Page 309 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

know what they have concluded and how they can improve your product.
Create a way to collect their ideas so that they feel heard. Also, make sure
that they can see that you value these ideas, or they will feel disconnected
from you. Don’t let them feel like they have wasted their time.
» Customization: They want to customize/personalize products.
To consider: You know that personalization and customization are potent
forces. You can develop a better relationship with your customers if you make
them feel part of the product by helping them customize it. This will go a long
way toward developing brand advocates.
» Content: They want brands to provide them with entertaining and informa-
tive content.
To consider: This is an obvious one. Entertain them, and they will come back
for more. Check analytics data frequently to see what content is resonating
with your audience. Also, consider the type of questions they may have and
be ready to supply the answers.
» Coolness: They want to feel “cool/trendy” by conducting one-to-one conversa-
tions with the brand.

To consider: Don’t discount the “coolness” factor. People are more likely to
share information about the products with their friends when they can show
they have a “special” relationship with the brand. They are able to articulate
the benefits of your product in a way tha’s compelling and authentic.

Customers want the personalized attention that messaging apps offer so that they
can become part of your cohesive community of fans. However, it’s critical that
you’re authentically interested in them. If you’re feigning interest as a marketing
ploy forget it, you will do more harm than good.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO WhatsApp
AND MESSENGER

If your primary customers are located in Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan, you
may want to consider using Line. It’s a freeware app for messaging on mobile devices
and desktops and has similar features to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. You can
send texts, images, video, and audio, and hold free VoIP calls and video conferences.
Line was launched in Japan in 2011 and is owned by the subsidiary of a company in
South Korea called Naver Corporation. In 2019, it had 600 million registered users and
165 million are monthly active users. It’s currently Japan’s largest social network. You
can find the downloads for Line at https://line.me/en-US/download.

CHAPTER 20 Utilizing Messaging Apps 293