Whether you’re a retail business, service provider, professional corporation or a nonprofit organization, you’re always wanting to boost customer loyalty, get social feedback, and increase support and the bottom line.  And these days, that means three things: engage, engage, engage.

No longer, we tell our friends and clients, can you put content out there in the web-world and wait for customers or supporters to come to you.  Your brand has to be interactive.  You have to build two-way trust with your prospects and clients, have something interesting to say and show the impact of what you’re offering.  And – just like when you’re chatting up a stranger you fancy at a party – in order to build that trust, you have to be yourself and listen as much as you speak.
One of the marketing strategists we follow, Scott Stratten @unmarketing, says it really simply: “If you believe business is built on relationships, then make building relationships your business.”

The good news is you can create a content strategy with many different ways to engage with your audience.  The not so great news is that this takes some time and effort every day, and may also require monitoring how people discuss your brand in online spaces you don’t control.  But chances are you’re already connected to the social media world in some way.
One of our content strategists at TDG was a self-described social media skeptic not very long ago. Then he embraced the power Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Now, he helps our clients develop plans for using all the tools out there to keep our clients connected to their customers and followers.  So applying your personal social media experience to your business or nonprofit engagement strategy shouldn’t be too painful.

Most pundits agree the most powerful and effective communication channel is still e-mail.  If received from a trusted source (that’s you!), an e-mail is personal and paid attention to.  There are great e-mail marketing tools you can use to make your messages simple and impactful.  We can help you choose a package and design a unique template that will help you develop lasting relationships by providing your customers and supporters with information they can use.

What should I include in my e-mails, you ask?  The answer is:  good information, but not too much of it.  You may be a trusted source (no, you are a trusted source).  But a long, overly detailed e-mail just won’t get read.  What you can do is offer news headlines and brief updates, with links to more detailed content on your website.  You’ll want to link to your other communications channels, too, starting with your blog.

The blog is where you can tell your story – a new product launch, an enhanced service, a new member of staff, a recent success – in a longer form.  Include other media – lots of images or videos.  It gives your audience an easy way to react, respond, relate, reply and comment.  Plus, you’ll learn more about them.  Now you’re starting to engage.

Stimulate meaningful discussions that invite participation from your readers.  Ask for feedback on your latest project.  Provoke comments.

Then respond.  And don’t forget to thank your commenter for their ideas, thoughts and suggestions.  Remember how your grandmother constantly reminded you to write thank you notes?  She was right.

There’s lots more to this engagement stuff.  We haven’t even started talking about Facebook, Foursquare, or Twitter.  And before you groan too loudly, think about this:  450,000 new Twitter accounts are created every day.  That’s a lot of potential customers you may be missing.  We’ll post more info in the coming weeks about Engagement, so stay engaged.  Meanwhile, let’s hear from you.   What are the barriers keeping you from using some of these tools to engage in relationship-building, two-way communication with your clients and customers?