Time to join the experience economy

Competition is increasing in our slice of the broadband pie 🥧 . That means successful providers need reasons for customers to choose them and to stay by going beyond the typical experience consumers and business leaders have come to expect from utility providers.

Put on your brainstorming caps to come up with compelling experiences that stand out from the noise of “fast”…“cheap”…“reliable.” While reliability, fast speeds, and a price point that meets consumers’ needs are important factors, that’s what everybody touts and doesn’t help you stand out. Break away from the pack and out of the expected.

Offer experiences that connect with consumers and businesses. That strategy will:

1️⃣ Create opportunities to connect on a deeper level with your customer base, especially those who have been with you for years, haven’t called in for support, haven’t engaged with you. Their only touchpoint is paying the bill (not exactly a “fun” activity) and using your services – but if everything is working right, they won’t think about you when using those services.
2️⃣ Build loyal customers who choose to stay with you for more than “the fastest, most reliable.” They will choose to stay for the experience, making them more immune to switching to a competitor.
3️⃣ Help people maximize the value out of the services they receive from you.
4️⃣ Grow a community that engages not only with your company but with each other.

What experiences could achieve this stickiness? Mix it up with individual, personalized experiences and group experiences.

💡 Offer workshops tied to activities people use your internet for. While streaming classes and wifi education are important and certainly achieve point #3 above, go beyond those. Partner with a local influencer to offer a workshop on becoming a content creator. Bring in a travel pro to offer tips on planning adventures using online resources. Individualize it by asking a customer what their interests are and then providing something related to that interest.

💡 Offer office hours for entrepreneurs to ask questions about what they need to set up a successfully connected, secure network. Partner with other businesses such as financial, marketing and others in your community to offer advice on point of sale, building their brand, creating a website, etc. Individualize it with a business start-up care package filled with aspirin, snacks, chamomile tea or local treats. What’s something every business owner needs?

💡 Tie the experience to something unique or special in your community. Is your hometown the cheese capital? Host a cheese tasting or making workshop, in person and streamed live. Individualize it by giving each new or upgrading customer a “made right here” package.

Are you ready to join the Experience Economy?

Reach out to our team to brainstorm more experiences you can create to connect and engage with customers and your community.