Too many of us for too long have been suffering from shiny object syndrome, where we think that just because some marketing channel is new, it’s also better. The hype some new channels (Pinterest comes to mind) generate reminds me of that scene from “The Wiz” where Dorothy and friends arrive in Emerald city and watch the fickle citizens as they change clothing every five minutes to stay hip.
Following that yellow brick road
I see more than a few marketers too focused on the channel and not focused enough on the people. The yellow brick road wasn’t so special in and of itself. The yellow brick road was special because of who was on it.
The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, Dorothy Gale and the Cowardly Lion; Photo: Everett Collection/Rex Features
It’s not the channel, but the people who matter. The one constant in all marketing regardless of the channel you are using is that you are trying to reach people with your message. If your message is weak and your offer isn’t good value, then it doesn’t matter what channel you are trying to use.
Much like clothes, people make the internet
The internet doesn’t make people what they are. People make the internet what it is. The virtual world is a reflection of the analog world. The only real difference being that the potential reach is global and the speed and ease of communication is much greater. The driving forces online are still the same forces which drive the analog world.
Of course, even if you have been very successful with your marketing on traditional channels, that doesn’t ensure it will work on any new channel – any more than you can take a radio spot and run it on TV or vice versa. You do have to know the channel and how it works so you can format the message to it, but the focus should always be on the people and how they use the channel.
The money is in the list…sort of
In email marketing for example, you often hear people say that the money is in the (email) list. Well yes and no, the money is in the relationships you build via that list and you build those relationships with relevant offers and an engaging message. I fear sometimes the truth behind that saying is sometimes lost as some people may assume that a bigger list is better.
Pay attention to the truth behind the curtain
Today the hippest colour in Emerald city may be green and tomorrow it may be red, but don’t let the sparkle of the latest fad distract you from the truth behind the curtain – it’s about people.