Sometimes it can feel as if marketing is one big front. You set out your stall to persuade people to do business with you. The idea of showing them behind the scenes seems completely counterintuitive. There’s no way you could show people the cogs working, is there?
I’m not saying that your marketing has to be a warts and all account of your business. For one thing, it would get repetitive. My days are mostly spent sat behind a keyboard, even if the work I’m doing varies. Some days are frustrating, long or just plain boring. However, giving your customers a glimpse behind the scenes could be a powerful communication tool.
Know like and trust
Have you heard that phrase before? If you’re a regular reader, hopefully yes. I wrote about it last week (and if you haven’t seen it, here you go). The idea is that people ultimately buy from people they like and whose expertise they trust. You can talk about your knowledge in all manner of ways, but getting them to a) remember you and b) like you is a different matter.
No-one’s business is unique. Whether you’re a writer, coach, fitness instructor or solicitor, someone else does what you do. The things that make you stand out might be the way you work or what you specialise in. For example, there are a lot of writers who work on contracts with agencies. I prefer to be the one woman marketing team for a business I’ve got to know.
Sometimes your personality will be the thing that makes you different.
Showing behind the scenes
You might think that what goes on behind the scenes is boring. It probably would be if you showed it every day. No matter how interesting your business is there’s bound to be a certain amount of routine. The fact is, what you post doesn’t always have to be dazzling. People will relate to you if they can see that your life has something in common with theirs.
Obviously, this can have its challenges. There may be very good reasons why you can’t, or don’t want to share everything. You might deal with sensitive personal information or work from home. I mention my children from time to time but I don’t share any photos or information that would put my family at risk. Only you can decide where the boundaries are for you.
What to post
What does showing behind the scenes look like in practice? It can take a variety of forms. If you make something you could make a video showing how it’s done. I’ve seen videos of people unpacking a delivery and talking people through what’s just arrived. It sounds simple but it can get people excited about new stock in a different way. You can even educate people – if you’ve received an unusual flower or obscure food ingredient, talk about its history or how it’s used.
Your posts don’t even have to be purely business related. I’ve talked to people who’ve got a great response from posting a picture of their dog. One lady ran the risk of turning the dog into more of a celebrity than she was! You don’t always have to plan everything in advance either. I ran out of tea bags one wet and drizzly afternoon, so I posted a picture of the empty box and something about my business running on tea. I got loads of people commenting and offering to bring some round! There’s no way of knowing whether I got any new business, but it helped people to realise that I’m human. I need my caffeine fix too.
What can you do to give your audience a glimpse behind the scenes? Leave a comment and let me know!
