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The Mystery of the Faceless Shopper

I was reading a post on an inspirational forum the other day.

A fellow asked; "Can you name the five Wealthiest People in the World?
The last five Heissma trophy winners?
Ten people who have won the Nobel Prize? No?
What about; A teacher who helped you in school?
A friend who has helped you?
Someone who makes you feel appreciated?

His point was that we remember the people that touch our lives and our hearts in some way.

This made me realize the biggest marketing mistake that people make - particularly on the Internet.

They "market" as though they are dealing with faceless shoppers. Imagining the masses that will read their website, they speak to the crowd. Except, there are no faceless shoppers.

The "secret" to good Internet marketing is remembering;
"marketing to" = "communicating with"

Asking
how well are you "marketing to" your customers?
is the same as asking
how well are you "communicating with" your customers?

Put some faces on them. They are real people, with feelings like yours. Do something to make a difference.

• Send a thank you note for doing business with you
• Send a virtual card on holidays - without a sales pitch
• Start a loyalty benefits program for your regulars
• Use a mail merge program, such as aweber, so you can address them personally, perhaps even responding to their specific needs by clever use of filters.

You'll be surprised how much of a difference it can make when you remember that we all still have faces on the Internet, even if you can't see them.

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