You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I believe this to be true; I have an elderly Jack Russel — a former street dog rescue — and there will be no teaching of anything. You can, though, adopt a cat when it’s young and watch how it tries to get you to do what it wants. A little like marketing, if I’m being honest.
Yes, my house is a bit of a menagerie, with two cats — one giant fluffy ginger and a normal-sized tuxedo — and one aforementioned dog. As someone who works from home, I get the joy of spending extra time with my furry friends. My orange cat Gus is perhaps the most entertaining, but the more I watch his antics, the more I think marketers could benefit from leveraging his tactics.
I can’t believe they’re letting me write about this, but here are four marketing lessons I learned from my cat.
1. Prioritize — and demand — consistency
All three of my creatures love their routines, but my orange cat especially. I spend a lot of the day hard at work as I write my little heart out for our clients. My preferred spot for this? The couch, next to the dog. Gus does not believe in hanging on the same plane as the dog.
This is all fine and dandy, but Gus lets me know the second I am on the couch after 8 p.m. It’s his shift now, which means I need to ditch the dog and hang with him. He will stand in the doorway, look at me with big yellow eyes, and yell, his little meows signifying it’s time. And he does this every day. My cat is so consistent that I feel guilty if I ignore him, and worse, I feel like I am missing out if I don’t immediately get up and move to be with him. His patterns have tricked my brain into thinking I must take this action.
As marketers, there’s a reason our team stresses the importance of consistency with content: it works. Your prospects and customers want to know what to expect when they hear from you. They also want it to feel like all the other communications they receive. Consistency reinforces expectations.
2. Sometimes, being annoying gets you what you want
Speaking of consistency, have you ever encountered a cat who is afraid of seeing the bottom of their food bowl? While there might be enough food to last the next day or two, heaven forbid they can spot a sliver of the bottom. When Gus discovers this discrepancy, most likely at 3 a.m., he yowls and causes general chaos until someone wakes up and replenishes his stash.
Annoying, yes, but also a great marketing lesson. Being annoying can get you what you want. You need to hit your target humans from every angle, whether it’s jumping right in their faces, sharing your thoughts audibly, or pounding on glass on repeat until they succumb to your pitch.
3. Know your audience
In this house, there are two humans. The one who will give you scratches when you are in their vicinity and the one who will sing you a song and cover you in smooches every time you want a treat. If you wish for scritches — human number 1. But if you desire a treat, song, and forced snugs, go to human number 2.
As marketers, it pays to know our audience. If we want the likes and the clicks, we do short, compelling social media posts. But if we want the big boss to sign off on something, we pull out the big content.
4. Everything is better after a nap
Gus is one of those cats who is so content with his life that he sleeps on his back. And afterward, he is jazzed for whatever he has planned for the rest of the day.
Working in marketing, I’ve learned that there are just certain projects or campaigns that are challenging. Whether it’s getting started or keeping momentum, sometimes it feels like I’m up against the tallest wall of writer’s block. So here’s where I take my cue from Gus: I take a break. Actually, I usually take the dog for a walk, but closing the laptop and stepping out in the world is the number one cure for getting over those humps. I let my subconscious process whatever it is that I’m blocked about, I get some vitamin D and fresh air, and somehow tackling my next task isn’t so hard.
Give yourself a chance to meet Gus
Marketing is fun, but it’s even more fun in the presence of magical orange cats — and the team at Content Matterz happens to have a few between all of us. If you’re looking for some cool cats to help you with your next content project, we’ve got you covered. Reach out today!