Knock. Knock.
Who’s there?
Interruptive Marketing.
Interruptive Marketi— PAY ATTENTION TO ME!
We know the joke isn’t (that) funny. That’s the point. No one enjoys getting bombarded by advertisements, especially boring ones. (Netflix banks on that premise.) But advertisements aren’t just found on the radio or TV anymore; they’re online too. Pesky pop up ads are a good example – no one is going to stop looking at what they were doing to investigate a pop up ad. Most of us try to close it as quickly as possible. And that’s the kind of advertisements you don’t want to create.
Clear Call-to-Action
An ad that fails to guide a prospect into taking action is an ad that fails, period. What good would a flashy advertisement be if it didn’t offer people a way of buying the product that’s being advertised? Imagine how frustrated you would be if you wanted to give a business your money, but they didn’t tell you how you could pay them! Calls-to-action let you avoid this problem.
Clarity is key. You don’t want a long-winded message that will deter people from reading the whole thing or confusing instructions that make people weary. That’s not to say you should aim for generic calls-to-action. In fact, we encourage you to let your originality and personality shine through – that’s what will make you stand out from your competitors.
For example, instead of a simple “Submit” button, try something funny and personable like “Let’s Make a Deal!” A “Buy Now” message can be changed to “Give It To Me Now!” You get the picture.
A Message that Actually Says Something
This ties in with what we mentioned already, but it’s worth repeating. Don’t tell your customers what they already know or use the same phrases that a thousand other businesses will use. Ask yourself: what do they need to know and why is the information valuable to them? Your answers should be able to help you come up with the core of your marketing content. Then, take the time to shape it into an easily consumable message that works uniquely well for your business. And remember, it’s okay to be different from the rest – really, it might be the most strategic way of approaching your target audience.
Give Back – But Not Too Much
As your business grows more successful, don’t forget to give back to the community that helped get you there. Plan a giveaway and give away something awesome. But not something too awesome.
It sounds counterintuitive, but research has shown that if you advertise a really expensive prize, you’ll wind up with less engagement. People perceive that they have a lower chance of actually winning that Brand New Car or Limited Edition iPad because they think everyone would want that. Feature something like a dozen cupcakes and they’ll think their chances are better because, “how many people out there love cupcakes as much as I do?” When the possible reward appears much more achievable, people are more motivated to get involved. That’s why cupcakes can actually be more enticing than a cruise for two or a new ipad.
The added benefit of giving away cupcakes is that the contest gets gifted with an overall tone of originality and personality, the very two things we emphasized earlier. Your business stands out from its competitors who are offering the same prizes that a million other companies do and, with the money you saved, you can afford to ramp up the marketing for your generosity campaign making you stand out even more. The surprisingly delicious and simple concept however keep your brand from blending in with the annoying ads that populate the Internet.
