Sometimes, I have the capacity to surprise myself – with my own stupidity.

When you try to think strategically, at a high level, you can sometimes miss the simple things. And I have. I’ve been embarrassed by a simple question.

Of course, the question came from my better half. She has a great way of cutting through the nonsense and asking incisive questions.

So, some background.

Fact One:

A few years ago, I write a book called ”1001 Nights in the Trans-Arabian Corporation’s Boardroom”. The thirty-second wrap-up of it is: it’s a business book, but amusingly written as a work of fiction. It uses a fable-historical-dramatic-comedic-horror-science fiction approach to talk about career and personal development, marketing, HR and business ethics and management in an easy and enjoyable format.

The book was not exactly a best seller, despite having a wide range of arresting characters including a cast of vampires that turn up in about a quarter of the stories.

Fact Two:

I have some experience in, and exposure too, social media as a business tool. In fact, I’m about to co-present a TV show about that very topic.

Fact Three:

In doing research for that show, I’ve been aware that vampires have been a top-ten twitter subject for at least a year.

So here’s the question from my better half:

“If you’re so interested in social media as a marketing tool, and vampires are hot right now, and your book is full of vampires, why aren’t you promoting it on Twitter and the like?”

Hmm, I immediately thought of an answer. But to be sure, I twittered the question and got a few opinions, and yes, it confirmed my worst suspicion – I have been a first-class idiot.

So, here’s what I aim to do.

The site from which I sell my book has had 4625 hits at the point of writing this blog. With one week to go before we shoot the TV show, I’d like to double that via Twitter.

Easy you say? But I only have nine followers on my brand new account – I started a new one because my original one was languishing and had hundreds of scumbag scammer attached.

So, without being a spammer myself, how can I do this?

It’s simple – people will re-tweet what they find interesting. So, is this blog interesting enough? Only time will tell – and I’m giving it a week.

Either way, I’ve got a story for the TV show. But by casting a tiny seed into the wind, will the story be a demonstration of the need to plan and execute such campaigns professionally to cut through the clutter (because it fails) or a demonstration of the power of an idea within the engine of Twitter.

Let’s all find out.

—————-

So, here’s what happened.

About 800 people looked at the site over the next week. A great result? Yes, and no.

Because I only sold a couple of books.

I fell for something Rick and myself are often criticising in others – we made the number of visitors the goal, not the number of sales.

It’s not about the visitors, it’s about the sales

So, I compounded previous stupidity with new stupidity

Often, when we are close to the business, we just assume that everybody will love us, once we break through the clutter

And assumptions are the mother of all stuff-ups

ROBERT GODDEN.

This may sound trite and perhaps sarcastic – but I mean it!

Social Media means the world on so many fronts. For a start Access to the World geographically and demographically.  This week on LinkedIn I hit 10 million plus in my Three Degrees.

What does this mean – If I get an important message to my 800 plus direct connects and they each do the same and their connections followup as well…  That message will hit 10 million worldwide in an instant for zero cost to me.

If only I had something that important to say!!

But it also means the world in terms of access to your world – business and /or social.

It means unprecedented access to people you don’t know. People who may be interested in what you have to say.

But don’t take my word for it

“Technology is shifting Power away from the editors, the publishers, the establishment and the media elite.  Now its the People who are in Control.”               Rupert Murdoch

It doesn’t matter if your “world” is around the corner or around the world you can access it now without relying on the heritage media.

It’s not just about access to broadcast a message though … its more about reaching people who are listening and ready to engage.

So define your audience and craft your messages specifically for them and then let people listen …  but they will only listen if your message interests them. And if they listen it doesn’t matter where in the world they are … they will find you!!

But you must also listen before jumping in.

When I deliver Sales training I explain the most important skill in sales is the art of listening by telling people to look in the mirror and see if they know why…

Well you do have two ears and only one mouth…God must have been telling you something…. is my answer!!

But there is much more to making sales using digital media – Social Media is a key part … but only a part.  You need to surround and support it with Listening Web Pages (more about that later), Search Engine Marketing, Social CRM, AdWords etc etc.

But your the world can find you if you are prepared to listen rather than shout.

RICK CARTER