Roundup time, and that means some great marketing and business blogs that you can sink your teeth into. Most of these fantastic authors have been featured here before and for good reason. They’re all smart and insightful and they alternately inspire and educate. I hope you find something here to enjoy.
6 Weird Things That Will Improve Your Productivity
Written by Devan Perine
Yep, I’m a sucker for titles like this. I want to know: Really? How weird can something be? I also want to know how to be more productive because, well, who doesn’t? Devan delivers some fun and weirdness, too, with a couple of things you can actually insert into your day effortlessly… especially #4, which I won’t give away except to say… yes, please! See which one of these helps perk you up most.
Read the article at enmast.com and follow Devan on Twitter @devanmarie
Have You Let What You Do Define You?
Written by Kaarina Dillabough
Kaarina is a thinker and her posts always inspire me to do the same. I guess you could say that’s just a bit of how I define her! In this post she makes the point that when someone asks us what we do, we automatically answer with our job titles. And yet we are so much more and should avoid defining ourselves so narrowly. I couldn’t put it more eloquently, so I’ll just quote Kaarina here: “Today, see yourself as a human being, not a human doing.”
Read the article at kaarinadillabough.com and follow Kaarina on Twitter @KDillabough
How To Drive Targeted Traffic To Your Brand
Written by Jessica Ann
Everyone wants to make friends and win business. But attracting the right kind of people is not always easy. First it takes knowing who you want to attract… then how… and then you’ve got to keep ’em around. No worries, Jessica shares a great summary of how to do all that. From the content you create to the image you portray, this post will help you get your ducks in a row so you can find, inspire and even entertain your business audience.
Read the article at jessicaannmedia.com and follow Jessica on Twitter @itsjessicann
7 Simple Tips For Creating Valuable Content Every Day Your Clients Actually Want
Written by Ryan Hanley
In this post Ryan wants to know: are you creating too much content? But wait, there’s a catch. “Too much” has nothing to do with “how often”. Sounds counterintuitive but when you listen to Ryan (and I mean listen, there’s a video that accompanies this post, too) you will understand why even some content can be “too much” if it’s the wrong kind of content.
Read the article at ryanhanley.com and follow Ryan on Twitter @RyanHanley_Com
Dear Amy: The #SMEtiquette Of The Mass Unfollow
Written by Amy Vernon
Real-world relationships can be tricky enough to navigate. Now online relationships add a whole new dimension to our paranoia – who likes me, who doesn’t, am I saying the right thing, am I doing the right thing? Plus the whole mess of who/when/why to friend/fan/follow. That’s why I found Amy’s post interesting – it addresses the etiquette – and angst – of following and unfollowing people online. If you occasionally wonder how to handle your various online connections, you’ll appreciate this one.
Read the article at amyvernon.net and follow Amy on Twitter @amyvernon
I hope your week ends well and that you find some time to relax this weekend!
Thanks so much for including me in such amazing company:) Cheers! Kaarina
You’re welcome! I often think the same thing about identity, when people ask “what do you do?” I want to say something brilliant and not just “marketing.” Haven’t quite figured out what that answer is yet but it makes for a god conversation starter 🙂
My standard response when someone asks “what do you do?”, I answer with a smile and inflection on the word “need”…”what do you need done?” Doesn’t work online, but it works beautifully face-to-face, mainly because of how I use my voice and smile, body language and sincerity in the question. It often disarms the person, but I give them a chance to recover, after which they usually in no short order actually tell me something they’re looking for. I always follow up with “if I can’t help you, I’m sure I can find someone or know someone who can”. Not sure if this translates well in writing, but having been in business now for over 25 years, it has worked well for me for all these years. It’s not what people expect: they expect to hear a job title. And when I turn it back on them and their needs, although taken aback, they’re happy to talk about themselves/their needs. Of course, I prompt the conversation along based on their response. Doesn’t work online though, haha!
That’s pretty brilliant! Plus it starts a conversation without the usual drone of reciting job responsibilities. Everyone tunes that stuff out anyway because half the time I don’t understand what people are telling me anyway 🙂 People these days don’t say “lawyer” or “teacher” they are “data analysts” and “customer relations specialists” which could mean anything and usually leads a long, boring explanation. How much nicer to have a real conversation!
In my experience, it has always sparked conversation because people simply don’t expect it, and they get to talk about themselves right away. And I guess I have a way of saying it (as I said, it’s as much about HOW I say it as it is the words themselves) that somehow makes people feel really comfortable about talking about their needs pretty quickly. It allows me to be of service right off the hop, and it allows me to become more memorable to them, whether we eventually connect/do business/correspond later or not. It’s been a no-lose way of engaging for me.
Thanks so much for including me, @carollynnrivera:disqus ! I have a few more articles on my reading list this morning now. Glad you found my post interesting and useful.
You’re welcome, I always love those debates and to hear how other people manage things like that!
Thanks again, @carollynnrivera:disqus! Super happy to make the list this week. (P.S. I think #5 is my favorite, though #4 is a very close runner-up. 😉 )
You’re welcome, those were some interesting ideas, I stick by #4 🙂
Fab resource Carol Lynn! Digging in now….and retweeting to my 27K followers 😉
That’s great to hear, I’m glad you found these posts enjoyable. And thank you for sharing, it’s always appreciated!