By Rex Hammock
One of the mantras at Hammock is a three-word phrase to describe marketing that builds long-lasting customer relationships: “Help not hype.”
It means that you can generate a one-time transaction with hype, but a long-term profitable customer relationship can only be earned by helping customers reach the goal they had when they purchased your product or service.
In a previous era when access to buyers was almost exclusively dependent on a third-party media company or organization—fueled by ads and PR activity—hype may have been enough. But today, the ability for any company to build, manage and maintain helpful content and distribute it efficiently means that “help” is a powerful factor, adding significant value to what otherwise can be perceived as a commodity.
Help is the foundation of plotlines for the stories that build and enhance brands. Help is the inspiration that turns customers into fans. Help is what makes us start thinking of products as the way to solve our problems, not the gizmos than come and go.
When customers start thinking about your brand as being helpful, they stop thinking of marketing as being intrusive and start thinking of it as being essential.
Bottomline: For the leaders of companies and organizations who grasp the power of help, content is not only about marketing, but it’s also about adding real value and a competitive edge to your product or service.
Image: iStock.com
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