Lessons Learnt from The Seth Godin London Session Westminster Abbey, Tuesday 17th Feb 2009
Sometimes an event takes place, which can only be described as like experiencing a 1000 megawatt lightbulb flashing on over your head . . .
I'd count my attendance at Seth Godin's London Session as one of those rare 'blinding moments of clarity'.
Seth Godin, is described by many, myself included, as the best intuitive marketer alive today. He is the best selling author of The Dip, Purple Cow, Permission Marketing and Small is the New Big. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and his blog (http://sethgodin.typepad.com) is ranked as one of the most popular business blogs in the world. Business Week magazine recently described Seth as 'the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age'.
In a three hour session, in the inspirational surroundings of Westminster Abbey's Church House (the location of the United Nation's very first meeting, many moons ago), a couple of hundred people, from all walks of life, sat and had their brains reprogrammed and energized by this inspirational character.
In this article I'm going to try and share with you the key points I learnt, in a simple soundbite style format.
To quote Seth, '"I may well give you a very big headache!".
Communication
The art of personal communication and establishing a connection between you and your audience or customers is so important
Remember: your audience or customers have power - they have the potential to damage you via so many mediums
Follow your audience / customers, listen to them and make yourself available to them; fulfil their needs
Traditional advertising is dying
Marketing by interruption no longer works!
People are wiser. They know how to ignore you
Don't proposition strangers
Learn to 'date' your potential audience or customers
Entice your audience / customers by offering something they need
Be genuine and approachable
Strive to be different and not just another 'me too'
Be extraordinary!
Do you or your business have a story? You need to . . . "We are fast" / "We are friendly" / "We are unique"
Make sure you live your story and fulfil your promises
Match the needs of the audience or market
Create anticipation, personality, relevance
Don't forget that we're in the middle of another revolution - the era of new marketing; build for this new era
Are you pushing to defend the old, or do you have the wind behind you, heading into the future?
Make sure you or your company's DNA shows everywhere, across hundreds of sites
You can make money by being everywhere or being scarce, but not by being somewhere between
Remember, you or your company needs to commit to a strategy BEFORE success
Have balls and go for it 100%. Don't try and succeed just by dipping your toe in the water
If people didn't take a risk and dare to innovate the world would be a very grey, uniform place
If your message or product is powerful enough of a proposition, you only need 1000 enthused people to spread your message
Ask yourself whether you're targeting Adopters or Adapters, and communicate accordingly. Adopters are people who are always looking for the next big thing
Adapters are people who wait for more choice or a cheaper cost before moving
And finally:
Frustrated marketers shout louder. Sometimes you can whisper and everyone will listen . . .
Building a Tribe
The importance of building a tribe, as part of your business marketing strategy, should not be underestimated.
With your audience getting ever smarter to the more traditional methods of connecting with them, you need to embrace the idea of creating followers that you can communicate directly with on a more personal level and utilize to help grow your blog, your site, your company and your brand(s).
Build a tribe of people with a common interest
Connect with people who want what you want or offer
Try and attract people with passion (which you will, if you're passionate yourself)
Energize your followers
Remember: people like to be led. Don't be afraid to become their leader
Be different
Be remarkable
Be "none of the above" on the ballot paper - so many people want this
It's good to be a unicorn in a balloon factory!
Make sure you are doing something you are proud of or passionate about - this will give you more of a chance at success in the long run, as your passion won't falter
Having a tribe forces you to be more authentic - be prepared!
If you're building a tribe through your blog, don't be afraid to talk about yourself
Weak tribes can become self-governing. You need to be a strong leader with a firm grip on your tribe
Lead the conversation
Some people will never 'get it' - don't be afraid of that and don't waste energy trying to convert the non-believers. Ask yourself if you are talking to the right people?
Remember: other people will jump at what you do
Don't be everything to everyone and don't be scared to turn people away
Conclusion
I realize that I've bombarded you with information here, but every point is powerful and should provide food for thought.
If you feel enthused by what you've read, I recommend you check out Seth Godin's website at http://www.sethgodin.com
As a creator and/or marketer of content, hopefully the lightbulb is well and truly lit above your head!
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