Authenticity in Marketing
About 6 or 7 years ago I went into a mattress store, looking for a mattress that was a little softer. Because of the overly slick and annoying tactics of the mattress salesman, I walked out with a mattress (well…they delivered it) with a mattress that cost WAY more than I should have spent and more than I could afford. The mattress salesman was slick…almost to the point of sleezy. You know the type; Like a used car salesman, eager to push anything out the door for a sales commission.
Informercials…
Another bad experience for me was with a certain product that they had been pushing on an infomercial. I saw the product at a local fair, watched the overly dramatic presentation and remembered all their marketing gimmicks from the TV infomercials…and then I decided to buy the product. It didn’t live up to their claims (big surprise) and I felt like I was taken for a ride by their slick marketing campaigns.
Marketing and Sales professionals have, in some cases, developed a bad wrap over the years because of these less than credible marketing techniques.
Today’s customer is looking for authenticity in marketing. They don’t want empty promises and they certainly don’t want scams or gimmicks. Customers demand that marketers get to the point and relate to their customers in a sincere and authentic manner. Most savvy marketers, both online and offline have caught on, but there are still those that just don’t get.
If you’re marketing to customers online, here are a few tips to think about.
How do you market with authenticity on the internet?
– Be sincere, interact with your customers and clients through a blog or social media in a humble, thoughtful, authentic and helpful manner.
– Don’t just try to push your products down customers throats; It doesn’t work anymore. It just makes people annoyed.
– If you’re passionate about what you do (and you should be) let that come out in your marketing efforts.
– Show people how much you know, without being the guy that knows everything and wants people to know how much you know.
– Use social media in a real way, sharing information that matters. Don’t just spam Social Media outlets with your crappy content.
– Provide good content, that’s well-written and timely.
– Unless you’re a freak, let the real you shine through in your communications. People like you.
All of the points above will help you be a stellar online marketer, but there’s one more thing that’s even more important.
You MUST have a good product or service. Focus on that first and foremost and then authentic marketing is much easier to do. If you don’t have a good product or service, you always have to slip into questionable techniques to market, trying constantly to compensate for your product/service shortcomings.
