April 23, 2021

 There used to be a saying in the SEO space:   

SPAM = Sites Positioned Above Mine

Before, when we talked about spam, it referred to marketers using questionable tactics to achieve higher search rankings--rankings they didn’t earn through the quality of their site or their content. They tricked their way in by gaming link profiles or stuffing keywords where users couldn’t see them, but a search engine could. That definition of spam was pretty straightforward. It was intentional.

But this other definition- Sites Positioned Above Mine - wasn’t that. 

It didn’t mean you were doing something wrong; it was actually outing you as an annoyance. If your site is positioned above mine in the search results, you’re in my way. You’re spam.

* * * *

I think about that alternative definition a lot and how easy it is for us to become spam--not just in someone's inbox, but also in their mind. It’s easier than it’s ever been. Spam comes in many different forms.

• That family member who emails nothing but memes and nonsense. Spam.
• A friend shooting you 15 texts in a row when you haven’t responded to the first. Spam.
• A popup on a website. Spam
• An article that presents itself as a slideshow for no discernable reason. Spam. 

The definition of spam has grown to encompass anything that bothers us. Anything perceived as an annoyance, low value, or a disturbance. When the trap is so broad and so easy to fall into, how do we avoid becoming spam? 

🙌 Communicate Your Undeniable Value. 

Don’t stone me. Telling you to “be different” is not revolutionary advice. 

But it’s timeless advice and something we muck up more times than we get right. 

There are dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of people in your industry doing similar things, trying to reach similar audiences, and vying for the same coins. 

With all the other noise and distractions, why you?

This is Question 1 when I’m onboarding a client. It doesn’t matter what type of work we're even onboarding them for—developing your So What or Why You builds the promise everything else must deliver.

Identifying why you’re undeniably valuable is step one. 

Effectively communicating that is step two.  

Doing it takes:

• Distilling your essence to be accurate AND memorable
• Writing headlines that captivate at a glance
• Copy that succinctly defines the benefits of your benefits (What’s In It For Me) 
• Replacing jargon with the words and phrases your audience uses
• Adding design and visuals that do more than “decorate” copy but build the story

Many brands have a good sense of their So What. Communicating it is a whole other beast because it all has to work together at every interaction and every touchpoint. 

👉 Earn Your Place Through Consistency. 

I judge people constantly. I bucket them.

You have people in your life who ALWAYS bring value. Whom you can call at 2 am and know they’ll answer. You have other people in your life who also bring value, but it’s smaller or less consistent. Sometimes they do what they say, and other times not so much. 

You also have those you’d “forget” to give your new address if you moved. 

The relationships we hold with brands are similar.  

• When Marketoonist lands in my inbox, I drop everything to read it. I want to be the first to forward it to a coworker.
• When I get a Decor Steals email, I dart to the site to check out the day’s sale.
• When my best friend posts an Instagram story, I click on it and respond. 

I also have brands that, when they email me, I delete it immediately. #SorryNotSorry You probably do, too.

Brands build affinity and trust with us by setting clear expectations and then consistently meeting them. If they can do that in a way that makes us enjoy the experience, all the better. These are our Never Miss brands. The ones we’ll stick by and who are never getting labeled spam. 

As a marketer, I measure the brand affinity I hold with a consumer by the Inbox Test.

Your inbox is sacred. I’m popping up next to messages from your best friend, your mom, and that subscription box you’re really into. 

Do I, as a brand, feel out of place in that environment?

If yes, there’s work to be done to earn your trust and loyalty. 

Your audience “opted-in” to your brand based on a specific promise that you’d make them faster, more intelligent, more efficient, or a better partner than they could be without you. The best way you can serve them is to keep that promise, time and time again. 

💪 Relinquish Control.

I’ve found people resent you less when you let them do what it is they want to do. 💁

Don’t hand over the keys to the castle but let people opt-out of the stuff and experiences they don’t want. 

Please give me your podcast, but I don’t want to read your blogs or newsletter content.  

Yes to your product offers, but no thank you for the company updates.

Have a look at your website. What might relinquishing control look like there? 

• Creating a content knowledge base that allows people to seek their own answers rather than speak to you
• Integrating a chatbot to help them get predictable outcomes faster 
• Designing user journeys that anticipate their needs but allow flexibility and exploration

Giving me control over how I experience something inserts extra joy and delight into it because now that experience is mine. It’s personal. 

Soapbox Warning:

We should especially let people opt out of things that might hurt them. 

Mother’s Day weekend is two weeks away; Father’s Day isn’t far behind it. These days can be emotional turmoil for many people for many reasons. My inbox is already brimming with ways to show my mother I care and Top 10 lists of gadgets/bouquets/wine she can’t live without. And they all suck a little bit because I lost my mother several years ago. 

Girls’ Night In is one of my favorite newsletters dedicated to helping women take care of themselves. Recently they offered me the option to opt-out of Mother’s Day messaging with a quick line that helped me feel seen.

The process was quick, painless, and shows an enormous amount of care for their audience. We can let people control their content. 

I get a bit of grief from people about my propensity for worrying too much. I never want to be an intrusion or to overstep or be the worst part of someone’s day. At work or home.

As brands and marketers, it’s something for all of us to consider. 

How can we make ourselves the best part of someone’s day? A moment they look forward to? That's how we avoid the spam trap.  

How are you doing it? 

Thanks for reading and sharing.  Chat in two weeks or drop me an email or connect on Twitter or LinkedIn or wherever else you hang out.