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It’s almost impossible in marketing circles at the moment to avoid the topics ‘Content Marketing’ and ‘Content Strategy’, and not that you should. Now more than ever they are of paramount importance, however they are really just the first steps in your overall Inbound Marketing strategy. Once your content has generated interest and engagement, that’s when Conversational Marketing comes in to nurture and develop the relationship with your audience and ideally lead them to becoming a customer and an advocate for your brand.
Conversational Marketing isn't a new concept and is not exclusively related to digital marketing. Having said that social media does present an excellent opportunity for brands and businesses to ‘have a conversation’ with their target audience.
Conversational Marketing isn't a new concept and is not exclusively related to digital marketing. Having said that social media does present an excellent opportunity for brands and businesses to ‘have a conversation’ with their target audience.
Google reports that according to a 2012 study conducted by Get Satisfaction a key reason users follow brands on social media channels is to get access to information and to give it. When a customer or potential client reaches out, the best thing a brand can do is listen. The Oxford Dictionary describes conversation as: ‘A talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged’
‘Exchanged’ is the operative word here. If your business has invested in a Facebook page, a Twitter profile or even a blog as part of your content marketing strategy, it is absolutely critical that you also have a conversational marketing strategy in place. The role of the ‘Content’ is to start the conversation. Then it’s over to you (or your marketing team or social media manager) to take it to the next level.
If you really want your Inbound Marketing strategy to work effectively, you have to build trust and confidence with the consumers you’re attracting. Trust and confidence in a brand or purchase is far more valuable than just one sale. It can potentially lead to viral brand awareness and increased market share from customers new to your brand who are outside the scope of your current marketing.
So if social media, content marketing and relationship building form part of your 2013 marketing strategy (and they should), don’t overlook the importance of conversational marketing as an integral part of your overall strategy. It’s a great way to get to know your customers and their needs and should be the starting point of something much bigger than you originally set out to achieve.
About the author:
Matt Crawford is a marketing consultant specializing in social media and boasts an accomplished career in digital media sales. Passionate about connecting businesses with customers, Matt is also a social media coach helping businesses to launch and succeed with new media marketing strategies.
www.socialstrategies.net.au
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