So here's Mom's Marketing Lesson #1: It's Not Polite to Interrupt
Remember when you were a kid and you'd get so excited about sharing a story or adding to the dinner table conversation that you'd just jump right in and start talking? And your mom would tell you that it's "not polite to interrupt?" Well, it's even more important when it comes to your online marketing messages.
If you're interrupting your customers' work or lives with your marketing message - STOP IT RIGHT NOW!
Let me give you an idea of what I mean. In one of my email accounts, in the last 3 days, I've gotten 327 emails with subject lines like this:
This FR33 System Will Infect You with the $$$ Plague
Save More On Quality Advertising JAN ONLY!
Web 2.o Secrets Revealed
Do You like Video How To's Cheryl?
To People Who Want To Produce An Income From Home- ButCan,t Get Started!
And by the way - as headlines go - these really aren't bad. I'll go into what makes a good headline later on - because what I want to focus on is your marketing message itself. The problem I have with each one of these messages is - none of them are targeted to me. Not one of these advertisors has taken the time to find out what I'm looking for, or to ask me what I want. None of them know what my business is, or what my goals are. (I didn't bother to opened any of those messages - because they were just interrupting me and keeping me from my real goals. They just got sent to the recycling bin.)
So What About You?
When you're sending out your marketing message, are you sending valuable, interesting content because you understand what makes your prospects tick - or are you just ticking them off by sending another advertisement?
How much honest-to-goodness understanding do you have of your target market as it relates to your product or services?
Do you really know what they're looking for? Have you taken the time to listen to what they're already saying about your brand? When is the last time that you paid a visit to "where they're living" online?
If you've been sending messages with a main goal of trying to "sell" your product or service - then you're interrupting your prospect - and so you shouldn't be surprised if you get treated like a door-to-door salesman - and your message is ignored, or worse, gets marked as "spam."
Whether you're sending traffic to a lead generation page, you've rented a list or you're sending messages to your current and past customers, you should be taking the time to figure out ways that you can help them enhance their current experiences rather than interrupting them.
How do you do that?
By offering them valuable information or services related to what they want as it relates to your product or service.
If you're promoting health products, for example, then what about creating a series of "how to exercise correctly" videos? Or do a product review in your newsletter each month, about the latest alternative supplements, exercise equipment or diet program?
Although I hesitate to use the phrase "value-added" (because it's turning into another one of those meaningless buzz words) - you should develop a strategy to provide lots of value for your prospects and customers. Make giving them what they need your priority - and what you're selling secondary to that - and you'll start making more sales, more often and your customers will stay with you longer.
In fact, I predict that this is a trend that's going to move to the front of the pack in marketing and advertising circles this year. I'm already seeing some of the biggest companies exploring their inner Web 2.0 marketer this year - one good example comes from a New York Times Article written about sports shoe giant Nike.
I'm curious what your view is about giving more to your customers...Let me know what you think...
