What Well Over 10 Years Of Blogging & Consulting Have Taught Me

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “The purpose of life is not to be happy.  It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you lived and lived well.”  That provides strong principles and values, a useful framework, to live by but is it a useful definition of purpose?  I offer a simpler take:

The purpose of life is to find your true purpose.

This article will explore my journey, not for the sake of mere self-indulgence but for the purpose of helping you on your own journey and perhaps getting to know each other better.  I hope that, by the end, you’ll realize just how valuable and accomplished you are.  If you’re at a crossroads in life, this may be the article for you.  If you have any thoughts to share, please don’t be shy.  This one will be quite the journey!

This epic collection of stories and scattered thoughts will cover a lot of things, including, but not limited to:

• How writing can be a tool of self-discovery and self-improvement
• What I’ve learned through running Y3B as a vehicle for consulting
• Going beyond establishing expertise and credibility
• Toxicity and the dangerous brand of knowledge (i.e. bad advice)
• Why culture/personality fit trumps technical knowledge and experience

Tomorrow, on April 6th 2017, Y3B turns 11 years old and it will mark an over 20-year journey.  While I’ve dabbled in just about everything and worn many hats, writing and technology have always been passions.  The challenge is translating those passions that into what Mark Schaefer calls sustainable interests, a concept that I have long taught and believed in before the book “Known” was published.  That said, you really should read “Known” and check out the discussion groups on it.

I believe blogging is still one of the most powerful tools for those wishing to be known.  On a greater scale, if you wish to establish credibility and visibility, the written word is still one of the most compelling ways to do so.  Writing forces you to really think through your ideas in a way you may not do on a podcast and certainly not video, where you may be more preoccupied with production quality instead of the relevant, uniqueness, and importance of your message/stories.  Writing is easily the most powerful form of communication and it is something everyone should strive to improve upon, if for no other reason than to structure your ideas and self-identity better.

 

I’m Not A Blogger, This Is Not A Blog

When folks have asked me over the last few years what it is that I do, I never answer with blogging.  It’s not my focus or core competency.  I believe that calling yourself a blogger diminishes the value of what you do; furthermore, your blog should be a catalyst for bigger things.  The term “blogger” has become synonymous with hobby or passion, not profession or purpose.  That’s fine if your blog is truly a labor of love but, if it can be so much more, why wouldn’t you develop it as such?

An Internet Buffet – Satire, SEO, and SoMe

Hello and welcome to my brand-spanking-new weekly blog and social media round-up, tentatively branded as the Weekly Internet Buffet!

NOTE:  Due to my work over at Geeky Antics Network Global (GANG) and HorsePLAY! LIVE, I will not be continuining my weekly round-up..  At least for now!

Special thanks to DonasDays on BlogSpot for the neat image and San Faryna for the blog soup idea!

This is similar to what I have done before with the previous #supportathon and comment brigade campaigns but with a greater focus on curation. I believe that the most successful, accomplished, and fulfilled marketers embrace and live out the 3Cs of online business and conversions (a’la CRO, networking, and lead nurturing). Consumer, Curator, and Collaborator (more on that at another time). The 3Cs remind us that wearing different hats is okay and, more importantly, they help us appreciate the value in all [content] marketing.

With this ongoing initiative, I hope to support lesser-known thought leaders and content marketers while curating some useful, if not fun, tidbits from around the Internet. Of course, this will make it much easier for me to keep up with all the sites I maintain. Everyone wins!

In this manner, I hope we can become collaborators and support each other in more meaningful, consistent ways. So, without further ado, here are my picks for the week!

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Stan Faryna is an old friend and I always admire his passion and poetic expression. Each of his pieces always seem to balance philosohical, philanthropic, and practical perspectives. In this continuation of the long-running Social Media DOHs series, Stan revisits favorite themes in value and self-promotion. His creative style will have you quite contemplative and perhaps introspective, too.

http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/2013/08/22/self-promotion-value-and-other-social-media-dohs/#more-5274

Tim Haverford at NISM (National Institute for Social Media) Online shares five simple reasons why every professional should invest more time in their online presence. Truth be told, I usually skip list-based posts but this is a solid, concise article. For me, the main take-away here is protecting your brand. If you don’t build up your online reputation, someone else will.. And that also leaves your intellectual property at great risk!

http://nismonline.org/five-important-reasons-why-professionals-should-invest-more-time-in-their-online-presence/

Twitter IPO speculation has been quite pervasive in the last month or so and with good reason. No other social network has the global reach, cultural adaptability, and accessibility that Twitter does. My pal Christian Hollingsworth compares Twitter with Facebook and, clearly, we see his social media preference. I am with him, too!

What will the Twitter IPO bring or take away? It is really anyone’s guess. I just hope they have a sustainable revenue model in place. My concern is that Twitter will start to scale back features and kick third-party supporters in the balls, much like Facebook did when they went public…

http://smartboydesigns.com/speculation-surrounds-twitters-ipo/

Obligatory SEO-related content? Absolutely!

The next three links revolve around Google Hummingbird for the most part. First off, SearchEngineWatch (that’s right: not Moz) explains what “Not Provided” means in Google Analytics.. And how we, as small businesses and solopreneurs, can brace ourselves and adapt better.

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2298881/What-Not-Provided-Google-Hummingbird-Mean-for-Small-Business-SEO

Queries/keywords Not Provided? No problem!

Note the evolution of SEO in just five years or so, as visually represented there. The HubSpot “Evolution of SEO” infographic is fantastic. In fact, if you struggle getting clients to see the value in your SEO services, this is a great tool. We see that a variety in content and creativity have more value now than ever before.

SEW reinforces what many of us veteran SEOs already knew and have advised for close to a decade: breadth of content is the key. This means casting a wider net while listening and measuring more. See what works for you and try new things. In short, keep content fresh and don’t force/spam niche or specializations just to rank up. Yes, that means you can’t just produce lists every day, though those have their place.

http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/what-programmatic-marketing-is-all-about-and-why-it-matters.html

Speaking of breadth of content, SEP sure has a wide variety of content. I trust the Search Engine People.. And Ruud Hein is also quite awesome and entertaining! I appreciate that they tackle all facets and tangent issues in SEO and Inbound Marketing. The above link will make a little sense of new marketing buzz words. WTF is programmatic marketing, anyway?

Back to this Not Provided business, KISSmetrics provides three great work-arounds for uncovering queries/sources which revolve around user behaviors, CPC/SEM, landing pages, and less traditional SEO tactics. Clearly, we can’t rely on Google or even Bing for our analytics and webmaster tools, so here are some ways we can be more self-sufficient and aware of how our content really performs.

http://blog.kissmetrics.com/unlock-keyword-not-provided/

“Recognize your influence. Recognize timing. Be intentional with your words.”

This powerful quote comes from former Navy enlistee and present-day Qualatech team leader/trainer, Matt Law. The next link goes to his article, which digs deeper into what leadership really means.. As well as the power our words really have!

Qualatech is an IT firm that seems to be very principle-driven.. In this article, they put the technical and tactical stuff aside to get to the root of what makes organizations thrive. While IT as a whole is struggling, this a Washington DC consulting firm thrives. My good friend James St. John pointed me to this article but I can see why Qualatech has thrived in what is a very saturated and underappreciated industry: they recognize the importance of true leadership, not mere management, and empowering others

http://www.qualatech.com/the-fishing-trip-that-started-qualatech

I love the narrative element here. A simple fishing trip becomes a life-changing event. The Navy Lieutenant could have easily served his own purposes and tell Matt to re-enlist but, instead, he tells him he has a greater purpose. Certainly, anyone that started an IT firm and stuck with it before the dot-com flops of the late nineties can tell you that was the way to go.

Sidebar: This article also makes a strong case for the power of storytelling and the influence the right words have.. And y’all know how passionate I am about such topics!

Today, Qualatech is a muliti-million-dollar operation and they continue to grow while others close doors and venture into more viable fields. I absolutely love this inspirational story. Thanks for sharing, James and Matt!

http://osakabentures.com/2013/10/startup-founders-who-give-back-in-listly/

There’s a quickie from another friend and collaborator of mine, Saul Fleischman. If you are looking to network with other startups and collaborate, add your name into the peer support list[ly] cited there. As Guy Kawasaki would say, it’s better to share a bigger pie than to desperately hold onto a tiny little slice. Saul is a big fan of give-and-take/reciprocation. He is also based out of Japan, which may be more convenient for those of us not in the Americas. Saul is as authentic as they come so, if you seek honesty and objectivity, he is your man!

…and now for something completely different…

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-satire.htm

Satire and irony may be two of the most misunderstood literary devices out there so, when my son asked for help with his lit project, I thought it would be prudent to make sure I explained things properly. WiseGeek is one of those sites I enjoy when I feel like brushing up on my knowledge, or just reminding myself that I am a geek, above all. This is an informative read, even if you do not consider yourself a writer.

Did you know there are three main types of satire (and apparently a fourth and fifth kind)?

These describe the tone and style of the satire, rather than the subject matter. Interestingly enough, all I could think of was political satire at first.. I am now informed!

Hope you all enjoyed this week’s picks!

If I missed your submissions, feel free to post on our SEO Facebook group or email me.

The Social Media Break-Through We’ve Been Waiting For?

I owe you an explanation.

Those of you whom have been following my blogs and podcasts closely know that I am big on this authentic engagement stuff..  yet I have been rather MIA. I’ve been automating my social media more than I’ve been engaging, breaking my very own cardinal rule. And where are the blog updates and new #NJAB updates?? Egads!

Why have I been neglecting my social media homebase, my baby, Y3B?

Well, you know that elusive social media break-through all of us are aiming for (no, it’s not Pinterest or StumbleUpon)?  I found mine..  and the opportunity is there for you, too!

For well over a month now, I’ve been working with an exciting business called Social Prize.  Started off as a consultant and now I am part owner/partner (but that’s for another conversation). Now, before I go ranting and raving about how awesome sauce this project is, I want to share some value with you..  because that’s what I do here on Y3B!

Engage And Win With Social Prize!

Social Prize is an engagement and rewards platform that helps you rapidly grow your audience without breaking the bank.  We’re combining game mechanics, social media, and analytics to create a member-driven experience where relevant brands can connect with the consumers that are truly  excited about them.

We’re listening to our audience and giving them what they want, killing the noise and shifting from quantity to quality (good-bye mass/interrupt marketing). I’d like to share some of the things we are doing to help small businesses and lean start-ups grow (and how you can apply these principles in your own business)…

A Look At The Gaming Industry, Player Motivation, And Social Media Dynamics (Opportunity!)

This blog post is so interesting to me that I posted it on my other blog (yup, breaking some SEO rules)!

I’ve been working on some projects lately with heavy social media and game mechanics involved.  Thing is, the majority of online marketers, brands, and businessses still do not see the massive opportunity here.  I think these numbers speak for themselves:

(I realize this image is HUGE and doesn’t jive with my theme so click it for the full-sized image, if you like statistics, market research, and/or gaming..  but hate long load times…  You’re welcome.)

I know you analytics and market research buffs will love this, even if you don't "game"!

What’s interesting to me here is that the data hints that socializers are the biggest group of gamers.  I look at everyone as a player, though not all players are necessarily gamers (being a gamer, in the more traditional sense, is more of a lifestyle choice, a conscious commitment)..  Yet we all play games in our lives: reward programs, social influence scoring platforms, sweepstakes, blogging, etc.

Socializers are driven by the interaction and engagement between others.  There is endless opportunity here for thought leaders, inbound marketers, brands, and, well, everyone.  I think the major paradigm shift here is in value propositions.  We’ve always thought of value and ROI in terms of dollars and cents (or traffic and visibility, the mass marketing, noise-making ways of old), yet Nexon, Zynga, FourSquare, and countless others have shown us that a virtual economy can ultimately be profitable, while keeping your overhead costs down.

These market leaders have also shown us that players may not be driven by achievement, high-level competition, or even curiousity.  As human beings, we are driven to feel connected, if not validated and accepted, even if we may be tagged as socially-recluse.  There is power in feeling like you’re a part of something bigger than you, a community, and networking with like-minded individuals..  even more so when we can meet our goals together!  Social is beating the pants off traditional marketing, especially for small businesses and start-ups trying to stay lean.

Zynga was valued at over 7 BILLION, last I checked..  their games are free and very similar to the myriad of mobile and Facebook games out there.  I’d say that should create urgency for us all.

Have you considered implementing game mechanics and design into your online projects?  How about now?

The Thirty-Second Window And How Snappy, Interesting Content WINS!

I just read an article by Max Miroff about Triond and it really put things into perspective because it was short and sweet. It reminded me that I should be more concise at times myself. What I also learned is that Triond.com offers significant residual or passive income to writers at any level. There are a ton of publishing and article submission sites but this particular one seems worth exploring.

Triond.com is unique but how?

After my most recent brainstorming session with JulioFromNY of the Mundane Chatter Podcast, I’ve been reminded that, these days, being interesting alone is not enough. Concise content will often trump more detailed content, regardless of how unique or well produced or written it is. If the subject matter is hot or trending, it’ll get attention. This is where Triond comes into play.

I see Triond as a place for writers to provide snappy teasers and mini-documents based on their existing content library. In doing so, you build up your brand and presence, while earning a little gas or play money on the side, at least for starters. Some say it’s possible to earn massive residual income on Triond (say, around $3200 a month) but, to do so, you have to research subjects and employ thorough SEO/SMO (which I try to do with all my published content, regardless of the medium or platform). I say temper your expectations – there are NO get rich quick solutions (just scams pretending to be shortcuts) out there!

The Perils Of Reinventing The Wheel: How Tools And Reusable Code/Content Build Loyalty And Efficiency

In the computer programming world, the old adage “reinventing the wheel” is used often. Programming veterans and code monkeys alike learn early that reinventing the proverbial wheel is often a foolish endeavor. Google it and you’ll see. People tend to get frustrated when their favorite software gets changed or “tweaked”, especially if the real issues are not addressed. These unexpected updates to games, apps, and tools we’ve grown attached to tend to create great WTF moments. Essentially, the wheel is reinvented and no real value-added is achieved.

The frustration of seemingly pointless updates extends to content as a whole, blogs included. Let’s say your audience (business customers, sales leads, gaming clan/guild members, readers, fans, etc.) is used to forums or discussion boards as the primary means of communication. You launch a separate forums site, eZine, mailing list, blog, or what-have-you. Now you notice that you don’t have as much participation or, even worse, little or no people are visiting or consuming your new content. What gives?

Let’s explore some of the considerations in service and site launches and updates alike, as well as online trends and habits that impact web site and online service performance…

Work From Home Success: Staying Focused Amidst Your Chaotic Home Life

Today I return to one of my favorite ongoing topics: career success! My views here are a bit unconventional so sit tight as I do a quick primer. BTW, you have my good friend and (creative) work-out partner JulioFromNY.

If you’re familiar with folks like Robert Kiyosaki and John Addison, you may have come to the realization that working a 9-5 is not likely to ever give you true financial freedom. To amass real wealth AND find true fulfillment in life, it’s important to do something you are passionate about. Yes, I say that all the time.. Because it’s true!

Building residual income and understanding the cashflow quadrant will give you a vital edge but sustainable success demands FOCUS (which requires good ‘ol diligent persistence, of course). This is what I’m here to talk about tonight. You see, Julio posted about the challenges of working from home and it did something I really needed: it created urgency (yes, creating the urgency is a major topic for my blog here at Y3B as well – with due reason).

Julio hit some points that really hit home for me. His blog entry was all about time management, dealing with distractions, and staying engaged and productive! This article showed me that there is great urgency here because I know there are many like us trying to find the perfect work-life balance.

Bad Recruiters, Identity Theft, and What To Do About It

Job hunters throughout the United States have cited that their biggest sore point in the job hunt is dealing with inept recruiters. Who can blame them? Recruiters typically repost the job ads that the hiring companies post on their corporate sites then only do the bare minimum to screen and prepare candidates. It has been my personal experience in recent

years that, if a recruiter does more than give you a vague description of the job and ask you to tailor your resume to include certain buzzwords, you have yourself a keeper. The general approach seems to be this: collect as many close fits as possible, herd them together, sell the hype, and hope that the candidates can do the rest of the work for you.

The reality is that recruiters are suffering along with job seekers. Job market saturation is arguably the byproduct of overseas outsourcing, widespread “right-sizing”, 1990’s dot-com collapses, and, of course, 9/11. Our economy has taken a hard hit and, as more and more fresh college graduates enter the workforce, it is not getting any easier, even for the most seasoned veterans in their fields. Recruiters are dealing with easily three or four times the workload that was expected in the “golden age” of the mid-90’s. There is also far more competition from other staffing and recruiting firms. The Recruiting Animal blog cites that the typical recruiter handles anywhere from 26-30 projects at a time on average, which is definitely more than recruiters experienced even 5 years ago. It’s no wonder recruiters are spending less time preparing and qualifying their candidates!

Douchebag Boyfriends

I was chatting with my significant other earlier tonight and I realized once again why guys get a bad wrap: a lot of the players on our team are total douchebags. If a guy is not an alcoholic wife beater, he is the guy that puts his friends over his girlfriend all the time or mentally violates her with demeaning, belittling words. It makes you not want to be a guy (if you are a guy, that is). Call me gay for it but, really, I don’t think it’s fair to be born into a species of animal that has more natural predators than even the lowest fishies on the food chain. One guy messes up and all of guydom suffers!

If you actually keep up with my crappy, long-winded writing, I touched upon some of this in my post regarding rationed affection. I fid it deplorable that there are guys that play these mental games just to see how far they can go or at least cripple the girl so that she won’t go anywhere (or so they think). Last night, as I was spending time with my girlfriend, finally taking a break from our busy lives to have some of that magical “quality time” together, a wonderful night was almost ruined after some disgusting news brought the house down. She told me of her best friend and how her fiance treats her like crap. Already, there was a sense of ominous foreboding creeping up my spine. I knew that this could easily turn into a discussion about my recent shortcomings because I am a man so I am guilty by association (you may think this is ridiculous but it’s true that people do think like this, putting people in simplistic little boxes and sticking a label on them).

To Sell Or Not To Sell

To sell or not to sell?  It’s something that comes up often in our lives but let me be clear that I am not talking about stocks, auctions, or anything of the sort.  I am referring to the choice between going the career path or going into business for yourself.  Now, I can go into the advantages and disadvantages between both paths but I really want to keep this one short because I’m long overdue for some good blogs and, boy, do I have a lot of rough drafts that need completion!

The simple reality is that most people are not cut out to go into business for themselves.  Even those that have “successful” businesses, may not have solid plans or what it really takes to make a business truly profitable.  Consider the folks that you know are in business for themselves.  Chances  are you know maybe one person that is really living the good life but the rest of them are probably busting more tail than they did when they did the ‘ol 9-to-5 thing.  If you just consider that and then look at the fact that a good lot of people go into business to get their time freedom back, they’ve already failed coming in through the door with their great business idea.

Let’s face it: most people are not brilliant enough to think outside of box or, better yet, realize that there is no box.  Some people need to be micro-managed.  Most folks are not self-starters and need to be told what to do; in fact, they love the rat race, though they may say otherwise.  If you are the cut-throat type and/or just a social butterfly, a career path just makes sense.  I’m not saying that other folks won’t survive but I’m saying that brown-nosing, social networking, and aggressive effort are often the keys to career paths, not what your skills are, how nice you are, or things that may matter otherwise.  When you go into business, the operational stuff becomes more relevant but, regardless, business will always be like high school: a popularity contest.