Posted by on Feb 9, 2012 in Marketing, Social Media | 6 comments

Why Vulnerability Is a Great Marketing Strategy

I hate Seth Godin.

All right, that’s a little extreme. I’m sure Seth is a lovely guy. But I can’t stand his blog posts. When I read one of his posts, it’s as if a yogi has stepped down from his mountaintop, where he’s been meditating for the past decades on the secrets to life and business, to impart his words of wisdom upon me. It’s not that he doesn’t have good things to say–he does. But when I read Seth, I never get the idea that he’s a person who’s made mistakes and screwed up and lived some of the lessons he teaches. And that means his words, no matter how right or wise they might be, leave me cold.

Obviously, Seth Godin is incredibly popular, so he must appeal to a large segment of the population. But for my money, I’ll take vulnerability over imperiousness any day of the week. I’d rather hear the stories about how that knowledge was born of hard luck and repeated failure, of the story behind the knowledge learned. Hearing the back story gives weight and credence to the advice that’s being offered. Anyone can spit out a vague maxim like Seth’s “Once the water is deep enough that you must swim to stay afloat, does it really matter how deep the pool is?” but without context, it might as well come out of a fortune cookie.

That’s why I press hard to make sure that transparency and vulnerability are part of our marketing strategy at Roundpeg. We might be a company with a lot of information to share, but it’s made up of people who are fallible. That’s why you’ll read stories about our reactions to losing clients, or how we dealt when something didn’t go according to plan. Might it scare some people away? Possibly. But there’s genuine value in showing that you’re a human being who’s constantly changing and evolving. Even though it can be scary to admit our failings, time and again, it’s the blog posts where we show the most humanity that rise to the top on traffic, SEO and comments, rather than cold, clinical posts.

Do you show your vulnerability?

...
Looking for regular doses of small business marketing ideas?  

Sign up for our newsletter and have the best of our fresh ideas about web design, social media and marketing strategy delivered to your desktop twice a month!



Sign Me Up
Email:  

More on This Topic

  • http://brandoncoppernoll.com/ Brandon Coppernoll

    I agree. While some of his writings does make sense to me, sometimes I can’t help but wonder where on earth did his thought come from?

    By admitting, carefully, you’ve made mistakes you humanize your content and give something for others to relate to.

  • Anonymous

    Brandon, I like your phrasing of “admitting, carefully,” as I feel too mush admittance can put people off more than is helpful. Transparency has its limits, and to place a “been there, done that,” or “I’m guilty of it, too” in every post can get redundant and flat. In addition, some admittances can be very helpful in humanizing our words, but some vulnerabilities should be left to ourselves.

    I somewhat agree with Allison’s words, in that Seth is on the extreme end of non-admittance of his own experiences, so it would be great if he personalized his posts more. I just don’t need to see it every time, or even frequently. In addition, not all lessons are learned through our own mistakes; sometimes, clear lessons are repeatedly observed through the mistakes of others.

    Thank you for your post, Allison – enjoyed your words.

  • Randy Clark

    This post was the first MMSMC (made me spit my coffee) of the day.
    Allison, your work is done. I’ve asked before when considering working with
    anyone who should you trust? Someone, or organization, which presents a
    pristine sunshiny we-don’t-have-problems image or those who share what’s been
    learned from mistakes? I don’t disagree with Josh that transparency can be
    overdone, especially if it’s contrived to look transparent, however I don’t
    believe sharing lessons is something that should be limited. If a mistake was
    made, and a lesson learned, which others can learn from – it should be shared.     

  • Allison Carter

    Hi Josh, of course there are time when transparency is inappropriate or even inauthentic. And of course, not every blog post should be about your screw ups–that would get depressing in a hurry! But I think that experience is the  best teacher, and in the right way, it can genuinely add depth and understanding to blogs and brands. Thanks for the comment!

  • Allison Carter

    If I can make you spit your coffee out, Randy, then it’s a good day. I think there’s equal danger in presenting too sunny a view vs. too pessimistic a view. Not every marketing material should focus on past mistakes, but a grounded and honest assessment can be helpful and humanizing.

  • http://about.me/steveboller Steve Boller

    I feel Seth is more of an “artist” than a marketer. He is the metaphorical Apple of bloggers…sending his thoughts down like a lightening bolt from Mt Olympus, assuming us Plebes will graciously accept his newest insight.

    People like to be told what to think from Gurus and his blogs are bite-sized enough and more aphorism and parable than honest recap. I think there’s room for both styles, but I appreciate Roundpeg’s approach to blogging and think it is more applicable in an organizational setting.

    The world needs some Seth Godins, but only one or two. We could use a lot more Roundpegs.

    Allison also has provided a great marketing lesson: start with a “wow” statement that will shock people slightly to stir the pot and invite discussion. Would I have read this blog if it did not start with “I hate Seth Godin?” Probably not. It’s the same strategy news channels use to pull us in. Nicely done!