Marketing best practices

What do customers get from you, and what do they get from your competitor? This is the essence of the customer experience, and it’s what differentiates your business. The better you are at shaping that experience, the greater your reach – and your profits – no matter the industry. Force #3 of the 7 Forces of Business Mastery is World-Class Marketing. Fundamentally, it requires knowing:

  • Who your customers are, and what they want and need
  • How to tell your core story in a way that compels them to buy
  • Everything there is to know about your product or service, so you can educate your prospects about why your offering is the best choice

Strategic social media presence can help make your customer service more responsive, enable you to reconnect and re-engage with your customers and make your marketing truly world-class. Here are eight essential keys to making it happen.

Marketing best practices

1. Find out where your customers are

Choosing which platforms to focus on is marketing strategy best practices 101. Customers prioritize different social media platforms; factors like age, demographic and interests play heavily into what will catch your customers’ eyes – and where. Developing buyer personas will help you get a better picture of your target market. To create accurate personas, your team will need to conduct market research and reach out to former, current and potential customers. Determine where the majority of your customer base spends most of their time and engagement online, then focus your budget and time there.

2. Be available

Any marketing practices you engage in – no matter how successful – will not produce results if your team is not available. You need to be there for your customers when they need you. In today’s always-on environment, you must meet that expectation by helping your customers access information, get help and share experiences. You also must offer this on their schedule and across different forms of media, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other channels. Spend a few minutes daily monitoring your social media presence, or assign a staff member to do so, and you will gain valuable intelligence about your prospects and customers.

3. Respond quickly and with meaning

Everything is immediate now and your marketing strategy best practices must reflect this. Customers expect prompt interactions. A quick reply is valuable only when you fully understand a customer’s questions, intentions and needs. As Tony always says, your customer’s life is your business’ life. You’ve spent years learning the competition; now it’s time to learn about your customers and respond in a meaningful fashion when they need your help. If you don’t understand what they need, ask questions and deeply listen. This will help you connect with your customers and turn them into raving fans.

4. Understand their goals and help them make informed decisions

Social media channels provide the opportunity to ask your prospects about what they really want from your product or service. In this consultative approach to marketing practices, you’re letting each customer know, “We’re listening, and we want to establish a long-term relationship with you.” When you really understand your customers’ needs, you can take massive action to create the outcomes that make them feel welcome, important and comfortable.

5. Collaborate with your customers to create value

You’re not just marketing a product – you’re partnering with your customers. Successful businesses are more collaborative now than ever before, adding value that helps clients realize their goals. Marketing best practices dictate that you tailor your products and services to the customer, not the other way around, and that begins with your marketing outreach. Start a dialogue with your customers on your social media channels to get feedback on their pain points and how your products or services can make their lives easier. When you work with them to innovate, you know you’re moving in the right direction.

6. Add a personal touch

You probably remember every detail from your company’s earliest days – including the face of your very first customer. Are your current customers as memorable? Current marketing strategy best practices state that individualized relationships now excel routine transactions. A thoughtful social media strategy, properly executed, will enable you to become more familiar with your customers. You’ll then be in a position to ask questions, gather intelligence, become more of a partner and add those personalized touches that lead to loyal customers.

7. Build credibility

Social media marketing practices won’t work if your customer base doesn’t trust you. To build credibility, you need to share information that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry. Constantly selling to your followers is ineffective and potentially counterproductive. To make your business talkably different on social media and drive word of mouth, share insightful and helpful information that matters to your customers. Educate them. Entertain them. Engage them in meaningful conversation. This is the foundation necessary if you want to build a social strategy that leads to a larger customer base and more sales.

8. Measure and refine

What’s working and not working with your social media strategy? Marketing best practices include tools to measure your efforts and determine which platform is driving the most traffic and engagement. When you know what’s resonating with your customers, you can create more of these interactions and reduce the posts that are being ignored. Adopt a practice of constant and strategic innovation to try out new technology, platforms and tools so you’re always on the cutting edge.

Learn more about marketing best practices and other ways to exceed your sales goals with Tony Robbins’ Mastering Influence 10-day program.

Team Tony

Team Tony cultivates, curates and shares Tony Robbins’ stories and core principles, to help others achieve an extraordinary life.

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