One of the problems with wading through an explosion of new technologies is the issue of trying to put it all on context. I never stop thinking about what the unifying theories might be that will help clients and audience members to focus on what will bring the quick and dramatic results. From time to time, a structure falls together in my mind and I immediately know it is a piece of the puzzle in the online unifying theory I always search for. The concept of building online one 2 one relationships is something that is putting a nice wrapper around digital marketing in general for me. Allow me to explain…
It is clear to me that there are now three legs to the online digital marketing stool – Web properties, social technologies and mobile applications. It is not critical for organizations to have solid strategies in each of these to build relationships with their constituents. At the same time, the strategies must call for heavy integration between each of these three. Think of it as creating a net into which a constituent falls and then can be connected with in whatever ways best serve them (and you.) Since each of these properties has very different strengths and weaknesses, it is important to think of them this way:
- Web properties are a DESTINATION that is best for facilitating transactions and archiving information.
- Social technologies are a CONVERSATION that are best for building a tight ongoing relationship with constituents. They also provide a means for a valuable stream of information to be delivered.
- Mobile applications are all about LOCATION. They provide a deeply imbedded relationship to happen from anywhere and at any time. They also allow for location based marketing concepts.
Once you understand all of this, you are on your way to knowing HOW to build a one 2 one relationship with your customers/clients/members. The next question would be WHY do you want to do this? That is where the one 2 one concept starts to take hold. With the ability to create this online three-legged marketing stool, you must have a philosophy as to why you would want to. It is too easy to say that you want to sell more. There are many organizations that are not really “selling” anything. What you really want is influence over your constituents. That is the why you want to be good with this concept. With influence, you can drive behavior. To get influence, you not only want to be effective in delivering online tools, you also want to be great at building a tight one 2 one relationship with every constituent so that they ALLOW you to have that influence over them.
The reason I think the one 2 one aspect is important is because it means that we are using the digital tools to have a unique relationship with each constituent. We are talking to them with tools that they prefer and choose. We are talking in a tone of voice that they prefer. We are delivering information that they prefer. In short, we are customizing an online relationship with them that they choose to have with us. The more one 2 one it is, the more we have earned the right to have influence over how they think.
The moment we mapped this out on the board, I knew it pulled together some pieces I have been struggling to assemble…