What we can learn from Beyonce... is less more?

Beyonce surprised the world with an album release that included none of the traditional marketing efforts. As a marketer, it's an important decision deciding when less is more. Usually, less is not more in terms of marketing. This less is more philosophy works best when a brand already has an engaged audience, strong brand recognition, and deep loyalty. I would not recommend this tactic for a small business, but an established one, looking to revive buzz with the unexpected... definitely a great option! Plus, there's a lot of bang that comes from the publicity following.

Preaching to the Choir

I just had to share Seth Godin's post from this morning. He's right in saying the solution to low conversion is not necessarily a larger audience--it's really the right audience. 

The unforgiving arithmetic of the funnel

One percent.

That's how many you get if you're lucky. One percent of the subscribers to the Times read an article and take action. One percent of the visitors to a website click a button to find out more. One percent of the people in a classroom are sparked by an idea and go do something about it.

And then!

And then, of that 1%, perhaps 1% go ahead and take more action, or recruit others, or write a book or volunteer. One percent of one percent.

No wonder advertisers have to run so many ads. Most of us ignore most of them. No wonder it's so hard to convert a digital browsing audience into a real world paying one--most people are in too much of a hurry to read and think and pause and then do.

The common mistake is to reflexively come to the conclusion that the only option is to make more noise, to put more attention into the top of the funnel. The thinking goes that if a big audience is getting you mediocre results, a huge audience is the answer. Alas, a huge audience is more difficult than the alternatives.

A few ways to deal with the funnel:

• Acknowledge that it's there. Don't assume that a big audience is going to easily convert to action.
• Work to measure your losses. Figure out where in the process you're losing interest and clicks or the other behaviors you seek.
• If you can, remove steps. Each step costs you dearly.
• Treat different people differently. If you alter the funnel to maximize interest by the wandering masses, you may very well miss the chance to convert the focused few.

His last point is such a great way of boosting conversions. We are in the time of "personalization" and "customization." Customers want to receive information that is only relevant to their interests. Don't send email marketing messages to your entire mailing list if the information is not relevant to the entire mailing list. Segment your marketing efforts by customer tastes, interests, or preferences--it will pay off in the long run. 

"Preaching to the choir" isn't cliche, it's necessary. Why would you want to preach to an audience that is completely closed to your offerings? You aren't going to convert them, at least not all of them, and likely not large numbers. Preach to the audience that is present, interested, and willing to engaged. 

Market to a 9-Year-Old

I just came across an Inc. article about simplifying the sales message. Beyond just the sales message, this is important for everyone that's in marketing. We have gotten to fancy, fru-fru, and complicated.

I read so many business plan concepts and statements of competitive advantage, and I still don't know what it is the business is selling. If I can't figure it out from a business description, I likely won't be able to figure it out from the marketing messaging. It's a bit of an identity crisis on the business owner's part--who are you and what do you sell, in plain, simple, digestible words.

You know very well what you do--your business is your heart and soul. I don't know though, and big words with extra fluff aren't going to make it any more clear for me. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

What a 9-Year-Old Can Teach You About Selling [or Marketing in general]

Super Bowl Commercials

My preferred focus is marketing for small businesses, but it's hard to overlook the marketing brilliance that shines bright this time of year--the Super Bowl commercials. I wrote earlier this month about the possible death of these marvelous wonders, but for this year, they are still alive and well, full of surprise, creativity and innovative "hooks."

For your viewing entertainment, here's the whole rundown of marketing's own Super Bowl.

Ferris Bueller Rides Again!

Just for fun, I wanted to share a blurb about the leaked Honda CR-V ad featuring 1980's classic, Ferris Bueller. I love the commercial, and I think it is genius marketing. Bueller is a favorite of Generation X and Y, and the CR-V is targeted to this segment of the population.

With the rise of social media, has the Super Bowl Ad seen its death? The Honda ad leaked a full week before the big game and is close to 8 million views still days before Sunday's event. There's something exciting about being made to wait like a kid at Christmas--keeping all ads secret until the game. But... there's also the lure, from a marketing standpoint, of garnering greater exposure, watching the ad spread like wildfire across the internet before the official big reveal. Companies spend millions on creating and building these ads, not to mention purchasing air time during the game. Why not let them springboard off social sharing?

Here's one guy's thoughts on the death of the Super Bowl Ads.