Bits and Bytes: Do Your Subscribers Know What You Are Selling?

The way we sell internet access is outdated. Subscribers have been buying Kbps, Mbps, and Gbps for decades. Then they were promised new technologies like copper, fixed wireless, and fiber. Now, consumers are faced with a choice between multiple speed tiers with minimal differentiation. Because of the ubiquity of these strategies, every service provider sounds the same and no one is really clear on what they’re buying.
 

As a customer success manager, I have these conversations every day with partners like you as we work to refine go-to-market strategies with a focus on deep analytics and competitive advantage.

Understanding the Marketing Mix

I tend to build GTM strategies on the principles of “marketing mix” or “four Ps of marketing.” Both theories broadly categorize marketing efforts into price, product, place, and promotion. Rather than trying to persuade a consumer on a single message or effort, the marketing mix principle builds a more holistic strategy—creating uniformity and a more effective communications strategy.

What Is Your Product?

Product is the foundation—the core to every aspect of your marketing. Subscribers need to know what you’re selling, but, more importantly, they need to know they can see themselves in what they’re buying.
 

Subscribers know you offer internet access—allowing them to work from home, stream a show, and catch up with friends on social media. What they may not know is which of your products best fits their lifestyle. Have you ever heard a “gamer” identify themselves as a “1 Gig-er,” or the family next door refer to themselves as a “500 Mbps-er”? You likely haven’t, and this is where you can make a major impact and change how people understand and purchase your services.

The Internet Is Becoming Commoditized

As you consider the four Ps of marketing, think again about your product. How does it differentiate from your competitors by addressing your target audience? Most service providers have at least one high-speed competitor due to overbuilds, new market entrants, or even satellite services.
 

Today, service providers are racing each other to provide the fastest speeds at the lowest price. But customer experience can be affected as everyone cuts costs and providers race to the bottom. Consumers see internet services that offer 100 Mbps, 500 Mbps, or 1 Gbps, but most don’t understand what these numbers mean. In fact, 73 percent of Americans don’t know how much internet speed they need, and 36 percent of Americans don’t know the internet speed they have today.¹

More Than Speed: The Evolution of Broadband

With most BSPs facing at least one high-speed competitor, there’s never been a more important time to stand out to subscribers. You need to show your customers and prospects that you truly understand their needs. Outdated speed-based service tiers are not unique, and language that focuses on data rate units and similar metrics can get lost in a sea of the same marketing. It’s time to shift to a modern, persona-driven strategy that positions you as an innovative brand, and not another utilitarian service provider.
 

With Calix Engagement Cloud, you have powerful insights that can help you understand who your subscribers and prospects are and how they live their lives. Are they parents with kids, gamers with high data usage, or early adopters who want the latest technology? Knowing who your subscribers are allows you to build value-based offerings that resonate with your subscribers.
 

You can start by providing a standard experience for all customers. Then, build your personas on top of this foundation. Be sure to use language that fits the offering and resonates with each persona you create. For example, if you have parents with children at home, you may consider a “Family Plan” that includes safe browsing, enhanced parental controls, and the ability for parents to enforce rules for their connected household.
 

By clearly describing what the offer is and how it meets an unfilled need within a household, you are offering your customers a differentiated service that no longer forces them to identify with a “500 Mbps” or “1 Gbps” service tier based on a commoditized service.

Partnering With Calix

With SmartLife™, you can deliver unrivaled subscriber experiences that extend beyond the home and elevate life for everyone in your community. As your customer success manager, we can partner to transform your business with data-driven insights that give you the competitive advantage in your market with field-proven best practices, tools, and creative approaches to grow your business.

Want to learn how you can increase subscriber engagement? Download our white paper “Building Engagement: How You Can Win Your Subscribers Over Every Day.”