People no longer feel loyalty to brands. What can you do to get customers and keep them coming back? Find out in this episode of Authority Confidential, featuring special guest Mark Schaefer. Mark Schaefer spotted a bar of cucumber and grits soap during a visit to his daughter’s home. As a marketing expert, he was curious and asked why she chose to support that particular brand. It became clear that it wasn’t the brand that she supported. “I don’t know if I love the brand,” She told him. “I love the hands who made it.” According to Mark most people no longer support individual brands. Instead, they choose to support people – they choose to shop with brands that they’ve developed an emotional connection with. That is why it’s important to have influence and authority in your field. “I think it's part of our DNA,” Mark said. “I don't think we really want to be loyal to a logo – I think we want to be loyal to a person.” Mark pointed out that in medieval marketplaces, there was no advertising, no spin – business was done because of an emotional connection. “We kind of lost our way on that when we when the era of mass broadcasting started, because it became very efficient to give money to an ad agency, and then stand back and wait for something to happen,” Mark said. Now that social media has taken the world by storm, marketers need to change up their approach. Lazy marketing is becoming less and less effective, while brands who work to forge an emotional connection with their customers are taking the lead. “We want to connect to people in a human way,” Mark said. “We want to do business with people who we like, who we trust.” They’re not being sold on branding, on ads or on spin. Instead, they want to know who you are and what you stand for. Which is why influence and authority have become a vital part of successful marketing in today’s world. “[Influence] is really about the only thing we have left,” Mark said. “It's the only permanent sustainable competitive advantage a person has these days.” Want more? What does Mark have to say about growing your influence? Listen to the episode above or Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn or any podcasting platform! And make sure you subscribe! You’re not gonna want to miss out on any of my secret interviews with experts who will help you build your influence and authority. Don't forget to check out the latest episode of our other podcast, the Thoughtful Entrepreneur with host Jennifer Longworth. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
