Comments on: Making Social Media Marketing Work

By: The Used Car Salesman’s Guide to Social Media Marketing | The Success Center

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:00:54 +0000

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By: jtrigsby

jtrigsby — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:53 +0000

Hey Dan,

I can see this happening to folks who start their blog/site with a heart for the topic then find themselves with a popular site on their hands. The expectations and work required to keep it going get ratcheted up all the while life continues with its ups and downs. Its not long till their hobby can start to feel like an anchor... especially without getting something back! The irony lies in the fact that these are the bloggers that often have the hardest time seeking revenue.

You have some great examples there! Oprah is one of the best, and she does exactly what I suggested in the post. She has a HUGE following of people, and the vast majority will run right out and do whatever she tells them. Just to have a product mentioned on the show is a huge victory. she has advertisers... that pay her money to run their ads... and she doesn't feel bad about it one bit. And I'm sure she is very picky about what people / products / services get her endorsement, because she is acting as the gatekeeper, protecting her following.

Good stuff there Dan. Thanks for your input and for stopping by!

Thom

By: Dan Sherman

Dan Sherman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:56:30 +0000

Why is anyone hesitant about advertising on their website? Saying it will violate the trust of their readers is a cop-out. What's really holding them back is their own mental hang ups.

Does Oprah have a problem hawking stuff by slapping her name on it? Nope.

Do magazines or other media (online or off) hesitate for a second over putting advertising in their publications? Nope.

You just have to decide what business you're in. Are you trying to become an online personality who talks about anything under the sun (Oprah)? Are you an blogger running a blog about your favorite hobby (Better Homes and Gardens)? Or are you creating your own products to sell?

Whatever the heck you are, the ones who are truly successful in that field sure don't do it for free, and they don't have any moral conflict in doing so.

Do you think Tiger Woods wears a Tag Heuer watch, wears nike, drives a buick and drinks PBR because he likes those things? Ok, so maybe he doesn't drink Pabst. Still, point made.

By: jtrigsby

jtrigsby — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:13:02 +0000

You are absolutely right Rod. We've all heard, "you never know till you ask," probably followed closely by "what's the worst they can say?" And yet, its one of the hardest things for most of us, especially me, to do.

The big fear that goes along with taking ads is that you'll lose followers and never know it. I'd say you can be pretty sure, you'll lose some... and you'll gain some as well.

Thanks for the comment Rod, always good to have your input! And anytime you're ready buddy... challenge away. This one was a blast!

@jtrigsby

By: Rod

Rod — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:00:26 +0000

I love it when you take an idea and run with it J! I'm gonna have to start challenging you more like this. Excellent write up. My bank (who I've had an account with for 9 years) terminated a type of account I had which charged me $10 monthly fees. They stopped offering the account type and “allowed” me to continue paying the monthly fees even though they hadn't offered it in over a year. I recently switched to a free checking account and asked if I could be reimbursed for the $10 fees since I had no idea they stopped offering the account type that I had. They couldn't give me a year's worth back, but I got $20 bucks out the deal – and that's better than nothing. You never really know what you can have until you ask.

Like you said, the same goes within this social media environment. Your followers follow you for a good reason – continue to crank out quality and you've earned the right to ask!

Great article J!