My daughter is getting married in six weeks.
And while almost all of the details have been taken care of, it seems that Internet communications are about a solid two to three months behind my planning and buying process. I am still getting information about catering halls, hotels, car rentals and even dresses, invitations, DJ's, bands, and flowers; not to mention information about tuxedos (which we won't be wearing!).
The web has discovered that I am a target for wedding stuff and because of that discovery, various companies out there have cranked up their automated marketing machines, Facebook ads, and Google ad words to consistently and unrelenting send information to either my Inbox, Spam box and Boxbe filter folder.
No matter how frequently I delete, unsubscribe or just ignore, more keep coming. Sometimes the companies will go away, only to come back 30, 60 days or 90 days later. (Hey, it's all programmed).
And there is the flaw.
These companies don't know when to turn it off.
I posted an email to over twenty of these companies (in the bcc box) writing that our family's arrangements for this event are DONE; marriage essentials are done, done done,
And to, please, not send me any more information! For every "unsubscribe" I post, I get two NEW ones.
As time went by, I started to not open some companies' emails and then, after a while, not open them at all. B-Bye.
These companies who only utilize email as their one hit pony media strategy and view email as an inexpensive way to reach customers (i.e. a substitute for direct mail) will note in the long run, it is neither inexpensive nor the only one trick pony around. There's always a new one coming. Things change.
No wonder fewer than 15% of all emails are opened; some estimates even peg it 12% or lower.
And that's one reason Facebook is killing E-Mail as the social media of choice.
People are using Facebook, to talk about themselves, to stay connected, to maintain and build on existing relationships to exchange information, to solve a problem, check a fact, research a topic, etc. And , of course, to just talk about their lives and things they are doing, or contemplating...which includes, sometimes, pretty personal stuff.
On the Facebook side, the information I received from my Facebook Friends were more credible and I opened them more often than email from a company always trying to "tell me and sell me."
Because customers want valuable information from a company they can use or at least appreciate.
- First, so they can trust if their information is genuine and credible.
- Second, to give you permission to send them either information, coupons and deals" or a combination of both.
- Third, so they can decide if you have any product or service that would either make them money, save them money, free up time, make them feel good.
Ask yourself this, please?
What is Your Social Media Strategy?
