How To Help Online Customers Obtain That “Social” Experience

How To Help Online Customers Obtain That “Social” Experience
June 13, 2007 by Chuck | 1 Comment

According to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, online shoppers CRAVE a social experience between themselves, the company, and other shoppers.

For that reasons, Forbes.com has created a “Wiki” readers can help build and - for years - Amazon.com has had reader reviews.

That’s why smart online marketers are building avenues for feedback and community into their operations from day one.

One enterprising online marketer has even created a community for internet marketers to help each other prosper built around the sale of an information product.

If you’re starting an online business… how are you going to build a “social experience” into the profit plan?

Here are some ideas.

1. Have a regularly updated blog with comments

2. Have a “Members Only” component of your website for “elite” customers to reward their participation.

3. Reward reader reviews - choose one review per week, month, etc. to receive a gift certificate for example. Let potential reviewers know up front that they’re eligible just for filling out a review.

4. Reward referrals with the online equivalent of this technique

5. Create a “camp” for your niche (a “Camp” is an unscructured conference or “solution playground”… you can see a sample here)… you never know what you’ll learn and you’ll be perceived as a benefactor instead of just a marketer.

6. Or if the camp is too weird, have a good old FORUM

See article here