Number 3 of 52 Compelling Communicators - Seth Godin
January 21, 2013
I have been reading Seth Godin books for the better part of a
decade. He writes about marketing and current trends through best sellers such as
Purple Cow, Small is the new Big, Tribes and The Dip. I find his way of
connecting with audiences highly compelling.
As much as I admire him and his ideas, I was surprised to find myself (along with 4,241 other people) sponsoring a book he was planning to write. I went back to analyze how he captured my interest and got me to part with a tidy little sum of money. Here is his message and my take on why it worked so well.
As much as I admire him and his ideas, I was surprised to find myself (along with 4,241 other people) sponsoring a book he was planning to write. I went back to analyze how he captured my interest and got me to part with a tidy little sum of money. Here is his message and my take on why it worked so well.
In his first communiqué, he introduced the concept quickly and
in a way that made you feel special and a part of something unique:
My idea: Kickstart + bookstore + ebooks.
My idea: Kickstart + bookstore + ebooks.
The publisher (my key to
the bookstore) is only willing to go ahead with the rest of the plan if my
Kickstarter works. No Kickstarter, no distribution, the stakes are high. (As
you saw at the Domino Project, the ebook
part is easy now, but the bookstore is still critical to reach the many readers
who find and buy books in stores).
His conversational style makes you feel like you are in his
“tribe” at all times. Check out his book of the same name here. I subscribe to his blog and have that familial connection with his daily words of
wisdom as well.
If the Kickstarter works, then all the funders will get to read the book before anyone else, plus there are bonuses and previews and special editions. A few weeks after the early funders (that would be you) get to read it, the book will be available to book buyers for purchase the traditional way (wherever fine books are sold in the US, including digital readers). Of course, the Kickstarter funders get a better price, get it first and get unique bonuses, plus the pleasure of being in early--and knowing that they made it happen. The only way this book becomes real is if my readers get behind it now.
If the Kickstarter works, then all the funders will get to read the book before anyone else, plus there are bonuses and previews and special editions. A few weeks after the early funders (that would be you) get to read it, the book will be available to book buyers for purchase the traditional way (wherever fine books are sold in the US, including digital readers). Of course, the Kickstarter funders get a better price, get it first and get unique bonuses, plus the pleasure of being in early--and knowing that they made it happen. The only way this book becomes real is if my readers get behind it now.
He created a sense of urgency. By the time I checked out the site, people were already signed up and I started to feel like I was missing out on something cool. I never felt like I was being pitched. As much as I was supportive of him, I would want to get full value for my sponsorship so the jury was still out:
By using Kickstarter early in the process, we eliminate book publisher/bookseller skepticism and create the excitement they need to actually stock and promote the book. Those books you see stacked up by the front window at the bookstore? That’s not an accident. That’s a promotion planned months in advance, based almost entirely on how optimistic the publisher is about a book’s prospects.
So that’s the idea--a way
that any author with a following can divide the publishing process into three
pieces--get the true fans on board early, give them something to talk about
just before the book is in stores, and then use online and offline bookstores
to do what they do best and distribute far and wide. It moves the power in the
process to where it belongs--to motivated readers and their authors.
It's not easy to build a
following, and it takes time, but I hope you'll help me show authors and
publishers that it's worth it. Here's a short link you can share: http://kck.st/KvkY4h
By
this point I am quite intrigued but still not thinking I would actually buck up
and give the already successful Seth Godin any of my hard earned cash. I am
still thinking this is just more fodder for me to consider when I finish
writing my book. Once I land on the first page I click on the video and am increasingly sold on this idea... but still with my personal interest front and centre:
I
scroll down the sponsorship levels and stop at the $360 point when I see that I
can actually put 250 of my words in the e-book edition. Sold! Seth hit every button for me and obviously
for a lot of other fans. He raised $287,342 and his goal was
$40,000. There was something for everybody and he made it easy. Talk about knowing
your audience:
He promised to keep
us up to date and recognized that the type of people in his tribe often have
their own dreams and plans. He kept his promise and
then some. Success all around. I have received 32 project updates since signing up. He shared everything from book cover
concepts to his fears about meeting the deadline and even problems they
were having with deliveries. Honest, transparent and real.
Think about how you connect with your tribe whether it is at work or at home. Keeping people in the loop, celebrating wins, sharing woes and creating excitement about the future are fundamental to good communication. Through this book publishing experiment, Seth has also given us a blueprint for brilliant communications:
Think about how you connect with your tribe whether it is at work or at home. Keeping people in the loop, celebrating wins, sharing woes and creating excitement about the future are fundamental to good communication. Through this book publishing experiment, Seth has also given us a blueprint for brilliant communications:
I’ll update you four times
in the next four weeks about how we’re doing. Thank you for helping me make
this work, and for publishing your own great idea as soon as you are ready.
Here is the final e-mail update:
Send
me an email in the next week to dellas@shaw.ca with the name of a favourite
author or book that has helped you communicate better, we will put your name in
a hat and do a draw for one of Seth’s books.
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1 comments
So glad you were surprised and delighted!
ReplyDeleteSuccess.
Thanks for being part of it.