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Marketing Suggestions - Your Role And The Role of Your Associates
By Kimberly Bock | July 19, 2008
Marketing Suggestion - Understand The Position of Your Associates
In the “Marketing Suggestions” introduction, we examined the prevalence of less-than-favorable human elements in the blogosphere. It was based upon a real life example, which prompted exploration into:
- Keeping Fellow Marketers in proper perspective
- Choosing your position wisely
- Assessing your SM friends with a level head
Originally, I intended to make this a 5 part series: (no particular order)
- Beginner blogging - Empowering yourself with education and experimentation
- Beneficial software/tools for the SM enthusiast/blogger
- Utilizing SM/networking sites - Defining your role
- Concern for consumer rights
- Taking it to the Street - Ways to use SM to benefit the environment/humanity, without spending a dime
Upon further thought, it became apparent that a 6th part is needed, as it will help to guide your potential directives. This is part 1.
“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable” ~ Seneca
Sadly, assumptions are made by newcomers and those who are trying to establish themselves in the blogosphere.
Negligent understanding of their position, misunderstanding how to implement what they are being taught, and intentional marketing and social media strategies by popular marketers/enthusiasts, planting seeds into the minds of their followers (’friends’) which suggest, “Do this (for ME) and you’ll secure positive results”, are all reasons for these assumptions.
A smile, a “You’re site looks terrific. How’s your son?” comment may leave you feeling validated and acknowledged. They have just given you personal recognition and made you feel remembered and cared for. This may lead you to believe you are even a potential ‘partner-in-crime’.
The next thing you know, it leads to your full attention, your support, your backlinks, hours of post writing and reviews, word-of-mouth advertisement and reputation management at no cost to them.
Marketing Suggestion - Understand Your Position
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance” ~ Confucius
The minds of those of the blogosphere that we may refer to as ‘friends’, are feeding us a powerful presence of underlying facets that we may overlook while participating in the various social media/online marketing arenas.
For the majority of time, we are not hearing the message that tells us how to secure a powerful presence for ourselves, our services, our products, our ideas.
This lack of information keeps us unclear as to the definition of our roles. Too often, we then get sucked into the ‘willing slaves’ vortex of servitude to others, while they are reaping the benefits in bulk. Their ability to structure their strategy to reach people’s minds in this way, has been a staple to their success.
Ultimately what I’m saying: you do the bulk of their workload, and they reap the bulk of the benefits.
Is their strategy brilliant? Yes.
For them.
As a newcomer in the blogosphere, (or old dog learning new tricks) especially in the SEO/marketing arena, you will be like a fish out of water.
Its’ natural to want to be accepted by the “A-listers”, the “marketing gurus”, the people that have a strong presence, hundreds or even thousands of followers/subscribers/readers. The ‘in-crowd’ of conference glam shooters who have managed to secure a position for themselves, their products, their services, their ideas.
The desire to ‘fit-in’ is not only typical, but healthy, if kept in proper perspective.
There’s a terrific amount of education to be found by way of these prominent ones, as well as overlooked unfamiliar ones. (maybe that’s you)
Not absorbing what they offer would be foolish.
Who doesn’t want a free education?
When it becomes unhealthy, energy draining, and ultimately less productive for you, is when you begin allowing yourself to feel obligated to perform their promotional work.
What is absorbed by the more popular bloggers/marketers is that you are in a ‘lesser’ position and of course, this is their leverage/advantage.
Marketing Suggestion - Laying a Foundation
Laying a foundation is more simple than most want to make you aware of.
Utilize what they are preaching by getting in touch with others like you, not just those who hold a strong position at present.
Establish a fellowship of your own, with those who are of like minds, and are more likely to reciprocate your passions.
‘Friendships’ with popular ones are great, but there’s thousands of bloggers/marketers/SEOs in the blogosphere that are hungry to establish a camaraderie with you so as to advertise, promote and network your interests in a mutual exchange. (A Marketing Suggestions post addressing using social media for this, will follow)
“An obstacle is often a stepping stone” ~ Prescott
There is typically no direct evidence/communication by these popular ones that states, “I am here to use you. I am here to fill your head with reasons to give me free service/advertisement. I am here to convince you that you need me to meet your personal needs. I am here to give you just enough rope to virtually hang yourself.”
How are you supposed to know who and what is of most benefit to you?
Observe Your Associates
What are some of the ways to analyze your associates, for appropriate placement into your scheme of things?
Social media has widened our waters of observation space in a way that enables us to view our associates from various vantage points.
Social platforms such as Twitter, Plurk, Stumbleupon, Mixx, Digg, etc., are terrific ways to observe your associates.
Forums and blogs are also ways to assess them and their message.
In Facebook, for example, do they
- Interact?
- Enjoy?
- Socialize without introducing some sort of marketing group?
- Send a link everytime you turn around?
- Maybe only say “Hello” when sending some sort of conference/engagement/event invitation?
- Maybe you get mail that says “Hi, how are you? Love your hair! Would you mind doing me a favor?…”
Do you feel a human element vibe from them?
Is their primary focus marketing related?
When they are Tweeting, do they most frequently send messages that reference some sort of link to
- Marketers/marketing posts?
- Advertisements?
- Costly conference engagements?
- When monitoring their opinions, choice of words, activities, is there 98% reference to something that may be designed to pursuade your faith in them in some way? Yet, show no real (tangible, if you will) side to them that makes a statement to their values?
- Do they ever show a side of them that may suggest understandable human weakness?
- Are they protective of their reputations to the point of denial or possibly lies when approached with situations that may put them/their opinions to the test?
Do you know or have ever heard them discuss issues such
If so, have they provided evidence of their support of these? Not just words?
Do they argue to remove the thought of free speech or consumer rights as being of worth/value?
If you take time to read their blog, visit their forums, etc., and something triggers you to believe that a debate may be required so as to get a better understanding of them and the same for you, how are you greeted?
Do they see debate and differences of opinion as an opportunity for
- Discussion?
- Education?
- A teaching venue?
- A learning venue?
Or do they respond with
- Opposition?
- Anger?
- Obvious agitation?
- Maybe ignore you?
or worse yet,
- Expulsion?
- Gang-like attacks on voting platforms such as Sphinn, Mixx, Digg, etc? (down-voting/Desphinning posts/comments as an attempt to push you out or damage your reputation) Read: “Buried: The Rise and Fall of the Self-Moderated“
Do they admit revisions may be needed in their
- Evaluations?
- Their demeanor?
- Their interaction with people?
- Their business strategies?
- Their lack of open-mindedness?
Or do they place unneeded energies into
- Down-voting comments you make?
- Desphinning articles that interest you?
Marketing Suggestion - Creating A Network Where You Belong
Do not be fearful of expressing yourself and your opinions just because you think you may lose fans.
Be fearful of not defining yourself, what you stand for, what your business offers, and your values.
Establishing friendships is simple, once you know to be yourself, others will follow.
- Drop comments on blogs, even the unpopular ones
- Join groups such as ones found in FriendFeed, Facebook, Stumbleupon, etc..
- Partake in discussions in various forums
- Be a doer, not a sucker
The knowledge is at your fingertips. Use it wisely and develop worthwhile relationships that offer growth, and encourage mutual support and stability.
In a relatively short period of time, you too can be popular and make waves.
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Topics: Search Marketing |
July 20th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
You have presented some wonderfully rich information here and for that I thank you very much. I especially like the tips in the last section ‘Marketing Suggestion - Creating A Network Where You Belong’.
I am working on getting my new website seen so this website is very helpful.
Best regards
Pen Me A Poems last blog post..New US Poet Laureate Kay Ryan
July 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
I’m glad you liked what you read. If there’s anything I can do that may be useful to you..you can contact me by way of my contact page.
Good luck with your new site!
July 21st, 2008 at 6:58 pm
You’re very kind Kimberly, thank you.
Pen Me A Poems last blog post..Eusemere Daffodils house up for sale
August 7th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
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