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Paul McCartney was right: Money can’t buy you love. It just doesn’t work — at least not anymore in an era where we’re getting better at ignoring the marketers obsessed with interrupting us. Smart marketers, however, are finding that it’s much more profitable to put money into the quality of their products and the experiences they offer in order to earn the respect and recommendation of their customers.

Why it doesn’t work:

• It’s not scalable. The problem with advertising is that you pay for each impression, regardless of how successful you are. Each investment in the happiness of your fans, however, makes earning new ones a little easier.

• It’s not genuine. For enough, you might buy a little attention; but no amount of advertising can establish true love — the kind that makes fans line up for your new products, drag their friends in to see you, or defend you from the naysayers.

• It was never for sale to begin with. Social media has opened a window to a process that has been going on for a long time — people have always and will continue to exclusively love companies that treat them with respect and offer extraordinary experiences.

Related posts:

1. Andy’s Answers: 3 people you should be earning love from every day
2. Andy’s Answers: What makes communities work?
3. Andy’s Answers: How a focus on word of mouth changes your business