Man, I just have to get
this off my chest before I explode from the inside out. Here is why:
Initially I thought I
was going to share with you, my dear reader, a smart and savvy marketing trick,
referral strategy, sales secret or other hot marketing tactic… But no. We have
been interrupted comrades! None other by a marketing ‘strategy’ most business
men and women probably feel really smug about.
This is none other than
a certain type of marketing blitz on Facebook which seems completely innocent
on the surface. In fact, it looks so harmless, well thought out and
provocative. Some will say that this is the new way to get and keep customers.
Its not.
Here is the ‘genius’
client attraction strategy formed by social media guru’s in a single sentence:
“Hey customers, please like us on Facebook.”
Normally, NORMALLY –
this would be a good idea. Because when you get a customer to ‘like’ you on
Facebook , this happens:
ü You get the voodoo of
commitment and consistency from your own customers (when one person takes a
stance on something, he will usually try to find evidence to back it up and go
to great lengths to prove his point – according to Cialdini’s breakthrough marketing
book Influence – this is kindergarten for you, right?)
ü You can now message your
customer repeatedly for free on Facebook, just by updating your company status
ü You get to inform your
customer of events, new products and competitions thereby increase the amount
of sales and buzz for your company
HERE IS THE PROBLEM:
It’s stupid! Rock dumb!
Imagine this … Why would I advertise another company (Facebook) on my instore
windows, on my radio advert, on my 6 figure commercials, on my company cars and
my other expensive media if I’m selling laundry cleaning services?!
Or if I’m selling carpet
cleaning or construction, or fast food, clothing, or heck deodorant man. Do you
really think housewives will rush to their computers the moment they hear ‘like
our laundry mat on Facebook’ drop their groceries, lock the doors and put the
babies to rest to talk about dry cleaning?
Wait, you haven’t even
heard the best part of this yet.
They have to do all
that, plus login to Facebook, avoid all the darn distractions, 3 friend
requests, 7 messages and remember to ‘like’ your Facebook fan page to start
talking about dry cleaning. Hell no brobeens. That’s never going to fly in a
kajillion years. Heck there is a better chance of a spaceship landing in my
backyard.
And you know what the
best part is? What infuriates me beyond the rage of the incredible Hulk?
The guys doing this
‘marketing strategy’ often don’t even give the actual link to like the darn
page! They just advertise randomly, hey like us on Facebook. Or just some
Facebook looking thumb on a store window. I kid you not. Oh my ***.
Not only are they
advertising another company and forgetting to sell their own, it simply is not
practical. I mean really, who is going to start discussions on Facebook about
beans, ties, chairs, dry cleaning or roll on? And even if you do – what are you
going to talk about? “hey Facebook fans, check out my our new can of beans,
today!”
And these guys (only men can be so
brainless – we really do a lot of stupid things) who advised local businesses
to do this … are a sorry lot indeed. I’d hose them down with a firehose like I
would with a pig in mud. It’s never going to work. What you
should rather do instead is …Sell you, your company and your product.
Raymond’s Rampage / over
P.S. I don’t really own
6 figure commercials, store windows and company cars … If I did you won’t be
hearing from my sorry ass again … I’ll be in Hawaii with my new friends J
P.P.S. Look I’m really
kidding about never hearing from me again. I’m always gonna be here ranting and
raving, moaning and groaning, rioting and rampaging about marketing so you can
grow your business and provide for your family. But please, put the beans away
on social media.
