Know-How Exchange : Strategy

I think you need a gimick.... If you make it all original thought, the blog will bog you down (pun intended). If you make it easy, it will reflect poorly on you (remember you are doing this to showcase your knowledge).

I suggest something like the morning coffee project. Where you set a limit of 10 minutes per day for your blog. By setting the limit, you demonstrate - this is what can be done in just 10 minutes. It draws some buzz, because everyone wonders how long this stuff should take.

And, you live happily ever after... with a new job.

Dear Sara,

So many opinions, so little time. Oh, what to do?

Earlier today I wrote a response to another question on this forum about hours and one's investment of time, a response I believe connects to your question.

You'll find a link to that post at the bottom of this note. But before you scroll down to find it, consider this:

The tools we use and the skills we acquire to manipulate those tools are one thing.

But our overall effort, intent, context, and message BEHIND those tools and our rewards and feelings about ourselves as a result of having employed those tolls are totally different things.

Tools are all fine and good.

But without solid ideas and direction, and without emotion, desire, drive, and an overall plan—a horizon to head toward if you will, a peak to conquer and the feeling that we climbed that mountain by putting one foot in front of the other, one after another, until we reach our goal—the tools we make use of make us no different than a chimpanzee sticking a twig into a termite's nest.

Budget and time are proportionally inverted: it's possible to save bags of one by spending tons of the other.

But if one's intention is to raise one's self up in one's own eyes, AND in those of other people, one of these investments has a much sweeter return than the other.

There are you might want to questions to consider:

What VALUE will you offer in you new career? What great SIGNIFICANCE will you bring to the table? How will your Website or blog CONNECT to people's emotions, needs, and desires?
What NEW and RELEVANT viewpoints will you offer? How PERSUASIVE will you be? Why—in a sea of similar Websites and blogs— will people pick YOUR offerings and listen to YOUR message?

In one sense, Frank is right: you DO need something to make you stand out. But my humble two cents worth is that this thing must NOT be a gimmick.

Gimmicks are a dime a dozen, they're becoming less and less believable, and, although I cannot and will not speak for other people, when it comes to gimmicks, I'm sick of them. I see through them and they are hollow, empty shells that impart little of worth. And I'd put good money on not being alone in thinking this.

Why?

Because as attention spans shorten and the speed of our world increases, gimmicks ring less true, they lack less and less credibility through authentic association, everyone's got one, and they are too often connected in people's perception with flimflam, smoke and mirrors, and snake oil selling BS.

So what's left? Authenticity. What is the best gimmick ever? What's the single most important and credible angle ever invented?

Simply this: Telling the truth.

When you tell the truth, when you are just you, you have nothing—NOTHING—to pitch, nothing to sell, nothing to hide behind. It's just you being you and telling it the way it is or the way you see it.

Open. Honest. Simple. Relevant. Truthful. And direct.

Warts, farts, hung over, not feeling well, being peppy, happy, sad, joyful, sad and all.

This approach, which I'll admit may be a gamble, this "Take it or leave it. Love it or hate it" approach may NOT be for everyone.

But I'll guarantee you this: in a world of many bland, bullshit messages delivered by actors, charlatans, "what's in it for me?" merchants, talking heads and egotists, the truth—the simple, no nonsense, "this is what I think, not what I think you want to hear" stand that's the basic bricks and hand mixed mortar of authenticity and essential integrity—this thing will stand out.

And when something stands out it gains attention. So the bigger question now for you may be this: how badly do you want it, and how much truth are you willing to offer?

Remember, you either tell the truth, or you don't. You're either honest and you or you're dishonest and talking for or on behalf os someone else. In the same way you're either alive or dead, there's no such thing as a partial truth—whatever your "it" is, it's either right or it's wrong, black or white, grey or pink, a kitten or a puppy.

It's either easy or it's hard work. But there's another point. What's sweeter? The knowledge that YOU worked your ass off and that you gained the rewards you deserve? Or living with the knowledge that you could have done more, that you could have been more authentic, given more, been more and therefore EARNED more—in terms of self respect and accomplishment?

The only person who can answer that question Sara, is you.

Here's the link I mentioned. I hope it helps you. Good luck.

https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstID=31046#196841

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA
Follow me on www.twitter.com @GaryBloomer

Instead of focusing on yourself, focus on a non-profit organization in your community. Help them craft an online campaign. Show the results of your efforts. This will create lots more interest for you and your work than simply writing about you or what you find interesting. Help an organization thrive (or survive) - after all, that's who you're hoping will hire you.

Sara, check out information on personal branding for some best practices...it sounds like that's what you are trying to accomplish.

If you are a MarketingProfs Premium Member, we have a lot of articles on the subject: https://www.marketingprofs.com/sitesearch.asp?cx=016676474754411754587%3Ami...

Also, you might want to consider putting together a plan for yourself so you can really map out what you are trying to achieve.

A basic plan includes:

A goal
Objectives (should be measurable)
Strategies
Tactics

Each objective gets its own strategies and tactics... For example:

Goal: To get a new job

Objective 1: To promote myself on the Internet so that hiring managers in X industry find my profile within the next 3 months. (Totally measurable)

Strategy 1: To start a blog

Tactic 1.1: To get a WordPress Blog

Strategy 2: SEO

Tactic 2.1: Include keywords in all my posts that include my name and the industry

Tactics 2.2 Download the All in One SEO plug-in for WordPress for advanced SEO

I hope that helps! Good luck with the campaign.

Beth Harte
Community Manager, MarketingProfs
@bethharte on Twitter