Do you know how they always say that providing value is the most important factor in any transaction? In a way, it can be correct, but that is not all there is to it.
Imagine a long lost friend suddenly messaged you through social media, but instead of saying hi and asking how you have been the past few months or years you haven’t seen each other, they proceed to outright to try sell you on their latest business venture , or worse, force you to take their invitation for a coffe so they can try and sell it to you in person.
Irritating right?
It would have been better if that person, at the very least, first and chatted about how they have missed you or asked you how has life been rather than making it so obvious that they just want something for you.
So, how is this relevant to your marketing strategy? And how do you engage a cold audience who have never heard of you?
Simply put, the value you are giving out will never resonate well, if you have no relationship with your potential customers.
It pays to research, strategises and customise the information you are giving out on the level of relationship you have with your potential consumers.
So what are the 3 steps to avoid having your emails junked just before they got opened?
Know what niche you are marketing to and strategise according to that niche’s needs.
This step is a tad bit obvious. It really depends on the niche that your business is in. You would attack, you’d strategise slightly differently depending on the niche. The marketing efforts you are providing will all go to waste if given to a wrong set of people.
Let’s say your content is all about how to grow plants in a sustainable way, you would not want to market it to farmers, or worse, to industrial people. You get the gist, right?
Audience segregation and customisation
Remember how they said there are levels of intimacy and skipping one step is okay but skipping two is a tragedy? That is how you should envision your category in reaching out to your customers.
You would not want to send (nor receive) a detailed three-paragraph email to someone you just met, or who barely knows your brand. Shake their hands first if they are cold leads, set a second email if they warm up a bit and go for the kill once they are hot enough to welcome you with open arms, and a beer on the other hand. Pretty straightforward right? But this step is often misconstrued a little too frequently.
You might wonder, how do you introduce your brand slowly via email if you don’t email them because they are cold as ice leads? YOU DON’T.
This is where Facebook and other social media platforms get in turning a cold audience into engagement. The list you have can be populated to ensure straight-up delivery of your brand via their social media platforms. This is your chance to impress, educate and warm your potential clients to your brand. So when you send that first email out, they already have an idea who you are, what you do and what you can offer.
All these steps are crucial in your journey in warming up those potential clients you have had in your list for months, or heck even decades. You should not prioritise one step over the other, as these are intertwined to have the maximum benefit, both for you and your customers as well. What are you waiting for? Go and build that relationship now or forever hold your peace.
