Successful marketing is built on a foundation of strong, trusting relationships.
I get to know you, you get to know me. Together we help each other out.
That’s the way is should work. But marketing life isn’t always like that.
I’m in the middle of writing a series of posts about Bite-Size Marketing Plans. As part of that series, I’ve asked for feedback and comments from readers.
All comments are held until I approve them to keep out the spam goblins.
Yesterday I received a comment which raised a red flag for me. The comment itself was decent – some thoughts about marketing plans and the need to allow for changes and to be flexible. Nothing wrong with that.
So why was I suspicious? Because the comment didn’t refer to anything I’d written at all. Nothing. Zip. Nada. So it seemed more like a lecture or a one-way conversation (which isn’t a conversation at all!). And at the end, there was a link to a website about marketing plans.
I clicked the link. It leads to a website selling a membership about marketing plans. It looked like it might actually have been of some interest to my readers.
But something still didn’t feel right so I copied some of the comment into Google and lo and behold, the very same 176 words come up as comments on several other blogs.
Big time fail.
I’m a real person. I’m interested in building real relationships. If you’re just spamming my blog with duplicated content in order to be self-serving, I’m not interested and I won’t deal with you.
And that’s a shame. Because you left your real name, and I checked out your Internet footprint. You know who you are. You’re better than this. Much better.
So change your tactics, start building a real relationship, and maybe I’ll let your comments though.
But for now, it’s a big marketing fail for you, and you’re definitely in my bad books.
You have incurred the wrath of Debbie.
Cripes, the wrath of Debbie! Sounds like a good title for a film.(See, I read to the end:))
I agree with all you say about sapmmy comments. I get loads, usually full of vacuous flattery ending with a huge plug for whatever they do. Do they think we are stupid?
I also hate automated DMs on twitter. If I get one after following someone I usually delete them. Ghastly things, esepcially if accompanied by a sales pitch.
Thanks for the post, Debbie!
Jane