Through polarising people.
You are either at this extreme or that extreme.
Create a void space for others to rush in and converse.
I don’t want to be at that end or that end, i want to be here.
What can you do to create that void? how can you give people a voice to talk? How can you ignite their own passion?
Simple question.
Hard answer.
Every fortnight or so, someone will approach me and ask, hey Ben I want to pick your brain.
We have a Marketing Budget and want to do something online.
What do you think we should do?
Hang on. Stop.
Who are we selling to first?
What is the objective?
Sure this is new marketing. Fundamentals are still the same. So take a step back and ask Who are we selling to?
(Next question: why are they buying?)
Of recent there have been posts around Do What you Love, Life Marketing, Those that turn up
What do these have to do with Marketing?
Simple they are all marketing.
If you as a person, are doing what you love, turning up where others are not, thinking of the bigger picture, what do you think this says about you?
What is the conversation going on in people that surround you?
The conversation is going to be much more engaging than otherwise.
Now imagine:
Let’s connect three ideas:
Great but not Great Enough + The Infinity Assumption + Do What You Love
Creating content that is great enough, making the infinity assumption and around topics that I love.
This is what life marketing is about.
Now it’s not reputation mangement or image management, it’s about life marketing.
Content you create is going to be out there for life, sure you can control it, but in all likelihood it could just as easily be read by your great great grandchildren.
So think about it, does my online image not only represent me as a person professionaly but as a person.
It’s doubly, triply important now.
In this day and age you should be doing what you want.
“do what I want”
Life is so much more rewarding when you are doing what you love, what your passion is, whatever it is that makes your heart soar.
It’s much easier to motivate yourself, create a balanced life and hard work pays off in magnitudes.
Given recent economic changes, now is the best time to get into doing what you love, as weaker competitors will be knocked out of the market thus leaving room for you to dominate.
So if not now, when?
(if you don’t think this has anything to do with marketing, think again, the bigger picture is coming soon)
Woody Allen said:
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”
However when you go to turn up, you get a sudden fear, a feeling in your stomach, so you stop.
That’s why free events have high rsvp low turn out rates.
Rather than endure the feeling in your stomach you just don’t go. No pain if you don’t.
However same thing happens in life, only your letting yourself down.
You need to stop.
Ignore this and dive in.
Been contemplating blogging? building a website? learning a new hobby? always let this pain stop you?
My advice is to learn to love the pain, thrive on it, throw yourself into it, scare yourself.
Some call this throwing yourself in the deep end.
If your not scaring yourself your not pushing yourself, so scare yourself and turn up.
(that’s where success is hidden)
ps
also read I Fail Lots if you haven’t yet.
I have been thinking a lot about Twitter and the communications channel it provides.
A few points:
So what services would then bode well under these conditions? Quite a lot, Competitions, Market Research, News…here’s one I have been chewing on:
Fitness Plan
Offer a free fitness plan, where you have a trainer, throughout the week putting out exercises you can do in your office (or from your desk).
Imagine engaging several hundred local people to do the same exercise at the same time and report back (kind of flashmobbing but in the office).
Keeping fit is a big problem for office workers. You can then engage with the audience and help them keep fit.
Monetisation models are numerous: upselling, selling gear, consultations, build a community, sponsorship.
Take it further, exercises to reduce Occupational Overuse Syndrome (oos), dietary?
Oh and you can use it as a feedback tool to find out immediately the difficulties your market are having and help them. (Help me help you)
We all exist in little pods, groups, communities, tribes
I prefer pods, as they describe the structure, better. separate distinct pods.
Here are some i belong to:
There are some overlay between these (majorly twitter/myblog) however they are all separate.
Offline i belong to other pods, families, groups.
We always have, but as interaction platforms change (from meeting a pub to online) our membership increases.
I wonder if over time we are only going to exist in more and more pods? how about in a crisis like a natural disaster?
This is on the tip of everyone’s tongue at the moment.
How do you turn your customers into fans?
Fans will rave about you. Tell their friends. Sell your product for you.
There is no perfect mix, but some questions I would be asking myself are:
– Who are the key influencers whom use my product?
– How can i excite them about my product?
– Am i excited about my product? Why?
– Are you the best? or the worst? Either way. Pick a spot at each extreme.
– Am i selling the sizzle? do customers know what the sizzle is?
– Have i provided a platform or catalyst for customers to become fans?
– Have i provided tools for my customers to become fans (blogger kits, graphics, competitions)
– Is my product actually making their life better? am i helping them?