Increasingly, many people…including me…believe that the best marketing includes conversations.
These conversations could be with any or all of prospective clients, actual clients and folks who might refer others to us.
It is through conversing with others that we develop sustainable relationships with personal friends and business contacts alike.
From the experience of conversing with others, whether for personal or business reasons, many people have observed and concluded that the best conversations start with listening.
Note that this is listening to others…not listening to our egos or to people who tell us what we want to hear.
Listen To The Market
The best marketing conversations start with listening to the market.
This listening is very focused and purposeful.
By listening closely to the market, among the things that can learn are what kinds of services your market saying it needs and wants from service professionals like you. Your market can also tell you what’s good, bad and indifferent about the professional services that you and your competitors deliver.
If you don’t know what your market is saying, you you risk being left out of the marketing conversation that will help attract new clients.
Social Media Listening Posts
Among its many benefits, social media serve as excellent listening posts for monitoring the online conversations of your market.
Still not into social media marketing? Not only do you risk being left our of important marketing conversations, you also risk being left behind by your market.
To get started in, or improve, your social media marketing, check out Social Media Marketing For Service Professionals. That page includes a link that will allow you to download a free workbook that will help you with your social media marketing.
Of all of the social media applications, LinkedIn represents the best listening post to monitor the conversation in your market.
Page 12 of the 8 Simple Steps to Successful Social Media Marketing workbook will help get you started on LinkedIn.
Once you have learned what your market is saying, your online conversations will help you build the kinds of relationships that will lead to new business. Adding value will help develop and enhance these relationships.
But first, you must listen to what the market is telling you.
