This is Episode 50 of This Old New Business weekly business podcast with Jeff Korhan.
In this episode Mark Schaefer shares why it’s necessary to build an audience of alpha’s, those people that have a strong connection to you and your content. These advocates believe in you, and that emotional or feeling connection compels them to consistently share your content.
Mark is a globally recognized author, speaker, educator, and a business consultant who blogs at {grow.} In addition to teaching graduate marketing classes at Rutgers University, Mark has written five bestselling books, including the Tao of Twitter (the #1 book on Twitter in the world), Return on Influence, and most recently, The Content Code: Six Essential Strategies for Igniting Your Content, Your Marketing, and Your Business.
Mark also studied under legendary business management consultant Peter Drucker. This is why top busineses and universities listen to Mark, so maybe you should too.

Content Movement Sparks Conversations

In content marketing circles we often hear about sharing, but what does that mean in practical terms?
Mark Schaefer explains that content has to flow and move around in order to spark new conversations. Thus, it’s meaningless to have thousands of social media followers if they are not taking action to give your content movement.
In fact, Schaefer notes that Klout scores are really an indication of people’s ability to create content movement. Those conversations may be large or small, with small being significantly better than not at all.
This is why Mark Schaefer suggests making a list of your alphas, the people that believe in you so much they will share everything, even if they have yet had the opportunity to consumer it themselves.
By any measure, great content is the table stakes for playing in this game. When you think of content as your marketing “product,” it’s clear you don’t want to be in love with it as much as those that consume it.
Be in love with the customers and influencers, which essentially are the “market” that uses your content to spark productive conversations.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on content movement? Meet me over on Twitter to take the conversation further.

Lighting Round Tips and Advice

Mark’s Top Sales or Marketing Advice – Especially for small business, treat people online as you would offline. Engage with people in more human ways, such as helping them, as opposed to selling them. Let’s the sales be a byproduct of genuine interaction.
His Favorite Productivity Tip – Focus and discipline. Focus on the two or three things most important to your business brand that generate profits, either directly or indirectly, such as creating great content.
A Quote that has Inspired Mark’s Success – “A business is marketing and innovation. Everything else is overhead.”  – Peter Drucker. Mark’s take on this is that marketing has to be central to your business. Put another way, you cannot have a business without customers, and you cannot have customers without marketing.

Key Take-Aways

• You can learn more about Mark at businessesgrow.com, where you will find his blog {grow}. If you make a comment he promises to reply. Also, check out his training courses and The Marketing Companion podcast.
• Grab a copy of the Content Code, and also consider combining it with a copy of the Tao of Twitter. Both are packed full of practical ideas and useful lists, including BADASS, the six elements of the Content Code: 
  • B – Brand Development
  • A – Audience and Influencers
  • D – Distribution and promotion
  • A – Authority
  • S – Shareability
  • S – Social proof and social signals

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About the Author:  Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.
He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+