Stupid marketers
Many may have seen an advertising text in which stupid marketers offer a discount or a gift on the first order. Giving something free is the easiest thing to do. But if there is no self-sustaining sales funnel, then it’s all useless.
Tripwire offer from Matto’s Coffee Shop.
I always and with great pleasure take advantage of such offers.
For two reasons:
- It’s really good to get something for free.
- Review the sales funnel.
Sometimes when you take advantage of a free offer, nothing happens. Nothing at all. And that surprises me.
I recommend subscribing to email newsletters from multiple email accounts. To analyze welcome and trigger series of emails.
It’s fine if a client list is being collected. But if there is no instant interaction, then consider that the money for “gifts” is wasted. Work with the base immediately after you sign up. After a few days, weeks, and even more so after months, it will be too late.
Stupid vs. other marketers
I will tell you about the coffee business in New York.
Bluestone Lane Coffee Shop.
Usually it goes like this: you see an ad, install the mobile app, and use the free offer as a gift for new users.
As I was writing, I felt bad about it. I went back and bought coffee from them. Now they no longer give $5 for the first order – and rightly so!
- Stupid marketing. Installed the app, but they asked me to link my card to get the $5 bonus. I didn’t get any email marketing, SMS, social networking. Nothing. Except for the free coffee, of course. And I never went back.
- Other marketing. It’s the same: $5 for installing the app. But there’s a regular email newsletter and a referral system: invite a friend and get $5.
They’ve got it that I love flat-white and they send me a $1 off discount every Friday.
When I don’t show up for a long time — they send me another $5 bonus. Considering they don’t sell coffee for less than $5, I guess it pays off for them.
Email newsletter from Bluestone Lane Coffee Shop.
Conclusion
You can’t mindlessly give something away for free without a clear understanding of the next step. You need to build a sales funnel, calculate unit economics and understand how much one customer brings on average for the time he uses the product or service.
Otherwise, thanks to a stupid marketer such a business will soon be closed.