Authenticity in New Media
by George Tran, guest blogger
You’ve seen it every day.
George Tran, creator of 1 Shopping Cart and Social Sam
As a marketer, you are probably guilty of it yourself…maybe you are responsible for perpetrating this scam yourself without realizing it.
What am I talking about?
I am referring to the good ole $19.99.
Marketer’s have done it for years. The theory is “it’s not quite $20. We can trick people into thinking that it’s less than $20.” Such a simple thing. Such a small thing. But underlying this simple assumption is something far more insidious. It’s outright rude when you think about it. It’s saying “I think you are so stupid you are not going to be able to tell the difference between $19.99 and $20″.
So what’s the point?
The point is, to challenge the status quo. To succeed in new media, you have to embrace AUTHENTICITY. If you continue to do what you’ve always done…you will get the same results you’ve always gotten.
If you continue to do what everyone else is doing…you will get the same result as everyone else.
In other words, if you do something so different and refreshing as just being honest with your customer and honor them…be authentic, be real. Honor their intelligence. Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Pay attention to old habits. Take a critical look at your practices…are they “industry norm”? or are they extraordinary? In New Media…to get people attention, you have to be extraordinary. You have to be worth talking about.
In new media, people talk. They can communicate in ways you can not even imagine. Trying deceptive practices like offering different pricing to clients for the same product got Amazon.com into hot water. While I am not suggesting that you are one of these people, all I am saying is, take a deep look at the little things that you do. It can make a big difference.
About the author:
George Tran is known as the entrepreneur who single-handedly programmed 1Shoppingcart.com, the most widely used e-commerce solution of Internet marketers in the world. Their annual merchant sales exceed $3 billion, and are the #2 gateway processor for PayPal.
George’s latest endeavor Social Sam offers a smart monetizing platform for social media marketers. Learn more about Social Sam and creating your own profitable online community by visiting www.SocialSam.com
