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by Eric Pudalov, Community Events Coordinator
William Reichard, of Marcana Internet Marketing Guides, writes in his blog on September 22, “Are You An Answer or a Question?”
In this particular post, Reichard notes that a basic principle of business is that customers want solutions. Whether the problem is that they’re bored, and want to be entertained; are hungry, and want to be fed; or want to reach others, and can’t seem to communicate, they all have one thing in common: they’re saying, “Help!”
One of the difficulties we’ve had at Georgia Community Support and Solutions is reaching a wider “audience.” Whether it’s to promote one of our events, to let people know about our services, or to simply network with other organizations, we’re still experimenting with the best methods as to how to do that.
Reichard uses the hit show Lost, on ABC, as a perfect example of leaving “basic questions” open, and letting the audience decide for themselves what was going on, sparking further debate and interest. The basic questions?
1. How did these people survive a horrific plane crash?
2. Why were there so many strange events taking place on the island?
3. What secrets did the characters have?
4. Were the characters really still alive?
5. What was the connection between their previous lives and what was happening on the island?
Were it not for these open questions (and the way they played out in the series), the show would not have lasted as long as it did.
Another example that comes to mind is comedian Dane Cook; in the comedy world, he’s quite a polarizing figure.
To some, he is a hilarious, if eccentric performer; after all, if he didn’t somehow attract a fan base, would he have managed an HBO Special, a spot on Comic Relief, and numerous other TV appearances?
To others, Cook is annoying, unfunny, unintelligent, and arrogant; many who hold this opinion wonder what has led to his enormous popularity and success.
While I’m not suggesting we model ourselves after Dane Cook (God forbid), it’s worth noting that he is indeed a savvy self-promoter, using such sites as MySpace and his own homepage in order to build a following.
Perhaps, when the ball’s in our court, we must find other ways of doing the self-promotion part, while also delivering the goods.
Any thoughts?
Related Articles
- 29+ Questions to Answer to Make Better Decisions (customerthink.com)
- Dane Cook brings comedy to Cruzan in October (pbpulse.com)
- Someone Might Suck Worse Than Dane Cook After All [Lame-Ass] (gawker.com)
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