Networking

Word of mouth has been said to be the best way to advertise, or so [us in-store] salespeople are told. 10 happy customers telling at least 2 friends each can be off-set by one unhappy customer telling 20 of his friends how poor the service was. Product and service is what quality is all about... again what salespeople are ingrained to believe.  And then there is the other 89 who are satisfied but say nothing at all. That is the target of advertisers.

The concept of 'networking' is not new. It has not even changed. It just has many growing faces.
Reaching the most people in the least amount of time, targeting certain people instead of everyone. Only the forms of communication are different. Platforms used to mean standing on a soap box and screaming at the top of your lungs. Now it is like passing notes to your classmates to copy and pass on to others, ad infinitum.

A great example, the [Holy] Bible. Still being printed and distributed, still advertising and attempting to convert a population of...everyone.
- see also Viral marketing, Multi-level marketing (MLM), and Pyramid scheme.

Other terms being used in sales but not yet defined / published are Branding and Metrics [not to be confused with 'matrix'].
Branding- Make a product or store or chain more appealing to the general public. Changes in logos creates controversy, not makes it more up-to-date; hence, drew in more people.
Metrics- individual survey results are categorized and a 'trend' is percieved. Adjust the ads and internal [in-store] policies to target and hold certain groups, ie, age, gender, ethnicity. "It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door"- Feerengi Rules of Acquisition.

I just noticed in the FB side-bar 'Small-Business Saturday.' What caught my eye? The '473,593 people like this' looks like '500 million FB users.' The '$1' does it mean $1 off? or only a $1. The cute girl's photo? or all of the above in that order? Within those [slow, no think] 1.5 seconds, did I click on it? Yes. Seeing 'Saturday' and ;November 27' automatically [1 second] made me THINK "after Black Friday sales" and invited me to read further.

Bait, draw in, snag, all in 10 seconds or less. Am I weak, or are they strong...you decide.
- see the next to last point in a previous post

"Do You Hear What I Hear?" Made famous by Bing Crosby and more recently Carrie Underwood.
Can you see the insideous way a message was grown in this song's theme? how it 'made' peasants, a king, and a kingdom do something they would otherwise have not done? give up 'siver and gold'?

"Open the gates! Let loose the marketers! Let the shoppers pass through the doorways to..." well you get the picture.

OK, I found this when searching the above song. Not quite the same, but I like it!
It IS a matter of perspective, which is what Art, , marketting, music, and opinions are all about.

A "new" FB tool- added Friday after Thanksgiving 2010

______________________________________________________________

The Bottom Line

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]     "All Roads Lead To Rome" - Home Page

[ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ]     The Latest 3 Posts

[ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ]     My Mind on the WEB

[ A ] [ 0 ] [ # ]    My Note PADD

______________________________________________________________