How does a movement start?

How’s about with a handful of seeds?

There’s an interesting post over at the great Brains on Fire Blog. When asked, “You guys say that you create movements. So, when does it become a movement?”

The agency’s answer:

“A movement starts when the first seed is planted in one mind and one heart.”

OK, that’s not entirely true. Officially, the answer was, “A movement starts with the first conversation.” But Spike did go on to write:

“If that conversation is filled with honesty, transparency, true interest and a LOT of listening, then the first seed is planted. The movement has begun in one mind and one heart. And that’s usually the beginning of something powerful, meaningful and full of potential that gets realized more every day.”

So what’s a marketer to do? Well, you can start by pulling out your gardening tools, look for ways to start conversations and begin planting seeds - one heart and one mind at a time.

Tags: PlantingSeeds, PlantingSeeds.ca, Planting Seeds Online, Brains on Fire, Firestarter, Spike Jones, Listening, Conversation, Movements, Building Movements,

In the last little while, there’s been quite a bit of talk about “outposts”, which, as expanded on by ProBlogger Darren Rowse, are:
•‚Ķplaces that you have an online presence out in other parts of the web that you might not ‘own’. I’d previously being using the word ’satellites’ to describe this but I think ‘outposts’ works better.”

Darren’s outposts look like this (that’s the ProBlogger logo in the middle.)
 

Darren’s post expanded on a few by Chris Brogan. One, titled, “Using Outposts in Your Media Strategy“, opens with this explanation:
•Social networks are great places to meet new people, to build new business relationships, and to learn about information from non-traditional sources. But another great way to use social networking sites is as an outpost. What do I mean by this? It turns out that people getting to know you on social networks might also find your content for the first time, and/or something you post to those networks might bring you an opportunity that wouldn’t immediately come to you in other ways.”

Exactly.

And it all sounds a little like the seeds we’re planting, right?

As I wrote in my inaugural post:
•Why “seeds”? Because seeds can grow and flourish. Because seeds are hopeful. Because seeds can be spread anywhere. The web, you see, is fertile ground. And while your site is important - the anchor of your online presence, really - it’s only one site of millions or several pages of millions more. The more seeds you plant, the more chances you have to get noticed, build relationships and lead people back to your site. The more they get to know about you, the more they can come to trust, refer, talk about, and do business with you.”

Some people call ‘em footprints, some people call ‘em outposts. Doesn’t matter, the bottom line is that you’ve got to be out there, away from your own site, to give yourself real opportunities to meet people. In truth, as Darren and Chris reiterate, that just may be a better way to create real opportunities for your brand.

How important are the seeds you’re planting - or outposts - to your overall brand building strategy? And what is your strategy?

Tags: PlantingSeeds, PlantingSeeds.ca, Planting Seeds Online, Outposts, Chris Brogan, Darren Rowse, Problogger, Media Strategy

What is it to you?

To me, marketing is anything but the long-held belief that it’s only one component of an organization’s activities. That it represents just the advertising and promotional tools and tactics used to “get your message out”.

This line of thinking is changing. Big time.
 
Today, marketing is rightfully considered to be every touch point between your organization and client/prospect.
 
As a result, “marketing” doesn’t just come into play when you plan to promote or advertise your brand. It’s everything before and in between as well. Offline, marketing is how you talk to people on the phone. It’s how you present yourself in print. It’s every sales meeting with a client, email you send, brochure you print, video you distribute, business card you pass out, handshake you give, and so much more.

Online, it’s every network you join, webpage you build, email you send, video you post, tweet, book you review, rating you accept, comment you make, comment you host, keyword you track.

Essentially, marketing is every impression you leave on someone, at any point during a relationship. Which makes any action that can influence how people see and feel about your brand an opportunity to “market” your business.

So as you Plant Seeds - be it online or offline - the key is to find your voice. The right voice. And present yourself consistently, humanly, all in a very real way. Because real interactions aren’t about messaging. They’re about connecting and establishing trust.

That’s the opportunity “marketing” presents.
 
Let’s discuss.

Tags: PlantingSeeds, Planting Seeds Online, PlantingSeeds.ca, Marketing, Marketing Definition,

Face it, you’re website is no longer enough.

And that’s something that’s becoming increasingly clear every day. In fact, over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been finding more and more evidence to support the Planting Seeds theory. First this from a recent study called, “New Technologies and Government of Canada Communications,” which was prepared for: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in April 2008.
•More generally, there was a consensus that it is appropriate for the Government of Canada to reach out to web spaces where Canadians are instead of waiting for Canadians to visit government websites - having a “web presence” in other words. This was not only seen to be appropriate, it was even regarded by some as necessary - as a way to reach Canadians, particularly youth, that are not likely to contact the government directly.”

And then, this week, we were presented with these numbers over at Marketing Charts, in an article titled, “Americans Expect Companies to Have Social-Media Presence“.

To quote the article:
•An overwhelming majority (93%) of online Americans say companies should have a social-media presence, and 85% believe these companies also should be interacting with consumers through social media, according to research from Cone.

The 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study also reveals the depth and breadth of social media interaction with companies. Some 60% of Americans interact with companies using social media, one in four interact more than once per week, and 56% feel both a stronger connection with and better served by companies when they interact via social media.”

Of course, the study goes deeper and there are more stats for both. (Email me and I’ll send you the Government report. To read the rest of the Marketing Charts article, click here).

So, what are we to take out of all this?

It’s time to move beyond your four digital walls. Your website, while important, is not the be all and end all of your web presence. It just can’t be anymore. There really is no such thing as “Build it and they will come.” Sure you can build it, but unless you’re connecting with people on their turf and their terms, you’re not giving them a reason to come. Or discover you. Or, more importantly, connect with your brand.

You can debate these numbers. Question the sample size. But it doesn’t change the fact that people are waiting for you to come to them.

The question is: are you making your way over?

Tags: PlantingSeeds, Planting Seeds Online, Marketing Charts, Government, Government of Canada, Canada, U.S., Social Media, Social Networking, Statistics, Web Stats