How Small Business Can Give Customers What They Want Posted on January 15, 2014June 1, 2016 by Jessica Lunk I hate shows with laugh-tracks. It feels condescending to be told when to laugh and what degree of laughter is appropriate. If something’s funny, trust me, I’ll know it. And if I don’t think something is amusing or entertaining, not only can I change the channel, but I can change the medium altogether. Goodbye cable TV, hello Netflix and Hulu. I’m pretty savvy I guess, and you better believe that small business customers are savvy, too. They see right through spray & pray messaging, and if your business, product, or message isn’t relevant, they have no problem tuning you out. It’s 2014, and the audience decides what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. Today’s landscape is ideal for consumers, who have lots of choices on what to buy, how to buy it, and how to share feedback. And, though it sounds a bit scary, it can be great for small business marketers, too. We have access to an unprecedented plethora of mediums and channels. With a more diverse landscape comes accessible, sophisticated insights that allow us to deliver the resources customers need before, during and after they buy. So how do you meet your customers at the intersection of what, when and how? What They Want Segment your database by interest so you can target your messaging. Send dog lovers the chew toy of the week, and cat lovers the best pick in kitty litter. Deliver a relevant message so that when the time comes to buy, your small business is top of mind. When They Want It Identify where your customers fall in the sales funnel. A new facebook like might just be a fan, while a blog visitor reading up on “the best hamster for your home” is in research-mode, and someone browsing the fishbowls section of your site is ready to buy. Feed your social media fans cute pet pics, email the researchers tips they can use, and offer your expertise to assist product browsers in making their purchase. How They Want It A social savvy customer may give you a shout out on Twitter to ask about water bowl pricing, while a more traditional customer may prefer speaking to someone over the phone about an accessory for their potbelly pig. Be available on the channels that your customers use naturally to provide a seamless customer experience. Just as we have conditioned ourselves to tune out the laugh-track, consumers are tuning out irrelevant jabs for their attention. Meeting customers at the intersection of the right message at the right time has never been more important. That’s why we are so passionate about helping SMBs to deliver their message into their customers’ hands at the perfect moment. We believe that marketing and sales automation that is simple for the user and seamless for the customer catalyzes growth. Check out our video to learn more!