I read the word “transparency” what I would quantify as a lot of times each day. I see examples of it less than that. Here’s a good one that explains what transparency doesn’t mean.
I think that what good marketers mean when they talk transparency is different than a warts and all approach. In other words, don’t put everything you do online.
Making your entire process available digitally isn’t transparency. Let’s face it- that information is going to be edited and selected and weeded. That’s behind-the-scenes. Interesting maybe, but not transparent.
Instead, deal with mistakes. Talking openly about that kind of thing is attention grabbing and sticky.
I’ve written before about how much I like the Heath brothers’ Made To Stick, because it breaks marketing ideas down into their essential components. In a way, it turns language to math. It works great for understanding mistakes.
-Businesses that openly dissect mistakes are doing something unexpected, because not many businesses are doing it.
-They’re using a concrete idea -a mistake- that everyone can identify with, one that hooks into people’s memories.
-They’re credible; what’s more honest than admitting you were wrong?
-They’re emotional, because mistakes are ultimately linked to the people that make them.
-Mistakes tell stories, which are memorable. Comedy, for instance, is all about failure and mistakes.
Everyone makes them. It’s unavoidable. Sooner or later, process of elimination, it has to happen. It will happen. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about…
Marketing a mistake is mental tai chi, I think. It uses the audience’s natural resistance to marketing against them. It’s winning people over through honesty. To me, that’s really appealing.
Recent mistakes? I’m going to work on letting fewer typos slip (I know- Me? Typos? It’s true.) You?
Tags: business relationships, content, content marketing, marketing strategy, social media mistakes