It’s Content Week (your content, it’s weak)

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We read. A lot. When we find something online that makes say “huh” or “YOU MUST READ THIS”  we post them here on our Tumblr page. Last week was a little rough though.  There was some great stuff but in general it highlighted something that we obviously need to talk about…

Your Content.

So this week it’s all about content here and because we think spoilers are delightful, We’re going to give you a reason to come on back here this week.

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  • How your blog is like a lawn. (maybe you don’t think lawns are riveting….you will have a change of heart)
  • Who are you talking to Willis?  (if you don’t know what I’m talking about please use google)
  • Are you concerned that you sound like Charlie Browns teacher?
  • How to tell if you’re nailing it. (or not)

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3 ways to overcome the “too much to do” inertia

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Every single client that I work with has a lot going on.  I have a lot going on. You likely have a lot going on too – we are a society that values the busy – maybe even to a fault.

The thing that I noticed about the start of my week this week was I had too much to do inertia.  The list: it was long.  The location to start: completely unknown. The desire to start anything was swept up in what I can only call Cinco De Seis.  So there are a few things that I did that actually worked.  I’m going to share those with you.

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  1. I eliminated some stuff. I just flat out crossed it off the list. Last week at some point I read this post from Amanda Genther where she spelled it out really really clearly: it’s not a now thing. Hold on to that moment you’re having for a second – think about something that you have on your list that simply does not need to be a NOW thing. Cross it off. If it comes up again it might be a NOW thing then. Right now: It’s about letting it go.
  2. I pulled out three things to do in the am and three things to do in the pm. If I got six things done that was going to be a HUGE win. I put the rest of the list away and let myself WIN. Yes. DO THAT: LET YOURSELF WIN!!!!!
  3. Eat the frog. Do the thing that you most don’t want to do. Get it over with. Because inevitably you will feel one of two things: relief or that wasn’t so bad I can do more! Want to know more about eating frogs?  Check out this book: Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

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Book Review: Renegades Write the Rules – using social media to innovate

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There have been a stack of books on my counter for approximately three months. All of them have been started – none of them finished.  BUT that all changed this weekend. To motivate me to get through all these books I’m going to do brief book reviews with a handful of takeaways.  So lets kick off our first book

Renegades Write the Rules: How the Digital Royalty Use Social Media to Innovate

by: Amy Jo Martin

Read time: About 3.5 hours if you read at a moderate pace. Who should read this book: If you’re wondering if your personal brand should be active on Twitter and Facebook and you really want to be sold on how you can leverage it and be impressed by the wicked cool people Digital Royalty works with this is the book for you.

The best part for me: 

“I told him that social media is not a marketing tool.  You have to earn the right to sell something in the same way you earn the right to ask a friend for a favor.”  p. 38

Favorite line: “Be real and use your best judgement.”  (what else can you do – online or in life?)

Thing I want to do with a client: Find and Tweet. What a great idea and I love a good game of seeking.

Care Matters

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This past weekend I made a trip to my favorite local old-timey cocktail bar – you know the kind of place that prides itself on making all those fancy pre-prohibition concoctions that you read about in The Great Gatsby or see in the movies. At some point during the evening, I got to wondering why I enjoyed the place so much – the drinks are really good, but took a long time, they’re pretty expensive and it can be hard to find a seat in the place sometimes. Yet, this place is still my favorite for cocktails, bar-none.

As I watched the bartender make my drink, the care with which he executed every step of the process struck me. Precisely measuring each ingredient, giving just the right number of shakes, waiting until the drink is being made before cutting any fruit for garnish or flavor purposes – all of these things significantly increase the time it takes to get the drink, but also increase the quality dramatically. It’s not just the quality of the drinks, though. It’s the care itself that the bartenders take when crafting each drink that impresses me. It is indicative of the attention the managers and owners put into all the aspects of the business.

This brings me to my larger point. Care matters. Whether you’re crafting cocktails, writing a blog, building a house or formulating marketing strategies, it is important that you put care into the thing that you do. It matters because the result is important to your customer. Customers will notice when their vendor/manufacturer/bartender cares enough to do the job right. So be the one who takes care and craft something truly worthwhile.

 

Do you love your homepage?

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Things we accept as truths:

First impressions matter

Ease is important

What you see is what you get.

Now I want you to go to your homepage – doesn’t matter if you’re a photographer, a consultancy, if you’re a restaurant, if you’re a blogger or a retail shop.

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  1. What does your homepage say abou you – what is the first impression?
  2. Is it easy for someone to do what you want them to do?  Do it. From start to finish right now. Was it easy?
  3. Is what you see what you get?  If it’s not identify the disconnect.

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Put it on your list this quarter to make sure that your homepage hits the mark – it’s important to love your home (page).