As a small business owner, it’s incredibly tempting to think that our awesome products and services, mixed with a dash of great customer service, will see clients flocking to our websites and placing orders that envy Amazon!

So, when that doesn’t work, we start advertising like crazy. But, wait on a minute, they don’t work either! The evidence for this is everywhere. Have a look at the advertising engagement in our Facebook group, North Shore & Beaches Mums. No matter how amazing the business offering is, it’s very rare they attract much attention or engagement. At best they get a few likes and the occasional comment from loyal friends.

Here’s the bitter truth, people really don’t care about our marketing efforts. I scroll past adverts daily. I do almost everything to avoid them. I have ad blockers; I watch Netflix and focus on platforms that offer ad free viewing.

So, how do you get people interested in your brand?

People care less about your brand and more about the bigger picture. They care about how you make them feel. The support you show or give them. People do business with people they know, like and trust.

KNOW

To create brand awareness - start by sharing stories!

Personal stories work best. Tailor a narrative around the needs and wants of your audience. If you’re a florist, share how flowers can increase endorphins, or bring a smile to everyone they touch. Where the flowers are grown. Your journey to the markets and the people you meet and support when you purchase your flowers – introduce your growers too! Your inspiration for a particular bouquet design. Share a tutorial. These are the stories that inspire us and connect us to you and your business.

Give as much as you expect to get from every relationship.

Spend time building relationships within your community and offer to help others. Answer questions, share tips and experiences. Share your knowledge – hints on flower arranging in vases or bouquets. Share information that addresses the issues you’re facing. Curate industry news as well as outside influences that affect your industry. For example, how C-19 has affected growers and why this impacts costs.

Basically, help people get to know you by providing valuable content that will help other people.

LIKE

You can get people to like you by making sure your content is timely and relevant. Share content that people are interested in, even if it’s just a pop culture reference or something that capitalises on the latest #HashtagTrend.

Earlier this year when NSW was in C-19 lockdown, I launched North Shore & Beaches Mums to capture and support an audience who wanted an authentic, community focused group. Posts are not always or necessarily educational, but providing something different to the norm resonated with the greater community.

Your content can’t just be dry and boring. It has to be interesting, captivating, enticing, and even fun. Sure, you want to write informative blog articles that help boost your search engine rankings. But your marketing needs to be more than dry information, it should make people want to come back for more.

TRUST

People learn to trust you through your transparency. Share your journey and ask about theirs, be honest with your audience and communicate with the public, whether it’s on social media or at your local. Develop online and offline friendships. This is where you will build loyal followers. In short, people can put a face to a brand. Exceptional customer service is also important, but trust is what will bind loyalty and purchases.

The most important thing to remember from the original quote is that people want to buy from other people, not a business. A lot of B2B purchasing decisions have more to do with the relationships the buyers have with the owner and or staff members, and less to do with the product or service.

As business owners, that means we need to talk to prospects and our community like people, not like a business. You’re speaking to people who have emotions and goals, they want to do well in life and their goal is to find a product or service that will support their end goal and improve their life.

So, during your marketing efforts try to speak to the people, treat them like real people, and not like a business or an account. Get them to like you and trust you by providing solid content that’s informative and fun. And most importantly, let your personality shine through.

That’s when they’ll start to do business with you.