How Do You Connect With Consumers Who Are Disconnected?

Photo by Trinity Kubassek from Pexels

Picture this: you have a few years in the business and have managed to create a rather impressive audience, be it a social following, website visitors, or even buyers. These are all, in a sense, consumers.

But many businesses may notice that a considerable portion of their consumers are disconnected from their brand. They don’t respond to posts anymore, they don’t read your articles, or they’ve stopped buying.

So, how can you reconnect with disconnected consumers?

1. Find Out Why They’ve Left

There has to be a reason users became disconnected from you, and finding it out is imperative to get them to come back. Essentially, you have to look at the way you are talking to them or interact with them to see if something may have put them off. This has a lot to do with consumer expectations. Ask yourself, are you meeting them? Because a lot of businesses don’t. One survey showed that 4 out of 5 consumers believe businesses provide a disconnected experience. This means that the businesses are lacking in something consumers want or expect to be offered.

To find out why they disconnected, you can even send out a short survey and ask. Not everyone will respond, but even if just a few do, you will get a better sense of why people stopped listening to you. It could be a confusing strategy, too many newsletters, or an unpopular campaign. Either way, these can be fixed.

2. Incentivize Them to Come Back

People can find anything they want online, and for them, not paying attention to your brand isn’t really affecting them in any way. It’s always a lot for the brand, not the consumer.

But when a business wants to convince a user to reconnect, they have to make it worth that user’s while and provide compelling reasons to do it. This can be a generous discount, access to something exclusive or even making them part of your future activities. These incentives show a user that you really care about them, and are going the extra mile to connect with them.

3. Leverage Technology to Stay Connected

If your communications process has any type of gap, you risk losing consumers. These days, people expect to receive what they want, when they want it, which is usually right now. This is almost impossible to achieve without staying logged in 24/7 unless you are using a chatbot.

Chatbots can pick up where human resources leave off, and communicate with users at any time of day to provide clarifications, answer questions, or even help with routine tasks. It’s an easy method to ensure a consumer can connect with you whenever they want.

Conclusion

In marketing, many focus on bringing in new people constantly, which is not a bad strategy, but it can make you forget to take care of the people who are already on your side. Reconnecting with users who’ve stopped engaging is essential because these people already know your brand and services.

Does Your Brand Need a Makeover? Five Signs that it’s Time for a Change

Photo by Andre Mouton

Have you ever put on your favorite pair of jeans, and they seemed a little too snug? What was once a trendy hairstyle ten years ago is now aging. Sometimes a change in style is warranted, and for brands, it’s no different. If your brand is dated or has grown too big for the shoes it once filled, then it’s time for a change. Unsure if your business requires a rebranding? Check out these top five signs that it’s time for the brand to change.
 

1. Handing out your business card or sharing your website makes you cringe.
This is a major sign that changes and rebranding are in order. It’s probably the most significant indication that your brand has gotten too big for its britches. When you, deep down, feel that your brand is stale, unoriginal, or outdated, you need to reach out to a branding agency. When the brand is modern, and you believe in it, you won’t feel embarrassed to share your business cards and website. You know what they say - listen to your gut. 

2. You’ve run out of ways to differentiate.
At the core of an effective branding strategy is having the ability to differentiate the business from your top competitors. If you think your brand has the same look and feel as the rest of your market, then it’s time to rock the boat. Reposition your brand with cutting-edge value propositions, and you’ll stand out from a sea of Stepford companies.
 
3. It’s complicated.
Is your messaging scatterbrained? Would it be easy for someone to get confused about what exactly you do if they come across your website? When your business becomes a complicated jumble of offerings with no narrative to unify it all, then it’s time for a change. When branded messages make the audience cross-eyed and confused, you’ll need to retrace your steps, simplify, and focus your messaging. Complexity in branding means less cohesion, and a tougher time capturing and holding onto market share.
 
4. What’s in a name? Reflection.
Ten years ago, your brand name may have been avant-garde and cutting edge. But most importantly, your brand name was an accurate reflection and representation of your vision for the company. Today, your brand name may no longer serve this vital purpose. Changes in the cultural context and business growth can change the implications and meaning of your brand name. If this has happened to you, then change it. Stale names shouldn’t hold back great brands.
 
5. The brand’s strategy has already changed.
When your brand was founded, you had excellent, strategic objectives, and you were able to meet them. But things change. Emerging market opportunities or technological innovations can cause you to pivot strategy. When your business objectives, models, and strategies change, then your brand should reflect these differences as well. The way your customers are served should align with the way your company operates under the hood.
 
When a change is needed, the signs may be everywhere. If you’re wondering if a rebranding is in order, look for these top indicators and if your brand has outgrown its original mission. With the right strategy, a rebranding investment can pay off exponentially.

BRAIN POWER VS DELIVERABLES: Should the “now” take precedence over the “why”?

Deliverables aren’t everything when it comes to getting your project completed. While deliverables will give you a tangible item to consider within the broader context of your project, the deliverable is only the result. For a successful outcome, time and brainpower have gone into designing and creating the deliverable. Clients should make an effort to recognize the brainpower and creativity that has gone into the project as a whole, instead of getting bogged down in just deliverables.

What is a deliverable?

A deliverable could be defined in several ways. It is an element that fits within the broader scope of a project. Deliverables are both tangible and something provided by an agency. A website, article, PDF, or graphic are all examples of deliverables. While deliverables are essential to project completion, they aren’t the only thing that has gone into ensuring the project is a success.

Deliverables don’t manifest out of thin air. Someone had to use their time and brainpower to create and design the deliverable before giving it to the client. When it comes to a project’s ultimate success, it is the outcome of the deliverable that is key.

What are outcomes?

Outcomes in project management are the ultimate consequences of time investment, brainpower, and the project deliverable’s impact on the job. In essence, outcomes - the end-result of the brainpower that has gone into the project - are business benefits.

Why do clients often fail to recognize brain power over deliverables?

With brainpower and outcomes vs. deliverables, it’s easy to see in theory how these two things are different and why it’s essential to focus on one over the other. But it’s human nature to want to see immediate returns on investment, i.e., in the form of a tangible item. Unfortunately, the “now” can take precedence over the “why,” or big picture with a project. Also, it’s easier for clients to show their superiors that they’ve gotten something for the project with a tangible item to show them.

For clients, it’s so easy to lose sight of the big picture with a project due to a range of different factors, some of which may be high-pressure and stressful. Companies often lose sight of their “why,” let alone the purpose of a big project. Agencies often hear things from their prospective clients like, “We needed a company brochure yesterday,” or “last week was when I needed that eBook.” When agencies hear this, they often react in a knee-jerk fashion, cramming a bunch of design and development deliverables into a short period. But this comes with many risks:

• The deliverables will not align with the brand’s core values

• The brand will not be well-positioned with deliverables that aren’t well-thought-out

• Target personas will not be adequately defined

• Deliverables may not be functional or offer emotional benefits 

When clients get bogged down in deliverables, they risk losing the main objective of the project. Time and brainpower must take precedence. For projects of small and broad scope, the process must be valued over tangible items.

The end.