From Disengagement to Attraction.
Let's talk about attraction in business. What brings you to the table- and keeps you there? Think about a brand you feel a fundamental connection to. It might seem simple, but at one time that brand evoked a certain response from you that now keeps you coming back for more. Think about why you choose Nike over Reebok (or vice versa). That choice didn’t just happen. At some point, that brand sparked something in you—and you’ve kept coming back. Harnessing the power of that connection and engagement is a powerful tool that every business needs to be successful. But how do you get there? How do you get your customers to champion your brand and your cause?
This blog series will take a look at the Seventh Level Engagement Framework (created by Amanda Slavin) offering a guide to achieving the highest level connection with customers. Each individual level and why your business can’t grow without them. These interconnected levels provide a path for you to attract, engage, and eventually delight your customers.
This Framework has been proven over 10 years of agency experience, thousands of hours of thought leadership outreach development and has been taught in major University programs. It’s proven to work- it’s a guided path which guarantees business success.
Let’s start by tackling Level One, we have a name for this level, it’s called ‘Disengagement’. You’re just not reaching the right people. Or, if by chance you are reaching them, they are not interested. It’s a non-starter- they’re unimpressed, non-communicative and idle. So how do you grow out of this Level and progress down that engagement path?
It all begins with YOU. And creating something called a Catalyst Statement can help you define your unique value proposition and present it to the world. We know you're unique. Your business has its own definitive, singular proposition. You have your own special values and you have your own sense of identity.
Once you’ve got your eye on the prize and defined your business, you’ll know who you are and what you stand for- that’s when you can use those tools in Level 1 to help define your audience. Ask yourself this question: How are you attracting people to you? Where are your target audience members living? How do you meet them where they are?
Through understanding who you are, you’re better equipped to know who your competition is. You can understand how to talk to your potential audience members. Even better, you can understand how your competition is talking to them. What tips and tricks are they using? Level 1 is all about understanding fundamentally who you are, Level 2 is understanding how you're presenting your message to the world (Article 2, coming Jan. 2024!)
Creating personas for your brand is another key element to Level 1. What if you don't really know your audience? Even worse, what if you think you know your audience, but are feeding them a steady diet of content that is ineffective. Maybe your business has changed and your message needs to adapt? Maybe the pandemic / economy / has shifted your focus? Identifying those unique challenges and values are the first steps of the ‘Attract Phase’. Level 1 provides the fundamental foundation your business needs.
The Seventh Level Framework is the leading framework for analyzing and elevating audience engagement. It provides you with the language you need to define and understand engagement, as well as a springboard for elevating connections up the ladder of distinct engagement levels.
Thank you for reading. I have been a passionate advocate of this framework for years and have seen the magic happen when you apply intent to your marketing strategy .