Virtual Event Success

I sat in the front of the class so when I got my homework back, I could raise it high enough so those behind me could see my bright red “A.”

Yeah, I was that good with numbers.

So, when I started marketing online in 1998, I was obsessed with the numbers.

• I would run reports to see how many were clicking on my banner ads.
• I would view my web statistics every day to see if there was a bump in the numbers.
• I would login to my Ultimate Bulletin Board (remember that) to see if any new members signed up.

Just like my points scored in each basketball game, the numbers made me feel really good. Just like now. When I meet people in real life, it feels dang good when they exclaim in complete astonishment:

“Wow! You have 12,000 followers on Twitter? How the heck do you keep up?”

“Tweetdeck,” I would reply. To which I would scamper away fearing I would have to explain what Tweetdeck is in layman terms (shudder the thought).

But now, I don’t care.

Because whether 12,000 people follow me on Twitter or just 1 all I care about is making sure that the voice I proclaim in the marketplace is heard by those who should take notice and listen.

You, a Podcasting Expert?

I remember a couple years ago, someone on a podcasting listserv (is this what they’re still called?) questioned why anyone would call me the First Lady of Podcasting.

This podcasting listserv was full of hobbyists (probably still is), in other words, the membership on this listserv consists of those who could care less whether they made moneyfrom their podcast. Some on the list said they never heard of me.

Except three.

All men and all who fall within my target market. Their voices were the only ones that mattered.

Sure, it stung to be mocked on a listserv for 4-days. Snide comments from those who felt good squashing my expertise to boost their egos.

But only 3 voices mattered. Those were the ones in my target market.

Even If Your Message Is Relevant, It Won’t Matter to the Wrong People

Right now, I’m promoting the 2010 Social Media Telesummit. It’s an annual virtual event I host every January. Within my email list of 5000 emails, I have a sublist of 700 people who opted in to hear more about social media and the telesummit.

So, you have to get this – the people on the sublist are those who opted to hear more about my social media products and the telesummit.

Let me spell it out again – these people gave me their permission to bug them about the 2010 Social Media Telesummit.

Got it?

Good.

Now get this – the social media sub-list has the highest number of unsubscribes compared to any other sub-list within my database.

I find this fascinatingly ironic.

I don’t send this sub-list an abnormal number of emails. Maybe once a week. It goes up to three times a week if there’s a special campaign, like right now. I send 3 emails a week regarding the 2010 Social Media Telesummit.

Three.

To a sub-list of people who gave me permission to bug them about the upcoming telesummit.

I think in the history of this social media sub-list, I’ve had 1500 subscribes. Now, less than half remain in 12-months. And I’m not sending them irrelevant information. They opted to learn more about social media and the upcoming telesummit.

THEY TOLD ME THAT IT’S OKAY TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE SOCIAL MEDIA TELESUMMIT.

Sorry for yelling, but I just needed to point this out.

This sub-list has the highest number of unsubscribes compared to all my other sub-lists.

So, what does this tell me?

It tells me that even though my message is relevant, because I’m not talking to the right people, my efforts are wasted. That I could be likable and I could have relevant information, but if I’m talking to the wrong people, they’ll leave.

And that’s why to me the numbers no longer matter.

I could have a kazillion people on my Twitter follow list, but if I’m replacing that list every 90-days due to unfollows, then do I really have a profitable list?

Platform + Inaction = Flat Out Broke

Platform without action results in unprofitibility. For example, I was at an event recently where the host bartered services with a social media expert (not me). He wanted the expert to build his Twitter list to 10,000 followers in exchange for a seat to his event. You see, the social media expert has over 50,000 followers (again, not me) and the event host knew that the social media expert could help him reach his goal.

Well, the social media expert built this event host’s follow list to 15,000 followers. And guess what? She couldn’t afford the plane ticket to get to his event.

This social media expert has platform, but her connections don’t take action. Thus, she’s broke. Not a good combination at all.

Unfollow, Unfriend, Unconnect, Unsubscribe, I So Uncare

My friend, Scott Stratten, who recently inked a book deal with Wiley (yay!) is writing a book called Unmarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging. Scott was a faculty member at my 2009 Social Media Telesummit and is a wonderful unmarketer.

I also call him the Chef Ramsay of Twitter because he’s so grumpy. Always cooking up trouble with someone on Twitter. But Scott is way cuter than the Chef. And Scott’s Canadian, so it means he’s really oh so lovable.

But, I digress again…

Take a look again at the sub-title of Scott’s book & blog – Stop Marketing. Start Engaging.

• Start engaging by treating everyone like a person instead of a number.
• Start engaging by caring about people’s issues instead of lumping them into your psycho-demographic.
• Start engaging by asking Susie about her cat. Or Peter about his mom. Or Janice about her new log cabin.

(Scott, I just wrote the coles notes to your book)

I started doing that last year and my business is better because of it.

• I call customers who purchase my products and services to thank them. Yes, each one.
• I send handwritten cards out to customers who complete my coaching programs. Yes, each one. Even those who requested refunds. And I handwrite them. Not my assistant. Nor some company who stores my handwritten fonts in some database so my assistant can type it in my “handwriting.” No way! Just like Martha Stewart when she let someone go on her one season Apprentice, I write each card one-by-one.

The small touches that help me show my target market that they’re important to me. Each individual person.

So, whether you unsubscribe or unfollow me, I really could care less. Social media is no longer a basketball game where I count points and numbers. It’s the huddle with a small, core group where I know each by name and by face.

Game on.

(BTW, I’m providing sneak peeks of the 2010 Social Media Telesummit through my preview call series. You can sign up for them on the front page.)