Luck STILL isn't a Marketing Strategy
Last year, around this time, I wrote an article titled "Luck is not an Effective Marketing Strategy". And yet, here we are another year later, NOT doing the things it takes to increase our Luck Surface Area in Marketing.
So, I figured I would pull this article out of the archives and bring it back to the light...because there's clearly more opportunity to do the things that matter when it comes to marketing.
[I've tweaked the original article to make it more relevant to today's challenges, but if you'd like to read the original, you can find it HERE]
The Concept: Luck Surface Area
Coined by Jason Roberts, and one of my favorite concepts, this phrase speaks to the science that lives behind what LOOKS LIKE luck. It suggests that luck is a RESULT (of the below formula to be precise); that it's not, in fact, completely random:
Luck Surface Area = Your Actions + Your Authentic Visibility
In short, the more Genuine Value you: 1) create and 2) share with the world, the more opportunities you have for “lucky” things to happen.
It's not about CHASING something, but CREATING something meaningful - in public - so others can find you, connect with you, and amplify you.
Now, let's take that concept and introduce it to some pretty common marketing efforts, and see how things can look differently when we bring our authentic intentions to the table.
Posting Content
Most people, when posting content, are relying on luck. The content is posted randomly, and we cross our fingers that the right people see it, at the right time AND are ready to do something with that information.
And we do all that without creating any kind of relationship that might drive their why.
Yeah, it already sounds like it won't work, and it doesn't.
Yet SO many people are still doing it. Because we "have to" create content, right?
Wrong.
Now, in a world where there's more content created every day than a human brain can process in it's lifetime, of course there's a measure of luck involved. BUT, if you're going to create content, here's how you can increase your luck surface area so it's not just adding to the void:
Make it consistent (that's the experience, not recency or frequency)
Ensure it's aligned with your brand (that it's something YOU would say; and stand behind)
Speak about solving real problems WITH your audience (as a team)
These are the types of things that allow people to connect with content. For them to FEEL something when they consume it.
So sure, it might be a lucky view, but once you've gotten it, you pull people in.
That motion? It's like gravity.
And once people are in your orbit - so long as you care about keeping them there - they'll stay because of that gravity 💖
Sending Mass Emails to Cold Contacts
Again, it's shocking to me how many people are still doing this. And you might be reading and thinking, "well, everyone in my list opted in, so they're not cold contacts".
Wanna bet?
What does it mean for a contact to be warm? Activity, right?
But what kind of activity? Not opting out? Opening? Reading? Engaging? Purchasing?
Have you ever opened an email you received without being a warm lead?
I would guess so.
So, let's just assume MOST of that list is cold. Maybe not frigid, but luke warm at best.
Let's look at what an email might FEEL like if it's going to increase our luck surface area:
Curated for an audience that opted in BECAUSE THEY TRUST YOU (not to get a freebie)
Value-Driven content that BUILDS CONNECTION each and every touch
Conversation enabling (because we want people IN the conversation, right)?
Again, this is a mechanism that is used so often, and automated so often, that people forget that it's creating a brand experience. Is it the experience you want? If not, it's not increasing your luck surface area, it's actively decreasing it.
If the habit your list is getting into is deleting your emails without even opening them, is that the relationship you were hoping for?
Using Website Templates
Ok, so not all of us are web designers (myself included). And tools like Wix and SquareSpace have made it user-friendly to create our own websites with templates. But what happens when you use a template that everyone else is using?
You look like one of many.
NOT the fastest path to trust.
Especially when the "strategy" is to hope people stumble upon it and take action.
Again, how often have YOU done that?
And when you did...was it actually LUCK that led you there? Or a trusted source?
But there are ways to use your website to increase your luck surface area, including:
Designing your site around what your audience needs (not what you want to say)
Creating clear pathways for discovery, learning and action (on and off the site)
Using REAL language that your audience is using (Sales is a great source of this info)
Again, in a world where everyone has a website, "if you build it, they will come" doesn't work. But using it to increase your luck surface area CAN work, and it's not even about those pesky SEO keywords; it's about demonstrating your value in a digital format.
Creating a 24/7 Invitation to Connect
When we're using digital tools to increase our luck surface area, we make our value available to the world 24/7. Not because we have to WORK those hours, but because we've used our tools to create value in an on-going, shareable way.
So people will comment on, engage with and share your social post.
So people will respond to and share your email content.
So people will return to your webite (or app) again and again to keep getting value.
And remember, this isn't just about you putting it out there and letting it hang in the wind.
It's about engaging with curiosity; because what you've created is equally exciting for YOU to engage in.
Now, that's what I call scalable💡
If you're interested in exploring how you can use your marketing efforts to increase YOUR luck surface area, let's chat!
