Marketing is serious business, and you should always be serious about serious business. Yeah, right…

Logan Crawford portrays a comical news anchor in a series of TV commercials for AT&T’s the Backflip, from Motorola. Crawford is seen “reporting the news that’s important to you…” with impeccable sources such as Facebook and Twitter. The key feature of the Motorola Backflip is advertised as “Facebook, Twitter, text and more, streaming on a single screen.”

The commercial spoofs the common absurdity of social media posts with lines like, “This just in via text message and wall post: “The search is on for cute boots.” Another line reads, “This just in on Twitter and Facebook: A local bachelor has just enrolled in Karate.”

Here’s the paradox; so many social media posts are trivial dribble – and AT&T is using that fact to SELL. We buy from companies that get us to laugh at ourselves. The question is simple; do you take yourself a little too seriously in your marketing and sales presentations. The work of an advisor is serious business, but too often advisors treat every recommendation as if they are a doctor telling a patient they have terminal cancer. As a professional it is perfectly acceptable lighten up, use a little humor, and let your clients see you are real, even when you are making important recommendations. Don’t try to be a comedian, just relax and be yourself.

Good selling!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE AT&T COMMERCIAL

AT&T [T] owns a brand that is extremely well known. But no company can rest on its laurels in this (or any) economy.  T’s latest commercial about their 3G network sells their services and tells a powerful message about digital communication, and in turn, about the potential of social media marketing.

In the commercial a young man, former UNC basketball star Tyler Hansbrough, sees a poster for a cute little girl’s lost dog on a telephone pole. He takes a picture with his cell phone, and sends the picture and a message to his address book (also read this as Email, Constant Contact, Facebook, LinkedIN, etc.) All of his contacts become aware of the little girl’s lost dog, and subsequently find the dog, which Tyler returns to the little girl.

No question this commercial tugs at the heartstrings. At the same time, it demonstrates the power of your ability to stay connected with large segments of your target market in a cost-effective manner using digital media. All you need is a solid strategy, creative copy, and the click of a mouse.

Ask yourself the following questions:

How can I use digital media to stay in touch with my target market?
Does our marketing strategy reflect our corporate personality and build relationships?
Does our key messaging inspire people to tell others about the value of our services, and help our business go viral?

The digital age allows small companies to wield a marketing sword as powerfully as a corporate giant like AT&T. Getcha some!

Good selling!