The Most Powerful Two Words in Business Today

The age of social media is upon us and like it or not being Liked and followed are a part of every businesses future, whether you are on social media or not.

The power of public opinion is weighted in favour of those businesses who understand that their social standing is integral to their future success. Have you grasped this concept yet?

Many businesses have found that ignoring this new situation doesn’t make it go away, in fact if you don’t know what people are saying about your business you are missing out on a chance to take advantage of public opinion and sway it your way. After all word of mouth has always been the holy grail of all marketing, and this is nothing more than public opinion spread by the recommendations (or negative opinions) of your market.

So how do you take charge of this enormous pool of voters, advocates and loyal customers and how do you sway public opinion in your businesses favour?

Well, it’s not through spin or marketing at all, or rather not the old by-gone type of marketing that no longer works for anyone, not even for those businesses steadfastly holding to the old ways. That time has been and gone!

It is through the power of engagement and relationship building with your community whether it be local or global or a mix of both. The easiest way to do this is through a genuine two way engagement with your audience and market, and the best way to start to build that relationship is through the power of two little words – THANK YOU!

A genuine, heartfelt thank you to your customers for purchasing your products and services, authentic gratitude to those who help you spread the word about your business to others, actively seeking out those moments when you can thank someone including your employees – do it daily!

The power of this one simple act can reap infinite rewards for your business, for your employees and for you!

Ways to say thank you include:

• A video created just to say thank you

• On social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, openly thanking those who are commenting on your page.

• A thankyou card or letter sent via snail mail to customers and employees, still holds such value that it cannot be overlooked and there are lots of ways to use this including birthdays, daylight savings reminders, Christmas, Easter, 1st day of Spring, Summer…, after they order send out a card or letter thanking them for their purchase and ask if everything is satisfactory.

• Include something personalised for them to show even more appreciation like a pen with their name on it (not your businesses)

• A loyalty gift for customers who purchase regularly

• An annual get-together, party, event or BBQ for customers and employees (Branson has done this for years)

One thing to remember is, this is a thank you, not another opportunity to sell to them. Keep it completely clear of all advertising or sales and you will create far more loyalty.

Gratitude is a huge part of my 4 step engagement process I call G.A.V.A. and includes: Gratitude, Acknowledgement, Validation, and Authenticity.

Check out this previous post for more information: 5 Reasons Your Fairytale Social Media Romance is Failing

Annie Infinite