Do you have any Grey Poupon?
As I was reading every possible book and resource on blogging, I came across the great title: No One Cares What You Had For Your Lunch: 100 Ideas for your blog
The essence is this: In all forms of advertising, marketing, social media, and networking you are vying for people’s attention within brief and/or limited time constraints. It is important that your words and images be pithy, crisp, motivational, interesting, and memorable. To ramble or post about topics that don’t pass the ‘Who cares?’ test is not just a waste of a reader’s time, it increases the likelihood that they will tune you out in the future.
So what is Ham Sandwich Marketing? It is my buzzword phrase, inspired by the aforementioned book. It is my notation of meaningless posts and status updates that are meaningless to virtually everybody but the person who initiated them.
Example: “Just had lunch at Wolfgang Puck with Susie, Johnny, and Big Al.”
My response (by Direct Tweet or Public Facebook Wall Post): “Did you have a ham sandwich?”
Wolfgang Puck
It’s my not-so-subtle sarcastic way of nudging the poster or blogger with the subtext: “I read your item. Am I supposed to know who Susie, Johnny and Al are? Am I supposed be impressed that you lunched at Wolfgang Puck. Why don’t just tell me you had a ham sandwich. That would be equally unimpressive and unnecessary?”
If you’re lunch was incredible, take a picture of the ham sandwich. post about the incredible Dijon mustard, the soft fresh-baked roll, and what variety of ham was involved. That has the possibility of being entertaining. Otherwise, you’re just engaging in Ham Sandwich Marketing.
In today’s fast and furious world of communications, being boring is a big crime. Being irrelevant is a felony offense.
Don’t waste people’s time. Be interesting or be gone.
Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing
I totally agree with you Andy!! The “ham sandwich” rates up there with “I’m mowing the lawn at the XYZ office; honk as you go by.” Hello…so many things wrong with that post. Thanks for sharing Andy!!
Thanks June…
Maybe I short collect a batch of innocuous posts and Tweets, and organize them for DO NOT SOUND LIKE THIS blog post.
Perhaps if I hold the mirror up for folks, they will see themselves and think about their next communication.
Andy
I’m guilty.
More on Facebook then on Twitter now (hopefully). I write about useless stuff on FB sometimes because my personal friends and family are on it who actually want to read about all that stuff.
I forget that it is not Myspace where I actually DO have industry friends in my network.
I would love to see a blog post with a collection though.
Juliet
I’ll have the Corned Beef on Rye!
But seriously, great topical post, Andy. We all need to be interesting and engaging with our social network posts or it just contributes to the “white noise” of the internet.
John
Great post – Thank you.
Microblogging can really bring this out in people. You just have to decide who you want to follow and if you really care. There are definitely a lot of micro-journals out there recording everything from ‘good morning’ to ‘sushi tonight’.
I want to follow micro-commenters, not micro-autobiographers.
Sigmund
For some, posting that you just had lunch with Susie (from Sue’s Photography), Johnny (from Johnny’s Videography), and Big Al (from Big Al’s Limo) — well now I’ve just pushed three vendors that my company is associated with.
As for Wolfgang Puck, that might not be the best restaurant to showcase. However, if I were having lunch at the Capital Club, which is known as an excellent wedding venue, I can see value in placing it in there.
So while I agree, the way you have presented the scenario is useless, but posting the finer details would certainly benefit prospective clients that might be following you (as a Fan on Facebook, in a blog, or on Twitter). This could even benefit others that are looking to connect on a B2B level.
Jason
I think a How Not To Tweet post is a great idea! You could have a whole other site for it like damnyouautocorrect.com … damnyoubadtweeter : ) Thanks for sharing!
Well call me PORKY PIG! As you know I’m the DIVA of the Ham sandwich posts and not afraid to admit it but you are 1000% correct. I find posts more interesting and I try to be more interesting by adding just that something different to it. I’ve had many people comment on Blueberry Hill and ask about the pancakes when I expand upon the check in there. So if your having cocktails with your clique at the Blue Martini tell us about the drink not that you’re hanging out with the ‘cool kids’ too!