In today's frenzied social media/live web/community marketing environment I find myself repeating the same phrases over and over.
Here is my latest Top Ten List of the most popular. I would love it if you would post, link, comment or trackback to yours. I will gather them all and collect in one post next week.
10. Yes, but why do I care?
9. I’m sorry but your product/company/feature does not make me go “aHA”, “cool”, “I want that”..yet.
8. Yes, it’s hard, but the devil is in the details.
7. Have you asked your customer’s what they want?
6. The last 20% effort is when things get really interesting?
5. No, real evangelism, buzz and community cannot be manufactured out of thin air.
4. Cultivating impassioned customers for sustainable growth actually takes time.
3. Because they are your customers – you serve them you are developing products for their use.
2. It's a relationship, and relationships take work.
1. Why are you so afraid of your customer’s?
Technorati tags: Social Media, Community Marketing", Social Software, Marketing, Web 2.0
a few of mine:
- "and you're going to turn this into a sustainable entity...how?"
- "no, i don't care how many 'eyeballs' you get."
- "yes, it's going to take time." (agreeing strongly with your #4 above)
- "we're 'customers' or 'people' or 'readers,' not 'consumers.' if you say 'consumer' one more time, i'm going to beat you with a mackerel."
and, the most popular...
- "it's people! yes, just like soylent green."
Posted by: christopher carfi | July 11, 2006 at 03:26 PM
Thanks Chris - regarding "customers" - yes, yes and YES. And you can add they are NOT "users".
Posted by: Debs | July 11, 2006 at 03:47 PM
"3. Because they are your customers – you serve them.
2. It's a relationship, and relationships take work."
#3 sounds like slavery, not a relationship.
I get your point, and I think you're right, but as you also say, the devil is in the details. If you are at the point with a company that you are having to explain what their relationship is with the customer, then they aren't going to listen to you when you tell them that they 'serve' their customers. In fact they likely aren't going to hear anything you say after the words 'you serve them'.
I think with such companies, it would be more productive to explain to them that when they satisfy their communities' wants and needs, that in turn THEIR wants and needs are satisfied. Again it's almost like having to take a step back and 'market' to them the idea of the importance of their community.
Posted by: Mack Collier | July 13, 2006 at 07:56 PM
Mark - you are right. I was being overly dramatic. I have never said that - *exactly. But I will say that it is shocking how often companies forget that each customer is a blessing - they are busy, ADD rattled and can easily go elsewhere. Especially online - where all it takes is a click of a button. I will reword more diplomatically..;) Thanks for pointing it out.
Posted by: Debs | July 13, 2006 at 08:14 PM
Deborah, My comments were too long so I put them here. http://therainmakermaker.com/2006/07/14/deborahs-top-ten.aspx
Thank you.
Posted by: Rick | July 14, 2006 at 03:37 AM
Thanks Mark - goood stuff. Try using trackback--more people will be able to find it!
Posted by: Debs | July 14, 2006 at 12:46 PM
Thanks Deborah, but my name is MaCk (don't worry, everyone calls me MaRk the first time).
As for trackbacks, I am using Blogger, if you know of a way to use trackbacks with Blogger, please let me know I'll be happy to start doing it!
Posted by: Mack Collier | July 14, 2006 at 08:00 PM