Online Personal Marketing Strategy: A Video Interview With Andrea Vascellari

Sponsored Links

Just a few weeks ago I met for the second time Andrea Vascellari, a young European digital entrepreneur who helps out companies around the world find their ideal online marketing strategy. Andrea, who is Italian born but who lives in Finland and has clients from Latin America to Saudi Arabia, is a high-energy, sunny and optimistic character who has understood quite well the key strategies behind successful marketing in the years to come.

Photo credit: Robin Good

Inspired by his interesting Ignite five-minute presentation on "Get the Best out of Twitter", which Andrea delivered at the last Ignite Italia event in Roma, I invited him for a Saturday walk in the Villa Borghese park to get to know him better, and get the opportunity to record in video some of his ideas and views on internet marketing.

In particular, I challenged Andrea to answer the questions I get asked so many times:

1) What steps do I take to create a valuable online service or business?

2) Even if I am just an individual, is there a strategic approach that I can follow to create value, authority, credibility and the opportunity to make business online?

Here, in this five-minute video clip Andrea Vascellari gives you his best advice on how to create an online presence of value, and on how to build the basic foundations for a successful web business.

 

Online Personal Marketing Strategy - Andrea Vascellari

Duration: 5' 11''

Full English Text Transcription

Now, ANYONE, Can Do What sHe Wants For a Living

Andrea Vascellari: There is one thing that everybody should keep in mind at least.

Nowadays, more than ever before, everyone has a chance of doing what he or she loves for a living.

Going Global

Why? Because we are going global.

As you said, with a simple blog you have the chance of be in contact instantly - with a few clicks - with the entire world. It is definitely interesting.

Being Passionate

At the base, before jumping to technology, what is really important is to be really passionate about what you are doing.

I see way too many people who are dissatisfied with their jobs, and I cannot stand that. Maybe it is because I am an entrepreneur. I really do what I love.

I love my job. That is what I am really passionate about in my life and I think everyone has some passions. I think they should go for it.

If they think: "There is not enough onus for that", they should just have a look on the web what is going on.

I say it because I live the web every day. You are instantly connected with the entire world.

You will find other people having your same passions become your target audience, whether you do it for business or not. It could be no profit.

What Kind of Reality To Create Online

It is not necessary something that has to be related to business.

Let's say there is the possibility of finding a place to express yourself.

Usually if something is done with passion, you have that drive to go on that usually other people do not have.

It is not going to be easy. Every time you do something, you will find road blocks.

Ultimately, is the passion, the drive you have that makes you go on. That does not start or does not work, in first place if you do not really want it, badly.

Start By Listening

First thing you should do is to start listening a little bit what is going on, who is already out there.

Let's say you want to start your own small business.

You should carefully listen to which are the other players in your field and to understand in which environment you will have to move, because sometimes it will happen... you are not the first.

You definitely have to pay attention to them, and then of course build a presence on the web. Hopefully, it has to express which is your strategic communication. It does not have to be just a blog.

This is going to be the gate between you and the world or your target audience, so it has to be done really carefully.

Jump Into The Conversation

After that, you can start to jump into the conversation that is happening out there - I do not want to say "join" the conversation, because I am sick - everyone is talking about "joining the conversation".
You have to start to jam into that, where the conversation is already happening, with your audience, with people within your niche.

After that, when you establish a basic connection with this environment that is out there, then you can start to be proactive.

Build Trust, Engage Deeper

Once the trust is built, then you can start to engage at a deeper level.

Eventually, if this passage translates to business, you are going to take a certain way. If it's juts for a passion, or if it is for other reasons because maybe you want to leverage your organization.

It just depends on which is your focus. Of course, you are moving others.

When Does The Money Show Up?

The money comes after you establish a real connection with your audience, after your target audience trusts you. The money will come after, as a consequence.

I tell you an example.

Everytime I go to Venice - I come from Venice region in Italy - I go to the market on Friday morning. I go there and buy some good fresh fish.

There are tons of people that are selling fish, but I always go to the same lady.

There is no way I can go and buy fish from anyone else, because I have being buying fish from her for years.

She has been at first convincing me:

• Stopping me at first,
• showing me the real good fish she had,
• why would have been better to buy from her and not from others,
• giving me good tips to cook fish, and so on.

She established a real emotional connection, so I trusted her and I became her client.

You can basically do the same online.

At that point - after you have built all connections - is where the money is going to come. Is going to be a consequence.

Word of Mouth

Another thing is going to be important, the one you call in Italian "il passaparola", the word of power, the word of mouth.

Happy clients will talk to other potential clients and they will bring them to you.

It is going to be also your community that will help you grow and make your business grow, too.

Video clips originally recorded by Robin Good for MasterNewMedia. First published on May 5th, 2010 as "Online Personal Marketing Strategy: A Video Interview With Andrea Vascellari".

About Andrea Vascellari

Andrea Vascellari is a communicator and an entrepreneur. He is currently the CEO of iTive.net an international digital strategy firm based in Finland. He is the author of a blog and producer of the Vascellari media channel. Both the blog and media channel are accessible from his own website.

Robin Good -