The Secret to Connecting with Customers

Last week, I was chatting with some business owners about engaging their customers through social media. As I was talking through things, I realized that when it comes down to it, the secret to connecting with customers–through all types of media–can be summarized in two short imperative sentences: Share value. Show personality.

Share value.

Notice that I didn’t say, “Share your latest sales.” I didn’t even say, “Share info.” To really pique your customers’ interest, you have to share information that’s valuable to them. By that, I mean you should give your customers (or potential customers) relevant info they care about.

Find the intersection of their wants/needs and your goals. Speak to their interests while staying within the realm of your company’s expertise. READ MORE

How WordPress Helps Content Rock Your World

Want better content for you site? Try WordPress.

You’re probably wondering, “How does WordPress have this power?” After all, it’s just an online content management system (or blogging platform, depending on which geek you talk to) used for distributing content.

Does WordPress have some kind of secret “Kick Ass” button that, when pressed, activates little content-producing elves? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is a resounding no.

WordPress’ superhero power is that it’s free. Yes, that’s right. I didn’t stutter. It doesn’t cost a dime. And it can be used for much more than just templated blogs. In fact, one of its strength is that its customization is only bound by your imagination. It can serve as the back end of a completely customized, unique site and allow you to easily (and freely) update your site’s content without knowing complicated coding.

Right now you should be laughing at some of the companies paying top dollar for custom content management systems (CMS). (Side note: Don’t get me wrong. A custom CMS can have its time and place, but sometimes it’s like bringing a tank to a knife fight. A lot of times, it’s just overkill.) READ MORE

Which is more important–writing or design?

Yesterday we had a little inner-office tiff. The editorial and art departments were going head-to-head, arguing (good-naturedly, of course) over which one is more import—written content (the writing and editing) or design. We never reached an agreement, but it got me thinking—about jewelry.

Consider a diamond in the rough. It’s innately valuable, but on its own, it’s not attractive. It’s unlikely, to say the least, that it will cause people to stop and look long enough to discover the value that isn’t immediately visually obvious.

Introduce a jeweler who starts cutting and shining the diamond. Suddenly the diamond is beautiful piece that draws customers. The better the jeweler, the more visually appealing and valuable the diamond becomes.

If you have an amazingly talented jeweler working on a diamond that is lower quality, the results won’t be the same. The jewel may shine and sparkle at first, but once you really start looking and gaze a little deeper, you’ll see the flaws. The value won’t be there. Customers won’t be as drawn to it, and you can’t get as high of a price.

It’s the same with writing and design. Written content is that diamond in the rough. Yeah, it may have value on its own. But it’s only after the jeweler (or designer, in this case) does his/her work that the piece really comes alive and attracts customers. As the designer’s talent increases, the more visually pleasing the content becomes. READ MORE