Brands + Amplification = Influence

"1. Blogs are only effective if you already have a brand. People come here, or go read Seth Godin, or Marshall Goldsmith, or Jeffrey Gitomer, or David Meister, because we’re all well known in our areas of expertise. That is, a blog follows a brand, not the other way around. You can’t create a brand just with a blog, unless you’re ridiculously lucky, and business can’t be based on luck."
~Alan Weiss

Dear Alan,
You are both right and wrong (aren't we all?).  You've never heard of Robert Scoble etc. and until today, I've never heard of you.  That is until this thing called the "network effect" amplified the things you had to say on your blog . You are right to point out that a brand comes before the technology which can either help that brand gain traction or lose credibility in the marketplace.  But, digital media as opposed to traditional is all about amplifying a brand, product, service, or message to niche audiences and so the focus on that amplification is just as important as the brand itself.

Millions of us are using various forms of social networks to connect with, mobilize and even influence very specific groups of people who fall within our specialized niche whatever that is.  Unlike mass marketing which uses focus groups to appeal to middle America or (insert demographic here) the internet thrives on fragmentation, algorithms and networks made of people to spread ideas, product recommendations, information etc. 

Thanks to Google and various other search engines, digital touch points such a blogs, sites or other various incarnations of ourselves may be the first encounter someone has with our "brand"—be it company or personal.  If in the words of Seth Godin, you offer up a "Purple Cow"—do something remarkable, then it's likely that the value you offer may get noticed and incorporated into some kind of sem-reoccurring interaction with individuals.  As you point out, this isn't luck but in some cases it actually is.  Value is subjective.

All this may lead to influencing their behavior whether it be using your services, buying your product or just subscribing to the content you produce.

Brands + Network Effect = Amplification

But what may be the most critical piece for us to understand and harness is how amplification actually works.  The mechanics of it are intricate to say the least.  If you have nothing remarkable to offer, there tends to be no amplification.  If what you have to offer is remarkably good—the network kicks into overdrive resulting in the influence of behavior and ultimately some type of relationship.  If what you have to offer is remarkably bad—the network also kicks into high gear and amplifies the negativity—influencing behavior and often times causing perception and possibly relationships to go south.

Michael Dell understood this when he prioritized the effort for his company to participate in the positive amplification of his own brand via the internet including multiple social networks.  This ultimately lead to more than a 20% improvement of  opinions found on the Web accessible through Google etc.  Other major companies have watched closely and are now in the process of figuring out how their own brands need to come to terms with this new reality.

Whether we know who Robert Scoble, Hugh McLeod or Guy Kawasaki is—is irrelevant. 

Brands + Amplification = Influence on the other hand, is not.  If you are reading this post—you can thank the power influence of social networks.  And thank you for some food for thought—which is always a good thing.

Comments

[Jim Kukral]

Yep, I can thank Twitter for bringing me here to read this. Amplification is another word for creating customer evangelists. The people who really, really amplify your product/services.

[Yvonne DiVita]

This is great content, David. I couldn't have said it better. I think Alan is right on many points - consultants need to know their audience, know their brand, and be willing to learn new ways to amplify it, if you will.

Alan prefers the old way. I prefer the new way. It doesn't mean I don't use the tried and true marketing tools of the past, but it does mean I use them less. I focus on what works, and what you've written here works. For consultants as well as Fortune 500 folks.

You can start a brand with a blog. It's not easy, but it can be done. Thanks for putting the discussion into perspective. I hope Alan comes by to see it. He does 'get it' to a point. He's just seems unwilling to admit that what we're calling Web 2.0 has any real value for consultants.

[Kevin Behringer]

David:

Great post. I agree with Alan...but only after adjusting his argument.

IF you define a brand as what a company stands for, the content they offer, then you do need a brand to make a blog successful. Your point about Scoble is exactly the point that should be made. He was UNKNOWN until he started creating great content. Now, he's one of the biggest bloggers out there.

I think that if a brand is a natural extension of a company (person, non-profit, whatever) creating great content/stuff, then yes, you do need a brand for a blog to be successful. But, if one only sees a brand as a trademark and logo...then I think it's one of the least important things for blogging.

How many of the "A-List" bloggers out there are huge because of their brand or where they work? I think it's much more common that they become highly-regarded because of their content OUTSIDE of the brand...sometimes in spite of it.

Kevin

[Garret Ohm]

David:

Great post. I think the two go hand in hand. Have both, as your equation suggests, and your brand will have maximum influence over all that interact with it.

[JS]

Any thoughts on the statement: "'Blogs' (or, perhaps more broadly, 'Web-based mediums')have become a brand." I realize 'Blog' doesn't fit the dictionary definition of 'brand.'

[Lewis Green]

David,

I know Alan but have never read his blog (assuming he has one) but do read MarketingProfs Daily Fix for which has is both an executive and a contributor. So, there is no guarantee that having a brand name recognition will lead to reading one's blog or that having a blog will result in brand name recognition.

A blog is a tool, not a strategy. But when added to the marketing mix, it can become a powerful driver of both the brand and business. To believe otherwise, ignores the value of strategic thinking around the use of tools to grow brand and sales.

Excellent post!

Lewis

[bertrand]

Nielsen has just released its Brand Association Map, it may be interesting to create a Blog Association Map like this.
http://visionoftheworld-bertrand.blogspot.com/2008/06/brand-association-map-from-nielsen.html

[Jess]

Great post. I am a fan of your brand because of social media. I wouldn't know you from a hole in the wall otherwise.

Great ideas, great product, great service, these are the basis of a willing audience.

[Alan Wolk]

David: I think it's important that you point out the context of the original quote: Mr. Weiss is telling other consultants, sellers of thought leadership, not to waste their time on social media.

And he's likely right in terms of a certain type of marketing consultant who deals mostly with a similar breed of client who is too set in his ways to change.

But he ignores the whole new wave of consultants coming up who have used their blogs to create a brand. And these are people whose credentials meant they would likely have been ignored by the traditional gatekeepers, but the rise of social media has allowed them to get their message out there and the "purple cows" they've created have allowed them a certain level of authority. You and I are living proof of this ourselves.

If my "product" is thought leadership, then a blog seems a fairly natural venue for me to sell my "product."

But can a blog create a brand for other types of products?

Depending on the product, the content of the blog and the patience of the stakeholders, it just might.

That seems to be the question we should be asking.

[MHB]

yup our brand had little value or use or interaction with the outside
world until our blog started getting read. great parsing david.

[Mack Collier]

"I know Alan but have never read his blog (assuming he has one) but do read MarketingProfs Daily Fix for which has is both an executive and a contributor."

Thankfully Lewis, this appears to be a completely different Alan Weiss than the Marketing Profs co-founder.

BTW David you owe me the 5 mins of my life I just lost reading Alan's post.