The Biggest Win Space In Digital Marketing

Okay, it may not be the biggest win space in digital...but it has to be up there. You can't plug it in and it doesn't have an app. It's anything analog. Real-life, physical experiences and touch points are the ones that have the "stickiest" impact.

Think about it. We're all out there trying to garner attention online. Driving likes, comments, retweets and rewarding engagement with badges and exclusive content. There's a lot of noise out there we have to compete with. However, what "personal" things can you do that really stick out? What are those points of engagement that are tangible and so compelling that people feel the need to extend that experience online...with the brand waiting there waiting to continue that conversation.

Seriously, It Works

I talked about it with GE not too terribly long ago. For pinning content of theirs on one of my Pinterest boards, they hand wrote a letter to me instead of simply sending me a Twitter @ reply or commenting on a pin. In addition, I received a copy of Cat In the Hat, reminding me that our touchpoint was themed around Dr. Suess's birthday.

Think about it from a career perspective as well. You can connect with folks on LinkedIn, follow them on Twitter or send a follow up email after meeting someone for the first time. What about the handwritten notes? Though we all still sort through "junk mail," there is still something special about something handwritten. I'm sure that type of engagement sticks longer.

It works at the office too. One of my company higher ups hand-wrote a note of encouragement in my first month in my new role at The DeMoss Group. He could've written an email. He could've left a voicemail. However, the gesture of writing something out made that act of appreciation just "stick" more. My boss Mark even writes in his book how some of the most successful people he knows are avid letter writers.

Scaling Personalization

Sure, it's incredibly hard to scale personalization. When you have a database of thousands (or millions) of customers and prospects, it's dang near impossible to take that level of personalization up to scale. However, it doesn't mean you couldn't try and touch a few.

As @juliacantor pointed out in a presentation she and I gave at Engauge's Fuel Innovation event, a small minority is scientifically proven to sway the opinion of the majority. What analog things could you do for your small segment customers and advocates?

What do you think?

In a digital world with thousands of messages, posts and spam emails to sort through, the physical and in-person efforts could cut through the clutter best. Is it a feasible possibility? What cool analog efforts have you seen from people?

Food for thought

Here's one luxury car company trying to get in on the analog action:

Pfaff Auto: Instant Direct Mail from Lowe Roche Advertising on Vimeo.