Don’t Chase Technology
Technology changes so fast, there’s a whole class of articles about how fast technology changes.
But too often, we marketers get caught up in the tool of the moment, and forget the principles of good marketing.
Chasing the next trend can be dangerous. Did you know that we’re already into the fourth generation of 3-D HDTVs since Avatar was released in theaters? Does it impact you that TVs with passive red-cyan 3-D glasses were replaced by ones with passive polarized lenses which were replaced by ones with active shutter lenses? Only if you bought one before the next instantaneous advancement.
A good marketer doesn’t blindly follow all trends — he or she is strategic when it comes to adopting new technologies.
Consider the three below examples.
1. Twitter is the new RSS
I remember a time in the not-so-distance past when the letters R, S, and S were only said in succession by the techiest of technophiles.
Then, every website started providing an RSS feed, and Google built its Reader, and email clients started pulling feeds into inboxes.
Now, many ignore these options, because Twitter has become their RSS hub. It aggregates all the top news from all the sources they’d want to follow, and encapsulates it in 140 characters or less, with a link to the longer article if they want it.
And with the popularity of the company’s mobile and desktop apps, more and more people are adopting Twitter as their single RSS feed.
But then again, some people use the site strictly to follow celebrities. And Ashton Kutcher.
What does this mean for you? It’s good to have a Twitter account as long as it provides useful information and advice (and not just company updates). But that doesn’t mean you should abandon your previous news feeds.
The largest demographic of Twitter users are 30- to 40-years-old, while hip mobile apps like Pulse allow anyone to keep up with their RSS feeds anywhere. What’s important is that you provide consistent and useful content — let your users choose how they want to gather it.
2. Facebook is the new email
Tech writers have long been predicting email Armageddon at the hands of social media.
I don’t think so.
Until a single social networking site allows you to interact in a personal or professional manner with every single person you know (FacebookedIn+), the universal communication of email will not go away.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not easier to interact with some people via social media than it is email. Namely, my wife’s high school students, and most other Millennials.
To them, Facebook is their email. Sure, they have a Gmail or a Yahoo! account to serve as a repository for their iTunes receipts, and college students contact professors with their college email address, but when Millennials want to talk to each other, they send direct messages over Facebook. When they throw a party, they’re not using evite.com to invite their friends via email — they’re posting it on Facebook.
But how do you think they like it when the guy in the suit invades their party?
What does this mean for you? Facebook is where many consumers spend the vast majority of their Web time, but it’s still not commercialized enough that users won’t feel invaded if you hit them with corporate speak in their virtual hang-out. That’s what email is for.
Don’t feel the need to be on Facebook just because everyone’s on Facebook. And don’t automatically add a Google+ button to your website just because that site now exists. Think about whether it actually fits your market: Does your audience interact with companies on Facebook, or use it to keep in touch with friends and family? (My highly consuming mother created a profile strictly to post photos of her granddaughter.)
3. Groupon is the new coupon book
Remember when you used to get books of coupons in the mail? How about those ads printed on diner placemats? When email campaigns hit it big, printed coupons became a marketing ploy of the past.
And now, the emailed coupon are giving way to saver sites like groupon.com and foursquare.com. These sites let users share deals
and earn discounts byengaging with brands. The key to their success (and the companies that use them) is that users can select when they want to interact – it’s on their timeline, which means they’re much more active consumers.
But they need to know you exist and like what you offer in order to seek out your virtual presence.
What does this mean for you? Users may not want to talk to you on Facebook, but they do want to “check in” to you on foursquare. These sites let buyers come to you, to seek out your brand and engage with you on their schedule. But you know another way that customers tell you they want to talk to you? By opting in to your online newsletter.
Don’t abandon your email strategy because Groupon’s iPhone app is currently popular. Being proactive is still the best way to build awareness. And by the way, print campaigns now stand out in this digital world.
The next thing is the new next thing
Since I started writing this article, glasses-free 3-D HDTVs may have very well been replaced by an entirely new dimension.
It’s important not to get caught up in the tool of the moment, but to remember the general principles of successful marketing, the elements that never change.
- Have a unique voice
- Engage in conversation
- Build connections
- Be accessible
- Offer deals and discounts
The Web allows you to be accessible and engaging and cultivate relationships like never before. But it’s your voice and your actions that matter, not one particular piece of technology.
Explore new options, dabble in new innovations, but don’t abandon the old tools. Don’t jump into something just because it’s new. Consider your audience and what you’re trying to accomplish and discover what works best for you.