Would you date your brand?
By: Kristina Mišić
Tags: Startup, Branding, Entrepreneurship, Brand Strategy, Business

Do you want to start a long and successful relationship between your brand and your customers? The rules of dating could be “the thing” that helps you pave the way…

Nowadays, more than ever, the world seems to want more. We want to feel deeper, play harder, live, and love with more intensity. We ache for meaningful relationships, connections, and experiences that will make us feel happy and satisfied. This mindset extend to all aspects of our lives, including our behavior towards brands.

It is a tough time to be a brand, for sure. With so many companies competing against each other to engage with customers and win their attention, and so many noise and distractions taking up people’s attention, marketers have a difficult task creating and developing campaigns that will make their brands resonate and establish a long and lasting relationship with their target audience.

In this scenario, customers are very much like a single person, trying to find that perfect partner to have a relationship that will satisfy and take them both on an unforgettable journey.

But, does your brand have what it takes to be a good date? How do you make it attractive?

First impressions still matter (for dating and for brands!)

Most of the dating advice circulating the web make emphasis on following these rules to succeed in your dates:

* You should be trustworthy.

* You should be attractive.

* Show genuine interest in the other person. Listen to them.

* Be conversational, encourage dialogue, but don’t control the conversation.

* Be yourself. Be honest.

These could be summarized in one sentence: MAKE A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION. A good first impression goes a long way. Everything you work and aim for could be ruined if you fail to impress.

How to make your brand irresistible to date?

When you decide to date someone, it’s because you are willing to commit yourself to that person. You ponder the values and attributes you are looking for in a partner, you want someone that you can identify with, someone that you can trust, someone that values you.

This same train of thought can be applied to brands. Choosing a brand easily follows the same process as choosing a dating partner. Adhering to the dating rules could be the key companies need to unlock if they aspire to embark in a long relationship with customers that goes beyond a first date:

1. Inspire trust. Nobody wants to date a person who seems unreliable or deceptive, a notion that also applies to brands. You don’t want to have a poor social media presence (or no presence at all!), a poorly designed website, and even worse, a domain name that might suggest you are not serious or professional. You will not have the same perception visiting buy-organic-foods1.com instead of wholefoods.com.

2. Be authentic. The worst type of dates are those where people, in a desperate attempt to impress their companions, pretend to be something that they are not. Many times, people can see beyond the pretension and realize they have been deceived and disrespected. The old saying “honesty is the best policy” is as relevant as ever. For brands, even more so. You want to charm your customers with your zero pretensions personality, win them over with a sincere offering. Treat them as people, not targets.

3. Show interest. Dating is not only about yourself. Sure, initially you are looking to satisfy a personal need, but in order to grow a relationship, you need to listen and prove your interest in the other person. Show them that you care. And it is the same for brands. Your customers have opinions about you, your products, which you need to take into consideration if you expect them to stay with you for the long run. If you listen to them, your knowledge will increase, and gain valuable insights that will prove useful to answer to their needs and deepen their commitment to you.

4. Relationships are a two-way street. Those days, when relations were based on the priorities of one party, are a thing of the past. Currently, people aspire to balanced relationships, where the needs of each person has the same weight and value, where both partners lead (or at least take turns!). Similarly, brands must understand that people don’t want to hear a monologue about what makes a product or brand special and the reasons why they should care about them. The most successful customer relationships are about giving, and brands must make an effort to give customers what they want because if they don’t do it, somebody else will. Reach out, stay in touch, spark conversations, and ask for feedback.

To conclude: Relationships are hard! They require commitment, selflessness, honesty, and trust. If your brand wants to start a relationship with a customer, take a look at the rules of dating, and play fair.

A good first impression can be the differential factor to take your relationship with your customer to the next level.

Brand and customer relationships have shifted from formal, unilateral interactions to a more intimate, closer setting where bidirectional conversations take place.

Nurturing relationships with our customers will result in long term relationships with a deeper sense of commitment and brand loyalty.

Did you find these tips useful? We certainly hope so. We are interested in helping you build a strong brand. If you have any questions or need any dating advice (wink!), please feel free to book a free consultation at MarkUpgrade, we are always happy to hear from you.

Originally published at MarkUpgrade.com