Deep sigh
This is the part of the article where I usually drop a witty line to spark your curiosity or offer a fresh perspective on something intriguing. But today, I’m literally at a loss for words. (If you know me, you know how hard it is to leave me speechless.)
Let me explain
There I was, minding my own bidness and getting some work done, when I got a Slack notification from Jason (ZDNET’s big boss).
Big Tech’s disturbing pattern
You may be wondering what Big Tech is up to and what this so-called disturbing pattern is. As my little brother would say, "They’re doing too much." Does this sound familiar: Blockchain is the next big thing, the Metaverse is the next big thing, Web3 is the next big thing, NFTs are the next big thing…
What should you focus on?
For the foreseeable future, I’m focused on building deeper connections with our customers, no matter what form that takes. Here’s why: During the pandemic, we witnessed a wave of innovation aimed at keeping us connected while we were stuck at home. Companies thrived, fortunes were made, and "work-from-home" tech dominated the scene.
Conclusion
As I step down from my soap box, I leave you with this. In an era where acquisition costs are rising and the competitive landscape is increasingly noisy, it makes little sense to distance ourselves from the people who keep our businesses afloat, our customers. Instead, we should lean into building genuine connections with them.
How to thrive in the current landscape
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More email marketing: Incredible but underestimated: Email is an incredibly powerful tool that often goes underappreciated. Did you know that consumers who receive email offers spend 138% more than those who don’t?
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SMS Marketing: A cost-effective game changer no one talks about: We recently turned $20,291.87 in spend into an impressive $556,314.10 through SMS campaigns. Compared to platforms like Google and Meta, SMS is more cost-effective, with 72% of consumers purchasing after receiving a brand’s text.
- Human-centric customer service: I’ve never subscribed to the idea that customer service should be a hassle. Customers are either trying to buy something or resolve an issue with a purchase. Why would I entrust such an important responsibility to AI?
FAQs
Q: Why is the "next big thing" not focused on caring for our users?
A: Big Tech seems to be sidestepping the basics, and we, the people, are an afterthought.
Q: What should I focus on in AI?
A: Focus on building deeper connections with your customers, no matter what form that takes.
Q: How can I thrive in the current landscape?
A: Double down on email marketing, SMS marketing, and human-centric customer service.
Q: Why did you mention email marketing and SMS marketing?
A: These are incredibly powerful tools that often go underappreciated. Email is an excellent way to nurture relationships, and SMS is a cost-effective way to drive sales.
Q: What’s wrong with AI in customer service?
A: I believe that any AI tool that tries to handle communication is absolutely out of the question. We want our customers to connect with real people whenever they want to.
