Successful marketing is all about people.
It’s not about; brands, venues, websites, companies or social media tools – Marketing is all about people. You see, without people, none of those things matter.
I met with a friend of mine this morning, who owns a large and very successful nightclub. We had our meeting this time, in the nightclub itself, rather than his office, and the sensation was amazing. I have only previously been there, when it’s been packed with hundreds of people, having a great time and enjoying the music. This morning, you could have heard a pin drop, as we sat, drinking coffee and talking about his marketing.
You see, it’s not the building, fixtures or fittings that makes his nightclub a success; it’s the people who work there and party there. Without people, the place means nothing. The value is in the people.
I’m sure you have seen what happens, when a great restaurant or bar changes ownership, and suddenly the atmosphere plummets. The building and the surroundings look just the same, but it’s a totally different experience. That’s because it’s the people that make the difference!
Online networking: It’s the people not the tools
In online networking, I see people who are more concerned about how to get their friend / follower / fan numbers up, than they are about actually being human with the people they have already connected with. For them, it’s all about the tools, not the people. Their focus is on growing numbers, rather than building relationships with people.
These guys often have very professional looking Twitter profiles and great looking websites / blogs – but very little feeling of community. That’s because they focus on the tools, not the people. They may have 500, 5,000 or maybe 100,000 ‘names’ in their online network but they probably know just a fraction of them!
People can enrich our lives or they can keep us poor – It just depends on how we treat and serve them.
What do you think?
Photo: Hipposrunsuperfast.com
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An excellent post James.
Treating people like numbers in some social media game is fine for those who are playing games. However, if you use social media for commercial networking, its a waste of time.
People first. Brilliant.
It does feel like a social media game sometimes.
As someone said here a while ago; what’s the point in randomly adding numbers to your network – then using software so you never have to listen to them.
Thanks for the comment.
People and personalities drive the social web; or not? It makes you wonder what spammers and broadcasters are thinking. Then again, spam is as big as it is because is drives revenue and continues to do so in social media. There are people playing games that have people on the other side willing to be played that keeps it going, yes? The social web seems capable of turning the tide here… I hope it does; but, it certainly has a way to go. Just sayin…
Things are changing Mark. People are getting wiser, as social media and networking online becomes more established.
Here’s hoping
Thanks for the comment.
Excuse me Jim – good morning – I hope all is going well with you my friend.
Mark Harai´s last blog ..Can You Count?
Hi Jim,
Your point applies to the people you work with and as importantly the people who are your customers.
In a drive for growth (whether social media or business) you can sometimes forget the people who got you there. It is vital to look after them, to keep them onside to treat them right.
Then in theory we have a circle of love and harmony…a bit vomit worthy perhaps but the idea in principle is there…until that one rotten so and so always manages to…well you know what I mean.
As they say in Texas “play nice” …
Ian J Powell
Ian J Powell | Telemarketing Tips´s last blog ..Will a face 2 face (F2F) appointment ever lose its value?
Hello my friend! I love the “play nice” quote.
Hello Jim. Happy Friday afternoon – hope you are well. 100% agree that networking is all about the people in the social media space. When I started, I thought it was all about the numbers. It’s not – it’s all about the quality! I would suggest that <10% of my followers are "real" in the sense that they are engaged with me and have relevance. Reminds me… must do a tidy-up!
Barney Austen´s last blog ..Are You Still Relevant?
I’m doing an experiment right now Barney, on @theIdeasBlog’s Twitter account, to show how anyone can attract thousands of followers in days and that follower counts mean nothing.
I’ll let you know when it’s ready!
That will be an interesting test. It will be enlightening I suspect! Happy Monday.
Barney Austen´s last blog ..How a scrum can help your business deliver.
Jim, you’re preaching to the converted here!
Now, why weren’t you around in some of the businesses I used to consult with…? It’d made life a hell of a lot easier
Christine Livingston´s last blog ..How New Work Pioneers use redundancy, burn-out, breakdown and loss of meaning as catalysts for transformation
Hi Christine – Thanks for the comment.
It’s clear from our interactions that you “get it!”
Hey Jim, just to add a commercial distinction to this topic.
Yes, the value is in people rather than tools or numbers.
Just fleshing that out a bit (no pun intended) – as a businessperson, I see each person as the head of a circle of trust – a group of people they influence.
So rather than have a ‘people’ strategy, I have a ‘people with trusted people’ strategy.
It’s a slight, but important mind-shift that influences business building decisions.
When I write on this blog, I write to Jim as a person – yes, but also to Jim as the head of his circle of trust. I want it to be very easy – compelling even, for Jim to recommend Robin to his trusted circle.
Best, Robin
Robin Dickinson´s last blog ..Where the greatest opportunities are on-line
Jim,
I cannot agree more. It is so important that as marketing turns the corner into Social Media and Emails, companies must not lose sight of the fact that they are still dealing with people. This could be the greatest risk, and the great downfall of new age marketing. Thanks for the reminder!
Data Quality´s last blog ..This is a test run – Data Advisor Week of May 03
I think this is an excellent observation. Online marketers now are so focused on rushed and quantity driven marketing that it becomes obvious that they don’t care about the person, just the marketing. I agree that putting people first is a more effective approach in the long run.
Amy Cameron
BuildMySiteforFree.com
Website Builder´s last blog ..5 Website Builder Designs to Die For
I always have held up that it’s the people… and like Christine says, you are preaching to the converted or as my mom would say, preaching to the choir…
For me, social media is nothing without the “social!” The relationships that I have developed and continue to develop drive my world. They open the door to new ways of thinking, new ideas in general, and new tools.
I, well, you know… I love people!
Julie Walraven | Resume Services´s last blog ..And when is it time to leave?
Thanks Julie – some good points there.