Steve Rubel/MicroPersuasion has a column this week in “Advertising Age” (and on his blog) about brand engagement being a myth.
Now, I’m not going to get into his points and definition of engagement. What I definitely have an issue with is what “we, as marketers” should do:
[W]e shouldn’t care about brand engagement. Instead we should focus on how we get people connected with each other and measure the number of times we helped them do so. That’s why venues such as Second Life, YouTube, Facebook and other social networks are so hot: They allow people to connect with each other.
If you want to see engagement, find the right communities, build programs that empower people to connect, then get out of the way. Your brand will get a lift purely through association.
While relationships can play an important role for branding and businesses, businesses are not successful solely “through association.”
Enough of focusing on social networking and relationships. Ask for the darn sale.
Don’t get me wrong. Companies communicating with — even engaging and conversing with — customers and prospects is good. It helps build trust, credibility and even with some products and on some level, a degree of emotional attachment (but those are very few).
But, companies still need to ask for the sale. Offer the service. Hear the cash register cling.
Sales — which generate revenue which is ultimately why companies are in business — won’t come through association.
– Mike
Technorati tags: engagement, selling, Steve Rubel
