Category: 5 Must-Read Posts

With all the excitement of launching Age of Conversation 3 last week, I just ran out of time to bring you the five must-read posts. But this week, it’s back, with a more introspective feel! Hope you find these quietly inspiring!

1. BJ Smith writes an open social media letter to some friends. He suggests that you don’t need to “join” the conversation – you are already part of it.
2. franksting (Gavin Costello) shared his personal lamentations over Facebook and the privacy changes.
3. Jye Smith profiles Jeremy J Somers. I love the way Jeremy explains work ethic – “do what needs to be done”.
4. Craig Wilson talks convergence – and what happens when television meets the iPad (via Mumbrella). Revolution indeed.
5. Katie Harris asks us to take a step back from the data that we so easily now accumulate and zero-in on the analysis. Have we gone too far in our love affair with numbers? What The Cornerstone of good research?

I wrote articles on a number of these posts last week, but a series of small mishaps and glitches means that they have been reduced to bullet point references. Be sure to read these posts. There’s some great brain food ready for the eating:

1. BL Ochman shares a bunch of her favourite social media tools. But what are yours? I still love SocialMention. It does a lot of things with elegance.
2. Not really a blog post, but a discussion: check out the Greenpeace vs Nestle conversation for a different perspective.
3. Michael Bush takes a hard look in the mirror in My Life, Seen Through the Eyes of Marketers
4. Ekaterina Walter looks into Digital Body Language and 8 Marketing Secrets
5. Jye Smith’s presentation at Vibewire’s Fastbreak even brought us all to tears – with the perfect combination of personal storytelling and professional resolve to change the status quo

I have been a little busy pulling together the next Age of Conversation book, so have missed this little Monday ritual. That’s not to say that there hasn’t been some sensational blog writing out there (or that I haven’t been at least skim reading it) – far from it. So in an attempt to, as Madonna would say, “get into the groove” again, here are five must-read posts from last week. You’re going to love them all!

1. Mack Collier explains that with blogging, it’s not all about new ideas. Sometimes the best thing you can do is add your view, your context and more value to something that is already “out there”. We call it incremental innovation.
2. Not exactly last week, but the Pew Internet survey report on Understanding the Participatory News Consumer contains some great stats and some analysis about changes in consumer behaviour. 
3. Angela Dunn shares a presentation on Social Networks Around the World by Steven Van Belleghem. There are statistics, charts and maps.
4. I love this one! Tom Hinks takes a big stick to the practice of marketing by the numbers, suggesting that “we don’t need a call to action, we need an intervention”. While I love what the stats can reveal to us all, it’s the revelation that interests me, not the data. Does this cancel out the previous two posts?
5. Mel Exon shares an interview the founder of A Developing Story – a brilliant site that publishes news stories from developing countries.

There are a broad series of topics this week – each reminding us to find value in what we do (for ourselves, our friends and our businesses).

1. What happens if you send an email and the person doesn’t respond within 24 hours? Do you follow up? On a recent trip to the UK, Chris Brogan was out of contact for less than a day and received a number of follow-up emails. As he points out – “none of us are performing surgery”. The beauty of the web is that it works asynchronously (or as Chris says, “anywhen”). Let’s keep it that way.
2. Drew McLellan explains how social media has changed his world – he’s smarter, better connected, in demand – and a whole lot more. How has social media changed your world?
3. Katie Chatfield shares her passion for visualisation and data – tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand. There is a great presentation and a video included.
4. Chris Jarvis writes about the three stages in the journey of a volunteer – explaining just how the volunteer-NFP relationship can go sour at any stage. Some great lessons here for anyone working with interns or volunteers.
5. Think social media is a fad? Need some facts and thoughts to challenge your assumption – look no further than Mandi Bateman’s post – this is why you need good content. It’s not about your big idea – it’s about how your big idea spreads.

In amongst the thought leadership, the tips and tricks and the case studies that fill my reader each week, a gem sometimes emerges. It’s not easily explained. It makes my heart skip. And it comes with its own a-ha moment.

I have a dedicated category on my reader that helps me follow the writers who surprise and delight me. But in a way, I expect a certain style of writing from those blogs. It’s the surprising post from the unexpected source that I am truly seeking this week.

Interestingly then, this week’s must-read posts from last week is all about you.

1. Week 6 of Wonderment: Reinvent – comes from Jasmin Tragas, seeking to find the wonder in every day living. It’s part of a collaborative Flickr project and is already turning up some fantastic imagery.
2. Valeria Maltoni talks about the hard work of being “you” – providing some practical advice along the way.
3. John Hagel asks “who are you” and explains that your answer influences everything that follows. How we perceive ourselves, what we do and how we behave, are all changing – and this poses interesting questions, provides opportunities, exposes challenges and also shortcomings. Take a look.
4. Chris Guillebeau shares (again) his Brief Guide to World Domination which stems from two key questions – what do you really want to get out of life? And – What can you offer the world that no one else can?
5. It could get worse again is, well … let me just say it is something you have to experience on your own terms.

It was hard whittling down a bunch of excellent posts from last week. As usual there were some great pieces of thinking, some analysis, observation and outright good storytelling.

But I try to spot last week’s very best posts – and after hard week’s panning, these five shiny pieces of gold were left in my sieve:

1. John Hagel has an excellent post, Reshaping Relationships through Passion, asking whether, during this time of shifting priorities, behaviours and approaches, whether “shy people” are placed at a disadvantage. Tapping our passions is recommended.
2. Valeria Maltoni talks conversation strategy – and shows how some of the best in the business bring an online conversation to life – automatically.
3. Jeremiah Owyang regularly pulls together detailed statistics on the social web. Here is his Social Network Statistics post – which will be updated throughout the year.
4. Ivan Askwith talks strategy, viral and keeping your customers at the centre of the brand experience. My favourite line – “Viral isn’t what a marketing campaign is, but how that campaign spreads”. Hooray.
5. Mike Arauz asks us to think about betting against the sure thing. What would that mean for your advertising and marketing efforts? How would it change your sense of yourself?

As we get to the fag-end of the year, we tend to see a splurge of posts talking about the trends that happened and the opportunities yet to come. But rather than give these oxygen, I wanted to call out some outstanding posts from the last week that really focus on operationalising your marketing efforts (with particular focus on social media):

1. Sean Moffitt suggests we should stop denying that we need to engage influencers. I particularly like the fact that he doesn’t just randomly point towards the loud voices in the social media echo chamber, opting instead to focus on the six types of influencers – tastemakers, trendspotters, opinion leaders, experts, grassroots celebrities and social ringleaders. Oh, and he has a great presentation to boot!
2. In this great post, Amber Naslund explains that sometimes – just sometimes – an organisation (it could be yours) is just not ready for social media. What do you do once you have led your horse to water? You might be surprised at the answer.
3. Mack Collier, as usual, delivers the goods, showing Three Ways a Company Blog Can Lower Costs for Your Business.
4. Some brilliant, practical advice from Valeria Maltoni on the power of personal bootstrapping. Particularly useful if you are changing or between jobs.
5. One of the things I like most about digital media is that it is actionable. Stefano Maggi reminds us that you need to carefully plan for Context vs Distribution.