I've been hearing a lot from you lately ("Destination Weddings" on Facebook)
Puccini’s La Boheme has countless moments for the heart, soul and even funny bone. And the music…nearly impossible to pick just one section.
There is this one moment I like in the magical second act when the Café Momus Waiter brings the bill to the Bohemians.
Waiter: Il Conto. (Here’s the bill.)
Schaunard: Cosi Presto? (So soon?)
Colline: Chi l’ha ri chiesto? (Did anybody ask for it?)
I just received another request for me to like your Page, Series or Project. Or, I received a link to a recent composition or article you wrote.
I seem to be getting a lot of them these days from Facebook and LinkedIn. (Some of this Is quarantine related, like being invited to view a concert stream or attend a Zoom Q and A with some experts.)
On the other hand, if someone lives in San Francisco, there are very few reasons they would want to be a part of something that is only available in a city thousands of miles away.
Maybe I received your invite because you want to reach as many people as possible to tell them about your FB Performer Page, Series, new CD, other project or recent article.
This is something that Seth Godin, marketer and advocate for small businesses, talks about frequently. He recommends working off of a carefully culled, short list of potential “customers.” He writes:
“It's simple: don't send email to ANYONE unless it's anticipated, personal and relevant in their eyes, not yours. You earn that privilege, you don't take it.”
Yes, I am associated with classical music just like you, but that doesn’t automatically mean your page or event and I are meant for each other. No offense.
I'm a member of two Public Radio FB pages. For the past three months or so, a retired Public Radio Manager has been promoting his new Public Radio Management book just about every day.
The kicker came when he posted a recommendation for a new book that covers multiple Public Radio hot box topics.
It was a recommendation for his own book.
One of the site's Administrators received enough complaints that they felt it necessary to ask the author to stop the (blatant) self-promotion.
While both FB pages have the retired Manager’s intended audience as members, the daily self-promotion turned people off and turned people away. There are other methods to reach that same audience who are likely to find his advice “relevant.”
How much and how often should we post and make requests? Maybe the answer is another application of a philosophy once authered by Thomas Jefferson.
