Sometimes in marketing, it’s very easy to get ahead of ourselves. We live in a world of hurry-up and wait or more likely wait and then hurry-up! We wait on budgets, executive decisions, compliance, etc. Then we get the green light and suddenly we are in a hurry to get our campaigns built and executed. Then, we are back to waiting and wondering why the date was less than what we had imagined.

Then comes the questioning and second-guessing. Did I come on too strong? Did I represent and conduct myself appropriately? Would mom or dad have been proud? Before we overanalyze ourselves until we are blue in the face, let’s rewind a bit.

First, was this a blind date or did you ask them out? Do you know who you’re about to go out with (or who you are marketing to)? Don’t judge or assume that because you know their friends, you now are an expert on your lucky date. Doing a little foot work in the beginning will grant you more knowledge about your date and prevent you from dating the wrong person at the wrong time—like if you saw on their Facebook that they are SO not over their x…not the right time to date them. With your marketing, gather information and market appropriately to the right person at the right time.

Second, did you talk too much or come on too strong? Talking to somebody you have nothing in common with does not bring you closer. In fact, they can get more and more annoyed or turned off by you. It starts with common interests and shared values and then you can proceed to more personal interactions. Rather than coming on too strong with your marketing, communicate only when you have something worthy of sharing or of value to your audience…or when they ask for it. And track your communications so you can record and read their digital body language…a form submit says, “I’m interested in you!” while an email unsubscribe says, “Back off Buster!”

How will I know if he really loves me?!

You can say a prayer like Whitney did or you can actually find out if he really loves you. Or if you’re turning him off by talking too much.

The simplest way to test the right communication frequency for your date (or target audience) is this:

1. Set up 2 email lists (list A and list B).
2. Send different amounts of emails to each of those lists such as twice a month to list A and 4 times a month to list B.
3. Each month, check the stats for list A vs. list B. Compare average rates for opens, click throughs, click-to-opens, unsubscribes, and if you’re able, look at the sales figures.

Third, did you turn them off by talking about your x? Big dating no-no. In email marketing, people unsubscribe from your email lists for 2 primary reasons:

1. Irrelevant or boring content (e.g. mainly sales promos, you talk too much about how great you are, or how much you love cats.
2. You send them too many emails…or talk too much

Here are 2 rules for you to ensure a long, happy relationship:

1. Talk (or email) only when you have interesting stuff to say. Don’t talk (or email) for the sake of talking or because you haven’t spoken in a while.
2. Don’t talk (or email) too often. More than once a week might be too much (with some exceptions).

This dating advice was brought to you today by the letters D and R and the color blue. If you’re noticing that this scenario has happened to “a friend of yours,” (not you, of course) then let “your friend” know that the DR’s are in and our couch is always open for you…or, “your friend.”  😉