It must be the week of the interview! I had the distinct honor of appearing on the Diva Marketing Blog, thanks to the Ad Age’s #2 female blogger Toby Bloomberg. Here are two Q and As from Toby’s interview (Toby’s Buzz Bin interview was also featured in the book). All six Qs here.
Diva Marketing: Love the title of your new book – Now Is Gone. Where did the inspiration come from and what is the significance for you?
Geoff Livingston: I wish it was really cool, but it came while watching Casino Royale on DVD. It seemed like a great title for one of the Bond movies, but afterwards the name kept rolling around in my head.
Within days of that night the need for a book became apparent. The title fit the current need to engage in social media. Now Is Gone was born, and the Broccoli family was opted out.
Now Is Gone really conveys a sense of urgency. I think the business marketplace senses that urgency, and smart players understand competitive advantage can still be gained… But it has to be done in the next 12-18 months.
Diva Marketing: Now Is Gone contains a wealth of examples and case studies ranging from large corporate B2C companies like Jet Blue to smaller B2B organizations such as Reston Limousine and even Not for Profit where you highlight the Red Cross. In your research did you discover any common lessons learned that you can pass along to Diva’s community?
Geoff Livingston: It’s all about them… Meaning the readers. This is a theme Meerman Scott picks up on, too, in his excellent book The New Rules.
Look we’re in a fractured media environment with millions of options out there, particularly for those that like to partake in social media. Corporate social media is fighting for time with every single one of them, from the New York Times and NBC to the brand new blog on Blogger and someone’s first Seesmic post.
So the only way to get and keep eyeballs is to understand you must publish something interesting. Interesting in their minds, not yours. Having an editorial mission to serve those community members goes a long way towards achieving that goal.