All these discussions about fake news drive me crazy: gaslighting,false news no matter what we call it, we never know exactly what we will see when we follow a link.
Marketers have long been accused of spreading fake messages, even if nobody called them that. We have been accused of adding spin, exaggerating the truth and manipulating history to make it more convincing. Some have even been accused of inventing all kinds of things.
Of course, it is our job as marketers to present our brands in the best possible light. In this way we attract customers and sell products or services. But here is the decisive point; the stories we tell, as well as the goods and services themselves, should bring real benefits to end users.
I would like to believe that most marketers take this role seriously and communicate openly and honestly. But the truth is that sometimes we get carried away. The key to success is not to get carried away by the latest marketing tactics. Here are some suggestions that will help you avoid falling for the madness and maintain the balance.
Don’t get too aggressive with your competitors
Working continuously to achieve better results than our competitors can lead us to an impasse. When we get too aggressive, we move away from our brand and from what it really represents and what it does.
Of course, it is important to monitor competition. If they really have any advantage, we need to create a level playing field through innovations that improve our products or services. Dialogue that improves the sound of our brand does not eliminate the root cause of the problem.
Do not respond to social networking sites for the sake of responding!
Social media can lead unintended results. The problem is that it can quickly lead us to places we shouldn’t go near. When we are driven out of our comfort zone, we either grow up or engage in a fight.
Staying true to your brand with every post and comment can help us stay away from false messages. Remembering when we respond to other people’s comments is particularly useful.
Developing a social media engagement plan that fits our brands will help us get on the right track, and always staying on message.
Do not remain silent.
We live in a world where marketing is crucial to the success of any entity. Our clients have the opportunity to Evaluate, criticize and make comments on our products and services. Although most of this information is targeted and can help us improve our offerings, some critical remarks can be very negative or positive.
If we see others exaggerating the truth in order to generate false information about our brands, we must solve the problem. If someone exaggerates what a brand is capable of, the inability to establish the truth is a passive approval. This gives legitimacy to the idea.
False news is false, regardless of its source. In fact, the situation may be even worse, when these news originate from someone else. Sources outside our organization speak with hidden objectivity. If we want to remain honest in our brand image, we should consider it our job to objectively correct half-truths and honest lies.
This is the final thought about our journey through an increasingly complex world: after all, if we are open and honest in our work and in the solutions we propose, we will come a long way. Our customers will appreciate it. And our subscribers will become even more loyal to the exchange of content and recommendations from our brands.
