Tribes vs Markets

Posted on 22 May 2009 by admin

Illustrating the difference between a market segment and the market, and how we often get lost in our segment of the market.

Illustrating the difference between a market segment and the market, and how we often get lost in our segment of the market.

Do you understand the critical difference?

You and I make a critical mistake all the time.

We do it everyday, subconsciously, whether we like it or not and even if we know better.

Especially if you sell, produce, or syndicate any type of information.

You do it if you own a business and that business is your sole focus.

And like I said, even if you know better you still do it.  Then you remember and slap yourself and move on

and use your knowledge to mae more money.

I’ve been working on preparing some launches, and putting some final touches on stuff…

…and one of my business partners and I realized how much we had let the wrong things take over our perception.

We were effectively letting ourselves loose the forest for the tree’s so to speak.  And you know what, it would probably cost us a whole bunch of money.

Well, I really don’t want to write this whole thing out, and I kind of suspect you’re not that into reading, so understand the difference between a tribe and a market and why missing this will make you loose a whole lot of money…

Here’s the video

How To Build A Huge Following in Social Media

Posted on 13 May 2009 by admin

Is There A Proven Formula For Building Large Followings..?

This is a question at the top of the minds of so many people these days.

It comes out in many different forms:

How do I get more followers on Twitter?

How do I get more friends on facebook?

How do I get the right friends and followers?

How can I get people to listen to me, digg my stuff and comment on my blog?

How do we build better customer loyalty?

How can I build my own audience in social media?

And the list goes on and on.  Really, if you are reading this, click on the comments section RIGHT NOW and tell everyone what your current “How to…?”  Is.  I am sure there are many that I have left out.

The point is, I’ve seen two trends going on in the social media world.

Trend/Idea 1: Become popular and build a following/audience/community of people who know like and trust you.  Then use that massive audience to build your business.

Trend/Idea 2:Use social media channels as a syndication platform and marketing distribution system for content that is unique to you and highly relevant to your ideal client/customer/prospect/etc and build a business.

I’m sure you can guess where I am headed and which one I think is right.

The point of this post is to start this conversation.  And ask the question or continue it rather, which comes first the business or the audience?

The answer is simple.  Everyone who has a huge following has followed this pattern.  (Sure there are exceptions, but this is the pattern we observe)

The first step is to build something successful in its own right.  Many are going the other direction.  Get famous then point the people following you to your business…  I talked a lot about this in “The ultimate branding strategy”, a post written last november.

The trend seems to be much different.  Look at the people with the biggest audiences online and you will almost always, inevitably see some other success.  Steve Jobs has a ton of followers on twitter not because everyone wants to know what he is eating for lunch because that is so interesting, but because he is the CEO of Apple.  And a lot of people, love apple.  He built a business.  A brand can go places you can’t.  SO building something successful can reach more people than you ever could.

Then the social media feed back cycle is initiated.

Then you participate. (I say then, for emphasis, I believe it is an on going, ebb and flow process)

Then it becomes powerful.  This is why applying social media to already existing businesses has such rapid success.  They already have a client base.  There is already a lot of people who have experience with them.

It comes down to some marketing and business fundamentals

Sniper Marketing

It is easier to get attention when you have specific to solutions to specific problems and specific needs.  That is why building a business or any successful venture or endevor will ultimately lead to a much much more powerful following and audience long term.

Social media is a personal sticking, and security strategy.  It a transparency strategy, and longevity strategy.  Social media can also be a marketing platform, but you need to solve specific problems with businesses.

Clock Building

The second reason is that all great businesses that have lasted have a common characteristic of leadership.  (This comes right out of Jim Collins’ work in “Good to Great” and “Built to Last.”  The best leaders of companies were systems and process focused, not personality focused.

They sought to build a better system that would be bigger than them, outlive them etc.

Like I said, a “brand can go where one man or woman cannot.”

It is true of your business.  It can be bigger and go farther than you.  People will discover your business that never would have discovered you.  But after they fall in love with your business, it is easy for them to fall in love with you.

Likewise, if you already run a successful business, you are a CEO of a company or charity or whatever, you’ve got to become transparent and available through social media.

The following you build that follows you will be with you forever.  The ultimate unique selling proposition is you.  It is the only brand that can never be duplicated.  So it is important to build.

Hope that helps you fuel some productive strategic thoughts.  Add your comments and questions below, I would like to go deeper on a podcast about this, so let’s start a conversation.

The Only Goal That Matters…

Posted on 13 May 2009 by admin

It’s 4:53 am on a wednesday morning and my mind is racing…

My life runs pretty smoothly all the time, and so this is just one of those days when my brain gets going and there is no stopping it.  I’d really rather be asleep right now, and the only way to get back to my zzzz’s is to write down some of the thoughts and ideas that are flowing through my brain to quiet it down again.

I hope that those who are reading and are a part of this site understand the aim.

I believe that entreprenuership, specifically lifestyle entreprenuership, or as I like to call it, “Adventure-Prenuership” is a key to solving many problems and increasing happiness in your own life.  So, often times I see so much possiblity, so many opportunities, that it becomes overwhelming.

It gets to a point where you see so many ways to improve and achieve anything and evertyhting that you get into this analysis paralysis state and can’t move.  At which point it become necessary to ask the question of questions… Why?

One Question Changes Everything

If you ask why long enough, you eventually end up at the value of happiness.

I started setting my goals this year, determined to focus on one thing and one thing only, happiness.  The reason was a lot of thought and pondering, but also just the simple fact that one of the books that has most impacted me over the last few years is a book called “Happier.”  So, at times, it is very valuable to ask this one powerful question.

“What one thing, more than any other would most improve my quality of life if I were to achieve it?”

or

“What one outcome would help me to be happier than any other right now?”

It really is a magic question.  Its THE question of questions.  Because at any given time we can ask ourselves, “what do you want?” And come up with a hundred differnet answers.  If we start asking, “why do you want that?” It clarifies things and helps you to see real objectives and reasons much much more clearly.

Well, I think I can sleep again.  And I’m glad this came out because it is a key.  Find the one or two objectives that will increase happiness the most and you’ll be well… happier.


Which Came First, The Community or The Content?

Posted on 08 May 2009 by admin

Social Media Marketing Is Really Community Building

If you have followed anything I’ve said for any length of time you know that I believe, and this idea has been confirmed by experts around me, that there are really only two steps to driving traffic.  Creation and syndication.  All it really takes to be successful in social media marketing is to create relevant, quality content and then syndicate it through a network of people.  You have to build this syndication network, and doing that is part of this post’s idea.

The question is, which comes first the content or the community?

It really is a chicken and egg kind of a thing.  And that is something that people need to understand.

If you could start with either of the two, which would it, be?  I would start with the community.  Building your own community will be impossible without your own content.  But you don’t have to have anything that interesting, to say to be able to make friends, review other’s content and generally be a part of the community.

In real life, no one becomes the leader until the have been lead.  You want to be willing to listen and observe for a while before you start speaking.  For two reasons

1-    It’s important to build the relationships.  One of the best ways to build relationships is listening and being interested in others.  There is nothing different about social media.

2-     Your content is what will ultimately build a following and trust and your community.  But content must be consumed for it to do that.  People need to read it, listen, or watch.  The fact is, you have to have the mind set that people are paying you any time they consume your content.  Because they are.  They are spending a resource more valuable than money, time and attention.  These resources are much more scarce than money.  Even Bill Gates only has 24 hours in a day, he can get more dollars (and so can all of us) but no one can give you more hours in a day.  That said, you have to put just as much energy into the type of content you produce as a product your produce for sale.  You need to know what problems there are to be fixed.  What do people want.  They are still spending with you when they consume your content.

THIS IS THE KEY TO THE WHOLE THING.  YOU HAVE TO PRODUCE SOMETHING THAT SOLVE A PROBLEM OR CREATES REAL VALUE FOR PEOPLE OR IT WILL NEVER GET READ OR SPREAD.

Well the question remains which comes first, community or content?  Here is the flip side.  If you produce the type of content people would pay for, you now build a tribe, your own community.  You start to build real value, and followers.  People who listen to you because what you provide really makes a real difference in their lives.

I’ve found personally that I am a follower of and have a better relationship with those people who I have bought from or invested significant time in.  The fact is, selling product, and investing your time with people to really get deep into problem solving and solutions providing is where real powerful relationships are built.  You just don’t have time or attention to follow many people who are just out there giving away a ton of good information.  The best way to really turn someone into a true follower, community member, and even promoter of you is to serve them at a higher level.

This means one of two things.  Either you have something worth them buying, and totally over deliver on their expectations.  Or, you give away something so valuable they can never forget you.

Well, that’s all for now.  Happy Marketing

Platinum Success- What Tamara Didn't Tell Us…

Posted on 07 May 2009 by admin

Tamara SchilingAs we promised Tamara and I sat down and went through some of the things you may have missed listening to her at the producer power hour.

The interview covers:

- How to focus on purpose, perseverance, and the flexible mind
- Using flexibility to navigate both adversity and success
- What is platinum success?
- Letting go of plans that are holding you back from your vision
- Factor 93 and her new project

-The difference between “happy” and “successful”

(click on the button below to go to the interview)

 

Tamara Schilling and her business partner Cathy Hankinson are launching a new project called factor 93, go to www.factor93.com and optin to her list, they will be releasing a special offer soon.  If you will opt in to my list here to the right, we will be offering a special bonus with the new program Tamara is releasing here.

Ask Your Questions About Factor 93 Here

http://www.askdatabase.com/campaigns/?af=49358

Remember “Action + Intention = Results”

Special Event With Tamara Schilling

Posted on 06 May 2009 by admin

How to Craft Your Life’s Vision, Realize Your Vision And Overcome Any Obstacle or Adversity

I recently did an interview with Tamara Schilling.

She has become a good friend of mine, and I am excited to let everyone know that she will be speaking in Utah tonight, at a special event called the producer power hour.

You can get the details to the event here.

Interview With Tamara Schilling

I originally did this interview on the fly, just kind of spur of the moment while Tamara and I were talking about our businesses on the phone.

Well, after we finnished, I didn’t think the audio was that great, there are a few audio errors, etc that I didn’t like about the interview.

But when I revisited it, and went through the content I just couldn’t resist sharing Tamara’s message.

So, two bonuses for you.

1- Click on the photo below and that will open the interview, you’ll be able to play it and see a play button.

2- I will be interviewing Tamara again tonight, and we want to make it more specific to you or anyone who reads this post.

SO, feel free to ask any question of Tamara, just go over to this website and fill in any question(s) you may have.

http://www.askdatabase.com/campaigns/?af=49358

Video thumbnail. Click to play
(to listen to the interview, click on Tamara’s photo, you will see the player pop up)

Ask Tamara your questions: http://www.askdatabase.com/campaigns/?af=49358

 
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