Anyone can start a company. Anyone can add value to the lives of others. Getting customers is easy. If you really want your business to succeed, you need more than a simple business to consumer relationship. When you rely on your clients to tell you what they want, you’ll always have to adapt to the whims of the marketplace. But if you build a company that people love, they’ll rely on you to tell them what to buy. Some of the most successful companies in the world are viewed as advisors, and there are four easy ways that you can do it yourself.
Be Modest
For people to love your business, they want to respect the people behind the company. The ultimate objective is to show people that you’re relatable. If your public image is a rich Rockstar, rolling around in a limo and drinking champagne, it’s not going to be easy for them to relate. If you look at most of the successful kick starters, you’ll notice that the people are a major part of their pitch. They show people what their dream is, and explain that by investing in them, you’ll help them make that dream come true. Being open and modest is the first step towards creating a brand that people believe in.
Support a Cause
In marketing, our focus is often on what our business can do for our clients. But it’s also important to show them what you can do for the world. 10 Tree clothing entered into a competitive marketplace and came out successful. Their success wasn’t attributed just to their products, but their cause. With every piece of clothing consumers bought, they’d plant ten trees in the world. If you can show consumers that you’ll make sure their money does some good in the world, people will be happy to support your brand.
Engage
Your marketing shouldn’t just be a one-way street. You want consumers to be able to interact with your brand. Many popular businesses are taking the time to engage their customers on social media. You could launch a YouTube series, host an AMA on Reddit, or set up a discussion area on your company website. This will help customers realize that there are people supporting their brand, and you can make yourself a part of their daily lives.
Be Different
If you really want to leave a mark on your customers, you want to create something that they won’t find anywhere else. It could be branding, it could be the design of your products, but if you’re just copying the same boring thing that everyone else is doing, there is no way for you to stand out from a crowd.
