Thread by @bensanrides

OK, if you're following #nebrasummit , I'm wrote up some stuff* re the @RasputitsaRide section from earlier
*stuff being long rambling Kramer fashion Tweeting, because promoting doesn't have to be complicated but a complete understanding helps

https://twitter.com/bensanrides/status/1089610950666317826

First: Go read this:

https://twitter.com/bensanrides/status/1089739334109024257

Wrote up what seems like a random topic because a separate example can be helpful in getting people to see the forest through the trees

this should be an appropriate enough background to talk about why Rasputitsa was such a weird foreign body at #nebrasummit today. I'm sure y'all have your own perspectives on how to talk about Customer Empathy BUT ATTEND AND WRITE YOUR OWN TWEETS NEXT TIME

Starts off with Heidi and Anthony asking everyone to walk away from the tables, leave their phones and computers, and crack open a beer (WHICH THEY BOUGHT FOR EVERYONE) Then they try to go through a list of open-ended questions for promoters to work through #nebrasummit

Lotta stuff like What's Your Mission Statement and the Three Cs (Cycling, Community, Charity), and how they run additional programs that have focuses that might have NOTHING to do with biking (eg., cooking)

Great example is Bittersweet:
bikereg.com/40270

Not sure what their biking background is, or how long they've been on the NE scene but this was also H and A's first #nebrasummit , and were v surprised by off track things went. QUICKLY

Most of the promoters in the room are lifers: decades in the sport, worn so many hats, so many experiences on the racing side. If I had to guess, no huge fondo fans in the room

*big generalization but nobody comes to #nebrasummit to learn how to host a fondo

They ALSO don't like how H and A basically said, "we wanted to host an event, so we did Dirty 40 in 2013 and got an extra 100 registrants and WHOOPS here we are"
Any promoter knows that kind of registrant # s can break a race. And Mike N/ #QuabbinRR had BEEF with that

Mike N works super hard to host quality racing events, and gets flak like: "well maybe don't host on Rasputitsa and you'll get a few more riders?"

Every promoter has to deal with it 'advice' like this. Like it were so easy. Part of the trade, doesn't make it less frustrating

H and A wanted to detail how paying for camerapeople and videographers are crucial, half the room just wants to know if they should Tweet Gram or Book more and Mike N just wants Rasputitsa off his Quabbin date and Gary K is feeling out Redemption 2019 for GMSR

*don't be that rude dyude and say Move The Date. Go promote your own race first and imagine 25% of your profit margin being cut. FOR PROMOTING A HOBBY. Seriously, not everyone can move a venue in a day or run an event with 5 weeks lead time #humblebrag #subtweet

H and A are talking about how they have offered to have phone calls with Gary K and Mike N on scheduling issues (THIS IS IMPORTANT), but they are trying to ask how do they get SO MANY dang riders and maybe 'share' a bit!?

'Share' wasn't the exact word I don't know there was beer

Let’s remember: THE BIKE RACING MARKET IS NOT SATURATED. So few people do this sport. Too many times the NE bike racing scene does D2R2. I can't stress enough how smart it is for JD to market at D2R2 and bring H and A to #nebrasummit

Last year was the 1st @nebranews started making moves towards this. Want to grow the sport? Be more inclusive! Don't fixate on create lifers that will race 59/year! Data shows 5/year is plenty! Try to find fifty of those kind of riders! Plan growth Word Of Month and Good Vibes!

This is important, because for H and A's first time dealing with a 'buzzed' roundtable of people in passionate discussion they never lost their cool. They listened, and answered as best as possible. Anytime something got too heated, they offered to further discuss, over the phone

It's too hard to describe all of the different *soft people skills H and A did while doing their best to answer questions and things getting off track, but lemme say: watching them it is literally the only reason why I might do Rasputitsa

*wanna learn? Go read a Chip Bell Book

Because in a day of modern tribalism and people wanting an authentic experience and how your #brand and purchasing decisions matter more, Good Vibes is a damm good marketing strategy and that's the whole genius of JD bringing H and A to #nebrasummit

Don't believe me? When's the last time you told someone you rode a black Bike? You're excited to tell me you ride a TREK because Ellen Noble is BUNNYHOPPING THE PATRIARCHY AND (nearly) BEAT VOS

Frankly speaking, Gary K should pay Colin for this #content :
untilthesnowends.blogspot.com/2017/09/green-…

Did you know 95% of carbon bikes come from the same three factories in CHN? Either you know but you like Sagan so ride Specialized or you're VERY excited to tell me you have a hand welded frame from Mister Skilled in NJ so that's DIFFERENT

#branding matters, folks

I'm focusing on this because when H and A asked their questions about branding, frankly speaking the room had little to say. It's simply not a detail that drives an event. Sure, it's their passion but everyone wants to know hashtag do you use and maybe host on Saturday! instead?

There's no silver bullet that's going to make race promoting easier. There are tools to help, but it's all more work. H and A work just as hard as all of NE's awesome promoters

Granted, their brand does ride off this: cyclingtips.com/2018/02/jra-an…

What they did so nicely, SO EFFECTIVELY, is remind the room the extra tools they should bring to bear: confidence in their Own Personal #Brand and Customer Empathy. It's not calendar management or gimmicks- it's devoting more time and resources to engaging with the Racer

again
@threadreaderapp , unroll