{"id":1800,"date":"2013-11-27T16:33:01","date_gmt":"2013-11-27T21:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brickstreetsoftware.com\/content\/?p=1800"},"modified":"2014-01-23T14:16:44","modified_gmt":"2014-01-23T19:16:44","slug":"six-ways-to-make-crowd-connections-like-a-rock-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brickstreetsoftware.com\/content\/posts\/six-ways-to-make-crowd-connections-like-a-rock-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Six ways to make crowd connections like Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last month I saw Pearl Jam perform on their North American tour promoting their latest album, Lightning Bolt<\/em>. I left both shows (yes, I went on back-to-back nights) with admiration for the way in which their lead singer, Eddie Vedder, made a connection with the 13,000 fans in attendance each night.<\/p>\n

In the spirit of David Meerman Scott\u2019s book \u201cMarketing Lessons from the Dead<\/em><\/a>,\u201d I believe there are communication practices from these live concerts that can carry over to content creation.<\/p>\n

Here are six techniques I jotted down:<\/p>\n

1. Cut to the chase<\/span><\/h2>\n

Pearl Jam did not have an opening act to warm up the crowd at either show. Pearl Jam<\/a> is a 20-year-old rock band abundant with loyal fans. Normally, fans of well-established artists of Pearl Jam\u2019s stature will not enter the arena early to see the opening act. They paid an outrageous price for tickets to see the headliner, not an up-and-coming musician.<\/p>\n

Similarly, when crafting contagious content, quickly deliver the substance of your article, video, or podcast. Your audience is on the move, multitasking on a mobile device that provides a convergent platform for reviewing and responding to email, social media, SMS, and mobile app push notifications. To capture, convince, and convert today\u2019s attention-deficit consumer, marketers must rapidly deliver genuine assistance through clear and straightforward communications.<\/p>\n

The easiest way to accomplish this goal is to shorten the copy. This is how Twitter\u2019s 140-character limit and YouTube\u2019s original 3-minute video restriction propelled these social media giants\u2019 successes. However, also consider the reader’s thought sequence<\/a>\u00a0to understand the message, and the subject’s level of complexity.<\/p>\n

2. Show you care<\/span><\/h2>\n

When drafting communications, I often consider John C. Maxwell\u2019s quote:<\/p>\n

“People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care<\/em>.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By taking a moment to empathize with readers, I hope to better communicate my sincerity in wanting to help them overcome a challenge, or just brighten their day. Once trust and respect is established, then I can discuss their internal IT, Marketing and Sales departments\u2019 plans, processes, and problems.<\/p>\n

The concert\u2019s venue was located less than an hour outside Boston, Massachusetts. During the song Long Road<\/em>, the band\u2019s camera zoomed in tight on the \u201cBoston Strong\u201d patch on Eddie Vedder\u2019s coat sleeve, and broadcast the image across large overhead screens. The crowd erupted with cheers during the slow ballad, making for a very touching moment. However, this was more than just a pandering sentiment an outsider would attempt to make.<\/p>\n

Throughout the evening, Vedder shared personal stories of his experiences in Boston:<\/p>\n