Photo Credit: epSos.de
61% of survey respondents say their personal blog helped Them Win Their Latest Job. My personal blog launched my new career in digital marketing strategy and analytics.
My last post shares why our professional and digital identities shouldn’t be beholden to a single social media platform. Do more than the herd. A personal website or blog differentiates you from other job candidates by showing how you go the extra mile. (more…)
Photo Credit: Anton Diaz
I hope everyone had a good week and is enjoying Christmas parties and celebrations with friends and co-workers. Here are your share-worthy links. Enjoy your brunch!
1) Mitch Joel's Twist Image Podcast with Seth Godin: SPOS #439 – Seth Godin Doesn't Want You To Be Missed When You're Gone! My two favorite teachers recorded this brilliant podcast to share and discuss Seth Godin’s latest book: What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn),
Seth’s Latest book is Remarkable. It’s beautifully illustrated in color and has the look and feel of a slick, high-gloss, soft-cover magazine from the high-end fashion world. Visually, this book is unlike anything published by Seth Godin:
The podcast turns instructive between Mentor (Seth Godin) and Student (Mtich Joel) midway through their conversation. It’s a personal moment between two people sharing a mutually genuine respect and friendship. Hint: Even people like Mitch Joel feel the powerful self-doubt The Resistance imposes. How Seth Godin counsels and reassures Mitch Joel during this segment says it all about Seth’s character and class.
2) Apple Insider: Apple's Discontinued iPod Classic commands Hefty Premium on the Secondary Market. People are clamoring for 160 GB iPod Classics like they're going out of style. Wait a minute. They are! The 160 GB iPod Classics doubled in original retail value ($260). As of writing this post, eBay lists some 160 GB iPod Classic versions as high as $530. eBay says my 120 GB iPod Classic ranges in value from $65 (used) to $230 (new). I’ll never give up mine. I’m downloading more podcasts to my iPod Classic than ever for educational purposes. With my iPhone 5S, my hard drive maxes out quickly.
3) ReadWriteWeb: Mastering Apple’s Gigantic iPhone 6 Plus With Puny Hands. Adriana Lee’s informative and funny article describe some cool accessories available for the iPhone 6 Plus. The main criticism of the device iPhone 6 Plus “phablet" — it’s amazing as long as your hands are big enough. Adriana’s article is most insightful in its conclusion. I believe her foresight that the iPad Mini’s days are numbered:
But then I remind myself of one thing: With the 6 Plus—or, for that matter, a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or Nexus 6—I don’t need a tablet anymore. If the 6 Plus can save a bit of money, why not dedicate a fraction of those savings to accessories?
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+.
Happy New Year!
I made a 2014 resolution to publish an eBook / presentation.
This presentation / eBook describes three (3) career management lessons I've learned from my Dad and applied to my own career:
1) Learn From the Best
2) Get Published
3) Get Back Up — Fast!
My Dad inspired me to apply each of these lessons in a digital marketing and social media context (e.g., blogging, participating in Twitter, reading books of marketing strategy thought leaders, connecting directly with marketing strategy thought leaders, etc.).
These lessons describe the opportunity for online self-publishing, personal brand / personal reputation management, and the teachings of different marketing strategy authors. The marketing strategy authors (and their books and blogs) that have inspired me include Seth Godin, Ann Handley, Mitch Joel, Tom Peters, and David Meerman Scott.
It's my way of showing my Dad how much I admire and respect his individual achievements (and the obstacles he overcame).
Thank you and I hope you enjoy and benefit from reading it. If you find the content helpful, please feel free to share this presentation with others.
Have an Amazing and Blessed 2014!
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+.
Dear Ann,
In 2009, I discovered MarketingProfs.com. You and the MarketingProfs team dedicated significant time and energy to help me and other social media rookies learn, understand, and enjoy the current and future implications of online conversations in 21st century marketing.
Even more importantly, I discovered and connected with YOU.
My love for marketing strategy skyrocketed due to your influence. When I'm not in my day job, marketing strategy is what I love writing about and studying. The valuable and generous work you and MarketingProfs publish and share continues fueling that passion.
For two or three straight years, I think I signed up for every webinar, virtual conference, and LinkedIn Discussion Group with the words: "MarketingProfs." Whenever I marked one of those events on my calendar, I anticipated them like Christmas morning!
"As part of the Fall 2009, MarketingProfs Digital Marketing World Conference, Ann's going to talk to Tina Brown." Yeah, that Tina Brown!! You were stellar during that Q&A. Tina Brown took Ann Handley's phone calls, emails, and questions.
And, Ann Handley shared that access to Ms. Brown to benefit the MarketingProfs fanbase — Wow!
The writing you publish on Annarchy.com is funny, smart, and thoughtful. Every blog post is an writing and marketing master class.
That's why I read EVERY WORD of your work. When it comes to Ann Handley content, skimming is forbidden. Plus, my reader reaction inevitably involves one or more of the following:
Your work/art makes me laugh, cry, and think out loud. All of those emotions can occur from reading just one post! Note: "Hey, Pretty Lady" is still my all-time fave Ann Handley Classic.
For my first blog post, I included your @MarketingProfs and David Meerman Scott's, @dmscott Twitter handles in my promotional tweet. You and David were my first, social media heroes I ever shared my work with via Twitter.
But, I agonized about that tweet.
Three (3) horrible thoughts engulfed me. First, Ann and David probably won't see the tweet or respond because I'm a nobody with less than 10 Twitter followers. Second, if they do read the tweet and click the attached link, they're going to HATE my post and horrible writing. Third, they'll never want to see anything from me again. They'll block my tweets because I'm an just another unworthy amateur, rookie, or "wannabe social media hack" who's trying way too hard to gain their attention.
But, something incredible happened — YOU tweeted back! YOU even wrote THE FIRST comment on my blog — EVER!
THAT'S RIGHT, ANN HANDLEY WAS MY FIRST!
(If you know what I mean …)
Okay, all kidding and Joey Tribiani-like innuendo aside, I've never forgotten your kindness and generosity. That was four years ago …
At that moment, YOU made me believe I was on the right path. YOU made me feel important. YOU made me believe if I kept at it, my content could bring value to others.
I know I shouldn't look for validation. But, when one of your heroes says something nice about you, shares your work, and gives you praise, it feels soooooo good!
Your kindness motivated me to believe: "Yes! I CAN DO THIS!"
As I gained more Twitter experience, I started tweeting you directly. I love tweeting and talking with you! I don't know how to describe it. It genuinely feel like I'm sitting across from you while enjoying a a hot cup of coffee or a cold beer.
It feels that real.
And, it's because IT IS REAL. It's because YOU make it real. It's because YOU are genuinely kind and authentic.
I'm sure you get embarrassingly sick of how I share on a weekly basis why I know and believe YOU are the best writer in the business. I'm still learning how to write and connect. I'm still learning how to do them both well. And, there are times when I feel like I'll never get there.
That's why your work is so personally important and influential. That's why I cherish directly connecting with YOU. Your art is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from one of the all-time great teachers and practitioners. That why I view you as an important professional mentor.
I am a lifelong music fan of the The Beatles. When it comes to the written word, marketing strategy, and public speaking, you, Mitch Joel, David Meerman Scott, and Seth Godin are my Fab Four.
Ann, I hold you in the highest regard. Every time YOU share and publish your art, YOU inspire me to become a better writer, marketer, and person.
One day, I hope to have the privilege of telling you these things face-to-face and shaking your hand. Till that time, please travel safely wherever you may be (today and in 2014).
May You and Your Family Enjoy a Safe and Merry Christmas,
Tony Faustino
P.S. I can't believe I almost forgot the beautiful images you share on Instagram. You're also an amazing photojournalist (I see you shaking your head "no," but you are). Lastly, thanks again for teaching me my favorite adjective (or is it an adverb?).
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: Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist and Mitch Joel's public fan letters inspired this post. Pages 108 to 109, "Write Fan Letters," and Chapter 2: "Don't Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started" from Austin's book are amazing. After reading Austin's book and Mitch's public fan letters, I made a list of my heroes.
Please indulge me as I periodically publish these fan letters on this blog.
From page 109 of Steal Like an Artist: "Maybe your hero will see your work, maybe he or she won't. Maybe they'll respond to you, maybe not. The important thing is that you show your appreciation without expecting anything in return."
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:
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:
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:
Check Out Mitch's Video Sharing Several Factoids on Mobile Trends:
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:
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.
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:
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.
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+.
Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal broke the news that Apple acquired Topsy, the Twitter Social Analytics Firm. First-gut reactions from the tech pundit community are questioning the deal's merits and objectives:
Mashable. Christina Warren described her initial reaction to the acquisition:
"Topsy is an interesting acquisition for Apple because unlike its past purchases of startups, such as HopStop and Locationary, there isn't a clear product application."
"With Topsy, the purpose is less clear. The Journal posits that it could be useful for iTunes Radio — a product that already has direct integration with Twitter Music — or its flailing iAd product. Still, the purpose of acquiring an analytics firm that is so focused on one specific social network is, in a word, odd."
TechCrunch. Matthew Panazarino voiced his skepticism about the Apple-Topsy deal, and he also speculates why Apple pursued it:
"Given that Apple is a Twitter partner already, and hosts login and posting features for the social network on its iOS and OS X platforms, this seems like a confusing deal if all that it's after is the Twitter data firehose. It seems more likely that Topsy has technology or engineers (read: acqui-hire) that can parse trends in a way that Apple wants to incorporate into one of its products."
"If I had to hazard a guess, this might be related to Apple building out the relevancy engine of its App and iTunes Stores. Adding social signals to the search algorithms of its stores could help to improve the relevance of search results and help Apple surface apps that are hotter and more interesting to users. Tracking app trends across social networks would allow them to fine tune categories and collections of apps, and surface apps that are gaining steam more quickly."
Apple Literally Wants to Get Inside Our Heads. Their strategy doesn't just apply to selling more Apple stuff (e.g., apps, music, books, movies off of iTunes). In my opinion, they literally want to get in our heads about EVERYTHING.
David Meerman Scott's November 26th blog post, Big Data, Rich Data, provides key insights and greater detail on how Apple (and other firms) can convert the real-time data into revenue. Apple acquiring Topsy for a "mere $200 million" is a steal. And, since Apple holds $147 billion in cash on hand, they're not even breaking a sweat.
Capturing Real-Time Data and Converting the Insights into Revenue is Topsy's Business. Here's a screen shot from Topsy's "About Us" webpage:
The Big Data, Real-Time Marketing Implications are Huge. Samuel Greengard's great CMO.com article, Real-Time Marketing: The Reality Ahead, reinforces why Apple gobbled up Topsy. Ironically, CMO.com published Mr. Greengard's article the same day as the Apple-Topsy announcement:
"Today the Holy Grail is to deliver the right message at the right time in the right place. Of course, that's easier said than done–and breaking through the glut and getting a message to a consumer who is receptive is nothing less than daunting. Nevertheless, the tools and techniques exist to migrate to a real-time framework. "In the past, marketers had to conduct a massive amount of research to understand consumers and behavior," Vivaldi's Joachimsthaler said. 'It's now more about developing methods that allow consumers to draw a map to their doors. It's critical to capture their footprint.' "
Mitch Joel Describes It Best From his book, CTRL ALT Delete. 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 one-screen world environment. 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 their 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."
You May Not Agree With Me. What do you think about Apple acquiring Topsy? Does the deal make sense? Maybe, it still seems odd?
Either way, please comment with your thoughts. I'd love 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+.
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:
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.
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."
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.
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
Members of the Social Media ReInvention Blog Community know I'm a HUGE Mitch Joel Fan. I'm currently studying his latest book, CTRL ALT DELETE. I love this book because it's typical Mitch Joel:
I still need to finish Part 1 of the book describing five (5) current/future business drivers. As soon as I get the "story structure" better organized, I'll ship and publish the full book review. Until then, here's a glimpse of what I've learned from studying CTRL ALT DELETE:
1. A Digital First Posture (as defined by Mitch Joel, page 124 of CTRL ALT DELETE). "A digital-first posture means that the first place your consumers go when making a business decision is to their computers, smartphones, and/or tablets. This should be your default posture as well.
2. The Long and Squiggly Road (e.g., Embrace the Squiggle) Career paths are forever-changing because the "career escalator is jammed up" especially in large, Fortune 500 companies. Careers no longer follow a linear trajectory. If you want to continue developing valuable and marketable skills, you have to embrace the squiggle and adapt to pursuing multiple careers (not just multiple jobs) during your lifetime. It's permanent beta personafied.
3. The New Way We/You Work. The key to the survival and career success now is "standing out," "being differentiating," and "making yourself indispensable." You want to be THE MAN | THE WOMAN that everyone in your organization views as "The Linchpin." And, that process begins with making a conscious choice to pick yourself and ship your art.
4. The Marketing of You. Beef up your skills in pitching, selling, storytelling, and thinking critically. Why? Because Corporate America has already started shifting to resources to a free agent / freelancer nation. And, that trend won't stop — we're in Generation Flux (whether we like it or not). Start building the skills that will help you adapt in the ever-increasing Gig Economy.
5. Your Life in Start-Up Mode / The Start-Up of YOU. You were born an entrepreneur. Actively manage your career like you're a lean start-up.
6. Work the Space. We are mobile workers and can work anywhere. All we need are:
7. Embracing the Next. Longevity in a productive, rewarding career requires a continuous ability to adapt, iterate, and spot game-changing trends. Mitch lists and describes six (6) of these trends in this chapter. If you want to learn what they are, buy his book.
Please click here for my full book review of Mitch Joel's CTRL ALT Delete.
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+.
Dear Seth,
I am writing this letter to:
When I wrote that Tribes* review, I was going through a challenging professional period. Four years ago, I was looking for the “usual 10 steps to get yourself out of a tough work situation quickly in a crappy economy.” When I read Tribes, I kept searching for “that map” (which of course, wasn’t there).
So, I took out my frustrations on you. And, I’m genuinely sorry I wrote that review.
After re-reading Tribes at least three or four more times (along with your other important works multiple times), I finally understood that the beauty and wisdom driving Tribes (and all of your important art) is making sure someone like me finally wakes up to the all-important realization that those maps don’t exist in a book …
… because I’m the one who has to write the map.
“Those maps” reside within us. We are develop / sketch them out each time we create and ship our art. How we choose to reach our individual destinations / write out those maps is our own business. That’s what makes my map special (along with anyone else’s when she/he raises their hand to become their own mapmaker). Producing “those maps” requires our emotional labor (e.g., the daily joy and pain linked to creating and shipping our individual art).
And, if you’ve said it once, you’ve said at least 67 different times: “High-speed Internet access hooked up to our laptops, tablets, or smartphones gives us all an equal shot at ‘changing the world’ in our own unique, and meaningful way.
If we have the heart and guts to continue thrashing, failing, “poking the box*” and winking at the resistance (even when it’s mocking us, breathing down our necks and staring us square in the face), then we ALL have a puncher’s chance (regardless of the current economy).
I amended that Tribes review in September 2013, but left the original review intact. Why? I want to remind myself of what a publicly-displayed version of petty, lame-ass, “easy out” excuses looks like. I hope others will see it too so they can learn from my mistakes.
For 47 years, I would beat myself up when I’d try something different or try to learn something new. So, I’d thrash around for what seemed forever (especially in the beginning). I’d keep screwing up and it seemed like I couldn’t get anywhere. The resistance convinced me I was wasting precious time.
But, I wasn’t wasting time — I was learning.
Yet, somewhere along the way, I heard the resistance laughing (and relishing in my struggles). I could hear it f**king taunting me.
That’s what stopped me from following-through and shipping. That’s why I stopped trusting my instincts.
But, you, woke me up. It took me 47 years to conclude that the journey to creating genuinely, memorable, remarkable art isn’t supposed to be easy. I’ve finally learned after 47 years of beating myself up (and subsequently complying) that my instincts were trying to inform me to take calculated, intelligent risks at various stages of my life.
And, this time, I’m actively listening to those instincts …
Picking oneself to create really inspiring, emotional labor-driven, memorable and remarkable art*, means taking risks and accepting and dealing with pain, humiliation, embarrassment, and failure.
Most importantly, you’ve made me realize that the pain, humiliation, embarrassment aren’t bad things. Yes, these things hurt and wound our pride (at times very deeply) but that’s part of the contract if I want to live the life of an artist. Yes, I will take these failures and embarassments personally. Yes, it’s going to hurt (but it’s not as painful and life-threatening as the resistance wants me to believe).
The beating myself up ends now. The obsession for perfection ends now. How the hell am I supposed to create remarkable art if the only thing remarkable about me is a unique ability be my own, worst enemy.
I aspire to be a remarkable artist like you. I aspire to make art like a Godin, a Joel, a Meerman Scott, and a Handley. Time to cowboy up, expect and demand more (versus complying and playing it safe), and “fly as close to the friggin’ sun as possible*.” If mistakes and failures during my journey make me look like a total jackass, at least I’ve learned firsthand what doesn’t work so I can prioritize and invest my talent, time, and other unique resources into something else (versus blindly staying the course).
Thank you Seth.
Thank you for giving me the courage to finally commit to the all-important first leap, to put it all out there, and ship my art (even if it’s not perfect).
Thank you for waking me up to realize that the dirty work / crap work / stuff that gets zero glory / the shit I resented doing is a true linchpin’s bread and butter. Because, I see now how that shit holds a team together, and it enables me to move the team towards the goal line and score in difficult situations (where others can’t).
Thank you for teaching and constantly reminding me “that risky is safe and safe is risky.”
Thank you for giving me the courage and commitment to do this:
Lastly, I’d like to leave you with the same thought that I’ve shared in my public fan letters to Mitch Joel and David Meerman Scott:
One day, I hope to have the privilege of meeting you face-to-face and shaking your hand.
Until that day, please travel safely Seth (wherever you may be),
Tony Faustino
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: Austin Kleon’s book, Steal Like an Artist and Mitch Joel‘s public fan letters inspired this post. Pages 108 to 109, “Write Fan Letters,” and Chapter 2: “Don’t Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started” from Austin’s book are amazing. After reading Austin’s book and Mitch’s public fan letters, I made a list of my heroes.
Please indulge me as I periodically publish these fan letters on this blog.
From page 109 of Steal Like an Artist: “Maybe your hero will see your work, maybe he or she won’t. Maybe they’ll respond to you, maybe not. The important thing is that you show your appreciation without expecting anything in return.”
Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear from you. I’m here to read, listen, and learn from YOUR PERSPECTIVE. Comments are open. So let’er rip!
Ideas that spread win. You can unsubscribe any time you like.
Please share my work with your friends. Many Thanks!
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."
A Resume and Diploma are NOT Enough. Recent graduates (and current undergraduates) need more to catch a company recruiter's attention. LinkedIn Grad Guide Video #2: Building Your Professional Brand revolves around this concept. Here's a key fact about how company recruiters now evaluate future employees (particularly college graduates and current students):
"It's no longer enough to simply have a resume. Students now need a professional online presence." – Holly Paul, former US Recruiting Leader, PriceWaterHouse Coopers (now Chief Human Resources Officer, Vocus).
Do You have a Professional Online Presence? Is Your Professional Online Presence Differentiating? If you said no to either of these questions, I hope you'll continue reading a little longer. Developing a professional brand / presence requires work, time, patience, and discipline. If you make the commitment, this investment increases the probability a company recruiter (or your first boss) will:
Seeking a Job in Marketing, Public Relations, or Communications? Majoring in these Fields)? If you nodded "yes," the authors / books described in this two-part post are MUST READ content. These gurus are driving the future landscape of digital marketing, public relations, and communications.
Note: I am not an Amazon Affiliate Program Member. I tremendously respect the following authors because of their invaluable guidance in developing a professional online presence.
Read. Read. Read. The following suggested authors / books are not "cookie cutter" or "10 easy steps on how-to land your first job out of college / summer internship in a lousy economy" resources.
These authors share creative ideas to show a potential employer "you're more than a resume and the grades on a college transcript". Their teachings provide suggestions in maximizing the Internet's global reach and leveraging search engines to your advantage.
Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha
Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha wrote The Start-Up of You with the following principles in mind:
1. You were born an entrepreneur.
2. Succeding professionally in today's economy means people of all ages need to adopt the same strategies of successful entrepreneurs.
Why? Successful entrepreneurs excel at:
So what does entrepreneurship have to do with building a professional presence (and ultimately in landing that first job out of college)? Here are some direct quotes referencing Ronald Brownstein's NationalJournal.com article, "Children of the Great Recession:"
"For the last sixty or so years, the job market for educated workers worked like an escalator. So long as you played nice and well, you moved steadily up the escalator, and each step brought with it more power, income, and job security."
"But now the escalator is jammed at every level. Many young people even the most highly educated, are stuck at the bottom, underemployed, or jobless."
The Start-Up of YOU's principles describe the entrepreneurial strategies and career tactics traditional liberal arts undergraduate classes overlook. Understanding and applying these entrepreneurial strategies and career tactics can guide you in the current job market.
I published a series on The Start-Up of YOU when the book rolled out last year. The second post, Start-Up of YOU Book Review, Part 2: Five Game Changers in Career Competitive Advantage highlights several key takeaways.
Here are a few more helpful links to The Start-Up of YOU Resources Page to get started:
If you have difficulty with these links, please email me at tony[dot]faustino[at]gmail[dot]com, and I'll send you the PDFs.
The Start-Up of YOU Resources Page also contains this SlideShare presentation: Start-Up of YOU Visual Summary:
Dan Schawbel wrote Me 2.0 and Promote Yourself. The New York Post selected Me 2.0 as 2009's Number 1 career book. Promote Yourself (his latest book) is a current New York Times bestseller. Dan's also the Managing Partner of Millenial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm. He is the personal branding authority for millenials.
Great Insights Relevant to All Professional Ages. In my opinion, Dan's professional branding teachings apply to ALL professionals and job seekers. I studied the 2009 first edition in my early-forties.
Why Me 2.0 Matters
Me 2.0 provides easy-to-understand suggestions for creating a professional brand online by:
Dan published this free PDF presentation, Blogging Your Brand: A Complete Guide to Your Success, to support the book's launch. It's a great primer for seriously publishing a personal blog and creating a professional brand.
Stay tuned for a future review of Promote Yourself (it's on my reading to-do list). Here's Dan's blog post, Promote Yourself Excerpt – Chapter 10: Start Your Own Business While on the Job, if you'd like to learn more.
I am a HUGE Mitch Joel Fan. Mitch is President of Twist Image – one of the largest independent Digital Marketing Agencies in North America. When Google educates the top global brands about digital marketing, they call Mitch to speak at the Googleplex.
Chapter 7: You Are Media and Chapter 10: From Mass Media to "Me" Media. These Six Pixels of Separation chapters, along with Tom Peters' classic Fast Company article, The Brand Called YOU, explain best why cultivating a professional online presence should be a career priority.
Key content generously shared in these chapters include:
A Bonafide Visionary. Here's a direct quote from Mitch Joel in Six Pixels of Separation "predicting" why a professional online presence matters more than ever for new college graduates (this was in 2009).
Mitch framed his insight within the context of the following quote cited in Six Pixels of Separation from Michael S. Malone's May 2008 Wall Street Journal article, "The Next American Frontier:"
"The most compelling statistic of all? Half of all new college graduates now believe that self-employment is more secure than a full-time job. Today, 80% of the colleges and universities in the U.S. now offer courses on entrepreneurship; 60% of Gen Y business owners consider themselves to be serial entrepreneurs, according to Inc. magazine. Tellingly, 18 to 24-year-olds are starting companies at a faster rate than 35 to 44-year-olds. And 70% of today's high schoolers intend to start their own company, according to a Gallup poll."
(from Mitch a few paragraphs later):
"Here's what he's really saying (e.g., Mr. Malone): Without noticing it, we have once again discovered, and then raced off to settle, a new frontier. Not land, not innovation, but ourselves and a growing control over our own lives and careers.
Mitch Joel's Latest Book is Ctrl Alt Delete. My biggest personal mistakes/regrets in understanding and building a professional online presence are:
Mitch recently published Ctrl Alt Delete. I'm studying it now (and I love it). The lifelong career advice is invaluable. To preview Ctrl Alt Delete, please watch this thoughtful conversation between Jonathan Fields and the humble maestro:
This concludes post three on helping recent college graduates and current undergraduates build a professonal online presence. I hope you'll return for post four (e.g., Part 2) sharing six (6) more authors and their respective books. Post 4 should be published in two weeks.
Your Turn: Have you read any of these books? If so, how useful do you think they are to recent college graduates and current undergraduates. Are there other books you think would be helpful? Please let me know in the comments.
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 three 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:
