Old School Marketing = Barging In = No Good

You heard all the ruckus about today’s marketing concepts and channels, but you’ve tried, and they’re just not working, or it’s just too hard to keep up with it all. Is that you? Social media. Online video. Content marketing. Nurture marketing. Marketing automation. Retargeting. Unstructured data. It’s a new marketing world that requires patience, and is a slow build, with lots of back-end residual value. It’s both less costly to execute, and delivers more bang for the buck. But this is no longer your father’s marketing world. And you have to step up or be left behind. Let’s take a closer look.

Why Old School Marketing is a Dying Breed

“Please, interrupt me now!” With all the devices and channels at hand, is it reasonable to expect to successfully wrestle my attention away from whatever I’m doing, just long enough to give thoughtful consideration to some TV, radio, print ad, or unrelated online banner ad that proclaims an answer to a problem I probably don’t have? After all, that message is packed with hard-hitting product features and maybe even some benefits, along with reasons why those whom have been barged in on will want to buy now, just in case we need it someday. What could be a better premise on which to build your business? In the 1900s.

The conversion rate is skimpy, and attributing results is iffy. But, hey, it’s a numbers game, right? Grab some low-hanging fruit now, go back and do it over and over again, at ever expanding expense and with decreasing results at each round. Low-hanging fruit is gone, and there’s little left, no matter how much you spend. And, along the way, did they build trust, loyalty, repeat business, a relationship, or even word-of-mouth goodwill? Nope, I didn’t think so.

That marketing beast is on its last legs. Sure, big, old-school media live on through ad dollars from deep-pocketed, old-school advertisers, who haven’t looked into the state-of-mind of today’s consumer. When the repeated intrusions were confined to television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and billboards, we tolerated the bombardment as the price we paid for “free” information and entertainment. Any more, however, the relentless barrage is just a cloud of noise—easily tuned out, muted, or skipped over.

The Sense of New Order Marketing

Consider an alternative approach. Let’s say you know I’m squarely in your demographic. Your first marketing step, once you’ve figured out how best to find and communicate with me, is to share a story about a topic I’m interested in at this very moment, right where I happen to be.

You know I’m interested right now, because your keywords match what I’m searching on Google, I’m following certain Twitter hashtags, I’ve posted about certain topics on Facebook, or I’m a member of a Linked-In group pertaining to your specialty area.

You’re building my interest and trust because you’re sharing smart, insightful comments where I’m already frequenting, you’re blogging with non-promotional posts, and you’re giving me a link to your own page with deeper coverage of the topic I’ve shown an interest in. Maybe it’s an article, a video, or a podcast. But it’s topical information—not a promotion about what you want to sell me.

But, mastering the art of delayed gratification means resisting “selling” to me too soon. Get your hooks into me with that cumulative value over time, and you’ll earn my loyalty. I’ll come around to want what you’re selling, and all you did was share good information. No hard-sell required.

Even then, once I’ve inquired, resist the temptation to lead me to one solution or another. First, ask me a few more questions about my needs or wants. That confirms that you care about my interests ahead than your own.

Now, you have me, lock, stock, and barrel. I’m eager to buy, you know specifically how to fulfill my need, and I trust that you’ll help me make the best decision from the choices you have to offer.

The Takeaway

What does this New Order Marketing cost you? Minimal out-of-pocket. Sure, you’ll invest time and effort—maybe even hire someone to help you with it, plus a small monthly budget for Google AdWords and Facebook Promoted Posts, and probably a bit on video production, but it’s a pittance compared with the media costs you’ll bypass. That small sum is spread across the hundreds or thousands like me, and your helpful blog posts, free whitepapers, and online videos, will be shared and passed along, so they will live on to work hard for you well into the future—again at no cost to you.

So, are you pumped at the idea of making a run at this new world of marketing, but feel unclear about where or how to start? Maybe we should talk.