Being Social #34 - Seth Godin

Tuesday night, Seth Godin spoke in Syracuse, NY. Godin is a presenter, who uses props, PowerPoint, and stories very well. He is entertaining and informative. He is often provocative and doesn't care that he ruffles any feathers. With that in mind, perhaps what happened on Twitter should not be surprising.

There were a number of tweets during the event, but one that was repeated several times was after Godin asked how many people had been on Twitter during the event and then noted that it was a waste of time. KimInCuse wrote:

Actually, Seth Godin, I was on Twitter during your talk because I was TWEETING about it. It wasn't a waste of time.

Godin shared that he does not value "breaking news" and that day-old news is "warm enough". Yet many people are turning to social media - like Twitter - as a way of deciding what news to pay attention to and also to share news as it happens...like what we were learning from his presentation. Godin's aversion to news-as-it-happens may be why he does not have a Twitter account. (However, Godin's blog automatically tweets new posts titles.) That also means that he is not using Twitter - and likely other truly interactive social media - to interact with his tribe (followers). Given the books that he has written, blog and speaking engagements, Godin is leading his tribe, but he is not interacting with them.

Interact vs. Listen - In fact, you may not always be able to interact adequately with your followers or customers. Sometimes it just isn't practical, but you can always find ways to listen. It is clear that Godin values listening to followers/customers, because that is what he preaches. Only by listening can you understand what they need and want (with want being more important than need).

For you to ponder:

• How do you listen to your customers, your followers, or even those whose opinion you value?
• If interacting with your customer/audience is important, how and when do you do it?
• How do you know that that the information you are receiving is authentic?

By the way, the photo above was taken during the book signing after the event. If you're like me, you've read several of his books. If not, pick one of them up at your local library, borrow from a friend, or purchase a copy. You will not be disappointed.

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Next issue of Being Social will be in about two weeks...

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