We all know that the key to effective marketing is creating a message that speaks directly to the needs and wants of your target audience. But what happens when you interrupt them? In this case, it’s not good.
When you interrupt your audience on Facebook or Twitter with a bad message, they will unfriend you or stop following your updates altogether — even if they’re fans of yours.
However, if you disrupt their day in a positive way by creating content they can consume quickly when they’re busy or distracted by other things (e.g., driving), then suddenly you’ve got their attention again!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| – Interruption marketing may not yield the desired results due to its intrusive nature. |
| – Consumers often find interruptive ads annoying and may actively avoid them. |
| – Content marketing offers a more engaging and customer-centric alternative. |
| – Building relationships through permission-based marketing can lead to better outcomes. |
| – Understanding audience preferences and behaviors is crucial for effective marketing strategies. |
1. Don’t Interrupt Your Audience With A Bad Message
It’s important to note that interruption marketing doesn’t work the way you think it does. The research cited above found that people were less likely to remember ads they’ve been interrupted with, and they were more likely to dislike the brand being advertised.
This makes sense: When you’re pushed out of your content consumption flow, it really ruins your experience. You don’t want to be thinking about anything but your current task (whether it’s reading an article or playing a game).
So any interruption comes as an unwanted distraction and this is especially true if what you’re reading is related to something you care about personally.
When considering whether or not an ad will resonate with its audience, marketers should ask themselves these questions: Does this message match what my target audience cares about? Is this good for them?
Will they feel like someone cares about them because of this message? If the answer is no or maybe only sometimes, then we probably shouldn’t bother sending it out at all interruption marketing doesn’t work well in those cases!
While some might argue that content marketing is losing its impact, our article on the death and rebirth of content marketing provides valuable insights into how this strategy continues to evolve.
2. Interrupt Them On The Right Channel
Interrupting someone on the wrong channel is a surefire way to make them hate you and never buy anything from you, even if your product is 100% amazing and beautiful and their life will literally be transformed once they’ve tried it.
If you interrupt someone on social media, for example, with an email about a sale or a product launch or anything else that isn’t relevant to their current situation (such as maybe they just posted something about how much they love hiking), they’re going to view this as spammy nonsense.
This means that not only will they not engage with your message (and thus miss out on whatever awesome thing you were planning on selling them), but it also gives them negative associations with your brand.
And those negative emotions are often more powerful than any rational thoughts about whether or not your product really is worth buying!
When deciding which mediums are best suited for delivering your message to an audience, there are various factors at play: firstly, the type of content being delivered; secondly, who exactly needs to receive it; thirdly and most importantly though.
Whether or not doing so makes sense within context of given scenario at time point when user might be receptive towards receiving such information in first place!
3. Be Polite When You Interrupt Them
Like I mentioned above, most people don’t like being interrupted at work. Because of this, it’s important to be tactful when sending your message and make sure that it doesn’t come across as pushy or rude. Don’t send an email if you could call them instead (and vice versa).
And if you do decide to send an email about a meeting invite or other business request, try including some background information so they can get excited about the idea before asking them to commit their time or attention!
You should also keep in mind that not everyone has the same sense of urgency some people will take longer than others to respond back because they aren’t as excited about what’s happening right now as others might be.
It’s always best practice these days for businesses (or individuals!) who want help from others outside their own organizations in order not only to avoid making anyone feel upset by not responding fast enough.
But also avoid wasting time waiting on responses that might never come after all due its nature as being asynchronous communication mediums such as email messages sent with no guarantee they’ll ever reach their intended destination unless someone clicks “Send” first.”
Exploring the nuances of marketing strategies, our discussion on welcoming interruption marketing sheds light on its potential benefits in certain contexts.
4. Let Your Audience Control The Conversation
Make it easy for your audience to respond. The more steps your recipient has to take in order to respond, the less likely they are to do so. This means:
Don’t force them to respond (or don’t make them feel bad if they don’t). If they don’t have time right now, or can’t be bothered with you and your request, respect their boundaries and let them get back on track with their day.
Don’t interrupt again if they don’t respond (or make them feel pressured). While being able to communicate with an audience is great and can lead to some truly amazing interactions.
It’s important not to abuse that power by making people feel as though they owe you something simply because you reached out first.
5. Consider Recipients’ Needs And Wants, Not Just Your Own Agenda
There are many ways to do this, but here are a few tips:
Ask yourself if the message is relevant to the audience you’re sending it to. If you’re trying to sell something, does the recipient have any reason to buy from you? Are they likely to trust and respect your opinion? Are they even interested in what you’re selling?
Consider how long or short your message should be. In general, shorter messages are better than longer ones (especially when it comes to email open rates).
But if there’s something important that needs explaining or sharing, then by all means write longer emails! Just make sure no one’s going crazy waiting for replies if someone doesn’t respond immediately or ever!
Looking to expand your marketing efforts through emails? Our guide on the 12-step process for outbound email marketing provides a comprehensive roadmap to get you started.
6. Honor Their Time And Attention, Not Just Yours
If you want to capture the attention of your audience, you’ll need to give them the right amount of time and attention. So how much time should you spend on your emails?
If they are busy or distracted, don’t interrupt them. A good rule of thumb is that if they’re in a meeting, or if they just got out of one.
Don’t send an email until at least half an hour after the meeting ended even if you have something important to say. And if there’s no urgent reason for sending it then don’t bother!
7. Create Content They Can Consume Quickly When They’re Busy Or Distracted
Now that you’re a pro at knowing your audience, you can use that knowledge to create content they can consume quickly when they’re busy or distracted.
How much time do they have? How much attention do they have? These are two questions you should ask yourself before creating any kind of content.
Do not assume that everyone has the same amount of time and attention as you do. You might have time to read an article in-depth or watch an entire video, but many other people don’t.
What are they doing at the moment? If someone is on their phone while riding on a train, it’s unlikely that they’ll stop what they’re doing to read your blog post even if it’s excellent!
It’s always better to write something short and sweet if users are trying to multitask while browsing online (e.g., work email).
What are their thoughts right now? If someone is feeling emotional about something important in their life (like losing a loved one).
There’s no way for them to focus on reading about how new data analytics tools can help marketers run experiments more efficiently without getting distracted by their own emotions first!
Instead of forcing yourself into someone else’s headspace, try taking into account what’s going on inside theirs instead.
You may realize this person could benefit from having some extra space and quiet after experiencing such an intense event in her own life because she needs some time alone with herself before starting anything else up again (including reading an article!).
8. Ask Your Audience How They Want To Be Interrupted, If At All
Asking your audience how they prefer to be interrupted is a simple way to get them involved. You’ll learn what they like and dislike, which will help you create better marketing campaigns in the future.
This also helps build trust because your audience knows that they have some control over the amount of interruptions they receive from you as well as how often those interruptions happen.
The more people feel like their opinions matter, the more likely they are going to stick around (and buy from) you in the future!
SEO isn’t the only way to attract traffic. Discover alternative methods in our article on generating organic traffic without SEO and explore strategies to diversify your traffic sources.
9. Provide A Simple, Direct Way For Them To Opt-Out Quickly And Easily If You Do Interrupt Them
Make it easy for your customers to get out of your interaction with them, regardless of whether they are in the middle of something else when you call or email. If you call someone who is on their way to work, many will give up their full attention just because they know it’ll be over soon;
But if that person has time on their hands and isn’t expecting an interruption, then simply saying “I’m sorry” and ending the conversation can feel awkward. A better solution is simply giving them an option:
“If this isn’t a good time…” If they say yes, then move on with apologies; if no and most likely there will be some kind of yes-no question involved.
Then allow them to opt-out immediately by saying something like: “Great! Let me make sure we’re not interrupting anything important.”
10. Stop Bombarding Them With Ads Or Any Other Messages After They Go Offline, Even If Only Briefly
Stop bombarding them with ads or any other messages after they go offline, even if only briefly. You’re probably tempted to follow up your sales pitch with a discount offer or special promotion for people who sign up for your email list in the next 24 hours.
But remember: you don’t know what happened before they left, so there’s no way of knowing if this approach will work on them right now.
Instead, focus on building trust and establishing yourself as an authority. Send quality content that makes their lives easier instead of just trying to sell them something by any means necessary!
11. Follow This Rule Of Thumb Before You Send Any Message To Your Audience
The last idea is a rule of thumb that you should always keep in mind before sending any message to your audience: if I were living their lives, would I want me to interrupt me?
Think about it if someone interrupted you with an ad for airline tickets when you’re trying to plan a vacation, wouldn’t it be annoying?
If an email from Amazon appeared in your inbox while you were browsing for books on your phone, wouldn’t it be frustrating to have them push themselves into the middle of what you’re doing?
The same goes for every other interruption marketing tactic if someone interrupts us during our most important tasks or activities (while we’re working or enjoying time with friends), then we resent them for interrupting us.
12 Do Everything You Can To Ensure That The Entire Message Is Received In Its Entirety Every Time It’s Shared
With interruption marketing, you’re trying to catch people’s attention as they move through the digital landscape.
But when you’re interrupted by a message, it’s easy for your brain to go into “fight or flight” mode and get distracted from whatever task you were working on before. You might even feel annoyed or angry with the interruption.
As a result, interruption marketing is more likely to just be ignored than acted upon. This can lead marketers to conclude that their efforts are ineffective at best, but it also means they’ve overlooked an important piece of how human behavior works:
We don’t think about every single thing we read while we’re reading it (or hearing it). We prioritize tasks based on what feels most urgent right then and there and often that means quickly skimming over content to get back where we were before being interrupted.
13 Make Sure That Every Element Of Your Message Is Easy To Understand, No Matter Who Reads It (Such As An Executive Assistant)
You may think you’re clever for using phrases like “the best time to market,” but when someone has to decode this sentence and make sense of it, they have less room in their brain for the actual message.
Studies have shown that people can process only about 7 pieces of information at once
and if you go over that number by too much, your audience will get confused and tune out. To ensure that everyone gets what you’re trying to say as quickly and easily as possible, avoid jargon wherever possible. Instead:
- Use relatable examples instead of high-level concepts when explaining new ideas or products
- Use short sentences with simple words so they don’t stop reading halfway through due to confusion
In the ever-changing landscape of marketing, our exploration of online marketing’s transformation into inbound marketing provides valuable insights into the shift towards customer-centric strategies.
Conclusion
We’re all guilty of interrupting, but it’s not the right way to build engagement. Instead of interrupting people with more information, try asking them a question instead.
By showing interest in what your audience cares about and listening to them, you’ll be able to create deeper connections that lead to increased ROI for your business.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on the topic of interruption marketing and its drawbacks:
Shortform Blog: The Downside of Interruption Marketing Short description: Explore the challenges and limitations of interruption marketing in this insightful blog post.
Splitpixel Blog: Why Interruption Marketing Doesn’t Work Short description: Delve into the reasons behind the ineffectiveness of interruption marketing and discover alternative approaches.
Upside Business Blog: Content Marketing vs. Interruptive Marketing Short description: Learn why content marketing often outperforms interruptive marketing and how it can contribute to your business success.
FAQs
What is interruption marketing?
Interruption marketing refers to a marketing strategy that disrupts a consumer’s current activity to deliver promotional messages, such as pop-up ads or cold calls.
Why doesn’t interruption marketing work effectively?
Interruption marketing can be intrusive and may create a negative user experience, leading to reduced engagement and conversions.
How does content marketing differ from interruption marketing?
Content marketing focuses on creating valuable and relevant content to attract and engage an audience, whereas interruption marketing relies on interrupting the audience’s activities with promotional messages.
What are the drawbacks of interruptive marketing?
Interruptive marketing can lead to audience annoyance, increased use of ad-blockers, and a decline in brand perception due to the disruptive nature of the strategy.
What are some alternatives to interruption marketing?
Alternatives to interruption marketing include inbound marketing, where content is designed to attract interested prospects, and permission-based marketing, where consumers opt in to receive marketing messages.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.