Download Permission Marketing: Beyond the Hype

PERMISSION MARKETING: BEYOND THE HYPE
by Patrick Byers
The average American adult receives 3,000 commercial messages a day, while the typical business manager is
expected to read about a million words per week. As consumers, we’ve become experts at shutting out information
that isn’t relevant to us right now.
To break though the clutter, advertisers are spending more—in more places—and being more interruptive to get
attention. This creates more clutter. Their response, do more of the same..
In 1999, the book Permission Marketing seemed to answer this problem and became an overnight hit. In less than a
year, just about everyone has heard of Permission Marketing and could recognize the top of author Seth Godin’s
head in a crowded room. The ideas in the book spread like wildfire, and soon permission was a “new marketing
revolution,” In response to this, marketing firms, websites and software firms were delivering everything
permission: consulting, seminars, workshops, opt-in lists, software…you name it.
But for every reformation, there’s a counter-reformation. And with nearly the same fervor it was embraced, many in
the marketing press began to question the validity of permission. Opt-in numbers were dropping, and so was support
for Godin’s ideas. Did permission fight Infoglut, or add to it? Does anyone want to have a relationship with every
company they buy something from? By mid-2001, permission was declared dead in a number of marketing columns.
The rumors of permission’s death were greatly exaggerated. The fact is, many that have criticized permission
marketing failed to understand it.
HOW IT WORKS
© 2003 - Outsource Marketing, LLC
www.outsourcemarketing.com
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PERMISSION MARKETING MISCONCEPTIONS
Permission marketing is cheap easy to implement.
Nothing worth doing is cheap or easy. Permission marketing requires a deep understanding of the prospect
or customer, what motivates them, how they buy and where they get their information. Once you know that
much, you must develop and execute creative offers that compel them to “raise their hand.”
The work involved in pulling this off takes time, which means it costs money. Compared to other forms of
marketing, permission is often a good value, but doing it right isn’t cheap.
Permission marketing is for everyone.
It’s not. You probably don’t want to have a relationship with everyone you buy a product or service from.
Complex, higher value items or services that require explanation are best. Complexity offers the
opportunity for the “curriculum-based” communications.
Permission is most powerful when there’s the potential for an affinity to a product or service. Jesse Berst
once said “people don’t unsubscribe from their passions.”
Permission is forever.
Hardly. Permission is granted until the customer or prospect rescinds it (which they will do in a flash if you
betray the trust they put in you). Opt-out also happens when communications fail to provide creative,
valuable information, or when the relationship becomes too one-sided.
Permission marketing requires a fancy database and a data-driven website to work.
It helps, but isn’t necessary. Marketers were doing permission-influenced marketing long before there was
a name for it, or the proliferation of the Internet.
Technology makes permission more potent. A database makes it easier to offer personalized offers and
messages, but an Excel spreadsheet can get you started. A data-driven website allows for the most efficient
and interactive means of communication, but you can start small with an email form-mailer that sends data
to an inbox.
PERMISSION MARKETING LIVES
Permission marketing is far from dead. Permission-influenced marketing is working for organizations large and
small that recognize that permission is meant to be nurtured, not betrayed.
These marketers are spending more time up front to better understand their prospects and customers. Then, armed
with this knowledge, they develop creative offers that are relevant, compelling and effective.
The result: messages that break through with greater frequency and at a lower cost per impression than their
traditional marketing counterparts could ever dream of.
More importantly, they are able to develop long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with the potential to turn a
stranger into a fan.
© 2003 - Outsource Marketing, LLC
www.outsourcemarketing.com
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