Remember when marketing focused on the customer, not the channel?
I mean, there was a time, not all that long ago, when you could talk to a marketer about their target audiences, segments and buyer profiles.
Now, you’re more likely to find the marketer focused on how to optimize relationships with on-line lead aggregators or use a plug-in so a blog post can automatically appear on Twitter, LinkedIn and a Facebook Fan Page. Or how to get past spam filters with optimized subject lines.
For many businesses, the target audience is coming in second to the channel, to the technology – and that’s backwards.
For many businesses, marketing is backwards. No matter how noble the social media argument might be (connect with your customers, personalization…), too many businesses are still pushing the same generic message out through new channels – but what’s worse is that marketers are now more focused on optimizing technology so whatever is being sent out can get out to more people.
But is it relevant to the recipient? Do they find it valuable? Does it motivate them to act in the desired manner?
If you don’t understand the other person’s needs, wants, expectations and perceptions, your chances of creating a relevant message are greatly diminished.
And if you deliver messages that aren’t relevant, what’s the point of all the effort?
