I've been pretty quiet about the election. I encouraged people to vote, I watched the conventions and the debates. I worked hard to stay informed and I worked even harder to avoid the usual TV and Radio fake news people who entertain and inflame everyone. I voted on election day and watched the results come in with my wife, Diane, and our two dogs. But I can no longer stay silent on what I've learned about President Barack Obama and feel compelled to speak out and let people know.
Barack Obama has secretly been and is now openly, a really good marketer! In fact, I will go so far as to say he is a great marketer. Now, before you go all partisan on me for attacking him on this, let me tell you why I have concluded this.
1. He understands the importance of his list. And his list is really big and diverse. In fact, it is a lot like the lists our doctors are dealing with in their marketing, except, his is the entire United States – well, actually around 50% of the United States. His people KNOW who is on that list and they have MICRO SEGMENTED it in a remarkably sophisticated way. I was truly impressed that they identified the key categories of voters and then tailored their messaging to focus on what each voter was worrying about. His team was able to focus on specific counties, for example, with the targeted messages that their key voters needed to hear.
Wow.
As professionals who are marketing their practices, do you know who your key prospects are? Do you know what they are worried about? Have you built your messaging to directly address them, or are you still using the "Spray and Pray Method"? Just send one big generic message out to everyone and pray someone hears it and responds.
2. He uses his list. The President’s campaign team has been marketing to their list since 2008. They didn't just get geared up again in 2012 and have to remind their list that they care about them, they have been showing it for 4 years, which leads me to,
3. He understands the importance of a mix of media. His campaign team has used direct mail, email, social media – every tool at their disposal to meet their potential voters where they consume information. So many of us balk at mailings because they cost more than online marketing. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of what works. The U.S. Mail can be one of your most effective tools for your marketing because you have the podium all to yourself and because many of us will still read useful and interesting mail that is sent to us. The cost to your bottom line of not using direct mail correctly is significant. Make no mistake, you aren't actually saving money by not mailing, you are losing.
