Depth not Width

I’d rather have three people see my content and proceed to buy my stuff, than have a hundred people see it, but only one of them buy.

Math nerds have penetrated our business world which has created a much more math-focused culture in today’s business environment. Now, I am most definitely a fan of this new focus on data as it serves as my partner in crime, allowing for me to do my damage, but the problem is that we’ve become TOO focused on the math side of things and sometimes that focus just becomes too heavy. We need to make sure we’re looking at the RIGHT math, the right data, ensuring that we’re not too caught up in perception versus reality and that we’re leveraging the numbers in a smart way — to actually sell stuff!

There’s currently an overestimation on “reach” and awareness and their value in the marketplace. Reach doesn’t equal value. I currently have this problem with my clients who are too focused on the metrics rather than on actually selling their products, which underlines a major disconnect we’re seeing in today’s business world.

I understand and know what my community wants from me because I listen to them. If I were too caught up in optimizing for views, I would be neglecting the core of my existence which is my community who fuels my desire to provide actual value day-in and day-out. At the end of the day, my firm belief is that value will continue to prevail. There may be tips, tools, and tricks to optimize content on social media, but the conscious decision still needs to be made when it comes to value provision and business objectives versus optimization.

Sure, I can meet with YouTube and they can give me all the insight they have in order to optimize the #AskGaryVee show’s views, but if we focus too heavily on that optimization we’ll be taking away from my community members that will be there regardless of the tactics we employ. If I focus too much on optimization rather than value, then I’ll never be able to sell my stuff when the time calls for it. We need to understand that we’re putting out content in order to provide substance. We’re playing the long game here. If we only focus on eyeballs, metrics, and short term wins, then it’s likely that all those people that were willing to listen regardless of our perceived size are suddenly no longer engaged because somewhere along the way we lost touch with why we’re here in the first place.

And so, sometimes I think we’re just too focused on the optimization, rather than the heart. If we can keep the heart intact, then nothing else should matter. The heart is comprised of the people that care about us and is the fundamental reason why I work so hard to provide real engagements of substance. If we start with the heart, we’re much more likely to funnel to the brain, and hopefully back on through to the wallet when the opportunity presents itself.

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Thanks for reading! Know somebody not focused enoughon providing value? Show them this next time they’re acting too short-sighted ;)