Making an approach is how everything good in life begins if you think about it. I don’t remember where I first heard them but the words “If you don’t ask, you don’t get” have always stuck in my head. They always encourage me to make approaches no matter how uncomfortable or nervous I may feel about it. You have both nothing and everything to lose by not making an approach.
Nothing from marriage to big business could happen without it. I also think the art and science of the initial approach is the key to successful Internet marketing.
Long before I went into internet marketing full time, I was in traditional sales and business development. Obviously that involved making an approach – a cold approach – usually by phone or email. I was also in a band and was reminded recently of how making an approach led to some of our finest hours.
Myself and I guy I used to work with were mutual fans of a 90’s band called All About Eve. They recorded several fine albums but their biggest hit Martha’s Harbour is often remembered for all the wrong the reasons. When the song was at number 3 in the Uk charts, the band played on Top of the Tops. In those days artists were encouraged to live lip sync to their recordings.
If You Don’t Ask You Don’t Get
Unfortunately a technical fault meant that singer Julianne Regan couldn’t hear the backing track she was supposed to mime to but millions of TV viewers could. She sat there with mouth closed waiting for the track to come on for several awkard minutes. This clip appears from time to time on “Embarassing moments” type TV complilations. I know however that the band aren’t too bothered. A It wasn’t their fault and B. They get paid royalties whenever its shown.
Anyway, In 2001 or thereabouts my friend told me the band had reformed and were playing in Glasgow did I want him to get me a ticket. I said I’d love to see them but would rather support them. So I started looking at ways of making an approach to them.
Long story short, we supported AAE on 5 of their tour dates. Through their influence we also played a club date in Colchester and at a major festival. All this from deciding to make an approach. When you start thinking about this stuff, the examples are endless.
Recently I bought three large canvas prints of my photos from a new and very cheap printer. I use a print on demand (POD) service already but they are pricey and I wanted an alternative. The prints were excellent and sold quickly on Facebook marketplace. Selling this way though is slow and cumbersome. So I approached the new company and asked if they offered POD. They do, so now I can sell quality, affordable prints of my photos online without having to bother with packaging and postage myself.
Making The Initial Approach Count
My first experience of internet business was via the affiliate or referral marketing model where you earn commission from sales of other peoples products. But It doesn’t really matter whether the products and services you sell online are yours or not, the sales come from an initial approach.
That approach may be a social media post, an article, a video or an ad but is essentially you setting out your stall. The secret to success as with all forms of approach is in getting it right. You need to make it attractive and not be too pushy about it. Online consumers can move on in a split second if you get it wrong. Luckily though the Internet marketer has some very powerful tools to leverage.
No matter how great your stuff is and how well you approach people with it, if its irrelevant to them you’re wasting your time and your ad budget. Think of the TV ads that float over your head or the Youtube ads you skip. Internet marketers can minimise this problem by using the information available to them to lazer target the audience that sees their content. All of the social and advertsing platforms provide detailed statistics that make this possible. Beyond that you can also monitor and optimise results during campaigns based on actual data rather than guesswork.
The One You Don’t Skip
These days we are approached incessantly online. Like it or not what we look at online is tracked, analysed and re-used by marketers. That’s why we seem to be followed around the internet by things we looked at briefly. This is tiresome when it’s done by big brands who only want to reinforce their name but when its done right it’s great. Its the Youtube ad you watch rather than skipping – or at least add to your watch later list. Its the message that hits you right between the eyes because its exactly what you were looking for. But you told them that already when you Googled something or listed your likes and goals on Facebook.
When I started looking for training on starting an online business I saw one of the best examples of approach based marketing I’ve seen before or since. In a space notoriously filled with hype and false promise this was refreshingly different. It was in fact an ad for an organisation I’ve been involved with ever since. Both parties have done pretty well out of the association over the last seven years. If you are reading this and thinking now is the time to start an online business (You’re right) I suggest you check it out for yourself by clicking the image below.
