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My Life is About to Change in a Flinch

By on December 7, 2011 in Books, Brain Stew with 0 Comments

You ever get that feeling? As you travel through a . . . transparent thing . . .

Last night, just before bed, I watched a video conversation with Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. They talked candidly (and colorfully) about Julien’s new book, The Flinch:

These guys literally wrote the book on Trust Agents, so when Brogan starts warning Smith that this book is one that might get read, but people won’t do anything about it – and Smith agrees (“There’s only so far you can <flinch-causing expletive>hold people’s hands”).

As I was watching, I went to Amazon and pre-ordered the free book (thanks Godin). This morning, it was in my Kindle and I started reading it. Last thing last night, then first thing first thing?  Interesting intersection.

As I read this morning, I’m fighting a lot of internal urges and personal feelings that won’t see the light of this blog. And I flinch. And grow.

Thanks for the read, Julien (and thanks for the video, Chris). I’ve got some flinches to face.

 

Strong End Summit [Videos to End the Week Strong] – 12/12/11

By on December 2, 2011 in Brain Stew, Video with 0 Comments

Friday afternoons are often a bit more relaxed, but relaxed doesn’t mean lazy. The Strong-End Summits (videos that will keep brains and hearts afire) are a way to end our week strong and come back refreshed. I haven’t done one of these for awhile, here are some of the videos I’ve saved for later viewing.

Have a good week strongend

Thanksgiving Stuffing for Your Blog Readers

By on November 22, 2011 in Blogging, Brain Stew with 0 Comments

Big weekend coming up. Football. Shopping. Food. Family.  And more of the same.

Along about Saturday afternoon, a lot of folks turn their attention elsewhere – and it’s a perfect time to lay out some goodies for your readers and new visitors.

I’ve been suggesting for years that weekends might have a lower number of visitors, but the depth of each visit grows. Don’t forget the weekends, especially the long ones.

Holiday Weekend: Schedule your Posts

Most blogging platforms (or blogware) allow you to schedule posts. BufferApp and Hootsuite are two tools you can use to schedule postings for Twitter or Facebook.

Thanksgiving Gratitude

Maybe this is the weekend to thank a dozen or so folks that you’ve found to add value to your information consumption. Something like Folks I Follow.

A Family-Sized List Post

How about an enormous helping of list posts that will get tweeted around and give ample time for leftover reads throughout the weekend. What would your list be? Here’s mine: 64 Different Types of Blog Posts

Picture or Poetry

Maybe you’ve had a yearning, or a stretch of the mind – to write up a post of the poetry kind

With Gratitude

And as for you my reading friend? After you’re done writing, I hope you enjoy a bit of time with family or shopping or football with delicious food.

And if along comes Saturday and you want to peruse the conversphere – walk the stacks over at Alltop or feast upon the eye-pleasing Pinterest and decorate your own board. There’s tons of stuff for every interest at either place.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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Toe-Tapping Into Music and Google Plus for Business

By on November 17, 2011 in Blogging, Brain Stew, Social Media with 0 Comments

Amidst the off-tune, oft-covered wales and tails of how Google+ is not good for business, along comes another plus to the party. And it may just be something for your use of Google+ Pages.

If you’ve been around here for some time, you know I like finding ways to use new tools to touch multiple senses, maybe punctuating posts with sound bytes from movies or asking how chocolate chip cookies sound.

As Google announced the new Google Music, I wondered how it might be used for business or better,how could we use Google+ plus Music together. So I posted this:

Cool, right? Hey, who threw that tomato from the bleachers, this is just the birth of the news . . .

So here’s a line of thought: Occasionally on your Google+ Business posts (especially the long ones), go find a song that fits and share the preview. Your readers will be able to hear the soundtrack of your posting.

It won’t (yet) work when you’re attaching a link, video, or photo – only one attachment at a time for now – but it can add a flavor to your thoughts.

Will it work? You know my song n dance: I Dunno, Let’s Find Out

Give it a shot, and let me know how it goes.

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Happy Birthday, Angela T Sansone

By on November 14, 2011 in Brain Stew with 0 Comments

Angela T Sansone
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1019 Ministries

Are We in Business or High School?

By on November 10, 2011 in Blog Coach, Brain Stew, Social Media with 0 Comments

Some believe a controversial blog post builds traffic. There are those that think a snark or rant will build conversation online and across platforms. Many times, they are right.

There are some who poke fun or knock down an idea . . . and then step aside to watch the crowds build upon the noise they ignited. And there’s a place for that I guess. There are threads of truth in humor and snark, otherwise it wouldn’t touch an emotion, hmm?

Unless your business is being a Professional Pundit or Freelance Firestarter, I’d suggest either hesitation or finding a social network that will serve as your venting outlet. And if the latter – so it within a personal name or login, rather than your business.

Yesterday, I wrote a bit on Facebook and Google. While I have a preference personally, and a prognostication professionally, the post negated neither entity. I have customers on both – some simultaneously, some separately.

This isn’t a war or a rival football game – not for you, dear business person. It’s not High School. It’s business.

If you are faced with a choice of “build business” or “tear down a tool/platform/idea” – choose the former:-)

Unless you’re a Professional Pundit – in that case, punch away (but maybe do it like Louis C.K.).

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Facebook AND Google (Let’s Move On)

By on November 9, 2011 in Brain Stew, Social Media with 2 Comments

I originally shared this on Google+

Facebook AND Google

Facebook is still working towards becoming this generation’s AOL.
Google is already working on becoming the next Google.

Facebook is a destination on the web
Google connects people to destinations on the web (and off the web)

Facebook pay-per-click ads exists on Facebook
Google pay-per-click ads exists everywhere

Facebook search searches on Facebook
Google search searches everywhere (except Twitter . . . for now)

Facebook is a social network. It’s what they offer
Google has a social networking aspect to what they offer

Facebook is like the expensive, fantastic, to-die-for high heel pair of shoes
Google is the whole outfit (including accessories)

Why are we comparing the two? A rose is a fantastic plant.
But it’s not the Redwood Forest. Beautiful, but different.

Let’s move on

 

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Get the Magic Back & Improve Your Writing [Guest Post]

By on November 1, 2011 in Blogging, Brain Stew, Education with 0 Comments

Get the Magic Back & Improve Your Writing by Maranda Gibson

On Halloween I was excited to hand out candy to adorable kids for the first time as a homeowner. I was armed with name-brand candy (as I heard anything else will get your house egged) and my cute new Halloween-themed candy bowl.

I’m sure you can imagine my disappointment when the majority of the kids were older ones who just painted some stuff on their face and wanted free candy.  I couldn’t help but wonder where is the magic?

The magic is what makes some writing really special and when we lose that, everything just feels like a chore. We lose the magic when writing and simply call it writers block.

No one is more magical and creative than kids under five – take some queues from kids the next time you have writers block.

  • Use Your Imagination- There is no telling a child that something isn’t possible – they dream in the impossible and we should be writing that way.
  • Stop Over Thinking Everything- Have you ever seen the way a toddler is fascinated by colors on a TV screen or the way a bird flies? They aren’t questioning the reasons why the show isn’t very good or what kind of bird it is. The TV makes sounds and the bird flies – it’s just the way it is, and it’s kind of amazing.
  • Ask Questions- Kids love to ask why so the next time you read or hear something you disagree with, ask yourself why you disagree, and then write that down.
  • Embrace Your Spontaneity- My niece is known for running wild around the room and then stopping to burst into song or a cheer. Why? Because it’s fun. So have some fun and recharge your batteries. Go to a museum or take a lunch to the park. Just do something that feels good.

Being a kid is absolutely magical but as we meander into adulthood, those feelings of excitement about life and the things we love to do can get overshadowed by the responsibilities we take on. By embracing our inner child we can get some of that joy back.

What are you doing to get magical in your blogging?

–

Maranda Gibson is the quirky social media manager for AccuConference, a conference call provider located in beautiful Fort Worth, Texas. She writes feverishly for the popular AccuConference communications blog as well as being the face behind the AccuConference Facebook and Twitter accounts. She loves to meet new people so don’t be shy and stop by to say hello.

Photo on Flickr by Fle {S}

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Commonality Found Brings Defenses Down

By on October 15, 2011 in Brain Stew, Conversations with 0 Comments

Watch the toddlers as they pass by each other in a mall or restaurant.

Eyes locked onto each other, almost as if they measuring each other up – or are they? Might it be they notice commonality and start seeking more?

  • A stroller.
  • That silly jump suit.
  • A sippy cup.
  • Hey, wanna be best friends?

Right out of Look Who’s Talking, hmm? Maybe we do this as adults too. Might be a reason that Pinterest has everyone’s interest.

Of course, such trivial surface things are probably introductions, not the foundation, of friendships. But the commonality found can bring defenses down. 

Ayoub Khote penned a challenging post on Google+ asking us to consider vulnerability:

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to the other: “What, you too? I thought I was the only one!”

Think about it. Who’s your favorite comic or storybook hero? What was their weakness, their vulnerability? See, even heroes are human. Such vulnerabilities, those we can relate to, can be building blocks towards relationship.

Shared interests. Shared vulnerabilities. These are important pieces of building and becoming a connected community.

As Ayoub suggests, make this a weekend project and see who connects.

Photo on Flickr by Thomas Hawk

 

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How Many Sides to a Cube?

By on October 10, 2011 in Brain Stew with 1 Comment

Don’t you love these trick questions?

How many sides does a cube have?

I see eight sides, don’t you? I know, but I’m not talking vertices – sides.

Let’s count around the box: 1, 2, 3, 4. The back (5) and the front (6). What’s left? Wait for it . . . the inside (7) and the outside (8). Eight sides if you include both the inside and outside of the box.

Both are important to how you use Social Media for your business. At times, we stray so far out-of-the-box, we forget what the original box looked like. In other words, we get so immersed in the numbers of Social Media, we forget about the important numbers of our business.

Look, I love (and sometimes live) out-of-the-box, but we should always know where the box is too. Otherwise, business gets tricky.

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