Successful Blog

Book Review: Killer Visual Strategies, by Amy Balliett

by Leave a Comment

Killer Visual Strategies, by Amy Balliett, is a rapid fire compendium of design and marketing advances, taking the reader all the way from cave paintings to Snaps.

The structure of the book includes real-world examples and exercises, intended to reinforce each design rule. And as you’d expect for a book about visual design, there are helpful graphics and “key takeaways” to assist the text skimmers. Amy is able to weave her considerable experience as an entrepreneur, communicator, and agency owner into the stories that illustrate each key rule.

I read this book as a PDF, but it would really lend itself as a hard copy reference, sitting on your shelf next to Everybody Writes (Anne Handley’s indispensable guide for copywriters). You will probably want to refer back to the step by step design process, or the guide to color or font selection, when you start working on future visual projects.

Should most projects have a strong visual component? It turns out that our brains are wired to respond faster and more deeply to visual content, so unless you’re writing the next War and Peace, you can benefit from the art and science contained in this book.

The chapter on data visualization works on two levels. First as an amateur designer, you come away with a much clearer methodology for presenting information. Second, as a consumer of data, you are a much more informed customer. After reading this book, you’ll never look at Buzzfeed charts the same way again.

Many marketers or solo entrepreneurs have to occasionally dabble in design. The strategies offered by Balliett act as guardrails, gentle nudges to keep beginners on the right track. Entire books could be written on each of the topics she covers, but there is enough meat on the bones to be a valuable resource.

I’d recommend this book for marketers, entrepreneurs, or anyone whose work brings them in contact with the visual arts. It’s a quick read, but deserves a permanent spot on your reference shelf.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is a writer, speaker, and Co-Founder of Social Strata, makers of the Crowdstack community platform.  You can also find Rosemary on Twitter as @rhogroupee.

Disclosure: I was given a digital version of this book for review purposes. 

Book Review: Wise Guy, by Guy Kawasaki

by 1 Comment

If you’ve spent any time in marketing or business development, you’ve certainly heard of Guy Kawasaki.

You might think of him as the ex-Apple guy, or perhaps the first person you ever knew to hold the title “Chief Evangelist” as a professional job. You might have seen him speak at an event, or heard about his famous 10-20-30 pitch rule: “no more than 10 slides, not using anything smaller than a 30-point font, and keeping presentation time to 20 minutes.”

But do you know anything about his journey to becoming “Guy Kawasaki?”

And why is he always smiling?

The introduction to Wise Guy says it’s not an autobiography, and it’s not. It’s a fantastic ride through Guy’s life and lessons-learned, as only he can write.

Read a book

In rough chronological order, Wise Guy takes the reader into Guy’s childhood in Hawaii, which laid the groundwork for both his work ethic and his love of surfing. The anecdotes from his life story are followed by one or more tidbits of wisdom, denoted by the “shaka” symbol (you might know it as the Hawaiian hand gesture that roughly means “aloha” or “right on”).

For all of the writers in our Successful Blog community, Guy recommends a great book called, “If You Want to Write,” by Brenda Ueland. Its primary takeaway is…just write! You don’t have to wait for permission, or a book deal, or anything else. If you write, you’re a writer.

The through-threads in Wise Guy are joy, kindness, and humility. That makes for a “business book” that is only tangentially about business, but all about business. I’d recommend reading this book to anyone who’s feeling a bit stuck in their career, a bit unfocused, or a bit depressed about their achievements. It’s a hit of fresh air.

In case you’re thinking it’s just a series of aphorisms and feel-good quotes, that’s not the deal. One very clear aspect of Guy’s life is his no-nonsense approach. He learned to tell the brutal truth at the side of Steve Jobs, and says that “the foundation of evangelism is a great product.” There are plenty of “evangelists” out there who are colorful foils for sub-par products, but they are doomed to fail. Guy’s mantra is all about working hard, proving yourself, and paying your dues.

I’d recommend reading this book through once, and then bookmarking the lessons that you need to hear more than once. It’s the style of book that you can refer back to, if you find yourself in a professional situation that feels daunting.

You’ll be happy having Guy’s shaka at your fingertips.

 

Wise Guy: Lessons from a Life
by Penguin Group (USA) LLC
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DBPNK41/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_QecBCb2RV4X1N

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of Wise Guy for the purposes of writing a review. 

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who is CEO of Narrative, a new social content platform coming in beta in April 2019.  You can find Rosemary on Twitter as @rhogroupee.

Q&A with Debra Ruh, Author of Inclusion Branding

by Leave a Comment

I have a special treat this week! I’m happy to share an interview I conducted with Debra Ruh, whose new book, Inclusion Branding, will be released this week. Her latest book is about how brands can learn to engage with the Community of Persons with Disabilities and other minorities to create solid ROI and Positive Social Impact.

The book shows what it means and why it matters to develop inclusive marketing and branding, as well as how to humanize brands and manage community expectations. The book also touches on how to manage the risks associated and how to understand the communities.  I was able to read an advance copy of the book, and I found it a huge eye-opener. 

Enjoy our Q&A below.

Q: You dedicated the book to your mother. How did your mother inspire this mission and work?

Debra: Great question Rosemary. My mother passed away suddenly the last day of 2017. My mother was a strong influence in my life. She was a hard worker, she had a great work ethic and was dedicated to her family. However, my mother also struggled with a mental illness most of her life. She was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder later in life and probably also suffered from Bipolar. My mother moved to Virginia from her beloved Florida after my father passed away and she never got over my father’s passing. My mother taught me a lot about resilience and taking care of yourself. She also struggled with negativity and often saw the glass as half full.

When my daughter Sara, named after my mother was diagnosed with Down syndrome, my mother was scared and could often only see the scary aspect of a life with Down syndrome. She also taught me sometimes by being a challenging role model to decide how I was going to live my life and contribute to society. She also had diabetes and that negatively impacted her mental health. Diabetes is an ugly disease in my family and has taken other members like my grandfather. My grandfather lost both of his legs due to diabetes. Early on in life, I was determined to see life from a different perspective. My mother and I were linked in a way that is hard to explain. Of course, she was my mother but she challenged me to make a difference. I am still walking the grief process after losing my mother but I know she is in a better place. I also believe my mother is still a big part of my life and the lessons she taught me, will continue to be with me for the rest of my life.

Q: What is the biggest misconception about disability inclusion efforts within the corporate world?

Debra: That persons with disabilities are not qualified to do the jobs available in the workforce. Also, that the disability is a liability instead of a strength. I interviewed a successful entrepreneur, John Little, Successful Resume (www.successfulresume.com.au) from Australia on my Show (Human Potential at Work) the other day. John said “I succeeded with these businesses because of my disability not despite my disability”. Corporate brands are starting to understand the value that persons with disabilities bring to the workforce.

My last book was called, Tapping into Hidden Human Capital: How Leading Global Companies Improve their Bottom Line by Employing Persons with Disabilities.  That book explores this topic from the eyes of over 30 multi-national corporations. These corporate brands understand that hiring and retaining persons with disabilities is good for your bottom-line. We are your employees, your customers, your investors, your vendors, and partners. According to World Health Organization (WHO) 1 in 7 people in the world has a disability. According to National Organization of Disability (NOD) in the United States, 1 in 5 people identify as having a disability and that is 1 in 3 families in the US.

So many corporations still have a misconception that it is difficult to include persons with disabilities. I am hoping my book ‘Inclusion Branding’ will continue to break down some of these barriers and misconceptions. It is time for corporate brands to understand that persons with disabilities as a population, is a powerful and loyal market segment, with powerful buying attributes, and strong work ethic. Persons with disabilities also cover all other diversity segments including, age, gender, ethnicities, geographic areas, genders, and religious preferences. Many persons with disabilities are innovative problem solvers because the world is often not accessible. These talents add great value to the workforce.

Q: Do you think proponents of disability inclusion can tap into the desire of Millennials to deal with “socially responsible” brands?

Debra: Yes, this is an excellent point. Millennials expect corporate brands to be socially responsible according to many studies, including a few cited in my book ‘Inclusion Branding’. Other generations also expect brands to be socially responsible. Brands want consumers to do business with them because they believe in their products and services. Consumers want to trust the brands to which they show loyalty and believe that these brands are making a difference in their communities. Often the communities that brands are trying to attract do not know which brands to trust.

There are also growing expectations that brands have diverse workforces that include persons with disabilities. The workforce is changing, and so are employee values, thus, keeping employees satisfied has never been more important. Workers expect their employers to align business goals with positive social impact as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which should align with an impact agenda dedicated to the mission of the brand. The Nielsen June 2014 report “Doing Well by Doing Good”1 showed that 67% of millennials want to work for a socially responsible brand.

Q: How can a solo entrepreneur take steps to support disability inclusion (since they may not be doing a lot of hiring)?

Debra: Solo entrepreneurs can support the community of persons with disabilities by selecting us as vendors and partners. The USBLN has created a certification for businesses owned by persons with disabilities called The Disability Supplier Diversity Program (DSDP). DSDP is the leading third-party certifier of disability-owned business enterprises (DOBEs).

You can also welcome us as customers by assuring your business, your services and products are fully accessible. The good news about accessibility is that those efforts make your location, products and services accessible to everyone. Remember, as we age, over the age of 65, 46% of us will acquire disabilities. With 72 million baby boomers in the US alone, controlling 60% of the wealth –this is a market that no business including solo entrepreneurs should ignore.

Q: What are some ways a business can shift from seeing disability inclusion as a legal requirement, or charity, to seeing it as an ROI generator?

Debra: Understand that persons with disabilities are people first and that we are everywhere. We are your parents, your children, your friends, neighbors and maybe you are a person with disabilities (PwD). Take the time to understand why including PwD in your workforce, making your locations, products and services accessible and telling us that story, via advertisement, chatting about it via social media or on your website, will help drive in business and qualified applicants. Too often this community is viewed from a charitable or corporate social responsibility (CSR) standpoint as noted in the introduction of ‘Inclusion Branding’ by my chairman, Richard Schatzberg.

Corporate brands should work hard to create positive brand recognition. Brands who include persons with disabilities among their employees create an excellent way to enhance brand image. Persons with disabilities should be viewed as a viable pool of potential employees as well as an emerging market that, together with their friends, families, and caregivers, have trillions of dollars in disposable income. Stories of successful disability inclusion within a company should be included in marketing efforts, shareholder reports, and corporate social responsibility reports.

Thank you so much, Debra, for this insightful discussion!

About Debra Ruh: 

Debra Ruh is a recognized market influencer and advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities, a leader, a published author, a successful entrepreneur and a fantastic mother.  She has created a path to empowerment and success for those with disabilities. Debra is the co-founder of #AXSchat, the second largest Tweet Chat in the world and her podcast Human Potential at Work with weekly listeners in more than 84 countries. http://www.ruhglobal.com/our-story/

Debra is a global leader and has worked with countries, UN agencies, national and multi-national firms all over the world helping then create programs, strategies, and processes that fully include persons with disabilities. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, and her catalyst for starting RGC was her daughter Sara born with Down syndrome. Her work has been featured on many news outlets, and she has been granted many awards. http://www.ruhglobal.com/media/

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee
Featured image:Photo by Kirstyn Paynter on Unsplash

Book Review: Building on Bedrock, by Derek Lidow

by Leave a Comment

Successful entrepreneurship starts with donkey poop and watermelon juice, according to Derek Lidow. I couldn’t agree more.

Some people think that successful entrepreneurs roll around in expensive cars, giving interviews on CNN, and gracing the cover of the Wall Street Journal in pixelated glory. The reality of it is years of very hard work, financial sacrifice, lost family time, and unglamorous tasks.

Building on Bedrock by Derek Lidow uses the life stories of some well known (and some not-so-well-known) entrepreneurs to illustrate the path to entrepreneurship. Sam Walton started from nothing (and leveraged the aforementioned donkeys and watermelons), Estee Lauder was struggling against an unkind comment from a store patron, and “Jody” Maroni just didn’t want to work in his dad’s butcher shop.

I’d recommend this as a good read for anyone who might be wondering whether they’re cut out for being an entrepreneur. Using the interwoven stories of these successful men and women, the author provides a “gut check” of how, when, and why you might want to start your own business.

Continuing the lessons of the highlighted men and women, they all slowly built their empires one step at a time. Once the new business was launched, the real success came with control, low risk, and patience. We can all draw some inspiration from these stories.

There is a diversion in the book, going into detail on “high risk” entrepreneurs, and the venture capitalists and angel investors they typically deal with. At first glance, it seems off-topic; however in today’s world of high-flying tech geniuses, it’s useful to know the pros and cons of dealing with that type of business model.

The financial foundation of a quick-start, high risk tech startup is vastly different from the “bedrock” entrepreneurship of a Sam Walton (not that one is better or worse, they’re just different, and it’s best to go in knowing where you fit into the equation). The two different modes require completely different personalities and leadership styles.

Another recurring theme among the entrepreneurs is travel and face-to-face interaction with the team. Walton even bought a used plane at one point, so he could more easily visit his franchise locations. Estee Lauder spent years on the road while her husband took care of the family.

Ultimately, according to Lidow, it comes down to five core skills:

  1. Self Awareness
  2. Relationship Building
  3. Motivating Others
  4. Leading Change
  5. Enterprise Basics

Are you thinking about starting your own business? Would you consider yourself a “bedrock entrepreneur?”

 

 

Disclosure: I was given a digital copy of this book for purposes of this review.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

4 Tips for Better Brand Marketing

by 2 Comments

google-76517_640Are you more than a tad concerned about where your brand marketing efforts are headed (or not headed for that matter)?

In the event the answer is yes, what do you plan on doing?

For many business owners, it isn’t necessarily an issue of not attempting the right brand marketing initiatives, but more of a matter of being reluctant to do them in the first place.

That being the case, step back for a few minutes and look at how you’ve approached brand marketing up to this point. Are you simply not connecting with your target market, a market that undoubtedly is your key to making more revenue?

If you’ve been reluctant to move full-steam ahead, is that because of a lack of money, thinking that possibly brand marketing isn’t your strongest forte, or maybe even just not finding the right people to do the job?

It All Begins with SEO Plan

Before you can even begin to mount numerous effective brand marketing initiatives, you must make sure you have the right people in place to launch them.

With that being said, stop and look to see if the time has indeed come to reach out for assistance.

If so, that assistance might very well start and end by working with a San Diego SEO agency or one closer to home.

Keep in mind that search engine optimization (SEO) can do so many positive things for your business, things that you likely have been missing out on up to this point. In the event you do reach out to an SEO agency for help, how do you know which one is best suited to your needs?

Before just working with anyone, be sure you look for these qualities in an SEO partner:

  • Years of experience
  • Proven record of results
  • Open lines of communication
  • Pricing that is fair for the work in return
  • Honesty about how SEO really works

Once you’ve decided on an SEO partner, the next step is of course to improve your brand marketing initiatives.

Content is a Great Starting Point

So that your business can nail a number of key areas in the SEO brand marketing process, focus on these four for starters:

  1. Blog content

When was the last time you assessed your website’s blog? If it was recently, were you happy with what you came across?

For many business owners, their blogs unfortunately rank at or near the bottom of importance on their list of things to do. As a result, they miss out on a number of opportunities to connect with consumers.

In working on your blog, not only write content that is authoritative and informative, but that also connects with consumers. By doing so, the doors to increased revenue opportunities are certainly opened up.

  1. Drive off with better keywords

As part of that winning blog content strategy, it is imperative that you select winning keywords for your blogging content efforts.

One example would be for those in the auto selling business, specifically offering used cars for sale.

Sure, many used car dealers rely on TV commercials, newspaper ads; even word-of-mouth etc. in order to bring in business, but their websites shouldn’t be taken for granted.

With that in mind, your focus when writing content for this industry should include long-tail keywords, keywords that emphasize the auto industry and selling used vehicles.

Lastly, make sure you avoid any keyword stuffing, something that can send your Google search engine rankings into reverse sooner rather than later.

  1. Social media outreach

Just as lackluster efforts towards blog content can hurt your brand, the same holds true with mediocre social media outreach.

Given the fact millions of consumers are on various social networking sites at any point and time of the day, shouldn’t your brand be there too?

With the answer being of course so, make sure you are active on a number of social media sites, but with that activity, also be sure to make your time there count.

Along with posting links to your blog content and other relevant industry content (whatever line of business you are in), also take the time to engage consumers. Remember, the more engagement possible the better.

  1. Review your website regularly

Finally, do you take the time on a regular basis to review your website? If not, you could be hurting your brand more than you’ll ever know.

In reviewing your website; look for any and all glitches that could be hampering your efforts to make better inroads with consumers.

Such glitches can include:

  • Long downloading times
  • Pages that are broken
  • Hard to locate contact information
  • If you have an online store, difficulty for consumers in completing sales

Those are but some of the SEO website issues that could easily be curtailing you from better brand marketing, not to mention making more sales.

When it comes to better brand marketing, has the time come for you to invest some more time and energy in what you do?

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for Organic Media Group on SEO and marketing topics.

Book Review: Known, The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age

by Leave a Comment

All of the personal branding gurus out there are leaving out an important piece of the puzzle.

Yes, you should try to discover your life’s passion. But what’s next?

According to Mark W. Schaefer, consultant, speaker, and author of Known, the missing piece is applying your passion in service of a long-term goal.

For example, talking about my obsession with cupcakes is not going to help my personal brand unless I’m opening a bakery.

Mark is a masterful teacher, and he uses extensive interviews with successful people to give the reader actionable advice. He pulls back the curtain on regular people who found the right niche, built an engaged audience, and then patiently activated that audience to achieve a goal.

He’s the right person to talk about this subject, since he left the corporate world and started over as a consultant, using blogging as his calling card to become known in a new professional niche. His blog, {grow}, is now one of the top marketing blogs in the world.

My favorite thing about this book is that it’s written in Mark’s inimitable voice, as if you’re old friends. It’s not a stuffy, by-the-numbers business book.

Each person interviewed brings a new insight to the story, whether it’s the “grandpa who shoots things on YouTube,” or the blogging pediatrician. You’ll just have to read the book to meet these interesting characters.

There is also a separate workbook that takes the lessons from the book and provides a step-by-step walkthrough of the process to become “known.” Each question or prompt will provoke deeper thought and encourage you to put some meat on the bones of your professional plan.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who is struggling to be heard and recognized above the din. You’ll find inspiration and solid ideas in one entertaining package.

 

 

Disclosure: I consider Mark a friend, but he did not request this review or send me a free book (what’s up with that?). I forked out my own hard-earned dollars to purchase it, and these are my unvarnished opinions.

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee