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We want to be meaningful.
In order to form ongoing relationships with customers, we need to be meaningful in their lives. Do we fit what they care about today? Are we in their daily routine or at least fit there? Do we speak in their language or our own? On my home page, I tell the story of my daughter's college: "A new college delayed putting in sidewalks, but did plant grass in the center of campus. They waited until they saw where the students had worn down the grass and then put sidewalks there. Online Marketers (or any marketer) can sometimes get in the habit of "putting in the sidewalks" without taking the time to see where the paths go."
When I heard this, it clicked for me that marketing, offline or online, is really about seeing where the paths go and putting ourselves and our message along those behavioral paths in a language that our prospects can understand. What are our prospects paths?
We want to be meaningful.
In order to form ongoing relationships with customers, we need to be meaningful in their lives. Do we fit what they care about today? Are we in their daily routine or at least fit there? Do we speak in their language or our own? On my home page, I tell the story of my daughter's college: "A new college delayed putting in sidewalks, but did plant grass in the center of campus. They waited until they saw where the students had worn down the grass and then put sidewalks there. Online Marketers (or any marketer) can sometimes get in the habit of "putting in the sidewalks" without taking the time to see where the paths go."
When I heard this, it clicked for me that marketing, offline or online, is really about seeing where the paths go and putting ourselves and our message along those behavioral paths in a language that our prospects can understand. What are our prospects paths?
- Fundamental Routines - waking, exercising, cleaning up, eating, checking schedule for the day, planning for later in the day, going to work, working, planning for leisure after work, returning from work, checking the mailbox, connecting with friends...
- Passions / Causes - we make time for these. You may fight breast cancer, so you look forward to the Breast Cancer run and train for it. I fight damage to our lakes created by poor DNR rules and their permitting high capacity wells to siphon water from sources of clean water for the lakes. It's damage driven by greed and a deisre for power by municipalities. Families are a passion.
- Relationships - Family, friends, coworkers... We used to talk to each other more. If we were too far away, we spoke on the phone or emailed. Today, we IM, text, Facebook status, Tweet... The fundamentals are the same. We want to be connected. As my daughter's friend put it, "You've got to keep up with your peeps!"
Do you fit in your propect's routines, passions or relationships? Would they know it?
Let's say that you want me to donate to your cause. Have you made sure that I identify you as something that I believe in and think about regularly? If not, how might you get on my path of behavior?
Vivosity Consulting can help you to think about getting in your prospect's path of behavior.
