Just because there is a RED A on this blog does not mean I cannot be an Evangelist. Last night in Boulder, I had the unique opportunity to meet with people who
do the same thing I do, at different web companies: Evangelize their product to
blog publishers. It was, in last century’s terminology, a sales meeting of
salespeople.
However the rules, the tools, the clients we pursue have changed since Willy
Loman, and our December 6th Boulder Evangicamp covered the new ground of
working the Web 2.0 world.
We decided to meet as we share a common and new opportunity/challenge reaching out to potential Web publishers. Though
our titles and goals are similar, the products we each represented last night
do not compete in function. Our common stories and lessons learned benefited
each of us. Maybe, we can also work together in special cases and bundle our
services for a unique publisher when it works for them.
The competition, we agreed, is for real estate on publishers websites.
A blog has only so much space, and in the end, only its publisher(s) can decide
what products or functions make sense for their site and content. Among our
group was myself, Tara, Kevin and Micah
for Lijit, Emily of Fuser, Josh from
Intense Debate, Dean from Me.Dium , Josh from Madkast, Rob of Eventvue ( in closed Beta at the time of
this writing), Andrew with StartUp Weekend,
Ari of Filtrbox, Brett Copy Brighter SEO and Jenn of Yallery.
"The rules?" We asked and offered around the table. 1) Be honest
and to the point when reaching out to publishers. As mavericks blazing the
trail on the forefront of blogging, publishers are savvy, smart, busy people
who hate spam and pitches more than the Plague. 2) ANYTHING emailed can be
converted into Public Fodder on a blog. It's as if the used car salesman's
every word now is read around the world by everyone. You can call it forced
honesty perhaps. Anything else will simply sink you. There is no room for
embellishment or promises of functionality that are grey or wobbly. Imagine if
at your job, all your written exchanges with clients was on the internet, or
could be, at anytime.
(ed note: Ok, yeah. We had booze and played Rock Band)
"The business?" we asked each other. It’s totally new. We are
still figuring it out. There is still
trial and error. This is why web evangelists sharing experience was so good to
hear. For example, what do you do with a user who exploits the product? Whose
site posts illegal or pornographic material? Some blog widgets allow users to
interact. What happens when a user is not simply socializing, but marketing
without subtlety and incessantly to other users? What if the content of
the site is minors displayed sexually? Calls to Jihad? These are not easy
topics, but this is the public world we evangelists of web tools for
publishers wade into. It's the public. It is not about having or coming to an
easy answer to these issues last night. Like my Daddy Boot Camp Class for new,
expectant fathers, the act of sharing concerns and stories of dealing with
common issues amongst us was cathartic. Its helpful to know when you are not alone.
“The Tools?” All of us got to blogging ourselves and learning the
perspective of being a publisher before we did our first outreach. Some of us, it’s
true, the same day we got the job. This is simply how quickly this
emerging paradigm is growing. To speak to a publisher, we need to be publishers.
This is a critical component: having a unique voice of your own. We don't just
sell you the car. We have a blog about cars. Read it first, and then look at
our lot. We drive too. We fill up the tank. We get pitched from evangelists
just like you. And we have needs we search for solutions to. Just like you.
Here's a solution we found. We tried it, it worked. You try it.
We talked about
the times we get our product installed the same day, and when we talk with a publisher
for months responding to questions and comments before they opt in. Blogs are
their babies, the look, the performance; the style is personal to each
publisher. You’re just not going to walk into their living room and tell them
where to place the sofa.
For a group of Evangelists, I was so happy I was probably the biggest ego in
the room. No one was there to promote their product; no one was interested in
putting down someone else’s product. We were truly hungry to hear each other’s
experiences. I hope our Boulder group can meet again and build on this dynamic.
I am proud to be in this industry with these minds.
Related Links:
Josh
Larson’s Post 1 one thinking about doing an Evangicamp
Tara’s
Post on Evangicamp (where I swiped her pic for this post)
Actually Stan covers it with his 67 reasons post.
Barney Moran
Barney Moran
Barney Moran
Barney Moran
Grateful Web Renaissance People: 
