Marketing is about the buzz… not the buzzwords.

The first rule of Marketing… it doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter if you know the latest buzzwords.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the latest buzzwords.

It doesn’t matter if you know the latest technology.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the latest technology.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the social media channels.

It doesn’t matter if you know the social media channels.

In marketing a lot of what you don’t know you can figure out.

What you do know can hurt you. You may know buzzwords and bore people to death. You may know technology, but if you don’t know your message, you’ll be found out a lot quicker. You may know social channels but if you don’t respect the platform, you’ll just turn people off faster.

Know your mission. Know your market. Listen to what they need. People are trying to tell you. If you can deliver help, you won’t have to know how to tell people.

If you create value, you will create a buzz. That’s marketing.

If you would like to talk about catching a buzz and sharing it with your target, drop me a note at jhenke@henkeinc.com.

Thanks.

You call it marketing. I call it outreach.

“You call it marketing. I call it outreach” said Pastor Robert Pyles.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to produce a video interview of Pastor Robert Pyles of Abundant Faith Church of Integrity in Milwaukee. When Robert says something, it is wise to listen.

In addition to being the Senior Pastor at his church, Robert owns 15 McDonald’s and a realty company in Milwaukee, employing over 700 people. He is a veteran of the US Air Force and of the world-famous McDonald’s Hamburger University.

He is the opposite of so many people often called vampires because they suck the energy and life right out of you. Instead, Robert can infuse you with energy just by being around him and listening to his approach to life.

Between takes of the video shooting, Robert asked me what I did for a living.  I told him marketing. He said, “You call it marketing. I call it outreach.” While I thought about that, he continued, “It’s all about reaching people. We have to figure out how to get to them… to get them to listen so that they will act.”

“I’m not in the restaurant business or the realty business. I’m in the people business.”

Robert is absolutely right. Reach out. Communicate with compelling contact.  That’s the only way to make a difference, whether it’s in sales or in people’s lives.

If you would like to discuss your marketing outreach, send me a note at jhenke@henkeinc.com.

Thanks.

Native ads are hooey unless you use your native tongue.

Native ads are the rage. Imagine that.

According to Krystal Overmyer (don’t know her but she is a very smart writer) in a recent post for the ContentStandard:

“Native content is often considered a subset of content marketing, and it generally refers to how brands work with online publications to create paid content that follows the form and function of that platform.”

In other words, respect the platform. Use language that shows you respect the audience. The good stuff keeps coming back into usage. David Ogilvy, in the Advertising Hall of Fame, said something similar over 50 years ago. In a meeting, he once famously told a colleague not to talk dawn to the consumer. He said,

“The consumer isn't a moron. She is your wife.”

Native content creators haven’t uncovered a revolutionary new perspective on how to communicate with consumers. In fact, they have more in common with Ogilvy than they realize. David was a firm believer in long form advertising. He was a blogging forerunner and he didn’t even realize it.

He just knew that telling a compelling story with compelling characters (like the Man in the Hathaway shirt with the eye patch) were more appealing and drew people into the brand. They related to it. That is engagement.

In your marketing, find your brand’s authentic voice. Listen to your advocates. Speak with your native tongue in native content and everywhere else.

Your brand will thrive. If you would like to talk (in your native tongue) further, drop me a note at jhenke@henkeinc.com.

Thanks.

“All the world’s a platform.”

 Okay, Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage.” Forgive the Bard, but the times they-are-a-changin’.

Today’s world is full of platforms. There are platforms for almost anything you can imagine. Today, more than ever, you have the ability to find the right platform for your message.

In this historic opportunity also lies the danger – communicating the wrong message for the platform. You have to choose wisely. You have to know the difference between Facebook and Craig’s List. What tweets well might not twork twell on tumblr.

Most of the time, when people say they don’t understand the value of social media, they don’t realize that “media” means many different things. Media is a plural… as in many channels. You don’t really watch TV. You watch different programs on different channels on TV. Or Hulu. Or Netflix.

Which social medium is best for your marketing? No one can tell you that until they learn about your business, what your message is and what your goals are. Only then can you determine the right mix of the right platform is for you.

Don't give your integrated marketing a medium effort. Do it right.

If you would like to find the right platform to market your message, let me know at jhenke@henkeinc.com.

Thanks