If you can’t be in person with customers, bring the product experience to them
Nothing beats an in-person, live experience, but there are ways marketers can bring some of that authenticity to a digital world. You can use content marketing to bring the product experience to life online.
Need some examples? Consider:
TV tasting
The Food Network does a beautiful job of selling experience. With content focused on food, a product best enjoyed through aromas and flavors, the network draws in millions of viewers each week (as do cooking shows on other formats, such as YouTube). Yet, none of these viewers ever gets a chance to try one bit of the food.
So, why watch? With a combination of beautiful cinematography, chefs and hosts skilled at the art of mouth-watering descriptions, and added elements like travel and competition, the Food Network sells experience. Viewers can enjoy a Michelin-star meal for free from the comfort of their own couch.
Virtual adrenaline rush
For outdoor enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies, nothing beats the thrill of riding class V rapids or plunging down a double-black-diamond slope. If you can’t try it in person, however, you can sample the experience via a Warren Miller film or any number of adventure documentaries.
Again, the key here is bringing the experience to life for viewers. Camera angles, suspense, near-misses and mishaps help keep viewers on the edge of their seats and wanting more.
Next-gen Tupperware
Women will know immediately what I mean. Men, ask the women in your lives.
We can’t get through an entire week without an invitation to some sort of direct-sales party. Beauty products, designer bags, jewelry, supplements, cooking supplies, cleaning products, home organization, scented wax, wine: There is a nearly endless list of items we can buy at one of these parties, either in-person or online, and most of us know at least one rep selling these wares. (Here’s a “short” list of popular direct-sale products.)
So, why are there so many products sold using this model? Aside from offering reps extra income, it works. People are more likely to buy from someone they know. They are also more likely to buy after seeing, touching, smelling or trying on the product in person.
So, what are the takeaways?
Regardless of the product or service your business sells, the biggest takeaway here is that selling product experience works. To translate that to a digital experience (and on a budget), use these tips:
- Think beyond features. Try to think more like your customer. How will they use your product? How will it enhance their lives? Sell the experience ‒ not the features.
- Use VR. If you have access to virtual reality technology, it can be a great way to bring your product experience to life for customers. If they can interact with your product directly, they can quite literally see themselves using it.
- Video. For all marketers, video has become incredibly important. Compelling images, testimonials, music and more combine to make your story deeper and richer for customers.
- Images. A picture tells 1,000 words. So, delete 1,000 words from your website and add some compelling photos instead.
- Personalization. The direct-sales example above really touches on the importance of personal relationships in sales. While you might not be selling to your best friends, adding personalization wherever possible can help your customer feel like a friend to your brand.
To learn more about outsourcing marketing to a partner you can trust, contact Campfire Digital for a free digital assessment.