Are you a small business boss who wants to build a tribe of committed and action-taking customers? Then listen up!

This is a flipped case study, written by the customer *me* about one such biz owner who shall remain anonymous. I love her. I lover her hard. And I buy from her – consistently.

Like many in her position, she has tapped in to her tribe’s needs, crafted their perfect journey with you and guided them along the way to the solutions she has created for them. Happy days.

When you can do this for your business – what do you think you gain?

● A thriving community of Customers
● Customers who are completely tuned in and turned on to you and your mission
● A tribe of followers who devour your content
● Customers who have no objections to buy from you right now

In other words… a loved-up community!

To help you plan your own loved-up strategy (because we’re all about the strategy at Bohemia) I’m sharing my love story PLUS 5 key tips to help get you started.

Here’s my love story…

Our first date…

It started – as all good love stories do – with a cup of tea.

About a year ago, I had just brewed a strong cup of Earl Grey tea, and decided to spend 10 minutes hanging out in my favourite business facebook group. I was following a conversation about copywriters and web designers, and if you were starting out in business, who would be some great role models and teachers to follow and learn from. A facebook friend commented about a Boss Biz Lady they adore, linking to her website and giving her a big compliment; “She gets me..and I’m hard to get” ….so I decided to check this chick out.

The decision to click on that link has lead to over a year of faithful devotion.

I was immediately entranced by her website, her About page was copywriting genius, her Headings were enticing, her imagery was what I would choose, it was just…magic.

I went searching for her opt-in box (that’s right, I went searching for it so make sure I was on her list) and I set about to consume every single blog post available for consumption!

The first blog post I read was a saucy, sassy anecdotal article about freaking-out over work, life, relationships and technology all in the space of one day. It was written so well.

She had me slapping my hand on the desk laughing and saying “Yes, Yes, Yes”.

She had me nodding my head as I read the article, mirroring my friend in the facebook group thinking “she gets me”.

She had me laughing out loud, almost spitting my tea all over my laptop.

I gained so much entertainment, connection, fun and value from those 7 minutes that when I got to the end of the article I was so disappointed it was over…

As luck would have it… right there at the end of the post, was nice shiny box saying “Like this article? You’ll probably like my eBook” and a link to the eBook sales page.

Smiling, I knew what I had to do.

I clicked on the box (of course) and read the short sales page super quick – taking notice of the highlighted information with words like “truth”, “wisdom”, “immediate”, “create”, “greatness” (all the words that speak to me) jumping off the page.

I had my hand reaching for my credit card before I could say “give it to me now!”

Our second date

Cha-ching I bought the eBook (it was about $35. I still think it was the best $35 I’d spent that week).

I made sure it downloaded correctly, then I saved it as a treat for myself. Later on, when I had brewed yet another tea and settled into my favourite chair, I pulled up the eBook on my laptop and devoured all hundred and something pages with delight.

I loved that eBook. Every. Single. Word.

It felt like she had written it especially for me.

It spoke to exactly my current life situation, it gave me the motivation I needed, the kick up the bum I needed, a good dose of entertainment that made me laugh and some actionable steps that I do right away….

It was perfect (and for the next month I told everyone I knew how awesome it was).

Our third date

After “The Night of the eBook” I basked in the glory of our new relationship and devotedly read every email she sent me.

Because this lady knew me and where I was at in my life, everything she created was so on point. Our third date lasted a little while, we settled into a nice routine.

Each weekend I would receive an email from her. I would love it, comment on it, and devotedly wait for the next one.

I was so devoted that if I hadn’t received an email from her by Monday I would go searching my junk folder, double checking my deleted folder, and then refreshed my inbox each hour, anticipating her new delectable delight, written specifically for me!

And then she asked me a question..it meant taking another step in our relationship, and committing to her a little more…

Moving in together

You see, she had just created an online program which was a wee bit more expensive than the eBook (about $150 more).

To let me know all the saucy details, she sent me one ‘sales’ email. Just one. And it really wasn’t a sales email, more like a ‘I know you need this, so I made it for you’ email.

Reading through what the program included and what it could do for me personally I was shaking my head in awe “Yes you minx, you’ve done it again..I do need this in my life!”

Now, I’ve never been afraid of commitment, so out came the credit card again.

When I got my greedy little hands on the content I was so impressed.

The program was the missing link in the learning I already had. It was so juicy. She had asked for my commitment and in turn she had given me so much.

I was completely loved-up.

I worked through the program, as the good student I am, enjoying the way she pushed me, loving the tools and teaching she had shared with me and appreciating the new thoughts and ideas the learning was allowing me to experience.

She had helped me grow.

Then we settled back into our normal routine of emails each week – although now I felt a lot closer to her, like I was VIP and I felt that she really appreciated me being a part of her community.

So of course…

When she asked me to buy something else from her, to get a little closer, to love a little harder, guess what I said?

Saying I do

I said yes!

A big, resounding “Oh you! Yes, of course I will” kind of yes.

This time it was a real commitment – a membership program. Ongoing payments. Ongoing support. Ongoing content.

Oh, be still my beating heart.

So I signed up immediately because I knew my life would be better with this membership in my life.

And when I became a member I was not at all disappointed (as I have been with other memberships) In fact, my initial thoughts were “How does she do it? She knows me so well!”

And so our love story continues…

So what can you learn from my experience as a devotee and create loved-up customers (who buy every time you ask them to) in your own community?

Here are 5 key tips you can use right now to create loved-up customers and increase your sales!

● Write specifically for your customers

Each time your customers read your content, you want them to think; “This is written exactly for me”.
Emails, eBooks, programs, landing pages – all of your content needs to speak to your customers, in their terms, about the issues they’re facing (right now) in their lives.
If you can tap into your customers insights and put yourself in their situation, you can create fast and lasting impact in their lives.

● Learn exactly what your customers need

This is a simple but sometimes overlooked step. When you like creating (and you get excited to get an idea out into the world) you can sometimes bypass this very valuable process. Remember, it is essential to get feedback on whether your product or service idea is exactly what your customers need (right now). Is it a good idea but needs to be put into a plan? Is there something else your customers need first? Are you creating something for yourself and not your customers? Is it completely off track and needs to be reworked before you launch it?

● Create raving fans in your community

Word of mouth is perhaps now more than ever, easier to achieve – if you’re doing a great job. Why? We’re all so connected! We’re not just speaking to our friends and family and the people in our immediate location, we’re now talking to our friends, family, colleagues, peers, all over the world. Kimberly A. Whitler says: “According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising”.

It’s too important to ignore!

Take the example of how I was first introduced to my muse – a ‘friend’ that I have in a facebook group (of which we all now have thousands) mentioned her, said how much she adored her, linked to her website and I trusted my friend’s recommendation and checked her out. Hop, skip and a jump later, I’ve paid her hundreds of dollars. You want to aim for your customers to be spreading your good word all over the marketplace.

● Consistency creates credibility (understand this well)

When you show your audience that you are consistent in your communication and your message, they will learn to rely on you and trust your advice. You and your brand becomes a much needed light in their life. They can’t wait to receive your content, and when it comes time to ask them to buy something, they will want to buy it fast! Think about my love story; she has consistently created – I have consistently bought. She has consistently committed to me – I have consistently committed to her. She has asked me to trust her, and I have. It’s a generous and fulfilling relationship!

● Take the time to plan your sales strategy

Your sales strategy needs to make sense to you and your business goals – but also makes sense to your customers. If it doesn’t make sense to them, if they can’t easily and simply follow it, you won’t get the sales you need.

If it makes sense to your customers you can include up-sells to complementary programs or products. If it makes sense to your customers you can send them a specific email campaign after their first purchase. If it makes sense to your customers you can offer them a discount for a limited time…if it makes sense to your customers you can do anything!

 

There you have 5 simple yet effective tips that you can start to implement right now in your business to build a more loved up and connected community.

And if you were wondering if there was an end to my love story with my favourite online maven?

I’m happy to say, we’re still going strong.

She’s gone through some business changes and so have I.

She still doesn’t know who I am or the impact she’s had on me personally or my business. But maybe one day…

Until then I will be unconditionally devoted.