Guy Kawasaki has launched his newest book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions. I’m enchanted by his influencer relations strategy.
Guy started an “online magazine rack” called Alltop which is a directory for blogs covering a range of subjects related to business, for example a while ago, I submitted this blog to AllTop’s PR category.
When Guy was getting ready to launch his book, he sent an email to the bloggers who had registered on Alltop. The offer? Get the book early and consider writing a review on your blog.
What is in my mind a creative PR idea, has resulted in excellent results. He enchanted Beth Harte, Jeff Esposito offered a video review, and Search Engine Land ran with a magical headline today. In fact, a quick scan of Google blog search turn some 7,000 results.
What worked about this campaign?
1) Built relationships. By virtue of the Alltop listing Guy had a pre-existing relationship with bloggers. He’d agiven bloggers a tool to promote their blog long before asking for something in return.
2) Exclusive offer. As a member of the Alltop community, bloggers were offered something for free: a chance to preview the book. It was sent at no cost.
3) Exclusive community. It’s perhaps a combination of the two previous notes, but Guy’s invitation was a chance to be part of a special community with mutual benefits.
Defining Enchantment
Guy defines enchantment as “the process of delighting people with a product, service, organization or idea. The outcome of enchantment is a voluntary and long-lasting support that is mutually beneficial.”
He offers advice, for example, he says it’s okay to swear in social media infrequently and “only in cases of forehead-smacking hypocrisy, arrogance, intentional inaccuracy and dishonesty.”
He picks inspirational quotes to lead his chapters, like Zig Ziglar’s remark that, “Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust.”
And he provides personal stories – anecdotes from entrepreneurs like Fran Shea who lead E! Entertainment to illustrate his points.
But by far and large, for me, the best part about his book was the launch plan. In a world of reoccurring missteps that lead to timeless posts about blogger relations, he’s nailed this one pretty solidly. And bloggers can have fun with their headlines.
As Guy might say, Holy Kaw!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
PR Strategies for Dealing with a Negative Blogger
