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  • Here's a cold, hard truth: no business, no matter how innovative and amazing it is,

  • will survive if people haven't heard of it.

  • If people don't know something exists, they'll never be able to purchase it.

  • Beyonce might drop a surprise album, but then she promotes the heck out of it.

  • The hype she gets from the surprise is part of her entrepreneurial strategy!

  • Ever since we've had products and services, we've needed channels to create awareness

  • and communicate with our customers.

  • And as our culture has evolved, so have our channels -- from simple posters in the 1800s,

  • to the launch of Pinterest (and the heyday of DIY wedding inspo) in 2010,

  • to whatever's happening on Instagram now in 2019.

  • We're always looking for new ways to share messages and stand out in the ocean of media

  • around us.

  • It's time to work on our communication skills.

  • I'm Anna Akana, and this is Crash Course Business: Entrepreneurship.

  • [THEME MUSIC PLAYS]

  • As we talked about in the last video, we're in a relationship with our customers (probably

  • several different types).

  • And the key to any successful relationship is communication, which, in the business world,

  • should have at least one of three main goals.

  • First, there's acquiring new customers.

  • This means finding and telling new people how valuable our business is, which is by

  • far the most expensive kind of communication.

  • Second, there's retaining customers, or making them want to stay with our business

  • ahem, can you say loyalty program?

  • This means communicating with them to demonstrate the value we're providing and how much we

  • care.

  • And third, there's growing customers into better customers -- people who are more devoted

  • to our brand or spend more money at our business --

  • by telling them about the awesome new products or services our company is offering.

  • To acquire, retain, and grow customers, there are lots of things we might want to tell them:

  • That we exist.

  • That we're awesome.

  • That the soup of the day is potato leek and it's really tasty.

  • We've developed so many different communication methods that it's hard to know what will

  • grab someone's attention.

  • Anna 1: So I tried out those electric pogo sticks the other day -- you know, like those

  • electric scooters but pogo sticks -- and actually really loved it!

  • It lives up to the hype.

  • Anna 2: Oh really?

  • I totally heard about that on a podcast the other day.

  • Orwas it a Hulu ad?

  • Anna 1: I saw it all over Twitter and Instagram, so I signed up for their mailing list, got

  • a discount code, and finally decided to try it.

  • Anna 2: That's good to know.

  • I feel like it's the only ad I see on YouTube lately.

  • Anna 3: Hey, this carrier pigeon dropped this fancy

  • scroll advertising Po-GO!

  • Have you heard of it?

  • Some companies even go the extra, uh, 24 miles, like Red Bull.

  • Back in 2012, Red Bull set all kinds of records when they sponsored the world's highest

  • skydive -- 128,000 feet -- and live-streamed the whole event to over 8 million viewers.

  • All these communication strategies (yes, even the skydiving) fall into two types of channels,

  • depending on who's spreading the message.

  • There are direct channels and indirect channels.

  • Direct channels are communication pathways a business already owns or controls.

  • So ultimately, you're in charge of the message your customers receive.

  • Now, direct channels can be a physical message like an ad in the mail or a flashy billboard.

  • Physical messages also include conversations in physical places like stores or trade shows,

  • or even over the phone.

  • Or there are digital messages, like a website, an email, or posts from a business's social

  • media accounts.

  • REI, the outdoor equipment cooperative, is a master of the direct channel.

  • On the physical side, they've developed a strong community relationship with customers.

  • When you walk into a store, the staff are typically avid outdoors-people and know the

  • products well.

  • Customers can also call a local store to ask questions.

  • They offer classes for anyone who isn't born knowing how to backpack or fly-fish.

  • And they send coupons and distribute annual dividends to each member through snail mail.

  • REI's digital communication is also pretty sophisticated, with an e-commerce website

  • that includes customer reviews on products and links to photos, videos, and writing about

  • the outdoors.

  • Plus, they have an expert advice blog with posts on everything from how to fall off a

  • paddle board to fixing a jacket zipper.

  • They send emails with coupons, event updates, and new gear announcements.

  • And customers can download eight different REI-developed mobile apps for climbers, skiers,

  • trail runners, hikers, mountain bikers, and national park enthusiasts... to name a few.

  • On top of all that, they're active on social media.

  • With their hashtag #OptOutside, they let followersshare their adventure.”

  • Each of these direct channels helps them acquire, retain, and grow customers!

  • REI encourages beginners with how-to classes and helps members stay engaged with updates,

  • sales, and other opportunities.

  • Indirect channels, which are owned by other businesses and organizations, can be really

  • useful for customer communication too.

  • So you can do all the talking, but you might also let other professionals talk to people

  • for you to widen your reach or get new customers to trust you.

  • I might doubt a TV ad that tells me a restaurant has the best turkey sandwich in the world,

  • but if John Green says it's good in a vlog, I trust his judgement.

  • I still won't eat it because I don't eat turkey, but I'll believe him.

  • Physically, an indirect channel could be selling a product in someone else's store -- anything

  • from a big retail store like

  • Target, to a wholesaler like Costco, to an independent brick-and-mortar business.

  • These places already have customers and key infrastructure in place, so this can really

  • help you keep expenses down.

  • Digitally, indirect channels have exploded.

  • Customers could find a business from another website, a podcast, a video, word-of-mouth,

  • or even featured on the news if someone famous is seen using a particular product.

  • Have you seen Channing Tatum's video talking about The Pattern? Google it!

  • Product reviews count as an indirect channel, too.

  • [Like, who hasn't scrolled through Amazon reviews as research?

  • Just me?

  • I'm the only one who reads all 792 reviews before buying a cat tower?

  • Even if a customer review is negative, people are still talking.

  • That can be good for entrepreneurs because certain complaints can help us learn for the

  • next iteration or product.

  • Don't forget, we LOVE feedback, so don't let the critics get you down! Listen to the trolls.

  • And then, there's the social media phenomenon of influencers.

  • No matter how you feel about that label, everyone seems to be talking about #ads and #spon.

  • Usually, influencers are people with a lot of followers on different social media sites

  • who get paid to try out a product or promote a brand.

  • This has really widened the reach of some companies, while also contributing to what

  • makes marketing so complicated and messy.

  • But love 'em or hate 'em, professional marketers are recognizing the power of social

  • influence.

  • For example, it was my dream to work with Calvin Klein, so I took some killer photos

  • and was ready to post on Instagram to attract their attention.

  • Before I even could post them, the company reached out, and now we have a formal partnership!

  • Plus, I was already done with all the work! I did it anyway!

  • Every entrepreneur has to go through the process of setting up customer channels.

  • And with any new business, we want to focus on talking in places where our target market

  • is.

  • But we also want to make sure we have enough channels to acquire, retain, and grow customers

  • -- in order to get the word out as wide as we can.

  • So how do we decide which channels to pursue when we're just starting out?

  • Let's explore this in the Thought Bubble.

  • Brian is passionate about rainbows and sustainability, and he figures out how to engineer color-changing

  • reusable straws from recycled materials.

  • But as a one-person operation, he can't be everywhere at once.

  • So Brian needs to make some smart channel choices that hit his target market.

  • He knows from customer research that his straws look cool and appeal to a more youthful, environmentally

  • conscious crowd, but also small children (and their eco-friendly moms).

  • So, where do the young people hang out these days?

  • Social media.

  • Or at least, that's what they say when he asks them.

  • Brian wants to be in control of his message, so he directly posts about his straws on an

  • official business Instagram and Facebook.

  • He also starts a Pinterest account because that's where he's heard all the crafty

  • moms are.

  • It's going...ok.

  • He's sold a few straws, but he only has one like on each social media post.

  • From his uncle.

  • Brian's posts, while informative, don't have much visual appeal.

  • But his emails, with joyful snark and reputable articles about how much plastic is thrown

  • away everyday, seem to be helping his web traffic.

  • Social media can be powerful, but it's not clicking for Brian.

  • So he begrudgingly realizes he needs help, and tries to get his message out indirectly.

  • So he reaches out to friends and even tries to contact some of his favorite YouTube and

  • Instagram stars, asking if he can send them a box of his best straws to review and post

  • about.

  • After pictures and videos of the color-changing magic spread, he hopes his straws are going

  • to be flying off the shelves!

  • Thanks, Thought Bubble!

  • Even new businesses can communicate through a whole spectrum of channels, but what a business

  • should tell their customers can vary drastically.

  • Marketing messages will look different depending on the entrepreneur in charge and what value

  • they're focused on providing.

  • That being said, here are four solid starting points from the online entrepreneurship magazines

  • Entrepreneur and Inc:

  • One, use familiar language -- not a bunch of business jargon -- and empathy.

  • Two, be clear, concise, and timely.

  • Three, delight the customer with originality and make them smile.

  • And four, communicate trust: engage with the customer and attempt to persuade them.

  • But the bottom line is: get the word out!

  • Vary the ways you choose to communicate with your customers so you capture the whole range

  • of your target market.

  • Next time, we'll learn the art of the sales pitch and learn how to sell not just products,

  • but ideas and even lifestyles.

  • Thanks for watching Crash Course Business, which is sponsored by Google.

  • And thanks to Thought Cafe for our beautiful graphics.

  • If you want to help keep Crash Course free for everybody, forever, you can join our community

  • on Patreon.

  • And if you want to learn more about communication, check out the writing and speaking tips of

  • Crash Course Business: Soft Skills.

Here's a cold, hard truth: no business, no matter how innovative and amazing it is,

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