It’s that time of year again. No, not just the beginning of the holiday season but also the intrusive, barraging influx of political campaign ads. Between the texts, the endorsements on television and the non-stop phone calls, there is no way anyone will forget about their civic duty on Tuesday. 

Enough is enough. 

I have done my research. I know the candidates. No amount of slanderous outpourings or calls attempting to sway my decisions will have an effect. If anything, the bombardment of contact from the other side has only solidified my choice. 

Before social media and a dependency on the internet, companies (and politicians) were limited to cold calling, postcards and advertisements via television and radio. Now, we can reach our customers 24/7. We can be there when they are browsing, swiping and even sleeping. There is no escape from a company determined to be seen.

As a company, can your marketing campaigns do more harm than good? With the intent to stay front of mind to your customers, or the desire to reach new audiences, when is enough too much? 

• No Love-Bombing: An email, then a text, followed by a phone call; all attempts declined. Messages left and not returned. Postcards delivered and gone unread. This is not an invitation to push harder. Back off a bit. Follow up in respectable time frames, not hourly, or even daily. Give your customers some room to breathe and the time to make their own judgment call.
• Short, Sweet, and To The Point: No one wants to listen to a four minute voicemail, or read a lengthy email on how wonderful your business is. Give them the highlights. Overexplaining how great your product is makes it lose its trustworthiness. If you have to put that much effort selling it, it’s probably not worth it in the eyes of the customer.  
• Make It Count and Make It Fun: Who are you? What are you selling? And why should I buy it? This is what your customer wants to know. You have a very small window to make an impression. The more colorful the better but don’t lose your purpose. Make the interaction memorable and consistent with your branding.

The fine line between attentiveness and potential harassment is one that a business must define. Don’t make your customers ghost you, but don’t let them get lonely. 

Until Tuesday night I will be phone, text, social media and television free. I have hit my limit. 

See you at the ballot box.