Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Part 1 of 2
It’s hard to pop a balloon with open hands; the force dissipates over too great an area. A pin in two fingers gives a dramatically superior result. When you focus all your energies on one point, you all but guarantee success.
This post and the next show me using both methods. As we go, you’ll see some Web 2.0 jargon – all of which I’ll explain in detail down the track. For now, just watch this crazy, new-fangled social media stuff in action.
Here’s me spreading myself too thin (i.e. using the open-hands balloon-popping method):
My ten Squidoo lenses are here.
When I started Twitter, I sent my followers to this lens in particular.
This was to create custom for my REMO T-shirt site.
I got some sign-ups and sales and was particularly happy to connect with a clairvoyant in Washington (I’m in Melbourne, Australia). She was attracted to my palmistry t-shirt. We’d never have ‘intermet’ otherwise.
Then, the founder of REMO joined Twitter. I gave him some tips. I followed him, he followed me.
He found my Squidoo lens, liked it, retweeted it, then made me Featured Customer in his weekly newsletter to 38,500 people in 125 countries!
I got traffic spikes galore.
I was so elated with all this action, I blogged about Twitter here and here.
Big smiles! Fantastic fun! Wall-to-wall warm fuzzies!
Alas, despite having spent hundreds of hours on these exciting, new activities, I didn’t make enough actual cash to buy one soy Frappuccino (even if I’d wanted to).
It was at this point that I began to wonder – to my wife’s profound relief – whether I should focus on my ‘real’ job of writer, editor and proofreader.
Harnessing the web’s fickle and elusive power to this specific activity (the ‘pin’) is the subject of my next post.
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, www.thefeistyempire.com
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Paul, I have a few Squidoo lenses registered but haven’t compiled content, yet. To use your own phrase here, I’m somewhat reluctant to spread myself too thin. I wonder if I should just post those same topics to my own site in order to build focused SEO traffic. But they may get extra eyeballs if they’re on a social site such as Squidoo. What are your thoughts and experiences?
Hi Chris. I checked out your site. I think you should focus on your articles and blog posts and draw attention to them by leaving high quality comments with URLs on the blogs and articles of others.
Seth Godin warns of the ‘drip-drip’ nature of Squidoo and I can sure vouch for that. I’m not sure your target audience is spending much time in Squidoo. If they are, it’s probably for pleasure, in which case they won’t be receptive to your message.
I suggest you keep your lenses, but maybe fill them when you’ve nothing better to do or you need a change of pace. I’m no guru, but that’s what my experience and gut tell me. Thank you for your comment and please let us know how you get on.
Another highly entertaining and informative post, Paul. Thanks again. I look forward to Part 2. Let’s not forget that sites like REMO and Squidoo are content aggregators (and all power to them). They succeed precisely because content providers like yourself take the trouble to spread yourself (thin or otherwise) around the web. Finding your niche appears to be the key. I suspect this is where you’re heading, and look forward to reading more.
Thank you, Adam. For me, less aggregation may mean less aggravation! I am indeed niche bound thanks, largely, to your counsel. The closer I get, the faster I move (and the curve is exponential). Onward! P.
Hi Paul,
I’m excited about the whole Twitter thing – I have a feeling that it can do amazing wonders but I just haven’t quite found the secret yet! There are so many different sites promising so many things and there are only a set number of hours in the day. The clever part is picking the ones that work for you!!!
Cheers
Fellow Melb Twitterer (is that a word?)
LJP
It is exciting, LJP. Tomorrow’s post may help clear the air for you. As to sites, I recommend http://blog.mrtweet.net/ As to secrets, I recommend communicating one-on-one with other humans. I’m finding that a few friendly fans beat a phalanx of faceless followers hands down. If ‘twitterer’ isn’t a word already, it soon will be. The folk at Oxford must be bracing themselves!
Hi Paul
I couldn’t agree more with you post. So easy to lose hours of time (and dollars) in experimentation.
Looking forward to more discussions and hearing about successes people are having in their particular industries.
Regards
Scott
I once said to a client in the recreational adventure business that people respond to marketing once they have been “touched” several times. It is the steady increase in cranial pressure that comes from their eyeballs seeing your message more than once.
I think Twitter and other similar sites are another way of getting the message onto people more than once. But as Paul said to Chris, keep your powder dry and focus your messages to where people are receptive.
Interestingly, building value in a business includes finding innovative ways to stay in touch with your clients. These online tools help provide a demonstrated and visible way of doing this, so when someone looks at your business they can definitely say you communicate with your customer base. That adds value!
I can’t wait to see the next post and pricking that balloon!!!
And if I may be so bold as to be greedy with two posts – the client is http://www.raggededge.com.au/
And although the photos on his website are indoors – he is now at a crazy-arse (sorry – language !!)course outdoors at Werribee.
I’m very keen for your comments, Mike, so keep them coming. With your line of business, you add a very important dimension to these discussions. Every business coach I’ve read or watched stresses the importance of regular client contact. In fact, when I emailed news of this blog to my database, I got responses from two prospects I’d been chasing for years. As someone who isn’t at all fond of ‘working the room’, online contact is a godsend for me. Thanks again for taking the time to respond!
You know, I’ve definitely fallen into that trap more than once. There’s only so many hours in the day, and so much to do. Problem is, my prioritization skills kinda suck, and I’m probably too selfish. It’s usually not until there’s enough pressure to bear that I snap out of it and focus on what’s really important.
Would be nice if there was a way to train the mind to recognize this and short cut to the right path. I usually do this through meditation, or when the wife gives me the evil eye.
Thanks for your comment, Ernie; that blog of yours looks jolly interesting. I can’t meditate to save my life, but my wife is also a font of wisdom too great to be ignored.
Great post! Can’t wait to read Part 2.
Time saving tip to all husbands: Your wife is right. Always.
What a timely, and spot-on, post. Well done, Paul, as usual. This is forever my concern with using Twitter, StumbleUpon, etc.
Fortunately, I’ve got it all completely under control.
Listen, I’d write more but I really need to send direct messages to 187 of my Twitter followers. It should take approximately three hours…no worries there. Time management, Paul. That’s what I’m about…Time Management.
My thanks to the Gabriel family for your input. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s post; I put a lot of effort into it. Hope you dig!
Hi Paul,
I learned a lot from your post and from Wendy’s comment. Very informative.
All the best with this and future ventures,
Chris
Great to see you here and on Twitter, Chris, having met you in Orble. Folks would do well to check out your blog.
Great post Paul. First step to any meaningful improvement is recognizing that you’re not satisfied with your current results. I can identify with spreading oneself too thin. Still trying to find my niche. Looking forward to part 2.
Nathan
I’m out of my league in this discussion, but if I hang around long enough, I’m sure I’ll catch on. I do, however, feel highly confident in agreeing with Wendy.
Thank you, Nathan. I see from your blog that we’re on a similar journey. Nice family, by the way!
Terri, your Sobering Reminders blog post is kind, insightful, interesting and beautifully written, with 24 comments so far. I’m sure you’ll catch on very fast. Thank you for stopping by.