Category: 5 Must-Read Posts

In the year ahead, don’t be surprised when you hear pronouncements such as “social media is over” or that Facebook/Twitter is going the way of  MySpace. It is just part of the ongoing cycle of renewal (there must be an end before a new beginning and so on). But just like the “end of branding” or the “Year 2000”, social media will not suddenly disappear – after all, many of us are just starting to get the hang of it. And great articles like these below demonstrate just how healthy this category is! Enjoy!

1. Great article from Mandi Bateson showing how social media and social networks can be used to save lives. Really.
2. What is your X-Factor? It’s time to drill down on your value proposition – and to live it. Chris John Savage reminds us that it’s fine to be good, fast and cheap – but no longer enough. You need something more to win.
3. What’s the secret to a kickass online marketing strategy? Hard work – that’s what. And insight. But you can save yourself some time and check out The Sticky Guide to Online Marketing.
4. Sometimes – just sometimes – your marketing or social media program isn’t about ROI. Or rather that ROI is further down the list of priorities. Think for example, how do you measure the ROI of a handshake? John Haydon asks the question.
5. The SOPA-PIPA blackout got the kinds of attention and action that in previous years the media would have pioneered. It took the collective action of millions of connected people. There were no lobbyists. Just a cause and a connection. As Jeff Jarvis explains, we are the lobbyists now.

As we reach the fag-end of this long year, many bloggers turn their attention to the year that was and the year that will be.

Sometimes there is hope and optimism – and sometimes there quiet reflection. But each of these five must-reads from last week will give you one more reason to spark your imagination.

1. Do you second guess yourself? I do it all the time, and Tim Kastelle captures this nicely when describing the hours before a big presentation. He asks, when was the last time you were wrong?
2. Each week we are bombarded with the newest thinking, the greatest product launches, jaw-dropping innovations and daring entrepreneurship. Craig Wilson suggests that there are five reasons Australia risks being left behind in the digital economy
3. Kris Hoet opens a presentation with a quote from Mark Twain and goes on to talk about social currency. The quote: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why”. Love it.
4. A great reflection and call to action from Ray Wang – the right of being offline asks us to think about what we are giving up (really) and what we do want
5. Do you try or do you do? A great post by Michael Hyatt that asks us to deliberately choose. A mantra for 2012 perhaps?!

We must be getting towards the end of the year … as it seems that there is a lot of recycling of ideas going on.There are plenty of blog posts rehashing ideas or simply stating the obvious. Maybe we are all just a little Sick and Tired.

Having said that, there are still some great posts that appeared in the last week and are well worth your attention. Savour them!

1. In case you missed it, Lisa Petrilli launched her eBook and found it featured on the Huffington Post and on the Amazon best seller list – all within days. Obviously The Introvert’s Guide to Success in Business and Leadership struck a nerve. Check out Lisa’s blog post and book!
2. These days we don’t even need to create content – we can simply curate it (much as I am doing with this series of links). Neil Perkin shares The 3 Pillars of Content Curation to help us make sure we are doing it right.
3. Have you ever been asked by your execs to explain the ROI of social media? If so, you may just want to check out David Meerman Scott’s Social Media ROI Hypocrisy video.
4. What Do Five Year Olds and Product Managers Have in Common? You may already know – but if not – some welcome gold from the Cranky Product Manager!
5. Gavin Costello has a cracking post on the Impact that Wordads will Have on Google and Adsense. Check it out.

This week it was hard to keep to only five posts – there certainly seems to be a glut of good reading available – from some of the big industry blogs right through to the unique, lone blogger. Hope you enjoy the variety on offer this week – and let me know if you found something else worth sharing!

1. This week marks Om Malik’s 10 Years of Blogging. So what has he learned from the last ten years – and what can be expected of a blogging future? One suggestion is that that curation is as important as writing. Think about it. It’s not about what you write, it’s about what you share (and sometimes you just happen to be sharing your own ideas).
2. The idea that we are all separated by six degrees of separation has been a long running meme that has helped to explain social networks – but it seems it’s not exact. Using data directly from Facebook, it seems there are only 4.74 degrees of separation and that this is continuing to shrink (down from 5.28 in 2008). There’s plenty more in the Anatomy of Facebook.
3. Abe Sauer has a great article showcasing the Commercial Ad Legacy of The Muppets. This sort of sophistication is sadly lacking from so many TV shows and creative/production houses these days.
4. Do you blog? Have you been doing it long? What are the benefits? Ingeborg van Beusekom shares Six Reasons to Start Blogging.
5. Sometimes your product or service is not sexy. Sometimes there is no denying that the design isn’t up to Apple’s exacting standards. But chances are, someone loves it. Or needs it. If this sounds like one of your challenges, take a look at Drew McLellan’s How Do You Sell What No One Wants to Buy.

I was a little deluged with busyness last week, presenting at the SocialMediaPlus conference in the US.

That meant that I missed last week’s update – but there was some pretty good material that will feed your brain, so this week’s list is a combination of great reading from the last two weeks.

Hope you like it!

1. Sometimes you can stumble upon a piece of great, topical writing, like this piece by Mat Honan – Generation X Doesn’t Want to Hear It. My favourite line: “Right now, Generation X just wants a beer and to be left alone” – or the Australian version – “Generation X needs a Bex and a lie down”. Love it.
2. Who would have thought that Facebook can make you smarter? New research indicates that social network complexity enriches your cognitive growth – or so Eric Michael Johnson tells us in the Scientific American blogs.
3. Why do we share? Mike Arauz explains the three drivers – to strengthen bonds, define a group identity and to give me status. A great article summarising some of the proceedings at the Futures of Entertainment conference at MIT.
4. Why do you do what you do? Hint: It’s all about your customers. Or so Michael Brenner says. Here are five questions with one of my socially-savvy colleagues, courtesy of MarketingProfs.
5. We all talk (a lot) about content curation. But how do you spot good curation? Beth Kanter shares a deck on this very subject, and weighs in with her own thoughts. Gold.

One of the things that I continue to love about blogging and bloggers is their willingness to tackle interesting issues and problems. You see, blogs are transition spaces – where ideas can be tested and improved – where the community can be brought into a debate and concepts synthesized. These posts from last week pose some interesting challenges and opportunities – but they are always only starting points. Your comments and ideas are also appreciated!

1. Renee Blodgett has written one of the best posts on the topic of influence that I have read in some time. She asks What is REAL influence? Will Klout and other tools define and control you or will you define them? Big, interesting questions!
2. What are the key priorities for your influencer program? Maria Ogneva suggests stepping away from that bevy of measuring tools and focus on two things. Any guesses what they’d be?
3. One of the reasons that “influence” is such a hot topic is that online search is being curated – through Google, Facebook, Twitter and almost every other network we connect with. And it is being curated by algorithms combined with those we know, trust and connect with. As Stefano Maggi says, it’s pointless optimising for SEO if we aren’t also optimising for people.
4. Now you can accept credit card payments with an iPhone. Hear how you can get top shelf marketing services with a simple swipe and a smile from my man, Drew McLellan. Now, I just wonder whether this wonderful Square service works in Australia!
5. What do you prefer, giving, getting or being the inside scoop? Your answer tells a lot about you. Just ask Valeria Maltoni.

As you read the posts below, I’d like you to think about subscribing to these blogs. I know that many people think that “feed readers” are old school now, but they really can be powerful (especially if you use them well).

Try Feedly or something like Flipboard if you have an iPad. Categorise the blogs in a way that works for you.

While there are thousands of blog posts published each day, the great bloggers produce consistently good content. It’s worth coming back to them regularly!

1. If you work in a non-profit organisation – in fact – if you are interested in understanding how social media can help you build relationships with ANY audience, you should really subscribe to John Haydon’s excellent blog. Here John shares a video of Gary Vaynerchuck reminding us all to say “thank you”.
2. The changes to Klout last week had many people up in arms. But as Kate Carruthers explains, we’ve always judged people’s status and influence – how they dress, speak and what they drive – and with systems like Klout, we’re still just at the beginning.
3. For years we have focused on bringing creativity into the business environment. And yet, we also create processes and environments which stifle the impact of this creativity. I think we could do with looking at business in a new way – and Tac Anderson thinks we may just need to bring more anthropology students into the business world.
4. We all know that work and life can be overwhelming – especially when everything around you keeps changing. This great post from Amber Naslund explains how to work with rolling goals so that you feel comfortable changing your goals as you, your conditions, your life and work necessitates.
5. We have all lived through a death by powerpoint, right? Kevin Dugan suggests that you reorder your slide decks to bring the payoff forward. After all, you don’t want to deliver that last “gotcha” slide to an empty room!

There’s a bit of something for everyone this week – something for the activists, some for the bloggers, some for the business to business marketers and even a snack for the hard working strategists and creatives in the agencies.

1. In the face of the #occupywallstreet momentum, Shay O’Reilly takes a shot at Malcolm Gladwell and wonders whether Gladwell isn’t, after all, a “crusty luddite”.
2. Over the weekend, NSW Police cleared Sydney’s Martin Place of #occupysydney protesters. This echoed the more violent closure of #occupymelbourne days earlier. What is it about peaceful protest that so incenses the government? Tim Longhurst shares some thoughts.
3. Laurel Papworth’s post (actually more like an essay) on the new Paywall for News Limited’s The Australian website is well worth a read. It provides a good background to the challenges, the approach that was taken pre-launch and some analysis of what will and what probably won’t.
4. Jake Hird has compiled 25 B2B social media case studies – including American Express’ Open Forum and Dell’s YouTube and Facebook channels. Good to share with your colleagues!
5. What can we learn from creatives, strategists and music? Jye Smith shares a few links and some insight.

With the global zeitgeist in full swing, I often find threads of connections between the posts that catch my attention. Maybe that is my own desire to pattern match. Or maybe it is the emerging global consciousness. Which ever way, each of these five posts have a thread of connection – even though the authors may not know or read each others’ blogs. Maybe now that will change!

Which of the following five must-read posts inspires you most?

1. One of the challenges for any business – especially a startup – is to raise awareness. The tried and true approach here is the traditional “press release”. Alan Jones has written a great article on How to Write and Deliver a Startup Press Release. And there are lessons there for all of us. Not jus the startups.
2. Let’s face it, our markets (and our customers) change all the time. And in business, one of the largest challenges is balancing the long term with the short – keeping an eye on trends, an eye on your customers and a vital, third eye on your business. What should executives focus on? Neil Perkin shares some insight in Playing the Long Game.
3. We often talk about business having an impact beyond the business. Indeed, research indicates that most people prefer (and Gen Y demand) that their employers contribute to the “greater good”. Kate Carruthers takes time out from her busy Rugby World Cup watching schedule and shares some insight into the challenges that Corporate Social Responsibility and the Triple Bottom Line represent.
4. But then businesses do face serious challenges – attracting talent, growing business, remaining relevant to their customers and markets. Danny Brown suggests that one way to do so is to Think Bigger Than You.
5. This type of thinking is a double edged sword. Employees want their companies to think outside of the box, but companies – in return – expect a similar commitment. Stan Johnson was surprised at how many young creatives were unaware of TED and suggested they consume some ideas worth spreading. Amen.

Last week was a week that was dominated by the news of Steve Jobs’ passing. And no doubt, you have read several beautiful and powerful articles or remembrances – as did I. But I will leave the eulogising to others who knew – or loved – Steve Jobs.

1. Adam Weinstein interviews the activists who kick started the #occupywallstreet movement – revealing the personal insight and impetus to claim the mantle We are the 99 Percent.
2. On the same theme, Doug Meacham shared this link with me during the week. Think Occupy Wall Street is a Phrase? You don’t get it – is a great article by Douglas Rushkoff who suggests that this protest is a new net-driven counter cultural discourse. For those who are fascinated by the intersection of culture and technology (and I am one), it makes for fascinating times – and Rushkoff seems to provide a great context for this emergent movement.
3. To determine whether your content driven strategy is delivering value, it’s important to measure a number of things. Which things is dependent upon your objectives, challenges and opportunities. Jay Baer breaks these down into The 4 Types of Content Metrics That Matter.
4. Do you love Facebook – or is a double edged sword. Mark Pesce offers a brilliant alternative vision where we may in fact be Haunted by the Past in a Facebook World. Great stuff!
5. And for anyone who loves words and writing, George Orwell’s 5 Rules for Effective Writing are a must read. Enjoy!