bwagy

Ok stay with me for a minute.

Marketing traditionally has meant to you, putting some advertising out, get your message in front of enough people, you convert a few to sales.  The return used to be enough to justify it.

However in a market where people are counting their pennies, you just aren’t getting the same return you used to.

Now organisations are going hey time to try something new.

Word of Mouth is on the tip of everyones tongue.

How do you stimulate word of mouth? Through action.  Actions that are worth talking about.  

Right so we have gone from advertising to action in all of 30 seconds.

Now how can you stimulate action? Through entrepreneurship.

Stimulate entrepreneurial traits in your employees, to try something new, perhaps it will make you a few more dollars but also send a message to the market.

Innovation, sales & marketing? Entrepreneurship is marketing. (And always has been).

Viral activities are a dime a dozen.  Everyone giving it a go.  And that is great because they longer they keep at it the better they will get.

Often you will see a somewhat lame initiative go viral, or at least succeed in your perspective, you think hey i had a better idea.

But guess what?

They have much more momentum.  When Nike or Skittles does something cool, it is more likely to spread due to their momentum.

If I announce a project it has a higher chance of spreading than a blogger just starting out even if it is the same initiative.

Viral success = Momentum + Remarkability

If you don’t have momentum you need to really push the remarkability side.  You need to be doubly, triply, quadruply remarkable.

So don’t be disheartened if you haven’t had success the first time, keep giving it a go and remember the formula.

Filters can come in the form of networks, relationships, applications, physical filters.

• TechCrunch is a filter of tech news, in amongst all the news, they filter the good stuff out.
• Our Twitter networks are our own filter, filter of timely and relevant conversations to us.
• Traditionally Newspapers & the evening news have been filters.
• Seth Godins Triiibes is a filter in itself, a private group of people with a common interest.
• Google Alerts setup for your niche, emails you when stories appear of interest.

How can you develop a filter for your passion? or your industry?

By providing a filter you create a barrier between the signal and the noise.  You will be rewarded for that.

Maybe even you are the filter? 

Have a think about it, create one if necessary, the best thing about it? You are helping others, of which you can build a business out of, or just build your own brand.

Why do people keep coming back for more on Twitter? Blogs? Podcasts?

It is like a drug, getting great content is like the mouse in the cocaine experiment, he can press a lever for a pellet of cocaine or sugar.  Inevitably he keeps pressing cocaine, as he likes the feeling.

I have absolutely no scientific proof but I suspect that is why once your in, your in.

You keep coming back to twitter for the great content & people you meet, the same with your favourite blogs they write in a fashion you understand, is relevant and what you demand.  Podcasts the same.

You keep chasing that experience….

Risk is fun

Rick is rewarding

Risk is challenging

Risk is different

Risk is worth it

Risk is visionary

Risk is risky

Risk is the best dam thing I learned to do growing up.

As a young boy McGregors Pies were famous (locally) for their mutton pies.

They were disgustingly unhealthy, you had to bite the side of it to drain out the fat, yuck.

But boy were they yummy.

Health aside, they still sold well, people would still stop in for a McGregors pie – even if it wasn’t the mutton pie.

You see that talking point was enough for them to stand out.

The world is full of interruptions, facebook, email, twitter, mobile, mail, tv.

They all rely on one thing that we give them.  Attention.

We can also take that away.

Attention is at the consumers disposal.  It always has been.  In the 21st century our attention is becoming increasingly scarce.

So you need to get permission.  Permission to send us a txt, permission to be in my twitter network, permission to send me an email.  

Guess what? I will only give you long term permission if you send me personalised and relevant experiences.