By Mark Schaefer
One of the side benefits of writing a book is that you learn a lot. It’s almost like getting a new college degree!
A profound lesson I learned from writing Marketing Rebellion is the extraordinary power of bringing people together. Many people I interviewed for the book said that bringing customers together for a live event “changed everything.”
One person said to me, “It’s like loving the music of a certain band. You may admire them from what you hear on a record, but when you attend a live concert it creates a new emotional bond that lasts forever.”
Perhaps this sounds obvious, but somehow in this digital age I think many people — including me — may be overlooking the simple power of bringing people together.
The Rebellion Filter
This really cool thing is happening with my book. After people read it, they are seeing the world through a “Rebellion Filter.” They are interpreting the world through the lessons in the book.
Almost every day, people are sending me examples of case studies that prove the premise of the book. It’s like we’re having a new understanding of the world through the clear new reality presented in the book.
It’s happening to me too. For example, I recently saw this chart:
I’m guessing that if you asked many marketing professionals to name the biggest source of lead gen they would name some technological tactic. But it’s not. It’s bringing people together. Of course. That’s what people value most of all. It does “change everything.”
Bringing us together
One of the highlights of my career was a live event I hosted for three years called Social Slam. If you meet people who were there, they might tell you it was the best conference they’ve ever attended.
We did it for three years and it was a great success. But when key members of my volunteer team moved away and I was being pulled into other priorities … reluctantly, I ended it.
But not a week goes by that I don’t recall the sheer joy of bringing friends together like that!
I’m contemplating creating a new live event. My mind is spinning with all the directions it could take and so I decided to turn it over to you and ask … if Mark Schaefer held an event, what would it look like?
- Would it be a big or small event? How big? How small?
- What would be the major take-away (i.e. “I’m going because I want to …”)
- What sort of location matches the event you have in mind?
I haven’t decided on anything concrete, but I’m feeling that if I follow my own advice in the book, I need to create an opportunity to meet my tribe face to face.
Let me know what you think in the comment section!
Mark Schaefer is the chief blogger for this site, executive director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions, and the author of several best-selling digital marketing books. He is an acclaimed keynote speaker, college educator, and business consultant. The Marketing Companion podcast is among the top business podcasts in the world. Contact Mark to have him speak to your company event or conference soon.
