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Don’t leave me this way

27th Jan 2012

The balance of power has shifted in the relationship between the consumer and the brand and it takes a very skilled marketer to wrestle back control. Not only are consumers far more aware of the subliminal ‘tricks’ deployed to sell them a brand, they also suffer regularly from email fatigue as they are bombarded by messages from different companies they have bought from, clogging up their inboxes and fast getting exiled to trash.

The information overload

Last week, I went in to Weber Shandwick’s Manchester offices to present to the team on digital trends. A quick straw poll revealed that everyone in the meeting had opted out of a site they had been signed up to within the previous seven days quite simply because they were suffering from information overload… And that seems to be the current trend: opting out, not opting in. 

 Consumers far more aware of the subliminal ‘tricks’ deployed to sell them a brand, they also suffer regularly from email fatigue

This information overload coincides with a bit of a social media backlash on the part of the brands. Many businesses aren’t getting the return on investment they had hoped for having jumped on the bandwagon and invested enthusiastically in social media however think of the workman and his tools. The tools in the social media box all serve a useful purpose; the trick is how you use them, when you use them and, basically, knowing how to use them correctly.

Catch the one that got away

Social media tools such as facebook and twitter are a great way to access your audience and draw them back in. Facebook is currently the second most visited site after Google. I would argue that it should preside over Google as the most influential site simply because people spend so much time on it once they get there.

A quick straw poll revealed that everyone in the meeting had opted out of a site they had been signed up to within the previous seven days

So how to draw back the ones who got away? It involves a bit of a dance but it will be those who are lightest on their feet that will be guaranteed survival in the current climate. First thing is to get back in to the conversation and get social with them !

The rise of couch browsing

Whilst everyone is watching telly they are Tweeting about it, right away. Twitter’s great for the sharp-elbowed. For instance, if there’s something on television relevant to your products or services then get into the conversation and tweet about it. A character on TOWIE driving a certain car and you’ve got one standing for sale on your lot ? Then tweet about it. Selling shoes like the ones worn by a certain celebrity in the media that day ? Then shout it out to the world via twitter.

Similarly, advertise via facebook to the people who’ve liked your brand in the past. If they engage with you again that’s the quickest way to get 100+ followers via one target. 

Once these ‘old friends’ are back on your website, incentivise them with special offers and events – give them privileged access to certain deals, let them download information and money off vouchers – all in exchange for more information. Then you can adopt the most relevant and sophisticated emarketing campaign and enrich the experience for your potential customer. 

The more we know, the better and more successful the marketing. This is old fashioned word of mouth taken to a new level as you are positioning yourself as the ‘mate’ who knows the consumer really well and has some helpful tips and recommends for them. It promotes the relationship too – stops you getting dumped so often !