Six Pixels of Separation - Marketing and Communications Blog and Podcast - By Mitch Joel at Twist Image

I got an interesting email from Kevin Behringer from the Fly-Over Marketing Blog:

"I was listening to SPOS 110 and your point about a system to manage content and ideas really tied into a question I had for Foreword Thinking.

How do you manage it all?!?

You read a lot of books, blogs, etc. How do you record it all or track it to actually use it? One of the things I'm struggling with right now."

The truth is, I think we're all struggling with this. So, in the spirit of sharing and me wanting to learn more about how others track everything as well, I thought I would answer, but then also tag some people I know (and others who I have never met, but would be interested in learning how they handle, manage and track this vast land of information) and hope that they Blog about this topic on their own spaces and share it with their readers.

For Web-based content (like Blogs, newsfeeds, etc...) I swear by Google Reader. For tracking purposes, I'll either use the "Add star" button for content that I need to spend more time focusing on, or if I see a post that I think might be Blog-worthy. If it's something bigger, I will use the "Share" option, so not only have I saved it, but I'm also enabling others to take a look. You can view my shared items here: Google Reader - Shared Items - Mitch Joel.

I know many people use online social bookmarking tools like del.icio.us to do similar actions, but I tend to use my del.icio.us for content I feel like I might need further down the road.

I still subscribe to a lot of e-newsletters (believe it or not). I blast through my inbox fairly quickly, but if there's something I think I need to track, I either drag it into a Microsoft Outlook folder called, "Blog" (for stuff I think I might Blog about) or "Print" (for longer articles that I want to print up and take on business trips).

If I am not plugged in with my laptop, I swear by my BlackBerry for all tracking. I simply use the "Notes" section for any (and every) idea. It could be a Blog posting, a URL to check out, or an idea for a slide that I would like to create.

I also use a regular notebook. I'll take notes on everything from potential Blog posting ideas and stuff to talk about in the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast to ideas for the Six Pixels of Separation book and business ideas.

Overall, I don't record or track anything with the intent of keeping it around forever. I think that specific philosophy makes it all easier. Odds are if I saved, tracked, tagged or recorded something for future use and I have not used it after a couple of weeks, I'm comfortable purging it entirely.

So, how do you track it all?

I'll tag:

1. Chris Brogan.
2. Shel Holtz - A Shel Of My Former Self - For Immediate Release.
3. David Weinberger - Joho The Blog - The Cluetrain Manifesto - Everything Is Miscellaneous.
4. Joseph Jaffe - Jaffe Juice - Life After The 30-Second Spot - Join The Conversation.
5. Bryan Eisenberg - GrokDotCom - Waiting For Your Cat To Bark? - Call To Action.

I'll also tag five people I have never really connected with, but I am interested in hearing their thoughts on this:

1. Steve Rubel - Micro Persuasion.
2. Robert Scoble - Scobleizer - Fast Company TV. 
3. Brian Clark - Copyblogger.
4. Richard MacManus - ReadWriteWeb.
5. Jeremiah Owyang - Web Strategy.

Now, let's see who plays and if they tag others.

I was asked to to be interviewed on an industry-specific Podcast this past week (name and url withheld). I did some basic research - I checked out who was linking to it, who else has appeared on the Podcast, how/if it ranks in Technorati, etc... My final decision was to take part even though there was no significant traffic or links. I liked the initiative and figured it would be another way to support a company that is trying to use social media to connect with their consumers. I even took part in a quick phone conversation to make sure that my content was relevant, and to discuss which issues/topics they wanted to cover.

Then, yesterday, I get an email that says:

"When we spoke earlier, I forget to mention that since we do not charge anything for the interview, we require an anchor link on your blog roll."

What?

Two key points:

1. I don't know many people who pay to be interviewed, and if they do, it's not an interview... it's advertising (and should be promoted as such).

2. Requiring to be placed on someone's Blogroll is a ridiculous and silly request.

That one line in the email is a clear indication of everything that could go wrong with the Podcasting channel if we're all not vigilant. Asking people to pay to be interviewed is wrong on many levels. Asking to be placed on someone's Blogroll because you don't charge for the interview is almost as ridiculous.

Combined everything sounds highly unethical.

If you're considering to start a Blog or Podcast, keep in mind that people should never pay to be interviewed by you. It's really quite the opposite, you should be honoured that anyone has agreed to take their time and effort to help you create content for your community (you owe them, they don't owe you). And, if you would like to get on their Blogroll, you should not have to ask. They will naturally put you there if you create compelling content that is relevant to them (and their community). Telling someone that this is "required" demonstrates that you do not understand how these new channels really work.

My guess is that this specific Podcast didn't even take the time to check out a previous Blog posting of mine titled, How To Get On Someone's Blogroll.

There's a recently released book called, Here Comes Everybody (The Penguin Press), by Clay Shirkey that I am loving. In fact, I am having a hard time remembering the last time I took this long to read a book. I am enjoying it so much, that I simply don't want it to end. I'm savouring it like a fine wine

Just now, I was reading a small segment and I thought I would share it with you:

"When reproduction, distribution and categorization were all difficult, as they were for the last five hundred years, we needed professionals to undertake those jobs, and we properly venerated those people for the service they performed. Now those tasks are simpler, and the earlier roles have in many cases become optional, and are sometimes obstacles to direct access, often putting the providers of the older service at odds with their erstwhile patrons. An amusing example occurred in 2005, when a French bus company, Transports Schiocchet Excursions (TSE), sued several French cleaning women who had previously used TSE for transport to their jobs in Luxembourg. The women's crime? Carpooling. TSE asked that the women be fined and that their cars be confiscated, on the grounds that the service the women had arraigned to provide themselves - transportation - should be provided only by commercial services such as TES. (The case was thrown out in a lower court; it is pending on appeal).

Though this incident seems like an unusual laps in business judgement, this strategy - suing former customers for organizing themselves - is precisely the one being pursued by the music and movie industries today. Those industries used to perform a service by distributing music and moving images, but laypeople can now move music and video easily, in myriad ways that are both cheaper and more flexible than those mastered and owned by existing commercial firms, like selling CDs and DVDs in stores. Faced with these radical new efficiencies, those very firms are working to make moving movies and music harder, in order to stay in business - precisely the outcome that the bus company was arguing for."

Marketers need to start thinking about how we do business and how, in a world where reproduction, distribution and categorization is becoming ubiquitous, where we're going to add value and differentiate. Our recent battle-cry that "the consumer is in control" as User Generated Content started taking hold is no better - and just as unrealistic - as the TSE (and the music industry) suing their former consumers.

Lately, I find myself thinking more and more about what Bryan Eisenberg (co-founder of Future Now Inc., Blogger over at GrokDotCom, and co-author of books like Call To Action and Waiting For Your Cat To Bark?) had to say during his keynote at Search Engine Strategies Toronto this year. When it comes to looking at what we're doing online and in the Digital Marketing channels, we tend to focus on either the current campaigns we're running, or on the next and latest in shiny objects (be it Social Media or otherwise). The sad reality is that none of those are going to help you much if your consumer comes to your website and leaves because it was not relevant or didn't provide the proper "scent" in terms of what brought them there in the first place.

It all started with the website, and now it seems to all end there too... and yet we are spending less and less time optimizing our pages for search, findability, usability and functionality. We're intensely focused on driving traffic and clicks and deftly terrible at understanding what is happening once they arrive and why. We have robust web analytics tools and amazing web research applications - all available either for free or fee (but readily available) - and yet bounce rates continue to suck and I'm not seeing a much better conversion on both e-commerce and non-transactional sites.

Let's get back to basics. Most potential consumers are doing numerous searches for the products and services you sell. If you've done your job, and you're ranking at the top of the search engine results, it is incumbent on you to capitalize on the opportunity by providing them with both the basic information and the opportunity to learn more. Your website is your window to the world and will demonstrate your ability to communicate why you should be their only choice.

No pay-per-click search campaign, e-mail marketing blast or Blog is going save you. The only thing that will save you is a great Website that helps your consumers accomplish the tasks and goals they've set out for themselves.

The time has come for you to review your website - both what the public can see and how it was set-up on the back-end. It's time to take some notes on visuals, navigation, calls-to-actions and content. It's time to make sure that the final point of consumer connection - your website (which is, incidentally, becoming their first point of contact too) is not just "up-to-par" but the ultimate demonstration of everything great that you do.

The best way to make this happen also happens to be the title of Eisenberg's soon-to-be-released book - Always Be Testing.

Your Personal Brand may be doing much more harm than good... to others. This is becoming a more common occurrence that I am seeing and feeling in business. I see more and more people embracing the Social Media channels - they are Blogging, Podcasting, linking up on Twitter and leveraging an online social network like Facebook to grow their connections, and it's really hurting their careers.

Who would have thought this to be possible?

The sad reality is that most of us work within the confines of a big and/or traditional corporation. These types of corporations - typically - do not embrace and encourage the individual. Most companies look towards either the main corporate brand or the CEO/President as the focal point for all attention, so when someone starts to rise through the popularity of a Blog, it is often not only frowned upon by senior management, but also talked about in the corridors by co-workers.

I wish this were not the case. I wish all companies (and co-workers) could see the value and opportunity, but the harsh reality is that when someone who sits beneath others on an org chart starts getting recognition, others start feeling threatened.

I'm lucky. First off, I am one of the co-owners of Twist Image and Blogging, Podcasting and taking part in as many social and digital channels as possible is not only part of our strategy to communicate and connect, but it's embraced and encouraged by all. Second, it's part of our corporate culture, and we do encourage others to take part as well (as long as they are being smart about it and it's not in the way of getting our client work done).

In the past short while, I've seen minor people within cool organizations take on major roles due to their visibility in the social media channels (some companies do embrace it - Twist Image is not the only one). That being said, I've seen many more people forced to leave and take on positions in other companies because their activities in these social channels may have bolstered their personal brands, but in doing so became a CLM (Career Limiting Move). I've seen many people stuck in their current role with little chance to advance, and many others give up on taking part in these channels because the company they work for either doesn't see the value or the individual realizes how limiting it has become for them.

In a way, this Blog posting is simply a cautionary tale to say that "yes, everybody should take part in these digital channels and connect," but be forewarned that most people are just "doing their jobs" and lack the same level of passion that you are displaying. Most simply see your actions either as a threat to the way things have always been or as another example of how brown ones nose can be.

One of the highlight of attending the TED conference this past year was seeing Benjamin Zander in action. He's not only a world-class speaker on leadership and and the co-author of one of my favourite books, The Art of Possibility (along with Rosamund Stone Zander), but he is also the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic.

Benjamin Zander's TED Talk brought the crowd to their feet (eyes shining). It's an amazing speech on power of passion, possibility and inspiration.

You would be remised if you didn't spend the next twenty minutes watching this video: TED Talks - Benjamin Zander - Classical Music With Shining Eyes.

I hope it changed your world like it changed mine.

Welcome to episode #110 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. I have not been this inspired by a business trip since I went over to Singapore last year. And while it was only a short trip to Mexico City this week, I had an amazing opportunity to connect with the people at IAB Mexico - Interactive Advertising Bureau, Google Mexico, YouTube Mexico, MySpace, Yahoo and many more. The main event - IAB Conecta 2008 - where I spoke even included a special segment where Joseph Jaffe (Jaffe Juice and author of Life After The 30-Second Spot and Join The Conversation) did a live video ooVoo chat. In this episode, you'll hear a fascinating conversation with Efrain Mendicuti (who handles Agency Relations for Google Mexico and Blogs over at: The Daily Stuff And The Not So - also available in Spanish).  Enjoy the conversation...

Here it is: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #110 - Host: Mitch Joel.

• Running time: 34:59.
• Audio comment line - please send in a comment and add your voice to the audio community: +1 206-666-6056.
• Please send in questions, comments, suggestions - mitch@twistimage.com.
• Hello from Beautiful Montreal.
• Subscribe over at iTunes.
• Please visit and leave comments on the Blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
• Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
• or you can connect on LinkedIn.
• ...or on twitter.
• Facebook Group - Six Pixels of Separation Podcast Society.
• In a perfect world, I'd love for you to connect with me, directly, through my Facebook profile instead of joining the group - but, that's your call.
• Check out my other Podcast, Foreword Thinking - The Business And Motivational Book Review Podcast - sponsored by HarperCollins Canada.
• Foreword Thinking - Episode #10 featuring Dan Ariely.
• Dan's new book is: Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.
• Power Within - Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 - Winnipeg Convention Centre.
• Anthony Robbins.
• Loretta LaRoche.
• Mike Lipkin.
• Phil Town.
• Special ticket price - $149 - call the Power Within at 1-866-POWER04 - ask for Joseph (extension 229).
• Here Comes Everybody – Clay Shirkey – must-read book.
• Podcasters Across Borders – Kingston, Ontario – June 20th – 22nd, 2008.
• Audio Comment – Mark Blevis – Podcasters Across Borders – Canadian Podcast Buffet.
• Pecha Kucha – Chris Brogan rant – go check it out.
• Email Comment – Jon Anderson - oLo Brand Group.
• Mexico City - IAB - Interactive Advertising Bureau - Mexico - IAB Conecta 2008 annual summit.
• In Conversation with Efrain Mendicuti – Agency Relations – Google Mexico - The Daily Stuff And The Not So (also available in Spanish).
• Six Points of Separation - Six Ways Build The Interactive Industry:
• 1. Pay-per-click campaign.
• 2. Email.
• 3. Follow five Blogs and comment.
• 4. Listen to a Podcast.
• 5. Small banner ads with no portals.
• 6. Three industry events – local, national and international.
• Music:
• David Usher – ‘Kill The Lights’ – exclusive.

Please join the conversation by sending in questions, feedback and ways to improve Six Pixels Of Separation. Please let me know what you think or leave an audio comment at: +1 206-666-6056.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #110 - Host: Mitch Joel.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: "ain't nothing like having something think and chunky to read over the weekend." I was floating through my Google Reader feeds late yesterday afternoon, when I came across this Blog post from Chris Anderson (author of The Long Tail and editor of Wired Magazine): Excellent HBR Piece Challenging The Long Tail.

The Harvard Business Review published an article titled,  Should You Invest In The Long Tail?, by Anita Elberse.

Here's how the article begins:

"In a typical year, Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books) goes to market with 275 to 300 book titles spread across two catalogs—its fall and winter lists. For each list the company identifies the handful of books it believes have the greatest sales potential and gives them the full benefit of its marketing capabilities. Of those, it spotlights just two 'make' books, one fiction and one nonfiction, for which the company’s publisher is willing, in her words, to 'pull out all the stops.' In the fall of 2007 those books were David Baldacci’s Stone Cold and Stephen Colbert’s I Am America (and So Can You!). The effects of this strategy show up in sales figures and profits. Whereas the 61 hardcover titles Grand Central put on its 2006 front list, on average, incurred costs of $650,000 and earned gross profits of just under $100,000, a wide range of numbers contributed to those averages. Grand Central’s most heavily marketed title incurred costs of $7 million and achieved net sales of just under $12 million, for a gross profit of nearly $5 million—50 times the average.

Grand Central is pursuing what is known as a blockbuster strategy — a time-honored approach, particularly in the media and entertainment sector. With limited space on store shelves and in traditional distribution channels, and with retailers and distributors seeking to maximize their returns, producers have tended to focus their marketing resources on a small number of likely best sellers. Although such an approach involves substantial risk, they expect that the occasional hit’s huge pay-off will cover the losses of many misses, and that a few big sellers will bring in the lion’s share of revenues and profits. In 2006 just 20% of Grand Central’s titles accounted for roughly 80% of its sales and an even larger share of its profits.

Much has changed in commerce, however, in the decades since the blockbuster strategy first took hold. Today we live in a world of ubiquitous information and communication technology, where retailers have virtually infinite shelf space and consumers can search through innumerable options. When books, movies, and music are digitized and therefore cheap to replicate, the question arises: Is a blockbuster strategy still effective?"

Chris Anderson obviously thinks differently about how Elberse walks through the data, and here theory of what, exactly, The Long Tail is.

So, not only do you get some great reading, but some lively debate as well.

You can grab the full article here: Harvard Business Review - Should You Invest In The Long Tail?

And Anderson's response along with the communities comments here: The Long Tail - Excellent HBR Piece Challenging The Long Tail.

For the record, I'm hopeful that when my book, Six Pixels of Separation, comes out on Grand Central Publishing next year that it will fall within the twenty percent ;)