David Copperfield convinced audiences that he walked through the Great Wall of China.
He also made the Statue of Liberty disappear and once flew above his TV audience.
Even though we know that walking through almost 20-feet of solid stone or hiding more than 300-feet worth of statue is impossible, we believe the illusion and wonder how he did it.
Magicians know the secret of perception. They know that if we want to believe something, we will.
How many magicians does your business have?
Businesses spend thousands (or millions) on launching new products. Ad spend, PR, marketing, media blitzes – and that’s just the traditional approach. Then you have social media to add to the mix.
The bean counters look at the return and either class it a success or call for the promo team’s head.
What they tend to do, though, is get lost in the promotion commotion. Not all product launches are immediate successes.
Look at The Shawshank Redemption. A failure when it hit the cinema, but now one of the most beloved movies ever and frequently on movie magazines Best Of lists, not to mention normal viewers’ favourites.
Sometimes the product is right, just the timing is off. That’s not to say success won’t come. Plan to build for the long-term and stop watching the instant ticker tape results – you might just win in the end.
Take a minute to ask yourself a question ? are you a shadow or a beacon?
Are you merely following the crowd and what they think is right, or are you following your own path and leading the way?
If the answer to the question is the former, then you?re a social shadow ? always following, never questioning.
You need to change this now if you want to be more than just a shadow.
Like so many others, you?re trying to get to grips with social media, social networking, social marketing ? in fact, you?re probably all socialed out.
Everyone telling you which social tool you should use to expand your brand ? Digg this, Stumble that, and don?t forget to Twitter while you?re at it. While it?s true that you need to Socialize to make these applications work for you, it?s only true if you?re using them effectively.
Social shadows, always reacting to the social media/network scene as opposed to being pro-active, aren?t using this online social scene effectively. The result? You and/or your business is always the perennial ?almost man? ? you know, the movie co-star that never gets the girl or the audience?s love.
Yes, you?ll get the sympathy vote ? but who wants that? Wouldn?t you rather have the leading love interest in your arms?
Now take that and transfer it to your business. Your love interest is your customer ? your co-star vying for their love is your competitor. Just like you need to have the best scenes in a movie to be the star, so you need the best impressions of your company to be the star of your field. You know that social media can help you here ? but only if you?re the leading man, and not standing in the shadows of the supporting cast.
Use social media and networking properly to promote your brand and business. This doesn?t mean adding hundreds of people just to try and be noticed ? instead, offer worthy participation. Leave comments on blogs with tips on solutions to a question, or recommend sites other than yours for knowledge bases. Once people see you?re not out for yourself they?ll look to you for advice every time ? guess what? That?s a new follower/customer you have.
Be an innovator. Come up with new ways to position yourself as the business to come to for your product. Grow your brand using social media as the tool instead of social media using you. Use a blog to offer your own personal and radical views that may or may not appeal to the mainstream ? initially, at least. Instead of writing what you think people want to hear, write what you want to read.
Don?t worry about interest being small at first ? after all, true pioneers are the ones that forge ahead offering real value and knowledge; all they need is time for everyone to catch up. And they will ? contrary to popular belief last generation, this public loves change.
Ready to light up your beacon and lead the way?
photo credit: Xavier Fargas
Here?s a question for you. If you?re in business, how do you treat your clients?
Or, to look at it another way, how do your clients treat you?
Is it with respect and?shared passion for doing the same work, or is it just having a need for each other and no more?
When dealing with a client, do you meet your deadlines or do you constantly offer excuses why their project isn?t ready? Do you work closely together, listen to/make suggestions for improving and strive for excellence on the fly, or do you simply turn in the work, take the money and walk?
I ask this?simply because it seems many big businesses have forgotten the art of either being a client or providing for one. From having a maze of contact information to wade through to losing the personal touch that won them the following of the customers in the first place, larger businesses are forgetting how to communicate.
So here?s an idea.
Go back to basics. Remember when you first started your business and you had time for everyone (because everyone was important)? Find that business owner again.
Ask yourself how you?re communicating and how you can improve. Are you using the online space effectively? Look at your Internet strategy and see how your brand is viewed. There?s a billion voices waiting to answer you and offer you invaluable advice and insight into making your brand the authority in your niche.
The question is, will you be listening?
photo credit: fofurasfelinas
Rules are the sticks of those in charge to beat us with.
Rules are the lines that are drawn to stop us overstepping the mark.
Rules are the barbed wire fences of self-important power mads.
Rules are the reason companies go bust and blue collar loses while executives move to the next golden handshake.
Rules, though, are made to be broken – just ask Adam and Eve.
If two tiny people can defy God, just imagine what you could do with a little imagination and a questioning of the rules.
Rules are only rules because we let them be. Sometimes it’s good to break them.
