Sunday, April 6, 2014

Marketing

I no longer market my blog. I mentioned something here about my ending all this marketing a week ago. But, too, you might also know about this new state of affairs from my advertising campaign: "Integrity, Self Sufficiency and the Private Club: clerkmanifesto.com". The billboards were hard to miss, but not everyone drives, and most people who do so have to do it while simultaneously operating a smart phone, which is not as easy as it looks, especially if you've been drinking heavily. But whether or not you've followed that print campaign you have likely enjoyed my reality show that follows my trials and tribulations in this process of not marketing. It is a tale of endurance and fortitude. Perhaps you even bought one of my T-shirts, the one that says "The blog that will not sell itself for fame. Find out more at clerkmanifesto.com!" In the end though I think I best expressed the whole thing in a post that has since gone viral "Ten ways that avoiding clickbait can make you richer, smarter, and healthier!" Item three of that list in particular gets to the crux of the matter:

3. Click this link to find out something that might change your life!

No, don't click anything. I'm just being absurd. Well, absurd with a plan. My plan was to tell you about how in my sudden retirement from marketing I experienced some regret. Then on Tuesday I turned on the radio in my car to the public radio music station. The DJ told me that Jack White had just released a new song, and coming up they were going to play it. I got so excited that I nearly drove onto the sidewalk, like a drunken cell phone user. Then the DJ played a song not at all by Jack White. I was unable to do anything but sit through the song in agony and pain. Then the DJ played another song, and another song, and another song. None of them were by Jack White. I had to go into an appointment. I was very unhappy not to hear the song, but eager to go to my appointment, so I did.

A little more than an hour later I left my appointment, got in my car, and the same DJ on the same radio station said that, coming up, they would play Jack White's new song. Then they proceeded to play Not Jack White's new song until I arrived at work. 

That is marketing.

I suddenly felt much better about leaving it behind.

2 comments:

  1. I clicked even though I wasn't supposed to. Thanks for the reward!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did too, having forgotten what was there, what with it being now six and a half years later. It was okay. I think the quote's puzzle answer must be "Catcher in the Rye".

      Anyway, you're entirely welcome.

      Delete

If you were wondering, yes, you should comment. Not only does it remind me that I must write in intelligible English because someone is actually reading what I write, but it is also a pleasure for me since I am interested in anything you have to say.

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