UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging.
October 2010
By Scott Stratten
We picked up a copy of Scott Stratten’s new book a few weeks ago at the Nashville stop of his “UnBook Tour.” In UnMarketing, Stratten calls for reconsidering traditional sales and marketing tactics like cold-calling and, instead, focusing efforts at the top of the Hierarchy of Buying.
Current satisfied customers are at the top, then referrals by a trusted source and current relationships that have yet to purchase. Cold-calling and search through ads are techniques that target the bottom of the pyramid. Competition at the bottom is fierce, and your chances of reaching a receptive audience are slim.
Stratten argues that business is built on relationships, and social media is one way to build and strengthen those relationships with clients and prospects. He provides some case studies for how (and how not) to engage with influencers through social media and gives good tactical advice for increasing newsletter subscriptions and dealing with defectors in blog comments.
Stratten practices what he preaches. Instead of calling around North America to try to find venues that would book his tour, he used Twitter to engage with his audience and asked which cities would be interested in hosting him. It worked. His 30-city tour will run through Dec. 4.
