Submit Questions Here: Why Customer Participation Is Key to Getting Buy-In and Building Your Brand

Now more than ever, customers are swimming in an endless pool of information.  Just about every topic you can think of is searchable online and findable on Google.

Yet when it comes to solving their specific problems, many customers feel left to drift at sea, clinging desperately to our websites, social platforms, or physical locations in search of dry land and the shelter of promised solutions.

And it’s businesses that cast out a net to pull in those adrift that will be rewarded with praise and admiration, trust, and life-long connection.

Weave Your Net

It’s not enough to tell customers what we want them to know through a laundry list of products and services and self-promoting content.  Push.

The real difference makers are telling customers what they need to know through channels that make sense and welcome an exchange of ideas.  Attract.

And a good way of attracting customers to your business is to establish a place for that exchange of information.  Have you tried good old fashioned Q&A?

Strengthen Your Cords

As small business owners, there’s always the fear that if we give away too much information, we’ll negate our customer’s reason to need us and pay for services.

But in reality, the opposite may be true.  It is through that transparency that we establish trust and build credibility with customers and give them a reason to come back for more.

Providing a public platform for customers to ask questions and receive a timely response from your business shows the world that you’re confident in your knowledge and ability to solve the problem. Win.

Cast Your Net and Pull It In

Start simple.

1. Create a Q&A page on your website. Enable customers to submit questions.  You can craft your responses in a way that answers the questions without giving them your business plan.
2. Engage on social media.  If your business is active on social media, post questions and encourage others to do the same.  Be intentional about looking for ways you can address customer concerns.
3. Work your email database. Don’t be afraid to send a quick survey to your email contacts and prospects asking them to give feedback on well-known pain points.  One day, you just may hit theirs and earn a new customer.

Keep in mind that while there is a tremendous need to promote your business and tell customers what you can do for them, there is an even greater need to educate customers so that they can make informed decisions.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you gain their trust and build your brand at the same time.

Question: What challenges are you facing in your business and how can I help?  Send me your questions now! 

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