February 19, 2010 64 Comments

Don’t Forget the Little Side Streets

small cafe I wanted to find breakfast this morning near my hotel, and given that most of my dining experiences over the last few days haven’t been stellar, I decided to do a little research. I ended up looking on Yelp, the review site. Just now, I’m going to bet the following happened:

  • Some of you said, “Well, of course you did. That’s where people go for food reviews.”
  • Some of you said, “What’s yelp?” and maybe clicked the link.
  • Some of you said, “Oh yeahhhhhh, Yelp. I haven’t used that in a while.”

This post isn’t specifically about Yelp. It’s about the side streets of the Internet. Yelp is my example of this. It could be any site that you’ve not visited in a while.

But my point is this: there are tons of hidden communities all over the Internet. When I talk to marketers about finding new potential buyers, this is what’s on my mind. Because we’re learning to grow bigger ears, and we understand how to follow along with a Twitter search, but there are still plump, ripe, juicy hidden communities that are of value to you and your interests.

Though this is more easily explained for business-to-consumer, this actually points out an opportunity to business-to-business sellers: if there’s not a hidden community, maybe you could make them one.

A Checklist for The Side Streets

  • Ask yourself weekly how you’re growing your community base, or your prospect base, or both.
  • Ask yourself right afterwards where you haven’t thought of as a good place to explore that’s not the normal places?
  • Take 30-40 minutes investigating a few places that you’ve forgotten about (Yahoogroups? eBay? Craigslist?)
  • Learn and understand their norms (how they interact in this space, so that you don’t step on any sand castles)
  • See if there isn’t some non-spammy crossover way to interact with that community and introduce yourself.
  • Do something to bring value to this community that could potentially lead to new business.
  • Repeat

Opportunity Is Everywhere

On days when I’m feeling pessimistic, a line like that would make me crazy/angry. On most days, I feel surprised by how many people waste calories complaining or blogging negatively or griping on Twitter when they could be building opportunity for their projects or businesses.

Know who taught me that in spades? The moms I met at the Disney Social Media Moms event in Orlando. People like Molly Gold, and Sarah Pinnix, and sisters Susan and Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom. They look for opportunity and work on ways to improve their business. There are tons more like these.

We can all find opportunity in these side streets. I hear about new ones every few days in Third Tribe Marketing, the private marketing community I started with Brian and Darren and Sonia.

Where are the side streets taking you?

Note: the picture above isn’t where I ate. It’s just a creative commons photo of a cafe.
Photo credit vmiramontes

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  • Michael Umphrey

    Great stuff! My entire WordPress theme is The Neighborhoods of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I've narrowed it down to hidden side streets. http://www.SantaFe-FineHomes.com
    Thank you!

  • http://www.lifenotion.com Derek Jensen

    What I just recently noticed was a side street with a very popular place. I run a blog that strives to get students to take their college life farther and I have been striving and finding ways to reach out to college students online.

    So instead of taking the typical congested streets (online) that everyone uses, which varies from niche to niche and would be Facebook for college students, I thought about going down a side street and seeing what I would come up with or 'discover'. I 'discovered' that many college students use Digg (might be because Kevin Rose is an idol) and so I am going down this side street, entering this 'new place' called the Digg Community and I am looking forward to paying them a returning visit.

  • http://www.startupdaddy.com Ian Gordon

    Nice reminder Chris, especially for smaller businesses. Low hanging fruit is great, but sometimes climbing a little higher is worth the work. It's easier to make an impact. Far easier to step on those sand castles though. (Love that).

  • http://twitter.com/PRguyonline Sean Horrigan

    Great post. Reminds me of one of my favorite poems.
    I took the road less traveled by, And that has made all the difference- Robert Frost.

  • http://ubermarketing.wordpress.com Akash Sharma

    Great thoughts Chris, I think there are many things to focus upon apart from the big junkies of social media, we have an opportunity to find out the most specific audiences.
    But before that its important to use and understand them, we started with twitter and different analogies on it and I think further on as the word niche becomes micro we would have to work on sites like yelp and craigslist.
    Thanks again, your thoughts are awesome…….

  • http://twitter.com/RJWeiss RJ Weiss

    @Derek – My situation is fairly similar. I write about financial planning for Gen Y. Many of the main roads i.e. facebook, twitter, are very crowded in the personal finance field. I know there are side streets out there though, I just need to find them. Great post.

  • http://twitter.com/Content1st Content First

    Love the term side streets on several levels. It's not at all abstract; creates a strong visual image. In an urban context, we use side streets to bypass backed-up main streets to get where we're going faster. It takes a saavy driver to know a city's side streets. It's also a strategy of indirection, which fits perfectly with social media strategies.

  • http://www.jeffrutherford.com jeffrutherford

    I completely agree. The biggest potential for the web – for marketers, is to be able to access and reach micro, micro, micro niches. Side streets as you call them.

    However, you may have wanted to bolded or italicized the sentence, “Learn and understand their norms (how they interact in this space, so that you don’t step on any sand castles)”

    Side streets are wonderful, but reaching them is time intensive. The lure of blasting and broadcasting will be too great for some marketers.

    These side streets could lead you to some of your most devout brand evangelists. Don't spoil the party before it begins.

  • http://www.gomominc.com/ Molly Gold

    As a small business with a 10 year history in the Mom Market, I've seen my core product category, planners for Moms, go from 3 titles including my own in 2000 to over 100 titles in 2010. The same is true of content placement ~ with the explosion of Mom Bloggers, everyone is an expert and competition is tight wherever you turn. When we started, our market was considered niche…but today Moms control 80% of the buying power in this nation equally over 2 trillion and its a new day for any company who makes a product a mom might buy.

    My brand stands uniquely on its own two feet because our products offer solutions to everyday problems Moms will always face, time management and home organization. Its the side streets that will insure our long term success because its there that we can create conversations with potential customers and brand partners. Those conversations will show us trends and new opportunities that exist in our market. Those conversations will open new doors for our brand to brand relationships that are a key element in our long term success. But most importantly, those conversations are where our customer takes on our brand has HER brand, and that's the greatest success we can achieve.

  • http://www.webconsuls.com/ Judy Helfand

    I am thinking that finding the side streets is not always the problem, navigating them…now that is where you need to pay attention. Not all roads are paved with gold, milk & honey, or without pot holes. Some are beautiful roads that happened to be paved with cobblestones, which means you need to be alert. Forgetting running your own business or assisting someone else with theirs, think about how you behave on your Facebook account or your Twitter account. Take Google maps and the local business center: How many business owners won't even take the time to learn about this and make sure that their listing (automatically created by Google) is accurate. You need to learn, research, ask for help, so that every side street can be adequately explored and lead successfully back to your business. Today I am hoping that YELP helped you find a restaurant within walking distance. But I am betting that if you entered your exact zip code…YELP is not going to return a helpful list of close-by restaurants. Let us know.

  • rob

    We can only find the side streets and the opportunities they offer when we step out of our mechanical daily routines. There is trememdous richness available when we look beyond what we usually look at. Great tip, Chris.

  • http://ablogby.me/ James Cash

    I totally agree, it's amazing how many people seem to only use Twitter for complaining rather than looking for opportunity.

  • http://contagiousbehavior.com/ Ken Vernon

    We too often look at B2B as a completely different marketing animal. The reality is that the behavior of the B2B market is driven by individuals. These individuals are consumers at heart.
    Seems that your key message here is to take the time to understand your prospects and customers and to also look at their behavior with a full 360 degree lens. Then take advantage of all engagement points.
    Good stuff.

  • smccormick

    Chris, do you know anything about Yelp's comments? My boss' site had about 20 reviews at one point and somehow they all got deleted. Do you know why this might have happened?

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Quite so. The only HUGE difference in B2B is that the buying structure is usually a bit more segmented. Most times, we need to convince more than one link in the chain.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    It's a really great question. I did use a zip. I found a place about 10 blocks from my hotel, and it was yummy. DEFINITELY NOT somewhere I'd have picked, and it was delicious.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Super stuff, Molly. Glad you weighed in. : )

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Always here to help. : )

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Quite agree, sir. : ) Glad you're here.

  • http://www.joshcanhelp.com joshcanhelp

    I think the big, big takeaway here is “Do something to bring value to this community that could potentially lead to new business.” The best community to participate in is not only one that is relevant but one you're actually interested in. You can bring your expertise anywhere as long as you care about where your participating. I frequent a car forum and get web design/dev business there… mostly on accident.

  • http://www.5minutesformom.com/ Susan (5 Minutes For Mom)

    Thanks Chris. I'm honored to be included here.

    Yes, Janice and I beat away any urge to gripe or rant on our blog and although an angry rant may bring a shot of traffic, we prefer to build a community that appreciates positivity.

  • http://www.webconsuls.com/blog Judy Helfand

    I don't have an answer, but I have heard this same question from many about YELP. If you Google that question you might find some information. My standing question about YELP is how their search functions. You can ask for a mexican restaurant in a particular zip code and they will return 180 results, most of which are in different zip codes and they are not even listed in zip code order!

  • marycary

    This is more fun than a Backstage Pass at a Van Halen Concert in 1986. They let me (and my girlfriends backstage and we were lucky to get out alive!) I'm a huge huge fan of Chris Brogan… but who knows if he has the right M&Ms backstage? Either way I'd show up! – Mary Cary – big fan …Shredding Guitarist MaryCary.net and VideoBlogMarketing.com

  • collinharbour

    “Opportunity Is Everywhere
    On days when I’m feeling pessimistic, a line like that would make me crazy/angry.”

    I wasn't aware you could feel pessimistic, but I am glad to read that you are human like the rest of us. I'm coming off of a pessimistic day, and just reading that cheered me up. There are many industry specific side streets (i.e. insurance) that people often give up on, too. It's difficult to hit them all, but just like anything else we sometimes have to re-connect in order to reap the rewards. Thanks for the post.

  • http://www.collinharbour.com/ Collin Harbour

    Thanks for the post. I wasn't aware you had pessimistic days. People often forget the side streets that are industry specific (i.e. Insurance). I have found industry specific sites to be helpful in connecting and marketing business.

  • janice5minutesformom

    What a fantastic way to think of communities out there — little side streets! Brilliant.

    To be mentioned in this post — well Sue and I nearly fell off our chairs. We were speechless!

    I need to spend more time meandering down the side streets and exploring new and forgotten neighborhoods — thanks for the reminder!!!

  • janice5minutesformom

    What a fantastic way to think of communities — little side streets! Brilliant.

    To be mentioned in this post — well, Susan and I nearly fell off our chairs! Shocked and honored!

    I need to spend more time meandering through the side streets and forgotten neighborhoods — thanks for the reminder!

  • http://www.kherize5.com Suzanne Vara

    Chris

    Social media has some businesses forgetting about their local community. For brick and mortars, sit and think of the community directly around you and how you can reach them. Write down the types of platforms (not the actual ones yet) and then start branching out from there to the bigger platforms. Start on side streets, grow to main streets and then to the highways. If there is a hotel nearby think of the guests staying there not knowing anything about your city and how you can help them by reaching them on the platforms they might be searching (ie yelp, local search,mobile search,etc). Focus on customer experience as first being able to be found (whether this be for out of towners or locals reminding them you are there) and then their experience when they arrive. 2 very different experiences that need to be paid close attention to. If they are not finding you (or finding you appealing) in a manner that is conducive to their search they will more than likely not ever make it to your biz and so there is no onsite customer experience. Look around you (walk the side streets up and down and up and down and learn them before you even think about hitting the main streets and the highways). Learn to enjoy the space you are in and how you can improve your potential customer search experience before trying to jump to the next platform and be paying only half attention. While 2 halves do make a whole that does not hold true in SM. Going in/learning/engaging half on this platform and half on that platform works more like subtraction – you have missed opportunity.

    There are so many platforms that I know my clients get overwhelmed as they think that they have to be on them all to maximize dollars without even knowing if it is a good fit for them or even more so their customers. Take the smallest denominator and start from there so as to not miss potential customers along the way.

    Sorry about the cab ride. Nausea in a meeting never works well in our favor.

  • Archan Mehta

    Chris:

    What a delightful post. Thank you. This piece really resonated with me.

    I think what happens is, as we grow older, we tend to focus only on habits.
    Over time, we develop tunnel vision. And that is sometimes rather sad because you miss out on so many potentially new and fabulous opportunities.

    For example, when you travel abroad, don't just stick to your luxury hotel or resort. The seven course meal is tempting, but the best food sometimes is the street food available in dark alleys and inconvenient gullies.

    I once asked a local and he told me, “why do you mean to tell me you've never visited the old city.” When I did, finally, I discovered a plethora of options in a really “bad” neighborhood. It was always dark there, but the service was excellent. And the food was down-to-earth and delicious. Some of the best chefs in the world are sweaty, unpretentious blokes. These guys and gals wear hand-me-downs–and look like they've seen better days–but boy, do they know how to tickle your taste-buds. Only goes to show that it is sometimes better to explore and discover on your own than reading a map.

  • reallifesarah

    You gals do that so well! Your site is always an encouraging place.

  • http://www.facebook.com/brucerbrown Bruce Brown

    Hooray for:
    - let's focus on the positive
    - community opportunity is abundant, but you do have to take a minimum amount of initiative to find new communities with which to engage/interact/share
    - don't jump in with your boots on – stand by a while in your slippers to figure out: (a.) the norms (b) if you're a fit.

    Bruce

  • http://www.travelinlocal.com/ Lisa Newton

    I love on one of those tiny side streets, and am always looking for more opportunities to stretch my reach. I'm amazed that there are so many different ways to spread yourself, and happily I'm discovering new ones every day.

    Thanks for the reminder, Chris.

  • http://mydarabell.com/ Dara Bell

    This is my intention this year to grap more and more opportunity. The actually nexus of entrepeneurship. I do not want to give much away. The sidestreets give you opportinity after opportunity.

    If I was in the U.S I woould be all over Yelp, to take them to the next level. The opportunities are in the sidestreets. I love this journey.

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  • reallifesarah

    Such great advice in this post! And I

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  • livjon

    Internet has an infinite knowledge resource and you can make a huge difference by following it. This side streets can change your world.
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  • http://www.AAA.com/news jgraziani

    Thanks for this great post Chris. I like the analogy to “side streets” — great visualization. For a large brand that's well known for a specific product or service, side streets can be valuable for getting the word out about lesser-known products and services. But they are often over looked in favor of pursuing the more heavily traveled thoroughfares. This post is a great reminder of the value of all your markets, not just the big ones. Thanks.

  • jhonywillsh

    How is it that two years are taken to construct a brand new home, but the listing agent doesn't publish the square footage ? Surely the builder and architect know this figure quite precisely. My guess is that the $/sqft number would not benefit the sales effort.And what does “professional kitchen” mean ? Speaking of which it looks as if the designer has chosen the worst of all solutions for the top of the cabinets, creating an unusable “dust shelf” rather than extending them to the ceiling.

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  • AffinityClick

    I found myself thinking the same thing the other day after I stumbled on a blog about local fashion boutiques in my city, Ottawa. It was really nice to find that blog because I had 1) forgotten that I really enjoyed the little boutiques in and around the downtown core of my city, and 2) had discovered that an interest of mine had it's own online community that I could now keep tabs on and actually start to take action on an particular interest I have. It's not that I didn't expect the online community to be there, it was more the delight of having found it without actually looking for it. That's what I find fun about these little communities. Often you just 'run into' them by accident while surfing around and they are the ones that bring some value to you first.

    That's the pure and genuine fun of an online community – it existing for the sake of existing, and people participating through true common interest, while the business side of it spawns naturally afterward.

    Marie

  • Elizabeth_H

    Those side streets can take you many places good or bad. It's up to us to make sure that we chose the productive ones that help us learn and improve business. Sometimes the roads we need don't exist and it's up to us to forge the way for others to follow behind. This post was a good reminder to take the less beaten path. Thanks Chris!

    • novva22

       Yes ,i’m agree with you
      DON’ forget that…..

  • http://www.webconsuls.com/blog Judy Helfand

    I couldn't resist sharing your blog about the side streets with our clients. I am hoping that many of them will take the time to follow you on Twitter or check your Chris Brogan.com site every few days. So much to learn and apply. http://bit.ly/aXf52C

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