The Difference Between You and Matthew McConaughey

You know that moment when you’re watching a romantic comedy and you realize that those grand, romantic gestures would never work in real life? Unless you’re Matthew McConaughey, good luck trying to sweep that special someone off their feet by pursuing them across the globe, sending them dozens of bouquets to their office or serenading them outside their window, in the middle of the night. What’s romantic in movies could pass as creepy in real life, right?

Well, there is a similar disconnect going on in digital marketing. Advertisers tend to believe that tracking down customers and showering them with links to products is a successful conversion strategy. But this kind of stalking isn’t wooing anybody. Believe it or not, most people don’t want to see those Smooth Move herbal tea bags again and again, after having looked it up once (yes, just once). They find it annoying and embarrassing, if not downright creepy.

The goal for marketers instead should be to charm the socks off potentially repeat customers. And as anyone who’s watched a romantic comedy knows, everyone just wants to feel special.

Advertisers tend to believe that tracking down customers and showering them with links to products is a successful conversion strategy. But this kind of stalking isn’t wooing anybody.

Here’s what marketers should do: First, find out more about each customer based on their past online behavior. This can be done individually or by analyzing large quantities of anonymous data to better understand what one type of online behavior can indicate a person’s future wants and needs.

The next step is to use advanced algorithmic modeling to ensure that whatever comes across a customer is the result of a sophisticated calculation. Don’t just throw ads at customers and see which ones stick. In the long run, that’s self-defeating behavior. Lose the stale lines and aim for the Matthew McConaughey jib. You’ll get better results.