 In part 1 of this blog post series, I mentioned the four common reactions to change: disengagement, disconnection, disenchantment, and disorientation. Part 2 of this post is about how you can plan, prepare, and message effectively about product or service changes to try to minimize those reactions among your customers.
Engagement
Keeping your customers engaged is a constant challenge for online marketers. This is especially true when you are in the midst of a change, which your customers might see only as a loss of what they had. The most important thing to do in this situation is to help your customers identify what is in it for them. Don’t assume you know your customers' position and try to tell them, instead provide them with content which allows them to easily identify the value that will result from the changes. If you’re concerned about a lack of engagement, the best thing you can do is to build in a simple and easy way for your customers to give you feedback about the change. Even the opportunity to vent might be the difference between an upset customer and a former customer.
Connection
Staying connected with your customers is thankfully getting easier. As more small businesses are learning, social media is a great way to stay connected to your customers. It’s also a great tool for preparing your customer base for change before it has been introduced. Take advantage of Twitter, Facebook, or whatever channel your customers use to talk to you before, during, and after the introduction of your changes. If you build that time into your campaign plan, not only will you minimize the potential of disconnection, you will likely increase your ROI.
Enchantment
Keeping your customers enchanted is a bar we should all set - or at a minimum, keeping them comfortable. One of the best ways to keep them comfortable is to make sure that your customers are not surprised. Facebook is learning some painful lessons, in many ways, because of that exact issue. With every surprise your customers will question things which they have come to expect, and their comfort level will drop. Prepare your customers before making any changes so that they know what is coming. Build a migration plan if needed, and publicize it before you begin to execute. While you might not please everyone, your customers will be much less likely to complain.
Orientation
Keeping your customers oriented to your changes is exactly why you should plan. Here is where messaging can go a long way. A well-written white paper explaining how other customers take advantage of the product or service change can turn a skeptic into a user. By using the same research you used to make your decisions, you can provide a clear trail for even your most disoriented customers.
A little planning goes a long way. A simple marketing communications campaign plan with time built into it for interacting with your customers will help mitigate negative reactions associated with product and service changes. This could be just the thing you need to be the transition hero of change for your company.
###
About the Author
David Bennett is a product manager at Lyris. He is responsible for identifying customer needs and providing direction to help meet those needs. His team is responsible for the core platform on which Lyris HQ is built.
Related Resources:
|
