Thomas S. Nielsen's blog

We are fast approaching a day when marketing is no longer just about getting the word out there about your product. The “shotgun tactic” is no longer the best way to get customers. I believe this will be the rebirth of many companies, and the downfall of others. The ones who can see the coming trends and adapt will make millions or even billions, the ones left behind will slowly wither into oblivion.

Mainstream marketing today

Many companies have already started to change, but those who don’t still follow the current marketing strategy of trying to show their product to as many as possible. I call this “shotgun marketing“. You throw some money at a TV ad or billboard or whatever, and hope that someone sees it and buys your product.

This, however, is no longer the best way to do marketing. In fact, it is becoming worse than many people think. Not only are there better ways to do marketing now, but the traditional way is becoming less effective than ever. The exception is of course if your product fits everybody. Coke, Apple and Wall Mart may still advertise on TV, since they deliver products most people buy anyway. But if your product is in any way specialized, you should look into doing marketing in a better way. How?

Also read: About Apple’s marketing

Social, targeted marketing

Marketing on Facebook let's you target just the people you need.

Most of you have already heard about this. The trick is to target only people who is likely to buy your product. Many are reluctant to try this since it is often way more expensive per view. Advertising on Facebook and Twitter is way more expensive than advertising on TV, in a magazine or on Google relative to each viewer. But think about it. Why do you think other companies are doing this? And how can it benefit you?

If you know that your product sells best to middle-aged men living in Ohio you can show your ad only to them. This is worth way more than the extra money you pay. Not only are you targeting your key customers, you don’t hassle others with your ads. This can have more of an impact than you think.

Responding to your customers as a way of marketing

This one is a good one. There are small businesses now who use this as their only form of marketing. As Gary Vaynerchuk so aptly put it: The internet is word to mouth on steroids! If you can get people to talk positively about your product, you don’t need old-school marketing!

Wine Library TV is a perfect example of social marketing.

Gary is the man behind Wine Library TV, an online TV show about wine. It is free to watch, and the only point of it is to get people interested in wine and show how much expertise his store can offer. How much does it cost him? Nothing. Nothing but time. And this is important because anyone can do it. If you love your product, talking about it comes naturally.

So this is what you should do: Talk about your product like only you can. Write, put up audio or video content on the internet. If your product is interesting, people will come to you and they will listen. And when people ask questions and come with suggestions, you answer. Every single one. This may be time consuming, but it is completely viable now with today’s technology. Respond to mail on the plane. Update twitter on the bus or subway. What does this give you?

Your product is no longer just a product, and you are no longer just a company. You are a person, or several persons, who people respect and listen to. Now people will come to you because they trust you. Even if your product is more expensive they might go to you because they trust you and believe in you.

But I can’t do this! My product isn’t interesting, and it is built on traditional marketing!

"But I just bought this typewriter. Do I really need to upgrade to a computer?"

Then you have three options. First, you can fix it! Make your product interesting. Even lawnmowers can be interesting to the right people. Find out what is special about your product, what benefit your customer gets from choosing you. If you can’t do this, make your product better. We are approaching an age when even heavy marketing can’t help sell inferior products from people who don’t care.

Option two: Make a new product. A new type of product that you can be really proud of and that you want to tell the world about. Continue to sell the old one as long as makes cash, of course, but bet heavily on the new flagship product. This is your way forward into the new and more social world.

Option three: Bail or wither. If you continue to flog your inferior product, you will eventually die out. People will figure it out, tell their friends about better products and move on. Today’s social world has no place left over for people who don’t care.