Marketers Can't Be Afraid of 'the Click'

"I love the interactivity! Is there any way we can embed this into the email, so they don't have to click?"

"That level of personalization is incredible! Can we use this as a banner ad, so they don't have to click?"

"Being able to collect these survey responses will be so helpful! Can we run this as the social media post, so they don't have to click?"

Today's technologies can enable marketers to deliver some incredible digital experiences for their brands.

The challenge?

Far too many of us are afraid to ask our target audience to click to access that rich content.

If we are delivering value, we can't be afraid to ask for 'the click'.

Reach Is a Delivery Mechanism for More Effective Content Experiences

Effective banner ads, social posts, emails, and even TV commercials are the first step in a two-step dance. They should be looked at as the hook or teaser that opens audiences up to receiving much more valuable content.

I like to think of reach tactics like emails and banners as the delivery mechanism for a much more robust customer experience. Think about it, banner ads can't tell the full story. Emails & social posts aren't engaging, and when stuffed with multiple messages, there are little-to-no insights around which message(s) actually moved the needle.

Going forward, marketers should use reach tactics for what they are good for, brand awareness and reaching their audience with an impactful teaser message that hooks the audience's attention enough to say to themselves "I want to learn more".

The ad, email, or social post is NOT the place to deliver the impactful personalized interactive content. They're simply not set up to deliver that type of experience or the depth of insights you need to make effective decisions about your campaign.

Impressions Don't Provide Brand Impact

Reach provides impressions, but do impressions have any real value? NIMHO.

Impressions don't buy products. People buy products

The real value for a brand comes as you move the target audience through the funnel until they become a loyal user of your product.

Reach is step one, but moving people through the funnel takes a sophisticated approach to delivering the right messages to the right people at the right time. To do this well, we need more robust content experiences.

It's the marketing two-step, hit the audience with an irresistible teaser message as part of the reach campaign, then ask for the click in order to deliver a personalized experience that has the power to convert them to take actions that deliver brand impact.

Reach in and of itself shouldn't be the goal of reach tactics. The goal should be 'the click'.

Don't be afraid to ask for it.