Successful selling is a result of constant drips

In Julien Smith's blog post, Waterfall he writes that the majesty and sense of wonder in our natural environment is made by erosion; one drop at a time over a long period, instead of one big waterfall. The same really holds true of anything, including sales. The more time and effort you put into it, the greater your successes.

Over the last few months, I've been talking to a client (a marketing agency) about some potential freelance work. The project would entail helping them with their social media strategy.

As a side note, if you've worked for an advertising/marketing agency like me, you'll likely be able to attest to this. They really do a great job at marketing their clients, but an absolutely horrible job at marketing themselves (of course, there are exceptions to the rule).

During some conversations with my client, they mentioned wanting to create one piece of content that can be used as their showcase piece; but as Mr. Smith's post suggests, a "constant drip" is a more sound strategy, instead of one big waterfall. Successful social selling requires a longer-term perspective. I think creating occasional pieces of content here and there is rather short-sighted and will miss the mark (and this has been corroborated by experts many times over).

Instead of focusing so much energy on one "be all, end all" piece of content, for this client to be perceived as a key player, content needs to proliferate. Not that they want to be ubiquitous, but they'll want to be more involved in the process. For example, joining the social conversation around various key areas of focus for them (like Big Data, since they're also a data company) can help with their search strategy (link building). Also, creating relevant, digestible content for their blog can help drive traffic organically to their site. Successful social selling is not a do-one-thing and that's it exercise. It needs to be more fluid and companies need to go along for the whole ride, as this is how it will pay dividends.

I really believe my client has a pretty compelling story to tell. Their suite of services is a solid value proposition for both existing clients and prospects. It will also help to build brand clarity and remove the stigma that they're just a "marketing" company. And unfortunately, the longer they wait, the further behind they'll get.
 
I've noticed that there are more content-specific roles out in the job marketplace. This has been confirmed by some discussions I've had with folks from various companies across different verticals. 

I'm curious to know if anybody else can shed some light around this. Are you hearing the same thing in your dealings with contacts, colleagues or clients? Please do share.

When brand advocates turn into haters and naysayers

As soon as the public caught wind that Ben Affleck had been cast as the next Batman in the Warner Bros. Man of Steel sequel, loyal fans were quick to cry foul and turned into crowds of haters and naysayers. Some petitions have even popped up requesting that Mr. Affleck be barred from portraying one of DC's most popular superheroes.

The way I see it, what's really at stake here (for Batman brand advocates) is the possible deterioration of the brand. Fans simply won't stand for it. After having seen Christian Bale play the quintessential Caped Crusader in likely the best superhero trilogy in movie history, can you really blame 'em? Moreover, it's taken years for the Batman franchise to build its brand to what it is today, only to see it take a turn for the worse.

There likely will never be another Bruce Wayne like Christian Bale, and anyone you stack up against him will pale (likely) in comparison. But Mr. Bale already passed on the role of Batman, so let's not go there. Like it or not, it appears that Ben Affleck will be the next Batman.

You can be certain that Mr. Affleck is well aware of the shoes (and big they will be) he'll need to fill. His last lackluster portrayal of a superhero (Daredevil) in red tights is all in the past (thank goodness). Mr. Affleck has since directed and co-starred in some fairly solid movies, Gone Baby Gone and The Town. He's even become an Oscar-winning director with Argo.

Suffice it to say, Ben Affleck has grown up and even sharpened his acting skills. I read that he's now hitting the gym two hours a day so he can transform his physique. As my wife says, Mr. Affleck will make up in physique what he lacks in mojo.

I say let's cut the dude some slack. Who knows? He may just pull off the role. 

What's your take in all of this hullabaloo? Who's your Batman of choice and why?

Never mind yesterday. Start "crushing it" today!

In Gary Vaynerchuk's book, Crush It!  he writes about how to use the power of the web to turn your passions and interests into viable businesses. Gary spent many years transforming his family's wine business from a local mom-and-pop shop into a national industry leader. And he did this by leveraging a number of social media tools. I've seen a few of his YouTube videos and it's classic Gary Vaynerchuk every time...no holds barred, energetic, passionate and authentic.

When I set out to "blog," I opened my Blogger account back in February 2009. It literally took me four years to publish my first post! I vividly recall catastrophizing as I sat (flabbergasted and in disbelief) in front of my laptop, figuring out what to write about. That's four years of lost time...four years of my life I can never have back...I despise the number four!

Thankfully, I'm a glass-half-full guy. So I stepped back, took a few deep breaths and shook it off.

You obviously can't change what was, but you have absolute control and can impact what will be.

I suppose since writing keeps me up at night (as I try to sleep, come up with new topics to write about or sit there in the wee hours of the morning typing away), that it's a passion of mine. Despite life's many twists, turns and distractions, I crave and need to do it.

In retrospect, I am making a living out of my passion. My ultimate goal as a marketer is to deliver more relevant, meaningful experiences that engage and inspire people to take action. And that usually involves lots of writing and developing content, which I've done (now I just need to figure out a way to make millions).

Gary writes that the time is now (certainly not the first time anybody's said this) to cash in on your passion. Never mind yesterday. If you have a passion, don't dwell on what you haven't done thus far. Instead, march ahead toward the future. Start "crushing it" today.

What's your passion? If there are any writers out there, have you figured out a way to make millions from writing? Do tell.

How Amazon pegged me as a Popchips popper

I occasionally get customer emails from Amazon. Today's Deal of the Day for 35% off Popchips caught my attention. For starters, I love Popchips! More important, how did Amazon profile me as somebody who'd be interested in Popchips? I've never purchased 'em, nor anything remotely close to a crunchy snack, for that matter. The only grocery item I've purchased from Amazon is chicken bouillon (don't laugh...I ordered it for my wife). Go figure. But I do like my Popchips (barbecue flavor). I'm curious to know how Amazon slices and dices data--their sources, how they append and overlay; how they make sense of all that data!

Coincidentally, I was at Target a few days ago and noticed two Google Shopping Express (GSE) employees perusing aisles--with carts on hand--filling them with stuff. On my way out at the parking lot, I noticed one of the Google guys loading up his GSE company car (a Toyota Prius) with his loot. I've seen the GSE cars driving around town and one can argue the name "Google Shopping Express" is suggestive; but I figured I'd engage the guy in a bit of conversation to satiate my curiosity about the GSE service.

It appears that GSE is being piloted in the San Francisco Bay Area. Essentially, the service caters to those who don't have a lot of time to trek around town to buy their own stuff. They use the service to save time and get their stuff delivered to them--the same day in most cases. Not a revolutionary idea (think Webvan, now a part of the Amazon family), but if there's one thing we know, Google is super smart and will do their darndest to do the GSE service right.

Sidebar: Google will pay you 38 cents per mile to drive your own car, but the guy I was talking to preferred to use the company car. He didn't seem too excited about driving a Prius (no cool factor, I suppose?), but he was proud of the car's sound system. I wonder if he's allowed to listen to his own music or if the car comes equipped with company-issued tunes (which makes me wonder about the type(s) of genre Google-issued music would be comprised of).

But, I digress.

Getting back to Amazon...

I'm still wondering about how I was pegged as a Popchips popper. And doesn't Amazon have a leg up on Google with this Webvan-ish service? AmazonFresh has been piloted in Seattle for several years, and now it's made its way to Los Angeles.

Have you used AmazonFresh and/or Google Shopping Express? What's your verdict and why? Please feel free to comment below.

Product form and function in the comfort of your hand

Products come in various shapes and sizes. A product that exemplifies the perfect marriage of form and function is the perennial writing instrument, the pen.

I suppose I'm a bit of a pen aficionado (a rollerballer, to be exact). If you do enough writing and note-taking as I do, you'll know what it's like to have the perfect pen fall beautifully into your hand; the smooth flow of the ink as it hits the paper, never skipping a beat, as if you're magically guided through every stroke. When you have the perfect pen, you'll swear as if you can write for eternity!

Another key aspect is the pen's design. Let's take the German brand Lamy, for example. It's evident that Lamy approaches their designs with a great deal of consideration. Just take a look at some of their product designers and creations. Like architecture, it is through Lamy's product features that they tangibly convey the competence of their brand. Though a smaller scale, a great deal of thought and effort goes into designing pens.

Let's not forget the other features and attributes of a pen. There's the type and quality of materials used--aluminum, acrylic, wood, plastic, resin, perhaps a combination thereof? Disposable or refillable? If you're into fountain pens, you'll have nib sizes to contend with. The list goes on.

What's your pen of choice? Do you have a favorite brand?

Successful social selling is only about one thing...your customers

In today's social web, I still see companies using social channels to push their products (and often push them very hard). That's because they still view social media as a traditional marketing and advertising channel, where it's commonplace to try to get people to buy their stuff.

Social media is fascinating because for it to be successful, you need engaging, relevant content round-the-clock. It's true that traditional media also needs engaging and relevant content, but you can get away with being sales-y and "pushing" your stuff to people. That's because most traditional media is a one-way conversation. I equate a one-way conversation to a company that's hot and ready to sell when their customers aren't ready to buy.

If companies truly cared about their customers, they'd first take a step back; then they'd listen and take their customers' feedback into consideration (perhaps even action). By doing so, they'll have a healthy, two-way dialogue; and avoid lecturing customers about why they should buy their stuff. This two-way dialogue helps to create a one-to-one relationship with their customers, an ingredient that's necessary to survive in today's social web. From that relationship comes trust and loyalty, the very tenets that make a brand truly successful.

Like most simple concepts (yes, it is a simple concept), it involves some work to implement, and needs time to percolate. But diligence will pay off.

Unless companies like to hear themselves talk, I don't recommend they have one-way conversations in the social web--because they'll only have a captive audience of one--themselves. And that won't be terribly productive.

Have you come across any companies having one-way conversations out in the social web? Who are they and how can they turn their conversations into healthy, two-way dialogues?

Don't dismiss the value of content and messaging

Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase, "The medium is the message." In media theory, he proposed that the subject of focus should be the media's characteristics--not the content it carries--as it is those characteristics that influence how society perceives the message.

I won't get into a sociological dissection of Professor McLuhan's theory. I do feel that medium and message are important. You must factor both while conveying a message and trying to solicit a response from your target audience. 

I'd like to focus on the "message" portion for a moment, however.

While attending RampUp 2013, I had a discussion with the CTO of an ad platform company. This bloke was sharp, highly-technical and knew his stuff. After our initial introductions, we landed on the topic of messaging.

Off the gates, he (CTO) seemed to dismiss the value of content and messaging; and instead, placed more importance on the product's technology attributes.

I begged to differ. 

A company's product (technical or otherwise) is only as good as how it's conveyed and understood by its customers (users). True, product development is important, but I can almost guarantee that successful companies also understand the importance of identifying a market for that product or service; which, by the way, will need some content or messaging crafted around it. Moreover, the message must not only be clear and concise, but also targeted. It's a balance that content and messaging developers work hard at in order to engage and deliver results. 

At the end of our discussion, I feel we were both more educated; he (hopefully) on the importance of content and messaging, and me on the opportunity to further bridge the gap between IT and marketing.

Do you have a similar IT vs. marketing story or experience? Let's hear about it.