Authentic Online Communication – the moral fibre of your business success

What makes your business irresistible?

A carefully planned client meeting with relevant research and striking presentations would probably have landed you some business time after time in the past.  If you’re in retail a couple of product ads in the local paper or a customer discount every first Saturday of the month might have also done the trick.

We are living in an entrepreneurial society and the next person you meet online could also be your next customer.  So, will you be able to sell your business in 3 seconds in an online environment?

Some facts about living in an online, attention economy:

• State the benefits, not the features

Your customer is not interested in how great you think your product is. They are interested in how it will benefit them and satisfy their unique needs. To be clear, this does not start with advertising, it starts with the content on your website.

• Be consistent

You might grow tired of your brand or product message BUT remember your customer needs to be reminded. To develop a content strategy that will reinforce your core themes and tailor these themes for each medium that you are present. A message on Facebook will look slightly different from one on Twitter.

• Unrealistic expectation

The mistake that companies often make – to try social media, then expect immediate results and if not, give up.  If you are venturing in an online environment for the first time, your following will not grow from 0 to 10 000 likes overnight. At the end of the day, everyone thinks ROI and cash in the bank, but this is more likely to happen from consistency and authentic communication than from giving up.

• Consider your goals

Why are you online?

• A young business needs branding opportunities and social media presents opportunities for building such awareness.
• Do you want to use social media for public relations, customer service or engagement?
• Perhaps you want to offer special offers on your products?  Targeted ads to people in specific locations or who have certain interests will be of benefit to you.

The truth is social media is more about your customer and what they want and need than about you. So start thinking about your brand, your values and your unique personality and why your customer would want to engage.

It might take some time to figure out their needs, but they usually convert and all it takes is one click.