July 24, 2012

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How do we create deeper connections with our customers?

It’s a question that many small business owners struggle with because over time you realize that one sale is merely the beginning. Your ultimately goal is to build long-lasting connections, encourage repeat purchasing behavior and build an army brand advocates.

The good news is, experiential marketing tactics can do just that … and more.

Creating Customer Connections

The goal of experiential marketing is to establish connections in such a way that that your customer responds to a product offering based on both emotional and rational response levels.

Think about the brands that you purchase frequently and finish this sentence: “I love ___________ (insert brand name) because ________________.” If you truly think about why you love a brand it becomes less about the product and more about the experience and relationship that a company has built with you.

Not only do you want customers to buy your widgets, but ideally you want to invoke positive emotions and reinforce them at every touchpoint that a customer encounters your brand.

And the easiest way to start creating better experiences is to audit your current interactions, focus on doing the basics well, ensure they can scale (as your company grows) and implement low-cost/high reach tactics to set a new standard.

Here are three simple ways to get started:

1. Take time to really learn about your target audience.

Who do you sell to? It may seem like a simple question, but often this is the largest hurdle for small business owners to overcome. The importance of learning your target audience is not just to land a sale, but to build a relationship and connect with them on levels that actually matter to them — not you.

The best way to start is to create engagement zones — areas where you can elicit and receive candid feedback about your products and services. It can be as simple as ensuring you have a contact form in place or as robust as a lead generation campaign to capture customer data.

Because ultimately, if you know how your customers think and feel you’ll be better able to serve them and encourage a continuous relationship.

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