In the video below, Chuck Lewis – aka The SEO Rapper combines his love of hip hop with a business message around his other speciality – search engine optimisation. And guess what, people in their thousands are watching this (and other) SEO Rapper videos, commenting on them and passing them along.

Clever stuff!

The success of The SEO Rapper’s videos, especially Page Rank (below) has brought a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) MC competitor out in the open. Now, an enterprising third party has set up a site to promote The Ultimate SEO PPC Rap Battle!

The upshot is, do something interesting and people will willingly talk about your brand.

So many brands – especially of the large variety – are still talking about producing ‘viral videos’. Many will cost a bomb, most will fail. Meanwhile, people like the SEO Rapper will be out there doing what they love, taking a chance, doing it on the cheap and resonating with the marketplace because of their enthusiasm and authenticity.

Hat-tip to Yvonne from Ideas Culture for bringing the SEO Rapper to my attention!

Sure, big companies with massive advertising spends may cut through the clutter occasionally as a result of incessant ‘carpet-bombing’ of their messages, but even that doesn’t guarantee their story will be heard by – or even resonate with – the intended audience.

Which is why these two sassy ladies leapt out of the computer at me.

Danielle LaPorte (above, left) and Marie Forleo are anything but bland. They swear, they cajole…they’re performers, and their passion shines through.

LaPorte is the author of The Firestarter Sessions; she runs an online multimedia business, is a professional speaker and also conducts one-on-one consulting (here is a great interview she did with blogger and author, Jonathan Fields).

According to a Squidoo page, LaPorte’s passion is liberating the truth, hence her website is named White Hot Truth. In her words, her purpose is ”to inspire authenticity – freeing talent, ideas, voice, opinions, consciousness, in life, work, creativity.”

Forleo is the author of ‘Make Every Man Want You: How to be so irresistible you’ll barely keep from dating yourself”.

As a consultant and coach she has helped thousands of women entrepreneurs accelerate their businesses, transform their lives and live ‘Rich, Happy & Hot’. As a speaker, online entrepreneur, fitness personality, and dancer/choreographer, Forleo has defied conventional wisdom to achieve considerable success across multiple industries.

Sell Your Soul

LaPorte and Forleo have banded together for a one-off event called SELLING YOUR YOUR SOUL – “a full day immersion in service of you”.

Here’s the blurb:

Selling your soul isn’t demeaning — it’s divine.
It’s about creating from the depth of your being, and taking it out to the world with strategic savvy. Genius…packaged. Passion…promoted. If you’re not selling your soul, what are you selling?

As the ladies themselves tell us: “It’s hot, and it’s all for you, baby.”  I LOVE IT!

Check out the promo video here – in the words of LaPorte, it “sizzles’.

Hey, their story won’t work for everyone – in fact, it could well grate on some – but if they tried to appeal to everyone, they’d end up being ‘vanilla’ and therefore ineffective from a marketing perspective.

What about your brand? Does it sizzle?

for mamas who rock business from Danielle LaPorte on Vimeo.

Marie Forleo from shatterbox on Vimeo.

I’m going to tell you the story of a man that went from leading one of the biggest bands in the world to finding it all fall apart. What he did next would fill most marketers with envy.

Tom DeLonge was a founding member of Blink 182, an American pop-punk band that shaped the genre and sold over 35 million albums. In 2005 the band split up and DeLonge started a new band that would bring out his entrepreneurial spirit and true marketing genius.

Even in the early days of Blink 182, DeLonge demonstrated a knack for recognising opportunity by creating two clothing brands which the band wore in virtually all of their public appearances. ‘Atticus’ and ‘Macbeth’ are both still going strong today.

Photo source: 182 Online

Bound to contracts with music labels, Angels & Airwaves went down the traditional industry route for their first album but they became wildly ambitious with their second and did things their way.

For example, the band:

• offered their music for free – DeLonge figured that by getting their music into as many hands as possible, they would build a bigger community of fans that would spend more on higher-margin items such as concert tickets and merchandise.
• built a platform to curate a community full of fans – ‘Modlife’ gave fans direct access to the band through forums, video chats, daily video updates, blogs, merchandise and members-only band meet and greets.
• repackaged Modlife and sold it to other bands – today more than a dozen bands are paying DeLonge to use the platform to connect with their fans.
• gave fans a taste but offer a paid premium membership for full content – some of the content is free but live chats with the band and many blog posts, videos and photos are restricted to premium members.
• stood for something – Angels & Airwaves have strong themes of love, hope and inspiration, writing songs that promote the message that your life can be whatever you want it to be. Whenever they talk about the band they talk about these emotions and target an audience that connect with their values.
• extended their product line to a movie release – not since Pink Floyd in 1982 has a band made a movie, demonstrating the ambitious nature of the DeLonge. The movie titled ‘Love’ has just premiered at the Santa Barbara film festival and it’s public release will coincide with the free release of their fourth album.

DeLonge is a shameless self promoter – he may verge on the ridiculous, having been quoted that Angels & Airwaves has an “inner energy and a spiritual awakening that’s kind of magical” and describing their concerts as feeling “like an ascension to heaven”. Sure, claims like this are bound to met with a fair share of skepticism, but they will also be met with fans that buy into the message.

Speaking to entrepreneur.com, DeLonge notes:

“Music has lost 60 percent of its net sales, so, as a musician, I had to wonder where the opportunities were. Music is no longer the product. The circumference of the world around the musician is the new product.”

DeLonge offered a good product for free to increase the band’s exposure. They created and curated a community of fans and found innovative ways to monetize their love.

Could any of these lessons be applied to your business?

FURTHER READING:  Why Dave Matthews is Smarter than Most Marketers

MEET Michael Halligan. Small Business Marketing Specialist, Traveller & Blink182 fan. Founder of @EngageMrktingAU and @TheBlogDesigner. Making big small businesses.

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It’s been based on tightly held notions that you spend lots of money buying airtime and print media space to promote your wares, and if that didn’t work, buy more airtime and print media space!

Yet the world has undergone deep-seated change – technology has fundamentally transformed the way we are communicating with each other, the way we are connecting and collaborating as individuals and society as a whole.

In turn this has paved the way for a new way of doing business – a better and smarter way to communicate your brand in today’s highly personalized networked marketplace.

Leading the way are companies and organizations I refer to as ‘SWEAT EQUITY’ brands.

SWEAT EQUITY brands are:

• at the forefront of the social media revolution;
• open to new ideas and collaborative projects;
• active in sharing ideas, stories, knowledge and information;
• socially-aware and respectful of the community in which they operate.

Importantly, SWEAT EQUITY brands are connected and conversational, humble, passionate, transparent and fun.

What about your brand? Does it tick any of these boxes?

It’s a pretty powerful opportunity we all have at our fingertips. The smart set are all over it. What about you?

Gary Vaynerchuk is a shining example of someone who went from zero to hero via his enthusiastic and savvy use of social media, especially his online Wine Library TV webcast which proved to be a game-changer for the Russian-born entrepreneur who has since become a bona fide is a New York Times bestselling author.

But we can also learn a lot from someone who went the other way – pop legend Daryl Hall (the ‘Hall’ in Hall & Oates, one of the biggest-selling recording duos of all time), who has reinvented himself with his popular web show Live From Daryl’s House.

Hall & Oates were massive for a considerable period garnering a total of eight #1 hit singles along with dozens of hits throughout the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, including 2002’s “Do It For Love,”. Other top singles include:  “Rich Girl,” “Kiss On My List,” “Maneater,” “Private Eyes” etc.

But as a rule time catches up with even the loftiest of rock stars. Fans move on, music trends change and artists struggle to recapture their mojo with audiences. That happened with Hall and Oates.

But Hall did something pretty cool.

He created an free internet video show – ‘Live From Daryl’s House’ (see below for a better description).

Now he’s relevant again. Cool even! Younger people are rediscovering his music. Emerging artists have no problem collaborating with him ‘in da house’.

An unexpected bonus from broadcasting the show and building a solid viewership is that broadcast TV networks come calling.

What about your brand?

Sure, you’re not Daryl Hall or Gary Vaynerchuk but there’s every chance that you (personally or your company or organization) has something to offer the marketplace. A series of stories maybe, some interesting behind the scenes action – why not take people behind the ‘velvet rope’, give them a glimpse behind the ‘corporate firewall’ – loosen up, push your experts forward so they can give opinions on issues and trends affecting your industry.

But don’t be too slick, polished and over-produced.

In this NYdailynews.com article, Hall says of his webcast:

“There’s a certain lack of structure at its core and irreverence. It also has a certain kind of attitude. This isn’t a reality show. It’s something altogether unique.”

Oh, and don’t forget to collaborate!

It makes it less about ‘you’ – it broadens your audience and, if you’re a pretty stodgy brand, it’s not a bad way to start becoming relevant again. Just ask Daryl Hall!

Thanks to his regular webcast, Hall is collaborating (and leveraging off) some of the biggest names in the business, including young emerging artists that help familiarize his name with new audiences.

ABOUT ‘LIVE FROM DARYL’S HOUSE’ (Source)

Daryl Hall started Live From Daryl’s House, the free monthly web show in late 2007, after having the idea of playing with my friends and putting it up on the Internet, and the show has since garnered acclaim from Rolling Stone, SPIN, Daily Variety, CNN, BBC, Yahoo! Music and influential blogger Bob Lefsetz, who have cited Live From Daryls House as a perfect example of a veteran artist reinventing himself in the digital age by collaborating with both established colleagues and newer performers.

Past episodes of Live From Daryl’s House have featured a mix of well-known performers like Smokey Robinson, The Doors Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, Nick Lowe, K.T. Tunstall, Todd Rundgren, Gym Class Heroes Travis McCoy, Fall Out Boys Patrick Stump, Finger Elevens James Black and Rick Jackett, the Bacon Brothers and country star Jimmy Wayne, along with newcomers such as Philly soul singer Mutlu, Canadian techno-rockers Chromeo, MySpace pop-rock phenom Eric Hutchinson, Cash Money rocker Kevin Rudolf, Wind-up Records Chicago rockers Company of Thieves, Bay Area singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson, Charlottesville, VAs rising Parachute, Chicago rock band Plain White Ts and highly touted tunesmith Diane Birch.

FURTHER READING:

• Frank Sinatra Vs Jay-Z: How collaboration can help your brand reach new audiences
• Building a brand the Gary Vee Way

Within no time people started investigating alternatives to Delicious, including Springpad, Diigo and Pinboard.

Pinboard was one site that caught my eye initially, then I heard an interesting and frank interview with its founder Maciej Ceglowski on Net @ Nite with Amber Mac and Leo Laporte and decided to check it out further.

I like the way Pinboard describes itself as the “antisocial bookmarking site” that’s ideal for “introverts” who don’t necessarily want to share their bookmarks with the rest of the world.

However, what really impressed me was how Pinboard gave people not only reasons to switch to its site from Delicious but also reasons to stay with Delicious!

The brand is obviously mindful that many people are pretty hooked on Delicious and may be a little hesitant as to switch bookmarking providers.

Diigo, on the other hand, is a little more agressive and eager to transition people from Delicious to its own site. Nothing really wrong with that, it’s just I think Pinboard’s more understated approach is probably a little more respectful towards a much-loved competitor in Delicious and shows empathy for the decision its members are facing.

What can we learn from Pinboard’s approach?

• Stand for something – touting itself as the ‘antisocial’ bookmarking site sets Pinboard apart from its competitors. Being counterintuitive as it is (because the idea behind bookmarking sites is that they’re inherently social) also shows us a glimpse of the personality of the people behind the brand.
• Acknowledging publicly when a key competitor may be in trouble and expressing empathy for its customers rather than try and use the situation to steal customers. It’s called being decent, and folks out there like that.

As your grandparents, children and Oxfam Unwrapped emails will tell you, Christmas is a time for giving.

We give, sometimes because we have to, but often because we want to. We like the feeling that we’ve helped others, and it’s a creed the Brains on Fire team obviously lives by.

Robbin Phillips, Greg Cordell and Geno Church have written a book that gives and gives and gives.

It gives ideas of how to engage sustainable word-of-mouth social movements for business or action group. It gives the blueprint for how this can be achieved, and the real world case studies of where it’s been successful.

Hell, it even gave me hope that the ideas I was thrashing around in my honors thesis on social movements all those years ago (back when a tweet was something only birds did) were not as hare-brained as I thought.

Giving is a great enabler – yet another theme from Brains that comes through loud and clear – so it would be remiss of me if I didn’t give something more back to you, dear reader, about the book.

Without further ado, here are the Brains team’s 10 lessons for social movement success, with an appropriate Christmas theme.

1. Movements aren’t about a product conversation, they’re a passion conversation.  “Passion is contagious” write Phillips, Cordell and Church.  “How do you fit into people’s lives and make it better?”  A visit from the jolly obese man in red is a yearly wish for most children.  It drives them to prove that they’ve been nice, not naughty, and to wish for all the gifts the world can provide.  They are passionate, and share that energy with their friends and family.  As if Santa doesn’t make our lives bette
2. Movements start with the first conversation.  How many of us have left out some brandy and a cookie for the bearded wonder at Christmas, alongside a handwritten note of request along the lines of “I’d love a Playstation, but please don’t let your reindeer eat mums petunias.”  And how many times did we wake as children and find the cookies all gone with nary a few crumbs left, and a nicely wrapped shape under the tree?!  Oh how we laughed and breathlessly recounted it to our family and friends all day!  “Like that first conversation…stories are important to customers as it allows them to place themselves in the story”, say Phillips et al.  Christmas provides a compelling story for everyone.
3. Movements have inspirational leadership.  Well this is a no brainer (see what I did there?).  Be it a religious leader or cultural figurehead, all of us has someone to turn to at Christmas time for a rationale and belief.  “Most people trust the opinions of people just like themselves” is the main reason.  Well, Jesus came from a family of carpenters and Santa is a man who runs a B2C company in the arctic.  Yep, sounds like my kind of everyday people.
4. Movements have a barrier for entry.  You can’t get presents if you’ve been bad all year, everyone knows that.  If you’ve got an Italian background like me you’ve even got the threat of a delivery of coal from befana hanging over your head; pretty scary if you grew up near Hazelwood Power Station. “It must be give and take” conclude the Brains trust.
5. Movements empower people with knowledge.  Everyone knows the basic story of Christmas but no one knows the whole story.  Extra bits and pieces are shared, family to family, and through that a shared experience of Christmas takes hold.  “Knowledge can create a bond and provide common ground. And sharing it is vital to igniting a movement.”
6. Movements have shared ownership.  Engage the customer is the key here.  Do you think we’d still worship Santa if he kept bringing oversized knickers and odd coloured socks each year?  Hell no! He brings us iPads, Wired subscriptions and iTunes gift cards.  “Don’t start with the customer “in mind”, but actually with the customer. Anything that comes straight from their mouths is pretty damn hard to refute.” So that’s why Christmas wishlists are so successful!
7. Movements have powerful identities. Even setting aside the fact that Australians are, as one of the Irish uncles of a co-worker once put it, hilariously in love with decorating our homes with fake snow in the middle of summer.  But we identify with that snow.  It’s as Christmas as plum pudding, fairy lights and tinsel.  Says Brains “We are the collections of beliefs and values we are passionate about, and passionate people wear their beliefs on their sleeves.”
8. Movements live both online and offline.  “A real relationship is about personal investment and sacrifice” say the Brains writers.  Giving at Christmas nearly always has a degree of personal investment – what does this gift say about me? – and sometimes a degree of sacrifice.  If anything, the festive season allows us to foster better relationships than what we would otherwise be unable to do at other times in the year.  That we can do it both in the real and virtual world is a (often understated) given.
9. Movements make advocates feel like rockstars.  How damn cool does it look like being a Christmas elf?  Or an angel?  Or a reindeer?  Surrounded by toys all day, the ability to fly, or even only having to work one night a year…these are a few of my favourite things!  While we can never be any of those things, we can be made to feel part of the story, the ‘centre of the universe’ experience that most customers crave.  “It’s not about how they fit into your marketing plan but rather how you fit into their lives.”
10. Movements get results.  Obviously Christmas gets it done, because we all keep coming back for more year on year.  I’ll leave it to the Brains authors to sum it up.  “Movements move people to action.  Movements transform companies.  Movements change lives.”

So if you’re in the market for a social business book to give to a friend or colleague this year, I can’t recommend Brains On Fire enough.

It occasionally suffers from the same issues as most business books – repetitive and too formulaic in parts – but the simple lesson-style layout, the engaging writing style and compelling real-world stories elevate it way above book end fodder.

Merry Give-mas!

<<< David Scott follows lots of interesting folks and tries to reciprocate on @dascottonline.  He’s trying to blog regularly about what it means to be a mid-20s white dude getting married next year at http://twoweeksonedate.wordpress.com

They keep themselves to themselves, rarely collaborating in any way with like-minded organisations, individuals or brands. They do their own thing. All very focused, controlling and inward-looking.

That school thinking probably worked in the ’70s and ’80s but looks a little old-fashioned in today’s hyper-social age, a bit like Frankie himself (although he still remains a very cool dude after all these years despite not being with us in a physical sense!).

Smart marketers today, however, are a little more Jay-Z.

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man” – Jay-Z

Jay-Z is loved and lauded the world over. The biggest acts on the planet want to work with him (U2, Radiohead, Linkin Park et al). Major brands want to get into bed with him (although not all of them it seems). And his ever-growing fan base can’t get enough of him.

Aside from being a brilliant wordsmith, rapper and showman, Jay-Z has also forged a solid rep as a savvy marketer-cum-businessman.

How has he done it? How has a rapper from Brooklyn in New York City become one of the biggest names on the planet?

While there’s not one simple answer – the man is after all a multi-dimensional talented freak – one constant that stands out from a marketing perspective is Jay-Z’s willingness to collaborate with others.

In fact, I’d go so far to say that without collaboration, Jay-Z would not have become the global phenomenon he is.

• His collaboration with Linkin Park (‘Collision Course’) exposed Jay-Z to hard rock fans.
• His collaborations with the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna and Alicia Keys edged him further into the pop mainstream.
• His ongoing collaborations with Kanye West continue to reinforce his status as hip-hop royalty.
• His collaboration with Radiohead (Jaydiohead) demonstrated his musical chops to the alternative crowd.
• His concert collaboration with U2 exposed him to massive audiences in Australia and New Zealand.
• His collaboration with an ever-revolving roster of multiple producers (including Just Blaze, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Eminem and Rick Rubin) ensures musical freshness and diversity.

Brand collaboration – as epitomised by Jay-Z – can be powerful for a number of reasons:

• greater reach and awareness – gain exposure in other markets;
• leveraging off another brand’s image and equity – associated positive spin-off;
• implied third party endorsement – additional credibility.

Of course, collaboration needs to be thought about strategically. There must be something positive to be gained by all parties in the relationship. And while the project can be left-field, it still needs to be congruent with your brand otherwise you’ll end up confusing your customers.

Collaboration also requires a hefty dose of the right attitude – to embrace it effectively you need to check your ego at the door and be willing to bend a little.

What about your brand?

Who could you collaborate with to increase exposure and cache for your brand?

“I’m the new Sinatra…” {Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind}

“I’m all for collaborations whether it be with business or art … it can’t be about money … there has to be something in there that’s true to both sides” – Jay-Z

Johnny Cupcakes was one of the examples given, but the focus was more on company founder Johnny Earle’s recent ‘Back to Basics: Suitcase Tour’.

However, Earle is probably better known for his ‘Lecture Series’ in which he tours universities, colleges and high schools and presents to students about entrepreneurship and running a small business.

I’ve since tracked down this video that outlines beautifully what the Johnny Cupcakes Lecture Series is all about. It’s a great thing Earle does and he’s obviously passionate about it because it shows!

We hear from the students in the audience as well as the teachers and organizers – there’s no doubt Earle’s message resonates with the audience and over time his efforts will have a knock-on effect on sales.

However, it’s also about positioning his brand: one guy loved the fact Earle was so down-to-earth and made the effort to reach out and touch the students with his stories, unlike all the “soulless corporations out there”.

Uplifting

Hey, if Johnny Cupcakes makes sales along the way, that’s cool, but you’d better believe it – this lecture series is not just about blatantly making a dollar from these kids – it’s about connecting with the marketplace and adding value to the lives of the students who attend.

“Honestly one of the most uplifting things”, says one guy.

Do your customers say that about your brand?

P.S.  This comment was made on the YouTube page (says it all really):

“Best lecture I have ever been in. I didn’t really know how long it was until my friend (who was not a cupcake lover at the time) told me the time and then i zoned right back into the lecture. It was awesome and really made me want to get my thoughts on track and started. My friend since the lecture won’t shut up about the company.”

Pretty cool, eh?

Companies and organizations that ‘get’ this incorporate into their marketing mix – and importantly, actively leverage – face-to-face tactics such as:

• events and roadshows,
• roundtable debates and boardroom lunches,
• seminars and speaking engagements,
• stunts, brand experiences etc.

Sometimes the goal of this ‘live media’ activity is to create a credible platform from which the brand (and others) can create content and conversation via online and offline channels.

Maybe the goal is to interest a journalist or two in your event, or get close to some influential bloggers and/or power Tweeters? Maybe it’s designed to simply thank your customers, or build your brand’s credibility and thought-leadership positioning?

Whatever your goal, strategic face-to-face activity – when coupled with traditional media efforts and your social web communications – can be super-effective in bringing your brand to life, thus making it more ‘human’ and accessible to the public.

EXAMPLE: Johnny Cupcakes

Johnny Earle, the founder of US clothing company Johnny Cupcakes, is big on getting up close and personal with fans of his brand.

Probably his most visible way of doing this is his ‘Lecture Series’ in which Earle tours colleges and presents to students on entrepreneurship and running a small business.

However, only recently Earle kicked off his ‘Back to Basics: Suitcase Tour’ (see video introduction above).

This, from the Johnny Cupcakes website:

Starting this April, I’m bringing it back to my roots. I’ll be driving the CupcakeMobile all around the USA to sling t-shirts out of my suitcase and hang out with my customers. I think it will not only be a great way to have personal meet-ups with all of you, but also a nice way to celebrate the humble beginnings of my brand.

What a fantastic idea – a great way to take a brand to the people who matter: the loyal customers and long-time fans.

The audience listens to Johnny Earle speak at Suffolk University Law School (SOURCE)

EXAMPLE: Zappos

Zappos organizes public tours of its headquarters in Las Vegas. It started as something quite informal, but the demand from diehard Zappos customers keen to get a fix up close of their favorite brand has forced the company to properly structure the tours.

According to USA Today, Zappos tours are given four times a day, four days a week at Zappos’ office.

Tourists have ranged from college students to other business owners; highlights include themed cubicle pods, no dress code along with free food and massages, cowbells, noisemakers, Mardi Gras masks and mullet wigs.

And guess what? People often blog about the experience! How cool is that for the Zappos brand?

Pic source

EXAMPLE: Chris Brogan

Chris Brogan puts the ‘social’ in social media.

A major player in all things social web and new media, Brogan – consultant, speaker and best-selling author – understands better than most that meeting up with fans is a real plus for his business (that would be the business of being Chris Brogan).

Here is an example of a shout-out he posted on his hugely popular blog for the recent Blog World Expo in Las Vegas.

However, if you follow Brogan closely, you’ll see that this was far from being a ‘one-off’. He is well regarded for his accessibility as well as his work in helping to connect others.

Brogan may be a big star in the social media universe but this is one guy who doesn’t sit in his ivory tower. Then, it probably explains a lot about why he continues to build a mini-empire around his personal brand.

Chris Brogan (second from left) meets ‘n’ greets! PIC: Brian Solis (original source)