Must Market

Social Media Anxiety
Got to love social media. First social media has to prove it matters and isn't just a game then people worry about "doing it wrong". Yes there are "wrong" ways to create social media content...remember when we all started sharing exactly what was happening in the moment? Don't do that anymore.

Next we had the quote stage and now we seem to be getting the idea of how to surf social media. Some still have anxiety about jumping in or doing the wrong thing. 

The half-life a tweet is hours. Remember you are in an ocean of content, so surf don't try to hold, compress or rule it. Here is another anti-anxiety pill for SMM. Look around, I've yet to follow or RT someone so brilliant I shouldn't be allowed in the same social space (lol). Yes they are out there, but I may never find them :).  

Social media is the great level. What you can SEE and FEEL fast is we all have the same obsessions, fears, strengths, weaknesses, doubts and frustrations. Social shows our humanity in all its glory and aspirations.  

 
Here is the other issue. If you are an Internet marketer, and who isn't these days, then social media anxiety can HURT. Don't let your "Sistine Chapel" perfectionism stop you from making social media mud pies. M  

In order to turn your business into a lead generating machine, you need to understand how inbound marketing works.

Incredible content has the power to break through the clutter of your consumers' lives and provide that moment in the spotlight all of us desire.

SlideShare - The Quiet Giant #Infographic #SlideShare - SEO Powerhouse too, must be in 2013 Content Marketing Plans.

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of brands now have a dedicated content marketing budget, research from Bite has found, with 43 per cent of those surveyed saying content marketing was a board priority for their company

I'm all about Infographics these days, so I decided to break down my new book into some fun stats. Take a look!

Marty Note
Gary Vaynerchuk's latest book is excellent. Gary describes the Thank You Economy as a great "jab" book. He wanted to right a great "right hook" book too, a book about conversion and how to finish the social marketing fight we are all in. 

He is aware, via his consulting work, that many view social media as a fad. He wishes them well as they fade off into obscurity (lol). I love his 3 characteristics of a great "right hook":

* Easy to understand (and present) Call-to-Action (CTA). 
* Crafted agnostic and beautiful on any receiving device.

* Respects the nuances of the social network for which you make the content. 

That last bullet should be the eye opening moment for many Internet marketers. Marketers who have one-sided conversations that don't respect the subtle and not so subtle nuance of platforms they use to communicate their stories will be treated like the spammers they are. 

It is not enough, Vaynerchuk explains, to have awesome content. Content must be massaged to the medium. Where once the medium was the message now the medium influences the shape, form, tone and syntax of our stories. To be heard your marketing must speak the right language at the right time. 

Will be writing a more extensive review, but BRAVO and KUDOS to Gary for creating writing another groundbreaking book a true "right hook".  

There is a well-known statement that brand isn't just a logo or a product. As well as brand identity isn't just a stationary set. It is much more.

Marty - Love looking into a brand's "galaxy". Faith Popcorn famously said we don't BUY brands we JOIN them. That statement seems increasingly true in this connected social time.

The Next Generation of Content Marketing
Haven’t heard the term "content 4.0" before and would agree with every dimension outlined in this excellent infographic. Would add a few too including:

* Tagging - content is going to flow in all directions.

* Speed - content will be become tagged snippets flowing in all directions.

* SOCIAL - we are going to do more and more things with sentient mobs.

* UGC - User Generate Content is well mined GOLD so will become harder to get.

The next generation of content marketing, much like the next generation of web design, is going to be have more content going in more directions faster and faster, better and better.

Manufacturers and retailers identify Big Datas big challenges.