The 3 most common reasons people initiate a search with a desire to buy a product or service are:
- Hearing a about it from someone else.
- Having a pain point and searching online for a remedy.
- Asking or hearing about a product as a recommendation from a trusted professional.
If we’re looking at this from a business owners perspective, how can we use these “buyer processes” and integrate them into our marketing without spending a fortune?
Did you notice that 2 of the 3 processes here are about referrals? People listen to and buy from PEOPLE. In our over-saturated world of ads, unless there’s a trigger of emotion or a combination of a personal connection with the ad, advertisements are most often ignored.
Back to you and your business, how do you get more people talking about and recommending your products and services?
People talk about a business or service when:
- they were affected emotionally by it – good/bad.
- they were helped and they desire to pass that on and create good social currency by helping others.
- they were surprised by it – good/bad.
- it solves their problem and their life is better now.
- their social status will go up if they talk about it.
- they like-know-trust the supplier and seek to share it with others to support that business.
And I’m sure there’s many more examples, but that gives you a picture of how to get people talking.
What great marketers do, is make it really easy for people to share. They give them a story, they make it easy to remember, they make sure their brand is on their products, they connect with their users so they not only use the product – but feel connected to where they bought it from. All of these things can be done for low cost, and huge reward.
How?
Here’s some ideas to help you come up with your own ways to bring out the element of surprise and intrigue in your clients:
- a cappuccino maker in the lobby.
- the quick ask for a review when you’ve given then something, made as easy as possible.
- the extra bonus in the order when it’s shipped.
- a special bonus and card on their birthday.
- share your services with trusted professionals so they know what you do.
- a depth of knowledge, care and expertise displayed fully in EVERY interaction.
- a seamless and cheerful way to book, and re-book.
- give added value through
- a random act of kindness.
The one other main place that your customers search, decide and buy is Google {of course}. Plain and simple, you need to be there; near the top of their specific, location and “ease”-based searches. And that’s pure and simple, SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Getting to the top of this list in a crowded marketplace can be daunting so anything you can do to get there, helps.
Try these:
- creating expertise content.
- connecting to similar websites, where you share customers.
- posting fresh content and reviews.
- going out to your customers on social media and offering help. (twitter, facebook & linkedin)
- be listed on well-connected sites with better SEO than you.
More than anything, the more you can shine in your own unique way, the more conversations you’ll start; and that’s where sales are initiated.