EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
KIM FURMAN , MARKETING MANAGER , SYNTHESIS
Lockdown has diminished the how of marketing . If you want to connect with your customer , in-person experiences and events are beautiful memories but far off realities . This leaves us fighting over reduced space to gain our customers ’ attention . out to customers and the data . Then we can provide them with that article , advice or offering that speaks to their current state of motion and emotion – their frequency .
3 . Fight for share of memory
But we need to do more than that if we want to serve and connect with them .
1 . Remember the why and what
Attention is a prerequisite to memory . We have placed the right message in the right place , but we are not done . What we are really fighting for is share of memory .
We often get lost in the how we connect with customers – LinkedIn for the B2B market or remarketing of a basket in the B2C market . These methods can all be effective . If I stop thinking about those shoes I added to my wish list , they will follow me around with puppy dog eyes until I give in and give them a home .
Yet , we can lose sight of why we connect with them – to provide value . Then the next question is what is valuable and meaningful to them – suddenly you are serving an individual and not a market and the how becomes more obvious .
2 . The customer is the source of truth
Digital means access to data . This data can help us understand what message , through which channel and at what time , suits our customers . But we need to take this further . When we understand our customers , we can speak their language , offer a relevant offering and become a brand they resonate with .
To resonate is to vibrate at the same frequency . We need to ask ourselves as marketers , are we vibrating at the same frequency as our customers ? Do we know ( where relevant ) what keeps them up at night , what challenges they are trying to overcome , what would make their day ? This is not a one-off question but a constant undertaking . The answer is in front of us . Reach
We all see thousands of messages a day , but they do not stick with us . Yet the chance of converting attention to memory increases when something is meaningful to us .
This does not mean that every marketing piece needs to be Oscar-Wilde witty . Sometimes simple is best – clearly and simply stating how your offering solves a customer ’ s pain point . Yet , sometimes , the best way to stick is through stories . We are storytelling beings . We dream in stories . Placing a person on your social media telling the story of how your offering helped them is powerful .
Social distancing has exacerbated our longing to connect . It is the ideal time to tell your brand ’ s story and connect to the why you are in your customers ’ worlds .
In marketing , whether B2B or B2C , we are always speaking to people . Our job is to ensure our brands and offerings have purpose , resonate with these people and come into their worlds memorably so when they need what we provide , they remember where and how to find us . x
WHEN WE UNDERSTAND OUR CUSTOMERS , WE CAN SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE , OFFER A RELEVANT OFFERING AND BECOME A BRAND THEY RESONATE WITH .
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