Category Archives: Google

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Mark Zuckerberg’s 5 Point Plan for Facebook’s Future Growth and Mobile Domination

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Facebook mobile app iPhone

Facebook Mobile App iPhone

Facebook released its 2014 Q2 earnings report on July 23rd. Here are some mind-boggling financial performance factoids from Reed Albergotti's Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article:

  • $2.91 billion in revenue (a 61% increase); $791 million in net income
  • $2.68 billion in revenue from advertising (a 67% increase)
  • Mobile advertising accounts for 62% of advertising revenue (up from 59% in 2014 Q1 and 41% in 2013 Q2)

Remember concerns about Facebook arriving late to the mobile advertising party two years ago? How quickly sentiments can change. Here's Reed Albergotti's Wall Street Journal (WSJ) video review of Facebook's Q2 2014 financial performance: 

 

I've reviewed numerous articles explaining how and why Facebook continues transforming and reinventing itself under Mark Zuckerberg's visionary leadership (including but not limited to):

Noticeable patterns / themes in these articles give clues to Facebook's and Zuckerberg's long term corporate strategy.

  • Facebook's (and others') future global growth requires investment in global wireless infrastructure
  • Mobile applications will continue driving Facebook's capabilities
  • Strategic acquisitions are for building future (even moonshot) competitive advantages
  • When you're big, innovation doesn't come as easily as before (even for Facebook)
  • Proving digital marketing delivers positive ROI is a key strategy driver 

Here's my take on the Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook 5-Point Plan for Future Growth and Mobile Dominance:

1. Bring Internet Access to the Other Two-Thirds of the World

Zuckerberg described in his July 2014 WSJ article how roughly 2.7 billion people currently have Internet access. That sounds like a lot, but the majority of the world lacks connectivity. He knows Facebook's future growth is tied to increasing and sustainable investment in wireless infrastructure. The phrase "a rising tide lifts all boats" takes on significant implications not only for Facebook but also for its competitors.

Here are some key quotes from his article: 

"Bringing the other two-thirds of the world online will enable them to invent and create new things that benefit us, too."

"Not only do the vast majority of people have no access to the Internet, but even more surprisingly, Internet adoption is growing by less than 9% each year. That's very slow considering how early we are in its development and that rate is only slowing further."

"The challenge for our industry will be to develop models for Internet access that make data more affordable while enabling mobile operators to continue growing and investing in a sustainable way. Efforts like Internet.org — a global partnership founded by Facebook and other technology leaders –are already under way to solve this by working with operators to provide free basic Internet services to people."

Here's a great 2013 CNN interview with Zuckerberg describing Internet.org (my apologies for any commercials preceding the interview):

  

2. Make Facebook THE Killer Mobile App

Flurry (the mobile ad and analytics firm Yahoo recently acquired for $200 – $300 million) says mobile users spend 17% of their time on their phones in Facebook's app. This metric shows Facebook's mobile app is the most popular app on iOS and Android devices. Facebook's Q2 2014 Quarterly Financial Reporting slides show a consistent, steady climb in daily and monthly mobile users:

 

Q2 2014 Facebook Mobile Daily Users

Q2 2014 Facebook Mobile Daily Users
 
Q2 2014 Facebook Mobile Monthly Users

Q2 2014 Facebook Mobile Monthly Users

Zuckerberg knows consumers live in a mobile, one-screen world. The only screen users care about is the one in front of them. That's why Facebook's mobile apps have to deliver simple, fast, and seamless user experiences. 

Based on these mobile user numbers and the percentage of Q2 2014 revenues generated from mobile advertising, Zuckerberg and Facebook nailed it. And, speaking of killer, seamless, mobile apps …

3. Acquire Mobile Platforms (and Emerging Ones) that Increase Short Term / Long Term Competitive Advantages

In April 2012, Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion. They recently acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in February 2014.  March 2014 marked the acquisition of Oculus VR (a virtual reality headset company) for $2 billion. 

Zuckerberg views virtual reality as the next communication platform. It will be fun to track how Facebook leverages Oculus' technologies beyond gaming. Until then, here's a graphic from Austin Carr's Fast Company article showing the 700 million Instagram and WhatsApp users resulting from these acquisitions:

Facebook's Portfolio of Brands and Monthly Users

Facebook Brand Portfolio Illustrations:Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger by Marco Goran Romano

4. Give New Innovations Time to Develop (even if patience contradicts The Hacker Way)

Zuckerberg's brainchild employees 7,000 people. Even at Facebook, creativity and innovation slowed under increasing bureaucracy and jockeying for resources (in both talent and money). Stringent metrics and timelines meant new products had little time to improve post-launch.  

That's why Creative Labs is vital to Facebook's future innovations (and talent retention). Zuckerberg created it as a separate division in February 2014. It operates outside of Facebook's traditional product management processes with looser time constraints. That level of freedom and "small-team feeling" produced Paper, the mobile app for reading an responding to the News Feed.

Even Facebook "likes" innovations from skunkworks — cool twist or reinvention of The Hacker Way.

 

Facebook Creative Labs Image

Facebook Creative Labs

5. Prove Digital Marketing Results in Positive ROI

Facebook's successful foray into Mobile App Install Ads, and the experiments it's running with the Facebook Buy Button show how simplifying the consumer buying process results in higher conversion (and that elusive digital marketing ROI).

It's mobile phone, 1-Click Shopping:

 

Facebok Mobile App Install Ads

Facebok Mobile App Install Ads

In Austin Carr's Fast Company article describing the resounding success of Facebook's mobile app install ads, developers love this advertising medium because:

  • Promoted apps are no longer dependent on App Store "Top 10 popularity contents"
  • These targeted newsfeed advertisements are based on a Facebook's user's history
  • 1-Click shopping simplifies buying for Facebook users
  • 1-Click shopping simplifies customer conversion for the advertiser

This advertising medium has resulted in 350 million app installations (Carr estimates this equates to almost $1 billion in revenue). He cites one mobile gaming CEO who invests 75% of his marketing budget in Facebook mobile install app ads because they drive $70,000 in revenues per day.

 

Facebook Tests Buy Button

Facebook Tests Buy Button

If the experiments with the Buy Button prove fruitful, Facebook can validate the ROI value of digital marketing in not only building awareness, but also in converting eCommerce sales. Here are direct quotes from the experts:

Debra Aho Williamson of eMarketer: 

"With this step, Facebook is becoming even more firmly established as a major player in direct response advertising, and though this test is still only a test, it's a definite sign that Facebook wants to restart its efforts to become an e-commerce company as well."

Josh Constine of TechCrunch:

"If the test is successful and rolls out, Facebook could eventually earn money on the feature by charging a fee or revenue share in exchange for processing payment and improving conversion rates. It could also use the purchases to prove return on investment to advertisers, encouraging them to buy bigger campaigns."

Closing Thoughts

Mark Zuckerberg is the next Steve Jobs (along with Sergey Brin and Larry Page). I was publicly criticized for making that statement more than three years ago. He is a visionary leader. Remember how Facebook originally started out as a desktop application? That's what makes its reinvention as an industry leader and emerging pioneer in the mobile space so impressive.

And, it only took two (2) years! I can't wait to see what's next as Zuck & Company keep moving fast and breaking things.

 

 

Did You Enjoy This Post?

If yes, please share it with your friends and subscribe to my blog. Many Thanks!

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He thinks and writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy in his personal blog, Social Media ReInvention. Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+. 

 

Photo Credit via flickr

Photo Credit via TechCrunch

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4 Questions Our Futures Depend On from CTRL ALT Delete by Mitch Joel

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Mitch Joel CTRL ALT Delete Book

Do You Want Want to Be Employable in the Next 5 Years?

If Yes, Grab Some Coffee (Because This is a Long Post).  Social Media ReInvention Community Members know of the tremendous respect I hold for Mitch Joel.  His books and art have tremendous influence on my marketing strategy and creative perspective. 

CTRL ALT Delete Is a Gift on 21st Century Career Leadership and Opportunity Management.  Mitch frames and delivers his compelling arguments in two (2) sections:

1.  Reboot: Business – The 5 Massive Movements

2. Reboot: You – The 7 Triggers

Yes, his book describes corporate and marketing strategy opportunities impacting organizations (big or small).  Yes, his book contains important personal branding / personal reputation implications.

But, all twelve (12) principles focus on individually identifying and framing opportunity (and having the collective or individual courage to pursue it).  

We All Have the Opportunity to Differentiate Ourselves and Lead.  CTRL ALT Delete's resounding themes are to:

  • Take the Initiative
  • Take Intelligent Risks (i.e., Embrace the Squiggle)
  • Differentiate Yourself (because the opportunities are highest in THIS era)  

That's why our futures depend upon studying and practicing CTRL ALT Delete's teachings.  Others with vaster audiences and authority than mine share that opinion.  

Invest in Yourself and Buy CTRL ALT Delete. Here are four (4) important questions Mitch Joel asks about building competitive advantages to reboot our organizations and individual careers: 

How Are We Building Direct Relationships with Our Customers, Fans, and Connections?

Creating a Unique Competitive Advantage.  Direct relationships as a competitive advantage (versus price) is best described by these CTRL ALT Delete quotes (page 11) on how Apple executes its retail strategy:

The solution for Apple was to create a "cradle to the grave" business model where the customer is–at every touch point–directly speaking with Apple's brand.  A true, direct relationship–in every sense of the word.  Apple could not win on price (their computers and other devices are usually much more expensive than their competition's), so they had to win by being there for the consumer and by making these consumers a part of a more complete brand ecosystem.

At the time that Apple first launched retail stores in 2001, the common practices among retailers was to cram each nook and cranny of space with merchandise to maximize the sales per square foot.  Sadly most retailers (and businesses) still hold on to the traditional thinking.  For Apple, it was less about every square foot of retail space and much more about evey square inch of the direct relationship. Apple didn't start in the retail business to compete with other consumer electronics stores; they went into retail for the direct relationship with their customers.  Apple's attitude was: "Why give that power to Best Buy or anyone else?"

Apple Hired Angela Ahrendts Because of Her Ability to Build and Nurture Direct Consumer Relationships.  Angela Ahrendts hiring as Senior Vice President of Retail is Apple's signal to re-engage its devoted following.   Her retail philosophy is grounded on the ability to feel, empathize, and become a brilliant brand ambassador.  That's the foundation for direct and strong consumer relationships (from Austin Carr's October 15, 2013 Fast Company article):

"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."

"Don't sell! NO! Because that is a turnoff."

 

 

 

 

 

Converse Directly With Your Connections and Followers. Don't just tweet out links and "like" stuff. Mitch's observations about building direct relationships highly applies to our personal social network connections.  For example, participating in Twitter by sharing links your followers find helpful is a starting point for establishing authority and reputation.  

But, if you want to "own and nurture" a long-term direct relationship, you have to directly converse with your followers.  Mitch talks in depth about this concept throughout the book.  These types of direct conversations are powerful and solidify lifelong loyalty and relationships:

Twitter Conversation Mitch and Tony

How are You Building Competitive Advantage in a One-Screen World?

Check Out Mitch's Video Sharing Several Factoids on Mobile Trends:

  • In 1999: 38 million people had broadband Internet. Today: 1.2 billion have on their mobile phones.
  • Facebook has half of its nearly 150 million daily visits from mobile.
  • More people have a mobile subsciption than access to safe drinking water and electricity in our world today.
  • 200+ million tablets will be sold in 2013.
  • 23.1% of U.S. internet traffic comes from mobile devices.

 

Real-World Case Example: Apple Acquires Topsy.  The rationale for the Apple-Topsy acquisition comes straight from this section in CTRL ALT Delete: The One Screen World – The Shift From Four Screens Down to One (pages 90 -109). 

The entire chapter describes how consumers operate in a mobile, one-screen world. The only screen consumers care about is "the one currently staring them in the face."

Mitch further makes a compelling argument: The most important consumer screen resides on our smartphones.

Twitter Is Mobile, Untethered, and One-Screen Savvy.  It's a social media platform focused on telling Apple WHAT We're Thinking WHEN We're Thinking AND WHERE We're Thinking It.  This November 2013 Bloomberg-Businessweek article describes how the Twitter API, its meta data, and tweets provide rich consumer data. 

Here are Mitch's thoughts on Twitter and the one-screen world (from page 99 of CTRL ALT Delete):

"Twitter's metoric rise and continued success have less to do with how many followers Lady Gaga has and much more to do with the fact that it was the first-ever online social network that worked better on mobile than it does on the Web.  The sheer simplicity of those 140 characters of tweets makes it that much more workable and easy for consumers.  Twitter's focus (from day one) was on connecting people as they were on the go.  To this day, everything that Twitter does — from acquisitions to business strategy — is driven by a one-screen-world philosophy." 

Consumers, Followers, and Connections Expect and Demand Immediate, Real-Time Responsiveness.  Communicating and responding with our respective audiences with real-time immediacy is now a competitive differentiator (in both our professional and private lives).  According to the eMarketer article: Key Trends for 2014: Always On Means Always Social, mobile, social networking via our smartphones and tablets will continue driving our "real-time" communications:

 

Key Trends for 2014 Always On Means Always Social - eMarketer

eMarketer: Key Trends for 2014 – Always On Means Social

Whether we like it or not, consumers (and personal connections) expect us to be there in real-time with the right message, at the right time, in the right place.

How are We Differentiating Ourselves as Critical Thinkers?

A Personal Blog = Personal Competitive Advantage. The Internet affords anyone with a laptop and broadband access an opportunity to stand out.  But, we often allow ourselves to be defined by our current job titles and bullet points on our resumes.  That's a mistake.

Mitch thinks strategically and critically.  In a social media age, when most tweets or Facebook status updates provide diminishing returns on our attention, the opportunity to differentiate ourselves as entrepreneurial, credible, forward-looking strategic, critical thinkers has never been higher.

Writing a personal blog allows you to maintain an identity separate from your employer (i.e., it's a portable asset).  Dorie Clark, in her great book, Reinventing You, defines a personal blog as valuable, intellectual property showcasing individual expertise by:  

1. Showing how you think

2. Demonstrating your individual creativity

3. Making it easy for a potential employer / great connection to find you (e.g., SEO benefits)

4. Giving you practice in an important and portable business skill set — writing

5. Proving you're technology and Internet savvy  

6. Informing people first-hand how you're driven to learn new skills

Isn't Blogging Supposed to be Dead?  Hardly.  As Mitch points out in the section, "Your Life in Startup Mode," a personal blog describes important aspects about ourselves that a resume fails to represent:


(page 227) "You're writing to exercise your critical thinking skills."

(page 225) "But for the purpose of this book, I'll define a blog as an online journal of your work.  The spirit of the blog is to create a living and breathing resume and portfolio of how you think and work."

(page 224) "I still believe that a blog is a canvas that allows you to think, share, and connect with an audience." 

(page 228) "Because if you care enough to blog, it means that you have something to say.  If you have something to say and you're blogging it, it means that you want to share and connect.  Ultimately, the world needs more people like that."


Seth Godin and Tom Peters on Why We Should Blog.  This classic video from two great marketing teachers on why blogging matters deserves viewing:

 

 

What is the Legacy and the Value You are Ultimately Delivering and Leaving?

Pages 190 and 193 from The Marketing of You explain the ultimate goal for connecting (online or face-to-face):

(page 190) "There's nothing wrong with asking for help, but you will always see a more positive result if you start by delivering value first—by being valuable to others before asking them for favors.  Give abundantly and be helpful."

(page 193) "True influence comes from connecting to individuals, nurturing those relationships, adding real value to other people's lives, and doing anything and everything to serve them, so that when the time comes for you to make a request, there is someone there to lend a hand. Worry less about how many people you are connected to, and worry a whole lot more about who you are connected to—who they are and what you are doing to value and honor them (in their spaces)."

That sounds like a great philosophy towards achieving professional and personal fulfillment.

 

Did You Enjoy This Post?

If yes, please share it with your friends and subscribe to my blog. Many Thanks!

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He thinks and writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy in his personal blog, Social Media ReInvention. Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+. 

 

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3 Ways to Show Appreciation for Others in an Uncertain Job Market

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High 5 on a Bike

High Five on a Bike

 

Do You Hate Your Job?  Americans Do — A Lot.

15% of Americans Surveyed Hate Their Jobs — The Highest in a Global Survey. According to research and the following infographic by Yahoo Finance, Monster Worldwide, and GFK, American workers are the most dissatisfied among seven (7) global countries.  31% of Americans workers rated themselves as "satisfied."

Yahoo Finance Infographic - Americans #1 in Hating Their Jobs

Yahoo Finance Infographic: Americans #1 in Hating Their Jobs

The following image from Sydney Brownstone's Fast Company article highlights describes the seven country respondent breakdown:

 

Fast Company - Americans Hate Their Jobs the Most

Image from Sydney Brownstone's Fast Company Article: Everyone In The World Hates Their Jobs–But Americans Hate Theirs The Most

Have We Forgotten How to Show Our Appreciation for Others?

Possible Root Causes Americans Hate Their Jobs Compared to Other Countries.  Ms. Brownstone cites these facts:

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.    

Do americans feel appreciated at work - Google Search

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 … 

2. Using the Email CC: to Praise Versus CYA.  Email was the first social network.  Warner Bros. released this hit twenty-two years before The Social Network: 

 

 

Thank Teammates AND Inform Their Bosses of How Much We Appreciate a Job Well Done.  How about using email to:

  • Let others know the important difference they made during an important client pitch
  • Acknowledge the extra efforts made to craft a simple storyline to a complex, final deliverable
  • Show gratefulness when another teammate opens doors to contacts relevant to our sales and business development efforts

AND, inform that person's boss and other key management team members of this teammate's significant contribution via the email CC:.  

A subject line stating: "Thank You for a Job Well Done" isn't half bad either.

3. Spreading Kindness Via Twitter's #FF #FollowFriday.  Twitter isn't considered much of a "bright and shiny object" anymore.  But, I'm still a believer (as are others).   

#FF or #FollowFriday Is a Great Way to Acknowledge People / Organizations Who Give Versus Take.  Take time to personalize a tweet stating why you think others should follow other helpful individuals or organizations.  On The Internet, random acts of kindness equal great karma: 

 

Twitter #FF #FollowFriday Example

#FF #FollowFriday

 

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 address these 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.

Thank You to the wonderful people I connect online with everyday.  YOU show me why the power of The Internet and direct relationships matter.

 

May You and Your Families Have a Safe & Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy for organizations and individuals in his marketing strategy blog, Social Media ReInvention.  Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+. 

Photo Credit: by sfbike via flickr

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Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling: Lessons in Compelling Simplicity from Skype and Google

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Jumping for Joy on a Beach

Yay! — Jumping for Joy

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:

  

 

Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling Drive the Skype and Google Reunion Videos

The 22 Pixar Rules of Storytelling Visualized.  Here the link to Pixar's 22 Rules of Story Telling Visualized written by Joe Berkowitz and published by Fast Company (hat tip to Ann Handley).  You can also find Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling Visualized from this Slideshare presentation by Gaby 8A:

 

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.

But, Simple is Hard.


Work Your Ass Off to Craft and Deliver Simple Stories and Themes.   I'm reading and studying Peter Coughter's brilliant book, The Art of The Pitch.  I learned about it through this Mitch Joel podcast: SPOS #296 — The Art of the Pitch with Peter Coughter. 

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."

Skype and Google "Keep It Tight" 

I Stole That Line From Ann Handley. Ann's post, Lessons From Skype, Your Story is About People (Not Technology) explains this concept better than I can:

"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."

 
Multiple and Complex Backstories in Both Videos are "Kept Tight."  Dan Lyons published this amazing post on the HubSpot Blog analyzing why The Google Reunion video is so compelling.  More importantly, Dan describes the important historical context between Pakistan and India that's seamlessly weaved into the storyline.  

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.  

 

Simple Stories to Make Us Cry

I published this January 2012 post: Google's Marketing Reinvention — Tell Us Stories That Make Us Cry to analyze Google's use of video to reinvent its corporate image.  Lorraine Twohill, Google's Global Head of Marketing, described her goals to transform consumer perceptions of Google as "a place of cold engineers:"


"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.    

"And, what's wrong with that …"

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy for organizations and individuals in his marketing strategy blog, Social Media ReInvention.  Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+. 

 

 Photo Credit by Nicholas Chan via flickr

 

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57 Resources to Help College Graduates Land that First Marketing Job

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The Number 57

57 Resources to Help College Graduates Land that First Marketing Job

How CONFIDENT are YOU in LANDING a JOB After Graduation?

Low Confidence? Most college students would say things look bleak for finding full-time work after graduating.  According to the CNBC article, Job Picture Looks Bleak for 2013, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), plans to hire only 2.1% more graduates from the class of 2013 than from the class of 2012.

A Significant Gap Between Student and Employer Expectations.  Furthermore, a recent Business Insider article shares survey results from the academic services company, Chegg describing skills assessments by both college students and potential entry-level employers. In multiple skills areas (especially those relating to writing and critical thinking), college students are overestimating their skill levels and preparedness for business success in the following areas:

  • Writing to summarize results and convey information
  • Writing to communicate ideas or explain informaton clearly
  • Incorporating information to develop strategic insights


57 Resources to Land that First Marketing Job

There's Hope, If You're Willing to Put in the Work.  These various resources are categorized to aid recent college graduates who majored in marketing and communications (or current students majoring in these fields) during their full-time job search (or an internship search for current students).

These resources (along with resources from previous posts in this series) can give recent graduates ideas, strategies, and tactics providing a competitive advantage not only in the job search but also in developing several of the requisite skills and knowledge employers say recent graduates lack.

The categories are listed below with a make-shift table of contents:

  • Resource 1: Your Online Portfolio, Evan Kirsch and FolioMatch.com
  • Resources 2 – 9: Resources / Ideas from Tom Peters, Seth Godin, Mitch Joel, and David Meerman Scott
  • Resources 10 – 18: Career Success Ideas from Dan Schawbel for Young People and Millenials  
  • Resources 19 – 20: Job Search 101
  • Resources 21 – 28: Interviewing 101 (and Beyond)
  • Resources 29 – 30: Using Twitter's Real-Time Capabilities to Power Your Job Search
  • Resources 31 – 46: 21st Century Marketing and Communications: Walk-the-Walk and Talk-the-Talk
  • Resources 47 – 49: LinkedIn
  • Resources 50 – 51: Preparing Your Resume
  • Resources 52 – 57: Inspiration on Demand

Resources 2 – 57 are in no particular ranking or order. I included numbers to track the number of items and subsequently group them with some logic.  

Plus, having a high number for list-type blog post titles is scientifically proven to attract more readers.

 

Start Here — Number 1: Your Online Portfolio, Evan Kirsch and FolioMatch.com

1. FolioMatch.com. FolioMatch.com is the Kansas City-based brainchild of its President and CEO Evan Kirsch.  I met Evan during the 2012 UMKC Regnier Family Foundation Venture Creation Challenge.  UMKC's Henry W. Bloch School Management honored him as its 2012 Student Entrepreneur of the Year.  

Why Evan and FolioMatch.com are Number 1.  Evan created this company for an honorable mission and intent: To Put America's Young People To Work by Helping College Graduates Land that Ever-Elusive First Job.

Addressing Unmet Needs. FolioMatch.com fulfills HUGE unmet needs for young people who may have recently graduated, will graduate in Spring 2014, or are current college students seeking internship opportunities while in school:

  • Providing a living/breathing, on-demand online portfolio capturing all relevant projects, class assigments, internship deliverables / work products, accomplishments, awards, etc. throughout a college student's four-year college career
  • Devoting a career-focused, portfolio-centric, social network for a narrow audience (college students AND ambitious high school students)

I Think the World of Evan Kirsch and FolioMatch.com.  About a year and a half ago, I remember having lunch with him and listening to him passionately describe what drives him to make FolioMatch.com successful (at the time of our lunch the company was orignially named Folioboy.com):  

  • It isn't money
  • It isn't glory
  • It isn't fame

Evan founded FolioMatch.com because he genuinely believes:

Helping Others is THE HONORABLE WAY to Lead One's Life.  

I'm admiringly jealous of his guts to accomplish so much at young age.  20+ years ago, I lacked Evan's unshakeable vision, heart, passion, and resolve.  But, I'm working on that (because it's never too late to commit to becoming a remarkable artist).

Here's a video describing FolioMatch.com:

FolioMatch Introduction from FolioMatch Team on Vimeo.

Here's a video Evan and FolioMatch.com created to inspire talented, hungry, and go-getter millenials to embrace their call-to-action to create something remarkable via entrepreneurship:

FOLIO MATCH and MO CHALLENGE from FolioMatch Team on Vimeo.

From the Video.  "We started FolioMatch to be a one-stop resource for a student to keep track of all the projects they've completed over the years. Since then we have started sponsoring educational challenges so that we could help boost the content of students' portfolios."

  

Required Full Disclosure / Am I Receiving Any Money / Am I Receiving Any Equity / Am I an Advisory Board Member and other Boilerplate B.S. I Have to Write For Speaking So Highly of Evan and FolioMatch.com. I receive zero, nada, nothing, and any other cliche, etc. in financial compensation for talking up Evan and FolioMatch.com.  

I'm writing about Evan/his company because he leads a committed/dedicated tribe who rightfully deserves it.  I'm spreading the word about Evan and FolioMatch.com because it's THE RIGHT THING TO DO.  

And, that makes me feel good …

… please spread the word about Evan, his company, and FolioMatch.com's honorable mission.

If you're a college student (or an ambitious high school student), go to the FolioMatch.com site and register.

If you're a parent who's worried your son/daughter who graduates from college in Spring 2014 may face difficulty in this brutal job market (because the odds are he/she will), go to the FolioMatch.com site and register.

If you're a Spring 2013 college graduate and you're still actively looking for that first gig, go to the FolioMatch.com site and register.  Learning how to leverage LinkedIn to your advantage during your job search is important.  But, it takes more to win an interview slot AND stand out among thousands of applicants.

 

Resources / Ideas from the Best Marketing and Communications Teachers:  Tom Peters, Seth Godin, Mitch Joel, and David Meerman Scott

Common themes running through the resources 2 – 9 are entrepreneurial hustle and creativity. Standing out in an unfavorable economy within an ocean of candidates requires the courage and true grit to aggressively market yourself.

2. Tom Peters / Fast Company: The Brand Called YOU: This August 1997 article is the original classic highlighting the rising importance of personal branding.  Mr. Peters was ahead of his time in publishing and describing these timeless career management principles.

3. Seth Godin: Graduate school for unemployed college students

4. Seth Godin and Inc.com: 5 Ways to be Known as a Groundbreaking Thinker

5. Mitch Joel: 8 Ways to Score that Elusive Entry Level Marketing Position

6. Mitch Joel: 20 Best Marketing Books of All Time: Mitch literally posted this article a few days ago. He's often asked what are the best marketing books he recommends studying.  If you go to the comments section of his article, you'll see four (4) additional recommendations I suggested.  I would also add Six Pixels of Separation and Ctrl Alt Delete to this list (because the author of these classics is a pretty cool dude).

7. David Meerman Scott: Lindsey shows how to market to millenials and how to get a first job: David's blog post describing how Lindsey Kirchoff aggressively and uniquely marketed herself personifies her entrepreneurial hustle an creativity.

Here's a great video David filmed with Lindsey Kirchoff (who started working full-time with HubSpot's Content Creation & Blogging Team in September 2012):

 

 

8. David Meerman Scott: Tough love for marketing & PR job seekers

9. David Meerman Scott: 5 ideas for marketing and communications professors' success in the classroom

Bonus. David Meerman Scott — Inbound Job Search: David published this video on December 2nd. He shares five (5) inspiring stories about people publishing creative and remarkable content to win dream jobs.  One of the stories is how his daughter, Allison Meerman Scott, leveraged her personal blog to differentiate herself from thousands of outstanding Columbia University undergraduate applicants to win admission!

 

Dan Schawbel: Have the Courage to Promote Yourself (Because It's a Good Thing)


No one understands more about personal branding for young people than Dan Schawbel. It's why I literally carved out a "Dan Section" highlighting his work.  The man knows what he's talking about so take his advice seriously.

I do. And, even though he's 20 years younger, I believe his teachings apply to any age group or professional experience level.  He's the epitome of entrepreneurial hustle

10. Dan Schawbel and Forbes.com: My 10 Best Pieces of Career Advice for Millenials

11. Dan Schawbel: Top 5 Job Search Tips for Millenials

12. Dan Schawbel and Time.com: Somebody's Gotta Get Hired, Right? 6 Tips to Help New Grads Land Job Offers  

13. Mitch Joel and Dan Schawbel (from Six Pixels of Separation – The Podcast): SPOS #379 — Dan Schawbel Wants You to Promote Yourself  

14. Dan Schawbel and Time.com: How Recruiters Use Social Networks to Make Hiring Decisions Now  

15. Dan Schawbel and Forbes.com: How Globalization and Social Media has Impacted the US Economy

16. Dan Schawbel: Millenial Branding and Student Employment Gap Study

17. Dan Schwabel and Forbes.com: 5 Reasons Why Your Online Presence Will Replace Your Resume in 10 Years

18. Dan Schawbel and Time.com: The End of the Full-Time Salaried Job

 

Job Search 101

These Mashable articles do a great job in describing the basics AND the things to do to stand out. The common theme here is "put in the work." No magical formulas. Just get to work.

19. Mashable: 35 Surefire Ways to Stand Out During Your Job Search

20. Mashable: How to Nail Your Entry-Level Job Search


Interviewing 101 (and Beyond)

The common theme throughout these articles: Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Do this and you'll eliminate 50% – 60% of your competition before walking in the room.

21. Fast Company: How to Nail Your Next Phone Interview

22. Lou Adler and LinkedIn Today: Moneyball for Job-seekers: How to Increase Your Interviewing Odds

23. Lou Adler and LinkedIn Today: Five Things You Must Not Do in an Interview and Five Things You Must Not

24. James Caan and LinkedInToday: The 3 Questions People Always Forget to Ask During Job Interviews

25. James Caan and LinkedIn Today: 5 Ways to Avoid Losing Out on that Dream Job

26. Mashable: INFOGRAPHIC — Top Job Search Mistakes Millenials Make and How to Fix Them

27. Mashable: 6 Job Interview Questions and Answers to Avoid

28. Lea McCleod, M.A.: 5 Big Reasons New College Grads are Failing the Job Search

 

Creative Ways to Use Twitter in Your Job Search 

When it comes to real-time news and responsiveness, there's Twitter and then there's everybody else. Leverage its real-time capabilities to your advantage. Finding out about that open, entry-level position before other candidates is a competitive advantage.


29. Mashable: How a 140-Character Twitter Resume Could Land Your Next Job

30. 20 Twitter Resources for Job Hunters

 

21st Century Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations Knowledge

Talk the Talk Like Seasoned Marketing Pros. The interviewing team will deem you credible only if you "speak their language."  Therefore, learn how to speak it.  Learn about the movements impacting marketing now (and in the future).

You don't have to memorize vocabulary lists by rote. But, you have to credibly demonstrate your awareness of how marketing, communications, and public relations are constantly changing.

Walk the Walk Like Seasoned Marketing Pros. The following resources provide ideas and suggestions for developing skills in writing, storytelling, and critical thinking.  Remember, the Internet turns every moment before, during, and after a job interview into a show-me you're different opportunity — Take the Initiative and Take the Advantage.

21st Century Marketing and Communications Fundamentals Bootcamp


31. HubSpot Inbound Marketing Blog: You Were Too Embarrassed to Google (But Should Definitely Know)

32. HubSpot Inbound Marketing Blog

33. HubSpot Academy 

Content Marketing

34. Marketing Profs Daily Fix Blog

35. Content Marketing Institute Blog


Online, Digital, eCommerce Future Trends and Patterns

36. The Mitch Joel Six Pixels of Separation Podcasts on iTunes (and their free)

37. eMarketer Articles

Blogging

38. Copyblogger Blog

39. Darren Rowse: PROBLOGGER Blog


Measurement and Analytics

40. Occam's Razor Blog By Avinash Kaushik

41. The Future Buzz Blog by Adam Singer

42. Google Analytics Blog

43. Google Analytics Academy

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

44. Rand Fishkin's MOZ Blog

45. The MOZ Blog

46. Danny Sullivan's SearchEngineLand.com Blog

 

LinkedIn

47. Forbes: 7 Ways to Make LinkedIn Help You Find a Job

48. Forbes: 5 LinkedIn Strategies You Haven't Thought of Before: the suggestion to use LinkedIn showing you've researched a company's competitors and the point of "sales reinforcement" has powerful applications in a job interview

49. Lou Adler and LinkedIn Today: Networking Rules for Job Seekers — The Good, The Bad, and The Almost Perfect

Preparing Your Resume 

50. Mashable: Why You Need Several Versions of Your Resume

51. LinkedIn Labs Resume Builder: This handy app transforms your LinkedIn Profile into a PDF resume. Therefore, fill out your LinkedIn profile with as much detail as you can. 

Inspiration On Demand 

52. to 55. LinkedIn Influencers — My First Job Job Series: If you're getting down on yourself during the process, GO HERE IMMEDIATELY. Everyone had to start out somewhere. That includes some of the world's most influential movers & shakers in every industry.  

Don't believe me?  Here are some samples how:

My First Job. I started out as an unpaid, summer laboratory tech intern / dishwasher at The Washington University School of Medicine.  Luckily for me, the department's head researcher paid me that fall because my boss said I was a good guy.

56. Jonathan Fields — The Good Life Project: Jonathan is an A-List entrepreneur and a person driven to help others succeed personally and professionally via entrepreneurship.  His video interviews are inspiring.

I subscribe to his free podcasts on iTunes and listen to them repeatedly.

Check out this video on overcoming and reframing risk and the fear of failure and judgment.  Pure Gold.


 

 

57. Video: Best Day of My Life (Dog Version) by American Authors: Trust me, this video will make you feel soooooo good after watching it no matter how bad you feel. And, it's probably why American Authors are my new favorite band and why this song is now my all-time favorite.

 

 

Closing Thoughts

This is post five (and the final one) in a series to help new college graduates and current students land full-time jobs or internships.

Here are the respective links for posts 1 to 4:

Your Turn

If you're a college graduate looking for work, a concerned parent, a worried relative, or a current college student, please let me know in the comments if the content here helped (or if it didn't).

What should be kept on this list?  What should be taken off? What resources did I miss?  What should be added?

Please help me in continuously improving this page as a helpful resource to others.

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy for organizations and individuals in his marketing strategy blog, Social Media ReInvention.  Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+. 

Photo Credit by STV Photos via flickr

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Part Two: 4 More Gurus and Their Books Helping Marketing and Communications Graduates Land that First Job

by


Huge Banner Asking What Are You Reading?

What Books Are You Reading to Land Your First Job After College?

 

How Confident are YOU in Finding a Job After Graduation?

A College Degree Is No Longer Enough.  There are no guarantees of employment for new college graduates or current students in today's brutal economy.  A college diploma is now a minimum requirement.  This November 2011 New York Times direct quote describes the current situation:


"A bachelor's degree on its own no longer conveys intelligence or capability."

 

Suggested Authors / Books to Help Undergraduate Marketing Majors Land that First Job After College

These suggested authors / books are not of the "cookie cutter" or "10 easy steps on how-to land your first job out of college / summer internship in a lousy economy" variety.  They share creative ideas to show a potential employer "you're more than a resume and the grades on a college transcript".  Their teachings maximize the Internet's global reach and leverage search engines to your advantage.

In my opinion, if you graduated with a marketing and/or communications degree (or are currently studying these undergraduate majors), the following authors and books are REQUIRED READING.

Note: I am not an Amazon Affiliate Program Member.  I respect the following authors because of their invaluable advice on how to develop a credible and professional online presence.

David Meerman Scott

 

The new rules of marketing and pr book 2

I am eternally grateful for the generosity and mentorship of David Meerman Scott.  It's no exaggeration to say his blog and books ignited my passion to study and write about how The Internet continues flipping marketing and public relations strategy upside down.  His influence, blog, and books forever transformed my marketing strategy thinking.

David Meerman Scott is a marketing strategist, advisor to emerging companies, bestselling author of eight books including three international bestsellers, and a professional speaker on topics including marketing, leadership, and social media.

Why The New Rules of Marketing & PR Matters

The New Rules of Marketing & PR is in its 4th Edition, has sold 300,000+ copies, and is translated in 25 languages.

Marketing and communications students will learn from this book the value of:

  • Thinking Like a Publisher (e.g. managing and creating content as a valuable asset)
  • Tactfully and Skillfully Informing the World About Your Expertise
  • Creating Varieties of Content Demonstrating That Expertise
  • Building, Understanding, and Targeting Your Audience Via Buyer Persona Profiles
  • Commenting on Other Blogs to Build Online Credibility and Relationships
  • Giving Away Your Expertise by Publishing and Distributing Free E-Books

Here's David discussing the latest release of The New Rules of Marketing & PR:

 

And, Speaking of Giving Away Your Expertise …

David published the following e-books to promote The New Rules of Marketing & PR, Real-Time Marketing & PR, and Newsjacking.

He defines an e-Book as:

"An e-book is a PDF-formatted document that identifies a market problem and supplies an answer to the problem.  E-books have a bit of intrigue to them — like hip younger sibling to the nerdy white paper."

If you click on the image captions, the hyperlinks will take you to the respective, eBook PDF download pages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


BONUS: Here are my book reviews for Real-Time Marketing & PR and Newsjacking.

Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman

Content Rules Book Cover

If I've said it once, I've said it 43 other times.  Ann Handley is the best writer and storyteller in the New Media Business.  Her writing and storytelling makes you:

Think …
… Laugh
Cry …
Think Some More ...
… Want Some More

Ann is the Chief Content Officer for MarketingProfs, a phenomenal resource for marketing and business professionals.

Her thoughtful and respected new media, A-List, co-author is C.C. Chapman.   Almost 15,000 Twitter followers can't be wrong (and I'm proud to be one).  C.C. is a trusted advisor to global brands like American Eagle Outfitter, Coca-Cola, HBO, and Warner Bros.

Why Content Rules Matters

Ann and C.C. share clear, actionable advice built on two (2) governing principles:

Thinking and Acting Like a Publisher

Publishing Helpful, Remarkable Content


Content Defined. Words, images, videos comprise content and can take the form of:

  • Web Pages
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Photographs
  • Webinars
  • Whitepapers
  • eBooks
  • Podcasts
  • Presentations
  • Social Outposts (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.)

Learning Through Great Storytelling and Writing. Great writing makes reading Content Rules enjoyable.    And, studying it helps you ask the right questions about content strategy execution:

  1. Goal Setting: Who is Your Audience? What Metrics Will Determine You're Succeeding (or Failing)?
  2. Defining: What Content Type(s) Should You Publish?
  3. Publishing: How Often to Publish (by content type)?  What are the Platform Considerations (i.e., blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, LinkedIn Group discussions, etc.)?
  4. Promoting: How to Share Content (without the cologne of a used car salesman).

More importantly, they share practical advice for budget-constrained marketing teams wondering:

  • How Do We Start?
  • What's the RIGHT Content Strategy for US?

Pages 22 to 24 to the Rescue. The Content Rules of Why & Who (or Grab Your Colleagues, Tons of Sticky Notes, Lots of Paper, and Thrash Through the Following Questions):

  1. Whom are you trying to reach (e.g., your audience, clients, customers)?
  2. Where does your audience spend their online time?
  3. How does your audience access the Web? This may be your team's most important discussion because of mobile-world implications. Your audience's ability to easily and quickly access mobile content (or not), makes or breaks your ability to access increasing mobile content consumption via tablets and smartphones. Mess this up, and your thoughtful answers to questions #1 and #2 may no longer be valid.
  4. What does your audience crave (e.g., content that informs, entertains, something else)?
  5. What do you want your audience to do (e.g., motivate it to do X, figure out the calls-to-action)?
  6. What content do you already have (e.g. take a content inventory)?

Wake Up (because this is a long post, and I can hear you snoring)! How about re-imagining those boring bullets into something differentiating and remarkable:

 

 

How About Some FREE Content Rules SWAG?  Here are two (2) PDF downloads from the Content Rules Website:

  • The Content Rules Blog Post Template
  • The 12-Point Content Rules Checklist

Please email me at tony [dot] faustino [at] gmail [dot] com if you experience downloading problems.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Content Rules Video Update with C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley.  C.C. and Ann made this September 2010 video before the book's release.  It's a great example of practicing what they preach and seeing the human side of great content marketing.  

Content Rules: September 1, 2010 Update from C.C. Chapman on Vimeo.

 

Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah


Inbound marketing book cover

Inbound Marketing: Getting Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah

 

HubSpot is one of the fastest growing, innovative companies in North America.  Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah founded HubSpot in 2006.  These two MIT Sloan School Fellows and MBA graduates lead this 600 employee powerhouse in an honorable mission:  Level the marketing, digital, and sales strategy playing field for small to medium sized businesses. HubSpot epitomizes why the Davids can flank the Goliaths (even with their higher funded marketing budgets).  

Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter may be sexier, mainstream media stories, but HubSpot earns attention by passionately practicing what it preaches. And, they've cultivated and activated a loyal tribal following by publishing remarkable content, teaching analytical rigor, and "firing" their best employees.  

 

 

 


  

 

Why Inbound Marketing Matters

Walk-the Walk and Talk-the-Talk.  Inbound Marketing is the second book I studied about digital marketing strategy (The New Rules of Marketing & PR being the first).  If you're a serious marketing and communications graduate (or current MAR-COMM undergraduate) and want to "rock it" in your interview, you have to study and learn Inbound Marketing's principles COLD.  Published in 2010, Brian and Dharmesh's teachings preceded much of the current and future implications of marketing and digital strategy:

  • Understanding Inbound Marketing fundamentals (versus interruption marketing)

  • Remarkable content — what does that mean?

  • Foundation principles and relevance of inbound links, SEO, Google Authority, Page Rank so potential customers/clients find you (instead of you interrupting them)

  • The underlying principles behind “closed loop” marketing (CLM)

Inbound Marketing provides clues to what a genuine, 21st century digital-driven organization looks for in employees.  Hubspot utilizes its DARC framework when evaluating potential hires:

  • D = Hire Digital Citizens
  • A = Hire for Analytical Chops
  • R = Hire for Web Reach
  • C = Hire Content Creators

If you can't answer the following HubSpot interview questions while simultaneously providing real-time "show-them-the-money" on-screen, digital evidence,  YOU'RE HOSED.  Here are example interview questions from pages 170-171 and page 173 of Inbound Marketing (within the context of your interviewer verifying your answers on her/his laptop, tablet, or smartphone):

Interview Questions Evalutating Depth of Digital Citizenship:

  • What RSS reader do you use?  Can you show it to me?
  • What blogs do you read?
  • Do you rank first for your name in Google?
  • Do you have a blog? Can you show to me?
  • Do you use Facebook or LinkedIn?  When was the last time you updated your profile?
  • Do you have a channel on YouTube? Can you show it to me?

Interview Questions Evaluating Web Reach:

  • How many subscribers to your blog? Do you talk about our industry on your blog or about personal stuff?
  • How many Facebook followers do you have?  Do you talk about our industry at all on your Facebook account?
  • How many LinkedIn followers do you have?
  • How many Twitter followers do you have?  Do you talk about our industry on you Twitter account?

Closing Thoughts

My apologies for not finishing / publishing this post by the originally stated timeline.  My "day job" is crazy/hectic especially as the 2013 4Q ticks away.  That's okay (because that's the job).

Please tune in for the this series's next post: a comprehensive list of online resources (i.e., websites, blogs, blog articles, etc) to help recent college graduates and current college students land full-time jobs or internships.  The HUGE list will easily comprise "20+ Resources."    

Please give me a couple weeks to consolidate this list, provide context, and hit "publish."

Your Turn: What is your opinion of the books listed here?  Have you read any of them?  If so, how did the book(s) content create an opportunity for differentiating yourself either before, during, or after the interview?  What books did I leave off? What additional books would recommend?

Please let me know.  It would be great to hear from you!

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy for organizations and individuals in his marketing strategy blog, Social Media ReInvention.  Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+.

 

Note: This is post four in a series sharing resources to help new college graduates and current students land full-time jobs or internships.  If interested, here are links to other posts in this series:

 

Photo Credit: by Pop Culture Geek via flickr

 

Related articles

 

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Should College Graduates and Current Undergraduates Learn LinkedIn?

Part One: 4 Gurus with Books Helping New College Graduates Build a Professional Online Presence

A Public Fan Letter to David Meerman Scott

LinkedIn's Grad Guide Videos: 13 Pearls to Help Recent College Graduates Find Jobs

A Public Fan Letter to Mitch Joel

 

 

Posted on

HubSpot 2012 State of Inbound Marketing: 7 Reasons Blogs ROCK!

by

HubSpot Logo

Every year, HubSpot publishes and conducts my two (2) favorite deliverables:

  • HubSpot's 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report AND
  • HubSpot's 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Webinar

Here are the report and the webinar slides from HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Channel on Slideshare:

 

The 2012 State of Inbound Marketing

View more documents from HubSpot Internet Marketing

 

The 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Webinar

View more presentations from HubSpot Internet Marketing

A HUGE shout-out and thank you to HubSpot Team Members Mike Volpe, Melissa Miller, and Maggie Georgieva, for a phenemonal webinar presentation last week!

Last year, I published a post on  lessons I learned from HubSpot's 2011 State of Inbound Marketing Report.  It became one of Social Media ReInvention Blog's most popular 2011 posts.

Blogs Are Not Dead.  Long Live Blogs!  Every year, we hear about blogging's continuing and expected demise in the social media universe.  But, HubSpot's 2011 and 2012 research say otherwise.

Here's a direct quote and Key Conclusion #5 from the 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report:

Businesses are increasingly aware their blog is highly valuable. 81% of businesses rated their company blogs as “useful,” “important” or “critical.” An impressive 25% rated their company blog as “critical” to their business. 


And, there are more fact-based conclusions in the 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report.  Here are seven (7) reasons from HubSpot's data supporting the continuing relevance of blogging.

1. Blogs Are and Remain the Most Important Marketing Channel


Hubspot SOIM 1

59% of Respondents Say Their Blog Is Either "Critical" or "Important" To Their Business.  And, 25% say their blog is "Critical" in importance.  Mike Volpe pointed out an important way to increase your blog's business effectiveness is to clearly specify the call-to-action (CTA).  Remarkable content isn't enough.  Clear and specific CTAs converts inbound leads into paying customers.

Blogs Improve Your SEO and Google Rankings.  Another competitive advantage of blogs is the content marketing benefits blog deliver:

  • A blog functions as the content marketing hub
  • Blogs deliver search engine optimization (SEO) from keywords and anchor text
  • Blogs generate inbound links to your site (which increases your Google ranking)

Read this Social Media Examiner post by Jim Lodico: The Fastest Way to Increase Your Google Ranking.  It's a great resource describing why blogging is vital to any business.

2. The Value of Company Blogs Keeps Increasing

Hubspot SOIM 4

Look Who's The #1 Social Media Channel in Terms of Importance.  It's Blogs!  LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter all ranked in lesser importance.  The hub-and-spoke social media strategy model works with a website or your blog as the center.  Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are short-from outposts guiding customers back to your website or blog (the long-form hub).  

Adam Singer says it best: Social Media is More Than Facebook and Twitter.

3. Blogs Have the Lowest Cost-Per-Lead of Any Marketing Channel
 

Hubspot SOIM 2

52% of Respondents Say blogs are "Below Average" in Cost Per Lead.   Blogs are the most cost efficient lead generation channel (inbound or outbound).  Not surprisingly, trade shows are considered the most expensive.

Here's a direct quote from the respondent survey:


"The worst thing we did in marketing last year was attend several trade shows and events with low yield and ROI."

4. Blogs are Second Only to LinkedIn In Acquiring Customers
 

Hubspot SOIM 3

 

57% of Respondents Say Their Company Blog Acquired Customers.  LinkedIn ranked first in customer acquistion.  62% of respondents validated its effectiveness.  Interesting how "the two least sexy social media channels" ranked first and second respectively.

And, Speaking of Social Media Sexy – Blogs and LinkedIn Outdistanced Facebook and Twitter in Customer Acquisition.  Don't believe the hype that long form content is dead. Or, consumer attention spans last only 140 characters or less.  

Competitive advantage in converting leads to real customers doesn't have to be sexy and flashy.  Blogs and social media are all part of the inbound marketing process called "closed-loop marketing."  

But, making money by acquiring customers is sexy.  

5. More Blog Posts Means More Customers

Hubspot SOIM 5

HubSpot's 2012 Data Shows a Direct Correlation Between Post Frequency and Customer Acquisition.  At a minimum, post at least once-per-week.  But, increasing post frequency from weekly to twice per month provides significant benefits:

  • 50 posts a year goes to 100 posts (that's the equivalent of 100 indexed web pages in Google)
  • An extra 50 posts, means double the number of keywords increasing SEO relevance
  • 50 more web pages mean 5o more opportunities to earn inbound links (and increase Google authority)

Be SEO-Smart with your Blog Posts.  Neil Patel recently published a must-read blog post in The Daily SEO Blog describing 12 Things That Will Kill Your Blog Post Everytime.  Ignore these principles at your peril. 

6. Blogs Are Consistently Effective for Either B2B or B2C Companies

Hubspot SOIM 6

At a Minimum, Your Social Media Strategy MUST Include a Blog.  The data shows blogs rank second in customer acquisition for either B2B or B2C companies.  Number 1 for customer acquisition depended on business-type:

  • B2B: LinkedIn
  • B2C: Facebook

A Killer Social Media Strategy Incorporates at Least Three Customer Acquisition Platforms.  The companies succeeding in social media are the ones who view these channels as customer acquisition weapons.  Based on this data, a three-channel approach geared to customer acquistion by business-type would look like the following:

  • B2B: LinkedIn, Company Blog, Facebook or Twitter
  • B2C: Facebook, Company Blog, Twitter

7. Blogs Level the Playing Field for Small Companies

Hubspot SOIM 7

Small Companies Allocate Almost 4x the Marketing Budget to Blogs Versus Large Companies.  Social media or inbound marketing channels are where small companies invest their marketing budget (i.e., social, SEO or organic search, and blogs).  Large companies prefer outbound channels (i.e., trade shows, PPC or paid search, or direct mail).

This data isn't surprising especially in light of Seth Godin's explanation of "mass" consumerism and marketing in his book, We Are All Weird.    Increasingly, companies pursue one of two strategies:

  • Small Companies = Niche
  • Large Companies = Mass

If you're a small company, your products or services are probably part of the niche market place. Use your blog as competitive advantage in the long tail of search.  

Closing Thoughts

  • What are your thoughts on the relevance of blogging? 
  • How does your use of blogging align with or differ from HubSpot's data?
  • How do you use your blog in customer acquisition or retention?

Please let me know with your comments! 

 

Link to Photo Credit by Steve Garfield via flickr 

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Social Media Expertise, Part 5: Three Qualities of a Great LinkedIn Answer

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LinkedIn Pen

I want to thank Social Media ReInvention Blog Community members for poking around the content in this five-post blog series (sorry if that sounded like an Academy Awards acceptance speech).  

Google Analytics and Feedburner show this series generated noticeable traffic.  Thank you for stopping by — it means a lot to me!

3 Qualities of a Great LinkedIn Answer

I participated in answering the following question on LinkedIn Answers: What Would Be Your Suggestions for a New Joinee of LinkedIn.  Take a look at the first two replies.  Both answers share the following qualities of a helpful and thoughtful response: 

1. Be Helpful. Be Nice.  The conversational tone you choose to take is extremely important.  Your tone is just as important as your answer's substance.  I've participated in answering a number of LinkedIn questions.  And, some of the submitted responses I've seen are self-serving, flippant, and condescending (sometimes bordering on mean-spirited).

That unfortunate behavior is why I think LinkedIn Answers is an often underlooked / undervalued LinkedIn asset.  People are afraid to pose questions because they're scared someone will "call them out."

Don't be one of those people who takes a know-it-all tone.  Be Exceptional. Be Helpful. Be Nice.

2. High Level of Detail.  Both responses share concrete details and examples driving specific actions.  These substantive answers are the exception (not the norm) in most LinkedIn Q&A forums.

3. Share Links and Additional Resources to Support Your Answer.  Whenever possible, provide links to articles, blog posts, Slideshare content, press releases, etc. to support your point-of-view.  Providing additional content reinforces how you're trying to share knowledge (not just your own).  And, that attitude lends more credibility to your response.


6 Benefits of Submitting Great LinkedIn Answers

1. Increasing Your Personal Credibility, Authority, and Visibility. LinkedIn Answers is a great place to start to increase your online visibility and authority in a specific industry or subject. Make it a personal goal to follow through on a daily or weekly basis to answer questions in your chosen categories. 

2. Earning Expertise and Trust Via Best Answer Designations.  LinkedIn Answers is a great example of gamification.  LinkedIn members posing questions have the option to award Best Answer Designations.  Best Answers are social proof personified.  

And, Best Answers designations differentiate your profile from LinkedIn's 150 million+ member profiles! 


LinkedIn Best Answers Badge 1

LinkedIn Best Answers Badge 2

3. Gaining New Social Media Followers (i.e., Blog Subsribers, Twitter Followers, etc.).  When you answer a LinkedIn question, you share personal insights and knowledge.   Crafting and submitting thoughtful LinkedIn Answers (without blatantly selling) is a proven inbound marketing tactic.  It's a classic social media example of giving to receive.

4. Earning a New LinkedIn Connection — Validation From The Person Asking a Question.  Why?  Because, you earn that person's individual trust.  A person posing questions on LinkedIn Answers will usually evaluate both your answer and your LinkedIn Profile (especially if he / she found your response helpful).  The quality of your answer determines if you receive an invite to join his / her network.

5.  Earning a New LinkedIn Connection — Validation From The People Who Answered the Same Question.  Why?  Awarding of a "Best Answer" promotes friendly competition among the respondents.  Remember, the answers are public to all LinkedIn members.  Therefore, the people who who answer questions on LinkedIn Answers are also evaluating both your answer and your LinkedIn Profile (especially if you are awarded the Best Answer). If you impressed one of the responders, you may also receive a LinkedIn invite from him / her.

6. BONUS: Your Answer May Get Published in a Major Online News Publication!  Marla Tabaka,  posed this question two (2) months ago in LinkedIn: How Do Others Successfully Get Your Attention on LinkedIn?  What Intices You to Accept an Invitation.

I and other LinkedIn Members submitted responses.  Marla published selected responses in her great Inc. Magazine article: How To Make Great Connections on LinkedIn.  I'm honored she selected and published my response in her article. 

When you have a chance, check out more of Marla's great content in Inc. Magazine. She personifies publishing helpful and valuable content.

Closing Thoughts

Help Others Because It's The Right Thing To Do.  I've read 41% of The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha.

The underlying theme of this great book is how / why we should help each other.  Why?  Because, it's the right thing to do.

That's what participating in the Internet is genuinely about.  It's about helping others.

Pay It Forward.  Answer someone's question and provide him / her the best guidance you can.  

 

 

Link to Photo Credit by Sheila Scarborough via flickr

 

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Content Curation #2: Three Articles I Evernoted This Week

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Number 3

The Premise / Goal / Timing of This Weekly Feature

Premise.  If you like the content in this blog, you may like the type of content I regularly read and study on the Web.

Goal.  On a weekly basis, I'm going to publish links to three (3) articles I find interesting.  I'll include a brief summary with some bullet points explaining why I think the content is worth consuming.  

Timing.  I'll publish this content every Wednesday / Thursday. 


This Week's Three Evernoted Articles 


1. The Real Way to Build a Social Network (Fortune / CNN Money):  This article is absolute gold. This book excerpt from Reid Hoffman's upcoming book, The Startup of You, provides insights into the networking philosophy of LinkedIn's founder.   I've wish-listed his book in Amazon so I can download the Kindle version immediately upon it's February 14th release.  

Hoffman bases his networking philosophy two (2) basic principles: 

* See the world from the other person's perspective — putting yourself in another person's shoes is the first step to developing an honest connection

* Think about how you can collaborate with and help the other person versus thinking about what you can get out of the relationship — your first move should always be "how can I help."

2. The $1.6 Billion Woman, Staying on Message (The New York Times):  I'm a huge fan of Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg.  In my opinion, she deserves just as much credit (or more) as Mark Zuckerberg in transforming Facebook into an advertising revenue juggernaut.  

I find this article interesting because it emphasizes her multi-faceted role at Facebook:

* Sandberg is the public face of of Facebook.  She's Facebook's corporate amabassador to Wall Street analysts, thought leaders at global forums such as Davos, global government leaders, and global brands (i.e., she's one of the few global corporate leaders who's been to Bentonville, Arkansas twice).

* She's the driving force in recruiting and mentoring top talent at Facebook (especially women).

* She's publicly stated her views about furthering the professional interests of women in Corporate America (particularly Silicon Valley and the technology industry).

The last point is especially intriguing because Sandberg's recently received criticism for expressing her views on the success of women in the workplace.  And, the critics are women.

3. Zuckerberg Remains the Undisputed Boss at Facebook (The New York Times):  The corporate governance structure Facebook currently has in place gives Facebook's CEO and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, extraordinary control over his company (even though it will soon become publicly traded):

* He holds more than 25% of the company's stock.

* His voting power with those shares (due to various agreements with other investors) grants him voting control of 60% of the company's shares.

* The article gives context to how Zuckerberg's control of company stock compares with Microsoft's Bill Gates and Google founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, when their respective companies went public:

  • Microsoft: Bill Gates controlled 49% of company shares
  • Google: Brin and Page controlled 16% each of the company shares (for a total of 32%)

 

Your Feedback Please!

I'd like to experiment with this type of post for the next two to three months.  Let me know what you think (especially if this idea sucks):

  • How can I improve the value of these weekly posts?
  • Is my initial timing choice for publication okay with you (e.g., middle of the week versus the end of it)?  If not, please tell me.
  • What content are you reading?  Please share your links with our community in the comments section!

 

Link to Photo Credit by Andreas Cappell via flickr

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Google’s Marketing Reinvention: Tell Stories that Make Us Cry

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Coffee Heart

I loved reading the January 1, 2012 New York Times article by Claire Cain Miller: Google Bases a Campaign on Emotions, Not Terms.  Her article explains Google's distinctive philosophical change towards marketing and advertising.  For Google to acknowledge investing more time and resources to actively promote its products and services stands in stark contrast to the image of "cold engineers" hating anything related to marketing, advertising, or public relations as described in Ken Auletta's great book, Googled.

Why Google Reinvented Its Marketing 

"A Remarkable Transformation."  What's driving this "remarkable transformation for Google" as noted in the article by Peter Daboll, chief executive of Ace Metrix, a firm that evaluates TV and video ads?

Ms. Cain Miller's article cites two business drivers:

Finding New Revnue Sources Beyond Search Ads.  Google needs new businesses like the Chrome browser and the Google Plus social network to succeed.

Focusing, Paring Down, and Integrating Google's Offerings.  This is part of Larry Page's mission as CEO to pare down Google's product offering and make these products more attractive, intuitive, and integrated with one another.

Does This Sound Like The Voice of a Cold Engineer?

Marketing Emotion.  Even more revealing is that Google acknowledges both a change in marketing strategy and increased advertising investment.  Here are two direct article quotes from Lorraine Twohill, Google's vice president for global marketing:


"As we got bigger, we had more competition, more products, more messages to consumers, so we needed to do a bit more to communicate what thse products are and how you can use them."

"If we don't make you cry, we fail.  It's about emotion, which is bizarre for a tech company."

Sounds Like Marketing From the Heart.  But, make no mistake Google still bases its decisions on rigorous, fact-based data analysis. And, the article further describes the significant data analyses and testing that went into planning its first Super Bowl commercial (e.g., dozens of tests) and a 140-tab spreadsheet used in location planning for Google Zeitgeist (the company's annual conference for it's biggest advertisers).

Don't Pitch. Tell a Story.

The Google Video Advertisements Cited in the New York Times Article.  The article mentions the following successful advertising videos because Google uses storytelling versus product pitching.  I've pulled them all together in this post.

It's Not About Features and Benefits.  Notice how we can all relate to each of these stories.  In particular, the two (2) Google Chrome videos mention nothing about Chrome as the world's fastest web browser.

These stories are moving, emotional, and entertaining.  What's their emotional impact on you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy for organizations and individuals in his marketing strategy blog, Social Media ReInvention.  Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+.  

Photo Credit via Flickr by thepinkpeppercorn

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