Knowledge is Power in This Game Unless you want to lose.
How do I hate “scammy” marketing practices? Let me count the ways!
Marketing has been around for hundreds of years and while it may have moved online, “The game hasn’t changed, only the players have.”
Isn’t it time you had a fair shot at winning?
You can, if you simply learn the rule.
Rule number one
Nothing is free – there is always some form of marketing behind a “free” product or service.
In this strategy, the trick is to identify the most valuable free products and services and use them to your benefit, not the other way around. For example, if you must provide an email in return to use a free product, do it. You can always block the sender if you are not interested in buying anything or unsubscribe. This is a win for you, a loss for them. A loss is part of their strategy and they are not targeting knowledgeable people like you, they are targeting people they think will fall for the scam.
A free product is not valuable if it wastes your time or money!
Rule number two
Stats are flawed – the only real way to measure success is by knowing what you want and need to measure.
It seems that every marketer basis success on one thing and one thing only – conversion. Conversion is one way to win, but it isn’t the only way. Like any well-played game, there are a number of strategies you need to learn in order to become a master. If you become focused on only one way to play, chances are you will be outsmarted and beaten by your opponents.
- Conversion leads to sales, there is no doubt about that, but what happens when sales are not the brand’s ultimate goal? How does a brand measure its success then?
- Do sales help to gain customer loyalty? Is this number even considered in the results?
- Is an individual who does not buy from you or follow your fan page invaluable to your brand?
Consider the case of Jane.
Jane loves Gucci, but she cannot afford to buy anything from them. However, Jane posts hundreds of pictures of Gucci products on her social media and writes about them in her blogs every day. It will never result in a sale from Jane, but she is loyal to the brand and you cannot pay for this kind of influence advertising.
It is somewhat unquantifiable.
Successful brands know how to use this “influencer” knowledge to their advantage. They do not get caught up in the numbers game, they understand that success in marketing is not always quantified. Knowing what you are measuring is half the battle.
Rule number three
Don’t follow the rules.
If you follow the experts you will get lost in the crowd. Stand out, do your own thing and don’t believe everything you read. If experts told you everything you need to know, they wouldn’t be the experts. They drip feed you only enough information to play the game, not win it! That you need to do on your own.
Learn the facts before you make a decision that may negatively affect your brand. Research before you believe in something. Play, test, retest and test it again.
Madeline Foster 