Archives for March 2011

When it comes to late night television entertainment, most viewers are strongly aligned with either Letterman, Leno, or Conan.  Why?

 

I haven't watched Conan since he left the Tonight Show, but I do know that for the most part, all three host essentially the same guests. Why then do they all have such loyal audiences?

Personalization is Alignment

The differentiating factor must be their personality and style – how they engage, that attracts and retains their audiences. That's personalization, and it creates alignment.

This is equally true with respect to mainstream businesses like yours.  

Human beings are both logical and emotional.  We always look for high quality and competitive pricing, but it is that human quality that often becomes the deal maker.

Today I learned that online retailer Zappos intentionally does not give their call center representatives a script.  Instead they are advised to seek alignment by making personal connections. The only way to do that is be alert to everything about every customer experience.

If they hear a dog barking in the background, maybe they'll bond as dog lovers. If the customer is buying running shoes and they are a runner, they may trade stories about their favorite races, training routines, or anything else runners share.  

Getting off topic a bit, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh was recently outed as owning only 3 pairs of shoes. Whereas, the Zappos representative that hosted me when I recently visited their Henderson, NV headquarters admitted to owning nearly 200 pairs!

Personalization is Quality

Recently I've shared with you some of my thoughts with respect to content marketing.  It's easy to think of content as information.  However, it's much more than that if you personalize it.

Google recently announced they are downgrading sites in their search rankings that are delivering low value content – information that is available elsewhere. 

So, how do you increase the value of the content you are sharing with your community?  Personalize it to make it your own.  By personalizing your content marketing you are effectively increasing its value – for Google and your customers. 

This is one way the social Web is redefining how we all should be marketing in the future.

Personality Differentiates Your Brand

What your business does is probably available somewhere else in your market, and probably at a similar price. Your quality may be better, but that may not be readily apparent to most of your potential buyers.

The differentiating factor is you or the culture of your business.

When you personalize every touchpoint customers have with your company – marketing, sales, customer service, and operations, you create a uniquely valuable experience. 

That's your brand.  

It's not a logo or a slogan, or even a promise, but perceived alignment with a community – your tribe.

It's personal.

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Until tomorrow,  Jeff     

Photo Credit: goodrob13