Introduction
They often say, “do not mix business with pleasure” but have you ever considered that if your business is treated pleasurably, you’d gain more than expected? The thing is, a lot of businesses (locally and internationally) have learnt how to steal your heart. How? They’ve understood this trick. What is this trick? It is simple. Marketing is like dating. Weird right? Okay, permit me to break it down in the following paragraphs.
What is dating?
Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals engage in activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other’s suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. Note the keywords here:
Stage – It means, you’ve crossed the foremost “talking stage” where you already know his/her preferences (like favourite colours, best dates, colours, etc) and you’re ready to face the bull head on, without any red flags.
Two Individuals – That means an agreement between two persons who are ready mentally, emotionally, physically and otherwise. Technically, two consenting adults.
Engage in activity together – That is, supporting one another through each other’s activities. That means, you’re present.
Intention of Evaluating Each Other’s Sustainability – So, these persons are currently weighing the options around their sustainability which would lead to a better and brighter future together.
How is dating like marketing?
It may seem weird having a comparison between dating and marketing but in all honesty, it is intertwined together. You don’t just date anybody because they’re dateable but you date your “spec” and so, in marketing, you don’t just buy anything from any store/vendor, you buy from whom you’ve built a form of trust from. It’s realistic if you sit down to think about it.
Take for instance, you step into a store and intend to get your favourite soda, if that soda isn’t there, would you leave or take another option? You know that you’d step out till you get that favourite beverage. If your preferences are right, you’d realise that you wouldn’t just take any and everything. So, business owners, if you also would be honest, you’d realize that your business is not open to any and everybody.
Here are seven ways to show that marketing is like dating;
- You decide on who you want to date (your clientele)
- You make yourself attractive and presentable to them
- You go to the places they go to
- You get their attention You are a conversationalist
- You build a deeper connection
- Your lovers buy what you sell.
- You Decide On Who You Want to Date (Your Clientele)
Your decision to know who your business is for is tantamount to your progress. We often say, “My business is open to all” but it isn’t in retrospect. Even the president during his acceptance speech of 2015 stated, “I am for everybody and I belong to nobody” because trying to get everybody on board would crush your drive towards your business. You’d have more losses than profits.
Learn to define your clientele. Know who your business is for and tag them correctly. Take time to take a survey as to who you want to be “in love”, that is, in business with before marketing your business. It is better to be alone than to be in a relationship (business) where you’re still alone. It hurts more than expected.
- You Make Yourself Attractive and Presentable to Them
After deciding on who to date (that is, do business with), you make yourself attractive to them. This is by adopting proper branding and packaging design for your businesses. Your products/services are first attractions before further conversations that’d lead to conversion can be done; this is because the eyes are a window to the soul.
Most times, you need to re-evaluate your personality, physically and offline. With this, you’d know your attractiveness and how to present them to your lovers (clients).
- You Go to Places They Go To
You need to know the best places for your clients. It’s easier that way. If their favourite places are events where you need to be vendors, you go there. This increases your visibility and offers you the opportunity to create a recurring presence in their minds.
Also, you need to optimize their favourite social media channels. There are different lovers for different accounts. The problem sometimes with less patronage is using the wrong social media account for the right reasons. There are reasons as to why there are multiple social media channels for you to pick from.
- You Are a Conversationalist
You’re an expert in holding up conversations. These conversations are around your public relations and ways to speak to your clients. For instance, using the “DM for price” wordplay is the wrongest punchline for business uses as many people pay zero attention to that.
A good and healthy conversation between lovers requires much listening and contributing vital information when necessary. This is very practical in marketing, and that is why most businesses hire public relations and communications experts for conversations around this.
- You Build a Deeper Connection
A deeper connection requires constant checking up, gifting, narrowing your focus, responding right to issues and communicating. This way, there’s a bond that lasts longer and there’s an ease to the relationship.
In regards to marketing, building a deeper connection utilises the aforementioned as a means of getting to know your clients. You can occasionally send messages to check up on them, have a good gift sent to them, narrow your focus to meet their needs, responding to their problems and communicating with them, simply because you’re both in a transactional activity.
- Your Lovers Buy What You Sell
The last step is having your lover’s (that is client’s) attention by buying what you sell. All prior steps leading to this is having their attention drawn to buying your products/services.
At this stage, it’s like asking, “Hey, can you go on a date with me?” because you’ve built a solid foundation with your client.
In Summary
Dating in marketing is like saying, “Hey, are you interested in buying our product/service?”, and this can only be achieved with someone whom you’ve built a solid relationship with. In marketing, trust is key. Build on that trust. Leverage on the advantages that trust offers you. Some dates lead to long term goals and successes in future.
