I was raised singing a song in church that included the line:
"Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I've come."
And like most of the songs I didn't understand growing up, it wasn't until college that I actually started thinking about the words and trying to understand what it was I was singing on Sunday mornings. An ebenezer was a 'stone of help' for the ancient Israelites. When God was victorious and helped his people, they placed a prominent stone in that place so they would remember God's help each time they walked by. They would tell their children the stories every time they passed them, and I'm sure prayers of thanksgiving followed. It was a brilliant reminder that kept the memory fresh and passed the powerful stories on to the next generation.
As a father of three young kids, the chorus of 'I don't remember' echoes through our house often. Today my daughter claimed she didn't remember the last 30 times I told her she isn't old enough to use the hot glue gun without help, so she just took it out and used it. That's why I'm integrating ebenezers into my home life with my kids. Maybe our kitchen island will have a 50 pound stone on it from now on so she will be reminded during every craft time that she shouldn't use the glue gun alone. Maybe not.
As a parent I can't leave enormous stones around my house just to remind my children of different lessons, but as a marketer the idea of ebenezers is powerful.
If you don't have a self-promoting story prominently placed on all of your digital platforms to remind your customers and clients about the ways you've helped them, they will forget.
Content marketing primarily uses success stories to engage new customers, and it works incredibly well. But reminding your existing customers of the times you helped them keeps the memory fresh, and it becomes a story they can tell others. As we all know, there's nothing more cost effective than free brand ambassadors who just love and push your product/service because it's great.
If you're a service provider, you know the stories I'm talking about. The customer you went above and beyond for who sings your praises anytime they're reminded of the way you saved them, that's the story you need to tell. Hire someone to tell the story well, telling it well is key, then plaster it across all of your digital platforms.
Your ebenezer moments are a currency that will work for you on every front. They will help bring in new customers who want a service provider just like you, they will re-engage your current customer/client base as they are reminded why they chose you in the first place, and they work as a regular reminder to you as to why you do what you do.
Find the story. Have it told well. Help everyone remember why they chose you.