Successful Blog

Social Media Book List: Book Outlook on Seth Godin

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors and writers to manage their online promotion efforts. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!).
I decided to change things up a little this week and do a book “outlook” on two of Seth Godin’s books: ‘Linchpin’ (his latest) and ‘Meatball Sundae’ from 2007.

Lately the buzz around Seth Godin has been surrounding his latest book ‘Linchin’. As you can see here is an example: one where he was Skyped in to a university classroom to talk about the elements of this book. In the video, the highlight I caught was how Seth was talking about people wanting to be around you (or tweet with you, or befriend you on Facebook) because of “how you make them feel”.

That is one thing I have always admired about Seth, is his ability to make people stop and think. And most of the time the concept is very simple. Because most of the time he is right on point.

Think for just a moment, why do you listen to certain music? Because of the words and the voice of the person singing, right? Why do you read certain books? Because of the emotions the words on the page touch your heart, right?

Well, that is what Seth is talking about here—-you can become a “want” to other people because they can’t (or don’t) wish to be without you and your services.

And while ‘Linchin’ has been all the buzz lately, I have picked up one of Seth’s earlier works, ‘Meatball Sundae’, to take a look and share some ideas I found interesting in this book about marketing and how it has changed over the last decade. Because the subtitle to this book is “Is your Marketing Out of Sync?

Meatball Sundae

meatball

Here are few concepts I would like to explore with you:

The first concept I would like to discuss is the difference between “old marketing” and “new marketing” and driving innovation deep. On pages 22-23 Seth talks about how some companies found “new” ways to market their products and did so successfully.

Did you know that Cafepress.com (they sell promotional products) sell millions of dollars of imprinted items each month? I figured they were doing pretty good, but I didn’t realize they were that popular. They took a concept (personal promotional products) and found a way to do it on a bigger scale by allowing the individual person customize their promotional products. Then they took it one step further and allowed people to set their prices for their own products. And to top that, it is all done over the web and the person doesn’t have to have inventory. What a great concept, right?

Also, did you know Audible.com carries more books on tape than any store or library….all on the web without needing to set up a physical location.

My point here is (well, really Seth’s point is) the way you are able to set up your business and get it to other people has changed drastically and you can thrive with it.

Next concept is realizing how the technology has changed the environment but human nature hasn’t. Seth offers this—(page 48)
“Marketing has always been about discovering what people want and need and telling the story about how they can get it (from you). It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that the list represents a change in what people want and need. Human nature hasn’t changed a bit. What has changed is the environment we live in. The combination of technology and competition has lead to a world where many people can get what they want, when they need it…what we’ve wanted all along is to be treated with respect and to be connect to other people.”

Again, he made me stop and think. Because when I first read this I thought, “No, Seth human nature has changed!” But we have just adjusted as a result of the environment around us.

Another concept he talks about his offering your clients a way to receive what they want (from you) in a way that allows you not to break the bank either. One example he used was Lulu.com. You can work with Lulu to get your manuscript turned into a book. They will offer you a online storefront to sell it from and will give you an ISBN to allow you to sell your book from any bookstore in the word. Of course, now their are more than just Lulu.com to do this, however, the concept is the same.

There are many more great concepts in this book and you can pick up a copy for yourself at Amazon and from his website.

You have more possibilities and opportunities for marketing and to get out to those who will want and need your services and products more than you have before. And it is your ability to find your own UNIQUE way to be authentic that will get you connect with those who will want to network, buy and share with others about you.

I hope you have enjoyed this “outlook” on Seth Godin and two of his books.

How do you keep you marketing in sync with the ever changing technology?

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Agents Are Dead, Long Live the Agents

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From Seth’s Blog: Where have all the agents gone?

Travel agents… gone.
Stock brokers… gone.
Real estate brokers… in trouble. Photographer’s agents, too.
Literary agents?

The problem with being a helpful, efficient but largely anonymous middleman is pretty obvious. Someone can come along who is cheaper, faster and more efficient. And that someone might be the customer aided by a computer.

In the 19th century steam power replaced muscle. The entire world changed. Godin, as usual, is up in the crow’s nest seeing what is out in front of us. And while Heinlein said that “Specialization is for insects“, I agree with Godin that the future does indeed belong to the insect. Or, rather, the entrepreneur with an idea that is specific enough that it still requires expert knowledge, experience, or pure talent to execute.
He also writes that evolving from middleman to frontman means saying “No”.

To thrive in a world of self-service, agents have to hyperspecialize, have to stand for something, have to have the guts to say no far more than they say yes. No, you can’t publish this book. No I won’t represent you. No, don’t take that flight. No, I won’t sell this house, it’s overpriced, list it yourself.

In a world where pretty much anything can be done by anyone willing to put in the effort instead of having to pay someone else agents need to be far more than simply representatives. Mack Collier touched on this subject a while back in his post, “Do You Know the Social Media ‘Rules’” I would submit that the role of the expert consultant and that of the agent are going to continue to overlap and converge until they are indistinguishable.

secret-agentAgents Provocateur

Collier writes:

“Today, companies and individuals are rushing to this space, and it’s exciting to see. And as people discover this space, they are looking for people to give them guidance. Which is often where the trouble starts, because it’s where people start hearing about social media’s ‘rules’. They start hearing about the ‘right’ way to blog, or the ‘correct’ way to use Twitter.“

This is what Agents did in the past, one might even call it the pre-industrial model, when gatekeepers controlled access to markets for buyers and sellers. Today the marketspace is open to (nearly) all via the marvelous tubes of the internet.

  • Publish your own letter to the editor, or the CEO. They will probably see it.
  • Sell your home-made crafts, not to your neighbors, anywhere in the world.
  • Record an album and give it away. Or ask for donations.

What role do the agents play in this, a DIY Marketspace? The agents of the future will be able to tell you the ‘right way’ for you to blog, or the ‘correct way’ for you to use Twitter. Today some are calling them (or decrying them as) ‘Social Marketing Experts’ – perhaps tomorrow the non-charlatans will be known as niche-agents…

What say you? Leave a comment.

Seth, Scarcity, and How to Value Your Fans

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Thanks, Brian!

The Living Web

Got up early. Got my coffee. Switched on Twhirl (twitter app). Brian Kress had tweeted Seth’s post this morning on Scarity. I went over.

One day, you may be lucky enough to have a scarcity problem. . . . We can learn a lot from the abysmal performance of Apple this weekend. They took a hot product and totally botched the launch because of a misunderstanding of the benefits and uses of scarcity.

What Seth lays out is a solid definition of scarcity and how to use it to build and value the people who value your business. Seth points out that Apple might have used the scarcity to reward and value it’s iPhone 3G evangelists had it used a core customer strategy and the Internet to remove the risks and downside of the real-time release process. He puts the strategy forth in five principles. I say them in my own way here.

  • Use a virtual queue. Waiting in line isn’t an honor or a badge. People can order online and still “get there first.” It can still “sell out” in minutes.
  • Reward early adopters in visible ways. Imagine if the first 100K 3G phones had a gold back rather than the black or white . . . 3G first adopters edition. Sports cars do that all of the time.
  • Treat VIP customers as VIPs. Invest most in the folks who invest most in you and your products.
  • Use the Internet to lower real-time burdens and risks. You can manage and respond to what happens online easier than in real-time geographic locations.
  • Give customers the stage. Plan the release as a way for your customers to share the experience. Showcase their knowledge rather than your products. Isn’t that what we keep saying it’s about?

Thanks, Seth. I hope more than Apple are listening.

The idea of valuing key customers isn’t new. That’s why they’re called “key.”

Only think about your core fans . . .

Only care about your core fans. They are the only ones who give a damn about you–if anyone at all does. They are the ones who will drive 100 miles to see you and then tell [their] friends why they should [c]ome along the very next night when it happens again.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Buy the ebook. Get your best voice in the conversation..

Social Networking: Make It Imperfectly Human for Me

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New York City, Seth Godin, Ann Michael, and a Paper Flower

Favorite Paper Flower by Liz Strauss

In August 1998, I was wandering the streets in New York City. Later that evening our company sales conference would start. As I turned the corner somewhere near 33rd and Park, I was enjoying the view in a florist window. I walked two stores past. Stopped. Something I’d noticed had taken me. I literally backed up ten paces and went into that flower store. I came out grinning.

What had stopped me were handmade paper flowers — taller than I am. I had found a new friend for my presentation the next day. I left the florist with giant flower with a stem down to my ankles and greeted New York like a giant kid with a huge balloon. The flower has shared my office ever since. On occasion, it even sits in my desk chair.

In 2006, I returned to that same New York neighborhood for a Seth Godin seminar. I met Ann Michael. there for the first time. As we walked around the city, I’m sure I told her the story of that flower and the people who opened doors for me — the strange tall woman with a bag in one hand and unhelpful flower friend in the other.

I keep a white silk flower in a blue glass vase on a shelf in my living room. I bought the vase from a catalog. Then I bought the flower. They look stunning together, but they have no story.

This morning at Seth’s Blog something he said in May made me stop, like I did that day in New York City.

If you want to get noticed, don’t be so polished. . . . When in doubt, scrawl make it human.

White rose in a blue vase by Liz Strauss

I looked around for examples in my life — and I found two flowers . . .

That white rose in the blue vase is elegant, but that that paper flower connects me to people — people who’ve seen it in my office or heard the tale of how it got bought. That paper flower calls up so many stories, it could fuel a blog.

When you make a blog, a social network, or product for me, could you make it imperfectly human? It’s human touch that lingers and connects.

What do you have that’s like my paper flower?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Get your best voice in the conversation. Buy Liz’s eBook., now!

Images: Liz Strauss

See Seth in Silicon Valley Tomorrow — May 23rd!

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Meet My Friend, Deepika Bajaj, and See Seth Godin

Deepika Bajaj, President, is proud to announce that Invincibelle, Inc is bringing Seth Godin to the bay area, on May 23, 2007. Seth will share insight in marketing & talk about his latest book ‘The Dip’.

This is a one of a kind event as Seth has been very selective in making
public appearances (especially in CA) in recent years. This is one event you
don’t want to MISS!

Meet with CEOs Entrepreneurs, Publishers, Advertisers, Affiliate Managers, Service Providers, Affiliates, Search Marketers, Webmasters, Media Buyers,
Internet Marketers, Brand Managers, Marketing Executives, Directors of eCommerce, Networks and Technical personnel.

To get all of the details click the logo below.

Invicibelle

 

Although Seth needs no introduction, for those who would like to know more
about this celebrity, please visit Seth’s blog.

If you meet Deepika, please tell her “hello” from me.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Why Am I Giving You Directions to the Bar at the Top of the Hancock at 7 a.m.?

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All You Have to Do Is Ask

askcitylogo

I’m a believer in Permission Marketing. I’m with Seth — it’s not hard to ask. As a customer, I find it easier on everyone when I ask my question. As a service provider, I like asking what people think and how they do things. As a teacher and a person, I get jazzed when people ask me to help.

One thing I don’t ask for is directions online — I’ve had MapQuest take me to the wrong side of too many towns too many times.

Yahoo Maps, well, Yahoo! invaded my computer by loading their toolbar on my machine without including me in that decision.Sorry, I like to think for myself. I didn’t include them in my decision to delete it.

I get my directions from websites or people who know the way.

Until today . . . when I read the TechCrunch review of AskCity, and played, yeah played, with their maps.

It’s so cool!
[Read more…]