Michelin Stars and Marketing Genius

Award-Winning Quality

Have you ever been to a ‘Michelin Star’ restaurant? It’s usually a sign of good quality, right?

But have you ever considered where the idea came from, and why Michelin is involved? Think about it - What is Michelin famous for? Tyres. Car Tyres. Where’s the link between high performance tyres and high quality eateries? The answer lies in a genius marketing idea from around 100 years ago…

Great Marketing Ideas

Michelin realised that it would be good for business if people drove further, wearing down their tyres, and forcing them to buy more. So they began to review restaurants to encourage people to drive to alternative locations. A quite brilliant marketing strategy. Michelin were providing added value to customers (and non-customers, too) without ever having to mention their own product. They weren’t trying the hard sell. Which leads us to the next point…

Don’t Try The Hard Sell on Social Media

The same logic applies to building a better following or network on social media. Businesses must provide value by entertaining, educating, or engaging with potential customers. Ask your customers what they would like to see, and do just that. Listen and engage with their conversations. You don’t need to keep shouting about your products or discounts, no matter how amazing they are! People don’t want to be sold to.

Engaging Social Media Ideas

Use polls, ask questions, share interesting industry news. Maybe share photographs and stories that show what you care about as a business. Think about the problems that your customers might be facing and show that you could be a solution to that problem. In our line of work we often post about how difficult it is to find time to create quality social media posts. It’s time-consuming, takes a lot of skill and hard work, and most business owners just don’t have the time or the patience to look after social media channels for their business. Therefore we post social media tips, ask questions relating to how easy/difficult people find social media for business and join in with any conversations on that topic. That way Yellow Spider Media is seen as a friendly, approachable, knowledgeable source of information on all things social media related.

So be more like Michelin - Provide added value to your customers without the hard sell. And if you’ve worn down your social media tyres going round in circles without getting anywhere, get in touch to see if we can help.