There’s been quite a buzz online this week about cultivating connections with your audience for many reasons. Many in the SEO field are noticing some changes in Google’s algorithms where visitor behavior and user experience is becoming more crucial than typical search engine aspects. Investing in customer relationships has always been somewhat a part of maintaining your brand presence, however the age of throwing all of your advertising budget into the message has gone away. Today you must engage your audience every single day, devote your time to them, and cultivate relationships. It’s becoming a whole new ball game out there.
With social media, blogs, and online networking of all kinds, consumers have more power than ever, and wield that power over every brand from the mom-and-pop restaurant down the street to national car makers. We’ve talked about brand equity and gaining a brand advocate over just another buying customer, and as marketing strategies change the brand advocate will mean far more to your business than just another buyer.
Search Engine Marketing experts have begun to warn online companies of the importance of understanding their audience, how the audience behaves on their websites, and what sort of experience they associate with your brands. Google will began to track behavior, rather than purely quantifiable analytics, to determine which websites are offering the best user experience based on the topic.
Advertising and marketing firms have begun to notice the shift in power as well and are beginning to realize they must become obsessed with the customer, want the want, and how they respond to the brand. Your brand must be more than just a product, logo or tagline, it must be an entire experience. Creating a positive and memorable experience is the only way that your business will survive and flourish as the economy continues to fail and customers look for greater relationships.
If you’re nervous about the shift in marketing and the ever growing power that your audience is gaining daily, contact us today!