Independent Thinking » Mitch Joel

Predicting the Future (of Marketing)

Daria Steigman — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:00:32 +0000

What is the future of marketing?

That was the topic at a recent Thoughtlead online mini-conference. The premise: Select 60 smart people, ask them one big question, and give them each 60 seconds to make their case. The responses were sometimes predictable. More often, however, the speakers challenged themselves and us to think about what’s next–and why.

Here’s a sampling of my favorites:

Michael Stelzner pointed out that people don’t trust brands, so it’s important to focus your marketing on helping other people. He also talked about recognizing people who help you. “If you lift people up, they’ll lift you up.”
Steve Rubel said the biggest challenge for marketers going forward is “time and space, and the relationship between the two… Let’s talk about space. Online it’s infinite. We have as much choice as we want in terms of content. Time on the other hand is finite, and attention spans are fragmenting.”
David Meerman Scott talked about the need to focus on real-time (versus campaigns) and to look for things you can do right now. “The bottom line: social media are tools; real-time is a mindset.”
Frank Gruber talked about always being curious, and about letting your curiosity lead you to find new ideas and innovations.
Mitch Joel suggested that the future of marketing ”should, and will be all about anonymity.”
Alex Bogusky said that collaboration is the new competition, and becoming transparent is not a choice.” The only choice is: do you do it, or do you have it done to you?”
Todd Defren talked about putting relationships at the center of everything.
Gary Vaynerchuk suggested that the future of marketing is one-on-one engagement. “The humanization of business is upon us.”

You can read the entire transcript here.

Photo by Krikit (Flickr).

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Can You Keep a Secret?

Daria Steigman — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:58:37 +0000

Can you keep a secret, or are you indiscriminately telling all?

Whether you’re a full-time workshifter or you just take the occasional business call while watching your son’s t-ball game or standing in line waiting for a latte, you need to be mindful of not sharing your life with strangers. There’s been a lot of discussion about privacy in a personal context–but what about the business context?

From client strategy to personnel changes to office gossip, people all too often are sharing competitive intelligence without any regard as to whether you just might know who or what they’re talking about or can track it down with a few clicks of a mouse. Check out my latest Workshifting.com post for things to think about the next time you’re working outside the office.

I also have a new post on BOLD Business, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s new blog. If you haven’t read Mitch Joel‘s Six Pixels of Separation but are thinking about it, here’s my book review.

Photo by Anna Gutermuth (Flickr).

Are You Squandering First Contact?

Daria Steigman — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:10:29 +0000

Star Trek has a special protocol for establishing “first contact” with new civilizations. It has to do, first, with ensuring that the people are ready for aliens who come in peace on spaceships. More broadly, it’s about setting the stage for a fruitful relationship.

Closer to home, we’re having a hard time with this concept. Especially when using social media.

My gripe is with people who squander opportunities every day. The other day, for example, I tweeted in conversation that I was headed on a road trip to Albuquerque. Immediately, @AlbuquerqueApt and a second local company followed me on Twitter. But did either bother to say hello, suggest any cool restaurants, or point out a great hiking trail?

Now you might say that it doesn’t matter or that I’m not going to be in Albuquerque long enough to go hiking. But (1) they don’t know that, and (2) they don’t know who else I know who just might live there or be moving to the area. Contrast that to Busboys and Poets here in DC which tweeted me to say they looked forward to seeing me the next day. Or the Roger Smith Hotel, which I’d recommend in a heartbeat even though I’ve never stayed there.

Clearly, my point isn’t about brands on Twitter that don’t know anything about social media. It’s about business, and how you build communities.

Mitch Joel had a good post the other day about people who feel compelled to ask favors of strangers. He wrote:

Because we’re all intrinsically connected … many people are asking people do things that are over and above the social capital equity they have put into the relationship…

The real world is the same as the online world. In fact, even making the false assumption that our social rules do not apply online is silly (and wrong). One of the better mantras to embrace when it comes to engaging with Social Media is:“just because you can, it doesn’t mean that you should.”

While Joel is talking about presumed intimacy and I’m talking about failing to build intimacy, both are ultimately about lost opportunities.

Are you squandering first contact?

Photo by Scragz (Flickr).

Second Look: Perfect Pushups, Women’s Rights, and More

Daria Steigman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:21:32 +0000

Each week I’m highlighting 3 or 4 posts, surveys, and other news that I have read and/or tweeted about that you may not have seen. As the name implies, I think they deserve a second look.

Here’s your second look for this week:

Ask Why, Not What. Strategy rules. Mitch Joel, author of the upcoming Six Pixels of Separation, points out that too many people ask “what are we doing…?” (a tactical question) when they should be asking “why are we doing…?”
Blogging Drives Business. Hubspot looked at small businesses with and without blogs. Those with blogs had 55 percent more visitors. Some good food for thought here.
Perfect Pushup. A profile of Alden Mills, who talks about how being a Navy SEAL prepared him for business and entrepreneurship.
Empowering Women to End Poverty. This New York Times Magazine piece on the linkages between women’s rights, empowerment, and fighting poverty offers a look at what’s possible and how much is left to do. One big question I’d ask the authors: Why is microfinance so much more successful in Asia than in Africa?