A Modern Marketing Map for Customer-Centric Success

-You know that your customer is fundamental to your strategic success. At the heart of everything you do and everything your organization does, there should be an all­-encompassing consideration of your customer.

Digital tools and channels have dramatically transformed the way buyers choose to purchase. They’re more empowered, and more inclined to research online before reaching out to a sales rep. Because of digital, the fate of marketing campaigns and sales pipelines lies very much in the hands of the buyer. And despite this shift in power, a large number of organizations still haven’t adopted a customer-­centric approach to marketing and selling.

They’re preoccupied with their products, their marketing, their sales, their success. They’re preoccupied with themselves. But now it’s time to look at everything through the eyes of the customer. Your success starts with knowing thy buyer. 

What business problems do your customers face? What are their opportunities? What are they trying to accomplish? What is the environment in which they operate? These key questions should underpin the way in which you market and sell to them. Your primary motivation should be to identify and address the needs of the buyer. Or, in the words of renowned entrepreneur and marketer Seth Godin, “don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers”.

INFLUENCERS
Establishing relationships with industry influencers is the first essential step in this modern marketing map. These are the people your potential customers trust, the people they listen to, the people they learn from. Associating yourself with these individuals not only increases your visibility; it increases your credibility too. Influencer marketing has the power to humanize your brand and foster customer engagement in a much more organic way.

CONTENT
Self-­empowered modern buyers are actively going out and seeking knowledge, trying to find their own solutions. Consequently, the problem that sellers and marketers are facing is that these buyers are no longer responding to cold outreach and traditional broadcast marketing techniques. Buyers now turn to search engines and social networks to self­-educate through the consumption of digital content. You should look to create content that tells a story and is human, in a variety of formats. It could be a how-­to video, an instructional webinar or podcast. Once created, you need to share your content in the space where your target audience exists, engages and learns, be
it on LinkedIn, or via Twitter.

COMMUNITY
By creating opportunities to connect customers and cultivate a sense of community, you can enhance the ongoing effectiveness of your marketing strategy, build your brand’s reputation, earn the trust of your customers and drive revenue!

ADVOCACY
Your best salespeople are not on your payroll. They’re your customers, who are willing to say good things about you. Buyers today not only have more choice, they have a louder voice, which you can leverage to your brand’s advantage. The most effective marketing strategies are driven by a customer-­centric culture. A customer­-centric organization is where every process starts and ends with customer success in
mind. It’s a culture, not an event or a department. Every aspect of your company should be aligned with the sole purpose of creating an optimal customer experience. When you do this for your customers, they will in turn champion your success.

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