- A good marketer is a Community Advocate
- A good marketer knows today’s brands aren’t built in boardrooms or ad agencies or brainstorming sessions
- A good marketer plans a little, but changes alot
- A good marketer doesn’t only respond to community needs today, but also knows what needs will arise tomorrow
- A good marketer rewards the community members who stand behind him/her
- A good marketer gets involved in the community
- A good marketer is her/his own client
- A good marketer knows when to back off
- A good marketer learns to use the tools available to them
- A good marketer never takes her/himself to seriously
- A good marketer knows you don’t need a sledgehammer to crack a nutshell
- An excellent marketer will know how to utilize Grassroots Marketing techniques.
This means that you speak for your community to your company, not vice versa. Marketing isn’t the same as sales. It is the job of business development, sales, the C-suite, etc. to keep marketing on a path so that they can make money. Marketing drives forward with that purpose, but, in the end, has to advocate for the community in order to keep peace, balance and the rest of the stuff I mention below in check.
It doesn’t matter how much you tweak and perfect and hone and glamorize your ‘brand’, the community will see it the way they see it. Make it too slick and they may see you as a poser. Tie it to a revolution and they may react strongly with the call against co-optation (see AT&T). Of course, you can send a message that communicates what your vision is, what you are offering and how you would like to be perceived. It doesn’t mean it will be interpreted that way.
If you try to build a ‘brand’ and people interpret it differently, maybe you should examine your message.
Very much related to the previous point, ‘da plan’ (strategic plan, media plan, marketing plan, etc.) should always be nimble. For me, it’s all about seeding. You can seed through more conventional or traditional means or you can seed through more guerilla and viral means. If something isn’t working, stop, examine it, adjust it, scrap it or put more energy into it, but don’t just ‘stick to the plan’. If you get a tip about an event or a meeting or a new medium, give it a shot. It may just be the key to spreading the word. Spread your energy outwards.
Sounds a bit like a marketer needs to be an oracle, eh? Well, you do. Just because there is a ‘low adoption rate’ on some medium, doesn’t mean you should write it off. In fact, the best way to become an oracle is to get involved with niche communities. There are two good reasons for this: a. the ‘big guys’ don’t do it so you have less competition (Blue Ocean Strategy), and b. these niche communities are where revolutions begin. If you are part of those revolutions, you know what is coming down the pipe.
How do you reward your evangelists? Make certain they have the tools they need to keep on. Remind them how important they are to you regularly. Listen to their feedback, incorporate it, and even, if you can, bring them in to help you develop future versions of your product or service. These are community members who take time out of their busy schedules to spread the word for you…for free. That is totally kick ass. Never take it for granted.
I’m not just talking throwing a few dollars of sponsorship in their general direction in exchange for a banner. I’m talking about getting your hands dirty. Getting involved. Taking up the cause for yourself. Starting initiatives. Supporting initiatives. Getting to know everyone.
PLEASE don’t think about it in terms of what you can get out of it. Think of it in terms of what you can give.
Think about it. If you wouldn’t buy your crap, why would anyone else?
And I’m not talking about the standard tools. Discover new ones. Learn how they work. Blogging, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Dodgeball, LinkedIn, Podcasts, RSS, Online Forums, Plazes and Flock are just a few of mine… if you are marketing locks to hardware stores, the tools will most likely be entirely different. 
Oh…and don’t forget to advocate the use of those tools. I’m an evangelist for every one of my beloved social software companies.
Have fun with it. It’s only bidness. Laugh at yourself. Laugh at your company. Admit your mistakes. Be painfully self-aware. Let go of your ego. Laugh in general. Don’t try to be funny. Find humour. Let it go. It’s okay.
Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference. Add a live-chat feature to your website, have a suggestions box next to the counter…doing the littlest things that make the customer realise you care and value their opinion can have the greatest effects.
Society is moving further away from centralized. Expert marketing methods such as those employed by Firefox and Linux show us that when others are just as excited about your product or service as you are, they are often willing to breach target gaps to connect people from all walks of life.
Via:Pinko Marketing
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