Tag Archives: tribe

What’s Your Manifesto?

Posted on by

I was just reading a guest post on Problogger called “How to Use a Manifesto to Spread Your Blog’s Message.”  She said she wrote hers and made it a poster.  When I read that, I reflexively turned to look at my wall.  There’s a poster hanging on it.  I didn’t write the words, but it is a small business brand manifesto, and one I believe in.

Here it is:

We tend to think of branding and company manifestos as something more suited to large companies than small businesses.  But while you may not need a huge team of brand specialists to keep your colors, message, and logos in line you do need to know what your company stands for (and what it doesn’t).

Why have a small business company manifesto

It’s not just a way to spread the word, it’s a way to clarify your own thinking.  What do you stand for?  Stand against?  What will you do to get new business? What crosses the line?  Who is your “tribe”?

What are your company values?  Are you known for guaranteed super-speedy service? Or the company that gives back to the community?  Or are you known for personalized attention? Maybe you stand for super-luxury and exclusivity.  Or, maybe you’re egalitarian (the boss can’t make more than X percent of what employees earn).

Here’s the longer version (with cake!) – wrote that one myself.

That’s my thinking.  What’s yours?

Is Advertising Broken?

Posted on by

Chris Brogan argues that it is.

As the comments on his blog noted, the traditional advertising ad in The New York Times is an “all about me” (the advertiser) message. Not much of a conversation. They present the news (and the ads) and we read them (or not).

However, the Times’s slumping ad sales proves that the old big media/advertising model of talking and interrupting, the idea that the audience has to listen because the advertiser said so, is broken.

Instead, even large companies are starting conversations, monitoring their brand on Twitter and other social networking sites, and taking positive steps to help customers solve their problems. For example, Comcast’s Frank Eliason monitors Twitter. When he sees a customer complaining about a poor phone experience, a modem that won’t work, or a billing problem. He responds with offers of help, tips on how to reboot the modem, and technicians if needed. He’ll send direct messages, call customers, and give a friendly, helpful, human face to a big corporation.

(Imagine if AT&T or Verizon did that…)

Faced with a whole brave new world of reading options, declining book sales, and the Internet, HarperStudio came up with creative ways to build a following. They’re encouraging authors to start blogging after the book is acquired, showing them how to use Twitter, myspace, facebook, and stumbleupon. Authors are given flip cameras to create video stories about their books. Fans can watch the videos, send them to friends, and “stumble” the links.

Other book sites, such as librarything, offer ARCs to devoted readers, or first notice of new books to fans, with authors joining in on discussion groups. Same thing with musicians, who must now make the music part of a larger experience with blogs, souvenirs, special editions, etc.

What are you doing to build a “tribe” of loyal followers and fix the broken old advertising model? Share your stories here.

Photo: jpcurio

Can publishers build a tribe?

Posted on by

A few days ago, I responded to a book blog post and said that “consumers don’t care which publisher produces the books they buy.” I may have to eat my words.

Yesterday’s special issue of Shelf Awareness (a book industry newsletter) spotlighted HarperStuio (a new division of HarperCollins). Faced with a whole brave new world of reading options, declining book sales, and the Internet, HarperStudio decided to do something different.

Instead of paying big advances, they’re offering to share more of the profits with their authors. And, they want to offer book buyers the opportunity to also purchase audio and e-book versions of the same title for only a few dollars more. Instead of seeing ebooks as a threat, they’re offering them as a complement to traditional reading, seeing a consumer reading a printed book at home, the e-book while traveling or commuting, and listening to the audio version while driving. So, if the original book was $29.95, the audio and e-books might be an additional $2.

This would certainly make me want to be part of the HarperStudio tribe – and look specifically for that company’s books.

They’re coming up with creative ways to build a following. They’re encouraging authors to start blogging after the book is acquired, showing them how to Twitter, and getting them to use social networking tools such as myspace, facebook, and stumbleupon. Authors are given flip cameras to create video stories about their books. Fans can watch the videos, send them to friends, and “stumble” the links.

How can you build your tribe?