I hate crowds.
I recently attended a convention and was overwhelmed by the amount of sensory input — too many people, too much noise. And it got me thinking:
This is how people feel when they log onto the Internet now.
Audiences are tuning out from too much input — feeds full of useless fluff, brands lined up like carnival barkers trying to grab attention. Trying to market to them feels like standing in the middle of a convention crowd trying to connect with a stranger.
But what about a friend?
On the convention floor, I didn’t have any problem finding my buddy Nathan; I recognized his voice. Digital marketing is the same. You want your brand to be the one that cuts through the noise … and to do that, you need to engage your audience.
The Power of Permission
Email and text (SMS) marketing are two of our favorite tools for engagement marketing. Why? They require permission.
Permission-based channels are great engagement tools. First, they represent a foundation for the relationship. Your audience has already said that they want to hear from you. It’s like having a friend … your brand already stands out above the digital noise because the relationship is there.
Competition is lower, too. As crowded as text and email inboxes are, they’re not as crowded as social media feeds. You might be going up against 100 other emails, but your audience probably sees 100 posts in 5 minutes of thumb scrolling. You’re more likely to get seen.
And finally, emails and texts are often checked with intention. When someone checks their emails or their texts, they’re doing so to see if there’s anything important. You have a higher chance of being judged important enough to engage with if you’re in their inbox.
Keeping Attention
If you want to be a recognizable voice, it takes more than just grabbing attention. Don’t use cheap tricks; tricks will work against you. You’re building a relationship, not chasing a one-off sale.
Here are three keys to keeping attention through permission-based marketing.
1: Create content that makes your audience the star
Make members of your audience feel special and involved. Taylor Swift is unusually good at this. She used to invite select groups of fans to private listening parties for new albums in her living room and bake cookies for them — those fans would then talk about their experience to Taylor’s audience. Be like Taylor Swift. Center your experience on the audience and step back; they’ll bring you into the spotlight.
2: Build a sense of community and belonging
There’s a farmer’s market near me that absolutely crushes their engagement with email and text. Sure, they talk about their specials and what new produce they have. But they also do a lot of storytelling about the community. This local farm’s tractor broke down but they’re here selling produce; buy it so they have money for parts. This vendor lives right around the corner and her grandkids are going to Guthrie Schools. When everyone believes in the relationship, there’s a glue beyond just the exchange of money for goods or services.
3: Create opportunities for two-way connection
Ask for feedback and share it with your community. Game developer Bungie does this regularly with its email list for the game Destiny 2, offering choices between multiple cosmetic sets to add to the game, polling its user base and sharing the feedback it gets. The community always feels HEARD, even if the feedback isn’t always applied the way they’d like. Customers are more likely to become partners if they feel that the company listens and respects their input.
Don’t Be One More Voice in the Crowd
Digital marketing can feel like shouting to someone in a crowded convention hall. To make sure you can get attention, become friends first so they recognize your voice. Build engagement through permission-based marketing and they’ll find you in the crowd. And if you need a hand, we’re here to help. Just drop us a line, anytime.
Best Regards,
David Brandon
Copywriter
Rainmaker Digital Services