Yesterday I posted on Twitter looking for designers to partner up with.
I got some interest and messages from some good, some other not so good designers.
One in particular managed to stand out – the wrong way.
What did he do wrong?
He violated one of the most important principles I always consider in my own marketing, but also in any copywriting project.
See, after I posted that tweet, a lot of people commented on it or sent me a DM (like I’ve suggested in the comments).
These were the good ones. The ones who followed the “rules of engagement”.
What the guy did instead, was to flood me with messages – in the wrong places.
After he saw my tweet, apparently he thought it would have been a great idea to reach out:
– Commenting on the tweet
– Sending me a DM on twitter (before I even replied to his comment)
– Via email
– On Instagram DMs
Huge red flag, no no.
For a couple of reasons:
- 1. He immediately signalled his neediness (aka “I have no clients”)
- 2. He violated my “personal” spaces and boundaries
- 3. He assumed I’d be ok with getting the same message on all my platforms, which means he thinks I don’t have anything better to do.
if you can only do one thing right in your messaging and marketing, is to meet your prospects where they are.
This is more complex than just keeping the communication on the medium they choose (which this guy managed to skimp on too).
It’s also about their expectations, their mental models, their sophistication, intent and awareness level.
These are all components that should make up your target persona.
Not their location, interests, age or gender (important but not crucial).
But all the subtle nuances that tell you in which state they’re in and what kind of decision makers they are.
If you don’t want your potential customers to dismiss you as fast as I’ve dismissed this guy, study this stuff.
I do it every day for my SaaS and eCommerce clients. Let’s talk.
