Tag Archives: Blogging

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Part 2, Book Review: 3 Memorable Themes from Hugh MacLeod’s Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear

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Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear Cartoon
Note: Part 1 of this two-part series can be found in Part 1: 10 Reasons Why Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear.  That post describes what blogging means to me.

I finished reading Hugh MacLeod's latest book, Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear.  It's his love letter to blogging describing how this influential medium changed the trajectory of his personal and professional life.

Highlighting a few key quotes:

"My blog gave me everything."

"My blog gave me my freedom."

I subscribe to Hugh's blog, gapingvoid.com, which is how I learned the book was released this past week.  Here's his video describing why he wrote the book:

 

I Love This Book.  I'm also going to order Hugh's previous books, Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys to Creativity and Evil Plans: Having Fun on the Road to World Domination.  That's how much I enjoy studying his work.

Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear is filled with Hugh's motivational, irreverent,and rebellious point-of-view.  It's his call-to-arms "to create stuff" by using the Internet to transform and reinvent our personal and professional lives.  Because of the Internet, laptops, and broadband access, he reminds us we live in a world where "cheap, easy global media is here to stay."

The Book's Governing Question.  So, why not use this global phenomenon to our advantage?  It's the book's governing question linking personal and professional reinvention to blogging:

"So in my typical way, I'll ask you, are you a beacon?  If not, don't you think you should be."

So without further delay, here are the Three (3) Themes I enjoyed most from Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear.

 

1.  "Crofting" Is the New World of Work 

A Croft Is a Smallholding.  It's our digital identity (direct quote):

"Thanks to the Internet, we all have a little electronic "croft" — an electronic smallholding — to call our own: what is commonly referred to as our own digital identity, which we can cultivate, like a small farm, however we see fit."

It's Why Blogging Matters (More Than Ever).  It's why YOUR personal blog matters.  It's why YOUR personal blog can drive and enable career reinvention.  It's why maintaining a separate digital identity beyond your current job description extends your personal brand (take note if you work for a corporation). 

It's individual opportunity.

2.  Bring New Light to What Life Might Be

Our Individual Points-of-View ARE the New Light.  And, that fundamental theme cuts through all the typical how-to advice on developing a credible blog (i.e., post length, number of internal links versus external links, starting with a question, ending with a question, etc.).  

There's nothing wrong with being influenced and informed by:

But, trying to be a carbon copy or an imitator highlights how you're a pretender.  Those folks acheived their blogosphere status by bringing (and continuing to bring) new light. 

Our blogs can bring new light to what life might be by:

  • Writing about what individually moves us (what makes us want to write at 5 AM)
  • Recognizing there's room for all of us to cultivate and lead our own tribes
  • Having the courage to initiate and participate in digital conversations (blogging, commenting, tweeting, sharing, etc.)

Blogging Is a Conscious Choice.  You can't be a player unless in you're in the game. Hugh says it best on page 54:

"Not everybody believes this.  Not everybody acts on this.  That's fine; it's their life, their choice.  However, if you DO have that capacity within yourself and you DON'T act upon it, then everything around turns to desert."

 
3. The Internet Eats the "Ignorance Premium" for Breakfast

If You Can Google It, You Can Find It.  There's so much published online that we can use to our competitive advantage (both personally and professionally).  Hugh describes this concept as the end of The Ignorance Premium (direct quotes from pages 66 and 67):

"The Internet makes it harder for us to know more than the other guy."

"The Internet erodes the "Ignorance Premium."

"Because knowledge is now so much easier to share with the Internet, you're in trouble if the only reason you can make a living is because somebeody is too lazy to easily find out what you know with just a quick click of a mouse."

Our Opportunity With Blogging Is Promoting Our Individual "Intelligence Premium."  The Internet and blogging makes it easier than ever to self-publish "what you know."  Google makes it easier than ever for someone to find you.  That sounds like opportunity to me.

Why not turn this unique opportunity into a career advantage? 

My Take on The Internet's Ignorance Premium: Make Your Blog Your Intelligence Premium.  A personal blog demonstrates your individual, "Intelligence Premium" (e.g., what you bring to the table) by showcasing:

  • Your knowledge about a particular subject or industry
  • Your creativity in storytelling through multiple media (i.e., text, audio, images, video, etc.)
  • Your personal narrative about what makes you different
  • Your understanding of digital media's role in marketing, branding, and public relations strategy

Then, Why Don't More People Self-Publish a Blog?   Here are four reasons:

  1. Because it's hard (creating is not easy — at least, not for me)
  2. Because it's a long-term commitment
  3. Because building an audience and a credible reputation is a slow process (it's what Mitch Joel refers to as "in praise of slow")
  4. Because it requires putting yourself out there

Concluding Thoughts

It's Time To Find Our Freedom.  Those (4) aforementioned reasons are why blogging is more important than ever.  They're why blogging represents individual opportunity. 

That's the freedom blogging brings.  Whether we do it in our underwear (or while wearing something else).

It's a freedom Hugh summarizes better than I can:

"The Freedom to be who were born to be — the artist within us all."

 

 

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+.   

 

Link to Photo Credit via Hugh MacLeod

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Does Malcolm Gladwell, Author of The Tipping Point and Outliers, Use Marketing Research?

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Old Typewriter Keys

No.  He Writes For Himself.

Fast Company uncovered important insights about writing habits in its Leadership Hall of Fame article on most influential business books and authors. 

Interviews with Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point) and Dan and Chip Heath (authors of Made to Stick) revealed common themes:

  • They wrote about subjects they found interesting
  • They have no idea why their books and concepts became popular
  • They wrote about topics and shared work they wanted to better understand

Malcolm Gladwell Writes About What Makes Him Happy

Gladwell offered these thoughts when asked why he thought audiences made The Tipping Poing a best seller and influential work:

"I've considered all my books to be very private, idiosyncratic projects designed to make me happy.  And, I'm forever surprised when they make other people happy."

Dan and Chip Heath Write About Things That Puzzle Them

The Heath Brothers wrote Made to Stick because they wanted to better understand communication phenomenon that didn't make sense.  Here's what Dan Heath shared in the Fast Company interview:

"We were puzzled and somewhat disturbed by the fact that lots of shady ideas–like urban legends, conspiracy theories, and rumors–have no trouble succeeding in the marketplace of ideas. Meanwhile, many important ideas fail to stick (e.g., public health messages and the correct nationality of our president). We wanted to reverse-engineer the "naturally sticky" ideas and figure out what made them so effective. In the book, we tried to demonstrate that there are patterns that explain their success, and these patterns can be used by people who have credible, important ideas to share–teachers, non-profit leaders, entrepreneurs, etc."

Here's Dan Heath's reply on why he thought Made to Stick succeeded:

"I'd love to tell you that it all unfolded according to our master plan of stickiness, but the honest answer is that I have no clue. Chip and I worked hard on Made to Stick, and we're proud of it, but I'm not naïve enough to think that our hard work explains anything. There are lots of great books that don't get much attention. I think the book's success was 90% luck and 10% putting duct tape on the cover."

Concluding Thoughts

Why Obsess or Worry About What Might Be Popular?  It's safe to say no one really knows what will resonate with readers.  No one knows what pre-determines something going viral.  The process is about building, measuring, and learning (a key concept I'm reading about in The Lean Startup by Eric Ries).

Don't Be Your Own Worst Enemy.  My latest blog post series reviewing the book The Start-Up of You was a labor of love.  But, it was the most agonizing and difficult writing experience in my three (3) years of blogging.

During the entire process I constantly worried about "what if no one likes this?"

Well, here's what Google's says from the first-page results for the search phrase "start-up of you book review":

 

Google Screenshot Start-Up of You Book Review

No More Self-Sabotage.  Out of 1 billion+ Google search results, these two (2) posts rank #2 and #3 on Google's front page.  Why was I flinching????? 

Just Ship It.  Write it.  Publish it.  Put it out there.  Share it.  Let others Share It, Comment On It, Like It, Tweet It, Plus It, LinkIn-To-It, or Pin It.  And, if your readers don't, lack of applause doesn't make your work or your art less valuable.

Maybe, readers sometimes just want to read. 

Commit To The Process.  That's the the beauty of online publishing (and The Internet).  You can keep experimenting and pivoting to continuously build, measure, and learn because:

  • Your audience will inform you
  • Google will inform you  
  • Your gut will inform you (but don't let it paralyze you)

All of the above will help you improve and move closer with each iteration.  Freedom to experiment is a good thing.  

 

And that's a topic we'll discuss next.  Stay tuned …

 

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+.   

 

Link to Photo Credit by Raul Hernandez Gonzalez

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

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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 ReInvention Blog’s Most Popular 2011 Posts

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Top 10 List

 

2011 was an important year for this blog.  A few months ago, I published my 100th post. And, each post represents an opportunity to learn, improve, and experiment.

 

Social Media ReInvention Blog's Most Popular 2011 Posts

1. Public Relations Strategy: Integrating Digital and Traditional Patient Advocacy Tactics

2. 5 Competitive Advantages in Studying Real-Time Marketing PR by David Meerman Scott

3. HubSpot 2011 State of Inbound Marketing: Long Live Blogs!

4. The Business Value Behind Social Media: Part 6 – Disaster Recovery & Crisis Communications

5. Tom Peters' Personal Branding Lessons, Part 1: Why YOUR Blog Matters

6. 8 Takeaways from Mashable's Mondern Media Agency INFOGRAPHIC

7. 7 Reasons to Study Newsjacking by David Meerman Scott

8. LinkedIn Today Personalizes News With Your Social Graph

9. The New York Times: Self-Appointed SEO Police?

10a. LinkedIn's Maps: A Cool Way to Visualize & Understand Your Professional Network

10b. Using LinkedIn to Land on Google's Front Page

This Blog Continues Steadily Building Credibility 

Inbound Links Citing Social Media ReInvention Blog.  Inbound links from high Google authority sites included:

Comments / Citations From Bloggers in the Advertising Age Power 150.  These bloggers included:

Here's a screenshot from Valeria's post: You do That, Too and the tweet cited in her post:

Valeria Maltoni mention 1
Valeria Maltoni tweet 1

A Life Changing Event in August 2012

Juliana Big Smile

And, She Weighed in at a Happy and Healthy 6 Pounds, 9 Ounces. From mid-August to early November 2012, I literally dropped out of sight from any new blog posts or social media participation (you may or may not have noticed).  The birth of my daughter is the reason why.  My wife and I also have another daughter who's seven (7) years old.

Our family grew.  And, we are so blessed.

But, Little Blessings Can Be Mentally and Emotionally Consuming. Fatherhood with a newborn is both humbling and rewarding.  You learn quickly how sleep deprivation makes it difficult to construct a coherent thought or sentence.  

It took four (4) months / early November to start feeling normal, productive, and effective.


The Epiphany: Blogging Really Makes Me Happy


A Newborn Quickly Imposes Prioritization (Whether You Like It or Not).  During that four-month time frame, I realized I couldn't maintain my past routines in working on this blog.  And, that frustrated me a lot.  

I Missed the Process.  I felt something missing.  And, I had to keep reminding myself this sacrifice and setback is temporary.  

I missed everything about the writing and blogging process:

  • doing the research
  • recording ideas / thinking of an inital angle
  • mapping out a post's structure on paper
  • typing / revising the drafts
  • learning what content readers responded to

Putting Things in Perspective.  Valeria Maltoni shared Stephanie Booth's post on Google+ titled: Measuring a Blog's Success: Visitors and Comments Don't Cut It.  After reading this piece, I revaluated why I invest the time and energy into this endeavor:

  • It's to share something I really care about
  • It's a great way to practice writing (which is important in my full-time work)
  • It's introduced me to interesting, smart, like-minded people 
  • It's not to make money (because I make no revenue from blogging)
  • It makes me happy

Yes, It Makes Me Happy.  And, I hope the time you spend reading my blog makes you happy (or makes you feel like it's time well-spent). With each new post, I hope you feel the content is improving.  

And, I hope you'll continue sharing the content with others.  When something I write is shared on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook, I'm always surprised (and humbled). 

Thank You.  Thank you indulging me in sharing a memorable year.  Thank you for subscribing to this blog and sharing its content with your social network connections.  And, thank you for sticking with me when I temporarily dropped out of sight.

 

Here's to a safe, healthy, and happy 2012 for all of us. 

 

Photo Credit via Flickr by Sam Churchill

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Review: 7 Pearls from Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation

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Six Pixels of Separation Book

 

I studied Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel from cover to cover. And, I loved every word.  My one regret: I didn’t start reading / studying it sooner.

An Important and Valuable Book.  Don’t make my mistake.  Six Pixels of Separation belongs in the digital marketing and leadership library of any Fortune 500 executive, small business owner, or entrepreneur who is driven to forge an organization on the principles of trust and community.

This review focuses on seven (7) pearls of wisdom from the book.  But, there are so many more. 


I hope this review inspires you to:

  • Purchase the book and study it
  • Share it with your family, friends, and colleagues
  • Write a review about the book
  • Apply and experiment with the lessons learned
  • Subscribe to Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation Blog

    •  

     1. You Are Media 

    A 3-Pronged Approach: Building, Differentiating, and Auditing Your Personal Brand. Chapter 7: You Are Media (pages 124 – 142) is the most important chapter of the book. It focuses on how individuals can create, promote, and differentiate their personal brands by publishing digital content. 

    Mitch provides detailed guidance on these key branding activities:

  • Build a 3D Personal Brand (pages 134 – 135)
  • Differentiate Your Personal Brand Via a 15-Point Personal Brand Questionnaire (page 129)
  • Audit Your Personal Brand in the Online World (pages 139 – 141)

    • In the following video (timestamp 1:53 to 3:10; note there's a short advertisement in the beginning), Mitch describes how organizational brands or individual brands can market themselves in online channels by: 

    1. Participating in online conversations
    2. Providing valuable content
    3. Helping other people connect and engage with others


     


    You Are a Broadcast Network    .  Page 137 states why we are all individual media companies: 

    “Individuals are creating content; the individuals are the media. The media they are creating are also a form of advertising.”

    Mitch describes how individuals develop their own broadcast networks by citing a blog post about Robert Scoble.  Sebastian Provencher published the post, “Robert Scoble is Media”, in The Praized Blog (from page 136):

    “It made me wonder: why would Robert Scoble accept a “friends invitation” from people he does not know?  Why do you want to be connected to people you don’t know and alert them to stuff you’re doing?  And then it hit me!  Robert Scoble is media.  He’s building his own broadcast network. He understands that media is completely fragmented and, by participating in all these new social communication vehicles (blogging, Twitter, Pownce, Facebook), he’s aggregating readers and viewers, thereby increasing his penetration and his worth as media.”

     

    2. We Are All Intrinsically Connected   

    Six Degrees of Separation Applies to Traditional Media.  On page 4, Mitch explains that today's technology and digital channels enable people to know everyone because:


    “We are all intrinsically connected through technology, the Internet, and our mobile devices.”

    “We are all a click (or pixel) away from one another.”

    “This means that building relationships and turning those relationships into an online community is more important than ever before.”

     

    He describes the Six Pixels of Separation Concept in the following video (timestamp: 0:08 to 1:37; note there's a short advertisement in the beginning):

     




    Geographical Boundaries No Longer Apply.      Watch the following video.   It describes the true story of how the rock band, Journey, found its new lead singer via YouTube.  The new lead singer lived in the Philippines (and didn’t speak a word of English).  The story starts around 40 seconds into the video: 

     



     

    3. Digital Marketing Is About Being Slow 

    In Praise of Slow.  Pages 31 – 34 contain my favorite Six Pixels quotes.  Why?  All of the lessons reinforce a long-term approach / attitude in building a credible digital presence.  The misconception about digital marketing versus traditional marketing is digital results could be achieved faster and cheaper: 


    “Yes, you can make fast decisions, see fast results, and optimize and change things on the fly, but real tangible results take time.  You can’t quickly start a blog and get results right away.  It takes time to build your content, find your voice, develop a community, and earn trust and respect.”


    Time Invested Drives New Media Opportunities.     On page 5, he describes how the time invested in building online communities and reputations determines success in online channels (not how much money is dumped in advertising and PR):


    “The new online channels will work for you as long as your are working for them by adding value, your voice, and the ability for your consumers to connect, engage, and take part.”


    Eight (8) Years of Blog Posts and Hundreds of Podcasts.      Mitch started publishing the Six Pixels of Separation Blog in 2003.  At the time of the book’s 2009 publication, the Twist Image Team published 200+ podcasts.

    On pages 184 to 185, Mitch comments on the time and and work invested:

    “None of this was easy to accomplish.  It was (and is) hard work and very time consuming, but we have achieved great results from these efforts, and it has differentiated us and brought us out of the bloody red sea of interactive agencies and into a blue ocean (even though, on some days, it feels more lie a pond) of what the agency of the future should look like.”


    Watch This Interview About In Praise of Slow (time stamp 2:30 to 5:00).      Pay special attention to what Mitch says about In Praise of Slow along with his blog’s role in lead generation and client acquisition:




     

     4. Influencers of Content Value: Time, Search Engines, Linking, and Sharing 

    Content’s Slow, Steady Process and the Link to Search Engines.  Page 33 contains an important lesson on how content earns favorable search engine rankings: 


    “The older the content, the longer it has been online and searchable through the engines, the more people who have linked to it, shared, and tagged it, the more valuable it is.  Content that ranks at the top of Google does not get there because of how new and fresh it it is.  Content rises to the top of Google based on how long it has been available and how valuable it has been to the online community.”

    “It’s a slow and steady process that makes content rise to the top of the search engines.”

    Speed Is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tactic.  Page 33 discusses why speed is important in online publishing.  Key points about speed include:

    * Speed gets your content is indexed in search engines as fast as possible.

    * The sooner your content is available through search, the sooner people will find it, and the sooner it will become valuable.

    * Posting your content fast means you can gain the efficiencies of content’s slow, steady process faster.
     

     5. Attention Does Not Equal Trust 

    They’re Not the Same.  Think about celebrities, politicians, athletes, etc. who garner significant attention.  Do you trust them?  Probably not.  Being the center of attention is not a sustainable long term strategy. 

    Digital Marketing Is Not a One-Night Stand (page 34). It’s about TRUST. It’s about building real, genuine relationships with both your current consumers and potential consumers.

    “There’s no such thing as an overnight sensation. Everything you’ve seen in business as an overnight sensation was, in effect, decades in the making.”

    “The digital social spaces are built on trust and trust alone. Trust is always built slowly over time.”


    Earning Trust.      Pages 167 to 169 discuss earning and sustaining trust once your online participation receives attention.  Mitch writes “to use the Web in a human way.”

    * Be Helpful.  Helping others online is how you turn attention into trust.  Remember, the Web is built on reciprocity.

    * Be Sincere.  Helping others without expecting anything in return is the right attitude.  Helpful and sincere people are valuable community members – just like in the real world.

     

     6. Traffic Does Not Equal Community 

    Be Wary of The Mass Media Complex.  Driving more traffic is good.  But, the ultimate goal is not solely about achieving large numbers. 

    In the following video, Mitch discusses the mass media complex (e.g., appealing to everyone or trying to attract millions). Pay attention to his explanation from time stamp 0:40 to 0:57 (especially about how Six Pixels of Separation targets the digital marketing and social media community):

     



     

    Focus on Building Community.  The thought here similarly applies to the one about attention does not equal trust.  On page 166, Mitch writes:

    “Keep in mind that many people who have lots of traffic really don’t have much community at all.  In fact, hunting for the traffic can be a game of diminishing returns.  To really evolve and maintain, focus on the five new community members (who will, we hope, become lifetime customers) versus the 55,000 who might float in and right out simply because of an orphan link that someone posted somewhere.  Namely, they were interested in your content for about five seconds, but now they are gone.”

    “The long-term game of sustainability in the online channels is one of quality versus quantity.”

     

     7. The Golden Rule 

    Say Thank You.  Pages 41 to 42 and 210 to 212, reinforce the importance of (1) monitoring mentions of your product / service AND (2) expressing thanks to the people sharing your content:


    If someone mentions you, it is now your duty — at the very least — to leave a comment back on their blog (or email them directly), letting them know you are reading, paying attention, and most importantly, appreciative of their mentioning you.

    As much as you physically can, respond and be thankful to everyone who takes the time to mention you.

    Make this your golden rule, and make a commitment that you will never break it.


    It Shows You're Human.      Practicing The Golden Rule shows others you're listening, responsive, and appreciative.  In all human interactions, isn't that the goal?  Make it the norm not the exception in your digital interactions.


    And, Mitch Joel is a Man of His Word.      These acknowledgements from Mitch show how he practices The Golden Rule:


    Mitch Joel Comment


    Mitch Joel Tweet


    Mitch Joel Google+

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    Tom Peters’ Media Sightings Page Cites Social Media ReInvention Blog

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    Jumping For Joy

     

    I have wonderful news to share with the Social Media ReInvention Blog Community.

    Tom Peters’ website, www.tompeters.com cited and linked to my post: Tom Peters’ Personal Branding Lessons, Part 1: Why YOUR Blog Matters.

    The blog post is listed on the Media Sightings Page of the Tom Peters Website (screen shot as of August 4, 2011):

    Tom Peters Media Sightings Pic

    Mr. Peters’ bio states:

    Tom Peters is co-author of In Search of Excellence – the book that changed the way the world does business, and often tagged the best business book ever.  Keep up with Tom at tompeters.com, ranked #9 among The Top 150 Management and Leadership Blogs.

     

    His globally-respected work on business, leadership, and management includes:

     

    Conclusion


    Thank You Mr. Peters and Team!      I’m honored by the listing on your website.  I jumped for joy when I saw my blog post on your Media Sightings page!

    Who Says Blogging Is Dead?  The people promoting this message are misinformed.  Don’t buy into this noise.  Read this direct quote from The Brand Called You about earning recognition and building reputation for your personal brand:

    “If you’re a better writer than you are a teacher, try contributing a column or an opinion piece to your local newspaper.  And, when I say local, I mean local.  You don’t have to make the op-ed page of The New York Times to make the grade.  Community newspapers, professional newsletters, even inhouse company publications have white spaces they need to fill.  Once you get started, you’ve got a track record – and clips that you can use to snatch more chances.”

    Blogging Matters More Than Ever.  Take note of this advice from Seth Godin and Tom Peters about marketing your personal brand via writing a blog:

     


    Your Turn.      You’ve got something inspiring inside you.  Share it in your blog, your column, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Google+.  I want to read about your victories!


    Start blogging. Start writing. Start creating.  And, don’t look back.

     

    Photo Credit by Lauren Manning via Flickr

    Posted on

    Tom Peters’ Personal Branding Lessons, Part 1: Why YOUR Blog Matters

    by

    Brand Called You - Personal Brand

     

     

    Fast Company published The Brand Called You by Tom Peters in August 1997.  Mr. Peters’ timeless advice about personal branding is especially relevant in our current economy.

    Personal Branding is Important.  Here are two (2) direct quotes from the article:

    • “We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc.”
    • “To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for The Brand Called You.”

    A Brand = A Promise of Value.  Think of personal branding like this:

    • The distinctive role / niche you create for yourself
    • The message and the strategy you’ll conduct to promote The Brand Called You


    Your Personal Branding Hub: A Personal Blog     

    A personal blog can be an important component of your personal brand (maybe the most important): 

    * Blogging provides your forum for demonstrating your expertise about a subject you’re passionate about.  And, you get to pick the subject area — don’t worry about your current job description.

    * Blogging drives your creativity, imagination, and intellect.  Adam Singer says it best: Blogging Is Like Going to the Gym … For Your Brain

    * Blogging and personal branding means building community.  Community is a key concept in Mitch Joel’s book, Six Pixels of Separation.  Building community (online and in-person) includes:

    • Commenting on other blogs
    • Attending conferences related to your chosen subject area
    • Participating and contributing to conversations in social networks relevant to that subject (i.e., LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.)
    • Developing new relationships inside and outside of your current employer

    You’re Not Defined By Your Job Title … 


    … And, You’re Not Confined by Your Job Description.      This is another timeless lesson from Mr. Peters.  For corporate employees, his insight brings significant career implications:  

    “No more vertical.  No more ladder.  That’s not the way careers work anymore.  Linearity is out.  A career is now a checkerboard.  Or even a maze.  It’s full of moves that go sideways, forward, slide on the diagonal, even go backward when that makes sense.  (It often does.)  A career is a portfolio of projects that teach you new skills, gain you new expertise, develop new capabilities, grow your colleague set, and constantly reinvent you as a brand.”  

    Mr. Peters explains this concept in the following video:

      


    You Own The Means of Production to Mold Your Personal Brand


    Take the Initiative — The Internet Levels the Playing Field.      Paraphrasing a key concept from Seth Godin’s book, Linchpin, “employees no longer have to be cogs in the giant industrial machine.”   

    Why? The Internet provides direct and infinite opportunities in building a personal brand.  The only limit is your imagination.  On page 24 of Linchpin, Godin states:

    1. “Today the means of production = a laptop computer with Internet connectivity.”
    2. “Three thousand dollars buys a worker an entire factory.”

    Godin shares his thinking with David Meerman Scott in this video interview (time stamp 3:48 to 5:12). 

     

    David Meerman Scott interviews Seth Godin from David Meerman Scott on Vimeo.

     


    You are Responsible for What You Do with the Means of Production.  There are two (2) important requirements in leveraging the “Digital Age Factory”:

    1. Initiative — Having the courage to start.  
    2. Persisting and persevering to finish.

    Career Security Versus Job Security.  The means of production can lead to career security.  I’ll take career security over job security everyday of the week (and twice on Sunday).  To understand the difference between them, read these articles by Adam Singer of The Future Buzz:

    Start Your Personal Blog.  Select a subject you’re passionate about.  Set up a WordPress, Blogger, or TypePad account.  

    Keep Keeping On.  For most beginning bloggers, the writing and creative process doesn’t always flow easily.  Don’t worry.  It gets better with time and practice.

     

    The Most Important Marketing Tool for Your Personal Brand

    Tom Peters and Seth Godin Say Blogging Matters.  Check out this video.  Both Peters and Godin provide their personal insights on why blogging is a powerful marketing platform.  

    Mr. Peters says “blogging is the best damn marketing tool by an order of magnitude that I ever had.  And, it’s free.” 

     

    Blogging = Writing …  

    … And, Writing is a Vital Business Skill.  Thoughtfully expressing written ideas directly impacts your career.  Think about it.  How many corporate emails do you write on a daily basis for one of the following audiences:

    • Your clients
    • Your boss
    • Your teammates
    • Your boss’s boss
    • Outside vendors

    Practice Breeds Confidence.  I’ve published and maintained my personal blog for five and half years.  Blogging allows me to practice writing more than any other business activity.  

    And, blogging is something I love practicing!   

    A resulting benefit of consistent practice — increased confidence.  Written communications require confidence when:

    • Summarizing “the so what” to an executive audience
    • Delivering good news
    • Delivering bad news (and the plan to address the situation)
    • Crediting a colleague(s) on outstanding work (especially to upper management)
    • Gaining consensus (especially among team members beyond your management control)
    • Framing / Describing a politically sensitive situation (and the plan to address the situation)

    Writing and the Link to Your Business Career.  Don’t believe me?  Listen to what Mr. Peters says about business writing skills and its importance:

     

    Conclusion

    You Don’t Have to Make the Op-Ed of The New York Times to Make the Grade.  That’s my favorite direct quote from The Brand Called You.  Your effort, your passion establishes your personal brand / reputation.

    Publish. Connect. Give.

    Do these three (3) things regularly and people WILL:

    • Find you online
    • Link to your blog
    • Cite you in their blog posts and articles
    • Ask you to contribute to their publications
    • Say you contribute value to their respective communities 

    It Happened to Me. It Can Happen to You.  Here are links to other blogs or content highlighting my personal brand and/or citing my personal blog.  My blog posts or other networking activities created these personal branding opportunities: 

    Start blogging.  Start writing.  Start creating.  And, Don’t Look Back.

     

    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: by ViteVu via Flickr

    Posted on

    HubSpot 2011 State of Inbound Marketing: Long Live Blogs!

    by

    Blog classic Hubspot published its 2011 State of Inbound Marketing Report earlier this year.

    Survey responses from 644 professionals familiar with their firms' marketing strategy represented diverse industries such as:

    * Retail
    * Technology
    * Professional Services & Consulting
    * Banking / Insurance / Financial Services
    * Communications & Media
    * Others

    The survey respondents of various company sizes included:
    * Marketers
    * Business Owners
    * Entrepreneurs
    * Executives 

    76% of the companies surveyed said their business sell primarily to other businesses (e.g., B2B).

    The report describes how companies are using inbound marketing (e.g., marketing strategies focused on "pulling" relevant prospects and customers towards a businesses and its products).  

    Inbound marketing influences purchasing decisions by leveraging the Internet and helping consumers make educated decisions on a company's products and services.

    Common inbound marketing tools include:

    • Blogging
    • Content Publishing
    • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
    • Social Media

     

    Here's the complete report in HubSpot's SlideShare Page:

     

    The 2011 State of Inbound Marketing

    View more documents from HubSpot Internet Marketing

     

    Blogs Aren't Dead

    Three (3) of the Five (5) Key Takeaways Highlight a Blog's Unique Value.  These key takeaways summarize blogs' importance in customer acquisition, increasing business use, and overall value:

    * Blogs and social media channels are generating real customers: 57% of companies using blogs reported that they acquired customers from leads generated directly from their blog.

    * More and more businesses are blogging: Businesses are now in the minority if they do not blog.  From 2009 to 2011, the percentage of businesses with a blog increased from 48% to 65%.

    * Businesses are increasingly aware their blog is highly valuable:  85% of businesses rated their company blog as "useful," "important," or "critical;" 27% rated their company blog as "critical" to their business. 

    Blogs are the Most Cost-Efficient Lead Generation Channel 

    * Blogs, social media, and organic search maintained the top slots as least expensive.

    * Blogs had the highest instance of being reported as "Below Average Cost."

    Blogs lowest cost per lead

    Companies are Allocating More Resources to Company Blogs 

    * Marketers are allocating more of their lead generation budgets to social media and company blogs.

    * The average budget spent on company blogs and social media increased from 9% in 2009 to 17% in 2011.

    Blogs get more budget

    Small Companies Level the Playing Field Via Blogging

    * Social media and SEO (search engine optimization) garner the biggest share of small company budgets. 

    * And, small companies plan to spend dramatically more of their budgets on blogging (relative to larger companies). 

    Blogs more budget small companies

     

    Company Blogs Rank as the Highest Customer Acquisition Channel  

    * 57% of firms using company blogs have acquired customers from a blog-generated lead.

    * Survey responses show an 11% increase since 2010 in blog-generated leads.

    Blogs highest customer acquisition channel

     

    And, Customer Acquisition is Directly Correlated to Blog Post Frequency

    * At a minimum, successful customer acquisition requires a weekly blog post frequency. 

    * 23% more blog users say a weekly blog post frequency delivers a greater return on customer acqusition versus a monthly blog post frequency.

    * In addition, 71% of respondents indicated they blog at least weekly.

     

    Blogs post frequency

    B2B Firms Say You Need LinkedIn and a Blog to Effectively Acquire Customers 

    * B2B companies say the LinkedIn is the #1 customer acquisition channel.

    * The Company Blog is the #2 customer acqusition channel for B2B companies. 

    Blogs great for b2b

     

    Blogs and LinkedIn are Top Customer Acquisition Channels for Professional Services / Consulting and Technology (Software / Biotech) Firms 

    * Three (3) industries had over 50% of respondents say blogging acquires customers:

    • Higher Education: 72% (Ranked #2)
    • Professional Services / Consulting: 58% (Ranked #2 barely)
    • Technology (Software / Biotech): 58% (Ranked #1)

    Blogs by industry

    Blogs are the Most Important Social Media Channel

    * Blogging Experiences Significant Growth.  From 2009 to 2011, the percentage of respondents with a company blog grew from 48% to 65%.

    * Responents Cite Blogs as the Most Critical Social Media Channel.  27% of respondents cited blogging as "critical to their business."  Blogs ranked highest among nine (9) social media channels.

    Blogs critical social media channel

    Conclusion      

    The Death of Blogs is Grossly Exaggerated.  HubSpot's conclusions support the exact opposite of mainstream media speculation (e.g., all you need to succeed in social media marketing is Facebook and Twitter activity).  The data shows blogs are especially important in:

    • Acquiring new customers
    • Providing a lower expense marketing channel
    • Driving customer acquisition in specfic industries
    • Leveling the marketing playing field especially for small businesses
    • Demonstrating significant marketing value for B2B companies

    Blogging's Importance to B2B Firms is Huge.  Business-to-business companies say the two most important social media channels are LinkedIn and blogs.  I don't find this surprising.  

    Blogs Provide Content Versatility.  More importantly, management consulting firms say blogs play a significant role in customer acquisition.  Consulting firms who publish content via company blogs can quickly demonstrate to future and existing clients their creativity and industry expertise in blog posts, videos, news updates, client testimonials, podcasts, and images.

    Can You Afford Not to Blog?  I wouldn't recommend bypassing the benefits of blogging (especially if you're a B2B company).  The data clearly shows your competitors are blogging (and the future numbers are trending upward).  If you're a small company (e.g., less than 50 employees), you can level the playing field against more established competitors.

     

    When are you going to start your blog?

     

    Photo Credit via Flickr by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

    Posted on

    Step Away From the TV to Increase Social Media Productivity

    by

    TV

     

    According to eMarketer's Clark Fredricksen, US consumers spent 264 minutes per day watching TV in 2010.  Therefore, the average US adult spends roughly four-and-a-half hours per day or approximately 30 hours per week watching television. 

    How much time is 30 hours per week in a year?

    • (30 hours per week) x (52 weeks per year) = 1,560 hours
    • (1,560 hours) x (1 day / 24 hours) = 65 days!

      •   

    EMarketer TV stats 2


    We Flush Away Two (2) Month Per Year in Social Media Productivity

    Instead of watching two month's worth of tv, here's what I'd like to accomplish in 2011:

    1) Publish sixteen (16) additional blog posts.  That estimate is based on my historical production from November 2010 to December 2010.  For Mitch Joel or Chris Brogan, an extra month translates to 30 - 84 additional posts.  Note: Mitch Joel publishes six (6) times per week, and Chris Brogan gives advice on how to publish three (3) times per day (see below).

    2) Write a cool, promotional eBook.  Here's a link to David Meerman Scott's free, no-strings-attached, no required contact information, cool, eBooks.  And yes, I've got some ideas for two (2) eBooks I'm planning to publish in 2011.

    3) Learn how to shoot / edit professional-looking videos.  Here's a great book by Steve Garfield — Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business.  I enjoy poking around different sections of the book, and video will be an important part of my 2011 content strategy.

    4) Read two (2) extra books on social media and digital marketing.  Here's a link to my recent post on 19 fabulous social media and digital marketing books.  Please keep in mind, this is based on my personal reading / studying speed.  For many, I'm sure this translates into reading  four (4) or more extra books per month (and I envy your reading speed and comprehension).

    5) Learn how to create, edit, and publish podcasts.  This is something I've toyed around with as a new idea for 2011, but my priority is currently on getting trusted advice to undertake 1) through 3). 


    Chris Brogan, Adam Singer, and David Meerman Scott Don't Watch TV … 


    These A-Listers productively publish content and generously share advice on writing and improving blog content.  Here's some of their best advice on maximizing personal productivity: 

    Chris Brogan

    Adam Singer

    David Meerman Scott

    • The Lesson: Cut out tv, go to bed early, wake up early, and exercise regularly.

    … or Watch Lots of It.  Just Don't Spend All Your Free Time Doing It.


    Mitch Joel

    Important Note / Correction: When I originally published this post this morning, I mistakenly said Mitch Joel doesn't watch any TV at all.  He absolutely does.  It was sloppy of me to make that leap after reading his post. 

    Please see Mitch's comment below.  I modified the post to reflect his input.  Thanks Mitch!

     

    Conclusion

    November 2010 and December 2010 was my most productive month since I started blogging almost a year ago.  I attribute the productivity increase to following the previously mentioned advice.  More experience with the blogging process, increased discipline in recording blog ideas, and waking up earlier also contributed to more posts. 

    I still watch at least one hour of tv per week.  For my wife and I, The Good Wife is a DVR'd guilty pleasure.  And, I personally consider Super Bowl Sunday a national holiday.

    Yet, I don't miss tv.  Researching material, coming up with blog ideas, and publishing this blog are more fun and mentally fulfilling.  Blogging is a genuine labor of love (and I wish I'd discovered it sooner). 


    So, how would you invest an extra month of time in social media marketing? 

    Please share your fun and creative ideas for 2011.  I'd love to hear them!


    P.S. Super Bowl Sunday is February 6, 2011.

    Photo Credit: By Nesster Via Flickr 

    Posted on

    3 Social Media Tips for Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love

    by

    Oogy Book Cover

     

    My wife and I recently discovered a wonderful and touching book: Oogy – The Dog Only a Family Could Love.  It was a complete accident how my wife and I randomly found Oogy's book in a local Barnes & Noble.

    The author, Larry Levin, describes how he and his family fell in love with Oogy and learned about his horrific life as a bait dog in an illegal dogfighting operation.  If you're an animal and dog lover like I am, you will love this book and fall in love with Oogy just as Mr. Levin's family did.  Oogy's remarkable story is one of redemption and how we can all find love, inspiration, and hope after enduring significant tragedy.

    I want others to discover this great book and experience the joy it brought me.    So I started thinking, how are Mr. Levin and Hatchette Book Group (the book's publishers)leveraging social media as part of the overall marketing strategy?  After doing some Google searches, I learned they are using different social media channels (i.e., YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter) as part of a traditional book tour where Mr. Levin and Oogy make personal appearances at bookstores and various animal protection events in the Philadelphia area.

    Here's Oogy's Facebook and Twitter addresses:
    * Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OogytheBook
    * Twitter: http://twitter.com/OogyTheDog

    So here are my quick thoughts on the current use (and maybe some potential future use) of social media to build public awareness of the book, Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love …

       

    Tip #1: Create an Oogy the Book YouTube Channel 

    I love how Mr. Levin and the publishers are consistently using this YouTube video to promote the book.  We get to meet and hear Mr. Levin talk about Oogy, and he shares pictures of Oogy with Mr. Levin's family.  The video has currently racked up ~38,000 views! 

     

     

     

    Video is such a great online medium that I suggest Mr. Levin and the publishers create their own YouTube Channel (i.e., Oogy The Dog or Oogy The Book) and build a big video library showing:

    * Mr. Levin speak during the promotional tour or animal protection awareness events
    * Impromptu interviews with attendees of these events (i.e., what do they love about Oogy?)
    * Oogy affectionately interacting with children and other dogs at these events

    The Oogy Facebook Fan Page has lots of great pictures showing how much children love seeing and petting Oogy.  But, wouldn't it be great to see this interaction captured on video? 

    The book describes in great detail Oogy's affectionate and loving nature, and I think seeing these behaviors in video would have a huge impact for people who can't travel to a Philadelphia-area event to meet Oogy and Mr. Levin.  Oogy and Mr. Levin's ability to travel to other parts of the U.S. are limited because Oogy associates being placed in a crate with having his ear torn off.  This means any promotional appearances beyond reasonable driving distance of the Philadelphia area (i.e., the Midwest and West Coast) are highly unlikely. 

    I think giving people "virtual access" to Oogy via videos would expand "the reach" currently limited by where Mr. Levin and Oogy can drive to.   

     

     Tip #2: Publish an Oogy Blog to Improve His Google Search Rankings

    Blogging still continues to be the Number 1 way to improve your online presence and increase your Google search engine results pages (i.e., SERPs).  The creative content Mr. Levin could publish in a blog are limitless, and the search engine optimization rewards (i.e., SEO) would be huge.  In addition, I did a quick search on the name "Larry Levin" and it appears there's already another "Larry Levin" who has already built a large and visible online presence through his own online activities.  So, publishing the blog provides Oogy another channel for increasing his Google Search Rankings through other keywords (i.e., illegal dogfighting, animal rights, animal protection) beyond his author's name.

    One of the best articles I've read explaining the Google Ranking benefits of blogging is from Social Media Examiner: The Fastest Way to Increase Your Google Ranking by Jim Lodico.  The article explains the two important things a blog does when you incorporate one into a website:

    1. A blog adds naturally occuring, keyword-rich pages
    2. A blog increases the potential for incoming links from high-quality websites

     Blog Posts Increase Your Number of Indexed Pages in Google.  Over the course of a year, let's say Mr. Levin publishes two (2) blog posts per month (so roughly 24 pages per year).  That investment of time is already significant because the average small business website includes anywhere from 10-20 static web pages.  By maintaining the blog and with each new blog post, Oogy gets a new indexed page in Google.  The analogy that the Social Media Examiner article provides is that every new indexed page in Google is like buying a ticket in a lottery.  The more tickets you hold, the better chance of winning the top spot in the Google Search Engine Rankings.  That's the big difference between websites that remain static versus those that are more dynamic (e.g., keep adding new web pages for indexing by publishing blog posts).

    Blog Posts Increase Your Chances for High Authority Incoming Links. Google rewards websites receiving large numbers of incoming links.  More importantly, Google highly rewards websites receiving incoming links from high authority websites such as the New York Times, USA Today, or other high-ranking blogs.  What if an Oogy blog post received an incoming link from a news story from one of these news outlets or from a high-ranking blogger who writes about animal protection and animal rights?  Essentially, Oogy's Google Search Rankings would skyrocket. 

     

    Tip #3: A Blog Gives Oogy an On-Line Home Base With Digital Flexibility

     Scott Monty recently wrote a great blog post titled: "We'll Always Have Blogging." Even though Scott's article focuses on the benefits of corporate blogging, his key points are highly applicable to things Mr. Levin and his publishers could do in promoting Oogy online. 

    A Blog Can Give Oogy an Integrated, Online Home Base.  Oogy already has his own Facebook and Twitter pages.  This is great how Mr. Levin and his publishers are leveraging popular social media channels.  But, a blog could further increase Oogy's online visibility by providing an online home base integrating all of Oogy's social media channels (i.e., YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter).  "Sharing widgets" on each blog post can make it easy for readers to promote Oogy's blog posts through a channel of their choice.  Most of all, an integrated home base and an integrated content plan will allow Oogy's story and content to spread wherever his current fans or new fans happen to search for it.

    Blogs Provide Long-Form Content and Context That Twitter and Facebook Can't.  When it comes to telling a story (and providing that story's overall context), nothing online can match a blog.  Oogy's story, the people who saved him, and the joy and love he brought these same people are very moving.  And, you can't express those ideas / feelings in a tweet of 140 characters or less.  As Scott's article points out, marketing is about storytelling (and a blog would convey Oogy's story outstandingly).

    Oogy's Blog Could Host a Variety of Content. Blogs can support a wide variety of content (i.e., text, videos, photos , or a combination of all of the above).  This variety of choices gives Mr. Levin and his publishers multiple ways to deliver content about Oogy:

    * Videos: Oogy with children and other dogs; Interviews of book event attendees; Interviews of other key people in the book who were touched by Oogy

    * Text: Excerpts from the book; Observations or thoughts from a recent book event; Dates of upcoming events where Oogy and Mr. Levin will be appearing; Guest posts by other authors greatly impacted by Oogy (i.e., members of the Ardmore Animal Hospital who saved Oogy or Mr. Levin's sons)

    * Photos: Pictures from book signings; Pictures of Oogy with Mr. Levin's family that didn't make it in the book.

     

    Conclusion

    Like so many other fans of this book, I simply can't get enough Oogy!  In my opinion, integrating social media strategy (especially a blog) as part of the current traditional book promotional tour could increase Oogy's current popularity to a new level.  I want more people to learn about Oogy's gentle soul and the incredible story behind the team of people who saved him, and the significant impact he's had on these people's lives.