The Problem: Many businesses, who are jumping on the Twitter and Facebook bandwagon, are gauging success based on having a large number of followers.
More is better is what we’ve been lead to believe. I’m not sure why that is.
I’m not claiming to be a social media expert. There’s more than enough of those to go around and new ones popping up daily. For me, it boils down to good ole basic marketing.
I met with a client recently who asked if I could help him get 10,000 followers on Twitter.
“Sure” I said. “But there’s no point in paying me for that. Here’s how you do it.”
1) Follow tons of people that don’t really care about who you are or what you do. Wait a bit, weed out those who don’t follow you back, and repeat the process.
2) Continue the process until you have 10,000 followers.
It can actually be done fairly quickly. I estimated it could probably be done in under two weeks. Maybe faster. I don’t know.
The problem is that absolutely nothing has been accomplished and zero value has been gained.
Sure, it might be a great little bragging tool at your next business meeting.
Your company might even throw a party, maybe order some pizza, and call it a social media success!
The Solution:
More valuable than all of this is a small, tightly focused group of customers (and even prospective customers) who want to hear from you.
They want to follow you. They want to check out your Facebook page. They want your email blasts. They want to engage in discussion and social dialogue with you!
If your list of customers and interested followers number only a measly 100 people, who are eagerly awaiting communication and social dialogue with you, rejoice! That’s what you call a social media success.
One hundred focused and engaged followers is a far more valuable asset than losing your 100 best in a giant crowd of 10,000 unknowns.
New marketing tools have a way of making us think that bigger is better. That isn’t the case. We’re getting back to fundamentals here.
Back in March, I was lucky to hear Sally Hogshead speak at the Art of Marketing conference in Toronto.
A comment Sally made really stuck with me. Sally mentioned that our attention spans are roughly the same length as a goldfish’s.
A goldfish.
“The addictive nature of web browsing can leave you with an attention span of nine seconds — the same as a goldfish.” ~ BBC News
Think about that for a moment.
Think about the way you surf the web and jump from site to site.
Think about how you look at Facebook everyday. Within seconds, we have a pretty decent glimpse at the lives of hundreds of friends.
Think about your online habits. How you get your news online. Do you skim headlines and scroll through articles?
Now take a moment and think about how these habits we’ve developed online have influenced our habits in the offline world.
Pretty much the same right?
We can click through channels on TV like it’s nobody’s business.
So what’s the big deal with being a goldfish?
Well, nothing really. This post doesn’t really apply to the goldfish. (most have swam away already)
This post is really intended for the fisherman (business owners, marketers, advertisers, etc.).
You can’t just stick your line in the water and expect to catch some fish anymore. Next time you’re working on a promotion, advertisement, or message for your business, think about the goldfish.
P.S. You can read Sally’s take on the goldfish here.
A sales rep stops by your office and you instantly know that well, he’s a sales rep.
The phone rings and, within first 10 seconds, you know it’s a business call. They don’t care about you, they care about the sale.
A real estate agent tells you about a house the same way he writes the ad for the newspaper - 2 bedroom, 2 bath, new fireplace, granite countertops, fenced yard.
He’s just going through the motions; hammer the sign into the lawn, write the ad, open house on Sunday.
A car salesman walks, talks, acts like the stereotypical car salesman. He’s always got to “present” your offer to the manager. You think you’re negotiating a major deal – he’s laughing at you in the next room.
Did you really believe you saved three grand on that new SUV because of your super negotiating skills?
You walk into the furniture shop, and you’re swarmed by commission-ready vampires.
You think they care if you buy the flower print ottoman? Do you really believe that it’s actually on sale – and he’s “willing” to do even better on the price?
It’s all business.
We knew it all along, but we chose to accept it. We have stereotyped these people because we believed there was nothing else we could do about it. Therefore, we cope by making light of the situation.
All of a sudden, these tools exist, and we choose not to accept it anymore. All of a sudden, we’ve lost our sense of humour.
Lie to us and we tell our 400 friends on Facebook. Please understand that 400 friends on Facebook can snowball into thousands of people in seconds.
Provide horrible service at your restaurant, and instantly we can Tweet to 2500 people about it.
Tell us the house is a great deal, even though you know it isn’t, by hiding the fact that it needs 20k in repairs. People will retaliate by starting a blog exposing the lies.
Here’s the flip-side. Actually, I’d be willing to say rather than this being the flip-side, this is the only side that matters, going forward.
Be real.
Be honest and truthful with us and we’ll tell our 400 friends on Facebook. Please understand that 400 friends on Facebook can snowball into thousands of people in seconds.
Provide amazing service at your restaurant, and instantly we can Tweet 2500 people about it.
Tell us honestly that you believe a house is a great deal, but warn us it’s going to need 20k in repairs, and we’ll start a blog to share our great experience.
I read an amazing book the other day written by the guys over at 37Signals.com – Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. They had just released their eagerly anticipated book Rework.
I was anxiously awaiting the books release. So on launch day, I ordered a copy on my Kindle. I took a quick peak, which turned into reading a few pages, which then snowballed into reading the entire book in one sitting.
Rework represents the new rules of business from the guys who are walking the walk and not just writing books. The CEO, Jason Fried, started 37Signals as a small web development company back in 1999. As of today, the company has created on-line tools such as Basecamp, Campfire, Highrise, and many others. 37Signals now has over three-million customers worldwide. Not such a small web development company anymore are they?
To me, this book solidifies many of the assumptions I’ve carried for a long time. Those spending time learning the concepts and theories in business school might be wasting their time. Learning in-depth concepts and theories maybe outdated and may not work as well anymore.
Mark Cuban’s quote represents that pretty clearly. He says,
“If given a choice between investing in someone who has read REWORK or has an MBA, I’m investing in REWORK every time. A must read for every entrepreneur.”
-Mark Cuban, co-founder HDNet, owner of the Dallas Mavericks”
I tend to agree with Cuban here. So Mark, if you’re looking for someone…. drop me an email
It’s a fast and enjoyable read, and I highly recommended it to anyone with an interest in working for themselves or starting a business.
I wanted to say it’s a great read for anyone with an interest in entrepreneurship, but David and Jason say, “enough with entrepreneurs!”
They suggest we should retire that term immediatley. They say that the term entrepreneur is loaded with baggage and smells like a member’s-only club. They continue to say, “everyone should be encouraged to start his/her own business, not just some rare breed that self-identifies as an entrepreneur.”
If you’ve ever wanted to start your own business, but you’re worried that you don’t have the business savvy of an MBA graduate, this just might be your ticket. This could be the tool that provides you with more real-world applicable business knowledge than an MBA, and you can acquire it in just under two hours for about $10 bucks.
One of the speakers at The Art Of Marketing conference, in Toronto, this past Tuesday, was Sally Hogshead. Her presentation was brilliant and amazingly executed. She’s one of those presenters who can keep the audience actively engaged, and she did it in one of the most unique ways I’ve ever seen – she offered shots of Jägermeister.
Photos by Sheila Goldgrab, www.leadership-gold.com
Sally was looking for “Jägermeister virgins.” Those are people who have never tasted the cult classic better known as “Jager”. Sally’s goal wasn’t to get the audience all ‘liquor’ed’ up in the hope that we might enjoy her presentation more, instead she was proving a point. Jägermeister is a brand that sells close to a 100 million bottles a year and most people don’t like it. In fact, most people despise the taste of Jäger.
Since none of us like it, why the heck are we buying and drinking it at such an alarming rate? The reason we drink it is we’re fascinated by it – hence the title of Sally’s new book “Fascinate.” (which I plan to read as soon as I can)
I can remember the rumors from back in High School, (all of which Sally mentioned) in ”It’s made of Elk’s Blood,” “It’s got drugs in it,” etc. All of which are false by the way.
The real truth here is that this is the primary reason we continue to consume massive amounts of this stuff. Even though it tastes bad, we’re fascinated by it, and there is a trigger of fascination in play that’s influencing our decisions.
Sally says there are seven Triggers that are used to fascinate us and trigger a response or desired action from us, like buying something; Ta-da.
The seven triggers are:
Mystique – Jägger is made of Elk’s blood and contains hallucinogens – McDonald’s Secret Sauce – The KFC Secret Recipe – That’s mystique.
Power – We’re fascinated and influenced by people of power and control. Power is the ability to motivate but also create fear. To me, power is seen in the people and leaders who challenge the status quo. They rise up and say, “wait a minute, why do that when you could be doing this?” Everyone else is doing “that.” It’s the top film critic who motivates us to go see this movie over another. That is power.
Lust – The seduction of pleasure! I want that now! The giant big mac on the billboard, as the perfect hamburger, is almost irresistible and we can taste it. The dipping of strawberries into oozing milk chocolate. That’s lust.
Alarm – “Only 20 copies left……Order now” “You’ve got to call in the next 90 minutes if you want all 743 knives for only three easy payments of $19.95.” That’s alarm.
Trust – Sally gave the example of Toyota for trust. Trust is the hardest trigger to use properly. The entire brand of Toyota for over 100 years was built using trust. Trust of quality, trust of safety, trust they were doing things right. Now it’s broken. That “was” trust.
Vice – Sally mentioned the story of Tiger and the temptation of the forbidden fruit. He was obviously fascinated enough that he grabbed it, multiple times. We’re tempted by the vice trigger constantly, and that’s the reason we’re so fascinated by the Tiger saga. That’s vice.
Prestige - Think of expensive watches or fine champagne like Dom Perignon. Of course, it’s not just expensive and luxury items to create prestige. It’s also present when Lance Armstrong wins another race , or when Visa runs comeback story ads during the Olympics. Success – the finish line – the accomplishment. That’s prestige.
Everyone of us naturally use these triggers within our personalities. Sally has provided a test you can take to see which triggers you naturally use to trigger fascination. Take the “F-Test” now.
In one of my latest posts I mentioned that if I had inspired even one person to do something outside their comfort zone then I would be a happy camper.
Little did I know, that person would be mother. I found out that this week that she had started her own blog called “The Mustard Chronicles.”
A friend on Twitter summed it up nicely by saying, “your mom wanting to blog – the ultimate compliment to you.”
I’m honored and thrilled if I have helped inspire her.
Maybe it’s the fact she’s my mother that I find her first few posts rather funny? Maybe it’s because I know the voice behind the words so well? Either way, I think a blog is a great way to use your voice and express yourself.
Should you start a blog? Maybe.
Does it matter if anyone is listening or not? I would say “no.”
The best listener when you start is your first one. When you have one, then it’s time to find the second. Far too often we get caught up looking for the “quick fix.” We want lots of traffic, big email lists and large subscriber numbers.
We want to know people are listening and we’re not just wasting our own time.
But this is the wrong approach. Focus on finding the first follower and if you’re doing something remarkable the rest will follow. If you’ve got something that you want to say, then there’s a good chance someone in the world is willing to listen.
Mitch Joel, author of the new book Six Pixels of Separation, and also one of the top 100 on-line marketers in the world, announced on his blog he was going to have a contest. Mitch said he would give away two tickets to the event and two signed copies of his new book. Mitch is also one of the speakers at this amazing event.
The rules of his contest were simple:
“To win this pair of tickets and the free books, all you have to do is leave a comment below with your thoughts on what it takes to be a great Marketer in 2010. I’ll choose one winner who really exemplifies passion on February 16th“
I have my own ideas on what it takes to be a great marketer in 2010, so I figured, I’ll enter the contest.
What did I have to lose, besides a few minutes of my time?
As it turns out, my answer exemplified the passion they were looking for because yesterday, I got an email from Mitch telling me that I had won. My response had been chosen.
Here’s what I said (I’ve cleaned it up a bit since my original response was a tad messy….I was writing in a bit of a rush as I went out the door)
3 Steps To Being a Great Marketer in 2010
Here’s what it takes to be a great marketer in 2010.
A great marketer….
“cares” instead of “sells”.
Old marketers will teach you tricks like how to write clever sales copy or how to write a proper headline.
A great marketer, in 2010, is able to spread this exuberance and touch people through the art of caring.
A great marketer realizes, in 2010, that a genuine fan of one is greater than a thousand drones and a 0.03% conversion rate.
2010 is about honesty and transparency. A great marketer doesn’t take on the client who doesn’t believe in this. It’s not only about the pay. Great marketers, in 2010, understand the importance of social responsibilities.
Social responsibility, within your marketing efforts, is equally as important as being socially responsible towards the environment.
There is no in-between. You either litter or you don’t. You either give a crap or you don’t.
There is no toeing the line.
A great marketer, in 2010, is socially responsible for all his/her actions.
A great marketer, in 2010, understands that all marketing is done for the good of the people (even if it’s one person) and not the almighty dollar.
The dollars will follow those who do the greatest good.
A great marketer….
(and most importantly) has giant balls. (yes ladies, you too)
A great marketer, in 2010, takes chances while still maintaining an intense social responsibility for all her/her actions. A great marketer doesn’t sit in the slow lane or drive in the middle of the road. A great marketer doesn’t colour within the lines. A great marketer, in 2010, takes chances and has giant balls. The marketer understands that multiple failures is the only option for great marketing.
The questions is, do you have the balls and are they enough?
It’s 7:00 AM and your car is frozen solid. You can only see through the 2-inch hole that you carved out of your icy frozen window. You could make a pizza with all your eye crust, you’re that tired.
You’re coming around the corner and trying to roll down your frozen window so you’re ready to order. It’s stuck. So you decide, “no problem, I’ll just open the door and stick my head out like a golden retriever to place my order.”
When suddenly there it is….
It’s everything you’ve ever wanted!!! Yippee!
25 different advertisements shining through that two-inch submarine hole. You look quick because you’ve only got about 6 seconds before you either have to order, or, you slam your car into the monstrosity of a car ahead of you. They were equally as mesmerized.
And then you wake up and realize it wasn’t a dream.
I call this the billboard from hell.
To see the billboard from hell you’ll need to be visiting my local Tim Horton’s drive-thru for your daily caffeine fix.
For some of these small businesses, this is it. This is marketing. This is where the entire monthly advertising budget is used up.
This is not marketing. This is a clusterbomb of crap plastered on some more crappy plywood.
A friend of mine once called and inquired about the rates to advertise on the billboard from hell. It was something ludicrous like $180 bucks a month.
I wonder if the bottom ads only have to pay half price since they’re half covered by a four foot snow drift?
Who’s the winner here? It’s certainly not the advertiser. Sure, it’s a high traffic location there’s no doubt about that. But the real winner is the guy who nailed up the crappy plywood.
Here’s my advice to every one of these businesses. Take that money next month and do something risky for your business.
I guarantee you’ll get better results.
So what’s risky?
Risky is something that makes you feel uneasy.
Risky is outside your normal comfort zone.
Risky is not just plastering up a 1×1 foot ad on the most distracting billboard you can find and hoping for the best.
If it makes you want to vomit tuna sandwiches, or you’re worried you’ll be laughed at, you’re on the right track.
If you’re an advertiser on the billboard from hell and you want some help figuring out something that’s risky, shoot me an email.
You can blow piles of cash on newspapers, radio advertising, television commercials, or just hope for the best.
But I’ve got a better suggestion. If you live in Ontario (or even Detroit/Buffalo), you’re in luck. On March 2nd, 2010, there’s going to be a very special event held in Toronto called “The Art of Marketing”. This is, without a doubt, an all-star jam-packed conference that you can’t afford to miss.
And I’m especially calling on all the businesses in my area – the Windsor/Essex County area. Get in your cars, grab a Timmies, crack the stereo and hit the 401. This is a BIG event that packs some serious thunder. It will pay back in major dividends for you and your business.
Sure, you can go and buy a pile of books, spend a few days reading about social media tactics online, or maybe even hire someone awesome like this guy to come in and whip your business into shape….
Or – you can attend this event and learn WAY more and spend a lot less. I’d still hire this guy though.
Here’s who will be speaking at this jam-packed event.
Seth Godin on Leadership & Creativity – If you’ve been to my blog more than once you know I’m a Seth Godin nut. I think eight of my last 10 posts have included the name “Seth Godin.” Seriously. Seth Godin is by far, one of the (if not THE) top marketing gurus of our time. He’s written many best-selling books and has been called one of the top 21 greatest speakers of the 21st century.
If I can give you just ONE reason why this event is worth your time or money, this is it. I’m guessing Godin will be presenting concepts from latest book Linchpin. I wrote down my thoughts about Linchpin here.
That would be enough for most people. If Godin was coming to Toronto on his own to give a talk on leadership and creativity, you could bet the lineup would stretch down the road and wrap around the corner. But the organizers thought “we can make this event even better,” and they did.
Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers
The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World
Is Your Marketing out of Sync?
Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change
Are You Indispensable?
Mitch Joel on Digital Marketing & Social Media – Mitch just released his book Six Pixels of Seperation and will be talking about social media. Thank goodness for that. Everyone and their sister is using social media. But only a handful of businesses are actually getting it. This is your chance to learn how to properly use social media and stand out in a very crowded room.
How to “burn the ships” and rethink marketing in a connected world
Mind-blowing stats about the online world and what people are doing/saying about your brand
How to thrive in a world where anyone can (and is) saying whatever they want about your brands, products, and services
Why “why?” is a much more important question to ask your teams than “what?”
How to understand what “control” means in a digital world
Why traditional advertising is making us all more irresponsible than ever before
The theory behind “Digital Darwinism” and how your business will evolve in the next 24 months
Sally Hogshead on Persuasion and Influence – Sally says that the average consumer’s attention span is nine seconds. Count em. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9. If you haven’t captured your audience in those nine seconds, you’ve lost them. I can’t be bothered to read your ad or check your storefront window as I walk by. Why? Because my buddy is IM’ing me; I’ve got 16 texts coming in; I just got invited to seven events on Facebook; and 11 people just re-tweeted my awesome tweet.
Technological and cultural triggers in the evolution of branding, from persuasion through engagement, through advertising yet to come.
Why some brands are winning and some are losing the critical battle for authenticity.
Why advertising is a tension between art, commerce, and ethics.
Pros and cons of consumer-driven, immersive, imbedded utility, and now trans-media based branding approaches.
The roots, triggers, and implications of the coming revolution in narrative branding.
Discover via case studies from around the world, how understanding this profound shift in the way we create, share, and combine story and technology may prove to be one of the most vital skills of the 21st century marketing.
Max Lenderman on Branding & Experimental Marketing - If there are two words when combined that get me excited, they are “Experimental marketing.” Want to learn the newest and most radical marketing techniques being used around the globe? Max will show and tell you how to start using them in your own business.
Learn how oligarchs are using radical advertising and marketing tactics to launch brands and reinvent products.
Dive into the multi-billion-dollar racket of brand fakery at Silk Street, the epicentre of piracy and counterfeiting in China, and learn how pirates are reshaping brands around the world, and what brands are doing to combat and co-opt them.
Learn the secrets of success to marketing and advertising to four billion poor people in this world by examining how brands and products reach the hinterland of India, which has the world’s largest poor population.
Find out the strategies and ethos that are driving the future of marketing and advertising in the global marketplace.
Dan Heath on Strategy & Communications - Dan, along with his brother Chip, wrote Made to Stick. This is an amazing book about why some ideas survive and others die. This book will transform the way you think about communicating and sharing your ideas. If you haven’t read it, buy it. But then again, why not just come and listen to Dan speak?
This is going to be a great presentation It’s no surprise the organizers have left this event for the last one of the day.
Simplicity: Simplify your message. Simplicity isn’t about dumbing down, it’s about prioritizing
Demand before Supply: Before your message can stick, your audience must appreciate it
Credibility: How to create credibility in an untrusting market place
Emotion: How to enter the emotional realm, emotions lead to actions
Stories: Driving action through the power of stories
So after all is said and done, you’re looking at this and thinking “Holy Schmoly – That’s a pretty awesome event Noah!” But deep down you’re probably assuming the event costs thousands and thousands of dollars.
And why wouldn’t it?
People would easily pay that and more to hear Seth Godin speak. People HAVE paid that and more! You can’t blame them either. By just applying a few of the right techniques, or making a few changes to the current way you do business; you could easily make a lot more moola!
So what’s it all going to cost you?
Well, I hope someone is near you when you read this because you may just keel over and have a heart attack.
You might end up spitting coffee all over your computer monitor.
You might dance around like a nut for a few minutes.
Because the event is only $399 bucks.(keep reading)
But, let’s just say you enjoy the finer things in life. Like special access doors or being so close to the action that the speakers saliva might hit your forehead.
You want to wine-and-dine enjoying a 3-course meal while I’m outside stuffing my face with street-vendor Hot Dogs. You can do that too. VIP pricing is only $499 bucks. (keep reading)
Still alive?
Good.
Because you might not be after I drop the next bomb. I persuaded the organizers to do even better. Things are in rough shape in Windsor/Essex county! Give us a break I shouted! And they responded.
If you use the code CN25, you’ll be able to take $50 bucks off your ticket. This means you can get in for only $349 or you can be a high falootin VIP for only $449! The choice is yours!
Folks, this is a no-brainer. If you want to find me at the event, look for the guy outside keeping the Hot Dog stands in business.
Don’t want to go yourself?
Pony up and send your marketing employee.You know who I’m talking about. The one you keep locked up in the office with no windows. The person, or highly specialized person, you’ve hired to engage in everything your organization calls “marketing.” Send her.
She will thank you, not just for a day out of the office, but by showing you the new ways to grow your business. At first it will be hard for you to accept your employee’s recommendations. That’s normal. She’ll explain that there’s more to life than your yellow pages advertisement or the coupon in the local newspaper. She might even show you why, just because you have a Facebook & Twitter account, that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything even close to social media marketing.
Seth Godin has compiled a free eBook titled “What Matters Now” with a collection of ideas from over 70 “big thinkers” about the world in 2010.
You can download the eBook free directly by clicking the button below.
Here are a few of my favourite ideas, thoughts or quotes from the book.
Seth Godin – This year, you’ll certainly find that the more you give the more you get.
Chris Meyer writes about the evolution of capitalism but does so by comparing business to Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos Islands. Darwin observed that the finch’s beaks would evolve and change shape to match the form of the flowers which provided their food.
Chris suggests that businesses will need to evolve as capitalism changes in our new economy. Chris suggests that the game is changing and businesses in developed countries will need evolve their beaks and learn the new rules of the game.
Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell’s story on “Bacon Salt” and how it’s our job to find the “one percenters.” The 1% of people deep in the trenches of a niche who become the roots of word of mouth marketing. Many are looking for the masses right out of the gate. Focus on finding the one percent first and allow them to get the roots buried deep into the soil.
William Taylor suggests that in the past businesses found a feeling of comfort by staying in the middle of the road and today the middle of the road is the most unsafe place to be. Where is your business?
John Wood – “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”
Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos.com) – Everything Tony learned about business he learned from Poker. Here’s an example: The guy who never loses a hand is not the guy who makes the most money in the long run.
Guy Kawasakion Evangelism. Guy’s message is usually pretty consistent. He is constantly hammering home what it takes to be successful. You think he’s trying to tell us something?
Putting a college Yearbook online was considered dumb..
Limiting small micro updates on the web to 140 characters was considered dumb.
“Recognize that your dumb idea may be tomorrow’s huge breakthrough.”
I remember when the iPod was first announced. It was considered “dumb.” Why would anyone want to carry all their music on a digital pocket device?
Look at the hilarious comments (especially the last one) left on CNET”s very first article about the iPod being introduced
“Naw …. wont take off”
“This will be the last thing from Apple ever, they’ll never be successful with this.”
“apple is going to go bankrupt with this new mp3 player thing. mp3s are going to be obsolete within the next couple years anyway”
“This is crazy. Next thing we know Apple will move all the Macs to Intel processors”
WOW. In case you don’t get why the last one is the funniest it’s because just a few years later Apple did switch to using the PC’s Intel Processor.
Gary is right on the money and I’ve seen it in action. Two years ago if you made a video, posted an online petition and tweeted about Frito Lays not delivering enough Fritos to your restaurant, nobody cared.
Today, Frito’s headquarters calls you up and takes care of the situation personally. It’s an amazing world and the tools are here. How are you using them?
My father-in-law over at Quoteflections has done three awesome posts of his favorite quotes from the book. Check them out as well. #1 , #2 , #3
