It sounds simple when I say it plainly like that. But most of the companies I talk to don't ask their customers (and potential customers) how they feel about their marketing.
They might have all the data on who's converting and who isn't, but they don't have any data on how the customer feels.
- Do they like your website?
- Does your content bring value?
- What about your brand story resonates with them?
Wouldn't it be nice to have the answers to these questions? The answers you get from your customers could change the way you do marketing going forward.
So let's dive into how we can create a good feedback culture.
Invite the customer to give feedback
When working with clients on their StoryBrand Messaging, we spend some time talking about the call-to-action.
I share this StoryBrand principle: "Unless you clearly call people to action, they won't take action."
The same goes in this context too. It's not usually a person's first response to offer feedback (although I know a few people who do!), so we must ask for feedback.
At the end of our social posts, email campaigns and blog posts, ask for some feedback so you know what's working and what's not.
Know what kind of feedback you want
It's not a good idea to ask for feedback without any boundaries around it.
Feedback from a keyboard warrior on the internet isn't going to help you with your marketing. But targeted feedback will be super valuable!
Here are some examples of where I have asked for feedback.
- I asked someone to send me a direct message on LinkedIn if this content brought value to them.
- I have tried to be more conversational when writing emails, and I asked subscribers to reply and let me know if they resonated more with that style.
- I asked subscribers to reply with what challenges they have been facing with their marketing.
- I have even asked for feedback on new thumbnail designs I have been creating for blog posts.
The opportunities are endless!
When someone gives feedback, thank them
Part of building culture is reinforcing good behaviour.
Our family dog called Ollie. He's a black Labrador and has such a cool personality. He's nearly three, but I remember when we were training him, we had to reward his good behaviour so that it would continue.
The same goes for your clients. While you don't need to reward them like a dog, you should reply and thank them for giving you feedback.
Thanking them will help get your audience in the cycle of regularly giving feedback.
Closing thoughts
The masters of building a Feedback Culture are YouTuber's.
They put a lot of time into cultivating their community. And for many of them, it takes a while before they see any results.
They keep showing up and calling their audience to action.
Whenever someone leaves a comment, they are always the first to reply.
And the end result is that they have a clear picture of exactly what their audience likes and doesn't like.
That's what we're here to do with your brand.
