A Fascinating LinkedIn Marketing Discussion You Can Learn a Lot from

Here is a little pearl of wisdom worth sharing, from a LinkedIn group discussion I read the other day. Digital Marketing group on LinkedIn has almost a million members, which results in some amazing insights about the constantly changing world of online, mobile and email marketing. I would like to share with you one discussion that was conducted there, which started with John Horsley, Director of Digital Doughnut and the founder of this group, sharing a guide titled “Customers Have Evolved. It’s Time for Marketers to Catch Up. A New Adobe CX Guide”. John’s guide offers the following strategies:

1. Get inside your customer’s mind.
2. Make the customer the center of your universe.
3. Focus on the experience, not your product.
4. Let the customer define the journey.
5. Be hyper-personal without getting ultra-creepy.
6. Unite the promise makers and the promise keepers.

After sharing this, a discussion has evolved around the idea of understanding costumers in order to improve the service given to them. Some related to the tips suggested in the guide, sharing some real-life examples. Others disagreed. Rohan Sonalker, for example, of Vodafone Essar Cellular Limited, found the 5th point debatable.  “I wonder if there is a line at all between being friendly and intrusive. I have realized that if a potential consumer is probed a wee bit beyond his/her comfort zone, the deal fades away.” One of the commentators, Roger Marquis, an integrated marketing & business development professional, offered his own piece of advice, which earned a lot of positive feedback. “My suggestion is for marketers to pretend to be a customer or prospect for a day or two, and see and feel what they do when interacting with the brand/product/service. Also, listen in on customer service calls and read online reviews and customer service emails. Through this type of research, I believe, marketers are better served to discover and understand how best to create, maintain and enhance the customer experience.” Have you ever tried doing this? Putting yourself in your customers’ shoes? True, it takes more time and resources, but could really benefit your marketing efforts and increase conversion rates in the long run. What do you think is the best way to engage with today’s customer?