You may or may not have seen the video of Taylor Swift giving away personally chosen gifts to some of her fans that has been doing the rounds recently. Well before I begin, check out what all the fuss has been about.
Now I realise that not everyone loves Taylor, although surely we all love the sentiment behind Shake It Off and We are Never Ever Getting Back Together? What she has done here is really eye-opening to us small businesses and to honest I think even big businesses should think about this. She has engaged over a period of time with her fans via social media, found out more about them by listening, chatting, sharing and generally making them feel loved. But this Christmas she has gone one step further by buying presents for her fans and what’s more she has personally chosen them and delivered them showing them that she is thankful for their love and support. Yes, yes it may well be a marketing ploy but if it is…it has really worked! Those girls now love her even more, and will tell their friends, and probably love her forever!
So what can we learn from this?
Well this is twofold. Firstly she has shown her fans (her customers) great customer service. She has gone that extra mile to show she cares. Think about it, think about how those girls feel and will continue to feel about her and her brand now. Would you like your customers to feel that love and loyalty towards you?
I remember buying a vintage dress from Love Miss Daisy ages ago. It came wrapped in tissue paper but it also had a printed paper sheet describing how I should wash my dress and care for it generally. I was really impressed as they showed me they cared about the dress, about vintage as a whole but also, me. They wanted me to enjoy their dress for years to come. Quite a simple thing really, but I remember it 4 years on….
So how could you impress your next customer? A personal note, a “How To” care for letter, a follow up email, or maybe something more personal to your brand.
Secondly, she has engaged with her fans (customers) in a personal way. How many celebrities, or big businesses do this? She has used social media channels to grab their attention, she has built a rapport, she has made hem feel important. When was the last time a business you bought from made you feel like this?
So how can you do this for your customers and followers? For starters you should reply to all their messages. Retweet their photos of the item they bought from you. But there’s more.
Think about how you use social sites to engage in general. In fact, are you even engaging? Are you telling them what you want to say or what they want to hear? What do they want to hear? If you can work this out, you will start to be listened to. And if they are listening (engaged) just think of all the possibilities for your business?
I reckon Taylor’s got this nailed.
For more advice on marketing and social networking check out my company Vintage Academy which I run with Keeley Harris. We offer one day workshops. half day masterclasses and one to one coaching on all of this and MORE!
