matthewheinzel.com

People …primarily marketers always crack me up with their articles, blog posts and product creation at the end of the year. Why it is that everyone and their mom comes out of the woodwork at the end of each year to post and share their “New Year’s Business and Marketing Forecasts?”

Why is it that with each approaching new year, people actually think that with the midnight hour countdown comes an invisible change that occurs and instantly everything is slightly different? Let’s not rehash Y2K…even though that could be fun. (I’ll slap up a cool image for effect, which should suffice)

I’m not gonna lie, the new year is a great time to create some good hype (always practical and ethical of course) but don’t try to predict the future and play with my emotions like that.

In attempt to drive traffic to their blog and edify themselves further as the “crystal ball holder”…it always amazes me.

One guy said that the rebirth of direct response snail-mail is near and that internet marketing will slow dramatically in 2010. Are you serious!? That is a bold statement!…and in my opinion 100% false!

So wait…this particular gentleman basically said that direct response marketing via snail-mail is going to make a comeback?!! Let me guess…he has a “direct response mail marketing” course that he is selling?…hold-on, let me see…
Yep! Sure enough, what a kawinkydink;)

A beautifully written direct response marketing letter will always work as long as it is relevant, engaging and creatively sculpted for its target market. And what about where he said “internet marketing will slow”…wow, not possible. If anything more and more people are headed online with the state of the economy.

I just left a so called “marketing guru’s” blog… where he has predicted that…well, not really sure what he predicted. I was a third of the way through the novel-like post and so turned off by all the hyperlinks that just so happened to be a perfect fit for exactly what he was talking about at that exact time and guess what!? …it’s all relevant to his new year’s predictions…who would’a known? Come on people, at least be less pushy and more innovative with your promotions and affiliate links! I thought you were a “guru” ??
…Maybe this is just all part of the intense pressures that “Marketing Guru’s” face…maybe it’s their job to be the industry’s fortune tellers? Now I know why so many of these guys are running back into the underground.

So all in all, Marketer’s give your opinions, advice whatever, but don’t pull predictions out of you know where to disguise selling stuff.

In my opinion Marketing is like fashion, which I happen to be very fond of btw… it repeats itself often. Maybe not every 15-20 years, but the same amazing processes of invoking an emotion in a consumer never change. The fundamentals of marketing blended with creativity and modern-time delivery will always succeed.

So you’re not going to get 2010 Marketing forecasts from me…the only forecast that I have my eyes set on today is the 8 inches of snowfall in Vail for an incredible snowboard day to celebrate new years eve!!

Until next time…
Keepin it real as always and Happy New Year!!!

matthew