Tag: email marketing

What we are not

FabrizioLeave a comment

What we are not helps define what we are.

Yet certainly, that cannot end there. This is particularly true when we compete, when we try to influence, when we run against something that is already established.

We need to differentiate, and that cannot be done by merely saying “not-the-other”. The more you let this message run, the more steam you are transferring to your adversary’s engine.

Building movements that matter is hard job because they require self-reflection, deep knowledge of the playing field and story building.

All the rest is a shortcut, and short is the breath that will sustain it.

Against common sense

FabrizioLeave a comment

Sometimes things do not turn out to be as they should have.

And so, a podcast ad by Dashlane that follows the general rule for which you are supposed to leverage the potential of the channel might fall flat. Simply because it is not enough to go on a show that often aims at social media and their negative impact on society to claim that a tool that remembers passwords makes the internet better.

On the other hand, an ad for a fast food chain, that common wisdom would want featuring juicy pictures on steroids, can become incredibly effective when it shows a moldy burger.

Things are almost never as straightforward as they seem. That’s one of the reasons why marketing is extremely difficult and requires continuous attention.

Take my data

FabrizioLeave a comment

You are more ok with the idea of paying taxes if you regularly benefit from tangible services your taxes contribute to cover.

The same is valid with data.

The problem with companies collecting information about us is not the collection per se.

It’s the secrecy of the operation, the impossibility to control what is collected and what not, and the fact that six months after buying a new car you are still getting ads with car offers.

“Have you already purchased a car?”

“Yes.”

“Ok, from now on you will stop seeing car offers while navigating the web. If you want to reactivate car offers in the future, you can do so by typing ‘activate car offers’.”

“Thanks, and feel free to take my data.”

Story and evidence

FabrizioLeave a comment

A downside of the amount of data and information we live with nowadays is the fact that one can cherry pick the metrics that better support their story of the day.

Story and evidence go hand in hand, and story-building is also about choosing what to measure and what to focus on. If tomorrow that has a negative trend, you can only defend the story by going out there and try to explain the reasons why it is so. When you present a different set of data, the story changes, inevitably.

Everywhere

FabrizioLeave a comment

The voice of your customers – what they feel, what they want, what they say, how they speak about their problems, your product and your competitors, what they think – is everywhere.

It’s in the messages they send to your sales and support.

It’s in the reviews they leave online.

It’s in the forums and discussion boards.

It’s in the noise at trade fairs and conferences.

It’s in the interviews transcript for the next case study.

It’s in the blog and social media posts they write.

It’s in the way they use the material you provide them.

It’s in the results to the survey you are running on your website.

It’s in the questions they ask the first time they meet you.

It’s in their choices after you’ve sent them the final proposal.

Of course, to make all of this relevant, you have to first shut up. Then listen. And finally act on what you have learned.

Working on the voice of customer is an expression of servant leadership. That’s probably the reason why so few succeed with it.