{"id":4340,"date":"2018-02-20T11:24:49","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T16:24:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=4340"},"modified":"2019-09-16T08:50:40","modified_gmt":"2019-09-16T12:50:40","slug":"3-easy-engagement-fails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/3-easy-engagement-fails\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Easy Engagement Fails"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone wants more engagement: more visitors, more participants, more feedback, more customers. Isn\u2019t it amazing how easy it is to achieve the opposite?<\/p>\n

Three TOOs to avoid:<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

TOO Creepy<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

When someone I don\u2019t know addresses me by my first name, it creeps me out.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

When it happens in person, I get a little chill down my spine, and I quickly check to make sure I\u2019m not wearing a nametag.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

When it happens in my inbox, I don\u2019t love it either. If the sender name is something like \u2018Jackie Smith, CEO, Company Name\u2019, I\u2019m especially unimpressed. Instead of feeling personally engaged, I feel like shouting out \u201cYOU DON\u2019T KNOW ME!\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Ahem. But really. When you talk to people close to you, do they always use your first name? \u201cHello, Melissa! How are you, Melissa? It\u2019s great to see you, Melissa?\u201d Do they put \u2018FIRST LAST, YOUR MOTHER\u2019 in the sender field, or do they sign \u2018YOUR MIDDLE CHILD, FIRST LAST.\u2019<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

It\u2019s weird. If I don\u2019t know you, there\u2019s a pretty good chance you don\u2019t know me. Ease up on the mail merge and save piping for something more useful.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

TOO Soon<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

You don\u2019t tell all your secrets to strangers. I mean, I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Okay, maybe it\u2019s different somewhere like a doctor\u2019s office. You expect to go there and deliver pretty personal information, maybe even to new staff members you\u2019ve never met before.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Still, you wouldn\u2019t offer up the same details to people on the street. Anyone who walks up and asks me where I live, how much I weigh, and how much money I make — well, thankfully, this has never happened, but I can assure you we\u2019d both walk away unhappy.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

I totally understand why people want all of this information. It\u2019s super useful to know your community, your employees, your customers very well. If you have more facts, you can engage them more effectively and be more helpful, right?<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Back off. Earn some trust, then knock again very politely.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

TOO Pushy<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

You\u2019re not the boss of me. Let\u2019s just clear that up.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

What makes you think you can go around demanding answers? Sometimes this looks like aggressive telemarketers. Sometimes it\u2019s a survey where every answer is mandatory. Come on!<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

I decide what I tell you and when. If you\u2019re trying to have a conversation with me, make it natural. When you\u2019re visiting a friend, you don\u2019t bring along a script to make sure she stays on track, right? Of course not [right?]. You let the conversation flow, and you learn more as you go.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Again: I know people want my answers. I\u2019ve got so much to say! But really, pushing doesn\u2019t help. Even if you feel like you absolutely must know how tall I am or where I live, if you try to force me to answer, you might be forcing me to drop out, to hang up, and to disengage.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Easy does it. Minimize your must-haves to make sure it\u2019s a positive experience.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

From the perspective of companies and other organizations: There\u2019s a lot of competition out there, and plenty of incentive to build engagement fast.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

From the perspective of real people: Give us a break!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Everyone wants more engagement: more visitors, more participants, more feedback, more customers. Isn\u2019t it amazing how easy it is to achieve the opposite? Three TOOs to avoid: TOO Creepy When someone I don\u2019t know addresses me by my first name, it creeps me out. When it happens in person, I get a little chill down my spine, and I quickly check to make sure I\u2019m not wearing a nametag. When it happens in my inbox, I don\u2019t love it either. If the sender name is something like \u2018Jackie Smith, CEO, Company Name\u2019, I\u2019m especially unimpressed. Instead of feeling personally engaged, I feel like shouting out \u201cYOU DON\u2019T KNOW ME!\u201d Ahem. But really. When you talk to people close to you, do they always use your first name? \u201cHello, Melissa! How are you, Melissa? It\u2019s great to see you, Melissa?\u201d Do they put \u2018FIRST LAST, YOUR MOTHER\u2019 in the sender field, or do they sign \u2018YOUR MIDDLE CHILD, FIRST LAST.\u2019 It\u2019s weird. If I don\u2019t know you, there\u2019s a pretty good chance you don\u2019t know me. Ease up on the mail merge and save piping for something more useful. TOO Soon You don\u2019t tell all your secrets to strangers. I mean, I don\u2019t. Okay, maybe it\u2019s different somewhere like a doctor\u2019s office. You expect to go there and deliver pretty personal information, maybe even to new staff members you\u2019ve never met before. Still, you wouldn\u2019t offer up the same details to people on the street. Anyone who walks up and asks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":5051,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,75],"tags":[218,105,60],"yoast_head":"\n3 Easy Engagement Fails - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everybody wants engagement -- so much that the epic fail is more common than stunning success. 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