What is Permission Marketing?

Recently, I promised you information on the concept of permission marketing.  Have you ever promised  information to someone and then gotten stuck on the best way to deliver the message?   Welcome to my world.

In our last EasyBlog Coach article, we reviewed the concept of the “call to action”.  I posed the question, “Ultimately, what are the asking  for?”  The answer was “permission marketing” and  I promised to cover it in our next post.  Oops!  So here is my best effort.

In 2003, the visionary, Seth Godin, introduced the concept of permission marketing.  Prior to that time, interruption marketing was the standard.  Interruption marketing is the constant bombardment of messages and images with the intent of grabbing your attention.  Sometimes referred to as “outbound marketing”, the format is familiar to you.  Interruption marketing is delivered through various outlets:

• Television 
• Billboards
• Newspaper and magazine ads
• Guys standing on the side of the road throwing oddly shaped signs in the air
• AND my personal favorite, message boards on the doors of restroom stalls (intended for the truly captured audience).

Search engines and social media allowed the customer to create a very specfic and personalized search.  So instead of fighting through a storm of advertisers to find you, the customer types in a few words and is delivered right to your door.  Once there they ask for specific information, and if you fill the bill, they become connected to you.  And, as long as you continue to be relevant to that customer, you are their friend.

This is where I  have to tell you that I am a Seth’s Blog fanatic and if you are interested in marketing you should be too.  Obviously, the best way to learn about this concept, is from the person who developed it.  So here you go…Permission Marketing by Seth Godin.  And that is another wonderful thing.  If you have happy customer/friends, they will help you spread the word.  Now with a click, your happy customers can introduce you to all of their friends.  That’s marketing at its best!