Interruption marketing is an old concept, but it’s timeless. After all, that’s why we even have billboards and TV commercials in the first place! Interruption marketing is any kind of marketing that interrupts someone’s normal routine or habitual behavior.
It can take many forms: from a pop-up ad on your computer to a billboard on the highway; from trying to get someone’s attention at a conference by shouting (and being disruptive) to sending snail mail letters;
From advertising at lavish events like conferences or concerts to putting up signs directly in front of customers’ homes (or on their doorsteps).
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand the concept of interruption marketing and its goals. |
| 2. Learn about effective techniques for grabbing audience attention. |
| 3. Explore how interruption marketing can complement other strategies. |
| 4. Discover ways to create engaging and valuable interruptive content. |
| 5. Consider the ethical and user-centric aspects of interruption. |
| 6. Implement strategies to measure the success of interruption ads. |
| 7. Balance interruption marketing with user experience and preferences. |
| 8. Stay updated on industry trends and adapt your approach accordingly. |
| 9. Utilize segmentation and targeting to improve interruption efforts. |
| 10. Take inspiration from successful interruption marketing campaigns. |
What Is Interruption Marketing?
Interruption marketing is advertising that interrupts your audience as they go about their daily lives. It’s a way to get your message in front of people and make your brand memorable.
Interruption marketing has been around for a long time, since the 1930s when companies like Coca-Cola began using billboards and radio commercials as a means to reach potential customers.
In the past decade or so, interruption marketing has become even more prevalent with companies using digital ads on TV, smartphones, and social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat to get their products directly into consumers’ hands through live video streams.
Or pre-roll video ads that automatically start playing at specific times during certain shows (think Hulu).
Building effective communication skills is essential for any business. If you’re looking to master the art of reaching out to potential clients, check out our guide on Cold Calling 101. Learn how to initiate conversations and create lasting impressions.
Before Starting – Settle On Your Objectives
Before starting on an interruption marketing campaign, you’ll want to figure out what your goals are. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
What do I hope to achieve with this campaign? Will it help my business grow? Will it improve my company culture? Or will it be something else entirely?
Who is my target audience for this campaign and how does it fit into our overall strategy as a company or organization? Are there specific types of people that we want to reach or engage with in order to achieve our goal(s)?
How much money can I spend on the campaign without crippling our budget or causing harm elsewhere in the company (if applicable)? Once again if applicable you may have other factors affecting this decision (like whether or not you have time constraints).
Once these questions have been answered, you should have a solid understanding of what type of interruption marketing is right for your objectives.
Create A Landing Page That Converts
Now that you know how to get your audience’s attention and capture their interest, it’s time to convert them into leads. The best way to do this is by creating a landing page (also known as a conversion page).
A landing page is a web page that serves as the final destination for visitors who click on your ads or social media posts.
To convert potential customers into sales, you need all the right tools in place: an effective call-to-action button, a clear message about why they should click that button now, and even an incentive or discount if possible (more on those later!).
A good rule of thumb when it comes to writing content for your landing pages: keep it short and sweet.
People tend not to want to read long blocks of text and especially not when there’s some kind of sales pitch at stake!
Make sure your landing pages are easy enough for people who aren’t used to reading online copy yet still compelling enough so they’ll take action without being tempted away by something else online (like another website).
Successful cold calling requires a strategic approach. Discover the techniques that can make your calls more effective by reading about Cold Calling Is an Art. Learn from the masters and apply their methods to your marketing strategy.
Choose Where You Will Interrupt
Interruption marketing is all about making a statement and being bold. That means you need to choose your interruptions wisely. You may be wondering how to decide which calls, emails and texts are right for interruption marketing campaigns when there are so many options out there.
Two main factors should be considered when deciding on the best place to send your message: where it will be seen and what makes sense with your message or brand.
For example, if you’re promoting a new service but only have room on Twitter for one call-to-action button (CTA).
Then the CTA button should probably go on Twitter rather than LinkedIn because people who follow brands on Twitter tend not to be as familiar with the social network as those who follow them on LinkedIn.
A more formal audience might respond better at first glance in some cases but remember that interrupting someone’s day could get their attention away from something else they were doing if they don’t know what’s happening right away!
Do NOT Interrupt Without Permission (And An Opt-Out Option!)
Interrupting someone is a lot like trying to have a conversation with someone while they’re on their phone.
You may have something interesting to say, but if they aren’t paying attention, it won’t matter. Instead of interrupting and hoping that your message will reach the intended audience, try asking for permission first.
Many people will tell you that the best way to ask for permission is by using an opt-in box or check box at the end of your email form but this isn’t always true.
You see, some people won’t check boxes and others don’t know what they’re agreeing to when they do check one!
The key here is giving users an easy way out if they don’t want your content anymore; otherwise, you’ll be hanging onto subscribers who just want off your list (and rightfully so).
Interested in making your cold calls more impactful? Dive into the strategies outlined in The Secret to Cold Calling. Unlock the secrets behind connecting with prospects and turning conversations into opportunities.
Create A Readers Profile Ahead Of Time
Create a Readers Profile.
The first step in any successful campaign is knowing your audience, and you can’t do that until you know who they are. To create a reader’s profile, think about what your target audience has in common: their demographics?
Job title? Income level? What sort of problems do they face day-to-day that could be solved by the product or service you offer?
Once we have this information, it will help us to better understand what they need from our business and what they may not realize yet but will appreciate once we show them how it could benefit them.*
Don’t Be Pushy With Your Marketing Message
To avoid being pushy with your marketing message, you’ll have to think about the way you present it.
Don’t be too aggressive; don’t be too insistent; don’t be too persistent, and don’t be demanding. Don’t forward your salespeople on to the client unless they ask for it and even then, only if they truly need help making a decision or figuring out how to use what they bought from you.
It’s also important not to force anything on them. If someone doesn’t want something right away (or ever), let them go! We’re trying our best here: we’ll keep pushing until we get what we want or die trying!
Choose Your Words Carefully (And Avoid The Wrong Ones!)
Choose your words carefully. A good way to do this is by using the example below:
You should try and choose words that resonate with your audience, are relevant to them, and avoid using words that don’t seem like they would be relevant or interesting.
If you want to use a technical term, make sure it’s explained clearly in the sentence so people know what it means (without adding more jargon).
It also helps if it has some kind of emotional connection with people so as not to appear too “dry”/academic. The same goes for casual terminology don’t go overboard! Keep things simple when possible but don’t be afraid of being creative!
Don’t forget about vagueness vs specificity either; if something is too vague then anyone can interpret it.
However, they want specificity allows readers/listeners an understanding beyond just surface-level information since there’s more context available without having to make assumptions themselves.
Exploring the boundaries of traditional marketing methods? Check out our insights on Why PR and Marketing Should Never Meet. Understand the differences and synergies between these two crucial aspects of business promotion.
Format Matters, So Use Words And Images To Their Best Advantage
To maximize the effectiveness of an interruption, you’ll want to use photos, words, and formatting that help your message come through loud and clear.
First things first: images. Whether you’re posting a 30-second video or writing a blog post about your industry’s latest innovations, images are essential for helping readers understand what they’re reading but they can also do much more than that.
They can also help convey emotion (think puppies) or give context (images of products in use).
And since visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared than written content on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, including an image in your interruption marketing campaign may increase its reach among different audiences online.
Next up: words! Of course, there’s no substitute for good writing when it comes to grabbing people’s attention online but luckily for us all.
There are plenty of ways we can make our messages easier for potential consumers to digest without sacrificing quality or creativity along the way.
For example: using headers (headings), bullet points (bullet points), subheadings (subheadings), callouts and other calls-to-action (CTAs) etcetera ad nauseam…
Tell The Reader What To Do Next!
If you want to see your message delivered to the right reader, it’s important to tell them what to do next.
The instructions should be clear, concise, and easy to follow. Without an actionable call-to-action (CTA), your audience might forget about the email or forget that they even opened a campaign from you.
One way to make sure your CTA is effective is by creating an effective landing page where visitors can learn more about your product or service. A landing page should get permission before interrupting readers with ads.
This means you’ll have consent on file in case someone complains later about being spammed.
Make sure that the visitor has a clear idea of what they’re signing up for before asking them any personal information: if they don’t understand why they need it, they’ll probably just leave without ever entering their name and email address into a form field!
Experiment With Different Length Copy To Find What Works Best For You
Now that you know the basics of interruption marketing, it’s time to experiment with different lengths of copy to see what works best for you.
A short copy is great for quick reads and mobile viewing, but a long copy can be used for in-depth information or desktop viewing.
Short copy is best suited for social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter because they don’t allow people to scroll through lengthy posts very easily (and most people will just collapse them).
Longer content is better suited for email campaigns because most email readers have a scrolling function built in that allows users to read one line of text at a time without clicking on the next line before finishing the previous one (a feature found on Gmail and Outlook).
Once you find out which type of content performs best according to your audience’s preferences, try experimenting with different lengths within each format until you get it right!
Use Other Types Of Media In Your Interruption Marketing Campaigns
One of the best ways to make sure your interruption marketing campaigns are effective is to use other forms of media. Email, social media, and other channels can be used in conjunction with interruptions for extended reach and engagement.
Social media is great for sharing content directly from an interruption and driving traffic back to your website or landing page. Email can be used as a follow-up mechanism after someone interacts with one of your interruptions, giving you additional opportunities for engagement.
If you’re pressed for time or don’t have much experience managing digital communications, don’t worry! There are plenty of companies out there willing to assist you in putting together an effective interruption campaign that takes advantage of multiple forms of communication.
Cold calling can be challenging, but it holds the potential for great rewards. Gain valuable insights into this marketing strategy with The Brutal Truth About Cold Calling. Learn how to overcome obstacles and succeed in a competitive environment.
Try Everything Within Reason — Then Settle On What Works Best
It’s important to give each technique a shot before deciding on what works best for your business. You can always add or remove tactics later on, but it will be easier if you keep some of these in mind as you start:
Try everything within reason — then settle on what works best for your audience. For example, try different types of pop-up ads and determine which ones get the most clicks from your audience. Then use those ads more often and rotate them with other types that work well too.
Use what works best for your budget. If you want to run an ad campaign but don’t have a big budget available, try using interruption marketing tools like exit intent pop-ups instead of paid advertising options (like Google AdWords).
Exit intent pop-ups are free since they’re based on when users leave the page rather than being served up right away as typical ads would be!
They also allow potential customers time to decide whether or not they’re interested in buying anything before removing their attention completely by closing out the window entirely.”
Avoid Common Mistakes That Could Cost You Valuable Results!
We’ve all seen it happen: a brand decides to go with an interruption marketing campaign, only for the resulting content to be mediocre and ineffective. Why does this happen? It’s because too often brands don’t know how to approach their efforts in the right way.
When your goal is to interrupt people’s daily routine and get them thinking about your product, there are certain things you need to avoid so that your message can reach its full potential. Here are some common mistakes we see companies make when they’re first getting started:
Don’t be too pushy, if someone doesn’t want what you’re selling them, don’t force it down their throat! It may seem counterintuitive for a company like ours (which makes its living by helping other businesses promote their products).
But sometimes we have more success when we tell our clients less about what they should do than when we let them come up with ideas on their own.
If I had told my friend Dave about my idea of creating an interruptive ad campaign before he was ready for it, he never would have allowed me access into his life.
And now here we are! Don’t underestimate yourself or those around you; everyone has a value that can contribute towards making better content overall through collaboration rather than commandeering control over each other’s workflows (as long as everyone has been paid).
For example: If one person writes something that sounds great but another person feels like there needs more structure behind it before publication then maybe instead of writing off each other’s ideas due solely on preferences then maybe try collaborating.
There might just be something special hidden within both pieces
Consider Three Ways To Market Instead Of Just One Method Of Delivery!
To successfully market your product or service, you need to use multiple forms of media. You can’t just rely on one method like email marketing, because the consumer landscape is changing so quickly that you need to keep up with the times.
If your audience uses social media, then it makes sense to get on those platforms and engage with them there as well. If they read print newspapers or magazines, then by all means send out press releases about new developments in your company!
If they watch TV news shows like “60 Minutes” or “20/20″ during prime time hours (not recommended), then make sure that you have some kind of presence there too (but not too much you don’t want people getting sick of seeing your face).
And don’t forget about all those other ways people are connecting these days: mobile phones and apps; blogs; websites; social media pages; newsletters…the list goes on!
Even Though Interruption Marketing Is An Old Concept, It’s Still Effective
Interruption marketing is an old concept, and it’s not going anywhere. The only difference is that nowadays it’s easier to do. That doesn’t mean that interruption marketing isn’t effective anymore though; it’s still used by brands everywhere even if they don’t realize it.
For example, when you’re trying to find something on Google and then an ad appears for that product or service on your search results page, you’ve been interrupted by a brand that wants your attention (and money).
This can be annoying for people who don’t want their search results polluted with ads or for those who prefer a more “pure” experience of what Google has to offer to say.
Searching for information about a topic without any kind of advertising showing up on the page (or at least not so prominently).
However, those people are likely in the minority because Google has made its business model around interruption marketing: interrupting users as often as possible with ads they can use to make money off advertisers.
Conclusion
Interruption marketing is a very powerful tool, and if used correctly it can be a great way to get people’s attention.
But there are also many ways that it can backfire on you if you don’t know what you’re doing, so it’s important to do your research and plan before using this type of strategy.
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about how interruptions work, why they work well in some situations but not others, and what strategies are most effective when implementing them into your business model (and which ones aren’t!).
How much money should be invested into advertising campaigns with this type of approach; everything there is about using interrupters profitably for your business or product launch!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to further explore the topic of interruption marketing:
Interruption Marketing in Brick-and-Mortar Stores: Discover how interruption marketing strategies are employed in physical retail spaces to engage customers and drive sales.
The Power of Pattern Interrupt in Marketing: Learn about the effectiveness of using pattern interrupts in marketing campaigns to capture and maintain audience attention.
Exploring Interruption-Based Marketing Strategies: Delve into various interruption-based marketing approaches and their impact on audience engagement and brand recognition.
FAQs
What is interruption marketing?
Interruption marketing refers to a strategy that involves interrupting a consumer’s attention with promotional messages or advertisements, often without their explicit consent.
How does interruption marketing differ from inbound marketing?
Inbound marketing focuses on attracting potential customers through valuable content and organic engagement, while interruption marketing involves pushing promotional messages to audiences, often in a disruptive manner.
What are some examples of interruption marketing techniques?
Common interruption marketing techniques include TV and radio ads, pop-up advertisements, cold calling, and unsolicited email marketing.
Is interruption marketing still effective in the digital age?
While interruption marketing can still yield results, consumer preferences have shifted towards more personalized and non-disruptive approaches, making it essential to balance interruption tactics with value-driven content.
How can businesses mitigate the negative aspects of interruption marketing?
Businesses can enhance interruption marketing efforts by ensuring messages are relevant, targeting the right audience, and respecting user preferences through opt-out options and transparent data practices.
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.
