August 4, 2009 20 Comments

Engagement Starts With Asking

I asked everyone who receives my email newsletter for their opinion yesterday. So far, almost 600 people have replied (there are another 147 downloading to my inbox this morning). I am so thrilled with the response, which is about 10% (think about that for a moment: I’m pleased that 10% replied – most open and response rates are even lower!). But how does that come about? If you’re email marketing, how do you go from pushing out content to building relationships?

In my case, I shoot for being as personal as I can. I write as if I’m writing only to you. I ask you questions where I’m genuinely interested in your answer. It’s the only way I know how to do it. I can’t imagine just lobbing news.

But there are other ways to get it done. Peter Shankman has HARO, (Help A Reporter Out), where he’s built a place for several people to ask for help. The people receiving the letter (like me) scan it to see if they can be helpful. It’s a really clever little system.

In all our efforts to reach out to people and do business, sometimes the magic formula is no harder than this:

Ask a question you really want to hear answers to, and then respond.

The trick is knowing that the people receiving your communications really care about the information you’re sharing. But then, that’s another whole conversation, isn’t it?

Where are you engaged? How do people get you connected to them?

Related posts:

  1. Guest Post- Measuring Shared Engagement
  2. AideRSS Takes a Stab At Measuring Engagement
  3. It Starts With Your Audience
  4. PodCamp Boston 2 Starts This Friday
  5. French Open Starts Monday- Tennis Channel Serves Social Media

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Genesis Framework

Genesis Theme Framework

The Genesis Framework empowers you to quickly and easily build incredible websites with WordPress. Whether you're a novice or advanced developer, Genesis provides you with the secure and search-engine-optimized foundation that takes WordPress to places you never thought it could go.

With automatic theme updates and world-class support included, Genesis is the smart choice for your WordPress website or blog.

Become a StudioPress Affiliate

  • anatoly

    Hey, Chris, I guess nowadays the most right way to communicate with your visitors and subscribers is to be yourself.People feel what you keep in mind when they read your posts.Some of them are interested in what they are reading, some will run away, but one thing they do not have to meet on your site or blog is a false.When the reader feel they are attracted here just to be sold, you are done!
    They will never come back. If they see you are here to help, you won!
    Keep talking to them and keep helping and you will be rewarded big time.

  • nwjerseyliz

    I was struck by this sentence: “I ask you questions where I’m genuinely interested in your answer.” Readers/customers/followers only know that you are interested when you respond. I really hate it when someone asks a question, I answer it and then the person who asked the question neither responds or shares the feedback they received. I feel unheard…was my message read? Did it just go into the virtual trashcan?

    This isn't directed specifically at you, Chris, it happens about half of the time when I respond to a question in a blog or on Twitter. I kind of wonder why I bothered to consider what I thought and formulate a response. It's important that the person who asked the question shares the insight that they are gaining from reading over replies, including naming names and not just incorporating other people's ideas or language they use. I have noticed that you do this but it's common on Twitter.

    It costs nothing to give credit where credit is due and share what you learn from others. I think your blog does this well and acknowledging others is a great way to turn an acquaintance into a colleague or friend.

  • http://www.vestorlogic.com vlogic2009

    Great casual topic Chris. I think I enjoy these thought provoking posts from you as much as the detailed social media themed posts. Often the most simple message can be the most powerful. I have been using Facebook to share interesting stories about myself and what I do outside of the work day. I felt this was a proper approach because my “friends” on Facebook started from my friends in high school and college. Now my list has reached into the business realm yet my topics have remained the same and the realization has been that even my business contacts enjoy hearing about my weekly hiking and scrambling escapades. I think it gives my connections, friends or associates, a better sense of who I am as a person and a better perspective of what my business values tend to be.

    It all comes full circle for me too. I find that I seek out people online that share about themselves in the same way.

  • simonstapleton

    Great stuff Chris. I think the objective of 'authority' that bloggers like us set ourselves can confuse matters. If one is an authority, why does one need to ask? Well, you laid it out. Engagement means social proof. If we're not engaged, then what it the point in the authority… we could ask the authority is not true authority without the engagement.

    Nice article.

  • Pingback: Engagement Starts With Asking « Deranged Penguin

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    On Twitter, I'm faced with a problem: if I respond to every answer, I spam the others who didn't really want to know. It's hard for me to find the right way to reply on that medium. Guy Kawasaki does @guysreplies , but I'm not there yet.

  • mikecj

    I think most bloggers understand this already Chris, and we do use newsletters as two communication tools.

    The problem I'm grappling with at the moment is persuading the offline companies I am consulting with on social media to adopt this approach to their huge mailing lists. They are so entrenched in using the medium in one direction, and filling it with lawyer approved corporate language that they're terrified of asking questions and being “newsy.” I'll get there, but it's not easy!

  • http://www.netwitsthinktank.com frank barry

    Alright. I'm in man.

    Actually, I'm really interested to see what you've got going on. Every customer I work with does email newsletters/campaigns and they are always looking for ways to improve open rates, click throughs and actions taken. I hope to pick up some tips from what your doing related to getting more personal. =)

    At some point it would be cool to do a post on how to make email marketing more personal. I'm free any time (Taking the advice of your post title!).

    http://twitter.com/franswaa

  • http://blogging.compendiumblog.com/blog/blogging-best-practices chrisbaggott

    You have hit the nail on the head. Something so obvious and missed by so many in the social media space. There is often this thought of 'build it and they will come” This is just wrong. People have a finite capacity for relationships. The great study by the Economist called 'Primates on Facebook' dives deep into the capacity on social networks.

    http://blogging.compendiumblog.com/blog/bloggin…

    My point is that even though people are not naturally going to join your club, doesn't mean they won't help you out if you ask them nicely. But you have to ask them. Chris' example of email is perfect. We see many client who use email that is triggered following a customer interaction or sale asking for a review or blog post. Clothing company Carhartt does a great job of this with their 'Tough Jobs' series of SEO targeted blogs. They simply ask their customers to tell their stories about how they use their products and those stories automatically become blog posts (upon review) It's a win win win. The customer is respected and gets to be famous, the Company wins by demonstrating happy customers and gets great content that drives qualified search traffic..that converts to new customers…and they cycle repeats.

    http://blogs.carhartt.com/blog/tough-jobs

  • http://www.thejimgaudet.com/blog/ thejimgaudet

    I have it on the back burner, sorry. I do plan on responding to your message, as a matter of fact I have it scheduled for this week. I am just taking a small break from a project, but want to real time to respond.

    For me, I am always available to my clients and anyone else for that matter. I make myself that way so everyone knows they can reach me for help.

  • spryka

    I will recommend using Email Charger for all bulk email marketing needs. Its the best email marketing software I have used so far.

  • nwjerseyliz

    I know high volume Twitterers can't respond to ever message…it's not a solution that is scalable. But, for example, when I ask a question, I RT a few answers that are either very articulate/clever or represent a commonly held viewpoint.

    You might incorporate some of the answers into your blog entries, I don't know. But I know I used to respond to more of your questions when I started on Twitter but was frustrated because I wanted to hear what answers you were getting from your readers. If they were put in the form of a poll, for example, I could see what people thought/were saying but you'd be limiting their choices. Maybe a summary Tweet saying, “Most of you responded….”? I'd be interested in reading that!

  • cbusimpressions

    You also personally responded to my email suggestion. I was impressed then. After reading you had over 600 responses I was impressed even more. Now that's engagement! Thanks Chris!

  • Pingback: Daily Bytes: News You Can Use – August 4, 2009 | BrandWorks

  • http://holisticmlm.ning.com/profile/OsnatBresler osnatbresler

    Seems to me that the key to progressing from – pushing out content – to – building relationships – lies in making it personal for the reader. This creates the connection. When you ask a relevant, and sometimes controversial question, and respond to the answers you get from your readers, you`ve made it personal.
    The art lies in your ability to transform your content into a stimulating question for the readers. I see you doing it with great talent in your blogs. Then, of course, your response to the comments turns it into a conversation. Are`nt most of us in the process of learning and improving the way we interact on the web?

  • EdvinIRohn

    These coats are made just as well as any other in Carhartt’s line of outdoor coats; they have to be to be able to carry the carhartt coats name on their label! These coats have 2-way brass zippers to stand up to repeated zipping and unzipping.

  • EdvinIRohn

    These coats are made just as well as any other in Carhartt’s line of outdoor coats; they have to be to be able to carry the carhartt coats name on their label! These coats have 2-way brass zippers to stand up to repeated zipping and unzipping.

  • Pingback: Engagement Starts With Asking | Deranged Penguin

  • http://www.memorybits.co.uk/ micro sd card

    I wonder why I like to consider what I thought was disturbed and prepare a response. It is important that the person who answers the question in the name of the insights that naming and reading other people's views are included or not included in the language they use, are derived from stock asked. I think anytime you this (not quite the opposite), but it costs nothing to Twitter.It common share credit where credit is due and let you learn from others. I have my own blog and others think it well to acknowledge a colleague or friend a great turn in a familiar way.

  • http://www.toplvstore.com/ lv

    Everything will be all right,I am behind you.