Insights

A Christmas Video Message

I just wanted to say thank you for reading, commenting and making this blog better. While I may write, you make the magic happen in the comments and social conversations elsewhere – and I’m so grateful for that.

Here’s to more of the same in 2012 and beyond – let’s continue to grow together. Personally and professionally, let’s make 2012 the year that we truly come together and make all the real magic happen.

In the meantime… this is for you, and see you on the other side of Christmas!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjeteJaRXA8&list[/youtube]

If You Want To Kill Your Competition Then You May As Well Kill Your Goals

Why do you want to kill your competition (this is a generic you)?

Why do you want to put on your size 42 boots, kick them in the sack and then trample them into the dirt?

Why do you want them to fail so badly that the only people left they can come to is you? Is your alternative really that much better?

Maybe.

But if it is, then isn?t it the competition that?s helped make you so much better? If not, why not? If the competition is who we want/need to be better than, then why aren?t we using them to improve ourselves?

This doesn?t just need to be about business, either. Your competition can be other bloggers; other poetry writers; other breadmakers; others that are after your objects of desire.

Anything that is after the same thing you?re after is competition. It could be a lot, or it could be miniscule ? but either way, it?s all good. Because you watch, and learn.

What decision lost a business customers? What blog post got a slew of criticism? What bread became staler first, and why?

Learn why the things your competitors are doing are backfiring, and adjust your approach to benefit those left in the dust. And you don?t even have to lace up your kicking boots to do this.

Don?t hate others for doing things wrong; make them hate you for doing things right.

image: Jordan.A.

Book Week at DannyBrown.me ? Humanize by Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter

It?s been a while since I did any book reviews here. Mainly because many of the business books I read in 2011 were okay, but nothing to write home about.

Thankfully that changed with the release of?Brand Against the Machine, by John Morgan, which you can read about here, and easily one of my favourite business books of the last 18 months or so.

Joining John’s book is Humanize, by Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter, one of the best social media books you’ll read this year, if not the best. And here’s why.

Humanize Actually Makes Business Sense

A lot of books in the social media space read as if they’ve been written by someone that may have a great grasp of social media, but not necessarily a great grasp of how business works. Yes, there is a difference.

Humanize covers both requirements. The authors are folks that have been using the social space to really move the needle when it comes to business and non-profit use of the space. But they’re also veteran business people too – and it tells.

Where Humanize scores over other books in its category is that it doesn’t come at you with unrealistic dreams and goals.

Sure, it’d be nice to be able to converse with all your customers, and it’d be great to say, “Well, we can’t offer a return on investment number, because social media doesn’t work that way.” Except the former isn’t realistic, and the latter is an escape clause used by folks that have never had to run budgets and departments and account for every penny.

Both Notter and Grant break down every single component needed to make a social media strategy work for your business; but they break it down with facts, figures, and examples of how that can be turned into hard cash.

From small campaigns to large-scale media blasts, every business owner is catered for. Yet this is only one place where Humanize shines.

Humanize Steers Clear of Fluffy Bunnies

Like I mentioned earlier, Humanize doesn’t try and pretend that social media is this warm and fuzzy medium where everyone will get rich just by talking to each other.

However, it also makes a very important argument for true conversation – the one between teams, internal and external; the one where all voices have importance; the one where sales work with finance work with feedback forums work with trends in the marketplace.

In short, Humanize shows you why it’s important to be human to each other, without the touchy-feely crap that often comes out when people start talking about the relationship factor in social media.

(~ Note: Yes, I know and agree that relationships are key. Heck, it’s what my tagline is all about. But there’s a line between real business/consumer relationships that work and those that are just a never-going-to-happen pipe dream.)

Additionally, Humanize treats you like an adult. This isn’t a book that you’ll put on a coffee table for a quick read. No – this is a business book that you’ll have sat in your office along with numerous notes you’ve made from it to integrate into your business.

This is compounded by the additional educational worksheets you can download,?making Humanize one of the most comprehensive books about social media and business you’ll pick up this year.

Want to succeed in social media? Get Humanize. It’s as simple as that.

Disclosure: I was sent a copy to review as well as asked for a praise quote for Humanize. The review, though, is my own.

Book Week at DannyBrown.me – Brand Against the Machine by John Morgan

It’s been a while since I did any book reviews here. Not that there weren’t a ton of books that could be reviewed – 2010 and 2011 saw more social media and marketing books released than there are reasons for Klout to exist. Probably.

But so many of them said the same thing, or seemed to be just a collection of blog posts reformatted for print, that it seemed pointless to share here, since you could easily find more value from the people mentioned here and save your book money for something really good.

Like Brand Against the Machine, by John Morgan, and easily one of my favourite business books of the last 18 months or so.

So why is it so good, and brought me back into book review mode? Let’s dig in.

No Fluff, No Filler

The problem with many business books is that they feel disjointed. They have 20 chapters, and two are good with the rest seeming to try and make a point that doesn’t need making.

With John Morgan’s Brand Against the Machine, though, you’re hooked from the very first page. Not only that, but you find yourself nodding your head along to so much – if not all – of what John’s saying.

He makes salient points that we all should know, and yet every day we let others think, say or do. He shows the importance of why the brand is everything (sorry, product whores). And you know what? He’s right.

Yes, the product or the content is key; but the perception and reality of who and what’s behind the product or content is what really sells and keeps people coming back for more.

It’s something that others may have spoken or written about before; but none have written it in the manner?that John does. Every point is forced home – but it’s in such a way that you can’t help but get?imbued by everything?and want to run outside and start putting everything into practice.

John’s humour helps too, since you smile at both his wording and admonishments, as well as his self-effacing manner. Which helps immensely when talking about the kind of brand that draws so much ire.

Personal Brand Isn’t a Dirty Word After All

I’ll admit, I’m not?a huge fan of the personal brand moniker. While I understand the reason for it, I find many of the people that?preach personal?branding are egotistical asshats.

However, in Brand Against the Machine, John Morgan shows that peoples’ perceptions of you defines their perception of your product, service, content or whatever it is you have to sell or share. That in itself immediately makes you a brand.

Get your own brand right, and you can take on the big companies with a fraction of the budget. Your content will be shared; your products will have a warm audience; and your customers will trust you and want to?stay with you.

That personal brand will carry across into how your employees feel around you, and?again that will define?the success of your business.

So, like it or not, you are a personal brand – deal with it.

Buy It, Brand It

There’s?so much that you’ll take away from Brand Against the Machine that a mere review here can’t possibly do it justice. It’s short punchy chapter after short punchy chapter of real, solid advice on making you stand out from everyone else, and what you need to?do to believe you can.

It’s not airy-fairy buzzwords to make people swoon and feed John grapes – instead, it’s a business book that will teach you how to use your brand/business and yourself as the key weapon?to beat anyone.

If you’re getting the feeling I love this book, you’re right, and if you buy one single book for Christmas, make it Brand Against the Machine. You will not regret it – that’s a promise.