Reminds me a bit of being in primary and secondary schools where one kid can do something and everyone loves it or laughs at it and another kid does something similar (not as a copy cat) and that kid is chastised, mocked, or ignored. Does charisma translate differently in social networking online? It seems that it might.
Sometimes all it takes though is luck with timing, and having just one person who gets into that persons work who enjoys spreading the word about the new found enjoyment of someone's work.
Of course, there is always rebranding. Though when I think of rebranding it screams marketing's clever attempts to pull the wool over someone's eyes.
"Does one have to build more of a social connection before they try to sell their work?" Yes, I think so. Most people don't want to feel like they are being "sold" or "marketed to" even though people like being sold things and marketed to. It's a bit disingenuous almost in a way. On the other hand if you do build a social network of people who genuinely do like you, they will probably buy your stuff. On the other, other hand it's a bit more complex, because different kinds of people have different reactions to selling, and it's not simply predictable. Which is another reason why it's good to build the network first. You will get a feel for what people want. Also trial and error. You might lose a few friends before you find your natural market. Some people aren't prepared for that.
Sensible words. It's not only whom you know but how they experience knowing you. Energy and intimacy and the marketplace mix together in a way that makes the marketplace more pleasant for me at any rate. I'd rather buy something from (or sell something to) someone with whom I have a positive rapport. When I was cold-calling for the Symphony, the best sales night was the one where I had a great conversation with the person who bought tickets. Them buying tickets was the whole point, of course, and I couldn't have kept my job if people had not bought tickets from me regularly, but the conversations made that fun on both sides of the transaction and created an energy around the concerts that would not have been the same if they'd just gone and clicked on a website (which at the time it wasn't even possible for them to do. Oh, well). And they probably wouldn't have bought tickets if I hadn't called them. My situation was also different in that I was not selling my own work, unless you count 5 minutes of effusive chatter about
( ... )
Comments 3
Sometimes all it takes though is luck with timing, and having just one person who gets into that persons work who enjoys spreading the word about the new found enjoyment of someone's work.
Of course, there is always rebranding. Though when I think of rebranding it screams marketing's clever attempts to pull the wool over someone's eyes.
Reply
Yes, I think so.
Most people don't want to feel like they are being "sold" or "marketed to" even though people like being sold things and marketed to. It's a bit disingenuous almost in a way.
On the other hand if you do build a social network of people who genuinely do like you, they will probably buy your stuff.
On the other, other hand it's a bit more complex, because different kinds of people have different reactions to selling, and it's not simply predictable. Which is another reason why it's good to build the network first. You will get a feel for what people want. Also trial and error. You might lose a few friends before you find your natural market. Some people aren't prepared for that.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment