What makes an engaging brand? In the world of social media, Facebook has taken the cake in terms of claiming customers. Organizations like Facebook and Twitter are successful because they have added the secret sauce – they’ve figured out how to get their users to come back repeatedly. This is in part due to the fact that their tools offer value and they’ve positioned themselves well in the marketplace; but, in large part, it’s because these companies have connected with their audiences. The platforms themselves stand for the encouragement of engagement. Engagement is the key to success.
Social media platforms provide a number of specific tools to enhance communication. But, merely providing such avenues is not enough, as many of Facebook’s competitors found out the hard way. Facebook positioned itself as a facilitator for people to meet and interact, transcending geographical, cultural and physical limitations.
What most people don’t realize is that the successes of certain social platforms can actually be replicated in other, unrelated business ventures if the root of their success is acknowledged in its most basic form: driving engaged relationships.
Engaging prospects and customers by focusing more on the relationship aspect of the customer lifecycle instead of numbers will pay off. Keep track of those KPIs – your net new opportunities, conversion rates, sales activities – but, use them to complement and support the relationship you’re aiming to build. Apple, for instance, launches innovative products that people want and connect with. But, they’ve developed a strong name for themselves by turning their stores into welcoming, fun spaces with what seems like a one-to-one ratio of Apple support reps to customers. People have learned that it’s easy to develop a relationship with “Apple” – so, they return time and again.
You will be engaged by countless brands in your lifetime. Think about which products you use, which businesses you return to, what name brands you get excited about. Which ones engage you the most? We’d love to hear about it. Which brands can we all learn a thing or two from? Tell us by adding your vote to “The Most Engaging Brand” study: http://engagingbrand.com/.
