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Marketing your product to potential customers can be an intimidating endeavor. Where do you start? How do you get their attention? How do you keep it? Ultimately how can you make a sale that helps your bottom line?
Perhaps thinking about the customer as an actual relationship you’re building would help. Think of it like taking them on a date. First you must get their attention, agree to go on a date with you, where you then impress them with your vast knowledge of your product. If that goes well, then you have a long term relationship on your hands, which can potentially result in not only a customer for life, but a brand spokesman, resulting in the ultimate ROI for you both.
So where do we begin? How about arming yourself with information, so you know what you’re up against.
Prepping for your first date: History of sales funnel
In the early 1900s, E. St. Elmo Lewis developed the Attention, Interest, Desire and Action (AIDA) model for driving your marketing campaign to your customers. Years later, William W. Townsend applied the concept to his sales funnel model, which we will use to help build an effective relationship with your customers.
The sales funnel concept puts the customer at the center, and specifically targets them during various stages of the model. It’s an efficient and effective way to reach potential customers, and not only make a sale, but convert that sale into a brand advocate.
So, how do you start? First you must make your potential customer not only aware that you exist, but aware of their need for you.
Relationship 101: Information Builds Trust
Studies have shown that a customer’s likelihood of buying from a brand is directly proportional to the awareness of the brand. Customers are less likely to buy an unfamiliar brand. By providing your potential customer with ample information about who you are, what you do, and how you can help them you build an unspoken trust. In doing so, when faced with your competitor, your potential customer instinctually chooses your product because they know who you are and what you’re about. This process begins a relationship before they’ve even made a purchase. That is the whole point of this model—not just a quick sale, but a long term relationship that will grow your business.
Here’s where your social media platform comes into play. Businesses are reaching their customers on a very personal level like never before, and consumers can’t get enough. Take advantage of this thirst for contact. Don’t be a nameless entity. Reach out and talk to your customers. Inform them of upcoming sales and promotions, changes to your business, new products you might be offering, anything to make them feel informed and included in your operations.
Relationship 201: Hold their interest
Now that you’ve caught your customer’s attention, hold it. Present them with information they need. Don’t just post things on your social media outlets in order to build content. Post thoughtful things that will have a direct effect on your potential consumers. Things like limited time sales, or information about when you will be closed for the holidays, or a social events calendar. Not only that, but post articles regarding how your product can have a direct effect on their life.
The more things you post that directly interest them, the more “likes” and “shares” your posts will get, increasing your interaction with not only that one lead, but many other leads. You can even utilize tools like Hootsuite, Engagor, or Sprout Social to help you reach out to potential leads and make them aware of their need for your product.
Think about how if you’re watching television at 5:30 you’re inundated with commercials for food. You weren’t even hungry yet until you saw that ad for a delicious quarter pounder with cheese. They are making you aware of a need you didn’t know you had. Do the same with your social media outlets. By making an emotional connection with potential consumers you build excitement about your brand and subsequent products, thus deepening your relationship.
But, beware. Don’t just post about your product, or your lead will become tired, over stimulated and ultimately label you as “spammy.” Engage them. Post things they’re interested in—videos, related memes, and top 10 articles are a great way to get positive attention. Work hard to answer their questions or even their complaints quickly.
This platform provides you with a unique opportunity to step out from behind your brand and show your customers that you are a person. That will create loyalty to you, and your brand, in the end.
Relationship 301: Seal the deal
Now it’s time to take that first date into a long term relationship—turn your lead into a customer. This can be tricky territory. Much like catching a fish, the hook is in their mouth but don’t jerk it out too quickly or they’ll get away.
Here’s where posting on your social media about your current sales and upcoming promotions can be just the push they need to bite down on your hook. You’ve been present in their mind already, and they’ve been thinking about how their lives would be improved by your product. A new, lower price is just what they were waiting for to make the purchase.
You can also try to entice them with free offers. People love free stuff. Offer a book, webinar, software package, or a consultation—anything to give you some face time with your lead. Get them to fall in love with you and your product and they’ll come back for more.
If your fish is still hesitant to bite down, don’t despair. Try to remain within their line of site using some remarketing techniques. Things like ads on Facebook and Google can be subtle enough to keep you and your brand in their mind, so that when their want turns into need, yours is the product they buy.
Additionally, you can continue your campaign of interaction and engagement through your social media outlets. The more you engage, the more conversion you will get, if not right away, eventually. Relationships are always an investment, and the more you invest, the better your ROI.
Relationship 401: Bragging rights
If you’re in a happy relationship, do you not tell your close family and friends how amazing your significant other is? The same holds true with your consumer relationship. Statistically, a happy customer will bring at least three leads to your table. An unhappy one will potentially tell thousands of people how horrible you are, particularly with the power of social media.
This is why it’s important to engage with your customers, even if they are complaining. Work to remedy the problem, and they will be more likely to tell others how you worked with them on a personal level to right a wrong. That too can create some intense loyalty.
Now that you’ve made your sale, and even have potential leads as a result of the relationship you’ve built with your customer, you can apply a lather, rinse, repeat method with your new lead.
Direct them into your established sales funnel through your social media outlets, promotions, newsletters and your blog. Engage them repeatedly, show them who you are and what you can do for them and turn that lead into another sale, and ideally another spokesperson for your brand.
Relationship 501: Extra Credit
As you can see, the relationship isn’t over once the sale is made. Neither is the sales funnel. Think of your social media campaign as an ongoing community you’re building with your customers and leads. Using this community can create loyal customers who will then go into their own communities and spread brand awareness beyond your social media reach.
To create this loyalty, don’t stop engaging your customer once they’ve made a purchase. Much like in a relationship, don’t stop calling once you’ve gotten what you wanted from them. Take a big picture approach. The happier they are, the more people they’ll get to buy your product, the better your ROI.
You may think this is too much work. I’ve already made a sale, my work is done. I have new customers to court. And while that’s true, your customer is just as likely to jump ship the next time their need arises if you neglect them. So keep them engaged with interesting content and applicable promotions.
You may even want to offer a consumer loyalty program to encourage your customers, and their associated leads, to remain with you. By offering 10% off their next purchase, you encourage them to come back, and potentially bring a friend with them.
Relationship 601: Advocacy
You can spend all your marketing dollars advertising, but a few positive reviews on your site can really sell your product better than any ad. The same holds true with word of mouth among your leads and customers. People trust each other more than a faceless ad on Facebook or Google. Even if it’s just an online review and they don’t know the person who left it. Consumers will always trust each other, and it’s important to try and use this to your benefit. If your customer is happy, ask them to leave a review online. Tell them to spread the word, and you’ll be surprised at how they will take it upon themselves to advocate for you.
Advocacy for your brand is the ultimate goal of the sales funnel model, but it’s important when you do reach this stage to continue engaging. This is a long term commitment, not a one night stand.
Having understood the stages of sales funnel, now let us see how it can be practiced in real scenario. We would see the example for each stage of sales funnel.
First comes love, then comes marriage
Running a business is so much like a relationship. It’s an ongoing effort to meet your consumer’s needs, not only for your product, but their emotional needs for attention and information. Satisfy all of these things, and you’ve successfully navigated the sales funnel and created a loyal brand advocate who will create leads for your company. Be active on social media, send out newsletters and post helpful and informative blog posts to engage your leads in a meaningful way. Your efforts will be well worth the investment.
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