I write about the business impact of marketing and communications in a relationship-first world. Learn more about me here.
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What I wrote
I didn’t post an article this past week! (That seems something odd to be excited about.)
I did attend two in-person events:
1. An evening with Greg. That’s not what the event was called, however that’s what I’m calling it. It was a moderated discussion about working across the political aisle with questions from in-person attendees as well as folks attending by Zoom. Greg Gianforte, the state’s governor, was the guest.
I thought the moderator (a local CEO) was good, however when I listened to this weekend’s Montana Public Radio episode on the talk, I was disappointed that this discussion didn’t fit a journalistic narrative (the moderator is not a journalist). This clip in particular…
This feels to me as if someone gives a one-star rating on a tennis ball because it’s not a tennis racket.
What a miss from MTPR. The in-person event was full. It sounded like there were 100s of folks joining online. And it was an open platform and discussion to hear what’s on the governor’s mind.
Why can’t that be the report, instead of what the event should have been (or, worse, what we wanted the event to be)?
2. Business after hours.
A local, monthly event bringing business professionals together. The venue, a very nice downtown pub, was full. Uncomfortably (for this fella) full.
I left a little early, however a few items that stick with me:
- These events are now referred to by their acronym: BAH. Not B-A-H. BAH. Like asking a New Englander where they are going after work. “The BAH.”
- I bumped into a partner of ours. We talked partner-related items and some partner-related opportunities. I’m a big fan of our partner network.
- Having run these types of events when we were in New York, I wonder how success of these B-A-Hs are determined? People showing up? People sticking around after the event? Discussions had? Are these success metrics qualitative (I had a great time!) or quantitative (I met five new folks!)?
- The sponsor talked how local they were (a big thing around here) and thanked their team for flying in. (I suppose both can be true?) Also, their presentation focused on marketing and advertising tracking, data, analytics, etc. Looking around, I wasn’t sure that was the right message for this audience.
Some links
- The Daily Upside. (link)
I’m new to this newsletter. I really like the format. - I have a deep distaste for the idea of a guru or an influencer because those people are talking more than they are listening. I don’t need more people lobbing facts over the wall—I want more conversations with humble and curious people. (link)
This passage resonates with me generally, even more so as I was out and about more than usual this week. - The reasons most news product suck as an experience is not a lack of tech; it’s because of bad business models with too many masters to serve that often treat the audience as an afterthought if not an outright adversary. (link)
I’m seeing this more and more lately. Great ideas, great people, terrible business models and experience. - Techmeme Ride Home: (TWTR SPC) How To Navigate Tech As An Employee W/ @GergelyOrosz.
I’ve been through the first 34 minutes. As someone who lived through the dot-com era and was part of a company that stopped one day (literally), this episode is fascinating. The churn rate discussion got me thinking: Do we have a communications “churn rate rate” of how much / why type we are delivering? Unfollows? Complaints? Unopens? At what point do we need to pull the plug? - Decoder with Nilay Patel: Chris Dixon thinks web3 is the future of the internet. Is it?
Another one I’m roughly 30-minutes into. A good one so far. For me, I’m interested in web3 as a central focus on trust and identity. If wallets are that solution, we should be in for a fun ride over the next decade. - Lucy Lumen’s Podcast Adventure: Jason Kummerfeldt of Grainy Days – Record Covers, Paintings & Movies Shot On Film.
I enjoy Jason’s YouTube channel, grainydays. Lots of film photography talk in his channel, however not a lot of talk about Jason himself. I was anticipating this episode to get an inside look into his career, succsses, processes, etc. We didn’t quite get that. There was one line where Jason noted he worked on The Batman. The Batman! Coming out today on HBO Max! Yet, there was no follow up. (What did I say about journalists, tennis balls and expectations above?)
That podcast
Podcasts have been an on-again-off-again endeavor for me. My first podcast was produced a decade ago, focusing on me talking with a software developer about the agile methodology of software development.
Fast-forward ten years and I have another podcast, The New Communicator. Here’s the way I am positioning it:
Stop squandering money, time and resources on targeting random onlookers with vague and often irrelevant outcomes. Leverage your strong business relationships to get your message in front of the right audience.
When it comes to B2B communications, I’m of the belief you build your network from within. Leverage the people you know to grow your brand, your audience, your leads, your revenue.
With all the digital and traditional communications tools, it continues to surprise me the lack of focus on using those tools to enhance the relationships we have built over the years.
Join me to hear conversations that help make business communications work.