I asked a few simple questions to a bunch of smart marketers.
Enjoy this great answer from Matt Blumberg, CEO, ReturnPath.
Great marketing comes down to one simple idea: Earn the respect and recommendation of your customers, and they will do the rest. What is your advice for any company that wants to …
1 … make people happy?
Make and keep (or beat!) promises. It’s really that simple. Why do we love Amazon.com? Because they promise 5-7 days shipping and consistently deliver things in 2-3 days. Why do we sign up for Weather.com’s email weather reports? Because they come every morning before we get dressed. It’s true of life whether you’re talking about person-to-person relationships or person-to-company.
2 … earn respect?
Do something good for the world. Companies aren’t just monolithic, faceless entities. They’re living and breathing communities of humans — both employees and customers. Get your company involved with a great non-profit. Run or participate in fundraisers that are meaningful to your employees or to your business or to your local community. Then build it into your community by telling your customers (in a non-self-congratulatory way), or make it part of their experience with you. If it’s genuine, they will remember it, respect you for it, and want to help.
3 … get a word of mouth recommendation?
Give your customers something that makes them laugh, cry, say “aha!” or otherwise have a burning need to look smart and cool by passing it on to their friends. It can be anything. Good content in an email. A clever insert in a package you send them. Funny banter with a customer service rep on the phone.
But remember that word of mouth cuts both ways. Every interaction I have with Zappos, the online shoe store, makes me tell someone to go buy shoes online from Zappos. Every interaction I have with United Airlines makes me tell someone to fly American.
Thanks, Matt!
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