Removing Technology

It’s sad that most Marketers think that Digital Marketing, Social Media and/or mobile is going to save them.

This revolution in Marketing that we’re going through is not about technology, platforms, channels or anything else like that. At the end of the day, you can unplug all of the computers, you can kill your mobile access and you can shut down your server bays and you’ll still be left with a few key kernels of what it takes to make a difference in your marketplace.

Remove all of the technological hurdles that you have in front of your brand and focus on:

• A compelling story.
• A defendable and unique market position.
• Making your content as shareable and as findable as possible.
• Doing nothing that doesn’t add economic value to the brand.
• Connecting to the people who truly do want to be connected to you (not just the ones who "like" you on Facebook because you’re subtly bribing them).
• Quit pushing your Marketing department and agency to be more innovative. Most brands aren’t even doing the basics right. No need to worry about innovation until you have a foundation for success.
• Don’t try for viral. Getting something to go viral or getting thousands of people to connect to you is a false God. If you go back to creating a compelling story, it will go viral and get many followers by the very nature of it.
• Copying is not flattering. It’s boring. It’s even more boring when the copy isn’t better than the original.
• Don’t underestimate your consumer. They’re smart, they’re connected and they’re smarter than you.
• Get rid of the fine print. Nobody reads it and nobody understands it, but worse: it’s mostly used as a bait and switch.
• Contests and couponing works… sadly. So, do it, but promise yourself that your marketing won’t be entirely driven by it. You’re better than that.
• People will come and people will go, but your integrity is all that you have.
• Technology is not what’s stopping you… your ideas are.
• Real relationships are not built on offers… they’re built on long-term value.

It’s not about the technology.

Technology is a by-product of this new marketing revolution. You can’t blame the IT department for a lack of success. In the end, you can remove all of the technology we’ve been afforded and your job would still be the same: get people to really care about your brand, do it in a real way and get them loyal to whatever it is that you’re selling.

What would you add to this list?