This is a HUGE honor. The LinkedIn Pulse Team is highly selective when it comes to featured posts. When LinkedIn Pulse selects and promotes your content, you gain increased access to millions of LinkedIn members. For example, the LinkedIn Pulse Social Media Channel has 3,043,607 subscribers!
At the time of writing, the post has received on LinkedIn:
It shocks me Apple’s top digital talent posted a total of four (4) tweets during the live event. 4. That’s it. Why was he silent during the #AppleLive stream meltdown? Why wasn’t he communicating with fans during this crisis?
Most of All, Why was Angela Ahrendts Noticeably Absent?
Instead, we get this. One (1) tweet. Are you kidding me????? Why was one of the world’s greatest marketers silently sitting on the sideline????
Closing Thoughts
The #AppleLive stream disaster exposed the consequences of Apple deciding not to participate in real-time communications during the Steve Jobs era. Sadly, they’re continuing on the same path with Tim Cook.
Paraphrasing another media influencer, Ryan Holmes is kind of a big deal.
All of Us Can Create Remarkable LinkedIn Posts (Even If We’re Not a Big Deal)
I’m not a big deal. I suspect most self-publishers in LinkedIn’s 313 million membership base aren’t either. But, LinkedIn inFluencers aren’t the only members with valuable writing, thoughts, and experiences to contribute to the LinkedIn Community.
Through disciplined practice and study, we can learn how to create great content (just like inFluencers like Ryan Holmes). Let’s examine Ryan’s post for clues on what to “steal.” In the words of Pablo Picasso …
1. Write a Crisp, Eye-Catching, Headline
Easier said then done. I changed my headline 20+ times. It’s an iterative process. Here are the headlines Ryan published for the Hootsuite blog and LinkedIn:
Notice the tight precision of both headlines. In Ryan’s LinkedIn post, “(Really)” caught my attention and caused me to click on his post. The Hootsuite blog example poses a question. If we want to learn Ryan’s conclusions, I have to read the post. Great link bait.
Check out the efficient number of characters (with spaces):
Hootsuite Blog Post: 68 characters
LinkedIn Post: 55 characters
See how both headlines are Twitter-optimitized. Each leaves lots of room for retweets (RTs) and additional comments for Ryan’s ~52,000 followers.
2. Support Your Argument with a Picture Painting the Story
The picture Ryan selected and credited cuts straight to his argument. It’s ironic, humorous, and to-the-point. An unforgettable lead-in to initiate an important discussion.
Bonus:flickr’s Creative Commons Photo Galleries. Talented, generous photographers share their art in return for proper attribution. When using their photos, do the right thing and link back to their flickr gallery.
3. Newsjack Breaking News to Your Competitive Advantage
4. Acknowledge the Situation and Propose Measurable Solutions
Ryan distinguishes his communication by writing a first-hand account acknowledging gender imbalance in both Hootsuite and the technology industry. His Hoosuite Blog and LinkedIn Publishing Platform posts cite his company’s diversity numbers among 600 employees:
40 percent are women
23 percent work in tech roles
38 percent hold leadership positions
In his words:
“This comes out a bit better—but certainly not much—than at the other companies**. What exactly are we doing differently and, more importantly, what we can we do better?”
**Note: “other companies” refers to Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Intel, and Twitter (mentioned in Ryan’s previous paragraph).
He follows his acknowledgement by proposing solutions at both industry and company levels:
More importantly, publishing his LinkedIn post and stating his call-to-action on the Hootsuite Blog may positively impact ONE woman’s professional career prospects (maybe her entire life).
Making a difference in one person’s professional life doesn’t require 33,000+ views. It takes ONE VIEW of ONE POST.
That post could be yours …
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Here's a look at how Silver Oak Cellars uses their visual, multi-channel social media strategy to emotionally connect special moments with their audience.
What Are The Stories You Want to Tell? How Do You Emotionally Connect Your Brand, Your Company, and Your Employees to Your Audience?
When I combed through Silver Oaks Cellars multiple social channels, these visual stories emotionally connected with me. That emotional connection differentiates a brand, a service, a product, or a company from its competition.
And, that emotional connection is unique for each of us. That unique, individual meaning defines special moments.
How do you emotionally connect with your audience? What works for you? Is it images, video, words, voice, or something else?
Please let me know in the comments. I want to connect too.
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A second straight quarter of increased user growth: 16 million new users
Revenue doubled to $312 million (driven by mobile use and mobile ad consumption)
Mobile advertising accounts for 81% of total ad revenues
The stock price spiked 29% in after hours trading
271 million monthly active users
How Twitter’s Investor Relations Team (@TwitterIR) framed these positive results is worth studying. Their critical and judgmental audience includes (but is not limited to):
Wall Street Analysts
Technology Journalists / Bloggers
Mutual Funds Managers
Silicon Valley Competitors
Individual Investors
Writing and storytelling skills are important in the financial and investment community. Investor Relations Teams are tasked with building credibility, trust, and transparency. The ability to convey confidence with a compelling and memorable story (particularly when financial performance suffers) makes or breaks organizations.
Real-time, Internet speed and scope, play a crucial role in addressing public scrutiny. Here are three (3) writing and storytelling tips I learned from the Twitter Investor Relations Team.
And, it maximized this competitive advantage during the July 29th earnings call. Topsy analysis shows @TwitterIR‘s (Twitter’s Investor Relations Team) published 23 real-time tweets supporting the earnings presentation.
Topsy Query for @TwitterIR July 29 Tweets
Tip 2. Be Simple and Concise
Communicating financial analyses (or other complex information) into simple, bite-size messages isn’t easy. Twitter’s Investor Relations Team addresses this challenge head-on knowing they have to frame a memorable, compelling story in “pulses” of 140 characters or less. I’m sure their rehearsals resulted in multiple iterations of tweets to constantly refine and simplify the gameday message.
According to Topsy, here’s the top tweet during the July 29th call …
Topsy Twitter IR Top Tweet
Topsy Top Twitter IR Tweet
… and it clocks in at 136 characters (with spaces).
Tip 3. Draw Pictures for Key Messages
Twitter’s Steady, Consistent Positive Revenue Growth. Note: I drew the red arrow.
As an individual Twitter investor, I appreciate and respect the Investor Relations Team sharing key metrics like quarterly revenue, EBITDA, and net income. But, the tweet has too much math for my simple brain.
The hyperlink and chart are vital. They impart two (2) positive impressions:
“We know you want more details. Here’s where you can find/analyze the details.”
"The mandate is different on Twitter; you have to be interesting.You need to develop a voice, which is something Facebook doesn't ask of you." – Sherry Turkle, a clinical psychologist and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor
Learning How to Be Different on Twitter is Now a Liability. Hard to believe what made Twitter cool is now considered a curse. Taking time to find valuable content, sharing it with people who specifically choose us, and challenging ourselves to continue growing and retaining that audience's earned attention — that's now bad?
Creating Content that Earns Attention. Learning to create and package interesting content takes time, practice, and effort (especially in 140 characters or less). After 3,100+ tweets, I'm still learning.
What Happened to the Joy and Challenge in Learning? The joy and challenge in learning to communicate on Twitter comes from other people choosing to follow your tweets. It comes from other people sharing your content with their followers (when they have hundreds of millions of other options). It's seeing how you can build direct relationships with people in another part of the world. It's the thrill in earning someone's attention and permission (versus interrupting it).
Making Twitter "Mainstream" isn't The Prescription
The Investment Analysts' View: Make Twitter a Mainstream Product. Why? So brands can cram the channel with as much advertising as possible. Investment analysts believe Twitter's sole key to long term growth is a traditional advertising model.
So interrupting users with unwanted, crappy ads (and pissing us off in the process) that's a terrific strategy?
Focusing On What's Important. A better user experience means rookie and veteran tweeters can focus on creating and sharing helpful, and valuable content. The challenge in a one-screen, digital-first world is don't suck.
Because if our tweets increase in educational, entertaining, or news-breaking value, they will earn our attention. Twitter's user growth will return.
Everyone wins.
Note: I invest in Twitter (and also tweet). The impact of my investment actions and holdings in this company (and others) are equivalent to a dog shaking off its fleas — inconsequential.
Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear from you. I’m here to read, listen, and learn from YOUR PERSPECTIVE. Comments are open. So let’er rip!
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Please Let Me Enjoy My Fleeting 15 Minutes. This post is purely self-promotional. But, I don't know if another similar event will happen again (or how long it will last).
I monitor this discussion forum daily to see if other Start-Up of YOU group members submitted new comments or votes. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I read this:
November 30, 2013: Tony Faustino is a Top Influencer in Start-Up of YOU LinkedIn Group
Tony Faustino's Question and Poll in Start-Up of YOU: A Career Strategy Network Discussion Group
Updated December 6, 2013: Tony Faustino is a Top Contributor in LinkedIn The Start-Up of YOU Discussion Group
I know this isn't a big deal to a lot of people. But, it is to me. I always wonder if the discussions I participate in and the content I contribute makes an impact.
I must be doing something right. And, the clock keeps ticking …
Update 1: When I recently visited the discussion group site, the website described my "Top Contributor" status. I captured the screenshot on December 6th.
Update 2: I visited the discussion group site on the morning of December 27th. I also received a "Top Contributor" status for this question / discussion. Here are the screen shots from that day:
December 27th Update: Top Contributor Status in Start-Up of YOU Discussion Group
December 27th Update: Top Contributor Status The Start-Up of YOU Discussion Group
The U.S. is one of the few countries that doesn't require paid annual leave or maternity leave by law
Fewer people are doing more work
Is There More to This? Here's one more item for consideration:
The American Worker DOES NOT Feel Appreciated
205 Million Google Search Results. The following search phrase: "do americans feel appreciated at work?" delivers sobering results.
Google Search Results: Do Americans Feel Appreciated at Work?
3 Ways to Show We Appreciate Others
Using Technology to Say "Thank You" and "I Appreciate You." In a 24/7, always-on, Internet Age, the power of direct relationships matter more than ever. Let's not forget to use that technology (and some olders ones) to let people know we appreciate them by:
1. Picking Up the Phone. I'm guilty of this more than any one (because sending an email is fast and convenient – more on that in a moment). But, actually hearing someone's voice and genuinely telling them how he/she makes a positive difference IS MEANINGFUL.
When did pleasant, I wanna give you a high-five, non-confrontational conversation become a dying art form? Thank you caller ID. How many times have have you seen a certain number flashing on your mobile phone, and you default to not picking up. Why do we automatically assume: "What's wrong this time?"
Let's gradually address that negative trend in our own minds (and our colleagues). Why not call her to say, "The only reason we're at this point with XYZ client is because of you. Thank You. I couldn't get to this point without you."
The positive impact and reaction may surprise you …
Something to Think About as We Approach the Thanksgiving Holiday
Am I Doing My Part? After reading the aforementioned articles, I questioned if I'm consistently letting my colleagues, clients, and online connections know how much I appreciate their contributions to my professional success.
I'm Not.
I'm an Account Director in a management consulting firm. My job is to build relationships and directly connect my clients to talented team members who I believe can address challenging problems. How well my teammates and I collectively build these relationships and collectively addressthese problems is the final and only relevant success metric.
"It takes a village" is a reality in my business.
This Goes Beyond Thankfulness for Having a Job. For the past four (4) Thanksgivings, one of the many blessings I'm grateful for is being employed. But, that's not enough. I need to do a better job of thanking every teammate who helped me and our clients succeed in a challenging year.
Thank You Kantar Health Teammates. My success is yours.
Thank You to my clients who stuck with me and our team. I know the daily financial pressures confronting you.
What Does Pixar Know About Simple, Compelling Storytelling that Most Marketers, Advertisers, and Brands Don't?
A Lot! But, Skype and Google are Damn Good Pixar Storytelling Students Based on Their Viral Reunion Videos. Skype and Google recently published these two (2) brilliant, moving, and emotional stories on their respective YouTube Channels:
Which Pixar Storytelling Rules Do You Recognize in the Skype and #googlereunion Videos?
Let's compare notes. I see:
Rule #1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
Rule #2:You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.
Rule #4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day, ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally, ___.
Rule #5:Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
Rule #6:What is your character good at, comforatable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
Rule #7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard. Get yours working up front.
Rule #13:Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likeable as you write, but it's poison to the audience.
Rule #14: Why must you tell THIS story. What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it?
Rule #15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty leads credibility to unbelieveable situations.
Rule #16:What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What if they don't succeed, stack the odds agains.
Rule #21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters can't just write 'cool'? What would make YOU act that way?
Rule #22:What's the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.
The Art of the Pitch: Simple and Economic Equals Competitive Advantage
I, Marketers, Advertisers and Brands Fail 95% of the Time on Simplicity. Rules #5 and #22 are highlighted for a reason because I believe "simple" is a MASSIVE Differentiator.
Listen to Mitch Joel and Peter Coughter's Conversation and Invest in Art of The Pitch. If you're in the business of selling ideas (as I am), your career depends on reading/studying The Art of the Pitch. I'd selfishly prefer others in the professional services industry don't read Peter's book.
Why? I want the competitive advantages he teaches all to myself.
Peter Mentions "Simple" or "Simplicity" in The Art of the Pitch Almost 30 times. Here are key quotes reinforcing the importance of "simple":
(page 133) "Simplicity is what we seek. In the visual as well as the oral expression of our ideas."
(page 157) "Your presentation should be so simple that you can boil it down to just a few sentences. And notice that I said simple, not simplistic."
(page 32) "The audience's ability to assimilate and retain information is limited. You're only going to be able to make two or three kepy points. So make them and make them memorable. You need to this in as simple, spare and elegant a way as possible."
"As my buddy Tim Washer and I espouse, the number-one rule for video is to Keep It Tight. In other words, respect the audience’s time, and don’t expect them to invest more than 60 to 90 seconds in your online video."
"But in the case of this particular video, the story of Sarah and Paige was so compelling that I sat through the whole three minutes of it."
"As you know, an Internet minute is like a dog year… so a 3-minute video is really seven times as long."
The filmakers captured the essence of that complex, historical context simply. Understanding the context of that history lesson is one of many reasons why we root for and identify with the #googlereunion characters.
"If we don't make you cry, we fail. It's about emotion,which is bizarre for a tech company."
Emotional Connection. If Skype and Google continue creating and publishing these compelling, simple stories, we'll watch them. These brands may even earn our long-term trust about the roles they play in our everyday lives.
I think Carr's great article signals something bigger. I think Apple's hiring of Angela Ahrendts signals Apple's return to the values of what made it an iconic company.
Hire and Train Brand Ambassdors "Who Know How to Feel" (Versus Salespeople Who Know How to Sell)
"My dad used to always to say that he could teach anything but he couldn't teach how to feel. That's the hardest part when you have 11,000 people: How do you teach them how we feel?"
"The thing is, I don't want to be sold when I walk into a store to be welcomed. The job is to be a brilliant brand ambasador. Everyone is welcome. Don't be judgmental whatsoever."
Exercising the other muscles. That's a different story. But, I think that's a little more manageable now that my 2-year old daughter finally sleeps throught the night …
It Comes Back to Shared Values. It Comes Back to How Did Someone or Something Make You Feel.
Who are the people, the organizations, the heroes, and the experiences that you cherish most in your life? For me, it's the ones who share my values. Those are the people, the organizations, and the experiences that have made the most lasting and positive impression on me.
I'm Excited About Apple Again. After watching these videos, I'm excited about Apple's future. I now believe they're focusing on making us feel the way we all individually felt when we first fell in love with Apple.
You Know Who Angela Ahrendts Reminds Me Of in Those Interviews? This Guy.
Your Turn
Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear from you. I’m here to read, listen, and learn from YOUR PERSPECTIVE. Comments are open. So let’er rip!
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