I have already had several books sent to me this year for review, written by social media experts or gurus. The most recent arrived this weekend. One thing all of them have in common, is that they contain a version of the following advice, which is, in my opinion totally incorrect:
Build a following and market to that following.
Here’s what I have found to be better advice:
Don’t build a following. Build a community instead!
This is not just a play on words.
FOLLOWERS are like the audience at a rock concert. They are set apart from the rock star on stage. They see the rock star as distant. They are part of the event, but a very small part. The rock star might get the crowd to sing the occasional verse, but we all know they are REALLY just broadcasting THEIR VOICE to the crowd! I really don’t see a lot of value in positioning yourself as a rock star, if you actually want to get involved with people. Ironically, the people I see using this approach all the time, are social media experts!
COMMUNITY members are totally different. They are like the guests at a really enjoyable party. The host of the party is not a “star.” The host is not set up high on a stage with the spotlight on him or her, but on the same level as the rest of us. The host interacts with the guests – speaking AND listening.
The host at that party will not have had tens of thousands of people attending, like the rock star did. But here’s the thing: How many of us actually NEED tens of thousands of people around us, that we will never know or connect with in any meaningful way?
Here’s one way of seeing it
Let’s be serious for a moment. The typical small business owner, using social media to develop new clients or customers and gain feedback, will never need tens of thousands of followers or fans.
- How many of those people can Bob EVER REALLY connect with or know?
- How many will want to use Bob’s services, simply because Bob added them to his too-big-to-connect-with network of people he will never speak to or meet?
How many? FAR fewer, than if Bob had built a targeted, manageable network of people, which he actually connected with. I know it sounds a little old fashioned, but it really isn’t about the numbers.
Those numbers represent people. Real people. Real people, with real lives, real needs and real dreams. Business is all about people too. If we forget that, and just go for the numbers, we place a very low ceiling on our potential.
What do you think?
Photo: Anirudh Koul
Anirudh Koul
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Jim, you’ve got to the heart of the matter again. This broadcast approach can be very patronising and IMHO goes against the spirit of Twitter which is a great leveller.
You make a good point, Ash. Social media in general can be a great leveller, but it can also give people with zero skills, the ability to build meaningless follower counts; to fool others into seeing them as experts. Numbers can be faked very easily.
Yes, I agree and your reply made me smile because it reminded me of a favourite story that a friend of mine likes to tell. She set up a twitter account months ago, never sent a tweet, yet still has followers.
This just proves that you’re right: it doesn’t necessarily take skills to get followers. The real skill lies in engaging with them and together producing meaningful discussions and outcomes.
I completely agree. In fact I go one step further when I say,
“Connections trump community”
Here I’m saying the same thing, I just have used different words – and I am also applying it more to requiring ‘connections’ to help you build projects together – so it could be a natural next step.
It’s so true Jim. It is such a dangerous thing when we are told to build a following and market to them. I shudder to think how many have read “Crush It” and have failed completely.
I think that a following is so ethereal that they aren’t the ones who will part with cash to buy your offerings / support your cause / help you out.
Like you say – how do you *really* connect with these people? It’s also useful to remember that our followings include spammers, people who follow but don’t listen because they use Tweetdeck or Seesmic to filter us out!
Scott Gould´s last blog ..You’ve Got A Heart, A Wallet, And Contacts – So Use Them
Thanks Scott. (I keep thinking David Beckham’s commented here, when I see your new Gravatar pic.)
I’m not sure I understand what you mean when you say “connections trump community” as a TRUE community only exists because of connections. You and I have never met, but we are part of the same community, because we have connected.
Hope that makes sense David… I mean, Scott
LOL
It’s just semantics. One of the models I read had a scale in which connections was a closer, more tightly knit group than a community.
I do agree with that. If I think about all the Like Minds community who came last week or watched – there’s lots of them, and they are not just ‘followers’.
However the ones who will collaborate on projects with me and build things that have a legacy are fewer. Those are the ones that I have a connection with.
You could call them the ‘true’ community as you say.
On the David Beckham note – do you remember when I said you looked liked John Travolta in Get Shorty?
Scott Gould´s last blog ..You’ve Got A Heart, A Wallet, And Contacts – So Use Them
Great post. I think the whole obsession with number of followers is a sad indication of our culture. Society has become obsessed with celebrity culture and the business sector is not immune.
I don’t agree with the statement of “Connections trump Community” put forward by Scott. For me, the opposite is true. People have many connections but the real possibilities come when people come to together as a community to get things done, make change or with a common purpose/interst.
Ali Davies´s last blog ..Hiring an Expert? Buyer Beware!
Hi Ali. I agree with you and I don’t see connections trumping community either. Scott is a very, very community focused person and all about building meaningful relationships. I’m certain we are all in agreement with the process, but maybe use a slightly different selection of words.
Last week, when Chris Brogan deleted a post because the comments about him were negative, I woke up to the social media game.
These guys want a hurd of sheep. Not a community.
I too was amazed with what Brogan did there. Not very social. Thanks for the feedback.
Good Morning, Jim (for me, anyway) Community or connections both suit me well, masses never did in my real life or online. In my first days of Twitter, I was honored that anyone followed me. Later, I learned that they will regardless — as others said, you will be found and followed and that will include spammers, etc.
I’m really very one-on-one in real life, I prefer small groups to crowds, and rethinking my online strategies especially on Twitter has helped to improve the conversation.
Julie Walraven | Resume Services´s last blog ..And the Thank you goes to Kim!
Always good to hear from a fellow “one-to-one’er!”
Thanks Julie!
Hi Jim,
Last time I looked, I think I’ve got about 700 followers on twitter … and that’s too many. I’d rather have 10 people who actually want to read what I have to say, than even 10000 who wouldn’t know who I am if I said hello.
Personally, I think Facebook is much better platform for making (and nurturing) connections. I actually know pretty much everybody I’m “friends” with on FB. And that’s the way it should be.
I do find it kind of funny though, that there are people making a good living teaching others “how to be social” online … seriously?
Todd
A good point Todd, and well made too.
The value is in the relationships, like you say and NOT the numbers.
The numbers are seem by many as “social proof”, but anyone (literally) can game Twitter and attract 50,000 or 500,000 followers, simply my mass following and unfollowing.
It’s meaningless.
Thanks for the feedback Todd.
Way to go, Jim… As a one-man-show business owner, I’ve found that fewer, better-built connections will trump sheer numbers every time.
Brett Slater´s last blog ..SlatersGarage: One more from our "Easy Saturday Morning" collection…. ♫ http://blip.fm/~mbci5
I’m not surprised that you have found that to be true, Brett.
Thanks for the comment sir!
I agree Jim. I will never understand those who boast about having thousands of followers. So what? You will never personally know even 0.5% of them. It may be an ego trip but there’s a difference between hanging on someone’s word or following them because they amuse you, and actually getting business out of people via social media interaction.
I have around 500 followers, more than enough to get the word out about my services. Of that 500 I have met maybe 20 and may possibly meet a few more in my twitter lifetime, but am I ever going to get any business out of all 500, or even the 30 I might get to meet at some stage? The answer is no.
The proportion of my followers who will give me business is tiny and even if I added another 2,000 followers overnight chances are it would make little difference. What does work for me is knowing that the people I DO know on Twitter will promote me via their own Twitter account if I write something that is interesting or come up with an offer that’s appealing. And that way maybe I will gain the odd extra piece of business here and there.
In short, do I ever want to have 5,000 followers just so it can inflate my ego? No thanks, I am happy having quality within the 500 followers I have. I am not interested in quantity.
An excellent point Alasdair. Thank you sir!
Thanks for the post, Jim. It’s a good reminder that people do business with people, not companies. Sure, you may buy from the company, especially if you purchase online, but I bet that you had some personal interaction with a human that led you to that decision (even if it was just a recommendation from a friend or colleague). Somewhere in the process it’s people that matter. Building relationships with people instead of accumulating numbers is what draws people to return – and hopefully we’re all building businesses for the long term!
Hi Jim. Love the concept of the “Rock Stars”
. I have to be honest and admit that my early sojourn into the world of twitter was led by the belief that more is better.
I now know very differently. The only thing that counts is quality, quality and oh, quality!
While not cutting off any followers, I’m certainly not following the whole world back and need to do another trimming of my “Following” list.
I would say that I have an engagement with maybe <20 real people that I communicate with and have had probably around 90% of my business blog hits as a consequence of knowing those people.
Very valid post as always.
Cheers
Barney Austen´s last blog ..6 Simple Do’s & Don’ts for your Business Blog
Jim, is there anyway we can get the rockstars to actually listen to you? I am thinking kidnap a few and play the MP3 version of this blog at them a few hundred times…
I have a a fair number of followers on twitter, I have then all filed nicely in little columns and I keep in touch with them, I routinely prune the people following me and try to keep anyone who is local to me – I am more lively to meet them than one of the rockstars. In fact I’d rather meet them than a rockstar.
As usual you speak much common sense, I am now waiting patiently for the mobile marketing experts to start springing up all over twitter.
Sarah Arrow´s last blog ..Same day courier services – 5 Reasons Courier Services Work
Surely, Jim, a lot has to do with what you regard as being your business?
As a coach, who wants to sell primarily one-to-one, group and very discrete online community services, the big numbers game – I am coming to realise – does nothing for me. My stuff is high value and high cost and I suspect I’m not going to sell that to a mass crowd with whom I have no particular relationship.
But, if you’re selling lots of low cost stuff (low value?) for which you need volume maybe the followers route is best?
As for rock stars… Give me a break. I’m sure these guys love positioning themselves that way, but, really? To my mind a lot of them are “big” because they got into the social media game ahead of the curve, rather than because they really understand anything about business.
Christine Livingston´s last blog ..Paving Your Own Path
If there is no need for the followers to talk to each other, then it makes no sense of create a community. If there is (i.e. the products are sociable in some manner), then community is the best option. Build tighter, stronger, connections between a crowd.
However, communities usually best when they are small and focused. Followings usually work best for large groups. There is some overlap sure, but I wouldn’t immediately prescribe a community for every ‘rock star’.
Richard Millington´s last blog ..Don’t Accept Anonymous Comments
Amen, brother.
I’ve never been a fan of the “rock star” status certain people use, or try and foster on you. On whose definition? Sure, I may say to someone “rock star” occasionally, but that’s generally just to highlight great work they’re doing, and not to put them on a pedestal where they’re disassociated from everyone else.
The numbers game is BS (and I’ve written on it many a time, and will continue to do so). Organic growth and connections? Yes. Connect with everyone just to have volume? No better than throwing enough shit at the wall and hoping it sticks.
I like the whole connection/community angle you and Scott bring up. Heck, my tagline is “Connection / Conversation / Community” so it’d be remiss if I didn’t, hehe!
But yes – communities are true connections and people. Followers just suggest sheep. And that’s usually what many of the so-called rock stars and gurus live off…
Another solid post, my friend.
Danny Brown´s last blog ..Why the Headway Premium WordPress Theme Kicks Ass
Couldn’t agree more. Reminds me of when e-commerce was young. The theory was traffic = sales. Now we know it’s not that simple.
Friends/Fans do not equal a “community”. Social Media is a great tool, but the principals of connecting with other people in a meaningful way has never changed.
Jim
I would recommend to one and all the excellent Tribes by Mr Godin. It is quite difficult in my view to improve on his sagely advice. I would recommend pages 87-90 on the Micromovement.
Regards.
Julian
Julian Summerhayes´s last blog ..Trial and Error
I was thinking the same thing.
Here is a good article with Seth discussing Micromovements http://onmovements.com/?p=615
M.
Michael Locke´s last blog ..Video Blogging and Personal Branding
The best part is this… “Money exists merely to enable it. The moment you try to cash out is the moment you stunt the growth of your movement.” – Seth Godin on trying to cash in on your community or movement as he calls it. So true.
Michael Locke´s last blog ..Video Blogging and Personal Branding
Michael, I just wanted to thank you for that link. The article you mention here is really helpful for me in this debate.
A key thing that emerges is about leadership and understanding what that really means.
Christine Livingston´s last blog ..Paving Your Own Path
Valid point between followers and connections. I think the real question is how will search engines determine the quality of the follow. Most busineses, and individuals for that matter, that I see with lots of followers are doing it to get some sort of importance in search results. It would be nice if there was a way to have these followers twice verified as connectors. Perhaps direct messages and wall posts will be the true measure for verified followers.