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Marketing in The Connection Economy

Marketing in The Connection Economy

If the world’s smartest modern day marketer says we’re entering the connected economy – you better know what it means. More importantly, you need know how this will change your relationship with your customers.

 

When Seth Godin talks, marketers listen

 

He is visionary when it comes to marketing and if you haven’t already read it - get ‘Purple Cow’ - it will change the way you think about your business. Godin was the keynote speaker at the Inbound conference, at the time I understood what he was saying, and it aligned to my beliefs. In this talk, he discussed that businesses are leaving the industrial economy and entering the connection economy.

 

 

There are four pillars in the connection economy:

 

Coordination – Before you can market anything, you need to coordinate a group of people to carry it out.

Trust – This takes times and effort, but earning trust with consumers is a must in the connection economy.

Permission – Based on his permission marketing approach, Godin says you need to deliver anticipated, personal, and relevant messages to people who want to get them. It’s a privilege to talk to people who will listen to you.

Exchange of ideas – Godin says that you’ll learn more from people at the conference than the speakers. He says, “what happens when we create an enviornment of connection, we create enormous value by combining all four of these things (coordination, trust, permission, exchange of ideas) into a network of people who want to pay attention to one another.”


The four ideas are based on two principles:

 

Generosity – Because no one wants to trust or connect with a selfish person.

Art – Because we don’t want to connect to someone who’s going to do just what they did yesterday. It’s the work of a human being doing something real and personal that might not work. Many listening to Godin just want bullet points, or a map of what to do. Godin says whenever he lists bullet points on one of his blog posts, social media shares go through the roof. But Godin won’t give bullet points during this talk, saying “the minute someone gives you a map, is the minute it’s not art anymore.

 

Bottom Line: You gain connection by earning it

 

You don’t earn connection with discounts or clever copy, you earn it by being generous and being an artist.

 


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