I just found two very informative ebooks that I wanted to pass along to you. The first is Personal Branding by Colin Wright.
Wright bases his ideas on his own personal experiences of starting a one-man design studio in Los Angeles. One example of his personal branding strategy was the name he gave his studio, "Colin Is My Name," a clever conversation starter that inevitably fixes his personal and studio names in the minds of potential clients.
Years before the internet, Harvey Mackay, the author of the legendary book, How to Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, conducted his business networking by clipping and mailing interesting news articles.
If he found an interesting article on, for example, how to hire and train better sales people, he would clip it, photocopy a few dozen copies, and mail them out to people he knew who might have an interest in this topic.
He hardly ever read a newspaper or business magazine without a pair of scissors in his hands. He clipped and sent articles on how to improve almost every aspect of business life. He also mailed articles on how to improve one’s personal life, how to achieve goals, how to become a better communicator, and on and on.
The topics he chose were varied, but they all offered solutions to people who wanted to improve some aspect of their business or personal life.
As I said, this was before the internet leapt forth from Al Gore’s fertile brain, so all this clipping and mailing took a lot of work. But the rewards were profound.
Mackay built a large network of people who liked him and wanted to do business with him. And this network enabled him to build a fortune as the owner of an envelope company and the author of several best-selling books.
Fast forward to our day in which we have the internet and Twitter.
A lot of people confess to me that they have not a clue about how to use Twitter to attract new business. And when they do, I bring up Harvey Mackay and his article clippings. Twitter enables you to pass along helpful, problem-solving information that you think might enhance your followers’ business and personal lives.
In a simple format of 140 characters, the best tweets consist of only two things:
A headline, to attract interest and promise a benefit; and
A link pointing to quality information that solves problems, relieves pain, or helps reach a goal.
It really is no different from clipping interesting articles and putting them in the mail – except that Twitter makes it quicker, easier and a lot less expensive.
Don’t get bogged down with how to cash in with immediate sales using Twitter. Instead, use it as a networking tool that enables you to build relationships by gathering and delivering helpful information.
As an added benefit, doing this will build your reputation as a resource for solutions to certain problems. You become the expert because you are the one who gives out information.
Twitter really isn’t hard, but it can deliver awesome results for your business.
Mastermind groups were first mentioned in Napolean Hill’s masterpiece, Think and Grow Rich.
Hill documented how many of the world’s most successful people pointed to their participation in small groups of like-minded people as the ultimate key to their success and fortune.
For decades, mastermind groups have proven themselves to be foundational for exponential leaps in their members’ achievements and wealth.
What is a mastermind group? Usually they are groups of 10 or less people dedicated to helping each other reach their goals. In fact these groups often help the members define and refine the goals they are seeking.
The members offer ideas, hold each other accountable to taking action, give feedback on projects, and generally support one another.
Outside the group, members also promote each other and actively participate in helping their co-participants succeed.
The Declaration of Independence was a result of a mastermind group.
So was NASA’s mission to the moon.
Planning the Normandy Invasion during World War II was also conceived and executed by mastermind groups.
What is a Social Networking Mastermind Group?
Many business people understand that they need to incorporate social media platforms and tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, email newsletters and blogs to grow their businesses, but need help putting it all together.
So it came to me that forming mastermind groups might be the best and most low-cost way to help these business people succeed with social media.
These groups will meet twice a month for 90 minute sessions. There may also be teleconferences scheduled between meetings as needed.
Group size will be limited to 10 participants plus myself as a facilitator. They will act as both group coaching sessions and mastermind groups. Each member will be work on their online marketing projects as part of the group and will be expected to assist others with their projects.
Each group will define its own rules, objectives and attendance policies.
The cost of joining a social networking mastermind group will be $177 per month, or $147 per month if paid three months in advance.
Initially, these groups will only be held in the Dallas – Fort Worth area, but may be offered in other locations at a later date.
If you would like to learn more about joining a Social Networking Mastermind Group, please give me a call at 817-501-6892 or email me at chbrown/at/webmarketing-coach.com.
Allen introduced me to the concept of creating an email newsletter (back then the term "ezine" was used a lot, but I don't hear this phrase as often these days). This was also the first time I heard the phrase, "the money is in the list," which sounded really cool to my ears.
So I set off to create a really good newsletter. I wrote about job search skills that I had learned teaching a local class for job seekers.
I can honestly say that my newsletter was really good. I packed it with really great ideas and tips, and did a lot of research to keep those ideas and tips coming.
But few people knew my newsletter existed. I didn't have a lot of money to spend on advertising (thank goodness, because with my limited knowledge I would have thrown it away). I simply could not get exposure for my project, and as a result had very few subscribers.
Fast forward a few years to my first foray into blogging.
This time I started a blog on adventure travel and another on humor (I had aspirations of becoming the next Dave Barry). Again, I poured my heart and soul into this projects. I blogged every single day for 18 months. And as a result, I produced two quality blogs (in my humble opinion).
But it turns out that travel and humor are VERY competitive topics and were very hard to get any love at all from Google.
So, like my failed email newsletter efforts, my travel and humor blogs earned me but a pittance. Looking back over those 18 months, I probably earned enough for one or two trips to Wendy's.
But my efforts still brought me one positive. I learned a lot from both ventures. I learned about email lists, autoresponders, niche marketing, blogging, writing, keyword research and search engine optimization.
Still, it was a very costly education.
Fast forward again to Twitter.
The problem with both of my earlier efforts was that those internet business models were passive. I had to wait for people find my opt-in page or my blogs. The trouble was, they never did.
But once I "Got" how to use Twitter, everything changed. Twitter is a proactive business tool. By strategically following certain people based on keywords and topics they have interests in, I found that approximately 50% would follow me back.
This meant that I could build a targeted list of followers.
Next I learned to Tweet about quality, problem-solving information. On most of my "tweets" I attach a link to either one of my blog articles or to other information on the web that I think would be of value to my followers.
This has resulted in speaking engagements and coaching clients. Soon it will probably result in book sales (if I can ever get the darn thing written), CD sales and paid ecourses that I also want to finish and polish. I have also gained attention as an expert in what I do, which I just can't put a value on.
Am I wealthy yet? Hardly, but my blog does get respectable traffic and it seems to be traffic that matters.
The point, as I said, is that Twitter puts me in control of my internet marketing efforts. I can literally go out and get readers and subscribers by tweeting and writing about quality.
There is no shortcut to creating solid content that informs and offers solutions. In other words, there has to be "meat to go with the tweet."
This is true with all social media. Content comes first. It isn't just a matter of linking to some affiliate sales page. You will flop on your face if you try to just "spam" on Twitter. No one likes a hardcore sales message, and Twitter followers can simply unfollow you if you try to push your offerings upon them.
In conclusion, I believe Twitter is the missing ingredient. It enables a marketer to "pull" in an audience by being interesting and informative. This turns followers into friends and fans.
Twitter then enables the marketer to send this friends and fans to blogs or opt-in pages.
Yes, I'd have to say that Twitter really has restored my faith in internet marketing.
Recently, without any advanced planning, I started posting some “Personal Branding Tips” on Twitter. I just wrote whatever came to mind as I sat at my computer.
Afterwards, when I looked them over, I decided I didn’t want to forget about them, so I decided to list them again here as a blog article. Hey, I’m all for saving time with quickie blog posts whenever possible.
You will probably notice how much importance I place on creating or sharing helpful, informative content. If there is a theme here it is that personal branding is not an empty exercise in creating an image that stands apart from who you really are. A true personal brand is all about the value you add to others.
So without further ado, here are 10 Personal Branding tips. I hope you find them helpful:
What problems are you very good at solving? Who has these problems? How can you position yourself as the solution? Your personal brand will be built upon the problems you are good at solving and the content you create to prove that you can solve them.
Who has the problems you are good at solving?" Think of what search terms do these people use on Google when looking for the solutions you provide.
How can you become known as the solution to certain problems? Again, the answer is to leave footprints all over the web that will lead potential employers or clients to you.
If you are still employed, get on the web with quality content as much as you can. Be visible! Your content will advance your career and also give you the only true security you can have in your professional life
Building a brand is all about creating problem-solving content on the web. Get known as a problem solver.
The day will soon come when a blog is as important (or more) than a resume. Start blogging now.
Not convinced? Imagine you have two candidates seeking the same job.
One has a great resume, but the other has an above-average resume PLUS a blog that shows long-term commitment to your industry, knowledge of the problems facing your industry and insightful solutions to those problems.
Who would you hire? .... I rest my case.
Video links will get you higher search engine rankings than text links. To Google, one video link pointing to your site equals 80+ test links. Create quality, informative videos now.
Get on employers' or clients' radar before they need you. Create quality content so they can find you and learn about your ideas.
The indispensible tools for personal branding are:
A blog to act as a library for the information you create and information created by others that you recommend.
A Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn account to tell the world about the content on your blog. Become a resource for people seeking information related to what you do.
I just read a strong, how-to article on using social media about how to build a brand and keep it running. Although the article, Social-Media Marketing for Restaurants: 10 Tips, is obviously written for restaurants, it serves up some great advice and ideas that any company can use.
For example, #5 shows how to create "Brand Ambassadors" with practical advice to find people who are passionate about your brand and give them access to inside information. You don't have to pay these people to blog or tweet about your brand, just reward them by making them feel like an insider.
#6 points out the should-be-obvious-but-apparently-isn't truth that too much overt promotion is self destructive. Instead, engage your followers and bring them into conversations. Quickly reply to comments, ask for feedback and be helpful.
Perhaps the best advice of all is in #10, which tells us to have something interesting to add to the conversation. As one publicist is quoted to say, "Give readers information they can’t find elsewhere; offer insider deals and promotions; and of course, don’t forget to inject some personality."
Too many companies venture onto social media with no concept of how marketing in this world differs from marketing on television, radio or print media. There are marked differences and new rules that must be obeyed. Social-Media Marketing for Restaurants: 10 Tips offers solid advice for any business in any industry on how to keep from violating these rules.
I consult with businesses on the strategic use of social media, web marketing and email marketing. I also speak and conduct workshops on social media marketing for organizations.
My team offers outsource solutions and training for companies needing to engage with their target market with social media.
Contact me at 817-501-6892 or by email at: or chbrown/at/webmarketing-coach.com.
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