Kim Kelley Thompson
The basic principles of success are really no different online as they are offline, you need to build trust and deliver value, you do that by building a client relationship. In the world of online, that may seem a bit difficult because the Internet appears to be a non-personal medium, much like TV. Yet, unlike TV, it’s actually a personal, two directional medium where people can interact with you particularly through social media. This is precisely where most people fail. You have to treat the Internet as the personal medium it is, by doing so you can then write to ignite client engagement.
Since the Internet has the ability to reach hundreds of thousands of people in a millisecond, people often try to appeal to a mass audience at one time. This is the absolute wrong way to go about it. In order to get your voice heard you have to build a relationship, you have to appear as if you are talking to one person at a time. Why? Because you’re trying to create a relationship with your potential client. It’s a given that people buy from people they know, like and trust.
You have to earn that trust before that potential client is going to be willing to part with his cash. How do you do that? First understand that the Internet is a two-way medium. People can interact with you, leave comments, share your content, and like your page. It may be vast but it’s also personal.
Write to ignite client engagement by using this one tip
When you create content – especially online, you’ll want to write as if you are talking to one person. While you can appeal to a broad audience, you have to write to a single person, as if you are having a conversation over lunch.
Think of how you view content online, are you with a large group of people or are you sitting alone in front of your computer? My guess is that you’re usually viewing alone and so is just about everyone else, including your target market.
As you write or record, imagine the person is sitting across the table from you.
Use words like you and we, not he or they.
Your content, particularly your landing page is usually seen by one person, sitting alone looking for an answer or a solution to his problem. How can you help solve his problem? It’s sales 101.
But we tend to make it harder than it really is because we’re not face-to-face or even voice-to-voice for that matter. We’re working through a different medium, which appears to be a non-personal medium like TV so we tend to treat it that way and fail to build the relationship.
If you can get just this one point mastered you’ll be well on your way to creating a huge shift in your business. A TV commercial is a one-way advertising medium, no one can give you likes, share you content, or leave a comment. This is why so many people fail to even make it past the first year online.
Solution focused writing to ignite client engagement
So, back to your messaging. Your message has to be focused on one person as if he/she is sitting in front of you. How are you able to help HIM or HER specifically? What problem do you solve? Why is your offering the right one for him or her?
You build credibility when you appeal to your ideal client and build a relationship with that client. You create value by providing a solution. Your focus should be on solving a problem, if you can provide a solution to someone’s on-going concern; you’ve automatically built rapport and positioned yourself as an authority in your industry.
When you do it right and let your ideal clients experience the knowledge and value you offer, plus you make it easy for them to absorb that information (because time is a valuable commodity) you will develop a loyal following.
It is far easier to sell to your existing client base, those people who already know, like and trust you, than it is to develop new clients. So take the time to get it right. Take a look at your content and put to the test. Is it too generic in its voice? Are you speaking to a crowd of many rather than one person. Can you zero in on a specific issue your client or prospect may be having? You’ll be surprised at how taking the personal approach, even online, will make a huge difference in your results.
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