CONNECTION TO Experts: Seth Godin

Few people understand marketing quite like Seth Godin, a world-renowned entrepreneur, speaker and bestselling author. EO sat down with Seth to talk about the state of social media, its impact on entrepreneurs and innovative marketing.

Social media is changing the way businesses market their products and services. What are the pros and cons of social media, and how can entrepreneurs leverage it for maximum benefit? “Social media is not a replacement for ads, television or PR. Social media amplifies who you are and what you do. So, to make it work, change what you do or be who you are. It’s not a front, it’s a mirror.”

With so many people leveraging social media for branding purposes, how can entrepreneurs ensure their marketing remains remarkable? “Marketing shouldn’t be remarkable. You should be. Your stuff should be. Your people should be. a lot of EO people totally miss this, instead focusing on commodity products for the masses.”

What steps can entrepreneurs take to generate more interest in their blogs? “I’d start with being more interesting. don’t be solely interested in your own pursuits, but interested in me and the other people who are going to read your blog.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received? “it’s not business, it’s personal.”

What are some of the valuable lessons you’ve learned throughout your entrepreneurial journey? “Failure is worth a lot more than success, running out of cash ends the game and being nice to people isn’t just fun, it’s a good strategy.”

Is entrepreneurshIP more important today than ever before? “No doubt we are entering the age of the entrepreneur. Freelancing is important, too, but value-creating entrepreneurshIP changes everything.”

Seth Godin (pictured) is the author of 11 business books, all of which have been international bestsellers. He was also the founder and CEO of Yoyodyne, an interactive direct-marketing company, which Yahoo! acquired in 1998. Seth worked as vice president of direct marketing at Yahoo! before leaving to become a full-time speaker, writer and blogger.

To read more of his business insights, visit http://sethgodin.com/sg.