Internet Marketing and Digital Media Strategy Sydney Australia

Mawgan has just finished her run and is waiting for her superfit husband to catch up. She sips her sports drink - refreshed - smile.

You're sitting in a pub Friday afternoon and a bloke comes up and suddenly tries to sell you life insurance - it's all about relevance (time and place)!

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In today's advertising world there is an increase in online advertising expenditure and with that, new sales and marketing strategies.

With online (in particular social media) you can no longer sell "to" customers but you have to engage "with" customers and influencers - it's also about relevance (right time and place). 

The key is to create content that embeds your unique selling points and customer experience within a story that customers are happy to easily share - to become advocates and unofficial brand ambassadors.

That means understanding what your customers want, creating compelling content, providing the intrinsic incentive and motivation to endorse and the tools to share and promote within their tribes and the points of purchase.

Do good work and they will follow.

The more your brand resonates with your potential customer and their tribe the more likely they will purchase your product or service above your competitor.

The less a customer values your unique selling points or competitive advantage the easier it is for them to switch products or services if your service fails.

If your service level is exceptional - customers are more forgiving and will defend your reputation.

"Do I have to listen and engage with every conversation? " raises a challenge for every business owner and brand manager.

In AdNews last week there was a story on how Gatorade (now owned by Pepsi) have set up a new mission control centre in Chicago to monitor mentions of their brand and keywords across online social media channels such as Twitter; Facebook and blogs and engage in conversations "with" customers and influencers.

Organisations big and small are already recruiting for digital customer service representatives - it's really just an extension of the call centre or customer service desk- the key element is enquiry and complaint resolution time (Telstra - good initial responses time,  failed in resolution).

Are you listening, what are your customers saying and how are you responding?