Attention marketing is dead. (And what to do instead)

Imagine you’re standing in a crowd. There’s a man on stage. He turns to the crowd and waves.

Now this isn’t just any wave. He’s jumping up and down. Holy cow, just look at him! He’s grinning so hard it seems his face will stick that way.

But is he waving at you? Or someone else?

For a second you think he catches your eye, but no. He doesn’t see you.

He’s not just waving to wave. He’s waving because he wants something.

He wants something from you, but not just you… from everyone. He wants the attention of the crowd, and he has it. For a moment at least.

Now, imagine you’re at your favorite local coffee shop.

A man walks in.

He’s dressed like you. He sees you looking at a piece of art he’s often admired on his morning stop for the best coffee your little town has to offer. He has a genuine, kind look on his face.

He looks you in the eye, smiles and waves. No giant grin. No jumping up and down.

He doesn’t seem to want anything from you. Just a friendly wave to someone who seems to be like him. You’ve never seen this guy before, but you know he’s waving at you. You wave back.

This is different.

The connection is all that matters.

If he were to approach you, you’d feel comfortable starting a conversation.

Maybe you’d discuss the piece of art you were admiring, the coffee or maybe this could be the start of an incredible business partnership or the first conversation with your next big client.

[Tweet “The purpose of marketing isn’t to find a stage, it’s to find your people and connect with them.”]

It’s about making eye contact and waving at those who, like you, are looking for someone who gets it. Someone like them.