Nathan Yerian
Tonight we'll be witnessing another GOP presidential debate as we close in on the primaries. Whether you like him or not, the infamous and ever-controversial Mr. Trump will again attempt to embolden his base and win support with his unorthodox marketing approach.
Love him or hate him, you have to admit that from a marketing perspective, he has been very successful. Trump has managed to stay in the lead of the political campaign with little expenditures compared to his counterparts all by being, well, Donald.
How did he get to the top of a race to become the most powerful man in the free world? For all of “The Donald’s” seemingly out of control behavior, there is a strategy behind his apparent madness that is in a way, brilliant and (within reason) could be applied to increase the sucess of your inbound marketing strategy:
1. Know Your Audience
What makes the Donald Trump campaign successful? The man knows his audience. If you know who you want to attract, the rest of your inbound marketing strategy will align itself towards success.
Know your buyer personas, and by this, not who you think they are but who they actually are. Who's buying your products, or services? Profiling these personas will allow you to determine who they are, what is important to them and how you specificallly can help them. Truelly understanding them will allow you to continually align your offering to their needs. Trump knows who his voting base is and and it has allowed him to create strategies that have drastically increased his success.
2. Speak The Language Of Your Audience
If you know your audience well, you'll know how to start the conversation, what to say, and how to keep their attention. This is exactly what Mr. Trump does to get and keep the attention of his would-be voters.
One of the biggest mistakes businesses succumb to is speaking in industry jargon as opposed to speaking in the audience's voice and tone, and discussing what matters to them. If you want to forge a lasting connection, you have to communicate clearly and effectively. If you want to lead, you have to immerse yourself in the language of your followers. All the content you produce is useless unless it's shaking and moving your audience's minds.
Donald Trump grew up as the son of a rich man. He does not have a great deal in common with most of his most ardent voter base, but he knows how to speak their language. Donald Trump understands that his voting base is worried about immigrants, worried that someone will come for their guns, and worried that they are being squeezed out of their jobs and their neighborhoods. He talks about what matters to them in their own sentiments, and in return they listen, intently.
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Stir The Pot
How's your content looking lately? A little gray? A little bland? Well, maybe it's time to Trump it up a little. The Donald is not afraid to stir the pot. What happens when he makes a controversial claim? He gets free press, and in his current business of running for office, press and publicity are what the game is all about.
Talk about the controversial, the unknowns, the hypotheticals, the ridiculous, the enchanting. As an industry leader, do not be afraid to stir the pot, but remember: You are not Donald Trump. You can go a step too far; lose the faith of clients, and never get that back. Stirring the pot is acceptable, as long as you know what you’re doing, you can back up what you're saying, you can respond politely and thoroughly when confronted with questions or comments, and you don’t cross the line.
4. Differentiate Your Brand
Have you heard one of the talking heads on television try to explain the difference between Donald Trump and some of his competitors? They cannot really do it. As far as most ideology goes, Trump has the same views on most topics as several other people running for office. What makes him different? His approach, his voice, his attitude. In short, his brand.
In a sea of aspiring presidential candidates with the same voter base, Donald Trump is definitely standing out. Whether in a good or bad way, he has definitely set himself apart. Now, it's not wise to pursue differentiation in business by standing out in a bad way, but do aspire to be different. What makes you different from your competitors? Is it the way you engage with your clients, your process, your message, or your past success stories? Find something that makes you stand out and don't just fade in the background because you blend in too much. Be different. Be memorable.
5. Be Bold
We can all agree Trump has been, well, pretty bold. He has said one thing after another that if most of us said them would be considered a gaffe, or worse.
Take risks and be confident. Believe in your service and your product and take big steps to make everyone else feel the same about them. Keeping your head down and simply doing your job is not enough. Get a better site, a better marketing strategy, come up with campaigns that haven't been done before. Great leaders take big leaps. Take a chance and reap the rewards.
Before trying to apply lessons learned from Trump's brand and campaign, let's make these things clear first:
1. Donald Trump is a political candidate selling himself as a brand, and you are an industry leader representing your business.
On that note, unlike Mr. Trump, you cannot just fire away with personal sentiments. Giving your brand, your content, or your approach so-called "personality" is different from voicing your personal opinion carelessly. Be exciting and daring, but by George, don't be reckless. There's a difference there.
2. Do your research.
Politics and many (many, many, many) politicians other than Mr. Trump thrive on sensationalism. While they can get away with it, you cannot. If you want to climb the top of your industry and become a thought leader, you have to back your claims with facts. The shock factor only works in business if there is actually something to what you are saying. Other than that, you're toast. Remember, it's a dog eat dog world out there. Do your research diligently to impress, to lead, and to be remembered.
3. Yeaaaaaaaah, it's not a good idea to be blatantly offensive.
Say this with me, "I am a business leader, not a politician." Good. Keep that in mind. Unlike politicians who MUST, and tend to, appeal to an audience that is buying the rhetoric, your target market is buying the service, the product, and the brand. That's it. Do not alienate your audience by being offensive. Be bold, but do not (at any cost) be nonsensical.
Whether you like Donald Trump or not, there is a lot to learn from his style: It is important to stand for something, know your audience, and speak your mind. Learn from the brilliant oddity that is the Trump campaign and see what you can apply to the marketing of your business.
