The art and science of engagement - In a nutshell
For any idea to reach its potential, it needs
people to get behind it. So whether that's
customers for your business, the staff within
your organisation, or the community that rallies
behind your cause, the success of your idea
depends on how engaged people are with it.
It could be easy to pass this off as another
buzz word, yet there is some substantial weight
behind the imperative of engagement. For instance,
one study showed that engaged customers spend
90% more frequently and spend 60% more than
average customers.
So how do we do it? Here's three ways that
you can harness the power of engagement.
The first is the common cold. What do you
do when you have a cold? You sneeze - that's
the way it gets around. Now, we all know that
third party word of mouth is the most influential
form of marketing, so here's the question...
Who is influential in your market that could
sneeze your message to other people? Engage
them first.
The second is to think about school plays.
How does a teacher get all the parents to
come to the play? By putting all the kids
in the show. When people are involved in something,
their engagement leaps right up, as does their
advocacy and their loyalty.
Think about it: when someone writes a blog
post and references you in it, there's little
chance that you won't share this with your
network. Bascially, if I'm in it, I'll share
it...
How can your customers share in your product
or service?
Finally, let's talk about the elbow. Did you
know that when we shake hands, we're really
shaking our elbows? Yet no one thinks about
the elbow.
In the same way, we don't think about Apple
taking 30% when we buy an app on the App Store,
but like the elbow, they are there in the
background, and indeed it wouldn't happen
without them.
So, how can you be the elbow for your customer?
What platform, community or capability could
you develop that enables them to do things
they couldn't do before? Use that to engage,
and empower, your customer.
The cold, the school play, and the elbow.
Three easy ways to engage. Good luck.
