Build Advocate Campaigns, Not Advertising Campaigns

Google seldom does commercials. When they do them, they are impactful and speak to human nature. I love them.

I don’t use Google products because they make commercials that I can identify with. I use Google products because they provide utility and allow me and my business to function better than what’s their name can.

Stop worrying about advertising to new customers and build advocates by providing utility to existing customers.

Let’s look at the issue through a psychology lens. Ed is a consumer of “Bob’s Super Awesome Whatchamacallits”. Ed likes a great product or service that he can tell others about. Why? Because Ed likes to think himself sophisticated, altruistic, and wise. Ed gets a sense of personal pride when he can recommend a company to a friend that he is confident in. By telling his friend Spencer about Bob’s Super Awesome Whatchamacallits, Ed feels that others also appreciate that he is wise, altruistic, and sophisticated. Ed and Spencer both win.

If Whatchamacallits stink, Ed is clearly not going to risk his wise reputation to tell Spencer how awesome they are. So Bob can advertise all he wants, Spencer doesn’t trust Bob, he trusts Ed, and Ed doesn’t like Bob’s Whatchamacallits.

Advertising has it’s time and it’s place. It builds awareness and helps a business grow. Hands down, no argument there.

That said, here is my pitch:

Stop telling me how awesome you are and just be awesome.