It’s the best price I’ll get anywhere, he exclaims.
I tell him that I want REAL followers who resonate with my content, believe in my mission, and want to be in a community of like-minded people.
But so-and-so has 17.5 million followers and is doing a celebrity giveaway.
You could get another 100,000 followers if you are one of 20 people who each kick in $10,000 to sponsor a tweet.
Not interested, I tell him.
And he proceeds to tell me how little I know about social media, how I’m so dumb to miss this opportunity, and how I need to learn how to use things like video.
I ask him whether he’s seen any of my content– since he’s solely trying to sell me followers, incessantly.
His response is that he’s just trying to help me. And asks me to refer him to my friends, so he can spam them, too.
Friends– go for quality over quantity. If you wanted to destroy your enemy, hire this guy to buy the enemy fake followers.
Their engagement rate (especially comments) will plummet. And there’s no easy way to shed fake fans, much like holiday pounds gained from eating a bit too well. As the algos get tighter this year, quality is what stands out.
Know how to instantly tell an expert from an amateur?
The expert spends 90% of their time practicing the fundamentals and only 10% of their time doing “pro” stuff.
The amateur spends 90% of their time trying to do the “pro” stuff, while ignoring the fundamentals.
The amateur marketer chases tricks and hacks.
The amateur golfer wants to hit from the black tees.
The amateur health nut focuses on fad diets and pills.
The amateur author/speaker/coach dreams of speaking on the big stage, instead of quietly honing their craft.
Their attention is seeking out celebrities to snap “validation” pictures with celebrities, instead of letting the experts testify to their competence.
A true expert has massive depth– like an iceberg with 90% below the water, unseen.
A true expert publishes because they are compelled to serve and share, with publicity as a necessary evil.
A true expert has a loyal following with demonstrated proof of their published how-to process.
Are you focusing on merely how you look or on truly improving who are you?
The fundamentals of digital marketing are getting your GCT (goals, content, targeting) right. That’s what we teach and what I spend most of my time working on.
It’s not flashy, but highly profitable.
I’ve taught over 500 workshops in the last 20 years.
And nearly every time, the ones we list as “expert” with the “latest” tricks and secret algorithmic updates are the ones that pack the room.
But when we actually deliver that material, we lose the audience and they are unhappy– especially the ones who represent themselves as pro (a clear sign that they are not).
Yet when we teach the fundamentals, people say their minds are blown, largely because these are pieces they’ve been missing all along. And then this drives results.
Drive for show, putt for dough, as the golfers like to say.
I am enamored with folks like Ryan Deiss, Michael Stelzner, and Shawn Collins who teach based on their own execution.
They focus on the step-by-step HOW TO, like expert chefs that have time-tested recipes for the most requested meals.
Do you feel as though you’re working tirelessly with little to no progress being made?
You want to succeed so badly, but it’s very difficult if you’re relying upon your own knowledge and your own network.
Luckily, there’s another person who wants to see you succeed, and who can help you grow and realize more of your potential much sooner than you dreamed.
That person is a mentor.
Mentorship is the reason I am where I am today. My mentor was the former CEO of American Airlines, and without his influence in my life I would likely not be doing what I am now in my career.
The great thing about having a mentor in your life is that it’s proven expertise– they’ve achieved what you want to do. A mentor can provide you with the money, connections and experience that you would otherwise have to gain through many years of failure and painful lessons.
Some good practices I have found in seeking after a mentor, if you’re interested:
Follow people who do what you want to do. If you don’t know what it is you want to do, you’ll never be able to boil the ocean to fry the fish. You’ve got to zero in on the people you want to be like.
Study their content. When you can show that you’ve done your homework and know how you want to contribute, you are much more likely to gain their respect.
Demonstrate gratitude. Coming from a place of gratitude and humility will increase your chances of eliciting a positive response.
Offer a small favor. This could be simply asking in what ways you could help them, and you may be surprised by the opportunities that present themselves.
I get hit up constantly by people seeking favors or advice, but the people who take the above approach are often the only I’ll take the time out of my day to respond to.
Now, understand this isn’t me suggesting you to immediately reach out to Richard Branson or Tony Robbins for mentorship, but what you will find is that there are many other people who you can seek after that can help you do the things you want to do– IF you’re specific and know exactly what it is you want to do.
6 years ago, JD Lasica, a high-power journalist who runs socialmedia.biz, reached out for an interview.
I was so busy running Facebook ads that I was pondering whether to do the interview or get an hour of much-needed sleep.
I’m so grateful I chose to forgo that hour of sleep.
And when you look back on your life journeys, you’ll find the small choices that made all the difference.
That interview to share expertise on how Facebook ads led to his invite to speak at the Social Media Club in Oakland.
We didn’t have a projector, so JD asked his buddy, Kenny Lauer, if we could borrow his projector.
In meeting Kenny, I had much respect for the guy who ran events such as DreamForce and Oracle OpenWorld.
And unforeseen to both of us, a few years after that, he ran digital and marketing for the Golden State Warriors.
And then he pulled me in to help him with social ads and analytics, even gave me the wonderful compliment of “Dennis has not only been amazing with us at the Warriors but someone I consider a great friend” – wow!
All based on that seemingly random encounter 6 years ago to ask someone if we could borrow a projector.
Kenny was then able to hire Daniel Brusilovsky, founder of Teens in Tech, and co-founder at Ribbon and Imoji.
That led to me being able to work more closely with Daniel, which brought me into his network.
And that’s how I met Christine Stoffel, founder of the SEAT consortium, the highest power network of sports executives and tech.
Then being able to share our experience with the Warriors— how we used social to drive provable ticket revenue.
A close friend of mine, Spencer Taggart, who I also met because of these experiences, has spoken of similar encounters. Spencer once told me…
“I randomly met a famous chef at a trade show and we quickly became dear friends. (Chef Art Smith) Because of this one relationship, we each have new friends, and business partners that have dramatically changed the course of our lives; more than once. I have no clue where my life would be if I hadn’t been willing to step out of my comfort zone and befriended this mountain of a man. Chef’s life has changed in phenomenal ways as well. Follow your gut, eliminate fear, and believe in the power of relationships.”
The chain of events, butterfly style, goes on.
Every decision you make creates your domino destiny, amplifying your future in ways unforeseen to you now.
So the moment you think you’re amazing, consider the folks who have made your journey possible.
I sit with awe and gratitude of the mentoring and friendship I’ve been so lucky to receive.
Yet had I not gone all in on Facebook ads— to literally spend thousands of hours making campaigns, JD Lasica wouldn’t have reached out.
So it starts with you openly sharing something you’ve learned, investing time to get good at it, and building your personal brand.
Share what chain of events created something amazing for you.
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