I love this. It’s the next big thing. And unlike most next big things, it’s a beauty. Likeonomics is predicted to take marketers by storm. And quite right too. So what’s it all about?
According to its inventor Rohit Bhargarva, “We all want to do business with people we like and choose products that we have personal affinity with”. Likeonomics taps into this simple yet revolutionary insight by consciously adding ‘likeability’ into the marketing mix for the first time.
About the marketing theory of likeonomics
Likeability has always had a role in marketing success. But it suits the Zeitgeist perfectly. Times have been tough for years. The economic landscape is bleak. Our trust in the way the world works has taken a massive knock thanks to the banking crisis. We’re feeling wobblier than we were before things went dog-shaped. We want reassurance. We value genuine, warm human connections and commercial relationships with firm foundations. We want to be able to trust organisations not to let us down.
At the same time the MPs’ expenses scandal knocked our waning faith in politicians into a cocked hat. We’re sick to death of never getting a straight answer. Our appetite for a ‘say it like it is’ approach is stronger than ever.
How do you do make your brand more likeable?
Bhargarva gives three clear crystal clear clues:
- total honesty
- simplicity
- being human
Why do I love likeonomics so much?
As a freelance copywriter I’ve always erred towards the ‘no bullshit’ school of marketing communication. It’s never a good idea to pretend you’re a big business when you’re small. I always recommend sole traders use the first person on their website rather than ‘we’. I believe in being honest and straightforward because I know it has the power to disarm and differentiate at a fundamental human level. I ditch jargon, legalese, small print and any form of arse-covering, turning negatives into positives instead of hiding important information. I write the way people speak instead of sounding like a corporate manual. And I always use plain English.
Do I consciously use likeonomics to give my clients’ copy even more oomph and help boost their profits? You bet!
