Struggling to make a connection with your audience? Feeling neglected by your current marketing partners? Starting to feel as though you’ve seen this story before? Yeah, we hear you.
Sometimes we get an idea for a blog post that just seems a little too goofy to run with. It’s not that we don’t like to have fun on our blog, but we do want to make sure it is practical, professional, and useful to our readers. That usually means reigning in our wilder flights of fancy and remaining business-focused.
But sometimes the stars align, and our wacky idea also happens to be delightfully topical. Almost as if Destiny were paving the way for us to cut lose.
So, this Valentine’s Day… we’re taking all the lessons we’ve learned (good and bad) from watching romantic comedies (good and bad!) and repurposing them for the digital marketing industry.
Why?
Because sometimes you have to follow your heart.
1. To know your perfect customer, you have to know yourself first.
A lot of businesses struggle to attract the right customer because they don’t know how to present themselves.
They’re worried about losing customers by charging too much, but then are frustrated when the only people who come their way are the cheapest of the cheap.
They don’t want to turn away some customers by being too niche, and they end up being so bland and nondescript that they appeal to no one.
This is the point in the rom com when their best friend sits them down and gives them a hard talk about how they should value themselves more and not keep changing themselves just to please others (which is then followed by the makeover, which somewhat undercuts the previous point).
Regardless, the point stands. If you want to attract your ideal customer, you have to have a strong brand that communicates your value proposition effectively.
2. Stalking isn’t cute, and consent is everything.
The rom com genre is getting marginally better at this, but it’s still not hard to find plenty of examples of love interests taking things a step too far in the name of romance.
Similarly, we occasionally see overly eager businesses wanting to overstep privacy lines in their attempts to win over customers.
Instead, we recommend businesses take a step back and refresh their knowledge of digital privacy regulations and user consent best practices. It’s not just for your sake—it’s for the good of your customers as well.
3. Sometimes the grand romantic gesture just isn’t worth it.
Knowing when to apologize to customers is obviously as an important part of business as it is of any relationship. If you screw up, coming clean and offering to make it right to your customers is the best way to go. It can often salvage a negative situation and work to your long-term benefit.
However, it’s also important to know when a customer just isn’t that into you. We talk to clients sometimes who get hung up on every minor rejection. To them, the solution is to try something bigger and better to win the customer back.
While there are good strategies for targeting previous customers to try to win their business back, a strategic marketing strategy focuses on finding what works for your business and repeating successes.
So stop chasing after Mr. Wrong when Mr. Right is right in front of you. Focus on the loyal customers that love you, and your marketing efforts will go a lot farther—and be a lot less painful along the way.
4. All good relationships are built on trust.
Trust is a golden word—in love and marketing. It’s something you have to work hard to earn, and even once you have it, it’s never something you can take for granted.
Ironically, many consumers are mistrustful of marketing precisely because they feel it’s all about spin. About putting a nice varnish on bad merchandise, and glossing over defects that will ultimately let the customer down.
Well, we believe that good marketing is honest, focused on informing the user so that they can make the best decisions for them. That’s why all our business practices are about earning trust, and why the advice we give our clients in their own marketing is designed to build trust with their customers, too.
Are you looking for a better online marketing partner?
Good marketing is about building relationships with your clients and customers. It’s about being a good listener when they have problems with your services, or when their needs aren’t met. And it’s about knowing your brand—and the kind of customer you want to attract—so that you don’t waste time chasing down bad leads.
And if all of those sound like the take-away lessons from a cheesy rom com, well then—sometimes the truth is right in front of you the whole time, you just weren’t ready to see it.
So, if your current marketing practices are letting you down, it’s time to say goodbye to a bad relationship and find a partner who really knows you and is ready to make all your dreams come true.