The key to know your customers

The key to knowing your customers that many people overlook is listening. Any type of project which deals with people should appreciate that it is important to listen to know your customers. This audience might be customers, volunteers or service-users.

For your project to succeed, you must deliver what your target group expects from you.
In this post  you will learn why social listening can be a key tool that can help you to get to know your customers. I chose to illustrate this topic with a Dobermann because those dogs are renowned for being alert guard-dogs. Their ears have been crafted to be pointed due to the cropping of their floppy ears as puppies. Therefore, this dog is a useful reminder that it can take effort and planning to produce a perfect solution to a problem. You will talk better to your customers when you know them well. Here are  my suggestions about the importance of listening as a key foundation for effective Marketing for any product or service.

 

4 tips to show How social listening helps you to get to know your customers:

  1. Know what they think of you now:

  2. Firstly, Digital platforms are a useful and cost-effective method for asking for feedback from a large number of people. You should bear in mind that your findings will not be equivalent to genuine market research because the feedback will be biased towards those who are your followers already. Nevertheless, you can get a swift response to a simple question.
    Furthermore, Online polls are a useful mechanism. They can help you get a simple reading of your customers views or preferences. For example, people on Instagram often present a choice of new logo designs.
    Previously, I  have told you about how you can use listening to understand your market position in relation to your competitors. A ‘listener’ can capture all the feedback on your behalf. But you have to be ready to adapt in response to what you learn from your respondents.

2. Begin a dialogue with influential voices:

The people who respond to you most loudly are likely to have influence over others. If a customer or participant has a strongly held view that represents a criticism of your current service, it can be useful to speak to them. It will show them that you take their views seriously. Ideally, you will be able to turn their strong voice to help your cause by making them an advocate of a new idea.
A ‘listener’ will help you to spot any disgruntled customer with whom it is wise for you to engage.

3. Get your message right:

You can see how they talk about your service. You can reflect their language to position your product or service appropriately.

4. See what else interests them:

Connections can be easily followed on digital platforms, so that you can see what else your target group enjoys. A ‘listener’ will help you to uncover those interests. Moreover, the additional insight can be powerful when you are looking to recruit a new audience for whom the right message and tone of voice will be paramount
If you take steps to address how you listen to your audience. Your project will earn a reputation that will rival a doberman-pinscher for effectiveness.

 Lisa Beaumont Thrifty Marketing Tip of the week:

Always be ready to engage your customers in conversation about your service, wherever you connect with them. You might get some valuable feedback from any chat. Spend extra time talking to unhappy customers.

Quote of the week

Bill Gates said wisely: Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”.

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