Surveys are great when it comes to developing a content strategy for improving results to better serve your customers.
Polls, like the ones we develop and publish weekly on Incept’s Facebook page, give our employees (and our customers) the ability to have their voices heard and their votes counted. These polls also allow them to see the progress made while helping to drive more traffic to the page to support their cause.
Why do you think American Idol is so popular? Some people believe it’s because it gives aspiring stars in America a chance to finally see the spotlight and generates the next, newest music sensation. I, on the other hand, believe it’s because American Idol was one of the first major shows that incorporated viewer votes – votes that ultimately determine the fate of the same show capturing their hearts - into on-show decisions.
How much more can you involve your customers, fans or employees than when you allow them to determine the final decision made within your organization?
Mountain Dew did it when they asked America to develop their newest flavor, as well as the new can design and limited edition bottle. Reality TV has also capitalized on it. YouTube can turn regular Americans into top-story superstars literally overnight. Consumers now have the ability to shape their pop culture and economy through politics without all the, well, politics. Is there any better way to deliver exactly what your customers want than by letting them grab the wheel and turn your organization in the direction they’d like to head? This allows your organization to not only maintain its identity – its still the vehicle, regardless of who’s driving – but also avoid any pit stops (or getting lost) as you travel towards where your customers truly want you to be.
You can drive this message home as many times as you want, but the fact remains that it’s smart to include your customers in all of your future business decisions. That’s normal. With the boom of reality TV, company’s were encouraged to allow customers to make the changes they’d like to see. Nowadays, with the advancement and proliferation of social media, you are able to (and, again, encouraged to) have real-time, personal conversations with your customers to not only find out what they would like to change about your organization but why.
The closer you can get to your customers, the greater and more beneficial the relationship will be (and the easier it will be to strengthen). The smallest instance of customer service excellence has the ability to create a lifelong customer, contributor or even blood donor. This is the age of sharing your life and stories with the world. What better way to market to your customers than by allowing them to help with the legwork, marketing your brand for you to their closest, most trusted contacts (i.e., their fans and followers).
How much do you consider your customers when making your business decisions?