The New Rules of Customer Engagement

The rise of the culture of the Web has revolutionized the nature of how businesses and customers relate to each other. Whereas companies could once shape and direct the perception of their brand through carefully crafted ad campaigns, direct mail and press releases, today the flow of information runs fast and free, and customers now own the conversation. And because whoever owns the platform dictates the culture, the world is a more human, less institutional place to do business. Today’s customers want to feel good about the products they buy, where they came from and how they were made. Moreover, they want to like the company behind the product – that is, genuinely like it, not just press a Facebook button. We are entering an age of emotive economics. Corporations have been forced to adapt to this new, people-centric culture by connecting with customers on their own turf in more casual, conversational ways. There’s little room or respect for old-school corporatism’s pomp and protocol. And those businesses that cling to traditional behaviors in the online community will earn its scorn very quickly. Those companies that have embraced this new landscape and its risks have enjoyed great reward. For this reason, the human face, rather than steal and glass, has become the façade of big business. Yet with style must also come substance. It is no longer acceptable to be about profit alone. Companies are expected to contribute to the world in ways that make their customers’ lives better. Consumers are demanding that business be done on their terms. It should come as no surprise, then, that human values – transparency, respect, conscientiousness, kindness, trust, generosity and the like – are the keys to engaging with customers in this brave new world of business. So how can you use this new dynamic to your advantage to grow your business? You must embrace the new rules of engagement, understanding that when you put people first, profit will follow:

1. Don’t treat customers like they’re stupid.

When Netflix bungled its attempt to change its pricing structure last year, the backlash in the online community was severe, with many customers threatening to cancel their accounts immediately. It was clear that customers viewed Netflix as a value-priced alternative to more expensive traditional paid media channels, and therefore many felt betrayed by the company’s sudden doubling of their fees. While the price increase itself wasn’t really so unjustifiable, what made it unpalatable for customers was the company’s lack of transparency in explaining the business drivers behind the rate hike – the rising operational costs of maintaining a physical DVD business and the growing licensing fees for content streaming. Instead, Netflix spun the move as giving customers a “choice,” offering the option to subscribe to a DVD-only service at its lowest price ever. Here's an excerpt from their ill-advised news release: To his credit, CEO Reed Hastings acknowledged the poor handling and chalked up the misstep to “overconfidence,” which still sounds like PR spin, but hey, we’re making progress. The lesson? If a change in product or policy may have negative consequences for your customers – even if only in perception – acknowledge them, express empathy over the inconvenience or added cost, explain the reasons if possible and then point out the benefits or offer alternative options. People understand that businesses must evolve and that profit is still part of the equation. Don’t assume that your customers are beyond reason or treat them like they’re too stupid to detect what’s really going on.

2. Over-serve your customers.

It’s always good business to go the extra mile for customers, but never more so than when trying to recover from a mistake. How you handle disappointment is what determines whether your customers write you off and tell everyone about it or trust you more and spread the good word about you. When Google decided to phase out Wave due to poor user adoption rates, they didn’t just shutter the windows and bury the technology as if it never existed. Instead, they gave users months to move their data off the service, converted Wave into an open-source project and gave the Wave community the tools to get involved:

3. Be humble and listen to your customers.

Building on the success of its breakthrough app Wunderlist, Berlin-based software firm 6Wunderkinder recently launched Wunderkit, a project collaboration and management tool designed around the social connections of today’s work environment. Wunderkit was made available in a “freemium” model, offering standard features to all users for free with additional functionality available for a small fee to power users. As the company analyzed feedback from its beta release of Wunderkit, they realized the community’s dissatisfaction with project collaboration between users – one of the platform’s central features – only being available to premium users. What follows is a fantastic example of how to demonstrate that you’ve heard your customers loud and clear, understand their feelings and are acting to resolve the issue:

The customer is king, and the king is here to stay.

Never underestimate the commitment required to engage with customers effectively in today’s marketplace. Human relationships are not managed well with rigid rules and policies but instead must be governed by human values like compromise, sensitivity and transparency. It takes much more than a Twitter account and Facebook page to win the hearts of customers. You must develop a culture that is focused on and driven by the customer through and through. Be purposeful in growing such a culture. Establish your own rules of engagement. Make sure every employee is encouraged to embrace and exhibit those values. Empower them to do whatever it takes to take care of your customers. The journey may be a bit rocky at times, but if you walk the line faithfully, you’ll earn something from your customers that can never bought with advertising dollars – trust, respect and even passion for your brand and what it stands for.

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Eight Steps to Conquering Local Media

Anyone charged with the task of growing a business salivates at the idea of landing in the national media spotlight. The lure of the massive exposure that just one mention on CNN, Good Morning America or Oprah or in the pages of Bloomberg Businessweek or USA Today delivers is the driving force behind many PR campaigns. However, it's important to remember that the cardinal rule of real estate also applies to media relations: location, location, location. Of course your potential customers are tuned in to news from the national players. But these customers also exist as members of their local communities. They live locally, shop locally and do business locally. They also read, listen to and watch local media outlets. No matter the size of your business or the scope of your target market, it's critical to develop a systematic approach to leveraging local media. That's why no matter the size of your business or the scope of your target market, it's critical to develop a systematic approach to leveraging local media outlets to increase awareness, build trust in your brand and boost sales. But if you want to make an impact, you must get strategic. Even at the local level, the competition is stiff for airtime and column inches. Here are the fundamentals of breaking through the clutter and conquering the local media markets where you do business.

1. Do your homework.

Every market offers a wealth of opportunities for media coverage. Make it your mission to uncover all of the outlets available to you in each market and then narrow your hit list according to the demographics of your target market and their media consumption preferences. For print media, you'll want to identify the major daily newspaper as well as smaller suburban weeklies and specialty publications that serve niche audiences like parents, women and retirees. Even the humble neighborhood association newsletter can be a valuable tool for showcasing your expertise or increasing awareness of your services. On the broadcast side, local television news programs are a given, but don't forget about local daily or weekly radio and TV talk shows, which often have strong loyal followings. Morning and afternoon drive shows in particular attract a huge number of listeners during the daily commute. Locally produced call-in and talk radio can also be ideal targets for your promotional efforts, particularly if you can offer an expert to field questions or provide insight on topics of interest.

2. Go grassroots.

In your efforts to canvas the traditional media outlets in a given market, don't forget to also investigate the opportunities that may exist to gain exposure among locally based online communities. In today's digital era, companies have unprecedented access to highly active, motivated and powerful influencers who can use social media platforms to disseminate information through their networks of friends and fans. A successful local social media-driven PR campaign begins with researching the popular websites and blogs that cater to that specific market as well as identifying individuals have a strong following on Facebook or Twitter and whose needs and interests overlap with your offering. Once you've pinpointed the sources that are the best fit in terms of both size and scope of their influence, that's when it's time to put trustcasting to work. You must strive to create authentic relationships with these individuals who hold a position of leadership within their tribes. You must also overcome the burden of proof that your company and your products are worthy of their recommendation. By giving you their endorsement, they're putting their reputation and their credibility on the line. Make it worth their while, and they'll make it worth yours in return. For example, when Just Focus Massage & Wellness in Charlotte, North Carolina, needed to build awareness for their new FocusForward wellness seminar series, they identified popular local lifestyle blogs and approached the owners with the opportunity to attend the series free of charge in exchange for sharing their experience with their readers. For a minimal investment, Just Focus was not only able to gain exposure to a highly targeted audience, they also reaped the benefits of the inherent trust that comes with the word-of-mouth recommendation of an established tribe leader.

3. Get to know the gatekeepers.

It's always a good idea to get to know the talk show hosts and reporters who cover topics of relevance to your products or services. However, it's important to keep in mind that many of these individuals have relatively little control over the stories they report. The real power players in local media are the editors (print), producers (radio) and assignment editors (television) who tell the writers, hosts and reporters where to be and what to talk about. If you can get to know these gatekeepers and how to get in front of them, you'll greatly improve your chances of gaining the coverage you seek.

4. Develop genuinely local angles and events.

It's tempting to distribute the same press release or pitch to every outlet on your hit list, especially if you think your story offers a broad-based appeal. However, going the extra mile to enhance your story with local interest will pay dividends in securing coverage in the markets that matter most to you. For example, let's say you're an HR consulting firm pitching a story on the rising costs of health care. This is a compelling story that might gain coverage simply on the merits of its timeliness. However, you could significantly boost your chances of catching the eye of a local newspaper editor simply by including a few relevant details like how local cost increases compare to the nationwide average or the contact information for one of your consultants who is based in that location and can offer expert insight on how these changes are affecting the job market in that city.

5. Don’t forget the fundamentals.

Give your press release the “Would I read it?” test. In addition to giving local media stories that offer local angles, local impact, local data and local people, you must also make sure you’re obeying the fundamental rules of good storytelling. Give your press release the “Would I read it?” test. Keep it simple and find hooks that tie into universal themes. Time your pitches to correspond with news cycles and seasons. Offer compelling visuals and expert spokespeople. Learn the audience demographics and the hot-button issues for each media outlet you plan to approach, and shape your story accordingly.

6. It’s all in the delivery.

Even the best pitch can fall flat it it’s not delivered in the correct manner and at the appropriate time. An important part of building relationships with media professionals is getting to know how and when they prefer to be contacted. Does he live and die by his Blackberry, or will your e-mail just collect dust in his inbox? Would she like to hear from you, or would a phone call be an annoyance? Timing is everything. You must make sure you’re on the radar when editorial decisions are being made and that you’re not trying to get attention when a reporter is up against a deadline. Make sure you’re on the radar when editorial decisions are being made. While every news organization works differently, there are a few rules of thumb that apply in most cases. Deadlines generally fall in the afternoon for daily print publications and three to four days ahead of publication for weeklies. Radio show producers typically have either weekly or bi-weekly meetings to plan upcoming topics and guests, while assignment editors for local television news broadcasts make their final determinations about where to dispatch camera crews and reporters on a daily basis, usually very early in the morning. It’s important as well to be realistic and bear in mind that there can and will be times that no matter how strong or well-timed your story idea might be, no one will bite based on prior commitments or breaking news. Simply accept this graciously and move on to the next pitch.

7. Don't underestimate the personal touch.

Always remember that there are people on the receiving end of your stories. "Media relations" can be a bit of a misleading term. It implies that you’re sending your press releases and pitches to some nameless, faceless news-generating machine. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Always remember that there are people on the receiving end of your stories, so put your best relationship-building skills to work. Call and introduce yourself to local writers, editors, bloggers and producers when you have nothing to actively pitch. If possible, invite them to lunch to discuss their needs and interests as well as how they prefer to receive information, and demonstrate consideration for those preferences when you contact them in the future with story ideas. Do keep in mind that many media outlets have strict policies regarding gifts, so be sure to know and play by the rules.

8. Give ‘em the goods.

Product placement can go a long way in getting free advertising for your company, especially in radio. If you run a bakery, deliver a tray of your most popular treats to the afternoon drive show personalities. Or if you own a day spa, invite the busy mom who hosts the morning show to enjoy a free day of pampering. While there are no guarantees, chances are good that you'll at least get an on-air thank you and maybe even a genuine, glowing review of your products or services. Additionally, radio and TV producers are always looking for prizes for promotional giveaways and sponsors for events. These opportunities tend to cost much less than traditional paid advertising on the same stations but deliver high-impact exposure and referrals.

Let the conquest begin.

Remember: if you want to win the war of PR, you have to win the battles being fought in your own backyard. By employing these time-tested tactics, you can help to ensure that your pitches will stand out from the crowd and establish your company as a trusted source for local media outlets in the markets where you do business.

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