If you’re just starting a blog or trying to learn how to be a successful blogger on the Internet you have probably read a lot about what you should be doing. Have you considered thinking about what you shouldn’t be doing?
I polled my network of experts on Google+ and got some great responses on this topic. I wanted to feature +C Bret Campbell‘s thoughts as a guest post. Here’s his top ten list of mistakes that bloggers commonly make:
Top 10 No-No’s:
So, tonight, after attending a meeting for speakers interested in +PodCamp Nashville, I went out to dinner with the lovely +D’nelle Throneberry and talked about teamwork and how it relates to social media as a business strategy.
The first thing we talked about is something that “social media experts” are afraid to admit. Social media has grown so much that it is no longer under one umbrella. There are so many aspects of new media that one person can not simply master them all.
Currently the game is being played on a no-frills referral basis in this market. If you’re looking for WordPress, there’s someone for that. If you want to do a Twitter campaign, I can point you in the right direction. Looking for Drupal? There’s a couple of guys in town that do that…
Clearly, what I learned from our conversation and observing the relationships and businesses in this market, I know that everyone is really excited about social media. Especially the people that do it for a living. They are all working independently and love it. Why?
I can understand leaving your M-F 9-5 to become an independent entrepreneur and do what you love, but why do it alone when there is a team of people there all passionate about the same thing?
As this space continues to evolve, more technologies and networks start popping up, we are going to need more than just a few experts. Regardless, though, of how much it grows and changes, all of these things that propagate are all related. There is no reason we should work in silos. That’s why we left Corporate America in the first place, right?
I think that if a group of people with a diversified range of talents band together they will be much more successful than a bunch of people all out doing it on their own.
I don’t care how wide or great your referral network is, there is strength in numbers and if you band together, you can do amazing things. Teamwork is where it’s at.
I just had two incredible conversations with two of my favorite innovators within this space. How did we meet? Google+ Hangouts of course.
Although we might not talk all of the time or keep up with each other on a daily basis, when we feel the need to tap into each others’ creativity and critical thinking skills, we know we are there for each other.
Continue reading Never Discount the Importance of Your Connections
I spoke with him today about making money with his passion. Boris has been struggling trying to find a way to earn a living with his art. During the first episode of my new podcast (available on iTunes, Blip, YouTube and my website) we discussed a few opportunities that could help Boris make money from his photos.
Along with my friend, +Bruce Garber, we challenged +Boris Gorelik to try something out. It involves a bodega and overcoming being shy. It’s a great story and I can’t wait to share it with you. Until then, check out +Boris Gorelik‘s photos and let me know whether you think he has what it takes to make it in the Big Apple.
So lately I have been very intrigued by design. I spent a lot of time in New York speaking with artists and trying to better understand what drives their passion and where they found their style.
Furthermore, I’m starting to hear arguments from people like +Mike Roberts (an emerging thought vlogger) that “Content is No Longer King” and design is starting to differentiate people’s interest.
The Consumerist recently posted about two articles, one from +CNBC and the other from +The New York Times about the price of single-serving coffee packages.
I, for one, own a single-serving brewing system. I am a fan of the device (a Keurig) because it removes a lot of barriers from me brewing my own coffee. The most important of these barriers in time.
Before owning my Keurig, it took a lot of effort to brew a cup of coffee. More often than not, when I would brew a “pot” of coffee in the morning, most of it would go to waste. So, between cleaning the pot, cleaning the basket and measuring the cofee each morning I was spending a lot of time. Even after all of the preparation I would have to wait several minutes for the stuff to brew.
Now I find myself flying down the stairs with an extra 15 minutes of sleep, ready to press a button while I grab my banana and have my coffee in my thermos, the exact amount, the right temperature, perfectly fresh and all ready to go. I realize that on a “cost-per-pound” basis, this is way more than I would ever consider paying for high end coffee.
+Starbucks Coffee offers select roasts for $13.95/lb and I’m paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $25-$30. Surely, this is way more expensive using my perfered method when viewed in a cost-per-pound perspective. However, if you look at the amount of coffee that is wasted and the amount of time spent brewing a “pot” of coffee each morning, I think I’m actually saving a lot more time and money than I would with the traditional method.
So, what’s your bottom line? What do you think the convenience is worth? Just because it costs more per pound does that mean you’re spending more overall? How do you do your coffee in the morning?
In a world where people connect effortlessly with their computers, mobile devices and tablets, social networks are popping up everywhere. Some of them are geared towards finding and sharing websites (digg, stumbleupon), others are more geared towards sharing what you’re doing in text and photo (Instagram, Twitter), some focus on where you are (Foursquare, Path) while others try to tackle everyone at once (Facebook, Google+). Every day more and more of these networks are popping up like Pinterest and Issuu.
Of course, having a presence in all of these places would expose your business or brand to more eyeballs, but is it really necessary?
Continue reading How Many Social Networks Should My Business Use?
We just finished our last night of the #NYCHIRL and all I can say is…WOW! That was one of the most incredible experiences I have had in my life.
If you are new to G+ or trying to get people interested in joining, just tell them to search for hastag NYCHIRL and see the ridiculous amount of fun that a bunch of people that met over the Internet were able to have over one weekend in New York City.
Continue reading How Two Nights in New York Changed Our World
“Each man reads his own meaning into New York.” – Meyer Berger
Over 50 people from all over the world are going to meet in the center of the biggest city in the United States this weekend. Why?
Because they connected with each other. Continue reading Blogging from 30,000 Feet: From Nashville to New York
+Jennifer Wedel disclosed to us today that the Deputy Chief of Staff from+The White House called her home to inform her that the President wanted to ensure that her unemployed husband’s resume was send to key contacts in the Dallas Fort Worth area.
During our second hangout interview with Jennifer she explained the news of the phone call and why she shared it with us first. Continue reading Follow-Up Interview with +Jennifer Wedel from +The White House Hangout