We’re in the process of kicking off a cool e-commerce platform with one of our top clients. Playing it close to the vest right now; we’ll crow about it soon enough, but social media will obviously play a big part of the new platform’s awareness strategy. The good news? The client gets it. They understand what makes social media work: creating communities and giving them valuable information and insight — no strings attached.
Part of how we’re building the brand has to include establishing a sense of trust among the consumer audience. That notion applies to just about any commodity, especially in a market saturated with options. We all know that consumers are overwhelmed with options, not just in terms of what to buy, but in terms of how they shop in the first place. How will we get people to go with our client? By building trust. And how’s that happen? By ensuring people get value from their experience with the client’s platform, whether or not they actually follow through with a transaction. The key to making this happen: informative content.
We’re building a deep archive of guidance and insight that will help those who visit the site hoping to learn more about products and make informed purchases. Lowest price isn’t enough. Fastest delivery isn’t enough. Creating confidence for someone that they’ve locked down real value is what will get them to click through. The web presence — the site itself, it’s Facebook presence, Tweets, etc. all will be rich with information as well as offers. And both are just as beneficial to consumers.
You don’t have to launch an e-commerce site to benefit from that mentality. Regardless of the product or service you’re pushing, people appreciate learning something just as much as they appreciate getting a good deal. Access your expertise. Give away some of the insight that helped you become an expert in the first place. Whether that’s in a detailed weekly blog post, or a steady stream of Tweets to articles that echo your point of view, you’ll build a following, establish trust, and get the genuinely valuable attention you want.