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Archive - July, 2010

Reflections and Reviews of Julys Gone By

By Mike Sansone on July 31, 2010 in Blog Coach with 0 Comments

At the turn of the calendar, let's revisit some posts from this and past Julys:

July 2010

July Past

Brunch n Brains: The Art of Listening (TED video) – July 2009
YouTube Blocked? Try Zamzar or KeepVid – July 2008
Google as a Librarian – July 2008
The Future of Education: Send the Lecture Home – July 2008
Apply SCAMPER to Your Blogging – July 2007
Blog Posting: Give Readers an Eye Rest – July 2007 (I'm beggin' ya!)
Speak to the Back of the Church (Global Voices!) – July 2007
Search Once and Subscribe: Use Personal Pronouns – July 2007
Handling Negative Comments: Do You Have a Volunteer Fire Department? – July 2007
Synchronizing Communication – July 2007
Perceptions of Bloggers: A Visual – July 2006
Do You Know Your Feed Response Rate? - July 2006
The Immutable Law of Business Blogging – July 2006
Quotes n Notes: Perseverance – July 2006
Why Not? – July 2006

That's the best of the July bunch:-) Bring on the "dog days" of August

Your RSS Feed is Part of Your Display Merchandising

By Mike Sansone on July 30, 2010 in Blog Coach, RSS Feeds with 0 Comments

Image via Wikipedia

The design of your site looks great (or maybe that mock-up is looking great). Glad you're on top of it. But do you subscribe to your own RSS feed?

It's also part of your display merchandising — and you should be subscribing to it. You should be reading your feed (your inventory) along with all the others:

Does your headline slow down your scroll (or "next" clicks)?
Is there content above the fold that grabs you — or is there only ads above the click?
Is your name listed as author – or does "admin" write your site?
That image that took you way too long to find, is it above the scroll bar – and does it add to the story?

If you don't subscribe to any feeds (and you should), we have a whole 'nuther problem. And another post.

But today, subscribe to your own blog and see what your readers see. It's Display Merchandising 101.

IDLFO Show: Repurposing, SCAMPERing, & Creative Commons

By Mike Sansone on July 30, 2010 in Blog Coach with 0 Comments

Last week, we kicked off the move of the I Dunno, Let's Find Out show to Friday nights (11pm CST). We had a great conversation with Jade Handy and videos by Gary Vaynerchuk and Adora Svitak.

This week, we're going to talk about repurposing your message – maybe even reinventing old content in a new way. We'll look at how Disney does it, Michael Jackson did it, and how you can do it too. We'll take a look at SCAMPERing as a tool to get your creative juices flowing. We'll also find out how Creative Commons licensing works to your benefit as both creator and re-creator

Just tune in on your browser to WorldwideAmplified.com tonight at 11pm CST.

Don’t Let Your Proficiency Become Your Deficiency

By Mike Sansone on July 29, 2010 in Blog Coach, Conversations, Education, Marketing with 0 Comments

When I played baseball as a kid, my coach used to tell me to hit the curveball the "other way." Great advice coach. I would ask how to do that, and he said "easy – just drive the ball to right field."

He had become so adept at doing it himself, he didn't explain the nuances of knob of bat-to-ball, positioning of hands, timing, etc to a 14-year-old who just started seeing curveballs for the first time (we didn't throw breaking stuff as youths back then).

In our own teaching (or selling, coaching, parenting, whatever), we sometimes fall short in transference due to our own expertise or experience in a subject. We forget what it was like to be in the beginner's mindset.

Simplify, dissect, and share what you know – not in a cocky expert voice to show your veteran status, but with the beginner in mind.

Don't let your proficiency become your deficiency in your conversations.

Since When Did Social Media Become a Pass/Fail Test?

By Mike Sansone on July 27, 2010 in Blog Coach, Conversations, Social Media with 0 Comments

The long, hot days of summer…and it's not yet August.

There's been lots of kerfuffle going about in some sections of the conversphere this season. I've witnessed some banter and gone swimming in some of it a bit myself.

If conversational relationships are an exchange of ideas, shouldn't we consider talking (writing?) like we may right and listening (reading?) like we might be wrong (say yes).

Recently, our friend Troy Rutter picked a fence with "social media gurus" in the Des Moines area, asking out loud some questions that surely:

Rankled some egos
Ignited a conversation offline and online
Brought awareness to limitations and boundaries (at least perceived)
Has Troy wondering if he made a mistake

Troy has followed up his initial volley with a few reasons he applauds Des Moines' social media play, nnot necessarily an apology – and I'm not so sure an apology is necessary.

Our friend Andrew B. Clark offered a rebuttal to Troy, and move the conversation ahead with some good points of his own — and encourages the conversation to continue.

This "Social Media 'guru' surplus" talk is much like the "brain drain" conversation that happens here in Iowa.

This type of conversation is happening everywhere else too!

I don't think there is a social media "guru" surplus — in Iowa or anywhere (same goes for "brain drain").

I think too much attention may be going to who's the big fish in the small pond. The reality may be there is only one (global) pond — or maybe there is no pond.

There are a lot of businesses not yet utilizing some of these tools, and most who are have no strategy. There are niches in tools and niches in industries. There are plenty of opportunities for collaboration and cooperation and even reconciliation.

While the conversation Troy ignited may have wrinkles and wrankles – let's all learn from it and exchange ideas.

Photo on Flickr by Kevin Steele

I don't think Social Media is a pass/fail test.

Whistle Stops 07/25/10

By Mike Sansone on July 25, 2010 in Whistle Stops with 0 Comments

Whistle Stops are conversations, eye-openers, or tools representing the
brain train discovered while traveling along the Conversphere. From
business to education, life hacks to giving back, these are the posts and
links that have in some way grabbed my attention!

Blog Better with an Editorial Calendar and Style Bank at HubSpot: Having these tools at your ready will save you time and angst, and crete greater success.
How to Take an Idea to Launch in 4 Steps at ProBlogger: Simple, important steps with graphic organizer included. Print it and follow it.
Ensure Your Slide Presentation Spurs Discussion at Powerpoint Ninja: Let 'em talk! This must-read includes several scenarios of conversation.
The New Ultimate Secret How-To Guide Top 10 Guide by Douglas Karr: Here are some post title formulas that increase traffic. Super simple to implement!

Happy travels and talks

IDLFO Show: Is Your State of Mind Holding You Back?

By Mike Sansone on July 23, 2010 in Conversations with 0 Comments

Tonight is the debut of our IDLFO show moving to the weekend slot, Friday nights at 11pm CT on Worldwide Amplified.

To help launch our new time, I've asked my friend and colleague, Jade Handy to stop by and talk shop. He is the author of State of Mind Coaching, and the creator of the Language Hacker Award I proudly wear on the sidebar of my site.

One of the things we'll be discussing is how our own conversation — our State of Mind — may be holding us back from our full potential, offline and online, personally and professionally.

One of the ways you can participate with us is in the show's chat room or on Skype (desmoinesamplified)

Are You Ready for ‘Life in a Day’?

By Mike Sansone on July 22, 2010 in Video with 0 Comments

Are you ready for Saturday? Get your FLIP videos and Digital Cameras ready. It’s a great time to kickoff a new habit AND take part in a worldwide event.

YouTube, Producer Ridley Scott, Director Kevin McDonald…and you (if you choose to accept the assignment) are collaborating on Life in a Day. Essentially, film a moment of your day, or moments that make up your day. Three easy steps and a few do’s/don’ts are listed in the top navigation of the LifeInADay channel on YouTube.

Director Kevin McDonald has asked that a few questions get answered as you do your filiming

What Do You Love?
What Do Your Fear?
What Makes Your Laugh?
What’s in Your Pocket?

It is really a cultural and social experiment, don’t you think? And if you haven’t begun to “film” yourself, this is a great opportunity to break the ice and get in the habit.

As Ridley Scott says, “Just do it”