We’ve all played the game ‘telephone’. One person comes up with a story or phrase and then passes it down to their neighbor, who passes it on down the line until the last participant reveals his or her interpretation.
It can be frustrating, hilarious, and confusing for the first player to hear how the story changed from person to person. But the game demonstrates how little control you have over your idea once it leaves your lips.
It’s an issue B2B marketers struggle with every day. Brands attempt to control their narrative all the time, but public opinion – now amplified by technology – can change the tale at a moment’s notice. Customers can instantly tweet, Instagram, Facebook, blog, and review their experiences. Those words, seen by millions of people, can have more sway than all the carefully worded corporate messaging in the world.
Basically, the book on your brand is co-written by its biggest supporters and detractors. And you can communicate until you’re blue in the face, but unless you’re working within the confines of modern marketing and branding reality, what others say can make or break the reputation your business wishes to craft.
Customers are always ‘write’
When researching a product or brand, I do what most people do: Check out social streams, Google the organization, and search for insights on Twitter. A real discussion on a product’s ups, downs, ins, and outs is infinitely more valuable to my decision-making process than any TV or internet commercial.
Blame this turn of events on technology, which has forever changed the marketing landscape, thanks to instant distribution of information and personal control over how people consume advertising. Customers hate ads and do their best to avoid them, right down to paying for Hulu, Pandora, and Spotify to rid them of marketers’ presence. At the same time, customers crave information, which is why they often choose to interact with brands through friends and loved ones.
So, how are marketers bridging the gap between how they’d like things to be and how they actually are? No business can completely control the voice of the customer, but thoughtful brands are approaching the problem in an innovative manner, encouraging their customers to use technology to inject positive reviews and sentiments into their social streams and other connections.
For instance, take Tesla. Throughout its brief history, the company has passed on traditional ad campaigns and recognizable digital advertising and opted for influencer marketing instead. Essentially, the automaker employs its fans as salespeople and is a genuine player on the international scene, without the need for old-fashioned marketing tactics – it uses fan videos, social streams, and other unorthodox measures to get its point across.
Let others act (and speak) for you
There’s no need to entirely scrap your current marketing strategies; you just need to use technologies in ways that involve customers and allow you to gain some control over what’s being shared. Here are a few ways B2B marketers can do so:
1. Know and leverage your net promoter score
Simply defined, your NPS (net promoter score) is the percentage of people who absolutely love your brand, minus the percentage who are likely to give you poor marks. The score is based on surveys that allow you to see which users are willing to refer your products and services to their circle of influence.
Tracking your brand’s NPS is an insightful way to listen to your customer base and adapt your strategies based on what you’re hearing.
2. Integrate happy customers and influencers into your strategy
Ideally, you want your most satisfied customers having a heavy hand in the creation of your company’s narrative. Play the odds in your favor by tapping the best and brightest influencers as your brand advocates.
And don’t be afraid to get creative! The Wall Street Journal explored how Kia leveraged artificial intelligence by using IBM’s Watson to identify 100 top social media influencers and then asking them to create and share content about its brand before and after the Super Bowl. Once your loyalists are pinpointed, hire them or reward them to work with your marketing department to flesh out your brand persona.
3. Run customer referral programs
Do you currently offer a referral system that incentivizes sharing? These programs extend your reach through word-of-mouth marketing. For instance, Google’s G Suite referral program offers financial incentives to users for every business they help sign up.
One note: reward your ambassadors quickly rather than make them wait weeks or months to see the financial fruits of their labor.
4. Encourage customer interactions and sharing
Rather than run away from your clients, start building an atmosphere that encourages their loyalty through transparent interactions. Others will see your company as having value, not merely sending lots of mind-numbing sales pitches. Eventually, you may be able to spot influencers amidst the chatter; be sure to engage and acknowledge them before someone else does.
The world is full of stories, including the one your company is creating right this moment. It’s being narrated in real time, and it deserves your input and guidance. Maintain communication and influence with your ambassadors, and you’ll have a better chance of loving the final draft.
