What do you associate with the words ‘red carpet’?
Perhaps a toddler who has run riot with some paints and felt pens, or perhaps an unfortunately placed glass of Rioja which has been knocked on to the floor!
To most people, red carpet signifies dignitaries, royalty and VIPs; it’s a gesture that makes people feel a bit special.
And that’s exactly how I felt when I was selling my house a few years ago, when a local estate agent sent me a piece of red carpet in the post. It was only 10 cms by 8 cms but it was still red carpet.
On the back of the carpet was a label with the estate agent’s name, logo and phone number, plus a few words which said simply:
All Our Clients Get The Same Treatment.
It was a classic piece of old school marketing. Really simple, but really effective.
In many ways businesses try to make Social Media too complicated, yet it’s potential to make people feel a bit special is enormous.
For example, we all know that Facebook reminds us of friends’ birthdays, but so does LinkedIn, and it’s a great, but really simple way to engage with people at a human level.
All too often we see LinkedIn and Social Media as sales and marketing tools, but their role in creating great customer experiences shouldn’t be underplayed. The ability to send someone a birthday wish, a compliment on something they’ve posted or a random testimonial, is much more powerful than you would imagine – particularly when your message is customised with their name or something you know will resonate with them.
How are you using Social Media to make people feel special?