How do you get people who have never used your product or service to promote your brand?
The internet is awash with information - blog posts, statistics etc. - on how to turn your customers into brand promoters, but very little has been said about getting your leads to recommend your brand to other people.
Why?
I’ll tell you:
Because getting potential buyers (or influencers) to promote your product or services when they haven't yet used it is nothing but pure lies. It is simply a fake review that could rub off negatively on your brand.
So, don't do it!
If you have already succeeded in captivating total strangers to the point where they are likely to buy your products, then you want to complete the cycle by getting them to buy your great product. It is only after you have turned your leads to your customers that they can become promoters of your brand.
According to the inbound methodology, you have to attract total strangers (eg. website visitors), convert them to leads, turn them into customers by closing a sale, and, lastly, delighting them – exceeding their expectations, getting them to interact with your brand and ultimately getting them to promote your brand.
So how do you pull this off?
Simple.
Make your customers fall in love with you!
As you may already know; simply sending a "Thank You" email to a customer who just purchased your product will not automatically turn them into a raving fan. Instead, you have to enchant them; you have to make them fall in love with your brand.
How? Read on:
1. Solve your customers’ problems
This goes without saying; you cannot get anyone, much less your customers, to promote your business if you have a shitty product. If your products fail to solve the problems your customers thought it would when they whipped out their wallet or credit card, then don’t expect them to tell anyone else to buy it. Instead, expect some pretty bad reviews. A great product is the first step to turning leads to promoters.
2. Be trustworthy
Don't tell your customers they can trust you, show it. Be honest. A 2014 survey by Cohn & Wolfe says 91% of people care about companies communicating honestly about products and services. Be clear on what you offer and do more than you promise your customers, not less.
3. Be transparent
In a world of Wikileaks, it sure pays to be transparent. Find out what information your customers find valuable and care about, and make it available to them just as Whole Foods did. By the way, don't share your trade secrets; those aren’t for your customers (lol).
4. Be true
In this socially-connected world, it is all too easy to want to be many things to too many people. But you don't want to do that. You need to stay true to your brand, your mission, and values. You cannot be fake. Be authentic. You cannot say you're anti-establishment like Trump and be found cozying up to folks at Washington DC. No!
5. Listen and act
Never assume that you know your customers' needs more than they do. Rather, try to listen to what your customer feels or says and act on that information in a way that your customer finds valuable.
Some will say things you don’t like, but you cannot simply run or wish them away. You need to attend to customer complaints and compensate them where necessary. You cannot get your existing customers to bring new buyers to you if you don’t treat them well. A disgruntled customer is bad for business.
6. Reward your customer
Put in a place a referral program that rewards customers who send business your way. This will encourage them to spread the word about your brand amongst their loved ones. The reward can be anything from a discount, cash or even a free service. What you decide to give is your decision, but ensure it's valuable to your customer.
Final words…
There you have it.
Now that you know how to turn your leads into brand promoters, you MUST take action. Simply knowing is not enough. To get results, you must act on what you just learned.
If you already use some of these tips or others that I did not mention, I'd love you to kindly share with us in the comment section.