My Mum didn't know how to subscribe to my blog.
It's on me. I knew Mum would want to subscribe, so I sent her a text that said, 'I have a blog!' with a link to my blog.
I didn't follow it up.
Mum didn't subscribe. Or read my article.
I have analytics. I know this stuff.
The next day, my sister told Mum about my blog.
Mum called me and asked why I didn't tell her about my blog...
I did not clearly explain what she needed to do or the expectations: “Hi mum, check out the blog I just wrote. You can subscribe with the sign-up button on the page,” is what I should have said.
It's a classic example that we have to meet our clients where and how they comfortably interact with our business. Or they simply won't engage.
I’m in marketing, and I should know better. But sometimes in our excitement, we all forget to apply the basics.
We all have blind spots in our business. As much as we try, we are not objective when it comes to our own business.
A particular platform may work for us and is a convenient and efficient mode of contact for us. But we need to stop and take stock of the platforms we use to communicate with our clients.
Are we missing out on opportunities by not communicating better with our clients? When we communicate we transfer information and then it is interpreted through the very complicated lens of when and where your client is.
Generally speaking, this means the way anyone uses a device is in context to how comfortable they are with the technology. And their comfort level is going to be subject to how frequently they use it.
Most businesses understand to look at whether our clients are using mobile devices or laptops. Being optimised for those devices is essential.
However, both Garry who works in IT and my Mum could have a secret passion for Mariachi bands.
How Garry interacts with his phone to book in for a class will be very different from how my Mum interacts with the same site on an iPad.
If we are only catering for Garry who ‘gets it’, we lose my mum as a customer. Few businesses will have an audience with a similar technical aptitude, and we need to be adapting for all users across the sliding scale.
How do we cater?
In my opinion, it is best to step back and think about your user experience throughout your company. Every interaction you have with your clients is an opportunity to make a loyal advocate or lose them, so ask yourself - how can you engage better?
Review the tools you use to communicate with your customers and ask if they are effective for your audience?
Do you offer more than one way to connect?
Do you provide clear instructions on how to connect and what happens next?
In truth, my Mum is pretty good with technology, especially when she knows what is expected of her and what she should expect from the platform she is using.
It’s up to us as businesses to provide clear communications and expectations for our clients. We all see the world differently so you will never have the perfect solution for everyone, and that is ok. But we need to understand and accommodate for people who need information delivered in different ways.