Do you remember those life simulation virtual games you used to play as a kid?
The ones where you would create a virtual person, and build them a virtual house in a virtual world shared by other players.
Sococo, the new online virtual workplace, is a little bit like that — with the addition of real-time chat and video conferencing.
Last week, I was invited to the Sococo virtual office of a consulting firm that helps Horizon Peak with some business development and operations services. They are experimenting with having a virtual office for their active clients, and I told them I’d be a guinea-pig.
I didn’t expect much. Like I said, it feels a bit like The Sims.
But it was fascinating. There was a coworking space where people could work together with or without their mics on. There were private offices for the company executives. There was a lounge for open chit-chat and a quiet room for focused work.
It really felt like I was with other people while I worked.
Now, I could write a lengthy blog post on the whole experience — and I’ll be honest, in the end it felt like a bit of a distraction while I was trying to get client work done — but there’s a specific part of the experience I wanted to bring to your attention today.
Sococo made the annoying process of registering and verifying my email address into a fun little mini-experience.
Too many businesses miss this opportunity to connect with and delight their customers.
This registration and verification process is a necessary thing Sococo customers have to go through in order to use the tool — but the company took a teensy bit more time and effort to make it fun.
It couldn’t have cost them much. They probably hired a copywriter and a designer to partner with their developer and craft these elements. So I’m guessing a few thousand bucks, max. But they created a delightful customer experience that is getting people talking … bringing more attention to their company and their product, and growing customer loyalty. The ROI on that small investment is probably massive.
The content of automated system emails alone is a huge opportunity for companies to create better relationships with their customers. Yet how many companies are putting any thought, let alone any resources, into it?
The good news is that email and system copy like this can make a company stand out from the crowd.
And that’s good news for you.
This is something you can easily improve for your own business.
Or if you’re writing copy or content for clients, this is something you can offer to them, as well. Register for their free trial, their opt-in incentive, their mailing list — whatever — and pay attention to what happens next. Are there opportunities to improve the experience for customers? I’ll be there are.
I’m still experimenting with Sococo as a virtual co-working tool. The jury is still out on whether I’ll continue to use it. But one thing is for sure, I appreciate the charming customer experience they gave me right out of the gate.
Create content with a purpose, and watch engagement skyrocket.
This nifty infographic guide takes you through the 4 core content objectives, and illustrates how and why readers respond to each. Download it for free!