LIKE ME! FOLLOW ME! RECOMMEND ME! SHARE THIS! SUBSCRIBE!
These are the new calls to action for digital marketers. Anytime a consumer is online, he or she cannot avoid the virtual solicitations from brands and content creator sites (media, blogs, etc.). What’s at stake for the Average e-Joe as he clicks on the like or recommend button? A little piece of his credibility and a part of his e-reputation.
These are five questions brands should be asking with regard to their client (read: fan) base:
LIKE ME: Do we provide an emotional connection to our customer base such that they would be glad to say that they like us? What about how much they love us? Is your brand featured and well noted on the lovemarks site (by Saatchi)?
FOLLOW ME: Do they trust our content and intentions enough to want to follow us wherever we may go? Follow me on Twitter is an entirely voluntary and retractable act. Are we gaining a loyal following who click on our content?
RECOMMEND ME: Is the experience worthy enough that a client will put their own credibility on the line to recommend us to his/her friends? Do we track how often our brand is bookmarked in services such as Delicious?
SHARE THIS: Is the content we are creating providing enough added value and personal meaning that our clients will happily share it among their inner circle?
SUBSCRIBE: Is the client willing to say, “okay, I’m happy to let you occupy space in my inbox?” Is the content and service I am providing enough for the client to want to open and read my mail. Etymologically speaking, when someone SUBSCRIBES, they are, literally speaking, UNDERWRITING, i.e. they are assuming financial responsibility… no light engagement! How many people are subscribing to your content or newsletter, reading it, clicking on it and passing it along?
A study by emarketer makes the connection between liking and recommending a brand to purchase intention. Makes sense.
With new services and technologies spawning daily, such as OAuth (which enables platforms to interface together without having to re-input new username and passwords) and Disqus (which allows you to track your own comments across multiple platforms), it is not hard to imagine that there will be ever greater interconnectability between sites and what we say and like of each. Pretty soon, someone will work out how to track the way a brand is being shared, liked, subscribed to… The new ROI of marketers will have to take into account the e-factor, the 5e’s of marketing: the willingness to exchange, the power of the experience, the emotional connection, the authenticity of the engagement, and the essential meaning and return.
And, to get the e-factor in your favor, the organisation must be onside, together. Three keys: Unity of mission, transparency of values and fleetness of foot. Easier said than done in an established business, but that is what a brand coach is for…!
As always, let me know your thoughts!
Nowadays, the growth and success of the brands are directly related to positive customer experience. Whether the brands like or not, that became the essential criteria for all kinds of companies regardless of their size. By using costumer experience exchange brands have to rethink their strategies and adapt themselves in order to reach better their target clients. Due to the technological improvements and spreading use of social media tools, brands can have quick ‘feedbacks’. Brands which are isolated from costumer experiences cannot keep their actual position longtime. I think your article really shows how to translate this digital consumer experience into a differentiated interactive customer relationship management in order to acquire and also retain these customers.