Fundamental #FridayFavourites .

Fundamental #FridayFavourites . 
Mick Sharpe rounds up some regulars and a surprise. Catch up on the weekend.

Honoured to have the Midweek Zap included. All praise goes to David Kutcher and his spot on thinking.

Originally shared by Mick Sharpe

Fundamentally OK

Another week in the wringer for me, with a dead connection on Tuesday and way too many things backing up on the task lists. I’m grateful that I didn’t have to search too hard to find some real treats for the weekend viewing schedule. So let’s get to it.

I almost forgot to come back to this show from Front of Mind Coaching (Greg Cooper) but glad I remembered in time for this post. The title says it all: The Secrets of a Successful LinkedIn Blog - by People Who Really Know (https://goo.gl/h2Zz26). Greg talks with three people that have really made the LinkedIn blogging platform work well for them, Marc Miller, Paul Shapiro and Randy Milanovic. Lots of actionable advice here that can be applied beyond the LinkedIn platform. Don’t tease! Many thanks guys.

A long but fascinating discussion in last Friday’s Network Round Table: The Softer Side of Business show: Honesty & Integrity in Business (https://goo.gl/u2GbY7). David Amerland, Oleg Moskalensky join Kristin Drysdale, Gina Fiedel and Marilyn Moore to get to the nitty gritty of being honest in business in a discussion that that meanders around Mother Teresa, Hitler, the Beatles, Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day Lewis! Happy to see Oleg launch Oleg’s Rants™ and inject his humour at various points through the show - a real treat. Always interesting to see just how honest we can, and should, be in any given situation. A part two is promised due to a nifty bit of bait and switch marketing from the ladies. I’m looking forward to it.

Let’s drop the R

David was up again for the never-to-be-missed #SMTPowerTalk (it’s all in production - big h/t to John Ellis as ever). Danny Brown joins David and co-host Alexandra Riecke-Gonzales for Brand and Influence in Social Media Marketing (https://goo.gl/xDrix4). Common sense in bucket loads from Danny as he essentially talks about identifying your customers’ needs and the things that influence them. I really enjoyed Danny’s perceptions of the cultural differences between customers in the UK and continental North America. Reach vs Relevance, Noise vs Signal there’s a lot of good stuff in here including the value in the small business mindset - knowing your customer well enough to be relevant to your customer at every interaction. Last in the current series - a big thank you to Social Media Today for giving us this opportunity. Please do give us another.

Another double from another David

This time from David Kutcher. Firstly with Zara Altair in the Midweek Zap - Foster Audience Growth (https://goo.gl/njL1wb). Lots of value in this and David kicks off with the essential starting point of defining and understanding their target audience, their needs and their information gathering process. Even if you just take this on board you’ll be improving your business immensely. Always admired David’s approach to analytics too - know your question! When you know your question you can use analytics to inform your whole website strategy, making gradual improvements over time that add up to a whole lot more.

Analytics was the subject of the David’s next appearance on the ReachConnectUpliftWomen show with Lany Sullivan. Google Analytics, Landing Pages, Bounce Rate and so much more in less than 20 minutes (https://goo.gl/5Fhz6f) does exactly what it says on the tin! David shows how to set up your Google Analytics dashboards to extract the data you need to really get some solid data to direct your future decisions. Don’t get hung up on the bounce rate! Excellent advice in a show that doesn’t demand a huge chunk of time.

At the risk of being pilloried for being a #RayBunch fanboy (OK that boat has probably long since sailed!) #RayBunch 79 Is Sharing Really Caring? (https://goo.gl/MsmDYj) looks at how we share things on Social Media, our expectations from sharing and why we share. The mix of views from the team of Ray Hiltz, Jessica Dewell, B.L. Ochman, Randy Bowden and Scott Scowcroft really set this 30 minute show on its own. Thoughtful, informative and entertaining.

RightStart Websites continue their steadfast support for the Small Business Owner with the Small Business WebTech Show. martin shervington joins John Moore and Marilyn Moore for Building Your Brand on Google Plus (https://goo.gl/RmJXwP). Martin has amassed a great deal of knowledge and expertise relating to Google+, much of it available on the Plus Your Business website. This packed hour absolutely flew by as Martin relayed a sensible approach for a small business owner looking to make some headway with Google’s social layer. Looking forward to seeing what the new format brings to the next show.

For the self conscious out there join Dustin W. Stout and Joey Giangola for Fearlessly Questioning Comparing Yourself  (https://goo.gl/mlxhMK). Yep we’ve all done it, compared ourselves to others. sometimes it can spur us on to greater things. At the other end of the spectrum it can totally stifle you, preventing any kind of growth. I’m sure it’s also something that changes as you grow and become more comfortable in your own skin (yep sometimes ageing is a good thing!)

Thinkers corner

A long read from Padraig Ó Raghaill but one that raises some interesting points about our use of data. Why it makes sense to bike without a helmet (https://goo.gl/ONMXiy) questions the logic behind some of the rules and regulations seemingly justified by good data. Of course, safety is important, but Padraig makes some very good points, backed up with data, that the rules we impose may have the opposite effect than they were intended to achieve. You may want to click through to the article to get the embedded imagery but do take the time to read. Above all else it should make you think about constantly testing your own actions - don’t make the decision based on the data at hand and then assume it will have the desired effect. Gather more data, review and revise. Thanks Padraig.

And finally…

Another absorbing post from Fat Eyes Web Development (that’s Gina Fiedel in old money in case you didn’t know). When Design & Marketing Still Mean Something
Make It Better Than Good Enough (https://goo.gl/3PcIg4) asks if we settle for good enough too often? Should we be making more of an effort at times, striving for perfection and creating something that stands out from the rest. It’s a delicate balance, particularly in the business realm. As usual Gina sets the scene with some strong imagery in her words. Tell me you weren’t with her under the Glass Table.


Have a great weekend wherever you are

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Created by Mick Sharpe of Bitingedge