Okay, so how do businesses get customers? It is difficult! Everyone talks about marketing funnels, but it can feel way better to think for a second about a curve. People start unaware, then they slowly get aware, and then suddenly, they are a super fan! Thinking of getting customers in this way, and then realizing that a curve may be a better visual approach than a funnel approach. Now the tricky part is how to push someone further up the curve. It requires multiple strategies. It takes money. And there can always be unexpected challenges.
Spreading Initial Awareness
Getting people, ordinary average people, to know a product exists can be pretty tough. Often, the first step is just getting the product or service out in front of people’s faces. This is called brand exposure; businesses will have to use a bunch of advertising across different channels to help increase this brand exposure. People aren’t going to tell their friends about a product they haven’t even heard of. Website traffic can offer great insights here, for example.
For some social media firms, things like buying followers, views, or likes are sometimes done to help push numbers up. It is kind of like faking until you make it, or making something seem more impressive than it may actually be. These kinds of things are usually seen as less effective. The goal here is to get actual engagement, not just some numbers on a screen; a high follower count may grab people’s attention, just not in the way a small business may want. It is like how lots of businesses are now focused on actually creating real value instead of just optimizing for growth.
Gaining Customer Interest
Once a potential customer is aware that the product exists, the goal should now be to actually get their interest. A business now has to offer something compelling, so that the average person reading it says, “Huh, that is interesting” or “yeah, that sounds useful.”. This could be awesome content, useful content, or the right price being offered. The product or service itself needs to meet this need. Social Media platforms like Instagram or TikTok, or YouTube, the number of likes, shares, or comments on a company’s profile or on posts can also influence that feeling.
The type of products should also align with the content. The product reviews may appear to attract customers to the site and convert them in sales. You may buy Spotify plays depending on your popularity as a singer, and this is a really good and cheap way to show your credibility. Spotify promotion could also include followers on the site.
Shifting People to Engagement
Now that a customer is interested, get them engaged with the business. Getting someone’s information and keeping them on the hook to be a repeat customer is pretty awesome! Focus on things like email subscriptions and content! This could be email newsletters, discount codes, and special offers. This shows that your average customer loves everything in the business to the point that they keep coming back! Another approach to encourage engagement is to target the YouTube subscribers. This would enhance the channel’s credibility.
Getting Advocates and Super-Fans
Once there is a bunch of engaged customers, what can you say so that the company can now foster advocates? A small business will aim to not only retain existing customers, but also get those existing customers to talk them up!
There are a few specific actions that help boost how fans may feel about the business: referral programs, sharing user-generated content, and responding to customers across social media. Think of the amazing results that could come as the business gets the sales. Another thing that helps a product is getting Twitter followers to have better credibility.
Conclusion
Moving people from “never heard of it” to “I can’t live without it” is no easy task. A business always needs a great product, a great marketing plan, and a lot of patience. It requires a good attitude for a chance to reach the top! If done right, then the company could get more advocates and create additional brand deals!
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