Some Differences and Similarities Between Google and Facebook

December 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Google and Facebook are two very different companies, but they share one key feature:

You as the user are not the client – You are the product.

Google gives us free search results; Facebook hosts a free community platform; but they both make a living by serving us ads.

There is however a HUGE difference: Google treats the privacy and individuality of its users with a certain degree of respect, or care.

I know, not everyone agrees with that statement – but if you don’t you’ll probably really agree with the next:

Facebook doesn’t give a pair of fetid dingo’s kidneys.

Every so often, several times a year usually, there is a public outcry, because once again, the terms, conditions or privacy settings were changed.

And nobody was asked if they wanted the changes.

In other words: Inasmuch as I know, Google offers changes as opt-in: You need to select the new settings yourself and click ‘save’.

Facebook just switches them on for you.

I don’t know about you, but to me that’s just not playing nice.

Yes of course: If we don’t want the world to know it, we shouldn’t put it on Facebook. Fine.

That has nothing to do with my point, which is: Can’t they just ask me first?

Is their bottom line really so important that they feel it’s ok to decide on my behalf?

If you’re in business, you’re there to make cash. If you’re an ethical business, you do that by solving a real problem. So far so good.

But there’s a big difference between saying

“We solve a problem (search) and in doing so we make money”

and

“This is how we make money, and we have to provide a service (sharing and communication platform) in order to do that”.

Which side is your business on?

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Filed Under: Ethics and marketing, How to sell stuff

So Martin, Where Did You Learn Copywriting?

December 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In a monastery.

When I tell people this, they tend to raise one or more eyebrows.

A monastery? That’s where you go to learn about sales and psychology and persuasion?

I did, yes.

For many years I was tasked with making sure things ran smoothly in the monastery.

When groceries had to be fetched; when a roof needed repairing; when dishes didn’t get done; when people were shouting in the corridors or showing up late for meditations, Martin was the guy to go take care of it.

Since we were all volunteers, you can imagine it was a pretty tough job to get compliance from people.

“Why should I go buy groceries?”

“Who are you to tell me where to sit?”

“Why would I climb on the roof today? It’s raining, man!”

Seeing how people have incredible resistance to being asked what to do – let alone being told what to do – I needed to get good at persuasion.

And so I started experimenting with word usage and messaging. For years I tried and tested different ways to communicate.

I had no choice but to learn how to persuade people to comply in the interest of a peaceful monastery, clean dishes and the general greater good.

In the end I got quite good at it – 12 years of practice is a long time.

When I finally decided to become a copywriter a few years after leaving the monastery, all I needed to do was to put that spoken persuasion into writing.

I’d never contemplated the possibility until it ‘just happened’.

What about you? What experience and talent from your past could you use to improve your business?

 

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Filed Under: How to sell stuff

How To Stop Bullshitting Yourself and Get the Work Done

October 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Just be glad it’s not Martin Noir writing this piece…

A friend suggested I write about how to get the work done when it’s the last thing you feel like doing.

Here’s what worked for me. And it’s the only thing that ever worked for me. Or for anyone else in the world, I imagine.

 

“Give yourself no lip. Do the work.”

See, we humans excel at bullshitting ourselves. We can make an excuse for anything, given half a chance.

If you’re on a mission, if you have a goal, or if you simply have to pay the bills or deliver to a customer:

“Give yourself no lip. Do the work.”

Any of the myriad reasons you come up with to not do the work?

Excuses. Nothing more.

Yes, but…

“My desk is a mess, I need to clean it up first.” No you don’t. See that carboard box? Desktop clutter  into box. Done. Get to work.

“Let me make a sandwich, I need to eat something first.” No you don’t. Grab an apple, a handful of nuts, eat at your desk. Get to work.

“I need to find some proper music first…” No you don’t. Just do the work.

“There’s DM’s, emails to reply to…” Leave them, they can wait a few hours. Do. The. Work.

And don’t even start me on timesuckers like Facebook, Skype or Pinterest.

Do the work. Anything else is an excuse.

Just do the work.

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Filed Under: Doing it right
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