Ring! Ring! School is back in session and not just for your kids. As a former Kindergarten teacher working for Bowe Digital, I can tell you that marketing and teaching aren’t as different as you may think. What’s the biggest difference? Instead of keeping a classroom of kids engaged and happy, we convince entire online audiences of busy adults to pay attention to us in hopes they’ll give us a gold star for being the best teacher in our industry.
Now that summer break is over, you can teach your customers about your business through marketing. Luckily, I’m here to give you a quick lesson on teaching, and we’ll start with the basics.
Get to Know Your Students
It’s time to break the ice…let’s play two truths and a lie.
- It’s important to determine where your customers are in the buying process.
- Uncovering your customers’ most asked questions will help you teach them about your products or services.
- Your customer’s buyer persona doesn’t affect your marketing efforts.
TRUTH: Everyone can use a refresh on the basics. However, a person just discovering your business will need different information than someone who’s been working with you for years. Your marketing should target audiences in every step of the buying process.
TRUTH: Uncovering your customers’ questions helps you define your curriculum. Send out surveys, look at reviews and ask your employees. Once you understand what your customers need, you can answer their questions proactively.
LIE: Knowing your buyer persona is vital to your marketing efforts. Understanding the likes and dislikes of your target customer is how you choose topics and make your marketing relatable.
Decorate Your Classroom
No, in this scenario, your classroom isn’t your office; that’s more of a teachers' lounge. Your classroom is online, where your customers go to learn. Your online presence and marketing materials should be inviting and eye-catching. Like any great teacher, we often trick students into learning the material by getting creative. Decorate your marketing with videos, images and sounds to make learning about your business fun.
Define the Terms, and Go Over New Systems
Consumers value being informed. Give them the information they need to choose the right product or service on their own. Try making weekly social posts defining the terms your customers may need to know or highlighting what your products and services do.
If there’s one thing students love, it’s shortcuts. Consider this when it comes to your systems and technologies. Let your customers know what they do and how they’ll make life easier.
Offer Tutoring
Finally, make yourself available, and be open to more questions. Communication is key. After a transaction, complete a personal follow-up over the phone or email. Take it one step further by offering more educational resources to your customers.
Follow these steps to become the coolest teacher in school (or in your industry). Of course, Bowe Digital will be teaching marketing in the classroom next door. My team and I are always happy to provide you with more tips and marketing services at bowedigital.com.