Friday Favourites

Friday Favourites
Mick Sharpe found great winners this week.
Whew! I don't have much catch up this weekend. :)

#fridayfavourites  

Originally shared by Mick Sharpe

Saving the Internet

Things outdoors may be getting cooler and darker but the content is as hot as ever on the Plus.

So let’s kick it off with a tale of Horrible Bosses! (And Clients) in this week’s The Mia Connect Power Chat (http://goo.gl/B5bjkh). I’m sure this topic will meet with many nodding heads as I suspect we have all had a run in or two with bad bosses or clients. Mia Voss directed some great discussion from Mark De Cosemo, T.J. Sullivan and Catharine Symblème. As well as some entertaining stories you’ll take away some good advice should you ever come up against a bad boss in your career. I can certainly vouch for keeping records - it makes those challenging times much easier to deal with. The ever helpful, quick dip #timestamp post here (http://goo.gl/0THqbr)

The value in helping others is explored in the latest show in The Art of Giving series from troy mc laughlin. Troy talks to Marc Ensign in Unbreakable :The Secret to Getting Everything and Anything You've Always Wanted (http://goo.gl/XPo5gP). Marc gives us some valuable insight as to how giving without expectation can bring its own reward. I knew a little of Marc’s back story before this show and I was glad to discover a little more of the events that shaped one of the most helpful and accommodating guys on the Plus. I’m sure that you’ll also be interested in the ‘Pretty Ugly’ project and will no doubt recall something from your own past that made you what you are today! Circle both these chaps if you haven’t done so already. Your stream will be better for it.

You may have gathered that the title today is borrowed from Marc’s mission but it’s also relevant to this post from Ana Hoffman 58% Americans Have No Opinion on Net Neutrality - But You Should (http://goo.gl/G9QUrh) Ana explains that the 58% have no opinion because they don’t know enough about it, and goes about setting that to rights in her linked LinkedIn article (maybe I should rephrase that!). So do the decent thing, get behind Ana’s call to action and help spread the word or we could find ourselves wondering how things changed for the worst at some point in the future.

One of my favourite storytellers Gina Fiedel offers some good advice in Storytelling – Are You Straying Off Topic? The Questions To Ask Yourself (http://goo.gl/yhtztw). A sensible reminder, delivered with the #GinaTwist, to temper our desire to draw in the reader and stick to the purpose of the story. Of course this is a delicate balancing act and a judgement call - some readers will prefer the more direct story while others relish the adventure. As Gina puts it the perfect blend is almost alchemy. Do take the jump to the full article as there is always that little bit extra there.

The Mid Week Marketing Mix (http://goo.gl/v2hVJW) is definitely one of my must-see shows with James Dearsley rounding up a great panel to give us the latest marketing news. Grant Leboff takes us through the changes at Facebook and includes a look at the innovative, customer-centric approach from Jet Blue. Section 2 looks at PPC news with Jim Banks including some of the integration of PPC data with Google Analytics, real time ads, a look at Bing ads. Jim rounds out emphasising the need to get comfortable with PPC in the light of a shrinking organic results footprint. Jay Baer talks us through Youtility Marketing (help not hype) in part three. A lot of good takeaways in the section perhaps most importantly that your customers are working at a different pace to your sales process - yes they need the relationship first. Give to receive. Section 4 deals with podcasting delivered by podcaster par excellence Jason T. Wiser. Some great advice for both creating and  repurposing your content effectively through outsourcing. A quick look at some useful Wordpress plugins to close out the show. As ever David Dhannoo has put together a comprehensive #timestamp post for The Digital Marketing Bureau (http://goo.gl/B1oY1B). Much appreciated David :-)

Jay took the hot seat in Fearlessly Questioning Needing a Recipe (http://goo.gl/1spv4o) and it’s another cracking 30 minutes with Jay sporting an apron!  I particularly enjoyed the section where Jay talks about the need for businesses to have the affirmation that others, in their sector, are already using a recipe before they will embrace it. Hey, believe and be first! Continuing with some salient points on work/life balance and some very interesting answers in the comments to Jay’s question: _Is it social or is it media? Highly watchable and impeccably directed by Joey Giangola, go take a look now.

The time before Google

I was feeling a little old watching this week’s GPLUSSPOTLIGHT with Bruce Clay, Inc. Internet Marketing (http://goo.gl/sL2wGI) Stephan Hovnanian and Ben Fisher had a very interesting discussion with Bruce Clay about all things SEO and Internet starting from the pre-Google search landscape you do remember Infoseek, don’t you? If you were ever sitting on the fence about creating or updating your web presence then you need to watch this. Mobile user experience is now paramount, just look at the launch of Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool this week to appreciate the relevance of this area. Also worth listening to one of the closing comments that Google is justified for burying websites that only attempt to deceive them - no more short cuts. Capping off an excellent show with a quote that applies to all business - Don't be surprised by the results you do not get from the work you did not do. Get started making your site mobile-friendly and fast now and get ahead of the game. And thank you Stephan for the #timestamp (http://goo.gl/JWG8RK).

Just time to throw in this week’s #TNTBootcamp (http://goo.gl/2a12iy) with Christine DeGraff and Ronnie Bincer talking with our favourite curmudgeon Ammon Johns from his early days in web design through to becoming a renowned search engine and Internet marketing consultant. Always worth watching for the abundant common sense from Ammon, Ronnie and Christine and the most important lesson of all - the art of listening! Do read the comment stream where Ammon continues with the advice.

Thinkers corner

I was hooked by the title of this article from Gideon Rosenblatt being one of those coder types ;-) I’ve linked to the reshare of Do Software Developers Believe the Universe is Friendly? (http://goo.gl/TVp0S8) because it includes some thoughtful introduction from Gregory Esau and a lively comment stream that drew comparisons with Cashews and Brazil nuts! While I totally agree about the rise of the coders it was the introductory paragraphs heralding a rather dystopian future that really got me thinking (not long to go before Skynet is reality?).

And finally…

Amy Harrison is on a mission to help business people write compelling content as well as providing us with some entertaining videos. This latest post outlines the launch of her new Write With Influence service (http://goo.gl/1YtJ5i) with a fantastic introductory offer to become a founding member. If you’ve ever struggled with your marketing content then this could be the very thing to give you the knowledge and confidence to succeed.


Have a great weekend wherever you are

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Created by Mick Sharpe of Bitingedge