Credit for this one goes to Anna O'Brien with Random Act of Data.
Anna OBrien- How to Spot a Social Media Fake
View more presentations from Anna OBrien.
Overnight Success
November 30th, 2009Chris Brogan started what has become a favorite series of mine… It's on becoming an overnight success. His first post was this one followed by this video:
See, the thing is, being an entrepreneur is hard work. A point Neil Patel nails down rather well in this post titled:
It's not always a "walk in the park" as some people might think. What makes it easier is enjoying/loving what you do (and I do). It's the relationships and the "aha" moments that you share with a client when they finally understand what you're teaching them. When the audience responds with a wave of applause to a presentation you've given. The phone call or email you get asking for help and the thank you's you get for doing so. Those moments that you share make the hard work all worth while!
But it takes hard work. Waking up early. Going to bed late. Sacrifice. Commitment. Determination. Dedication. You make mistakes along the way (I know I have). You have to pick yourself up, recognize your mistake(s), and move forward. Have a clear sense of what you want to accomplish and then work really, really hard to get there. Don't let anything stop you or deter you from reaching your finish line.
This series from Chris has inspired me. Inspired me to develop a clear sense of what I want to accomplish moving into 2010. With the help of my friends, I'm working on getting there…
How about you?
Verbal Blunders: listen to yourself carefully when you speak…
November 28th, 2009
This tweet from @Copyblogger led to this post: Well, it got me thinking about the mistakes people make daily not just when they type, but when they speak too. Heck, I sure know I've made a few blunders whilst speaking (thankfully the audience and I shared a laugh and things moved right along. If anything I gained more of their attention). Anyway, with a bit of digging, here's an interesting excerpt (and some interesting statistics) from author Michael Erard, author of Um: "They [mistakes] occur on average once every ten words… If people say an average of 15,000 words each day, that's about 1,500 verbal blunders a day. Next time you say something, listen to yourself carefully. You st-st-stutter; you forget the words, you swotch the sounds (and when you type, you reverse the lttres–and prhps omt thm too). The bulk of these go unnoticed or brushed aside, but they're all fascinating, as much as for why they're ignored as why they're noticed." – Michael Erard As I type this I realize I'm not exactly sure why I'm sharing this with you...I guess I just think it's interesting. We all foul up when we speak. It happens when both when we're having casual conversation and even when you're on stage presenting (like I said, it's happened to me). When it happens on stage it can be a bit nerve-racking I suppose but your best bet is to share a laugh over it, and move on cuz nobody's perfect.
Blog Blazers: 40 Top Bloggers Share Their Secrets
November 22nd, 2009 I've always believed that knowledge is gained in two ways: 1.) learning from experience and 2.) learning from the experience of others. Therein comes "Blog Blazers: 40 Top Bloggers Share Their Secrets to Creating A High-Profile, High-Traffic, and High-Profit Blog!"
I haven't read this book yet, in fact I've barely cracked it open. But I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy reading it! It includes interviews from folks whose blogs I already read… People like:
- David Armano: Logic + Emotion
- Derek Semmler: DerekSemmler.com
- J.D. Roth: Get Rick Slowly
- Neil Patel: Quick Sprout
- Pamela Slim: Escape from Cubicle Nation
- Penelope Trunk (one of my favorites): Brazen Careerist
- Rohit Bhargava: Influential Marketing Blog
- Seth Godin
- Trent Hamm: The Simple Dollar
- Yaro Starak: Entrepreneur's Journey
Out of the 40 top bloggers listed in the book, I've been reading the above referenced 10 for quite some time now (Penelope's and Seth Godin's are the only two that I subscribe to and read via email). I even interviewed Neil Patel last week to talk about what it takes to be successful in business both on-line and off-line. See, the simple fact is, I love learning (reading and learning from others satisfies the geek in me). I'll continue to host interviews via my podcast to learn from folks. In the process I hope that you'll learn something new too!
For now, I'm gonna get back to reading "Blog Blazers." First up is Aaron Wall, author of SeoBook.com…
How To Build A Community Around Your Blog
November 20th, 2009So a little over a year ago I put together an e-Book titled: How To Build A Community Around Your Blog. A collaborative piece put together by prominent names in social media both inside and outside of real estate.
Since several of you have asked, here's a copy of that ebook… (I think a re-write is in order and coming very soon)…
[Full Screen Link: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=16643670]
Hello world!
November 12th, 2009Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
How To Determine Prices
November 11th, 2009The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur has easily become one of my every day MUST READ blogs. If you haven't read it, you should head on over and subscribe (trust me, it's good and Mike is damn funny). You can even follow him on Twitter. But anyway, now that we're done with intro's and me telling you all about Mike, here's some solid advice from him on: How to Determine Prices.
(Great advice for anyone in a service-based industry.)
Join Me for An Interview with Neil Patel, Author of QuickSprout.com
November 10th, 2009
Neil Patel is the co-founder of 2 Internet companies: Crazy Egg, and KISSmetrics. Through these 2 companies he has helped large corporations such as AOL, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard and Viacom make more money from the web. By the age of 21 not only was Neil named a top 100 blogger by Technorati, but he was also one of the top influencers on the web according to the Wall Street Journal.
To quote Neil:
"It doesn't matter what you do. The only thing that matters is how awesome you are to be around."
Well, it's kinda true ain't it?! You know, it's the whole "people do business with people they like" thing…
We're going to talk to Neil about:
- What it takes to be successful in business
- What it takes to author a successful blog (you're not named a top 100 blogger by Technorati over-night)
- What it takes to be a good networker in social media
If you have any questions for Neil, I'd love it if you'd post them below in the comments!
When:
Wednesday, November 18th at 3:00pm PST (6:00pm EST)
R.S.V.P.:
You don't have to RSVP, but we'd sure love it if you would via our Facebook Event Page Here.
Muchas gracias!
Dial-In Info.:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 31897
Singin’ the Social Media Blues
November 5th, 2009
It might not be quite as good as the Social Media Revolution video but I thought you might enjoy it anyway…
Less Broadcasting Please
November 2nd, 2009I don’t like to tell people “you’re doing it wrong” because you know what, we all do it our own way. And that’s ok. But there is one thing that has to be said because I see people new to social media do it all the time!
STOP BROADCASTING!
Blatant self-promotion and the hard sell really doesn’t work around here. Do you know why? It’s because people really only care about two things:
- Finding a solution to their problem(s).
- Being entertained.
If you’re not offering one or the other, you’re not providing much value. Period.
Deliver Edutainment:
A friend of mine used to always say that you have to strive to deliver “Edutainment” (the art of educating and entertaining). Here’s a few things to keep in mind:
- Give away your Top Shelf content for free (through your blog, ebook or newsletter)! If you’re selling a coaching (knowledge-based) product then it’s ok to hold back a little but still, deliver the goods through your blog for free.
- Have fun with it (it’s ok to have a sense of humor). You’re not writing a college paper or essay. It’s ok to get casual and conversational in your writing. And if you through up a “Just for Fun Friday” post that makes me laugh, heck, that’s ok too.
- Remember, relationship before the sale. You know the old mantra: People do business with people they like. Well it’s true! You have to hang out where your customers are hanging out on-line (on social networks, blogs, forums, etc.) and engage with them first. Friend them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and start a dialogue that allows you to get to know one another. Then and only then, are they happy to promote your product on your behalf for free (and often times without you even asking them.
What do you think? Do you think people broadcast a little too much online? How do you find a good balance between engaging for fun, and broadcasting to make a sale?