Recently I was consulting for a company on a small product launch. As a tech-consultant, the words that came out of my mouth shocked me. Here's a quick recap.
We were pitching a new product launch to a group of 400 previous clients, both active and inactive. The company realized that this product offering would be best suited for the top 15 percent of their clients.
Their plan was to build a simple website with what's called an “ethical bribe.” In Internet marketing terms, this is when you offer someone a “free” gift in exchange for their contact information. The goal is to figure out who is interested, and then move them along an email campaign eventually pitching them the product or service.
Suddenly it was clear what they should do: Scrap the entire online marketing approach.
Finally I said, “Why don’t you just pick up the phone and call them?”
There were, at most, 60 clients in total. Even at an hour a call, this could be wrapped up in a month.
In the end, the campaign was more successful because of the personal touch. They were able to reconnect with their clients and gain some valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not. They spent less money and time and ultimately increased their sales.
Local
So often we forget that technology is not always the answer, and going back to the basics will lead to a better result. When you get caught up focusing in one direction you can easily loose sight of other options.
Before you decide your next big technology campaign, ask yourself: “Is there an old-fashioned way of doing this?”
Jabez LeBret is the author of the Amazon No. 1 bestselling law office marketing book How to Turn Clicks Into Clients. As a partner at Get Noticed Get Found, a legal marketing agency, over the last nine years he has delivered over 800 keynote addresses in six countries. His main area of expertise is managing Gen Y in the workplace, advanced Facebook strategies, LinkedIn strategies, Google+, SEO, local directory optimization, and online marketing.
