With Jonathan Christian (@jdgem)
I know I mentioned Wednesday that I would share how to email without spamming, but then I realized there are much better experts at this than myself – so next week I’ll be sharing an interview with one of our MDSMC inner circle thought leaders, David Neale.
Meanwhile, something happened today that I just had to share with you. I was in a coffee shop this morning in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, writing my last blog post, when I saw a poster for a local event that was happening this evening – “Shrimp Fest on Flagler Avenue.”
What? Around this time of year the family team of JDGEM (Jonathan, Debbie, Gemma, Ellen & Maddie – now you know!), take our annual vacation. It’s a time when we can focus on family and I can also catch up on my reading – and creatively write content for some of my clients, and even strategize the fall season. Anyhow – back to the coffee shop – fairly traded, organic, home baked and WiFi – get the picture? And I noticed this colorful poster advertising a street event, right here where we were having our morning coffee. “Come along,” said our super friendly barista, “it’ll be fun.”
Why? Why not, we thought. Maybe it would be a little hokey but hey, we’re on holiday! Did I ever underestimate the power of a poster and a trusted recommendation! The whole street, which that morning looked a little run down (a bit like forgotten era of colonial plantation meets the 70’s) came totally alive. Every local restaurant had a 10 by 10 canopy cooking off the freshest shrimp in every way imaginable. There were local bands playing and in between were local business and artisans selling and promoting their stuff. And the crowds were huge – with everyone enjoying an amazing summer evening complete with cold beer and fabulous fresh food.
How? The whole business community got together and made it an unforgettable experience. Each restaurant gave away coupons with each meal – to attract you back to their own place on another day – offering free appetizers or 2 for 1 drinks. To be able to drink a beer on the street you had to wear a wristband – and on it they advertised their next event on the 28th – “Walk and Wine” – an afternoon of pavement art and wine tasting – brilliant! All in all, an awesome evening for all the family and a marketers dream come true. It reminded me of the sense of community we had in Vancouver during the Winter Olympics.
Tipzntrix: When was the last time you connected with your local community and held an event? How would you get the word out? The posters sure worked here, as did the recommendation of a trusted individual – but so would Facebook and Meetup (remember, this is our social media challenge). Why not dream up an event, and start spreading the word. Make it attractive – with free samples, door prizes from vendors and other merchants – and entertainment – and people in your target audience will quickly start connecting, liking, following and sharing on social media. Start a countdown and watch the numbers (and your online community) grow! Why not?
Jonathan@jdgem
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