By Eli Singer
Marketing Communications Strategist
Cundari
May 4, 2006
There is no shortage of opinion on how to connect with customers online.
Undoubtedly, you’ve recently read a website, blog, news clipping, magazine article or webcast on the topic.
And they all have merit, especially since there are a myriad of ways to build relationships online. This article is specifically about forging direct and personal communications with individuals across the web.
My belief is that establishing customer relationships in the online world is much the same as making friends in the real world, because online customers are people.
With this in mind, here are my 5 tips on establishing relationships with your customers online.
Find them
Decide on the type of person you’d like to speak with. Then build a short list of key words to help you find them on a search engine; words could include product names, lifestyle elements, or current events.
Apply your list to search engines like blogpulse, digg, technorati or google
Bookmark the sites that personify who you’re looking for.
Listen
Visit the sites that you’ve bookmarked on a daily basis. Likely these will be blogs. Read the archives and comments. Get to know the person who runs the site through her online voice. Think about how she communicates. Most importantly, think about what you have in common with the author.
Look around you
It’s a given that people keep blogs to engage in community. Click outwards from the site into that community through links in posts and the blogroll. Find other people and groups who more closely match the type of person you are looking for.
Say hello
When you’ve found the right person, make contact - but only when you have something relevant to say. Send an email, introduce yourself and let them know why you chose to write. Be cordial, personal and honest.
Use your head
Once you make contact you may have an opportunity to create dialogue or issue an invitation to reach your goals. Transparency in your communications is an essential component of a sustainable online relationship. Bloggers – your customers – are critically minded people who can be wary of sales pitches. Approach with sensitivity. This basic principle applies as much in the online world as it does in bricks and mortar.
Related Resources
Website
Word of Mouth Marketing Association
Blog
Naked Conversations - about how Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers
News clipping
New York Times - about how MySpace is connecting advertisers with individuals
Magazine article
Economist - "Among the Audience" - about participatory media and dynamic online relationships
Webcast
BBC show - about how mobile technology is changing the face of news broadcasting and how to create a new relationship between the press and individuals (who are also reporters)
