Many businesses use the word free as a lure. They will offer their solution to us without initial cost, then convince us to pay after seeing the value of their solution. But is that truly free? We would argue these are trials, not free solutions.

“Free” Marketing Automation

Lately, we’ve seen many businesses offer “free marketing automation software”. But are they? Mautic is free and will be forever. But this is not a marketing concept. This is a philosophy.

When we set out to produce marketing software, we were compelled by our mission. To empower organizations by providing powerful communication tools to anyone who needed them. Free speech is a freedom we often take for granted. To provide a solution that empowers free speech is an incredibly powerful concept.

GNU Free Software Definition says:

We campaign for these freedoms because everyone deserves them. With these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control the program and what it does for them. When users don’t control the program, we call it a “nonfree” or “proprietary” program. The nonfree program controls the users, and the developer controls the program; this makes the program an instrument of unjust power.

So while others offer “free” marketing automation tools, read the fine print. Because free for a month isn’t free. It’s bad marketing.

Authentic Marketing

We believe in the concept of authentic marketing. Authentic marketing is about value and values, it’s not about trickery. When we have something of value, we don’t need shady marketing to communicate it. Marketing should be the artful way we convey and connect individuals to that value. So for our marketing efforts to be effective, we must consider trust as a key element for connection. If we continue to use trickery, we diminish not only our brand, but our value proposition.

As marketers, let’s strive to be authentic in the way we communicate with buyers. We can’t be lured into traditional marketing schemas. Our values AND value must shine at every step of the customer journey. The Young Entrepreneur Council encourages us:

Don’t get trapped by marketing dogma. Think outside the box and be willing to take risks, so long as it’s in line with your philosophy. For instance, blog openly about the problems your company seeks to solve in the world and how you’re working to overcome them by fulfilling your mission.

Honesty, truth and conviction. When we communicate our values using these principles, it is authentic marketing. And the data shows it’s what customers are seeking. Let’s not disappoint them. It’s time we start using our creative voice to engage buyers in authentic conversations and communicate with our vision, not archaic marketing tricks that convey false promises.

“… human nature dictates that people have a hard time genuinely connecting with, being close to, or really trusting other humans who (pretend to) have no weaknesses, flaws, or mistakes.’ This is not only true of human connections; it’s true of our relationships with brands.

We encourage you to join our community. Because free is free. Forever.

We start this week with a reminder that honest and transparent marketing is always the best way to build a strong brand and consumer loyalty. Recently Ubisoft failed to do this and as a result are struggling with a bit of a PR nightmare.

Ubisoft accused of ‘deceptive marketing’ for Heroes of Might and Magic 7

“The CE Edition is advertised as coming with a PC DVD,” writes melchior1090 on Imgur. “But no game is even provided with the package. Buyers have to issue tickets to Ubisoft to have the game activated on their account. And are refused refunds.”

Read the full story: http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/10/12/ubisoft-accused-of-deceptive-marketing-for-heroes-of-might-and-magic-7

The Get-Rich-Quick Schemers Who Love the GOP

Donald Trump and Ben Carson, lack any experience in elected office. Much less attention has gone to something else the two men share: a history of entanglements with companies that have been rightly criticized for hawking get-rich-quick schemes to the broke and desperate. The business model, which is perfectly legal, is called multilevel marketing.

Read the full story: http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_bills/2015/10/trump_carson_bush_all_benefited_from_multilevel_marketing_schemes.html

Square says its super-simple email marketing tools are paying off for small businesses

Six months after introducing square marketing, the company has data that shows its digital coupons increase sales. If you pay attention to news coming from Square, you know that it’s been a long time since all it did was process credit-card payments using its itty-bitty swiper. The expansion of its small-business services began in earnest back in 2012, with an app that transformed an iPad into a cash register. In May 2014, it turned receipts into miniature customer surveys and started fronting money to small businesses that they could repay a little bit at a time from their Square transactions. In April of this year, it launched Square Marketing, a service that lets businesses send digital offers such as discounts to their customers. And in August, it started to help businesses schedule appointments.

Read the full story: http://www.fastcompany.com/3052058/square-says-its-super-simple-email-marketing-tools-are-paying-off-for-small-businesses

Startups: Why Giving Stuff Away For Free Is The Best Marketing Tool

Startups – giving stuff away for free is the best marketing tool. This story demonstrates why. Austin has been named the best American city for startups, according to a report by the Kauffman Foundation and the surprising second is Miami. The data is part of an infographic exploring Factors that Influence Startup Success. It reveals interesting facts and statistics relating to age, professional background and sectors as influences on the success or failure of a startup.

Read the full story: http://www.forbes.com/sites/amyguttman/2015/10/11/startups-why-giving-stuff-away-for-free-is-the-best-marketing-tool/

Your time is limited, we find interesting and useful articles for you to quickly review the highlights of and how they affect marketers. Today’s stories covered everything form deceptive marketing, questionable multi-level marketing, the power of simple email marketing, and the best marketing tool ever: giving stuff away for free. We hope these articles help you as you plan and execute your marketing strategy.

Mautic, free marketing automation software, is a fantastic tool to help you build a transparent and simple email marketing system and help you give things away to your target audience. You’ll love all that marketing automation can do for you and do well.