Dear Marketers:
Why are you still speaking while the conversation’s over?
We are connected. We ask our peers. Your marketing does not work on us anymore.
I’m not listening to you. I don’t want to hear your “messaging.”
I will ask someone else instead. Someone I trust. If I can’t find someone that I trust, I’ll listen to someone that I don’t know before I listen to you.
I will research you online. I will learn everything I need to know about you and your products before I buy.
What can you do?
- Be clear and concise on your Web product page. Don’t try to sell. We see through that.
- Be transparent. Tell us the truth about your product. Don’t try to hide bad reviews. We’ll find them anyway, trust me.
- Be accountable. Real people work at your company, right? Real pictures, no stock images. Real voices, not marketing-speak.
- Be compelling. Bland, sanitized corporate content only appeals to bland, sanitized corporate people.
- Make it easy for us to share. We’re going to connect with each other anyway. Do you want to be a part of the conversation, or just watch from the sidelines?
- Realize that we, the consumer, own your brand. Sorry, but we do. Trying to exercise control over it feels forced, and no one likes forced.
We’re going to get along a lot better if you respect the New Rules. If you treat us like people, not consumers. If you treat us as partners, not customers. If you are honest, and honor your promises. If you deliver more value than you extract. This is called Content Marketing, and it’s your only option if you wish to spur real Advocacy Marketing.
If you can do that, I’m listening. Your move, Marketers.