When you are marketing a business, you are driving toward sales. I know that is your goal. It may seem like the most obvious solution to try to sell in your marketing. But you know what could be an even more powerful step in your marketing process? Building the right culture. Let’s talk about tips for creating a culture among your audience.
Look, there is a time and a place for going into sales mode. Hard selling has its role in the world, but it usually works out much better if your audience has been primed. The stronger your relationship is with your audience when it is time to sell, the likelier they will be to buy AND be happy with their experience.
There are so many ways to build your relationship with members of your audience, but one that is especially powerful is creating a culture. Why? The community you’ve built becomes a part of the buying decision. Community culture can be the deciding factor in a purchase. In fact, members of the community can even inspire each other to get off the fence, so you don’t have to.
Community culture can be the deciding factor in a purchase. #brand #community #business #smallbusiness #biztips #entrepreneur #smallbiz #smb
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When it comes to creating culture, I have a few tips to share!
Tip #1 – Think of the community as an extension of your brand
This is the opposite of the “everything in moderation” idea. When you sit down and think about what you want your brand to be, what values you want it to represent, what beliefs you want to showcase, and what tone you want to exhibit, it can be easy to think in a silo. This isn’t just about your personal values. If you have a bigger team, it’s not just about your team’s values, either.
What would it look like to see your brand values and tone reflected back to you by everyone in your audience? How would it feel to see it delivered back to you by hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands of people?
Sure, your company culture looks good in a closed setting, but does it translate as well in the real world? Do you want a whole audience of that? Do you want people talking to each other the way you are talking to them?
The culture of your audience is an extension of the culture you are modeling. Don’t forget that!
The culture of your audience is an extension of the culture you are modeling. #culture #brand #business #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb
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Tip #2 – Ask yourself what type of people you want in your community
People have different personality types. From a buying standpoint, we would term this “social styles.” (Read more on this topic here). Summed up in a word, the four social styles are competitive, analytical, expressive, or friendly. You have a style that is dominant in you. So does each member of your audience.
The trick is that people with different personality types are motivated differently. You can’t say the same thing to each of these different types of people and expect the same result.
What does this mean for your culture? Do you want a culture that is a mix of all different types of people? Your messaging needs to be balanced accordingly. Do you want a culture that leans into one or two certain personality types? Then you have to start communicating that way, because you will attract the people who gravitate toward that style.
If you could choose to have a community that was inspired by competition, data, emotion, or making friends, what would make the most sense for you down the road in your business?
Tip #3 – Spend time intentionally creating that culture
A lot of people ask me about ROI. Return on Investment is a buzz word, and it is one that seems to be the guiding force for some businesses when they think about their marketing. But, ROI doesn’t always have a perfect measurement.
While you may be able to measure ROI on a sales message, marketing is about building trust over time with people who don’t trust you yet. Your audience’s process for trusting you is more qualitative than quantitative. This makes any measure of ROI imperfect.
Your audience's process for trusting you is more qualitative than quantitative. This makes any measure of ROI imperfect. #business #brand #biztips #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb
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Why do we spend time on things like brand awareness and creating culture? Not because it is going to result in immediate massive sales. We do it, because creating a culture and creating brand awareness helps us leverage massive sales LATER. If you have a strong community built around a cohesive culture, they will echo your message and support each other in their buying decisions.
When people in your community connect with each other, your community takes on a life of its own, but one that you have shaped. Your audience can begin to motivate each other and hold each other accountable. This doesn’t happen overnight. It could take years. Every day, you get to deposit a little more into this culture you want to create. Those deposits accumulate.
Whether you are new to business or you’ve been in business for a while, think about how culture can enhance what you offer. If you build a community that has the same voice as yours, they are primed to boost it whenever they speak!
The post Tips for Creating a Culture Among Your Audience appeared first on Melissa Forziat Events and Marketing.