18 Oct Be Anti-Social to Make More Friends
I still miss the real buttons on my Blackberry Curve, and I fail to see the point of Snapchat if you are beyond college years. While in D.C., I almost had to visit the emergency room due to repeated near-miss head-ons with unaware texters. I just wanted everyone to put their damn phone down to actually experience why they were in the nation’s capital.
Yes, my business is marketing. And yes, I do believe that technology is at times a fantastic way to spread the word, whether it be to raise awareness, start a conversation or provide information. But when texts, posts and temporary photos become your only source of communication, you may wish to rethink your real social skills. And if you run a business that relies on relationships (and most businesses do), you may wish to rethink your marketing strategy.
Relationship marketing has taken a backseat to other marketing “strategies,” and that should be socially unacceptable.
Think about your relationships. Did you base your decision of what homebuilder to use from their tweet about baking pies? Did you select your financial advisor because she writes funny posts on her Facebook page? Is your attorney your go-to legal advisor because you saw an Instagram picture of him on vacation?
The likely answer to all of the above is NO. You likely choose your service professionals based on skills, knowledge and reputation. You likely stay with them based on the relationship you have.
If more businesses utilized the relationship marketing concept over the fallback tweet, post, text or temporary photo, think of the possible new outcomes. What if a restaurant inquired if you were a first-timer, then followed up with a personal email thanking you for dining there? What if a manager of a small retail store sent out a handwritten note (always welcome to receive) to thank someone for their purchase? What if a wine bar opened a $12 bottle of wine to taste before you invested in a case? (This actually happened to me where the owner wouldn’t open the bottle. By the way, I typically spent a few hundred bucks there every month.) I’m thinking they would have repeat customers who can become very loyal. And those are the best relationships to have.