The basis of his post states that if you can’t get the rice right, you won’t be able to serve good sushi. Translate that to the marketing world and this becomes a poignant message. Unless you are really good at the MOST important things, you will not succeed with the latest marketing tool etc.

I take this into the realm of social media since that is the buzzword of today and the number 1 thing marketers are flocking to. Every day it seems as though new self-proclaimed “social media experts” and consultants are popping up. It becomes scary to think that someone that spends a great deal of time navigating this technological space believes that he/she is now qualified to coach businesses through using these tools as a marketing platform. Perhaps they are extremely technologically savvy and constantly in the know about the up and coming social networks. They may also grasp the idea of social media and why it is so important for a marketer to pay attention to it. Even still – without solid expertise on the basics, these efforts will fall flat.

The basics boil down to the principles of marketing and communication.

Do you know what your customers want? Do you know your target market? Do you know how to effectively communicate a message? Do you have the ability to look beyond the digital realm and realize how social media efforts play a role in overall branding and marketing? Are you upholding brand image with every piece of communication?  Are you creative?

As marketers, these are questions that we need to be asking every day. These are also questions that potential buyers of social consulting need to ask their potential consultant. Let’s never lose sight of the basics.

Here are some things to think about when you’re in a content generation rut.

- Don’t post just to post. Sometimes silence is better than posting something half heartedly just for the sake of posting something. I wrote another blog post about this topic. Forcing a conversation is worse than no conversation at all.

- Share! If you’re not doing this already, take the time to share someone else’s article or piece of content. Perhaps enlist a guest blogger. Begin a discussion from another person’s content.

- Ask Questions. I’m not talking about the meaningless “How are you doing today?” type of questions. (see first point: Don’t post just to post.) I’m talking about genuine questions to ask your target audience. If you’re not sure what type of content your fans/followers/readers are interested in, ask them. Get that valuable feedback! Remember: social media isn’t about you, it’s about your audience.

- Strategize and re-group. We always, ALWAYS recommend a strategy before entering into the realm of social media. It is easy to get side-tracked, overwhelmed and waste time when a plan is not in place. It may be time to take a step back and re-evaluate your strategy (if you already had one in place) or take the time to map out a strategy. A well-thought out plan, clear direction and purpose will greatly assist in taking away “content rut” syndrome.

It recognizes the new power of the best consumers to ignore marketing. It realizes that treating people with respect is the best way to earn their attention.” (Read his full blog post here.)

Permission based marketing is marketing of today.

As consumers in modern day society, we have the wonderful  ability to tune out the messages we don’t want to receive.  Traditional media in the ways they have been used in the past, are becoming less and less effective in reaching a desired audience.

Unlike shouting your message from the mountaintops (as is true with traditional media), permission marketing gives you the magnificent chance to communicate your message to those who WANT it!! When a consumer gives you their permission to advertise to them, it is a valuable and priceless asset, not to be taken for granted.

Social media is a prime example of permission marketing. They are called “fans” and “followers” because they have opted into receiving what you have to say. Don’t take this responsibility lightly or take advantage. People are looking for the value you bring to the table.

Permission marketing takes time to build, but once it is going, the advantages are immense. The businesses that put in the effort and patience to build these important relationships with their customers will reap the benefits.

It is easy to get caught up in the trap of focusing TOO heavily on the “glitz and glam” of advertising and not enough on what your customer actually experiences. Attention getting and effective ad campaigns only work when they are paired with a positive customer experience.  Follow through is critical! Your ads are designed to draw people into your doors, but once they are there it is no longer the responsibility of the advertising.  Now is the chance to really wow your customers and turn them into word of mouth promoters! (The ultimate goal!)

Here are a few quick tips to help you determine your customer experience strategy:

• Go above and beyond: People expect to be happy – word of mouth occurs when those expectations are blown away.
• Communicate with your customers: Invite your customers to give you feedback and take their responses seriously (even if it’s not what you want to hear!)
• Take an objective look: Being in the midst of the business, this is sometimes very difficult to do. If so, hire a team of professionals to assist you in determining what needs to change and tweaks that can be made.

I would love to hear your thoughts about customer experience. What companies are doing a superior job?