Recent research, by Google, indicates we’re seeking simple pleasures in the garden and beyond. With additional time at home, COVID-19 has pushed many of us to explore new interests. We have needed to find different ways to source answers to our questions as attending a class, visiting an expert, or calling someone to come and help repair an item is not an option. More and more, people are tuning in to a YouTube video and asking Google for help and this interest is not going away. A case in point is my own experience recently. I had questions about repotting my bamboo plant. I called the local florist thinking they would have the answers, surprisingly they didn’t. Feeling frustrated, I turned to Google in search of how to repot this overgrowing plant. I found numerous sites and links to YouTube where I could see seasoned people explaining the process. They advised me on what to purchase and what to do step by step. I was so happy with what I learnt, I shared my experience with friends!
Year-on-year, searches related to the term “how-to” have grown 70%. Bearing this online how-to, education trend in mind, how can you leverage it for your audience?
Here are options to consider:
- On your website, consider how you can add more educational content. You can
- include a link to a video of your product or service.
- include more images to show how to use, and the benefit of, your product or service.
- include customer reviews on your product page. They often explain it better than we can and highlight elements we don’t consider.
- create a chat facility so viewers can ask for advice and help from an experienced staff member.
- create a blog series of useful advice and helpful tips
- On social media,
- ask your followers what questions they have about your product or service and use this to direct the creation of your how-to content.
- post your blogs and videos to the feeds and monitor the comments you receive, engage with the viewers to answer additional questions
- On Zoom or another online platform,
- offer online classes on key topics. Depending on the uptake and value of the information, you can decide whether or not to charge for them.
The more you establish your brand as an authority within your market and the more you show you understand where your prospects are on their journey, the more trust you build. You become the brand they turn to when they need help and the product or service they rely on.
Over the next few weeks we will be sharing more on trends that are here to stay after COVID-19 so keep an eye out for the next in this series.