First, some backstory.
A lot of people think that I tend to stray away from really passionate opinions on ye olde blog because I’m super nice and like to leave room for conversation. In fact, this is 100% false. I am one of the most evil people around and almost everything I do is self-serving. Now, in this particular case, what I garner from failing to put myself 100% behind any concept is some insurance for the future. If I leave air in the conversation and room for doubt, that means that I can come back later and say, “Woops, I was wrong.” It’s like when I was a kid and I insisted I hated yams. Then I actually ate one with brown sugar and butter and I realized I really like brown sugar and butter on yams. That was a tough one to eat crow about, but that took years. Now this here thing, well, it’s only been a week between mind-changes.
Remind me not to go into politics.
Ehem, so, back to the story. I am reading Lou Imbriano’s masterpiece, Winning the Customer. It is truly masterful. You should go read it. And I’m saying that having not quite reached the halfway point, so you know it’s good. Anyway, Lou is talking in this particular section about breaking down your database so that you can a) build relationships and b) get your spenders to become big spenders. These both sound like things that businesses would gravitate towards naturally, but then you’d also think businesses would gravitate away from embezzling and insider trading. You just never know.
As I’m reading this chapter, I’m starting to get really excited. It’s really not about general demographics anymore, right? Saying that you’re targeting “Males ages 17-54” is not really what marketing is about anymore, or at least it doesn’t have to be (sidenote, yes, this is what I get excited about on Friday nights. Leave me alone!). Then I started thinking about social media, and my brain took an unnatural leap right towards Google Plus. Lou is talking about how to make your big spenders feel really special, how to make your not as big spenders want to spend more, and how to get people who may not know you get to talking about you. Each of those groups, and many besides, require different kinds of messaging. Just like you can do via Google Plus Circles.
A sidenote to my sidenote about the sidebar
Those of you who loyally (or crazily) come to my site often may recall that a few days ago we were talking about Google Plus for business. I believe I said something along the lines of, “My trepidation about Google Plus for businesses comes out of two major channels of thinking.” That is in stark contrast to what Chris Brogan and other folks (some of whom commented on that post) have been saying about the business potential on Google Plus. But I wasn’t seeing it.
Now, my little marketing hamster in my brain is running full tilt. I’m thinking kinda like this: Let’s say you get your “elite” customers into a circle on Google Plus. Once a week, or once a month, you post to just that circle saying that you are sponsoring a special event that only they are invited to. Now, another circle could be people who visit your website via a specific promotion. Maybe that’s a “warm leads” circle. The list of circles could be dizzying, in fact.
Kind of cool, right? And it’s right there looking at me in the face saying, “HELOOOOOO!” But it took Lou Imbriano’s totally unrelated to Google Plus book to get me to see it. Weird, huh?
I’m not *just* eating crow though
I still think that dividing people up into these circles is something that would be super duper time-consuming. And how do you know for sure what people can or can’t see in Google Land? I still find that confusing. And how do you move someone from the “leads” circle into the “elite” circle? That’s a lot of detail. But I guess it’s not that far different from what people have done with rolodexes and email databases and stuff like that, right?
Marsop’s Fable
The moral of this story, of course, is not really 100% about Lou, Chris, Lou’s book (read it), or Google Plus. What I really want to tell you is that even here in the online world, it’s okay to change your mind about things. It’s okay to evolve. Just, like, I dunno. Don’t be a jerk about it! Ya know?
Are you smelling what I’m cookin’ here? Or am I cooking up a big casserole of crazy? You tell me!
Image by Roger Kirby. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/theswedish
If its a big ol casserole of crazy, I’m heading back for seconds! I agree that if you are willing to consider other options, life can change and for me that’s a really positive thing! There is no reason to be a jerk — evolving is a really good thing!
@JPlovesCOTTON Mmm, casserole. Yeah, evolution seems to have worked pretty well so far. I don’t have a problem with it!
I’ve got your back, Rock 😉 Evolution is good for us. All the more reason not to be too much of a jerk about anything.
It does sound like a lot of work splitting people into all those circles. For those of us not working on getting people to spend, the goal is to separate our work and professional lives from our “less than cool” selves.
The other reason is that it is the same way we deal with people face-to-face. Not all of my friends want to hang with the photogs or the Jesus tweeters, for instance. They can choose their own circles, but we never want to force our mindset on others. But, I’m not trying to sell them anything…yet 🙂
@martinamcgowan
@Doc_1 Bwa ha ha 🙂 Martina, you crack me up. And I never knew there was a group called Jesus Tweeters, though I believe I have seen some of the members. That’s really funny!
Yes, you are right, Putting people into circles is putting your perspective about them in the front and center, which can be dangerous. However, in this case the circles would be more about levels of spend or history with the company moreso than interests. A big difference from using the circles for more personal reasons, right? So, in that way, I think it could work if you work it right.
@margieclayman
Yes, if you worked it right. As a person doing business entering into this arena, you would have to set monetary parameters early in the process.
Glad I can make you chuckle.
Hi @margieclayman What a great and enthusiastic post. I think I have your little marketing hamster’s sibling running around in my brain because sometimes it feels like my thoughts about marketing and growth and creativity and social media just never stop….ever. The fervor with which you share the possibilities of Google+ as an important adjunct to your marketing strategy is compelling. I get what you are saying and for many businesses it seems really do-able. I still struggle with how to market a dental practice via Google+ because I am SO specific and SO geographically constrained. But, I am not giving up. I am waiting for my own personal aha moment. Maybe I should pick up Lou Imbriano’s book…it may give me some new insight. Thank you, Margie, for your passion and your delightful style of writing…
Claudia
@SocialMediaDDS Hi Claudia, yeah, you’re in the same boat with Susan. This definitely would not work for everyone, and it may not work for anyone just yet. I am still feeling like people are using Google Plus more as a broadcast platform, and to do what I talk about here, you’d need to converse with, not at. But given that, it’s a neat way to think about the circles. I had missed the excitement till now 🙂
Hey Margie, great post.
But first things first, does the fact that you are cooking on Friday night mean I’m going to miss something delicious at #TweetDiner tonight? BooHoo.
Now, on to your marketing hamster. Your post raises value in several different areas and I thank you for your usual significant contribution (even though I may have gotten lost while travelling from one of your sidenotes to another while on my way to the sidebar).
The entire concept of linking a “trigger” from a seemingly unrelated universe to a different one that you have been struggling with is one very valuable cornerstone to your post and I’m delighted you’re pointing it out to others. You already know I respect your opinion so I’m going to consider Lou’s book. However, I have been reading mostly non-business books lately because I needed to give my neurons an opportunity to see the world from a different place – and it’s working for me in a way very similar to yours and your sudden clarity on Google+. I often say something like “Oh, now I understand what that business issue is all about” even if I’m in the midst of “Absolute Monarchs – A history of the Papacy” or shortly after I finish reading “The Swerve – How the World Became Modern.” And, it also sometimes works after those neurons have rested through a trashy spy novel 😉
The most interesting take-away is that I, too, have been struggling with Google+ and whether it’s even worth the large time investment to figure it out, let alone use it as a daily tool. So, I’m going to look at Google+ anew with your fresh hamster approach and OK, now that you’ve opened the door, I may have to reconsider going back to business books for a while – and if I do, I’ll definitely read “Winning the Customer.”
Thanks again and now it’s time for you to give up the casserole and go outside – I know it’s a little windy in Akron today but fresh air is a good thing.
JOSEPH
@jolewitz No no, I cook all weekend! 🙂
And yes, reading books and blog posts that have nothing to do with your usual work -a-day life is a great way to gain perspective, not just on the online world but on life in general. You read about the Medieval Times and think, “Shew, boy am I glad I’m not a serf!!” It’s always good to get a different perspective in your head. These days, and I think the online world builds this in us, we are very much enmeshed in our own brains 🙂
LIke you thinking here….but….there are 2 issues to explore above.
One is the concept of splicing our lists and that is sort of old-school stuff. Dan Kennedy has been talking about that for years
Then there is the issue of using Google+ for said list splicing.
Sure we can do that. And we can do it with our email lists,too, which is easier and my preferred way of doing it since I have more chance of getting someone’s attention via email than G+ or other social media. Even if they are in a special circle, they still see the post in their stream and there is a big time chance they miss it.
And then my big struggle with G+ is that my target customer is not there yet. Yes, yes, I know super millions of people are there, but not my people – at least not enough. So the whole concept of G+ for MY business is moot right now. (here we are back at what’s good for ME and what’s good for YOU..)
But it is nice to evolve our thinking. In today’s culture of new tech coming at us daily, we have to get good at keeping an open mind, but now so sieve-like that we forget the basics and fly around chasing every shiny that comes our way. Tricky.
@susangiurleo Hi Susan, Yes, of course the idea of splitting one’s database is not new, but it’s the first time I’ve seen how Google Plus could potentially help someone grow their business. And like anything in social media, it definitely helps if your customers and prospects are actually there. For a specialized business like yours that’s going to be a lot harder, without question.
Just a new way of thinking about Google Plus for me 🙂