Staying relevant is Useful in the Online Traffic Formula
Marketers seem to be attempting to gain control of an audience by thinking that he who yells the loudest will get heard. This philosophy can get misconstrued easily because people seem to feel manipulated by shocking ads or obvious messages to buy buy buy! What people really want is related to. Consumers want common life ads not outlandish claims.
The most common rebellion against advertising is the DVR, like TiVo - it's now almost impossible to get a TV ad to any consumer who has a television with one of these devices. On the Internet, the analogy to Tivo is add blocking software, and RSS syndication, which filters out ad links. With 90% or more of all ads being blocked, how does your business get its message out?
So the real question is "How do I get my message through the clutter? That's part of your online traffic formula. How do I get heard without trying to shout down a football stadium?" The answer is relevance and concomitants. People are cynical of marketing claims, and have been for years. Instead, they're looking for people who are like them and making actual recommendations about products they've used. Here's an easy litmus test - do you read online product reviews? If so, how do they influence your buying decision?
The downside of trusting your readers is negative reviews. Amazon almost lost two publishing houses over negative reviews, but eventually got them back. Ultimately, a negative review doesn't hurt you; it's simply telling the customers what didn't work about the product for that person. It's difficult, when you've put your heart and soul into a product, to look at a negative review with calm and poise, but the rewards for doing so are very high.
That isn't to say that you shouldn't read negative posts. Negative posts are a filter. They're being put up by someone who cares enough about your message to tell you what didn't work about it for them. If you make or design a product, this is the most valuable feedback you can get. Remember not to attack back - just thank them for their input, and if you can, offer a few suggestions, in the form of "In the interests of making this work for you, how do you feel about options A or B?"
Another thing not to do is scream for attention. Kids have fits to get attention, but it is negative attention. Don't throw a fit. It has been proven that the more aggressive you get, the more the consumer distances themselves. Start connecting with your audience. Keep your attention positive. There are many rewards to being relevant. That is what consumers want and need.
Let's look at two sites that do a good job of maintaining relevance and a customer commitment, Amazon and Google. With Amazon, they track what you last purchased and, based on what other people who've purchased similar things have bought, can make recommendations. Some people get terrified about having their purchase data tracked, but it's one of Amazon's major breadwinners.
Google takes this one step further with Gmail, which scans your email for keywords and places ads in ignorable places. Privacy advocates worry that Google's email filters could be used to track down deeply personal information, but the general attitude is that anything you send by Email, you might as well be shouting at the top of your lungs. In both cases, Amazon and Google offer a service in return for providing relevant information, and you should strive to do the same with your web site.
About the Author
Trisha Frauenhofer is an online marketing professional who enjoys teaching her most powerful online secrets including the Online Traffic Formula
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