We all know it, but it’s rarely discussed. Traditional advertising and marketing is irritating to the consumer.
Billboard ads and building wraps in which the vendor points a giant 4-story high revolver at your face are just the tip of the iceberg. Spam email, TV commercials, junk paper mail… all of these serve as irritants to the intended audience. They are occasionally effective, and serve a purpose (without commercials, who would pay for your TV shows?), but as a consumer they are not a preferred part of your life.
As a business, it’s difficult to rise above this… but the benefits can be huge. If you do it correctly, you become MORE than a vendor. You can become a partner, a friend, and someone that your clients look forward to visiting.
Stylists and beauty salons are a great example of this. People LOVE to visit their stylist. They relax, they gossip, they leave feeling better. The stylists that I know tell me that they get invited to their clients’ weddings as a guest AT LEAST once per quarter, and often more. They’re more than vendors.
When we design your social media marketing campaign, we think about the sort of things you would do as more than a vendor – possibly as a friend. What do we offer to your clients?
- Advice, tips, and tricks
- Leadership for interesting discussions
- “Friends-only” deals (just like you do your in-person friends)
- Discussion topics that will capture their interest
- Respectful use of your clients’ personal space
If you can demonstrate that you’re a good friend, then your clients will want to share that friendship with their circle… and you’ll be much more than just a vendor.
