Author: Fabrizio

Suspicion

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Since nowadays it is possible to measure everything, we have lost sight of what is important to measure. This is particularly true for marketers.

We get distracted by metrics that have nothing to do with success. We drown in acronyms and fads that we ourselves come up with, as if we would not be enough sure our profession is still relevant. We lose track of what matters (the answer is always the customer) and we spend time doctoring dashboards that prove the validity of our convictions.

It is not by chance people look at marketing with suspicion. It is our fault.

Connected

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There’s what you do. And there’s the effect of that on the people helping you get there, the community you live in, the environment surrounding you.

The two things are deeply connected and should not be considered apart.

The first reader

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Three things to keep in mind when you are writing a marketing message.

The other person does not know. Even when they share your same background, even when they face similar challenges, even when they have already tried similar products, even when your name is known and celebrated. Who reads does not know what you mean, what you care about, why you are good for them, why you are interrupting their day, and a whole lot more. And if they are left doing the effort to figure that out, they are gone.

The other person does not care. You might have the most brilliant invention of the past two decades, a flawless and unmatched technology, a fantastic company culture, and the most talented people working in each of your teams. Who reads cares literally zero about all of this, they have their own inventions, technology, culture, people and agenda. And if they are left building the bridge on their own, they won’t even start.

The other person is a human being. When you enter a room full of people, you most likely will not talk about “future-proofing”, “streamlining”, “best-of-breed”, “capabilities”, “artificial intelligence”, and so on. The mind of who reads gets fuzzy when they are faced with inflated jargon, they stop focusing on the message and they start thinking about what they should do instead. And if those are the words you are building your message around, they will find someone who treats them as a person.

Of course, the most important thing to remember is the fact that you are the first reader of your marketing messages. If something does not sound right, if something is unclear, if what you are producing is not what you would read in your own time, reasearching a product, seeking a solution to a problem. Then others will probably not find it more compelling.

Fake

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[During the first three quarters of 2019], Facebook has shut down 5.4 billion fake accounts on its main platform, but millions likely remain, the social networking giant said Wednesday. That’s compared to roughly 3.3 billion fake accounts removed in all of 2018.

CNN Business, full article here

Let that sink in.

In Q3 2019, Facebook reported 2.4 billion monthly active user, and at the same time they had to remove almost 600 million fake users per month since the beginning of the same fiscal year.

The fact that Facebook is doing something about it is praiseworthy, yet isn’t it perhaps time to have a first principles look at how social media accounts are created?

Prompt response

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There are very few cases in which a prompt response is required.

The more infuriating, unnerving, frustrating of messages demand that you take a step back. Clear your mind, go for a walk, take a full night of sleep, pause for a few days if necessary. Process what is going on within you, try to not second guess the sender, talk about it with someone you trust. Honestly evaluate if an answer is really needed. And if it is, when the time comes, craft it as if the person you most love and respect would be the recipient.

The damages made by prompt responses are immense. What is written or said once can never be taken back.