Bring more than one worm

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved to fish.  I can’t tell you how many hours I spent at Meshanticut Lake and Angell Pond growing up back in Cranston, RI.  I’d usually catch some version of a sunfish – most likely a bluegill and sometimes a pumpkinseed.  Occasionally, I’d get lucky and catch a _smallmouth bass or even a bullhead, which are a type of catfish.  For bait, the best thing to use was worms – nightcrawlers specifically.  They’re the relatively large earthworms, big an juicy for a hungry fish.  Some times we used minnows, but you had to buy them.  For worms, all you had to do was dig a hole.

But when we’d go, we’d probably pack about 20 of the little creatures in a can and head out to our favorite spot.  You’d need that many worms because inevitably, they’d may fall off the hook, or get torn off and stolen by a fish, or get snagged in some weeds.  Or they’d eventually fall off the hook for whatever reason.  In other words, you usually needed several to do the trick.  Especially if you wanted to catch a bigger fish.  You don’t go fishing with one worm.

Now the other day I was talking with a prospective client, a young guy who is building (actually, he’s got some people in India building) a mobile phone app that’s kinda cool.  It’s something many of us could use, especially if we live in urban environments.  The app taps into different types web bases services that we use and can be ad supported.  That means he needs to get in front of people who are interested in the mobile space and media planners and buyers.

The problem is…well there’s a few.  His funding is low.  He was a bit surprised that the development phase took a long as it did.  And he didn’t count on it being as expensive as it turned out.  A familiar refrain.

But there are two more problems that are tied into one another.  For PR/promotional efforts, he’s down to a relatively small amount of money.  I’ve given him some advise gratis, and he’s talked to another person “who writes press releases”.  Press releases.  In two conversations with me, he’s focused on press releases.

I have nothing against press releases.  I’m not one of these uber-Cluetrain worshipers who thinks The Press Release is Dead.  But I do think The Press Release is Not as Effective as It Once Was.  The press release still has its place and is, within itself, a good thing to use…as part of an overall package.  Gone is the day – especially in tech PR – that the press release is the foundation.  And using one press release, as this guy seems to be thinking, is akin to bringing one worm to go fishing.  You may catch something if you happen to cast the line in an area where there are more than a few fish.  If one of them is hungry.  And sees the bait.  And takes more than a nibble.  And doesn’t steal the bait.  And gets hooked.  And doesn’t fall off the line.

But the odds are that where you cast it, there will be no hungry fish right there at that moment.  The odds are that the hook may get snagged on some weeds.  And when a fish may come, he may show no interest.  Or he many just nibble.  Or he may steal the bait.  Leaving you with an empty hook.  That’s life.

That’s why you need more than one worm.

The second problem he has is that when it comes to him taking a more active role in doing things to promote his product, he says he “has a day job”.  Uh-oh.

There’s nothing the matter with someone in his position having a day job.  Unless that person ends up thinking that he doesn’t have time to be involved in marketing efforts…with the exception of responding to the slew of reporters he or she thinks will come calling upon seeing that one press release.  Methinks he is somewhat of that mentality.

What he needs is more earthworms.  What he needs to do is to start to follow the top blogs that talk about mobile marketing, mobile phones, media planning an buying.  He need to learn from them.  He then needs to interact with them.  Make comments.  Become part of the conversations.  He needs to get on Twitter and establish relationships with other like minded people. He needs to become someone that others will want to follow, to connect with.

Involvement.  Engagement.  Relationships.  They’re like bait.  More worms.  Juicy nighcrawlers.  Brings in more fish.  Bigger ones.  Maybe some trophy size.

I can’t tell you his app but he needs to go to some of these conferences and not necessarily get a booth, but set up a scenario in which the attendees could use his service.  And they could because they are traveling…in a city…and will need to get around…which is app provides a service for.  These folks are the ones he needs to reach out too…so they can experience it…blog about it…tell others about it…and then inquire about it for their business purposes.

In this hyper competitive environment for attention and mindshare and interest, you need to bring more than one worm.  You still need that whole can.

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Tagged as: Cluetrain, Mobile phone, news release, Twitter