I like clichés that have been nearly beaten to death. They’re comfortable and everyone knows exactly what you mean. So here’s today’s nearly dead cliché. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” In this case, the birds are customers.
But lets switch metaphors from poultry to beef. Dan Kennedy teaches a concept that he calls, “putting a fence around your customers.”
If you’re a farmer and you spend all of your money on the latest milking machines, buy the best grain for your cattle and have them hand massaged for perfect tenderness every night… but your fence isn’t tall enough to keep the cows in the pasture, your investment is wasted because they’re all going to meander away.
What you need is a fence that makes sure your cows stay in your pasture.
Now Dan Kennedy is old school. He recommends phone calls and first class newsletters and some other costly methods (although they’re cheap when compared to losing your customers).
And he’s right. You should be sending a fun, informative newsletter to your customers every month. Sending prerecorded phone messages can also be great…
But even after you lay the foundation for that fence the Dan Kennedy old-school style, you should be doing everything in your power to make it taller. Keeping your customers inside the fence and buying is much more important than finding new customers.
Social Media Strengthens Your Fence…
Social media includes Blogging, Facebook, Twitter and any other Internet platform where interaction is allowed and encouraged.
How do you use these to your advantage? Answering questions, addressing concerns, and impressing customers on a personal level.
People love to see interaction. It makes them feel like you really care about them. When you use social media and are willing to talk to your customers, it shows that you’re actually interested in helping them as opposed to just allowing them to give you money.
Everyone is willing to take money. Not everyone is willing to be there for their customers. Using social media platforms gives you a way to “be there.” Every time you address someone personally on a social media platform that allows others to see, you show off to all of your customers. You show that you’re there and willing to engage.
People want to see that you’re willing to engage, but most of your customers won’t actually talk to you. Most people won’t take the time to think of intelligent questions or they won’t have the guts to ask them.
Deep down, no one believes the old adage “There’s no such thing as a stupid question.” Most people are terrified that their question is going to be stupid. That’s fine.
It means that even with all of your encouragement, less than 10% (on average) of people who have a question will ask it. The rest of the people will just sit back and watch you interact with others. And they’ll take comfort in the fact that you do answer questions when they’re asked and that you appear to be available.
In other words, they can see that you care and are helping others even though you’re not helping them directly. This is what makes social media such a powerful tool for social proof.
This social proof builds trust and credibility– you become the first person customers turn to when they need your product or service because you’re the guy or gal they feel like they know and trust.
Because of your interactions on the Social Media platforms, you’re showing your customers that you’re the business they can like and trust… they don’t mind that the fence around them is getting taller.
How are you using social media? Is it building your fence? Be part of the 10% who interacts and leave a comment below.
Henry Bingaman 
