It all started about 4 years ago when I was standing on a balcony, looking over the warehouse with my current boss at the time in southern, Vermont.
I remember the conversation now like it was yesterday. “Brandon, do you know what we do here?” he asked.
“You build Tiny Houses” I replied.
Looking back I should have known that replying with any answer would have been wrong at that moment. But I prodded on until he started getting angry. Eventually he caved & told me in one breath something that would change my view of business forever
“Brandon, we are a marketing agency that just so happens to sell Tiny Houses. Our client is US. You see, every business is a brand & every business owner is a marketer. If they don’t think so, they won’t be in business long”.
To this day I still hear that ringing in my ears
But that is what I am here to talk about today. That exact mindset. From this simple exchange of words I have built a career through a never ending journey of diving into how marketing TRULY works.
The First E: Entertainment
If you look at the largest brands in the world right now, something familiar comes to mind. A wacky video, a commercial that made you laugh, a highlight real, a viral video that caught the attention of your kids, you get what I am saying?
While most of us are used to the constant “Buy Now” antics used over and over again by small businesses, the biggest brands in the world focus on what truly matters. Brand.
You see, on social media your customers are indulging in what we call “Escapism”. They don’t want to be sold their problems. They’re actively trying to escape them. So what do you do to stand out?
Endorse the behavior.
Entertainment is the first of the three E’s because it’s the quickest way to actually get your potential customers attention without annoying them beyond belief ahead of time.
You have to meet them where they are at and get them to indulge in escapism but instead of some random cat video on the web, they’re now indulging with YOU.
Entertainment can be anything from live talk shows, reality t.v, vlogging, podcasts, motivational videos, funny how to videos & behind the scenes footage. The quicker you start treating your company like a media company, the better.
This leads us to our next E.
The Second E: Education
You have 7 seconds to get your potential customers attention & you do that with Entertainment. But what comes next?
Education. Now that you have their attention, you need to build the trust. Think back int he days of school. Teachers were considered “Trustworthy”. Why? because they were “Wiser”. So how does being wise equal trust? Because they were “Wiser” & “Taught” us things we automatically defaulted to trusting them. It’s just how it is. As humans we believe if someone willing shares information with us that then betters our lives, we will follow them to the ends of the earth.
Now this is your job. Educate your potential customers on your product, the results, how they can use it, what they can do to improve their lives etc. But don’t give them a band aid. Tell them the everything they need to know.
The Final E: Engagement
You’ve gotten this for. Don’t stop.
Your potential customer now knows you, likes you & even trust you. They could not be in a better state of mind. Now it’s your job to bring out all the stops.
Engage with them. Don’t just redirect them to a phone number, a website or a sign up form. Actually engage.
Send a personalized video, a voice message or take charge of the situation. Remember, people love to be lead. They make so many choices in a day that you taking charge & helping them deal with their current situation will come as a relief.
Use social media to your advantage & do your reconnaissance. Scope our their profile, see why they may be contacting you & spark a conversation about that topic.
Engage people on a Human to Human level & watch your business build life long relationships.
Teach your sales team this & watch your results explode through the roof.
The Overview
So there you go, those are the Three E’s Of Marketing. Entertainment to get the attention of your potential customers on social media. Education to gain the trust of those customers & finally Engagement to go deep on a personal level with each customer while helping them become certain in their decision.