What do you think works better?

A. An advertisement you strategically placed.
B. A tip from a friend to buy a certain product.

Who do you think is more likely to give you money?

A. Someone you don’t know very well.
B. A friend or family member.

What story is more memorable? 

A. A television commercial.
B. A story a friend told you about their experience.

I have seen really good advertisements that elicit emotions, and possibly these will be shared, but will they get you to buy the product? If you are in need of something, and a friend tells you that a product is good, you are more likely to listen to your friend, right?

Again, surveys for how people hear about your event are showing 70-80% heard about it from a friend.

The amount of connection comes into play, and the more you are connected, the easier it is to sell and get a donation.

We are craving more connection. We use connections to help us make our decisions to purchase and donate. The stronger the connection, the more loyal people are to a particular product and organization. Stronger connections leads to collaborations, community, and caring about your art and organization.

We have forgotten.  There is a reason that “personality” is mainly made up from “personal.”

Since we are not selling toilet paper, but rather personal experiences, stronger connections count.

Call me old fashioned, but if you want stronger connections which will help you to build audiences and support, it is best to be old fashioned and get back to meeting and greeting people and building authentic relationships. It’s always good to make new friends!

Cheers to happy and loyal audiences,
Shoshana

Shoshana Fanizza
Chief Audience Builder, Audience Development Specialists