Archive for November 27th, 2009
Turn It Down A Notch – A Black Friday Post
New! Improved! Great Taste!
I’ve talked about this before, but it bears repetition and expansion upon (see Crafting Messages That Don’t Exaggerate): If you want your marketing to be effective, you’ve got to avoid the hype. Something worth talking about on the most over-the-top marketing day of the year – Black Friday.
Music to listen to while reading this post: Put a Lid On It by the Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Why Black Friday? Retailers are going to try and whip consumers into a fever pitch in an effort to get them spending. Supposedly, the day after Thanksgiving is that make-or-break day that retailers have placed all their bets on. And year after year they are disappointed that consumers aren’t doing their patriotic duty of getting out there and SPENDING. To create the required shopping frenzy, they believe that they have to create a perception that you, the consumer, has only a limited time to take advantage of incredible deals.
Line up early. Supplies are limited!
But we’ve caught on. We’re very sophisticated nowadays in interpreting marketing messages because we use a highly honed tool: we disregard everything they say.
Operators are standing by!
That’s the worst thing that can happen. Creating an audience that might like your products, but ignores your marketing. You need a conversation with your potential customers. But they will continue to ignore you if you exaggerate and simply shout at them. If you want to cut thru the clutter, you have to stop shouting and start communicating.
Limited time offer!
Yes limited, because if you can’t convince people to buy from you, you’ll go out of business. There is a better way.
Ditch the hyperbole and open up a conversation with your potential customers. That means you have to figure out who your potential customers are and speak just to them. Don’t try to talk to the whole world, just to individuals who might become your customers. The key here is individuals. And your marketing strategy needs to be aimed at individuals. That’s one reason why having your key business figures, like your president, owner, internal industry- or product-experts, write blogs (It’s also why I earn a living ghost writing those blogs for some and training others how to write, too).
I think that one of the best examples is what Scotts Miracle-Gro is doing. They’ve created a site where they invite their customers to connect with them and with other customers. On their site, their customers and potential customers can talk about Scotts’ products and the broader area in which their products are used – in this case, gardening. And they don’t shy away from customer complaints. It’s a model approach. And there’s no reason why you can’t apply this same approach to your marketing.
It is a new world of marketing opportunity. While some portray it as the start of a utopian era where everything will be based upon trust and honesty, I think it’s something both more and less. It’s not utopia – there will still be billions spent in trying to attract your attention. But it is an incredible opportunity to expand your market and bring your customers into a closer relationship with you.
Do you know how to do that? If not, time to get some help. Don’t wait for your competitors to lock you out. It’s time for you to get serious about social marketing.
