Friday. Can it be Friday? It must be because Friday Favorites rounds up the best of the past week.

Friday. Can it be Friday? It must be because Friday Favorites rounds up the best of the past week.
Mick Sharpe does an awesome job.
Definitely circle and make the Favourites part of your weekly cycle.

#HOA   #fridayfavourites  

Originally shared by Mick Sharpe

Staying the course

When I open up the stream here at Google+ I’m always amazed at the productivity I find, the sustained effort of the many friends I have made. I say amazed because I’m fully aware of the time commitment required to create the content and engage in a meaningful way. Looking at this drive and consistency Gina Fiedel asks an important question in Social Stamina: Sustaining Our Staying Power - What Keeps You Coming Back For More? (http://goo.gl/1oh9ac) As ever this is a fascinating read and could very well have been in Thinkers corner as a little reflection about your social activities is always a good thing. Do go the distance and click through to the full article as Gina always adds just that bit extra there. Read and enjoy!

It’s the bathtub not the water!

While we are totally invested in Google+ there is always an undercurrent of opinion as to how many days, weeks, months or years before the demise of the Plus (you just can’t keep the naysayers down!) In light of this the #DMAShow dusted off the crystal ball in Google+: The Road Ahead (http://goo.gl/BdTTqv) martin shervington joined Eric Enge and Mark Traphagen sharing thoughts on the state of play and predictions for the future. When these guys draw everything together, making the connections, you should see that the relationships made here transcend any changes that may occur with the underlying technology. So get out on the water, make your splash (you need to watch until the end to appreciate that bit) and enjoy the opportunities we have here.

An introduction to BuzzSumo

David Dhannoo took over the helm in this week’s What Does The Data Tell You? (http://goo.gl/E6TDTA) and did an admirable job in introducing Steve Rayson of BuzzSumo. I’m a firm believer in having lots of data at your disposal and I’m always on the lookout for tools that can help you gather that valuable information as effectively as possible. In this 30 minute show Steve gives a very thorough overview of the capabilities of BuzzSumo. I have to say that I hadn’t given the tool the attention it deserves until seeing this show. Take a look and see if it’s something you can put to use.

I’ve missed the last few Ammonize shows and I’m kicking myself (a long catch up list!). I caught Ep.8: The Epic Win follow-up this week (http://goo.gl/wO8cqj) and was reminded of the wealth of good advice flowing through this series. Ammon Johns shares his wisdom with Christopher Vogelmann about content creation and publishing frequency, video production, outsourcing and global impacts on your budgeting. Watch out for the gem offered up by Lee Rickler just after the 22 minute mark but don’t hold it against me for flagging it up! And here’s the link to Episode 7 to set the context for this show (http://goo.gl/otJGvd)

In praise of the succinct

With the ever increasing pressures on time I’m extremely grateful for shorter HOAs. When done well they provide no less value than longer shows and in some cases are actually more valuable as the information delivery is condensed. One such show is Jason T. Wiser’s #OnTrackTips - always tight and effective. This week the subject is Digital Intimacy and Business - Is it really necessary? (http://goo.gl/8OkAie) with Marc Gafni and Yifat Cohen. I’m really enjoying the exploration of the way in which we are intertwined with technology and how this technology can either bring us closer together or conversely put more distance between us. It makes a great deal of sense that satisfying the emotional needs of both your employees and customers will be beneficial to your business. It’s also interesting that Marc and Yifat are using HOAs such as this to develop the ideas for their forthcoming book on the subject. I’m looking forward to it. And.. the ever useful #timestamp post here (http://goo.gl/WEfSLK)

As someone who has done their fair share of dirty work (and still do) I found the latest Fearlessly Questioning Doing the Dirty Work (http://goo.gl/z8MzGN) very interesting. Joey Giangola talked with Joy Groblebe about taking risks, getting organised and sharing the workload. I have a great admiration for anyone who has the determination to follow their own path and make it work for them and others. Hats off to those behind the scenes people who make things happen!

Keeping on top of Cybersecurity

Black Lotus are doing a great job of making the scary world of cyber attacks more understandable, and a little less scary, to the non-techy folk out there with episode 2 of the  *DDoS and Cybersecurity Power Talk* (http://goo.gl/Zdyu24). Mia Voss introduced Jason Polancich of SurfWatch Labs who takes us through the reflection amplification attacks that are so prevalent at the moment. A good reminder to everyone to make sure they (or their site administrators) have the basics covered - yes the boring stuff can really make a difference!

Thinkers corner

The youngsters out there will probably not appreciate the sentiment in todd l lebeauc’s The Fickle Mistress (http://goo.gl/rcZDj9) as their hourglass still has the most of the sand in the right half. The rest of us will be nodding, perhaps looking at our to do lists, but definitely thinking about whether we’re doing enough living in between the items in the work diary.

Todd provided us with another thought provoking piece in "The Pen Is Mightier..." (http://goo.gl/pRgpcW) that draws upon an article by David Amerland. Take a look at the comments that ensue from the post and you’ll see why I enjoy reading through Todd’s work - he always sparks the most interesting debates and isn’t afraid to ask the questions or shy away from the answers. For completeness you may also want to take a look at David’s share of his article Three Business Books No One Understood (http://goo.gl/Q5RJSR) with an equally interesting discussion in the comments.

And finally…

Funny seemed to be in short supply this week (or maybe I just missed it) but that does give me the chance to include a highly bookmarkable piece from Marilyn Moore in the prime spot!  *Web Visibility: From A-Z A Small Business Guide to Getting Found on the Web* (http://goo.gl/1Q7kVr) is another epic post for the small business owner. You’ll want to click through to the blog post to get the full alphabet. For all the small business owners out there, print it out and stick it on the wall by the kettle or water cooler. This would be great as an infographic too Marilyn. Great job as always.


Have a great weekend wherever you are

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Created by Mick Sharpe of Bitingedge