We all have a basic need to feel loved and accepted. “Thank you” accomplishes it.
I find that many brands ask their audiences to retweet and share their content and events.
And we want to.
Our Psychological Needs
Any audience demographic includes humans. And we have basic needs. After physical and safety needs, we have a desire to be loved and accepted.
“According to Maslow, humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among their social groups, regardless whether these groups are large or small.” – Wikipedia on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Be Your Audience
So many of us are so worried about growing our own audiences that we forget to be an active part of someone else’s audience.
Spend some time in your home feed on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Write a few comments. Retweet three people.
If you’re the journaling type, make a record of these transactions.
How did that person respond to you?
How did their response make you feel?
Loyalty is not logical. Loyalty is a feeling that expresses itself in behavior. How do you want your audience to feel about you?
Expressing Gratitude
Growing up near Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, I always loved to watch the dancing monkey. As the organ grinder played his music a curious crowd would gather around. The monkey would approach each person in the audience, his open hand only satisfied when it had a coin.
That was a transaction the audience was happy to be in. Now, the monkey didn’t give a lick about quarters. He wanted his treats and he got them. Everyone was a winner in that situation. The monkey was rewarded, the organ grinder got money, and we loved to watch.
How many win-win situations do we create? How do we reward our audiences? Do we express our gratitude? Are we grateful?
We do ask a lot of our audiences as marketers, especially when we’re promoting time-sensitive events.
How many times will an audience perform for us, like a dancing monkey, before they quit?
Marketing Without Relationships
Marking without relationships is so Mad Men. We don’t just see an ad and buy a Chevy anymore. We form relationships. We ask our friends (both in person and on social sites) for recommendations.
Every week I see someone post on Facebook:
“Does someone know a good plumber/landscaper/contractor in my area?”
Social media is an amplification of our in-person behavior. These relationships matter in our decision making about companies, even if they’re second or third degree connections.
So How Can You Move Into Relationships?
People seem to misunderstand Twitter. To me, it’s the most straightforward. I think it’s a matter of learning styles.
If you want to step up your Twitter game, move beyond favorites and retweets.
I know. I know. They’re easy.
So many people think a favorite is a substitute for a “thank you.” Sure, a favorite tells the person you saw the tweet. And I know people that I admire and respect who use it this way. But a favorite does not continue a conversation. It ends it.
Click reply.
Say “thank you.”
Be human.
It only takes 20 seconds.
Experiment
What could you lose by spending time thanking people? This is not a strategy that backfires.
Try it for two weeks. See what happens.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: What Two Words Help Brand Loyalty?
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