Getting hacked is bad. Of course it is.
But what if…it’s not all bad? What if being hacked is the key to some really big marketing questions?
Why is that important for business?
Despite 17 years of putting on marketing events, sending out emails, making connections, sometimes it takes a hacked email to show you how many people are ready to engage with you. Or at least that’s Eliot’s recent experience. And while we don’t recommend you use a hack as a marketing technique, there are definitely things to be learned from how effective this hack was in generating interest and actual business.
So what is it about responding to a hacked email that so galvanizes people? How can we explore what makes a call to action actually call people to act? Especially since, in this instance, people took an action that wasn’t even requested, it’s important to ask – what were the stimuli that created the action?
First, there was value to the action, and not just to them. They wanted to help. There was a clear purpose to the response.
Second, the subject line was very clear – “action required”. But that on its own does not create action. It has to be paired with a trusting relationship with someone who has established credibility. This may also mean it has to come from a person, not a company – the hack capitalized on the building of a personal relationship.
It’s also interesting to note that relationships take time, and that just because people aren’t responding, doesn’t mean there isn’t a relationship. It might take a hack to get them to officially engage, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t listening. We are always looking for data on what has value, and we have to rely on engagement because it’s the only data we have to go on. And yet we shouldn’t underestimate the value of lurkers – people reading and considering, but who don’t say anything.
In business or in your personal life, the lesson from this email hack just might be that if you are not getting the action you want, it might be an issue with the relationship and the credibility you have built. This story also points to the importance of reciprocal value – people want to help you, too.
What story do you want to tell?
So, that's our story... now, we want to hear yours!
Pull up a chair and join the conversation in our Facebook Group: bit.ly/shmsgroup
OR...
Shoot us an email: talktous@soheresmystory.com
Connect with @SHMSpodcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shmspodcast
Text the word STORY to 345345 to get access to bonus content and weekly episode delivery.
Want to support us?
Love this podcast?
Please tell your friends, post about us, or take a moment to review us & subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to the podcast!
What if trying new things was like football training camp, and you had an audience – and even media – present while you were trying to figure things out? Wish you had time to practice …
Ever have to muster the energy to do something you don’t want to do, but really should do? How do you change your energy? And how do you know when …
REPLAY OF EPISODE 75: Audience Q&As can quickly devolve. Someone wants to share a story instead of a question; someone else wants to demonstrate …
Have you ever found yourself saying “I’m going to regret this”, but doing it anyway? Let’s talk self-sabotage and the frustrating world of pregrets.
Why is that important for business?
…
Opportunities, luck, and leaving room in your business life for what you actually enjoy – just a few of the things we need to talk about in this episode.
Why is that important for …
Can you build confidence directly, or do you have to come at it obliquely, through just being yourself? Let’s discuss.
Why is that important for business?
People often think of confidence …
You can listen to episodes right here on the website, or if you prefer, in a podcast app. Listening in an app makes it easier to keep track of what you’ve already heard, listen without using your data plan and many other conveniences.