[chrisbrogan.com]

Free eBook on Personal Branding Posted: 07 Sep 2008 10:19 PM PDT I’ve compiled a free ebook on personal branding called Personal Branding for the Business Professional (pdf format). It runs just about 15 pages (including the cover) and contains everything from strategy advice to some considerations to over 100 tactics and ideas on what to do next. Most of the ideas come from previous blog posts, but as there have been several new subscribers in the last several months, and because I believe that the information might spread further in an ebook format, I wanted to give it to you free, and without any sign up or anything. Free eBook on Personal Branding If you like what you read, please consider blogging a link back to this post so that people know where to get the ebook. If you’d like to share copies with someone else, please point them to this post and not the file directly, so that I can update the post and the file without concern. And if you’re happy with what you’re reading here, please consider subscribing for free. I’d love to know that you’re coming back for more. Thanks! Personal Branding for the Business Professional (pdf format). ShareThis

Social Ads- a First Take Posted: 07 Sep 2008 04:31 PM PDT When I read this post by Shiv Singh about Avenue A / Razorfish offering social ads (ads with social elements to them, like comments), I groaned. That was my very first take. And then I read the post a bit more closely. Here’s the premise that I believe Shiv’s saying they’re going to try: there’s an ad, but then your “friends” can comment on the ad, or rate it, etc. First off, I don’t know that this will work. If you post a Ford ad, and I come along and crap all over Ford in the comments for the ad, what will Ford, the site, or the ad platform do next? It would be NICE if we could have both sides of the conversation, but as ballsy as I want companies to be, I can’t see anyone taking that bet. Second, it’s kind of interesting that I might be able to click an ad and get the metaconversation, but I’m curious whether I’d click in the first place, because that’s saying I’ve chosen to endorse the interruption. It continues the premise that people milling about in some online space want the distraction of an ad. I’m going to think more about what would work for me in the space of “social” ads. My immediate thought is that affiliate marketing is kind of like that. But I have to consider it a bit more. What do you think about all this? Photo credit, Montrasio International ShareThis

The Way I Wish Advertising Worked Posted: 07 Sep 2008 03:23 PM PDT John Chow is a smart guy. In fact, I’m regretting to death that I didn’t bend his ear when he was in Boston at the Affiliate Summit. I just didn’t know him well, and didn’t know exactly what I would’ve wanted to ask. He spends a lot of time figuring out how to make money online, which isn’t usually my beat. Know what got me to write about him? Crabs. Watch this video: What came to mind after watching that video was, “Oh man, I *MUST* go to that restaurant the next time I’m visiting Washington state.” I mean, hunger pains level of desire just shot into me. If you like seafood, you must agree with me. Right? That’s better than any ad in any paper, or any banner on John’s site. That’s the way I wish advertising worked. ShareThis

History Hacker- Bre Pettis Posted: 07 Sep 2008 01:01 PM PDT I forget where I saw this first, but I’m seeing lots of people pointing out that Bre Pettis has a new show. Man oh man. This is KILLER production, Bre. I’m envious at the quality here, mister. You’ve hit one right hard and out of the park: Swing by Bre Pettis’s blog and say hi. (Maybe it was Steve Garfield that pointed it out? He’s usually good for that kind of thing!) Related articles by Zemanta History hacker On the set of History Hacker History Hacker: Bre Pettis Explains Tesla ShareThis

White Trash Moms of the World Unite Posted: 07 Sep 2008 12:43 PM PDT Michelle Lamar has a winner with The White Trash Mom Handbook. I’ve been reading bits of it, laughing until I can’t see, and then reading some more for a few weeks now. There are so many useful ideas in here, should you be willing to follow the way of the White Trash Mom. For example: are you running out of time off you can take for your kids’ perpetual doctor visits? Try the “fake purse” escape. Essentially, keep a fake, empty purse in your desk at work. When you have to leave, just put that purse somewhere visible, mess up the papers on your desk, leave the lamp on, and make it appear like you’ve just taken off to the ladies’ room for a moment, instead of the truth: that you’ve actually left for the day. Are you unsure whether you want to be called (or deserve to be called a white trash mom? There’s a quiz on page 14. Answer yes or no to a few of these: My children call soda pop “kid beers.” My children learned to order pizza delivery by age seven. My children have gotten angry with me for borrowing cash from them. Chapter 6 on the “Muffia” is the best in my opinion. It deals with the “mean and snobby mothers who usually run the school your child attends.” Totally fun. Okay, it might not be the book for everybody, but I tell you this: it’s fun, written for laughs, and definitely a great gift for that friend you like to tease. What’s this have to do with social media? Michelle’s active on blogs, Facebook, and you can follow @michellelamar on Twitter, too. That’s how we know each other, and I’m glad I’m getting to know her through her blog, her tweets, and her book. The book is The White Trash Mom Handbook, and you can get it at bookstores everywhere. ShareThis

Can we Bitch Our Way to Change Posted: 07 Sep 2008 11:19 AM PDT Social bitching. Can it be? Twitter friend Aronado sent me to his project, Bitchy Betty. It is, near as I can see, a social site built around the idea of seeking change through griping and complaining. From the site: bitchy betties see a need, we put it out there and find a solution. betties want to make changes (big or small!) in our world and we are kicking *ss and taking names to get it done. The site itself had a lot of the features you might expect from a social site: a way to make a profile, a way to link to bitches and betties that you like, and tags and things like that. It looked nice, aesthetics wise, and everything worked as promised. So what’s your take? Is this a good way to begin a conversation about change? Are you ready to be a betty? Bitchy Betty ShareThis

How Your Blog Helps You Do Business Posted: 07 Sep 2008 05:19 AM PDT Blogs serve several functions. It demonstrates your thoughts and ideas. A blog explains your professional capabilities. A blog seeds thinking prospects with ideas how they might use your services. That is, if you prepare your blog to be ready for such opportunities. Let’s look at what you need to consider to take advantage of what comes to you from building relationships on the web. Note: This advice is for those of you who WANT to use your blog as a business builder. If you’re blogging for fun and love, just skip this post entirely. Basic Blog Appearance Imagine you’ve shown up for a job interview. You’re wearing scruffy jeans, a Hawiian shirt, and cheap shoes without socks. (By the way, this is exactly what I’m wearing as I type this). What is your prospective employer thinking? I imagine something like this: “clearly, you don’t take yourself seriously. I won’t, either.” Think about your blog this way. When someone comes to your blog, is it dressed up for business, or just casual and laying around? Do you have unnecessary widgets in the sidebar? Are there 2,478 ads blinking and fluttering around? Look at your blog with the eyes of someone looking to do business with you. How might you tidy up the design to feel more professional? (Hint: It doesn’t have to cost money for this to happen.) About Page I’ve written about this a bit before. I’ve shown you how to make your blog design work for you. The “About” page in your blog is so important. I can’t tell you how many times I land on someone’s blog for the first time, and decide that I want to know more about who publishes the blog. Often, there’s nothing of value there. When you write your About page with business in mind, you need to go even further. Make sure the About page speaks about you from the perspective of the capabilities you possess and that you’d like to share with prospective business colleagues. Meaning, don’t just write about who you are, where you’re from, and who lives at your house with you. Make sure it gives people the following three things: What you’ve done as it relates to what you hope to do for them. Some measure of your social proof. What you intend to do going forward. When I talk about what you’ve done and how it ties to what you intend to do, I’ve covered that in ” write your LinkedIn profile for your future.” I mean that you should give people a sense of why they want to do business with you. A measure of your social proof is just another way of mentioning any accomplishments or affiliations that relate to what you do for people. Are you a three time top real estate sales award winner? I’d want to know that. This might include your online social proof, like whether your blog is in the top 200 on Technorati, or you’ve won an award or something. That’s a good thing to put there. The way you mention what you intend to do is by saying what you’re focusing on. Say things like, “I build community sites for small town sports teams, focusing on helping people get to know each other.” Don’t necessarily write about things you haven’t yet done, unless what you’re saying is that you’re learning how to do X. Talk from the perspective of what you want to be doing for work. Your Blog Content Here’s where all the real work happens. This should be obvious, but people who read your blog come away with an opinion of your capabilities. If you write about how cool Batman’s movie is, they’ll love that you like Batman, but they might not think much about doing business with you. Write posts that give people a sense of your business capabilities. For example, Chris Webb helps people interested in the publishing business. By reading his posts, I learn about how I publisher looks at books, but I also learn how Chris thinks. If I were someone looking to hire a powerful idea exchange expert, I’d know what Chris thinks, and be able to make my choice. (Chris is also my publisher for my upcoming book with Julien Smith.) You can get relatively creative in how you build blog content that’s useful to helping you find business. Jeremy Vaught made a cool move last year. He wanted to work with Seesmic, a video community platform. Jeremy bought SeesmicBlog.com and started blogging there, with passion, about Seesmic. Soon enough, Loic LeMeur and team reached out and got Jeremy involved in the project officially. Clever, eh? Having a blog that shows your business potential beats having a resume. Even as great as LinkedIn is, it’s never as fresh and reinforcing as writing great blog posts that give people a better sense of what you offer. What Do You Think? How are you approaching your blog as a business tool? What would you do differently? Have you found success through your blog posts? Photo credit, Rochette et al ShareThis

You are subscribed to email updates from chrisbrogan.com To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of chrisbrogan.com in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: chrisbrogan.com, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610