There were some pretty darned thought-provoking posts this week, which works out well for my “sweet 16” #30Thursday. Hey, #30Thursday is officially old enough to drive! What does that mean? I have no idea. Moving on then, please absorb and enjoy these tremendous blog posts. I know I did!
1. You know you’ve created a great blog community when you go on vacation and the first post after you’re gone is immensely awesome. Such is Mark Schaefer’s luck. He’s away from his blog, but Steven Parker provided a fantastic post just in time for Mark’s departure. Are you a part of the cult of failure? Share your thoughts on this fascinating post!
2. One of my great privileges in putting this weekly round-up together is that I get to see all of the wonderful things folks are doing out there. Case in point, Danny Brown is helping support Jodi’s Voice, a charity that helps combat stalking. Danny is asking for our help to help this great organization. Check out the post for more details.
3. Are you suffering from BSOS? It’s entirely possible, and unfortunately, there is not a simple cure. If you want to learn more, Nicole Fende has the answers for you!
4. Feeling kind of burnt out, or know someone who is? Daria Giron has 5 reasons for burnout. Maybe identifying the reason will help you battle off the cause!
5. Maggie Fox wrote an interesting take on the relationship between women and Foursquare. She pinpointed a lot of the reasons why I myself have hesitated to join, but she also rationally argues against those fears. What do you think?
6. Is the “one strategy” approach to marketing nothing more than homage to a myth? Geoff Livingston makes a pretty compelling argument that says, “Yes it is.” And yet, it might not be entirely mythical…voice your thoughts!
7. In order to lead others, you need to be 100% sure of who you are on the inside. You need to be able to pass the test of being okay with your flaws, understanding them, and then defeating them. So sayeth the wise Lisa Petrilli in her post, Leading with character by leading from within. My only disappointment – Lisa didn’t mention our man Abraham Lincoln in this post. But she did highlight another slightly more current individual. Check out her post!
8. How is Social Media like Al Capone? No, it has nothing to do with moonshine or massacres. Rather, Debra Ellis does a brilliant job of tying how Capone got caught with how you can catch people in your SEO web. Check out What do Social Media and Al Capone have in common? It’s a great read!
9. Is Social Media killing the SEO star? Ian Rountree, writing for HardRefresh.net, notes that better content seems to be what Google really wants. Are the Social Media experts giving us counter-productive advice when they say to write more and more? Take a look at this excellent and comprehensive post!
10. Congratulations on joining Google’s social network. Oops, did you not mean to do that? Well, if you created a social profile to use the new +1 button, you just did, as Lisa Barone points out in her detailed post called Google Corrals Users into Social Network, No One Screams. Very interesting information there.
11. Justin Kownacki wrote a post called “Why Defending Your Reputation is a Waste of Time.” I agree with the central point of the post, but there were other parts I’m just not so sure of. What do you think? Share your comments on Justin’s post!
12. Jason Sokol offers some great tips and tricks for creating an editorial calendar for your blog and your other social media platforms. Bookmark this post because Jason adds some really good ideas to this concept!
13. This post by Tommy Walker is a marvelous reflection on how the world of marketing is changing. Coming from the traditional marketing side of the equation, I do not agree with everything that Tommy has to say in this post, but the core of what he writes is what the REAL Social Media revolution is all about. Check out why Tommy thinks Netflix, Pandora, and Facebook are crushing your business, and voice your opinions!
14. What do you do when a Facebook friend becomes a Facebook foe? Mary Biever offers advice on how to deal with situations like that without stirring up the drama pot. Some great advice – check it out!
15. Robin Fay (aka @georgiawebgurl) offers some important reminders on how to critique with care, and how criticism can be misinterpreted when you only have 140 characters. Check out On Criticism and Critique and voice your opinions!
16. I know that Farmville is fun – I was sucked into the Farmville vortex for a short while. However, it can also make you forget that all of that activity (and your other online activity) is all quite public and out in the open. Jeff Bullas reminds you of 30 things you should not share on Social Media. Very important reminders!
17. Extraordinary post from Jay Baer went live this week, which is not really news, but you should definitely give a read to Clowns, Charlatans, and Social Media Name Calling. It certainly got me thinking and writing, and I would imagine it will do the same for you.
18. With all of the times that she made me laugh, I guess it was inevitable that Molly Campbell would make me cry one of these days. Give a read to Cake Balls and see if you can make it through without getting choked up. In a good way!
19. I’ve been hearing a lot about Klout’s new +K feature (maybe you have, too). Gini Dietrich wrote a great post examining the pros and cons of this new Klout venture. It’s like gaming…but then on the other hand…Great post!
20. Mack Collier also had something to say about Klout, and it’s a primary reason why I’ve never been a big fan of Klout myself. In Online Influence is More Than Just Social Media Activity, Mack points out that your Klout score falls if you aren’t tweeting as much. That’s about activity, not influence. Right?
21. How can the pharmaceutical sector better promote itself if television ads are not the answer? Cheryl Burgess offers a fascinating 2-part study on this topic. Part two, the game-changer, offers some interesting ideas for anyone in the pharmaceutical industry. Weigh in!
22. Deb Babbitt, co-founder of YouTern, is working with Diahann Boock on a fascinating blog series called Career Futures for Women. In this part 2 installment, company cultures are the topic. I think this relates to men and women. Great advice is great advice. Check out this post and the rest of the series. I know I will!
23. Hyperbole is for sure the best thing ever in the history of the world. Right? Carol Roth has some other ideas about hyperbole. It can be awesome, but it can also cover up laziness or feed denial (and I’m not talking about the river in Egypt, folks!). For tough love from Ms. Roth, read this post!
24. Christopher Dorda of EXO Marketing note that while we all talk about the value of leadership and content creation, the type of content you create matters. A lot. How? Why? Read his post to learn more.
25. Michael Stelzner wrote a really interesting post for Copyblogger about why using experts to help build your blog community can actually be pretty helpful. Given all of the expert bashing (hi clowns!) this is a refreshing take on the subject.
26. Are you a creature of habit? I know I am, and Dawn Westerberg says she is too. But sometimes, we have to alter our routine, and even if that happens for good reasons, it can kind of throw us off. Great news and a great post from Ms. Dawn 🙂
27. Are you feeling like Twitter is taking up too much of your time? Laura Click has a checklist of “to-do” items that will help you cut down your Twitter time to 20 minutes a day. She’s got the essentials down! Check out this post!
28. Want to know why your Social Media campaign is getting you an ROI of zero? Heidi Cohen, one of my favorite bloggers, has five reasons why you’re not getting that all-important return. This is a must-read post!
29. Paul Flanigan is looking for something to proclaim. At first I thought, “Oh, that’s easy.” But I ended up with crickets too. What would you proclaim? Share your thoughts with Paul on his thoughtful post 🙂
30. Last but certainly not least this week, Liz Strauss recently put the spotlight on Simon Mainwaring, author and founder of We First. What does Mr. Mainwaring want to do? He just wants to change how the world does business. Check out this amazing post – and thank Liz for highlighting such an amazing concept!