I’m sure it’s happened to you too. I’m sitting there talking to someone, passionately discussing something that’s important to me, and then I notice something disturbing; the person I’m talking to couldn’t care less, and judging by the look they give me, they haven’t heard a word I’ve just said. It’s a devastating feeling to know that no one is listening to you, especially when you feel so strongly about something. It’s one of the main reasons why I started this blog. Here I can discuss the things I care about, and at least a few people out there are listening (by the way thanks to all you guys that have started following me on Tumblr and/or Twitter, or you guys that have me bookmarked or whatever). Godin addresses this need to be heard with trend #2: “amplification of the voice of the consumer and independent authorities.”

Back in the day, companies needed to cater only to a small group of critics. If they got a good review in the newspaper, or magazine, or got featured on some television show, then they were guaranteed millions. Today though, everyone’s a critic. It’s nothing new really, people have always been this way. The difference is that they now have a way to instantly spread the word to millions. The internet, and blogs in particular, have given a voice to anyone and everyone that has something to say. And you know what? People are listening. Every interaction your company has with anyone can quickly be shared with the world.

This may seem like a bad thing, but in reality it’s actually a huge opportunity. As a marketer, it’s your job to make the most of every interaction with the customer or client. Shut up and listen to what the people that you market to are saying. They want to be heard, and if you care at all about your brand, you will listen to what they have to say. If you are unjustly criticized you can always address the situation directly. Set up a discussion board for your clients to talk, and interact with them. It’s not that complicated really.

Trend #3, “Need for an authentic story as the number of sources increases”, discussion coming soon.

Notable quotes from this section:

• “It’s not us and them. Now it’s us and us.”
• “A post on a blog anywhere in the world could very well rank higher in a google search than information on that same topic on your company’s website.”
• “The easiest way to understand blogs (text, audio, or video) is to understand that they (finally) connect three real desires: to hear our own voices, to be heard by others, and to hear what the crowd thinks.”
• “Big numbers matter when you run mass ads that are ignored. Small numbers are just fine when you deliver powerful messages with permission.”