How to Serve Before You Sell

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Craft & Cluster podcast!In today’s episode, we will talk about the importance of serving your audience before you sell to them.If I’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s that nurturing one’s audience is of the utmost importance, especially in times of crisis.In the wake of the announcement that we were to shelter in place in March of last year, I received dozens of emails and social media communications from companies I hadn’t heard from in months (and in some cases, YEARS) all of a sudden asking me for my support.You probably got a lot of those types of emails too, and if you are anything like me, you were at least slightly annoyed.Listen, I don’t blame these companies.  We had no idea how to handle that situation at the time, but what I will say is this: the companies that had consistently shown up in my inbox and my social media feed before the lockdown didn’t need to ask for my support. I was already giving it.I say this to highlight the importance of showing up and nurturing your audience consistently rather than only showing up when you need something.That way, when shit hits the fan (like in this global pandemic), your audience doesn’t feel like your parents did when you would only ever call them for money because you were on your last Cup O’Noodles (sorry, mom!)Here are the three things you should do to serve your audience before you sell to them:Share Valuable Content 80% of the time and give direct calls-to-action 20% of the time.Give excellent customer service on social media by responding to your comments and DMs quickly.Be consistent in your digital marketing communications by sharing content at least once per week. If you found this episode super valuable, be sure to rate and review it and spread the love by screenshotting, sharing, and tagging @craftandcluster on Instagram. And to make sure you never miss an episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen!Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Social Media Success for Every Brand by Claire Diaz-OrtizGet on the waitlist for the Instagram Field Guide course by visiting the link below:https://www.craftandcluster.com/course/Disclaimer: The information contained on this podcast and the resources available for download through the accompanying website are for educational and informational purposes only. ​ The information contained on this podcast and the resources available for download through the accompanying website is not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as legal, financial, tax, medical, health, or any other professional advice. Get full access to The Wine Marketing Field Guide at www.winemarketingfieldguide.com/subscribe