“I rarely surf and mainly search.”

It’s a really long quote, but it really echoes how the average consumer (like you and I) behave on the Internet. Social media marketers become more and more helpless to marketing their product/service simply because consumers hold much more power and control in the selection of information. How would you think the big boys on the Internet are making profits, generating revenue from consumers? Would you think that they actively go out and shout for attention to get consumers to come to them? Try to remember the last time you purchased something over the net solely because you saw an advertisement pop-up? I don’t think I ever did.

How then, do companies thrive over the net and generate such high sales and traffic volume? Well, instead of going out to get customers, they make customers go to them.

Now for the social media marketer that is me (the novice) and perhaps you who’s reading this article, this kind of spells trouble… I mean, how do we market in such a manner such that we are not pushing our product to them instead pulling them to be interested in the company, the product before we can actually market the product to them?!

I would think the wise thing to do would be to market smart over simply blasting your product anywhere and everywhere. Think of tactics that would draw customers to you instead of wasting efforts bombarding information to them and getting “matrix”-like responses from them in which you feel frustrated too! (when I say “matrix”, I reference it to the Keanu Reeves doing the limbo-avoidingabullet-kindofaction)

Marketers have been trying to market smart for the longest time, and are doing so or definitely still trying to do so. There are plenty ideas thrown around, suggestions, tips etc. Marketing smart is a strategy, and with every strategy there should be accompanying tactics. What tactics do you need to implement in order to work around the power of the consumer? First, ask yourself: What is your power?

One such power I believe marketers should possess is the power of knowledge because knowledge is power.

Be a thought leader in your industry and show your customers you know what you are saying and what you are doing. Show them your capabilities and instil confidence in them so that they will trust you, your brand and ultimately your product. The confidence that they will have in your product will definitely pay off when they become loyal customers. Consumers need to be reassured that they are making the right purchase decision and by engaging them through providing relevant information they need, your consumers will come to appreciate you as a thought leader and your product as a leading one in the industry.

And the best part about the power of knowledge? It can be harnessed. Build on your knowledge, especially knowledge and understanding of whichever industry or market you are in, then lead your consumers in making the right choice for themselves. Understand where your product/service lies in the industry and through this power, you will not only help consumers see the relevance of your product/service but perhaps even you will be able to understand better where your product/service lie in the eyes of your consumers and within the industry.

Now that we’ve got it established that the power of knowledge is important to not only your brand but also how you market your product, what tactic(s) can you think of that could use this power to draw consumers to you?

Any answers?