Your Stories Never Go Popular Because Your Personal Marketing Plan Sucks
July 26th, 2007 by Michael Gray in Social MediaIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Read my top posts or learn more about Michael Gray. Want more frequent updates follow me on Twitter. Thanks for visiting!
Yesterday Rae mentioned You’re Damn Right It’s a Popularity Contest as response to all the whinny posts about Sphinn being a popularity contest, if you haven’t read it go check it out. I’d also like to add the reason nobody votes for your stories and they never go popular is because your personal marketing plan sucks!
Are You An Expert? You may like to think you’re an expert. You really want your clients to think you are an expert. But in this ecosystem are you really the expert you profess to be? Are you at the top of your game? Are you the SEO equivalent of Michael Jordan? If you aren’t an expert don’t write for your peers as though you are, people will see right through you. It’s Ok to have an opinion or think openly about something, just don’t profess to speak from a position of authority when you really don’t have one.
Are You A Copycat? How unique or original is your work? Did you come up with the idea on your own or did you take someone elses idea and rehash it. For example Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, great movie unique concept, great execution, funny and entertaining. Lethal Weapon 2 … Lethal Weapon 3 … Lethal Weapon 4 … less original, less unique, less funny and less entertaining. Sure it’s easy taking a proven concept and running with it, but nobody ever became great copying the ideas of someone else. If you aren’t creating Lethal Weapon 1 don’t bother creating the sequel.
Why Won’t Anyone Vote for Me? So who did you tell about your great work? Did you contact some other SEO bloggers? Did you show it to your friends? In the real world people use publicists who pull out a rolodex and call up people they think would be interested in your project. In social media email and IM are your virtual rolodex and you need to work them just as hard.
How Come I’m not a Celebrity? You think it’s easy being a celebrity? All fun and games, great parties, and afternoons spent napping by the pool? I’ll let you in on a secret lots of SEO celebrities work their asses off and they work longer and harder than you do. I have lots of “celebrity” status people on IM and I can tell you they keep crazy hours. Up at the keyboard before 6 am or working till 2AM in the morning. The never go AFK for more than a few hours at a time and when they do it’s blackberry, smartphone or PDA in hand. They work long days, long nights, weekends and have insane travel schedules. Oh and just because you’re sitting in front of a monitor twittering or playing games it doesn’t count as working.
Why Don’t Things Fall Into Place for Me? Have you ever noticed how things happen in a coordinated way for some people, almost like they were orchestrated in advance? Here’s a secret sometimes they are. Sitting down and developing a plan is a good thing. By having a plan I don’t mean “I need to make three blog posts this week”. By plan I mean “I know iPhone is coming out in 2 weeks what can I do to have some articles about it when does”. I mean “Jim Smith is expert on IPhones maybe he’ll do an interview with me”. I mean “what can I do to cover the IPhone story that is unique and interesting and no one else can copy”. Identify your target, craft a plan, put it into action, adapt, adjust, and overcome.
I’m nice why doesn’t everyone like me? Here’s the thing nice people … are … boring. Nobody cares what “nice” people say they just aren’t entertaining. Stop worrying about who you might offend and being politically correct all the time. Stand up, stand out and speak what’s on your mind. Don’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers now and again. Have an opinion, share it, take some chances. So what if you’re wrong or make a mistake, as long as you aren’t a complete ass people will forgive you if you apologize and admit you were wrong. Don’t be afraid to take risks and leave the safety of the middle ground.
It’s not Fair No one Votes for me! I know your kindergarten teacher told you everything was fair, but it was a lie … really. Noting in life is fair. Some people are better looking, some people are smarter, some people can eat all they want and not gain a pound. Life isn’t fair, it never was and it never will be. Stop sitting around complaining about it and get off your ass and do something you are better at. Really if you spent as much time working as you did whining about the injustice of it all, we’d both be better off.
OK so how do you fix your personal marketing plan problem?
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Speak to your level of expertise, if you don’t have one speak to your observations ask questions and learn. Digg up some of my old questions on WMW for a good chuckle … on second thought maybe you shouldn’t.
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You don’t want to be the “next” Britney Spears, you want to be the first you. Stand on the shoulders of people who went before you and reach higher, don’t copy what they did and not go anywhere.
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Network and promote yourself. Build a network of contacts, go to trade shows, chat in IM build a list of people who are good, and dependable. Help each other grow and become better.
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Don’t set out with the goal of becoming famous. Set out with the goal working hard and doing good work. Good work + network and self promotion leads to accolades and fame.
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Get a plan. It may look like more experienced people are just winging it but trust me they have seen it before and are relying on experience. Get a plan, put it into action, analyze what worked or didn’t work. Lather, rinse, repeat.
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Don’t be a yes man. Don’t be afraid to buck the system now and again. Stand up and do something noteworthy and get noticed.
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Don’t sit around waiting for opportunity to come to you, good hunt it down yourself. Sure every so often we get luck and an opportunity presets itself, but more often that not you’ll have to hunt it down. If you don’t some else will
Sphere It
July 26th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Very inspirational, Michael. I really agree with what you said about people wondering why they aren’t a celebrity. It seems pretty typical in any industry - everyone wants the fame and glory but doesn’t want to work hard for it.
I’d say their biggest problem is that all they care about is gaining that “celebrity” status.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Well said. I couldn’t agree more. People always wonder how come they’re not “in the right place at the right time”. My response is generally that they’re not trying to be.
Overnight success tends to take several years.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Very well said. I really find your advices unique and helpful.
P.S. ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS ARTICLE ABOUT YOU?
http://www.bloggingmix.com/2007/07/michael-grays-video-message-what.html
July 26th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I just discovered your blog. Very useful blog. The information here are practical. Thanks.
P.S. ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS ARTICLE ABOUT YOU?
http://www.bloggingmix.com/2007/07/michael-grays-video-message-what.html
Were you the one in the video?
July 26th, 2007 at 10:32 am
“Why Won’t Anyone Vote for Me? So who did you tell about your great work? ”
See. This is where I go cold. I’m not like this in real life, and can’t do it online either. Whining about nobody voting for my stuff is a pity party I want no part of. Nor can I stomach (seriously, it makes me nauseous) the thought of me going out and begging and bribing for votes for contests, diggs, etc.
I try it, once in awhile, just to play along and see if I can learn how, or develop the ego-skin, but it’s not in me. Which is why I completely and always suck at marketing my own stuff.
I WILL promote the shit out of people who impress me. That feels genuine.
I’ll also joke around and drop stupid hints if I want something, in much the same way my teenager begs for more clothes. That’s all I can manage. There’s a huge difference between flirting and begging for it.
I’ve always wondered what it is that makes some people so sure of their own stuff that they have the nerve to ask for votes. When someone like Shoemoney does it, the votes come in from his groupies. I don’t put any value on those votes. Rand Fishkin has groupies too.
I don’t want groupies. I want intelligent interaction with my peers and the right to earn respect from someone who wants to learn something that maybe I can teach.
If folks do produce or write something genuine, by all means, market it. Be out there. Gain respect and trust. Keep doing something worthy and people will know it when they see it.
To whine about not being an overnight sensation is pathetic. I can’t take myself that seriously and am uncomfortable when people put me on a pedestal. I’m a worker person, just like everybody else. No different.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
You know, someone recently asked me (in person) about how I’m NOT always a nice person in my vlogs and posts. They thought it might be dangerous ground to be treading on. I think I might’ve changed their mind with how I responded.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Doh! I have groupies… Mystery Guest isn’t going to like that.
I understand your perspective, Kim - it always feel disingenuous asking your readers to go “vote” for something or promote something for you. I’d much rather show people something and if they like it and value it and want to share it, they’ll do that themselves.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I like this post, your blog and and I value your opinions’.
One thing I would comment on….”Are you at the top of your game? Are you the SEO equivalent of Michael Jordan?”
Remember - everyone has to start somewhere. We all have to take our bumps and bruises and learn the skills necessary to get to that point.
At one point in time you too, were just some blogger learning the biz and were not considered an industry “expert”.
You will never succeed if you aren’t afraid to fail.
As you say later in this post, it’s about “trial and error”.
Solid post - very helpful and put’s a lot into perspective.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
MysteryGuest is totally in a class all by herself and well deserves it. She rocks! But, like any rock star sweetheart, she has to live with the fruitcakes out there and heck, she got the guy. And from what I can tell, he ain’t going anywhere!
You knew you had groupies, right??? Just checkin’…
Btw, being a rock star doesn’t automatically mean squat at Sphinn, I’ve noticed. One of Rand’s made “Hot”. Granted, he’s just getting warmed up over there…time will tell I guess. Plenty of newbies over there are hitting the jackpot.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Hey Mike - you are taking a beating about your You Tube video…
http://www.bloggingmix.com/2007/07/michael-grays-video-message-what.html
How long ago was the video taken?
Why wouldn’t you be encouraging to the ‘up and comers’ that are entering the search space, and be supportive of them?
As I mentioned earlier you didn’t start out a well known SEO and blogger. You had to learn and work hard, just like many others are trying to do.
I am surprised you would take such a uninspiring position.
Can you comment on that please?
July 26th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Great post Michael - and I pretty much agree with you on all the points.
I just wish that the post I wrote would stop getting lumped in with this supposed batch of whines (and yeah, I know, this sounds like whining).
But seriously - read the post; it’s more an analysis of why certain people do well on Sphinn, and in what situations, and also why some posts by ‘names’ do better than others. And I never suggest that it’s unfair, or moan about these facts - in fact I encourage people to get out there and make their own name if they don’t like it (something I have definitely yet to do).
Christ, even Rand agreed with me on my main points (and more shockingly, they even made him swear!)
Yours whiningly,
Ciarán
July 26th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Hey Michael-
Great post. I always appreciate the accessibility and honesty in your writing. Quite inspirational even! =) REALLY!!!
It’s so easy sometimes to get lost in trying to develop a tone or a voice for my blog. And that is why your post was so refreshing!
Thx…
July 26th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
LOL - Kim, your comments struck me as something I would expect from a strong independent woman. Great to hear!
Personally, I loved this and try to live by it:
“I want intelligent interaction with my peers and the right to earn respect from someone who wants to learn something that maybe I can teach.”
Great post Michael! I had my own little rant on my very non-rockstar blog and think it’s a little more qualified than rockstars telling the noobs to chill out (of course no one will see it bc Sphinn is a popularity contest… lol, jk ;). Seriously though, it’s like beating up your little brother, you can do it because he’s family, but not outsiders. Noobs can tell other noobs to shut the f* up, but it doesn’t work as well from the unreachable “rock stars.”
Then again, most businesses have a healthy dose of reverence for higher authority. I think the Internet is strange because a 16-year-old punk can become a rock-star over night (rare, but could happen), but if the same punk tried to talk back to my dad (captain in fire dept) he’d get the proverbial shit kicked out of him. I doubt those people would have the balls to say the same crap to your face. Sigh… the ambiguity of the Internet.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Great post Michael,
This is good information for people offline as well as online. Whether it’s starting a B&M business or trying to make money online, these tips rule!
This post is also excellent advice for the PC group out there in the real world. Everyone wants instant gratification and succes, and when it doesn’t come by the next morning, well it’s someone elses fault!
The PC crowd is running around telling our kids all things are equal. Suck at T-ball, no problem kiddo, you’re on the team anyway because we don’t want to hurt your feelings. Too slow or lazy to make it to the next grade in school? Not a problem, we’ll pass you on. Can’t spell? Not a problem either, just spell it the way it sounds and that’ll be good enough.
Yeah, I like this post Michael!
@Kim - I understand what you’re saying about the self promotion. I wasn’t like that when I started my first business. However, with mounting bills and hunger pains setting in, I quickly learned about self promotion. One of the basic rules of marketing is to ask for the order. Just ask your visitors to do something other than hit the “back” button.
Don
July 26th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
What is Sphinn?
July 27th, 2007 at 12:25 am
Don - “Can’t spell? Not a problem either, just spell it the way it sounds and that’ll be good enough.”
I was helping my little sister with her homework the other day and experienced this learning style first hand. Did I miss something? I’m only 24-years-old, but if I didn’t spell correctly in the 2nd grade, I had to fix any and all errors, not get an A for effort! I’m a spoiled brat that has luck on her side 9 times out of 10 (I am Irish), but for the record, my generation has a ridiculous entitlement complex. I can’t even imagine what the next generation will be like when they hit the work force!
Wow, I sound like a bitter old woman…
Seriously though, this whole topic has gotten way too much attention. When it first started it ticked me off and I’m glad to see Michael and Rae laying down the law.
July 27th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I do not recognize any of the “famous” people.
July 27th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I think it’s incredibly valuable that you mix real recommendations into your posts.
July 27th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I hope that that last comment I made came out correctly, but if it didn’t:
What I meant to say is that there is a great deal of value reading in between the lines of this post, in addition to the overall message - at least that’s my opinion.
July 28th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
“I don’t want groupies. I want intelligent interaction with my peers and the right to earn respect from someone who wants to learn something that maybe I can teach.”
Kim, that quote alone sets you apart from half of the “celebrities”. It puts you into the half that never feel the need to say or hear how great they are.
Aside from Ali (The Greatest), those at the top of their game let their game do the talking.
July 28th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
yes youre right, i think the same!
July 29th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Who gives a fuck about celebrity status or votes on Sphinn?
All I wanna do is make money selling stuff that makes people have a better life.
SEO popularity contest bullshit is for people with too much time on their hands. Make deals, make money, and the rest is icing on the cake.
July 31st, 2007 at 2:56 pm
“It’s not Fair No one Votes for me!”
A - Fucking - Men
A lesson I am drilling home to my kids — if you sit around waiting for life to be fair… your ass will be flat for a long time (so maybe not in those exact words - but with that exact sentiment)
July 31st, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I have to take issue with you and Rae including our post in your list as “whinny”. Read it over again, it is a valid look at sphinn and addresses both sides of the argument with her (one of our team members) personal thoughts. She makes the conclusion, the same conclusion as Rae, that it is a popularity contest, and that is really where the value of sphinn lies, just as in SEO.
Please read it before you label it. Gracais.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:09 pm
“Identify your target, craft a plan, put it into action, adapt, adjust, and overcome.”
Pasted on my wall!
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:22 pm
You hit the nail on the head!
This applies to pretty much every area of life. You gotta get out there and make it happen. No one is going to do it for you. And complaining is just a waste of time.