The first thing your customers pay is attention.?

Think about it for a second.?

Before you ask your customers to pay for your products and/or services, you have to attract them through your marketing efforts. You are asking potential customers to stop what they are doing, take notice of your marketing content, and then take action.?

Essentially, you are asking them for their time. You want your audience to feel that your marketing content, and your company, are worthy of their time. It?s your job to deliver value via your marketing efforts. You want them to pay attention to the content you?re creating for them.?

Here are six ways to get your followers to sit up and take notice:

Know to Whom You Are Speaking

You need your marketing efforts to be laser focused on the correct audience to be successful and to prove to your audience they can give you their time.?

Focusing on the wrong audience, or worse no audience, will most likely result in no leads or the wrong types of leads.?

By knowing who they are you are better able to speak to their needs (more on this in a moment). You also have a good idea which platforms they use to get their information, which will make it easier for them to find you as they search for a solution to their problems.?

Address Their Needs

Next, you want to ensure you are addressing the needs of your target audience. It doesn?t matter if you are easy to find. If you don?t address the needs of your audience through your marketing content, you won?t be useful to them. Worse, you might be viewed as a waste of time.?

By addressing the needs of your audience, you are showing them that you understand their pain points. And, more importantly, you have the solution to their problem.??

Be Ready to Engage

We work and live in a crowded media landscape, which makes it difficult to get the attention of your ideal customer. If you are able to get their attention, you want to do everything in your power to keep their attention.?

You have to be ready to engage them when the opportunity arises. This could be answering a question, replying to comments, or even addressing complaints. Being prepared to engage your audience shows your commitment to them and their needs. It also lets them know you see them as an individual, not just a possible source of income.?

Offer Free/Low-Cost Resources

If possible, offer free or low-cost resources. Similar to the idea of samples at the grocery store, a free or low-cost resource gives a potential customer a preview of what you can do for them. If done properly, you can have them excited about the value they will receive when they make an actual purchase.?

Refer, If You Cannot Help

As much as you would like to help every potential customer who contacts you, the truth is that you will not be the correct answer for every lead that comes through the door. That?s ok. You can still be of value.?

Refer those who you cannot help to other businesses that may have the solution to their needs. If possible, refer to a business that you know or have worked with in the past. This will position you as a resource for the customer, and the other business will (hopefully) be grateful for the referral.?

Be Authentic

Last, be true to who you are and what your business represents. Most customers can spot fake sincerity and the majority do not appreciate it. Being authentic lets your audience see that there are real people behind the brand who they can connect with.?

Transparency in your messaging creates a level of trust with your followers and sets the foundation for potential customers to become repeat customers.?

When you deliver value to your target audience through your marketing efforts, you are giving them a sneak peak at what your organization is capable of delivering.?

You can create an environment where potential customers are not only excited to see your messaging, but they look forward to receiving the benefits of your products/services. You can even produce the perfect conditions to turn first time customers into repeat business and referrals.