In today’s world, it’s not enough to just have great products. To stand out, businesses need to find ways to impress customers so they won’t just be willing to buy their products again, but will also be eager to bring their friends along with them next time.
Keeping things simple and effective is essential with any strategy to remain optimally productive. Whether you are just starting or trying to inject new life into your business, it’s always a good idea to have some principles and techniques you can rely on at any given moment.
After all, what we do today determines where we’ll be tomorrow.
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Keeping things simple and effective is essential with any strategy to remain optimally productive.
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1. Change up your ad game.
Advertising is an essential component of almost all business growth strategies. But even though the industry has been around for a long time, the practices companies use rarely keep up with the latest cultural and psychosocial developments. What worked in advertising five years ago may work half as well today. And yet, many companies still aren’t adapting their methods …
As former Google policy director and book author, Tim Hwang, told TechCrunch in 2020, marketers are being fooled by programmatic advertising and misleading measurement systems, high costs and blatant advertising fraud created by fake clicks. He even goes as far as stating that the online ad industry is in need of a “controlled demolition.”
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Matt Wasserlauf is the CEO of MyBlockboard, an ad distribution and management platform that eliminates fraudulent views. During a recent conversation, Wasserlauf spoke about two effective strategies to boost the reach of ads that still work in 2022.
“First, original video production is king these days. In a world of social media and thousands of new channels to drive content, good video is lacking. Quality, original production – coupled with effective distribution – is a great way to increase reach and effectiveness,” he said.
“Most importantly, you should find an effective distribution platform. While Google Ads and many other big ad distributors are getting swamped with billions of fake views (at least 25%), there are also providers that only enable real human viewers and thus can save you a lot of money. Choosing the right partner and platform is essential.”
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2. Welcome (and respond to) criticism.
As a business scales, it will inevitably have customers who find faults with its products and service. Such criticism might sting, but it’s actually a great sign and opportunity for your business to grow and gain confidence in itself. Politely respond about why the choice was made and you’ll be one step further along to finding your core customer base.
Whether it’s on your website’s review section or social media posts, don’t ignore critical reviews. Instead, use them as a chance to clarify your choices. Be especially mindful of tone while doing this, but when done successfully, you not only diffuse negatively but give deeper insights into your brand’s values.
You can’t please everyone. In fact, attempting to do so might send an overgeneralized and muddled message. Accept that you don’t need everyone on your side — just the right ones.
3. Be transparent.
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Transparency about sourcing, design features and deliverability timelines aren’t just nice add-ons in the business world — they have become standard expectations. Business leaders like Elon Musk have made everything from patents to long-term plans open and transparent to the public.
“We believe that applying the open-source philosophy to our patents will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla’s position in this regard,” Musk said in a 2014 Tesla blog post. “My money isn’t on the ideas, it’s on the execution.”
This kind of confidence attracts attention and new customers, as it gives the public an unfiltered vision of the brand’s present standing and future path. With the world supply chain still struggling to get fully back on its feet, delays have become incredibly common for virtually all industries. Don’t promise things you know you can’t realistically 100% know to meet.
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Be upfront and transparent about where your business is at, and let your customers see behind the curtains a bit. Customers appreciate this kind of candor now more than ever.
4. Be proud of your price point.
If your product and services are quality, then their price will reflect this.
Rather than shy away from the discussion, attempt to downplay the pricing or promise discounts, defend your decision regarding price point proudly. No matter what your industry is, in a digital-first economy people note and appreciate confidence like this. It automatically associates your brand with quality.
If you keep adjusting the price, it’s obvious that it isn’t set in stone and customers will notice. This isn’t a good look, so find a price that prioritizes keeping your business afloat.
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5. Don’t be afraid to shake things up.
It’s human nature to fall into a steady rhythm, whether in social media strategy or event schedules. This is all fine and well sometimes, but once a month or so, fly in the face of your normal conventions.
Do something that snaps both your team and customers out of any lull they might have fallen under. Shake up the content type, do an impromptu event or seminar — anything out of the ordinary.
Be silly, be bold and be not only whatever your business is but what it can be. Let the customers who support your brand know that real, breathing humans are behind the wheel. They’ll appreciate this and you’ll learn from their reactions.
Brand authority isn’t built in a day, but it is the culmination of successful strategies applied each day. If you want a future with new and excited customers, then turn your attention to impressing those whose attention you have today.
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