A lot of traditional marketing methods have a built-in acceptance of failure. We might send a targeted direct mailing hoping to get a 2% conversion rate and be thrilled with that because that 2% represents a significant amount of income.
What about that other 98%? Are we hoping to scoop them up somewhere else in our “marketing funnel?”
Maybe those people don’t want to be bombarded by ads and promotions. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t do business with you. It could just mean that they aren’t interested in being treated like a number. Chris Brogan wrote a great post yesterday about how important “custom” is – how feeling “heard” or “seen” can make a huge difference for any of us. Social media allows us to engage the consumer as a person when they want, where they want and how they want.
One part of integrating social into your marketing plan is taking what you’re doing with you current marketing and figuring out how it can extend/adapt into the social media space. Another big part is allowing social media to change and evolve all of your other marketing. All of a sudden you have the ears and eyes to hear and see your market. You can connect with them and grow a relationship by listening and giving them value without asking anything in return and create a loyal group of people who share in your success.
Let’s go back to the numbers of the first example but look at it through the social lens. You’ve got a 2% return on your “investment” (of time, expertise and hopefully a little emotion), but now, instead of being “lost” that other 98% just aren’t looking to buy right now. You haven’t lost them at all.
Let me set the record straight here, though. I’m not saying direct marketing sucks, or that you shouldn’t send mail out if that works for you. I’m just saying that there are other options for reaching and connecting with that 98%. That’s where the power of “custom” comes in.
Tags: Direct Marketing, ROI, Social Media
