogs
List blogs
Thought-leadership/opinion blogs
Tip/hack blogs
Idea blogs
Experience blogs
Regardless of which blog style you choose, remember that people read blogs that deliver value. This could be by delivering answers to their questions, inspiration or motivation or by teaching them something new. Keep your customer top of mind throughout the entire blog writing process.
Podcasts
There’s no denying that podcasts are having a serious moment right now.
And rightly so. Audio content is a fantastic and engaging way to connect with customers on the go.
Podcasts allow people to receive the information that matters to them while driving, working out at the gym, or even doing the dishes!
Here are just some of the benefits podcasts can bring to your biz 👇
Customer loyalty- Podcast listeners are extremely loyal. It is believed that 80% of the audience will listen to everything or almost everything you post online, expecting a new podcast to come out every week.
Strengthened brand voice - podcasts can help you create and manage your brand identity. It literally becomes the voice of the company. Building a strong brand voice with a podcast is a great way to win loyalty and convert listeners into buyers
Thought leadership - Podcasts allow you to establish yourself as an influencer in your field of expertise or operation. Taking the time every week or month to talk about the industry is showing your audience that you are an expert and deserve their trust
SMS
It’s personalized, fast, and brags pretty impressive engagement levels– so why aren’t more brands utilizing SMS Marketing? 🤷
As a largely untapped market with low competition, I believe it's a missed opportunity for brands looking to connect with their customer in a targeted way.
SMS Marketing is 👇
✔️ Fast, reliable, and reaches your customer instantly, wherever they are
✔️ Cross-generational: used across all demographics: Gen-Z, Millennials and boomers
✔️ Isn't hindered by ads, platform outages or a social algorithm
✔️ Boasts a 90% open rate! I mean, think about how often you're on your phone throughout the day...
✔️ Excellent tool for increasing brand loyalty and creating a deeper connection with existing customers
✔️ A powerful tool for providing additional value for your customer (when executed well)
Website
No, not a typo. And yes, pretty obvious. BUT your website is a powerful content marketing tool.
Your website is essentially your digital shop front and typically the first touchpoint your customer will have with your brand. And so, it’s important that you make an important first impression.
Similar to email, your website is an owned asset, giving you the power to connect with your audience, how & when you wish.
You also have complete control over the value you deliver to your audience, in a format that aligns with their needs.
Depending on the type of website you have, you can showcase a wide range of content from video, long-form written content, infographics, audio & photography. A strategic blend of these types of content, paired with clear, concise copy, can help you turn website visitors into customers.
