Marketing that will even attract Newman from Seinfeld…

Marketing that will even attract Newman from Seinfeld…

So, your blog’s looking pretty good now, eh? 

You’re already half to making yourself more and more irresistible to your prospects. The rest is well, let’s say the “right” kind of marketing. 

Let’s start by establishing the difference between irresistible marketing and the kind that is the personification of the word “resistible.” (Quick reminder: famous folks can do whatever they want so please don’t look at my examples and tell me it doesn’t matter.)

Let’s return to our favorite site to pick on for design: Craigslist.

Though Craigslist seems to have far worse problems than just bad design… 

Obviously, use at your own risk. (I’m turning out to be quite the guru of safety PSAs, aren’t I?)

If you need more examples on sucky marketing, click here. 

So, what qualities makes marketing “irresistible.” (Afterall, this is what you’re going for and you, like the rest of us, would probably like a clear checklist.)

First of all, here are some of the top IT companies that are killing it, I’m sure you won’t be surprised, Apple, IBM and Samsung. 

You might be thinking, “DUH. They have a kajillion dollar marketing budget.” Of course, you’re right. (Check out some of the smaller IT companies here.) HOWEVER, they are also using multiple proven strategies that work for today’s consumer. 

Here’s your checklist to irresistible marketing: 

Website:

• Unique, minimalist, visually robust design (use less words on web pages (excluding your blog) and more images and video. 
• Mobile friendly (a MUST)
• Care about User Interface (UI) Design. Process designers use this to create easier to use and navigate your website with enjoyable interfaces for clients. (It’s totally worth it. There have been moments where I’ve gone online to buy my skiing equipment. Oh, how I love thee. AND I’m prepared to drop some serious cash, until their website gets in the way. Oh well, guess I’ll go elsewhere…two seconds later, I’m buying the same exact gear on Amazon. You’ve got seconds, my friends, to seal the deal.)  
• SEO (key to being found on the internet)
• Utilize a range of media types (photos, moving design elements, video, podcasts, blogs, etc.) *See more info regarding this in the next section.
• Feature lots of humans displaying rich emotions and spending time together (remember its COVID, this is like crack to most socially starved folks right now).

Build and Expand those Client Relations:

• Email Marketing (it’s not dead)
• Social Media (yes, it’s a lot but worth it, depending on your audience)
• Content Marketing (can’t get enough words, words, words! The internet is basically one huge global library of information and those words get you in their card catalogue, aka indexed).
• Digital Ads (a cross over from earlier, more traditional marketing with a twist, you can have banner ads or those targeted ones that stalk your prospects across the internet, a bit creepy, but fun! And everyone’s doing it.)

Brand Values (highly recommended): 

• Choose authenticity NOT perfection.
• Be accessible. (If you’re offering direct service to your clients, don’t bury your chat widget on the help back under a forced interaction with a Q&A troubleshooting database of s***. It’s the equivalent of those automated phone tree services that obnoxious companies use and only lead to dead ends. OR to an actually, person, who asks you to repeat everything you just related to a useless machine. GAH! Now, I’m annoyed…) 
• Get client feedback, listen to it and use it to make better products and services.
• Embrace fun – Go ask the youngest people you know to show you what they’re watching on YouTube. (It can be not only enlightening to see what young people are into and why, it’s also fun! So, go have some!)

Now that you’ve got your checklist of what makes your marketing irresistible, it’s time to bring back together some of the marketing tools that I’ve been referencing this whole edu-email series such as buyer personas, killer content, (blogging and case studies) and connecting and communicating with your clients and propects. 

Know What You’re Aiming For (make yourself a map)

Admittedly, one of my favorite J.R.R. Tolkien’s infamous quotes is this: “Not all who wander are lost.” Right on! I love wandering…in my free time…far from my work and a computer screen…

HOWEVER, wandering, like lying, is fatal for your marketing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you gotta have a plan, Stan. 

But, trust us, that doesn’t work in marketing.

For the record, I said, “Plan,” NOT “Flan.”  Time to detour it back from your stomach.

Though you can do all kinds of wandering on your personal blog, (live it up! Invite Craigslist!), your company’s digital presence needs structure and purpose, which is basically…a PLAN!

Is the horse dead, yet? 

Good, let’s move on. There’s a few more concepts, I’d like to discuss. 

*Get Multi-Sensory (while embracing multi-media marketing):

Listen we all have bodies, right? Yes, we spend most of our time working and entertaining ourselves via a 2-D medium (think TVs, radio, podcasts, internet, etc.). Not only am I’m going to encourage you to get out into nature and play (here’s stats on why this is so important to mental health) but I’m going to have you consciously try to pay attention to all of your senses instead of just your eyesight for the next 24 hours. 

In addition to having human bodies, we all have diverse brains and learning styles. According to VARK Modalities, there are four distinct learning styles, which are visual, auditory, read/write, kinesthetic (use experience and practice to learn). Read more about these types here. 

So, what I’m getting at is that it’s important to not only focus on getting in tune with your multi-sensory experience in real life, BUT that it’s important to embrace marketing that is multi-sensory (thereby incorporating as many learning styles as possible) into your content and design. 

What does that look like? It looks like multi-media which includes infographics, blogging, podcasting, webinars, videos, social interactions (helps those with the Kinesthetic styles engage and ask questions based on their experiences), print marketing, etc.. Not only does this add depth to your marketing (pushing the limits of the 2-D experience), but it’ll speak to more people.   

Have (or get) a sense of humor: 

 if not online, then at least in your office. Alright, alright already this might be the equivalent of me telling you to go swim with sharks for fun and then telling you, “Don’t blame me if you get your arm bit off or you trigger a PR nightmare.” 

So, yes, humor can be a minefield, so educate yourself about what’s appropriate before winding up in HR’s hot seat. 

Comedy is broken down into different kinds. You can take this class, Ultimate Beginner’s Class to Learn Stand Up Comedy via Udemy to learn more or you can hire an expert (with PR experience preferred). 

Lastly, the more you get to know your audience, the more you’ll be able to gauge what kind of humor to employ. (When in doubt on whether sometimes funny or not, DO NOT post or share it. It’s not worth getting sued or losing your job over.)

Back to the funny stuff…

If that still seems too risqué, then, focus on at least showing that your company is fun loving (though you still get down to some serious business), from time to time. You know the typical holiday company event or annual BBQ. Maybe your dev guy grew a mullet this COVID season while learning the saxophone…

Really, look at how he can jam now without getting hair in his eyes! Mullets are really very practical haircuts. Though, here’s another enviable haircut:

These kinds of things (like your coder gal learning to do back flips off a donkey) definitely read as fun on the internet. In small doses, it’ll help your company’s image.

Though it may make you seem way less cool than your employees, sometimes you gotta take one for the team, right boss?

Lastly, we’ll revisit content. I, (and the rest of the marketing industry agree) that content is a major player when it comes to irresistible marketing. 

I’ve already discussed how to create and write killer content. (If you need a refresher go here.) 

For now, I just want to touch lighting on the things you should keep in mind before you publish any of your content in the: 

Pre-Launch Content Checklist (bad grammar and spelling is only for comedians and celebrities)

At a minimum, review this checklist prior to publishing:

• Spelling and Grammar 

Use your spell and grammar check whenever and wherever you can. If that doesn’t work, try Grammarly. (Be sure to notice their very irresistible website…)

• Content formatting 

You are all IT folks so hear me out, writing words and writing code share the similar purpose of helping humans understand at a future time and place when the originators of said words and code is no longer around. So, words matter…a lot. 

So, like code, words best enhance comprehension when they follow a writing formula, are clear and concise, reference ideas and concepts that your audience already knows and gets.

• Links 

Is everything linked correctly? Are there any broken links? You will be judged by your clients and prospects accordingly.

• Call-to-Action (CTA)

Does every piece of content have a clear CTA (e.g. next step) that you want the reader to take? Clear, easy to understand and easy to find CTAs have the highest conversion rates (turning a prospect into a lead).

Whew! I just threw a lot at you. Thanks for sticking with me! I love tech and I’m sincerely grateful for everyone that runs a tech company delivering services and products that makes people’s lives better (mine included)!  

If you’re feeling marketing overwhelm or burnout and need help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

That’s my wheelhouse. 

I’d be honored to guide you along our success and profit proven marketing plan that we’re known for.  

Next, I’ll talk you through how to understand the right metrics for determining if your marketing is working like it should or not. Tracking and deciphering these numbers are key to using your marketing dollars wisely.  

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