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As I told a fellow blogger yesterday, one of the great things about blogging is that every post is a new experiment in viral marketing....
When CK created her amazing collage of what many of us marketing bloggers had gained from blogging, I told her the main thing I had gained was knowledge. And seeing the 'Z-List' turn into a meme that's spreading like wildfire has really been an eye-opener.
I've lost count on how many bloggers have emailed me telling me that they have found a ton of great new blogs to read, and that their link count and traffic have both soared. The first 'Z-List' I posted back on 12/12 had just 5 blogs on it, and all 5 of those blogs have now added well over 100 links each.
And I've gained plenty myself. The Viral Garden has picked up about 60 new links in the past 16 days, traffic is up about 25%, and most importantly to me, I've found several great new blogs that I've added to my daily reads, that I'd never heard of 16 days ago.
So the beauty of the 'Z-List' is that everyone on it, wins. But the key is, when you post the 'Z-List', the community benefits directly. Your blog isn't included on the list, and by posting it, you do a service to the community by giving all the blogs on the list another link, and more exposure on your blog.
And as a result, the community comes back and adds your blog to their lists, and your blog ends up getting all the above benefits.
It seems to me that there's a pretty important marketing rule at practice here: Satisfy your community's needs directly, and they will satisfy your needs indirectly.
But we are so wired to be "me first" in everything we do. It's hard to take that marketing leap of faith to put the community first and see if they return the favor.
I think it's worth a shot. Then again I've always been a believer in the power of the community.
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Comments
Mack,
Great post! I particularly like this line: "But we are so wired to be 'me first' in everything we do. It's hard to take that marketing leap of faith to put the community first and see if they return the favor."
When a business becomes a client of mine, one of the tips they receive is to stop seeing competition as the enemy. In fact, take them out to lunch and get to know them.
Why? Because we have so much to learn from each other and to share with each other.
Communities of like-minded business people, including competitors, I believe, grow businesses better, faster, more enduring and kinder, than do individuals trying to be first.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 12.29.06
Hey Mack - I really dig your idea of introducing more people to lesser-known blogs. My question is this: How would you recommend users manage all of the information?
I know there are some great thoughts from many interesting and bright people on it (as I've explored several of them), but when I look at it, I see a big wall of text with a few blogs that I recognize popping out of the mass.
It's getting to be a bit overwhelming. I'd love to read your thoughts about it.
Posted by: Cam Beck | 12.29.06
"I've found several great new blogs that I've added to my daily reads, that I'd never heard of 16 days ago."
I too have found many great new bloggers through your rockin' meme and, as a result, am learning (read: knowledge) many more best practices across a range of topics (not just social media). That's knowledge that I can put into my work and with landing new projects.
So blogging is a left-brained/right-brained sport since we get the community and colleagues along with all the knowledge.
P.S.: Lovin' the title of the post.
Posted by: CK | 12.29.06
Mack,
Yes... the positive particles of knowledge are spreading.
Even if the list itself is going through a mutation, the initial (positive) intention is still spreading. The only limit I have found so far is TIME... to read all these new great blogs (you should see my eyes, because they have been reading, reading, reading).
; )
And I agree with CK... Title of this post is a hit!
Posted by: mindblob | 12.29.06
Cam this was one of my points about the meme, you can take out of it whatever you want. If you just want a nice bump in traffic and links, you'll get it. If you want to find some new blogs, you can do that. I get what you are saying about it seeming to be a bit overwhelming, and remember that originally, it was just for marketing blogs, but now there's a good mix of blogs from most niches.
I think we each have to go through and give it as much time as we can. For example, I saw one blog and clicked on it just because I liked the name, Conversation Agent. When I started reading, I quickly found out that some of my favorite bloggers were already commenting, such as David Armano.
So yes, it can be a bit daunting, and while the links and traffic may fade with time, I think the lasting benefit is to find new voices to shape your opinions and to make you a smarter blogger. Personally I think that's worth investing the time to give these blogs at least a cursory look to see if they appeal to you.
Posted by: Mack Collier | 12.29.06
I love the way you connected the growth of the Z List to a larger "2.0" lesson here, Mack... "Satisfy your community's needs directly, and they will satisfy your needs indirectly." Excellent takeaway.
Posted by: Ann Handley | 12.29.06
Oh BTW CK, the title is so good because Ann changed it ;)
Posted by: Mack Collier | 12.29.06
That damned Handley always changing stuff...
Lewis- your comment about competitors getting together is so true and is the reason why I started my bike industry marketing blog. It was to create a forum where people would get together and share ideas freely. It hasn't really worked yet because it is a very paranoid and competitive market, but I am not giving up.
Mack- You SO kick ass it isn't even funny! (How the hell did 'Bama get to the Independence Bowl though?) Your idea is perfect and I am planning to do one that is a version for cycling-related blogs as well. Thanks for the inspiration friend.
Posted by: Tim Jackson | 12.30.06
Tim that's a great idea. There's already been a 'W-List' version that's an offshoot of the 'Z-List', it's for women bloggers.
Posted by: Mack Collier | 12.30.06
Hi Mack,
I agree with Lewis. The line that stood out for me was "But we are so wired to be 'me first' in everything we do."
It's time to start giving a hand up to each other instead of scrambling over each other on the way up the ladder. Then we all reach the top.
Great post!
Sandy
Posted by: Sandy Renshaw | 01.06.07