Today’s buyers are smarter.
They’re savvy and sophisticated and – without even thinking – they ignore the noise coming from a sea of mediocre content. Their ears perk up only when they’re presented with a message worthy enough of their attention.
And right now, there’s a lot of noise and very little that’s worthy of their attention.
Noisy or engaging?
In recent years, marketing automation was a focus of early adopters – with only 15% of companies in the U.S. employing a complete marketing automation system. But MA is now on the rise – it’s on the fast track to implementation by the masses.
The increase in demand generation and integrated marketing programs means an increase in the amount of content pushed out to influential buyers – corporate managers, directors and VP’s who receive thousands of emails each month. Unfortunately, this increase in content also means an influx of the same-old-same-old messaging that dilutes what previously passed for “good.”
More than ever, writers (or non-writers who are the company’s only resource for content) must (or choose to) sacrifice the necessary increase in quality in order to just get something out the door.
Sometimes just getting something out the door is critical, such as when a company must acknowledge a mistake, respond to bad press or comment on something unforeseen.
But overall, your prospects deserve better material – and they’ll tell you that by ignoring your messages, deleting your emails and referencing schedules too tight for a meeting.
The New Year calls for corporations to invest in writers who “get it” – in writers who can bridge the gap between marketing’s requirements and sale’s front-line understanding of prospects and customers. 2011 is the year to work solely with copywriters and content developers who are dedicated to giving more, who are committed to creating something better, who want to produce messaging that actually affects and connects with today’s buyer.
True marketers take what they do personally. They have high standards and low tolerance for crap. And when they expect “better”, they will get “better.”
It’s a tall order, but I’m putting a call out to my community: Let’s create “better” in 2011.
