Blame it on Big Data. In business we’ve become so concerned with numbers, so enamored with racking up digits, that we’re forgetting how build an audience. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in. So much energy goes into earning traffic that we forget that delivering a terrific experience is what gets people coming back.
In 2002, nearly 1.6 billion movie tickets were sold across the US and Canada. Cinema was winning. But despite population growth, 230 million fewer tickets were sold last year. Movie-goers have been voting with their feet and audiences are shrinking. I love the cinema. But there’s little mystery, sensuality or intimacy, left in the experience anymore. I’d rather watch movies at home.
There was once a time where going to the movies was an event. There was excitement. You’d make a night out of it and people held it with a modicum of respect. And this applies to many businesses. If you keep focusing on only getting new faces through the door – whether it be physical or digital – you may receive traffic, but you may lack an audience. Think about what you’re doing to keep them engaged – those relationships count.
