Twitter's BIG Secret
What make a consumer buy? This the core question of any business….and everything is business. Don’t mistake that. You are always selling something. Maybe you are selling attendance to an event, or a line of sweaters, or tax advice or yourself to get a new job. No matter what you are always selling.
So the major question of every endeavor becomes…..what makes a person buy?
The answer is quite simple and complicated at the same time. People buy a good story.
As humans we are all connected to our emotions, so more, some less. But all connected none the less. When we tell an effective story, one that combines our passion, our product, our beliefs, our struggle and our success…our listeners become engaged. They want to know more and they want to participate.
The greatest teachers I have ever had were great storytellers. The were able to wrap wisdom and learning into a great fable that answered the “Why’s” and “How’s”. I would also say the same of the greatest sales professionals I have ever met….and the greatest entrepreneurs.
Take a moment and think of Steve Jobs. He is responsible for selling the story of Apple. He has the most fanatical users and has established his company as an innovator by telling a story of the triumph of design. He is known as being ruthless on design specific details. His keynotes are riddled with references to poor design and it’s even prevalent in the uber-famous “Mac vs, PC” commercials.
His story is consistent and engaging. It speaks to a niche population but invites in anyone who may be listening with a small amount of interest. Mostly though, the story is authentically Steve Jobs. Some will argue that the story then will die with Steve Jobs. I challenge that it is too soon to see where the story will lead.
When you choose to root your business strategies in the art of storytelling, you are opening your business to be flexible and to grow. A traditional fable takes twists and turns, embraces new characters and takes on new risks. But it also has a core set of values. These are what guide the customer through the transition of characters and ultimately drive the engagement with the product.
In this day and age, a business cannot be nameless and faceless. Consumers are demanding that “Oz” be revealed. Let the world see that you are behind the business. Let them understand and relate to you as a person. Share your successes, failures, dreams and accolades. Your story is the story of your business.
Here are 3 steps to crafting and sharing your story.
1. Determine your core values – What do you and your business stand for? Many a motivational and business speaker have discussed virtues of having defined values. They were right. I’ll also say that these values should be realistic and able to be upheld. Identify 3 strong values that your customers can count on receiving each and every time they interact with your product. From “Fun” to “Honesty”, take the time to Identify and Define these.
2. Define where and how you communicate - Really these two are at the core of all marketing plans and should be at the core of your business strategy. If you don’t have a pre-determiend path you’ll spend all your time looking for the right path. Forget “right” for now and focus on movement. Will you reach your customers via Social Media, print ads, Radio, direct mail, phone call, horse and buggy, lighting of lamps….you get the point. Figure out where you want to put your focus and then start applying your values to that message. Think “soft sell” in this part and leave the hard sell to the so called advertising professionals.
3. Listen to the story you are telling – Too many business owners and professional marketers get caught up int he details of what they are trying to share. do yourself a favor, go find a six year old and ask them if they understand what you are saying. If they get it and are excited by it, your on the right track…if not, time to re-evaluate. Keep it simple and focus on the big picture. What gets people excited about your product? What builds engagement? These will lead to the deeper questions down the road.
Your ability to tell a great story will have a profound impact on your business if you take the time to build it. These tips and this concept is not a simple “How To”. This a concept and mind set that you must adopt….for the long term.
Last week Jason Markow spoke at Ignite San Diego. Just the other day they announced that their recording of the talks would not be up for another couple weeks. We don't blame them (they do have 16 to go through). That being said, we did not want to keep you waiting! The video above is our personal recording and edit of the ignite talk that Jason gave last Tuesday in San Diego.
On a personal note from Jason-
I have to give a huge thank you to Nick Saunders, Jenna Wolfe, Brent Picasso, Kelley Picasso, Julie Sando and my better half- Alli Markow for showing up to the event. In addition, I am eternally grateful to Brian Johnson of Square Root Design Studio for not only showing up, but also recording the event, and spending multiple hours (using his less than able laptop *that doesn't even play video!*) converting the video to a format that I could use on my mac.
BE ACTION.
Jason
Any marketer who is at least half-way decent knows that a "Double Opt-In" prospect is infinitely more valuable than a "Single Opt-In" prospect. On twitter this is no different. This post describes how and why to turn every single follower you/your brand/your business generates from here on out into a "Double Opt-In" prospect.
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of "Opt-In" Prospects:
The reason for this is simple. If you have a group of people who had to take action twice, odds that they really, REALLY, are interested in your product. One "Opt-In" could be out of curiosity (or even a mistake!) but prospects who 'confirm' their desire to engage with you a second time are no accident, and are infinitely more valuable than any other form of prospect.
So what is the best way to generate "Double Opt-In" prospects with your followers on twitter? The short answer is to actually give a damn about the people who follow you.
Where most marketers fail on twitter:
Too many marketers settle for the "Single Opt-In" prospect. See below, these are real Direct Messages I received immediately after following people on twitter, with zero direct communication before hand:
You do not build a quality group of twitter followers by tweeting crap like 3 out of the 4 of these first Direct Messages did, you do it by listening.
Still not convinced? Think of if it as if it were a phone call. If I gave you my number would you call me up, right away, with a recorded message about shit you are trying to sell? Are you kidding me!?!? If you are using an auto responder you are not an entrepreneur, you are not an effective marketer, you are a spammer.
So what does a "Double Opt-In" look like on twitter?
Creating a "Double Opt-In" prospect on twitter is not too difficult. It does require a bit more work, but the result is your followers (read: database/prospect list) actually have value. There are literally thousands of twitter profiles that will simply, unquestioningly, and blindly follow you just to increase their own ranking, but if you think for one second that this increases your value and is not a waste of your time to purse you are just spinning your wheels.
So when it comes to twitter:
This way, the people who seek you out actually care about your product. In addition, you actually build potentially meaningful relationships with some incredible people. Follow this simple process and you will turn every single follower you/your brand/your business generates from here on out into a "Double Opt-In" prospect.
What do you think? Are you a spammer? Do you agree with this post? Do you have a more effective way to engage prospects on twitter? We want to hear about it. Leave a comment in the section below and lets start a discussion.
Recently, I found myself in a place I have never been before- an enormous "Western Store".
Rarely are we placed in situations where we are truly on the outside looking in. As an individual who knows absolutely nothing (and I mean NOTHING) about boots, I used the opportunity to test which boot/brand/product jumped out at me.
I must have passed 400 pairs of boots with the hope that just one would "jump out" at me. But the shape, swirly embroidery, smell, height, heel, and feel of each was as similar as the last.
Arguably, I am not the intended "target market" for this product, and have no need to be catered to. However, if you create something that truly stands out (a 
purple cow for the Seth Godin fans out there) it will not just attract your target market... it will attract everyone.
And then it happened:
Out of nowhere, and from a sizable distance I spotted a bright blue pair of boots. I was drawn to it, noticed it, remembered it. In a sea of tans, browns, and blacks one boot was screaming to stand out.
We spend so much time inside our own mind/company/industry that it can become difficult to remember your customers (or any external source for that matter) point of view of your product/service. Next time you need to refresh the way to look at your product/service, use the boot rack test:
What would happen if someone outside your industry were to look at your product/service lined up with every single one of my competitors at once? Could they tell the difference? Would it stand out?
Now it's your turn. What other tools/methods do you use to observe your product/service from a different perspective? There are several things left unsaid here (like: who really wants a blue boot anyways? Or the fact that tools online already do this for consumers, etc) This is intentional. Ask questions, disagree, share your perspective. Please leave a comment below with your "two-cents" and get in on the discussion.
Only by understanding someone can you provide them with something of value.
The art of persuasion is not wrong or immoral. It is actually quite the opposite. Persuasion helps individuals to better understand their own desires by being questioned about what is important to them.
Ask more questions, listen more often and practice the art of understanding. Approach your business and you customers as an artist would...a blank canvas. See what it might be and you can help it to become what it desires to be.
Do you see the metaphor?
The author brought up a very good point, essentially asking the question "Who Cares where you are checking in?". The equally brilliant answer is YOUR CUSTOMERS!
Often it is the professionals in an industry who are the slowest to adopt new technologies, strategies, tools and concepts. Some recent examples are Social Networking, crowd sourcing, video promotions, Live Streaming Events and various Twitter Marketing tactics. All of these are new and potentially disruptive to our standard ways of doing business. They are also new ideas that a growing majority are looking for when they are searching for a product or service.
The bottom line is that we need to be listening to our customers and looking for ways to keep them engaged in the conversation surrounding our product.The more they are engaged the more successful the overall interaction is and the more likely they are to buy and return. A great by product is that these customers also begin think about your organization as a resource and a leader.
Value is what customers are looking for. They face the same daily challenges of managing time and expectations that you and I do. How can we expect them to read our important emails regarding special offers when we don't even read the emails in our inbox? How can we expect them to sit through a cold call and give us their full attention, when we cannot sit through a traffic light without checking emails? Instead we need to be looking for technologies, strategies and concepts that help the customer to engage. We need to be looking for ideas and concepts that excite their imagination and urge them to explore further.
By adopting the new first, we as business owners can help our customers to learn how to effectively use new tools and take part in all aspects of our products. By looking for ways to integrate the old and the new we can help our customers get the value they are looking for.
What do you think?
Things have changed.
There I said it...things have changed in business and we may never see them the way they used to be. I know many a sales person, and business owner, who yearn (quite vocally) for the good old days of a few years back. Times when they had more business than they could handle and customers paid prices without a question.
A time when customers found you...you didn't need to find them. The business flowed through their doors and cash registers with ease. We could afford to let a few small things, like service (note hint of sarcasm) slip through the cracks because....well, there was enough new business to not care.
Yes folks...times have changed.
Building your business in this new economy is about both a return to solid foundational business values and new ideas. A re-connection with your customer and commitment to providing more value than they are paying for. It's an opportunity for you as a business owner to re-build quality so that once again customers will praise your product and service evangelically and you may reap the benefits of the highest form of marketing. Word of Mouth referrals.
How do you do that? By paying attention to what you have.
The idea of 1000 true fans
The theory of 1000 true fans is rooted in the music industry and essentially states that any band can be supported financially on 1000 true fans. These are the fans that will buy every product a band offered, attend as many shows as humanly possible, tell everyone they know about he band and ultimately be there in defense of every decision the band makes creatively.
What if your business had 1000 true fans? Customers who believed in your values and product so wholeheartedly that they would always support you. It takes a lot of work and time to build those fans, but once they are nurtured...they never leave.
What makes a true fan? Recognition and reward. You need to know who these people are and design marketing programs that reach out and engage them. You may only have one in the beginning, but if you engage that one, they will tell others. If you take it a step further and identify the customers who could be True Fans, then you are pro-actively working to build your business. Which leads into the next portion...
Segmenting your database
Not all customers are created equals. They all have varying levels of needs, wants and desires. If you try to hard to converting everyone at the same time, you may find yourself waste time, money and other resources. Instead develop standards that hep you to create layers in your database. Each layer should be focused on a certain level of product use. Your goal becomes converting existing customers up through your layers with an ultimate goal of making them a true fan.
Each layer of customers should also have it's own marketing strategies that gently educate them and steer them toward the next level of engagement. You have to take the time to think through this process of education and transition. You have to ensure that you are able to clearly recognize when a customer has moved form one layer to the next and then reward them for doing so....consistently.
In this process you'll likely find you'll need new technologies or processes which means you'll have to change and try something new.
Managing risk and trying new things
A major component of a successful business in the new economy is going to be the combination of new technology with old strategies. Using Twitter to enhance customer service, using Evernote to capture and execute ideas, using Groupons to offer discounts and FourSquare to promote your location. Those are just a few examples of the new tech that may have an impact.
Adopting them is risky. You have to learn something new and potentially lose an old strategy....and there is no guarantee it will work. You have to believe again and get excited about growth and challenge. You need to re-learn how to weigh out risk and reward so that you can effectively move forward. I'd say that this section is especially important because it is about character...not a simple how to strategy. The ability to risk is a character trait, that not everyone has. Do you?
So the question becomes...are you ready for change?
A humorous post over at lettersofnote.com reveals at least one employee's ( John Lasseter ) philosophy of Pixar, namely: Pixar films don't get finished, they just get released. Similar to the 'software' approach, the idea here is to 'release' early, spot issues quickly, and fine tune often. Pixar may not have this luxury, but (depending on your situatiuon) you might.
I found myself referencing this post during two conversations with other writers yesterday in describing my own working style, and I wanted to share three reasons why it works:
No Analysis Paralysis
An old colleague (thanks Eric!) taught me about the idea of "Analysis Paralysis"- He described it to me as staying up so late the night before vacation, deciding when to leave, that you never reach a decision, sleep in, etc. If you spend all your time deliberating and not taking action the result is often a healthy does of nothing.
Percentages that Matter
Pareto's principle applies here. If we agree that 100% represents perfection, I would argue you can reach 80% completion in 20% of your time, while it takes the remaining 80% of the time to bring that 80% to 100%. Being first to the game is usually a welcome advantage, so as soon as you hit 80% you should 'release'. You will be playing the game long before any competition attempting to show up with 100% providing you ample time to adjust and adapt.
Perfection is Overrated
One of the writers I was speaking with is an admitted perfectionist. Although perfection is the goal, it is often times overrated. The best time to release your idea was yesterday, the second best time is right now. Don't worry so much about making it perfect because you can always make changes, updates, and revisions later.
I want to end with this thought: One post that has been on my mind, partially complete, and to this day never posted is the "Welcome to the blog" post for this site. For some reason I never got around to writing it. If I waited to 'release' this blog until I had that post written, it is safe to assume I still would be at square one (read: never started).
Image Credit: ~Thanh
We've all been there. One minute you are cranking on an idea, a project, or game plan and the next... nothing. It feels like you burned all the fuel up and there is a good chance that you have not even "cleared the tower" yet. Sound familiar? Not sure what to do about it? There is a simple fix: Zig don't Zag (and Vice Versa of course). Change your inputs to change your outputs. In other words: consciously change your routine to trigger an "aha" moment.
The idea is to pull your brain out of "autopilot" mode. Force yourself to think critically and differently about even the most mundane daily task. It could be just the shift you needed to get back on track. Here are a few simple "routine shifts" to help you Zig instead of Zag.1. Take the long way home- On your next drive home from the office, try to find a new route. If you already know your city like the back of your hand you can try to get home only making right (or left) hand turns... now that will get you thinking.2. Find and listen to new music- Use sites like pandora, thesixtyone, or blip.fm to find a new song, a new band, or a new genre to get the creative juices flowing. 3. Embrace a new hobby- Pick up a guitar, pop in those language tapes, try your luck at Geo Caching When you are in a situation that you have to use yourbeginners mind you are uninhibited by self imposed restrictions or expectations. Any angle you approach the "problems" in a new hobby is a "new angle". Try to "copy and paste" the way you handled your new problem to your old one. Did you Zig? Do you have any of your own routine shifts that work wonders for getting your ideas back on track? We want to hear about it. No really, we do. Drop a comment in the box below and get in on the discussion.
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