{"id":3802,"date":"2012-01-19T19:49:49","date_gmt":"2012-01-19T19:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/?p=3802"},"modified":"2012-01-19T19:50:08","modified_gmt":"2012-01-19T19:50:08","slug":"permission-marketing-why-brands-should-beaware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/2012\/01\/permission-marketing-why-brands-should-beaware\/","title":{"rendered":"Permission Marketing: Why Brands Should Be(a)ware!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Social Marketing is the ultimate in Permission Marketing, and therefore it carries the ultimate marketing danger with it: taking away the permission is totally in the consumers\u2019 control.\u00a0 Brands be(a)ware!<\/p>\n

Permission Marketing puts the power in the consumer\u2019s hands, by requiring that the marketers send promotional messages only to consumers who have<\/strong> given marketers permission to do so<\/strong>, whether explicitly (opt-in email list, for example) or implicitly (internet search).<\/p>\n

On one hand this is fantastic because it gives marketers a chance to provide relevant information to interested parties, but on the other hand, brands need to pay all kinds of attention to how they\u2019re using Permission Marketing, because the consumer can pull their interest plug in a heartbeat.<\/p>\n

So how can we keep consumers from \u201copting out\u201d of our brand messages?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s only fitting that part of the answer comes from Seth Godin\u2019s definition of Permission Marketing:<\/p>\n

\u201cPermission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Permission is a privilege, not a right.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Consumers do not owe us their attention, and they certainly do not owe us their permission.\u00a0 We need to EARN their permission, and that\u2019s not done by a gimmick or a flashy set of ads.<\/p>\n

Permission is earned through quality offers, genuine interest in and deep understanding of consumer preferences\/needs, and a consistent track record that builds trust.\u00a0 Keep the trust \u00e0 keep the permission \u00e0 keep the consumer.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Relevance is king.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

We all hear daily that content is king \u2013 so let\u2019s take that one level further and point out that it\u2019s not just the volume or brilliance of content that matters to your consumers, it is how that content relates to them<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 If content is not relevant to your consumer, it is nothing more than a waste of your time and a reason for the consumer to take away permission for ongoing interaction with you.<\/p>\n

3. It\u2019s all about relationships.<\/strong><\/p>\n

People must<\/strong> come first \u2013 in your growth strategies, in your marketing plans, and in every social media interaction that you have.\u00a0 When you place highest priority on people, you take the time to do all those hugely important things that build relationships:<\/p>\n