New Tools, Same Old Traps

OK, I love the web, and likely you do too. Still, I’ve been hard pressed to understand how “social networking” comes into play for business marketing. Most of what I’ve seen falls into the category of shameless self promotion. And that’s a shame.

Certain hard truths will always be unavoidable, be it in print, direct mail or on the web. Foremost among these, nobody else cares about your self-serving PR message. On the other hand, if you’re willing to share your knowledge and gifts with the world and do so without the expectation of reciprocity, the universe will amply reward you.

Giving away the store may not be what your sales department is looking for but on the other hand, generosity is the only message that will ring out above the din of myriad competing sales messages that buzz overhead like mosquitoes in a swamp.

There’s no quick fix here, but if you’re willing to invest in a valid online strategy, here’s some audio that might be useful. It’s from a webinar entitled Taking Your Brand Online hosted by John Jantsch with an all-star panel including Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan and David Meerman Scott. Grab a latte and put in an hour with some of the most interesting online personalities around.

Marketing: The Love Story

Would you choose your mate based on looks alone? So why make a major decision about marketing your company based on superficial external appearances?

Here’s an actual quote from a direct marketing agency: “Postcards take your business or services and products to a new level.” That’s like saying you should marry a redhead if you want to be happy.

I’ll make a bold generalization here: Any marketing that starts from the externals, is destined to be short lived and ineffective.

Here’s how to spot great (and conversely) poor marketing: The best marketing starts with a memorable message, conveyed and understood in a memorable way. It’s a conversation and a connection. It’s organic in conception, and with patience it naturally blossoms into an elegant, well designed form.

The average marketing project is designed exactly backwards. It’s starts with looks, and then squeezes in the message as an afterthought. That’s superficial. So when someone tells you to “fill up your your pipeline with qualified leads” using a canned program or a preformatted template, you might want to put your hand firmly over your wallet.

Talk to anyone who is in a successful long term relationship. It’s work, at times hard work. This is not something you want to rush into. It requires thought, devotion and dedication over time. It’s an act of love. Just like great marketing.

Newsletter Confusion

You know how to build a campaign. It’s Marketing 101, just the basics. A good list, creative design, a great offer. Bingo.

We’re told it’s all about the numbers: reach and repetition. Write a great headline, use the right tools, hire a Flash whiz, get an account at Constant Contact. Hang in there. This strategy works. Eventually. Or at least it gets attention.

How to create a company newsletter: a popular theory

Repurpose our general campaign creative. Extract products from our catalog. Give everyone a heads up on our Spring promotions. People will read it. It’s a NEWSLETTER, after all. True?

Enter the faux newsletter. The domain of marketers who either don’t respect their readers (i.e. customers and clients) enough to provide substantive content, or of marketers who are just confused.

A company newsletter is most successful when it opens and maintains an intimate conversation between real people. It is generous in content and in spirit. It avoids even a hint of self promotion. It is journalistic in style and pointed in its attitude. It’s more about substance than style. It proves that you have a story to tell, or if you have none.

In the Internet Age, reach and repetition have become something of a commodity; real communication remains more elusive.