Selling the Show
Even for a professional writer like me, I don’t think of this blog as giving away my writing for nothing. While the internet destroys business model after business model, the smartest musicians live by the axiom “give away the music, sell the show.” I think the same can be said for company blogging.
You can read what I write here and wonder why you’re not paying to read it. After all, these are really the greatest marketing ideas of our generation (*smile*) why should I give them to you for free? Three reasons, really:
- So you can see the quality of ideas I have.
- So you can see how well I write.
- So you can envision me writing specifically for you.
Number 3 is the point of everything. Blogging puts your ideas out there and if they’re great enough, a potential customer envisions having you implement those ideas specifically for her. By giving away some of the “music” (my writing and ideas) I can sell the “show” (personal writing for your company).
Others do this too. Seth releases videos of his speeches. Jason Mraz has a whole concert on YouTube. Is this effective marketing? How do you feel after watching them? Enlightened and entertained, sure, but satisfied?
Not me. I want more.
I want to sit in the crowd and laugh along with everyone at Seth’s jokes. I want to sit in the front row of the coffeehouse and get goosebumps at Jason Mraz when he hits a high note. I want to be there.
An effective blog works the same way. You give people a taste of what you do, and if you communicate it well enough they’ll want you to do it specifically for them. They want the personal experience.
And they’ll pay you give it to them.