Did you know that 90% of people keep their phone within arm's reach at all times?
How do you capture the hearts and minds of customers who are bouncing between three or more devices and a PC? How do you capture their heart differently online than you would offline? How do you get them to stand up out of their chair and sing and shout about how much they love you and your brand?
Many brands and the business leaders within them think they can attend the latest local or online social media class, learn how to tweet and Google+ and they are well on their way to becoming an online “rockstar” social business.
Unfortunately this couldn't be further from the truth! The tools are only part of the equation. Social business is both art and science. It's about people, empowerment and taking what's inside your business to deliver something unique, personal, compelling, relevant and of value to both individuals and the larger ecosystem.
Check out the replay of the #GetRealChat Radio Show World Premier Launch with IBM Social Business, Digital Experience Team. We talk about these topics and more in detail.
Stop Drinking the Social Media RockStar Kool-Aid
There is no fast track to social business and online marketing success. Designing user experiences that inspire and empower your target audience to succeed in life and business takes focus, commitment and an understanding of who your audience is and what they want from you.
You must:
- Think mobile FIRST, not after your website and blog is launched.
- Humanize your business, not just your marketing messages.
- Get in the head of your audience.
- Make it your mission to figure out how to have a conversation with your audience that helps them achieve their goals.
- Understand what exactly it is they need and want.
- Know what keeps them up at night.
- Know who they are, what they do, why they do it.
- Know what they dislike, like and love!
- Know how you can help them.
- Know if, when, how and why they use a mobile device.
- Know where they are when they are accessing your online properties.
- Know when, how and where they are when making a decision to purchase your products and services.
- Care about them genuinely.
- Speak to them as a human, not a dollar bill.
- Deliver them relevant content in the format they can access easily, without thinking about it.
- Share with them your best stuff, always.
- Stop the trickery. Give them what they want within 1-2 clicks, max.
- Learn how to track, measure, analyze and optimize for real business results.
- Answer the most important question in social business…WHY. Why should they give a rip that you and your brand exists?
It's About the Experience.
Creating an amazing digital experience for your audience doesn't happen overnight. You are not going to wake up one morning and all of a sudden have the template of the perfect plan for execution in your head.
Getting in the head of your customer, understanding their needs and aligning it with your business processes, integrating social listening and measurement, plus the numerous other things that must be accomplished for success is going to take time.
Creating exceptional digital experiences is one of the best ways you can differentiate in a crowd of social media Facebook like beggars and Twitter follow hungry maniacs. If you focus on your audience and serving them the best possible digital experience, you are already one step ahead of your competition who is still back in the social trees drinking the quick fix social media Kool-Aid.
It's time you get focused on providing rich content experiences, helping customers solve problems in a faster, better way. Give them what they want, before they know they want it!
Give Them Something to Get Out Of Their Seat For!
What should be keeping you up at night is figuring out how you can leverage the new trends in digital, social and mobile technology to drive greater brand awareness, customer loyalty. Make it a goal to earn the trust of influencers and brand evangelists willing and ready to shout about your product from their social mountain top.
If you worry only about becoming the next social rockstar, you might find yourself singing to a stadium of empty seats. Focus on the people in the seats, what they're doing before they get to the seats, not only the gidgets and gadgets that get them to click a Facebook like.
When you create exceptional digital experiences you give them something more. You give them something they can bite into, savor and remember.
You give them something they should rise out of their seat and sing and shout about! Rise above status quo to inspire, empower and help them be more than they are today!
Join the Conversation
We are thrilled to partner with the IBM Social Business, Exceptional Digital Experiences team on a series of conversations on this topic. Together we are going to dig deep into exactly how we can create amazing digital experiences for our audience, colleagues, partners and clients.
Check out the resources below to listen to the world premier launch of our #GetRealChat Radio show with IBM, Base22 and CityForward as guest. I also included some cool mobile, social and digital technology resources from IBM, Base 22 and CityForward who all joined us for both the #GetRealChat Radio Show and Twitter chat!
Additional Resources – Listen, Watch, Engage & Learn
- Listen & learn: Replay of #GetRealChat Radio Show World Premier Launch with IBM Social Business, Digital Experience Team.
- Learn via webcast: IBM Social Business Webcast
- Check out the demo: IBM Exceptional Digital Experience Software Demo
- See CityForward in Action: Who Gets an Annual Bonus? and Philadelphia Vacancies
- Learn from the Tweet Chat Recap: #GetRealChat with IBM
- Stay Updated on Future Events: Sign Up for Updates & Announcements on Future Conversations & Events!
Visit our partners & digital experience thought leaders:
Replay #GetRealChat Radio World Premier Launch with IBM Social Business, Base22 and CityForward
