These are very common questions in the social media world. None of the answers to these questions are set in stone, however one thing is for sure - Social Media is supposed to be fun!
Fun is the key ingredient to any successful venture, because in the end of the day - people are the ones who are going to buy or interact with you, and they will only get hyped up over you and keep coming back if they feel that you are something else, or some really good experience.
This is precisely the reason why more and more companies are turning to social media, and the smart companies that are using social media correctly are realizing why people are on these networks and what are they looking for?
Businesses that seek a competitive advantage must realize that the only way to beat the competition is buying the clients' loyalty - and that is by providing them with experiences that will encourage them to keep coming back to you and have them crave for more exciting experiences.
People in general are satisfied with a good product, and they are shopping for that good product or service. The moment they find a good brand they stick to it and will only buy that product. That is true until the socializing aspect kicks in... When their friends tell them or introduce them to a competing brand which is perceived as better - what ever factor may have been the cause to this perception, whether it be a better quality, a better service, a better experience, etc. That is when the "loyal" customer is in jeopardy... will they stay loyal to the original brand or will they succumb to the newer "better" brand?
That is an unpredicted answer - however a company must be aware to this possibility - heck that is competition! The only question is - what are you doing to stay on top of your game? how are you going to keep your customers loyal?
The trick is not only through loyalty programs such as point systems, raffles etc. - Those tactics are old school in today's day and age (although you may still use them) But what sets you more apart? more unique? different? better?
It would be easier to predict answers to the above questions if you knew what customers consider "good" but you'll need a sidekick for that! The simple answer is - don't be good, be excellent! you'd need a critic like Simon Cowell to get you really on top of your game, you'll need to develop some real thick skin, accept criticism wether you feel it is constructive or not, good or bad. Learn from your competition, keep an eye on them and think to yourself what can I do to perfect that? What do I have that no one else has? and when they copy me, what else can I pull out of my sleeve?
It is very important to remember that competition is not a bad thing - in fact it is what will make your company better!
We all have talents, which is a God given gift, this gift belongs to us and only we know best how to utilize it in the best way meant for you! Yes, it's true there are many talented artists, singers, comedians, etc. The one aspect that sets them all apart is - how do they utilize and personalize their talents to fit best with them? and when they offer something that no one has seen before - they become popular and successful!
In conclusion:
In order to be successful in what ever you do, you have to set yourself apart from the rest. That is a challenging task, but a crucial one! Find yourself someone that can criticize your work, develop thick skin and perfect it. Aim for the stars, don't be satisfied with only good, because someone else will come up with something better - only settle for the best of the best.
There is no better time than now, and with today's technology it is so much easier - Social Media is a place where people come to have fun! All you have to do is tap into that resource and provide the audience what they are looking for. Give them an experience they will not forget and at the same time educate them on how excellent (not good - excellent) is your product or service!
What kind of experience do you provide your audience? How good is this experience? Please share your thoughts and comments...
Yermi Kurkus is the Co-founder of KolBaKol and runs their Social media squad department which advises businesses, job seekers and entrepeneurs on how to use social media to maximize its usage to their individualized benefit. KolBaKol builds privatized social platforms for businesses that seek to catch on to this competitive advantage and seeks to interact with their audiences. Social Media Squad offers services for this platform which creates a unique and innovative experience for the company's audience. For more information feel free to contact via email or Twitter.
