Executive Positioning
The internet is noisy. Everybody has new products to push, endorsements to plug, and affiliate links to share. The focus is push, push, push, and this constant barrage is so draining on the end-user!
One of the biggest mistakes you can make with your brand is anchoring your brand in the pursuit of constant getting rather than giving. Yes, we want our customers to buy our products, but there are better strategies than persistently bugging your audience to give their time and their money.
If you really want your brand to stand out in the noise, especially early on, work to bring value to your audience and customers. In his book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, Gary Vaynerchuk stresses the importance of providing value to build meaningful relationships with your customers. Simply put, Vaynerchuk's philosophy around growing and keeping an audience on social media is – give, give, give, (give, give, give, give) – then ask.
By making content that only asks your audience to buy your product, click on your links, and subscribe to your channels, you create a space where you provide nothing yet ask for something in return.
People won't support a person or a brand when they don't feel like they're getting anything in return. The rule of reciprocity is ingrained into our brains, and it's a behavioral custom for people to return the favor when someone does something for them. Reciprocity plays a considerable role in shaping and influencing behavior, especially when applied as a marketing strategy. Your brand should offer something valuable to current or potential customers, and in return, customers perform actions to help your business, such as buying your book.
Ask yourself what you can offer people for free to provide them value. Free is a triggering word – isn't offering free services counterintuitive to building a brand? Not really. Remember, people naturally feel compelled to act in response to a favor, gift, or freebie.
By offering free tips, webinars, or even product samples, your brand gets the attention of current and potential clients. You may not immediately get their money, but you'll get their attention and their time. In fact, early on, you should give (and give) with no expectation of anything in return. Eventually, with patience and dedication, customers will return again and again, which will result in sales.
When we think of value, we tend to imagine currency exchanging hands or precious items being shared. Despite conventional wisdom, value can be offered in various forms, from material and financial, to emotional. More material value could include rewards in loyalty programs, referral programs, credits, and discounts. Emotional value includes written and verbal appreciation for your customers. A simple "thank you for your time", or "It was wonderful to meet you, I really enjoyed our conversations today" will go a long way with a satisfied customer.
Here are a few more examples of how your brand can provide value:
Provide tips and tricks via social media posts and/or YouTube videos: Giving and giving and giving value doesn't mean churning out meaningless content. You want to remain valuable to your audience. YouTube is already a popular platform for Q&A videos and how-to guides, so it's a great play for your brand to dedicate to educating your audience on tips and tricks for your industry.
Give out free product samples: This isn't a fire sale though, so don't go out and give away all of your inventory. Entice customers to claim the free product sample by having the customer choose their sample for a variety of options. For example, you can do some giveaways of your product, and this gives people the opportunity of seeing how great it is without having to risk anything on their end.
Offer a free eBook: An eBook is a quick and easy way to demonstrate value and your expertise. Spark conversations on social media and mention your eBook as an excellent resource for people to access. Suppose you plan on developing an online course down the line. In that case, an eBook is an excellent addition to your pre-selling process – it prepares and incentivizes potential clients to jump right into your course content.
Reply to comments on social media: This might be one of the easiest ways to provide value to your audience. Engagement, in general, is imperative for your brand, but personalized engagement is even better. You can connect with your audience by offering advice, answering questions, and establishing your expertise. Your brand will feel more personable and sincere too. People will flock to your channels, seeking that personal engagement and for a chance to interact with you.
Provide free webinars: Again, the real draw here is to be useful to your audience. If viewers can execute your strategies for themselves and actually yield results, they will return time and time again to your channel for more content. Free webinars are also a great way to generate leads. If your webinars are a hit, potential clients will also subscribe to your blog, follow you on social media, and keep an eye out for new products from your brand.
The real secret to Vaynerchuk's "jab, jab, jab, right hook" philosophy is the 100+ jabs you'll have to throw before you can land a right hook. You might not get many responses with your first ask, but keep giving, and your audience will grow. Take your time, appreciate your customers, focus on providing value, and you'll build a strong foundation of community. Potential clients will spread the word about your brand's generosity, you'll get more followers, and your brand will start to build a great reputation. Everyone is asking, but not everyone is giving, so aim to be that brand that gives.
Bell + Ivy can help your brand provide value with its online marketing and personal brand services. Whether you're an individual entrepreneur or a small business, you can utilize Bell + Ivy's people-first marketing strategies to create personalized marketing and branding projects to expand your brand's reach.
