A few years ago I was devising a marketing strategy for a well-known fancy dress brand, who wanted to attract new customers and nurture existing ones. As I mapped out their strategy it struck me how similar it was to strategies my friends were using for internet dating, and I realised the analogy worked right through to creating a long-lasting loving relationship. So this is how to market your company like the dating game:
1. Establish your offering. You've decided you want to attract new suitors (or customers) but the first question really should be, why should anyone bother with you? And in particular, why should “the one” bother with you? The answer is, that they would naturally be attracted to you as you have everything they need and want, but they need to know that: so tell them. Ensure you clearly exhibit what you’re all about (i.e. you love to collect ceramic cats and enjoy taxidermy) and the chances of finding someone with similar interests greatly increases. In practice, what this means is that your business offering needs to be clear, your showcase products need to be displayed, or/and your key benefits need to be outlined. The other tip here is not to lie – it’s no good making out you’re Brad Pitt if you can’t deliver, er, Brad Pitt. You’ll simply lose their interest and create a negative impression, potentially warning off new suitors that you’re not what you say you are.
2. Put your message in the right place. Or in other words, get found by the maximum number of potential suitors. Now this is a sweeping generalisation, but the idea is - If you’re 60+, you’d be looking in Guardian soul mates for your partner, if you’re just looking for a few good time dates, you’d be looking for free dating sites. It also works offline – if you’re looking for an active, adventurous type you might hang out at the climbing wall, or if you were looking for an avid reader, perhaps you’d join a book club. The same applies to marketing your company/product – showcase it in places where your audience is likely to be. Flyering in certain locations, exhibiting at the right shows, advertising on the right sites, newspapers and magazines. And the key to getting this right is knowing the demographics and lifestyle factors of your perfect audience.
3. Convert awareness into interest. Your profile is complete and it’s out and about in the right places, and now you've got their attention. The next stage is to begin a dialogue with them that entices them in. In business this could mean getting online enquiries, or sending out emails to your newsletter sign ups. What would you do in these early stages of dating? You’d make sure they knew exactly who you are and why you’re so obviously perfect for them, but you’d also make them feel special, and ensure the dialogue is regular enough that they know you’re there. In business at this stage you would be attempting to carry this out to as many people as possible to give yourself the best chance of conversion. So direct marketing techniques such as email or direct mail, where economies of scale can be sought by using the right tools, where personalisation on a mass scale is possible, and where your messaging can still remain broad enough to apply to everyone, are the perfect methods.
4. Begin the romance. You've successfully found all the princes amongst the frogs, and now you need to kiss them all to begin a life of happiness together. This conversion of prospects into customers requires you to continue courting, but stepping up your game. You don’t want to bombard the customer with emails, you want to be there when they need you, make good recommendations, be friendly and helpful, and above all remaining consistent to your original offering, so that before you know it they've become a customer.
5. Create a long-lasting relationship. The kind of partner you want to create is one who is loyal, sings your praises to their friends and never has a bad word to say about you. So how do you ensure you get this kind of long-lasting love? You give what is expected of you – remaining consistent to your proposition so they are never dissatisfied. You occasionally surprise and delight them. You don’t become over-bearing and call/email/visit more often than they want. You’re always there for them. And above all you continue to love each and every customer until the very end. That way, why would they ever leave you?
Find out more about our Marketing Packages "The Love Story" and "The Counsellor", to solve your customer relationship woes.
