Seduction Marketing and making your business more interesting.

Seduction Marketing, otherwise known as Inbound Marketing, is more effective because it follows, indeed, the same principles of seduction:

1. avoid looking desperate;
2. avoid looking cheap
3. appear in high demand

And speaking of seduction tricks, many of you would have heard already of the English journalist for Vice Magazine, Oobah Butler, who managed to rank his restaurant as the best in London only using Seduction Marketing. A Restaurant that was 100% fake.

Butler began to advertise online his own garden shed as if it was a fancy secret restaurant. He structured the launch very well: he asked tons of friends to post authentic-like reviews on TripAdvisor and created a stunning website with an intriguing menu (“instead of meals, our menu is comprised of moods. You choose which fits your day, and our Chef interprets that”). Because he listed it as “by-appointment-only”, there was no need for an address.

Everything was a mock. But the online community took it pretty seriously. The photos were showing picturesque, delicious meals that were actually made of industrial colourants, motor oil, plastic, glue and shaving foam. But they looked great.

Seduction Marketing focuses on the whole experience.

Needless to say, in a brief time, his imaginary restaurant jumped to the top of TripAdvisor rankings, and next, the phone was on fire. He would receive calls like “I’ve heard so much about your restaurant… I know it’s a long shot, as you get booked up so quickly, but I don’t suppose you have a table tonight?”. Funnily enough, he would always have to say that the restaurant (the shed in his garden) was fully booked for the night.

Consequently, people would start to book months ahead. Predictably, things became more intense: companies would start to send him free samples, people their resumes and even the local Council proposed a new location for his exclusive restaurant into their newly developed site – every restaurateur’s dream indeed.  However, due to the extreme success of “The Shed at Dulwich”, Butler felt obliged to actually open the doors to customers, at least for one night. With the help of some friends, he managed to serve a few people (asked to put on blindfolds to go through the house into the backyard) with $1.00 ready meals. Surprisingly, he received some good feedback.

Obviously, this article is not about fake products or services. Our aim is to explain to you how Seduction Marketing Strategies are customer-focused and therefore have a stronger impact with less effort. Butler created an effective communication strategy that fulfilled the longing of many Londoners for something different. The Strategy appealed to their inner need of being intrigued, overcome boredom and belong to something exclusive. If there is anything that we can take from Butler’s story, indeed, is that nowadays people are really looking for a full experience, rather than just the product or service itself. And nevertheless, the power of SEO in generating leads must not be underestimated.

Popularity is perceived as trustworthy

Advertising is a marketing practice as ancient as trading. Indeed, advertere in Latin means “to turn towards”. Early models of “ads” (intended as promotional messages) go back to the old Egyptian time, as well as the Roman Empire. Advertising has now evolved into a much more sophisticated tool, thanks to data analysis and psychology. However, the objective is still the same: to turn an audience towards your Business. Meaning, to interest them enough to go on a date with your Brand (and hopefully even marry it).

On the other hand, the audience has become more sophisticated too. People are aware that advertising can be deceiving. They are bombarded with more than three thousand marketing messages every twenty-four and you cannot blame them to be wary of Outbound Marketing Strategies. Outbound Marketing principles differ from Inbound Marketing in many ways, but one above all is that Outbound Marketing fails in being seductive first.

We would not appreciate a stranger repeatedly harassing us to go on a date, right? Actually, we would most likely call it “stalking”. That is why Inbound Marketing Strategies avoid forcing the audience attention and rather aim to naturally interest them by focusing on their real needs. One of those needs, for instance, is trust. People fear being lied to and disappointed. When they see a billboard saying “the best tires you will ever find” they do not necessarily trust it is true. That is precisely why testimonials, popularity and customer-focused communication are better Seduction Marketing Strategies than sales messages that are perceived as a pushy and one-way type of communication.

Attraction follows true value.

Seduction Marketing Strategies are based on understanding your targeted audience and try to connect with them on a genuine level. To do so, it is important to show your value first – before even trying to acquire a potential Customer. You are not the Hero in your Brand’s story: you are the good guy who helps the hero (your prospect) to achieve his goal – that be finding a reliable builder, a pet shop that sells healthy food, an original gift for a special person.

Times when you only needed a shop-front to succeed are in the past. Nowadays you need to have an active role in your audience’s story by proving that you deserve it first. And Seduction Marketing is your way to earn that position. Essential guidelines you can follow are:

1. Create an Effective Branding Strategy: make sure you are shifting the focus from your Business to your audience’s best interests. For instance, instead of presenting yourself as “An award-winner Builder” you can say “We build customised spaces for ever-lasting memories”. The ultimate goal and the feeling of having achieved it, is the the real motivation behind people’s actions.
2. Increase your online authority: alongside having your SEO practices in order, you (or your staff) should consistently engage prospects by sharing knowledge that is relevant within your Industry. Writing a SEO optimised Blog, participating to Podcast, being helpful and active on your Social Media Pages are all great ways to increase your Brand Awareness and popularity. You do not have to convince people you are an expert on your field, you got to show them in a practical way.
3. Build a network of raving fans: by wowing your Customers with a mind-blowing service you will create an incentive for your happy customers to write Google reviews and testimonials for your Website. Positive reviews are extremely important for people to trust you more easily, so make sure you are going on a great first date with each of your Customers. You could offer a refund policy, you could offer a “new customer” deal, or a gift to thank them for doing business with you. Whatever is your Seduction Strategy for Customer Service, make sure you politely ask for a review – as not every person is aware of how helpful it is.
4. Gain Publicity: there are many ways you can obtain free publicity but all of them require you to do something kind for the public. For instance, if you are a local Builder, you could offer a Public School to build a covered are to allow kids to play outdoor on a rainy day.
5. Take good care of your Website. This is one of the most important aspects and yet one of the most overlooked. If your website is old-school, overcomplicated, disorganised and poorly built, there is no advertising that will save your sales performances. Website Usability is now one of the most important factors for SEO and also for the Customer’s choice about giving you a chance or not. If you were going to go into a single bar to meet someone new, would you show up without having a shower, dishevelled, in your PJs and perhaps, so drunk you can’t even talk? Probably not. So is the same for your Website. If you want to make sure your Website is giving a good first impression you could ask us to review it for free.
6. Invest in effective Copywriting and great Photography. Your prospect might find you by word of mouth or via pay-per-click, but they will still look into your Website and Social Media while deciding if contacting your Business or not. If your communication is not interesting enough and your imagery is not attractive you will be taken less seriously. If you are also concern about these two aspects, you could book a free consultation to discuss them with us.

A data-driven and holistic approach to take Seduction Marketing to the next level

We understand that Marketing can seem like lots of work. And it really is. Like Chess, it is a combination of effective tactics designed to fulfil a broader strategy. Algorithms and AI software have simplified the choice of those tactics thanks to the enormity of data we have easy access to. And yet, you need the chess-player, the Marketing Specialists, to coordinate and measure the system of tactics with an holistic approach – in order to win the final game.

We are a data-driven, full-service Marketing Agency updated with trends and changes within the Industry. We feature a great Team of professionals that can cover each aspect of the Marketing spectrum – from Digital Marketing to Branding and Creative. If you wish to find out more about the benefits of having us taking care of your Business Growth, feel free to get in touch anytime.