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May 31, 2006
Citizen Marketers: the book
Right now, inside home offices, cubicles and coffee shops around the world, millions of men and women are concentrating intently in front of their computer screens, working on their newest hobby: marketing content.
Their tools are blogs, podcasts, photo and video sharing sites and web forums, and they volunteer their time freely as writers, animators, designers, videographers, consultants, ringleaders and street-team advocates.
They're citizen marketers.
Sometimes their work is so persuasive, informed and polished it can be virtually indistinguishable from what companies would create themselves or with the help of agencies under million-dollar contracts. That's a significant development for the people who run call centers, marketing and sales teams, operations and product management. It's terribly significant for entrepreneurs who hope to one day build companies with all of those functions.
Understanding the collaboration capabilities inherent to social media, their potential for spreading word of mouth and their sometimes exponential influence on growth is why we're excited to share this news: We just completed a deal with Kaplan Publishing to write a book called "Citizen Marketers." Kaplan will release it next year December 2007.
Jackie and I enjoyed working with Kaplan on "Creating Customer Evangelists," and we couldn't be more pleased to be working with them again.
The forces of democractization are strong, and they are fueling what's happening online with content created by everyday people. We'll document the democratization of technology and personal expression and explain the sociological and psychological rationales of why creative and passionate people (the 1 Percenters) contribute their time and attention to brands.
As you might have guessed from our citizen marketer category on this blog, we've been working on this idea for awhile (about 1.5 years, actually). We've had the benefit of outstanding feedback from friends and colleagues, commenters and trackbackers. In the months ahead, as we post more of our research and ideas, we hope you'll continue to jump in with examples, annotations, disagreements or suggestions.
It's hard to imagine writing a book these days without the help of a built-in, democratized audience.
Other blogs that reference Citizen Marketers: the book:
» Book It from VaultKicks.org Blog
It looks like the story of our Vault and SURGE-loving communities will soon become part of a new book! Yesterday I spoke with Jackie over at the Church of the Customer and she, along with partner Ben, have plans to write a book entitled Citiz... [Read More]
» Audio Books from Audio Books
Our service provides users with a wide selection of titles that can be enjoyed anywhere anytime. Patrons from me... [Read More]
» Citizen Marketers In Mainstream Media from 800-CEO-READ Blog
Ben and Jackie of Creating Customer Evangelists are in today's Chicago Sun-Times talking about their new book Citizen Marketers.... [Read More]
» The power of one from Community Guy
Citizen Marketing mashes up with the CEO. [Read More]
» "Mixed Tape" of Weblinks from Idea Sandbox Blog
So far I've avoided the practice of "Link Posts." You know... that's where a blogger just posts a few links to other sites and that's the entry for the day. Quite frankly I've considered it a lazy practice... and a cheat to boost traffic to their websi... [Read More]
That's an outstanding topic and a great follow-up to Creating Customer Evangelists. In a way, you are just turning the tables here to present the Evangelist perspective.
Given all that is happening around this "Citizen Marketer" idea, your timing is spot-on.
That's an outstanding topic and a great follow-up to Creating Customer Evangelists. In a way, you are just turning the tables here to present the Evangelist perspective.
Given all that is happening around this "Citizen Marketer" idea, your timing is spot-on.
John -- Jackie and I have tremendous appreciation for the feedback you and Paul gave us way back when about the citizen marketer idea. Jeez... how long ago was that?
True fact: One of the earliest emails Jackie and I received about CCE was from John Moore. Hard to believe it was three years ago. Yikes, time flies!
Congrats to both of you! The first book was alot to live up to... but I have complete faith!
In fact when I read this note I got a bit giddy about how cool this will be. Sign me up for your reviewer list :)
Thanks, Jake. If there's a list, you'll be on it.
Congrats - This is great news! You are truly pioneers!
I want an autographed copy! :-)
There are those who 'get it' about empowering citizen marketers, and those who don't. Today I'd say that most of the people in business world don't get it; only those with vision to see what it possible.
Here's what I'm struggling with: what do you say to someone 'before the elevator door opens' that gets them to realize the benefis of empowering customers and other interested parties to generate user-created content?
Clearly there are those who 'get it' about empowering citizen marketers, and those who don't. Today I'd say that most of the people in business world don't get it; only those with vision to see what it possible.
Here's what I'm struggling with: what do you say to someone 'before the elevator door opens' that gets them to realize the benefis of empowering customers and other interested parties to generate user-created content?
Mike -- You could say:
* There are at least 48 million Americans who create content online.
* It was a small band of volunteers who worked tirelessly to make Wikipedia the 18th most-visited website on the Web.
* It was a small band of volunteers who uploaded videos tirelessly to YouTube that made it the site where 60% of all videos online are watched. After being in business in less than a year, they helped one of YouTube's founders get invited to big media's most exclusive deal-making conference.
* They have caused record companies (Sony) and networks (HBO) to change their product strategies.
* They are a powerful new marketing friend or a bad new nightmare.
Ben: Thanks for the reply. But with that, unfortunately the elevator door has opened and my audience has long since gone... :(
Create content, sell content, resell content, buy content...rinse, lather, repeat.
www.9thX.com
This was built by a small group of guys, that wanted to protect the artist, the musician, and the consumer all at once.
They just launched, but this is empowering the citizens of content.
hmmmm
