It’s not all about you…
Three common ways companies talk about themselves too much
You know that person who loves to talk about themselves, but never seems to really listen?
Or the college lecturer who doesn’t seem to notice that the class is falling asleep?
Well, a lot of companies are like that too. If you’re talking about yourself too much, you might be losing customers.
Example: A bad trip
I just took a bad airline trip. The worst part is, while everything was going wrong, the airline was running an on-plane video about its rebranding efforts. Something about how they are painting their planes differently now. The company’s”director of customer engagement” was being interviewed onscreen.
And I wanted to throttle her.
I was thinking: It’s obvious why your airline stinks so bad! The director of customer engagement is painting planes and doing videos. She is in no way “engaging customers.” She’s not engaging me!
Ultimately, I didn’t feel the airline cared about me. Instead, it cared more about itself and its branding efforts, and the video didn’t connect with me. In fact, it disconnected me even more, because I will avoid flying on that airline.
But that airline’s not the only guilty party.
Three common ways companies talk about themselves too much
- Website is too self-serving. Too many companies have page upon page about themselves and their products and services, but much less about how they help solve customer problems. YES, your history and your people are important. People love a good story, and also want to like the companies they work with. But don’t forget to show how these facts help your customers.
- No free information. Most people are afraid to give away free information. They think clients will read it without employing their products or services. But the opposite is true. You’ve got smart people at your company — let them show off what they know. Provide some free advice by writing thought leadership articles or blog posts. Not only does this provide fodder for SEO, but it keeps people coming back to your site for more information. More engagement = a better chance of your target audience working with your company.
- “We’re Excited” announcements. Your company gets a new office, wins an award, or is launching a rebranding campaign. Great! So you tell your clients in an email, a press release, or on social media. But when you make that announcement, don’t forget to tell them how your experience benefits THEM, otherwise you’re just adding noise to their day. Don’t forget to answer the vital question: “So What?“
In the end, we’re all guilty of talking about ourselves a little too much. But if you can keep your customers — and end goals — in mind, you can turn your personal stories, successes and knowledge into marketing materials that will keep your audience coming back.
