To many entrepreneurs, becoming active on social networks is an after-the-fact strategy. To the smartest, fastest, and most frugal entrepreneurs, it’s a leading strategy.
Social media has changed the product development process forever. Entrepreneurs that adapt will thrive. Those that don’t adapt will be working for those that do. David Siteman Garland, author of Smarter, Faster, Cheaper: Non-Boring, Fluff-Free Strategies for Marketing and Promoting Your Business, says the key to success for many entrepreneurs is combining two social ingredients: passion and community.
Without passion, entrepreneurs risk creating bland products that are difficult to monetize and sell. Passion trumps experience. Creativity wins. Genuine relationships matter. People do business with with people they know, like and trust. Customers want to see the faces behind businesses and share their passion. Business owners must be authentic, generous, and social.
Without community, entrepreneurs risk squandering their resources on products they love — but that no one else wants to buy. Niche matters. The goal is to appeal to a specific, passionate subset of people. Most companies don’t need millions of customers and clients to have a successful business. They need the right customers.
“It’s okay to start building and interacting with your community and trying out some creative approaches before you have a product,” Siteman Garland said. “Money follows passion, not the other way around.” Siteman Garland encourages businesses to leverage ‘community’ and passion in all aspects of their business.
Smarter, Faster Cheaper is a ‘social marketing’ guidebook for entrepreneurs. It offers practical and useful tips for leveraging passion, community and social media channels. It helps business owners cut through social media hype and avoid dubious ‘social media experts.’ It helps them achieve the business results leveraging ‘word of mouth’ marketing tactics and social media.
And, it helps them re-ignite the passion that makes them and entrepreneur.
Credits: Cartoon is courtesy of Hugh McLeod of Gaping Void. Look for a review of Hugh’s second book, Evil Plans, soon.
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About Troy Janisch
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