I ran across a thought-provoking article on Bloomberg Businessweek today, addressing how effective brands harness the power of emotion.

Steve McKee (@WhenGrowthStall) states,

“A feature can always be matched. A claim can always be mimicked. But an emotional sweet spot is something your brand can occupy all by itself.”

McKee’s words remind us to step outside of our overly-rational business “comfort zone.” When applied to the online world, those words may also remind us why we’re building a presence on the networks in the first place: Relationships.

Yes, we’re all in the business of staying in business–therefore your first reaction may have been “What about sales?!” But, dig deeper. You know that every sale you’ve ever made has required a connection first, relationship second, and a true business match third. That second step is a doozie – relationships take time and are often hard to nurture.

As Thought Leaders, we run the risk of assuming it’s all about what we know—never about what we feel—that drives our influence and following.

Take a close look at your online content and social media content this week. Is your online brand evoking any emotion and personality? Or is it safe and scientific? Sure, your blog and social networking efforts may win you respect, admiration and visibility. But, how effective have you been in truly connecting with your friends, fans, contacts and colleagues?

Examine your voice and tone. Revisit your customers’ pain-points. Think of how you can address their real needs head-on, emotions and all.

Then enter the networks and write your blog as you from every angle. Include the stats and credibility points. But, don’t be afraid to blurt out the silly stuff, show some emotion and get to the “sweet spot” that truly makes your brand unique.

Okay, it’s true. I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to professional use of Facebook. When I say love-hate I mean that in every sense. There are many weeks where Facebook is an absolutely incredible source of connectivity and traffic for my clients and my own business. Still there are some weeks when I want to scream as I weed through the noise and counsel others on how to do so effectively. This is the nature of a personal network that allows brands and professionals to play in the same space. It can be hard to make it work for both audiences.

My #1 Gripe

When it comes to professional use, Facebook lacks structure around finding and maintaining meaningful discussions with customers, colleagues, fans and communities—not to mention the difficulty in allowing THEM to build meaningful relationships with each other. Facebook Pages are set up for “one-off” posts from fans (I refuse to call them “likers”), but not worthwhile for long-standing conversations, discussions and threads.

Bottom Line: Facebook’s current forum forces professional discussions to be brief, lame and superficial.

Hot: Facebook Questions

This upcoming feature appears to be addressing this issue head on! For Thought Leaders using Facebook, pay attention! This could have a great impact on how you use Facebook to meet others and converse on the largest and most powerful social network!

Facebook’s new “Questions” feature (currently still in testing,) looks like a winner—or, at least, a solid attempt to fill the void.

As the question “asker,” Facebook Questions helps you tap into the collective knowledge of the more than 500 million people. For example, if you’re looking for help with a Quickbooks question, you can use Facebook Questions to get answers. Because questions will also appear to your friends and their friends, you’ll receive answers that are more personalized to you. Even better, as the question “answerer,” you’ll be able to share expertise and add value to others more instantly, efficiently and effectively.

My HUGE hope is that this feature will reduce the time needed to sift and poke through endless Facebook pages and groups.

Look Familiar?

If you’re an avid LinkedIn user you know that LinkedIn Answers and the latest release of LinkedIn Discussions are game changers. You can join or kick off your own discussion and hold some seriously in-depth pow-wows with other professionals. Granted, the time investment is significant. However, the return on that engagement (ROE) is far greater than that found on single-layer Facebook fan pages. If participating in these forums, take a look at the resulting quality of traffic to your blog or website. During your most active weeks, you’ll no doubt find your LinkedIn visitors stick around longer, visit more pages and are simply more qualified to be on your site. Let’s hope Facebook Questions is a step in the same direction.

Not-So-Hot: Facebook Places

You’ve no doubt heard about or tried out last week’s release of Facebook Places. While potentially fun for personal use, the benefit to professionals looking to build relationships with clients, customers or colleagues is questionable. Like Foursquare, Facebook Places has its place (sorry…bad pun), but for Thought Leaders, I’d suggest using it sparingly or risk becoming another noisy Facebook user. Perhaps you’d like to share your travels with your network…or share that you’ve checked in for your next speaking gig or conference. All of these can lead to somewhat interesting engagements. Checking in at Staples or Chili’s, however, may not provide much meaningful dialogue.

Generating sales leads from your blog while remaining authentic is not only possible, it’s mandatory!

But, during the editorial planning and brainstorming process, it’s easy to overlook the most effective sales-generating blog post ideas. Am I saying you should rehire Your Inner Sales Guy? Heck no! I’m encouraging you to add genuine, straight-up value that saves your prospects time, energy and agony.

Get back to basics.

1) Identify the #1 non-price-related question your prospects ask you? Really think this through. It may the question you dread the most. But if it’s #1 on their list, make it #1 on yours.

2) Write the question down in their words.

3) Write out your answer in your words.

4) Eliminate the words “we,” “our” and “us” from your answer.

5) Break your answer into 3-6 digestible paragraphs. Add subheads to each paragraph to keep your text easy to scan (hate to tell you…no one reads your posts from top to bottom).

6) Feature blog images that complement your post—not images you’d see in your marketing material.

7) Supply “More Information” or “Services” links nearby. Do NOT include these as part of your actual post. Simply make it easy for those who are ready to take the next step!

Seem too simple?

Well, that’s the point! Returning to the basics can drum up a slew of sales-generating content ideas—especially if your customers’ needs change over time (show me a business where that’s not the case!) Reduce their pain and you’ll gain their attention and trust quickly. It may be the most profitable blog post you write this year.

Today I was talking to a client by phone and was telling her a story about how I have a speaking event and webinar guest appearance coming up—both thanks to a colleague I’ve known for a year or so.

She asked, “How did you two meet?”

Then it hit me…

We never have!

It was yet another case of social networking at its best. I must have three dozen of these stories. Over time, I intend to share them on this blog.

I connected with this gentleman on Twitter—where we’ve developed a mutual respect through shared content, comments on each others’ blogs, resource-swapping and even just friendly, “Hello, good to see you!” remarks.

Was building this relationship difficult? Time consuming? A chore? Hardly! As with so many amazing connections found on the networks, it was simple because it was authentic, engaging and effortless. Both of us are on Twitter to meet others, learn from others and connect with others. We’re not shoving our credentials or products down each others’ throats. We’re there to listen…and share. Sound cheesy? Then find your inner Asiago. Traditional sales techniques and social networking simply don’t mix.

Now, I’ll finally get to meet this connection in person come November, when we both speak on a panel.

So what was the Return on the Investment, here?

I’d rather refer to it as ROE…Return on Engagement. Without Twitter, I likely would have never made this connection—and certainly could not have built the relationship at the same speed, considering we live in different cities. Tomorrow, we have a phone conversation planned to talk about specific ways we can help each others’ businesses grow.

Tell me. How much value do you attach to that?

Don’t overthink the value of your social networking. Don’t obsess over the number of followers or clicks. Focus on genuinely making the lives of people in your network better. If it comes easily, it’s because you’re good at what you do and you’re engaged with the right people.

Just when you think that one-on-one “banter” is meaningless and not worth your lunch hour, you may just find that someone you’ve never met in person is ready to help your business grow.

What’s Your Story?!

What Simple Social Networking ROE stories do you have? Chances are the relationship was built so naturally that you completely forgot social media had anything to do with it!

YOU!

Hmmm… I could actually just end this post right there.

It really IS that simple. As a Thought Leader, your impact doesn’t end with the content. You also need to dominate your blog’s design. That means incorporating an image of YOU in your blog’s masthead, header or another prominent, site-wide area.

Feeling shy or humble? Get over it. Social networking now demands that we be transparent or lose our visitors’ trust.

Don’t Hide Behind a Logo

If you prefer to give your blog a big cold corporate feel… 1) Slap your logo on your header. 2) Add some “generic” images of your target market. 3) Don’t actually show your own personality. 4) Revert to safe, old-school marketing ways. 5) Congratulations. Your blog will join the thousands of corporate blogs that aren’t trusted.

Okay…you get my point.

In today’s online content universe, personality=believability. Assuming your blog has valuable content and a clear voice, visitors will want to see who’s talking to them. Plus, don’t forget that many new visitors first land on an individual blog post or article—not the Home or About page. Greet them immediately with the same image you’d project at a trade show, speaking event or personal meeting! Unless you’re an insanely well-known online celebrity (such as Chris Brogan or Seth Godin), you can’t afford not to do this.

Be Bigger Than a Postage Stamp

Plopping a small, square cutout of yourself in the corner doesn’t quite imply that you’re serious about being THE go-to expert in your field. Work with your designer to integrate your headshot into the overall design. A wimpy “crop and plop” job just won’t do and often looks unprofessional—especially if your header includes background art.

Show Your Authentic Self

Just as your content’s voice and tone should reflect your everyday self, so should your headshot. Think about how you dress for a business lunch or conference where you’ll see your “fans,” readers or clients. There you go! That’s what your header image should look like. If you typically dress in “business casual” clothes, don’t assume you have to get “suited up.” On the other hand, if you typically show up in a suit and tie, don’t go overly casual. Simply grab your favorite jacket, shirt, dress or blouse. You’ll feel like yourself. Your headshot will reflect that.

Stay Current

All too often, we let ourselves “go” in our headshots. Just as we gain wisdom over time, we also change our appearance, dress and style. If your headshot was taken back when you had feathered hair or wore that “once trendy” blouse, consider an update. Even a picture that’s 3 years old can look dated. An easy way to know when it’s time: When others begin commenting on how, “you look different in person than you do online.”

Learn From Examples

Certainly, design is only part what makes a Thought Leader’s blog successful. Content will always be King. But, do your content justice with a design that features you as hero! I hope these examples have inspired you.

Share your own ideas and examples in the comments area below!

“Some arrogant !#*&@$ sabotaged my LinkedIn Discussion.”

“This rude guy commenting on my blog post just won’t let it go!”

“Why am I so irritated with this Twitter twit? I don’t even know her!”

The topic of cyberjerks has come up a half-dozen times with clients in the past few months. I get calls, emails and messages asking about what to do when they emerge and how to react.

It Happens…

The deeper your social networks get, the more prone you are to encountering cyberjerks, cyberstalkers and cybermorons. These conflicts are not limited to the teens and social butterflies. They happen in professional circles, as well.

Boy, have I been there! In fact, I get pretty darn steamed when people don’t play nice on the networks. I’m all for professional debate or a meaty discussion. In fact, it keeps me sharp! But, there are times when you run across someone who just hasn’t learned any cybermanners.

The good news: these people seem to be in the minority.

The bad news: the greater your visibility and influence becomes online, the bigger the target becomes on your virtual forehead.

Every case is different, but here are some guidelines to remember…

1. Step Awaaaaay From the Keyboard

This is harder than it sounds. Most of us have learned that with a snarky email, we write a response, sleep on it and re-read before deciding to hit send.

But, with the social networks, we’re often attacked in front of others. Our egos are bruised. Our “friends” are watching. We’re not about to get beaten up on the playground without a fight!

Before you lose your cool…take a deep breath, stand up and walk away for a few minutes. Get some coffee (not a stiff drink!). Grab a snack. Run an errand. Remember, any knee-jerk reaction you have becomes public the minute you hit Submit. Cool off. Your online reputation will thank you for it!

2. Remember the Other 99%

When someone’s really irritating you, it’s easy to become laser focused on that single conflict and forget about your productive connections and relationships. Put the cyberjerk’s behavior in perspective.

3. Seize the Opportunity

As you feel bullied, attacked or irritated, others are watching. They’re also likely recognizing the silly behavior and secretly rooting for you to respond. Setting an example of bowing out of a cyberwar gracefully, maturely and rationally will gain you even more respect from your peers, clients and friends.

What a great opportunity to show your ability to handle conflict! Don’t be surprised if your supporters chime in with a “you show `em” or “nice job.”

4. Give Them a Chance to Redeem Themselves

Perhaps they’ve had a bad day. After taking the “high road” approach, you may be surprised that they return with a softened approach…or even say, “I’m sorry.”

For example, this weekend I had a gentleman flat-out insult my intentions and experience. I stood by my statement, clarified my point and backed it up. When he returned with saying “I’m not buying it,” I realized he didn’t know me very well. I explained that I don’t play games and that I had no interest in him “buying” anything. I then made it clear that he didn’t have to agree with me and that I wasn’t going to agree with him. He was diffused a bit and came back with “All good. Great conversation.”  The conversation ended on a neutral note (partly because I followed Step #1 above).

5. Kill `Em With Kindness

When you just can’t muster up a sincere “high road” approach but still want to respond—bring out the sugar, saccharine and honey cocktail and serve it straight up. Somehow this approach makes the other side back off or simply cool their heels. I think every woman learns this technique from their mothers at some point. Men, if you haven’t learned it…ask your wife, sister or friends for a quick lesson.

6. Decide Whether They’re Worth It

Imagine if this conflict happened in real life. If you were at a trade show, networking event or conference and ran into this person, what would you do? Chances are you’d spar a bit, then walk away after realizing that the person was grandstanding, speaking out of insecurity or just had a chip on their shoulder. Of course, if this is someone who holds great authority or could make or break your reputation—perhaps you’ll stick it out a bit longer. Either way, ask yourself, “Is this person worth my precious time.” Nine times out of 10 the answer is “no.” Our egos and pride seem to get in the way.

A common question…

Many ask whether they should even write back at the first sign of trouble. Unless you’re being flat-out attacked or hit with a completely off-the-wall remark, I advise that you respond in some way. Ignoring conflict or a difference in opinion doesn’t fare well on the networks. Try the steps above…then make a choice.

That’s right. You have a choice.

You can defriend, unfollow, block, ban, delete or exit. Most social network developers want you to stick around. Therefore, they give you almost complete control over your own experience.

Your Turn

Have you run into a cyberjerk recently? What did you do?

Last week, I was privileged to attend the 2010 National Speakers Association (NSA) Convention.

Although I was honored to share my knowledge at a “Meet the Pros” table, my favorite part of the convention was soaking in everyone else’s wisdom and experience. With over 1,200 Thought Leaders in one room, the air had an electricity and excitement like I’ve never experienced at any other convention.

For those unfamiliar with NSA, it’s comprised of experts first, speakers second. What truly sets the best speakers apart is their authenticity, hands down. During the convention, I took pages of notes full of insights and advice to help me in my business and in my life. I could blog for days about what I learned—but if you want that, you’ll need to attend the event next year!

I did note many fine one-liners—easy to share and worth repeating. Yes, I Tweeted many of these on the spot, but also wanted to pull a few together in retrospect for readers and friends!

“Laughter is the best way to get out of your comfort zone.”
- Pete Johnson

” The best way to become successful is to make others successful.”
- Robert Benninga

“If you want to be successful in any profession, you must decide to be famous.”
- Joachim de Posada, CSP

“I guarantee you that your audience will not remember all the bullets on your PowerPoint slides but they will never forget your stories. Because stories have the power to take people to a place that pure content never can.”
- Jean Gatz, CSP

“I’m a crier. Okay…I’m…emotionally incontinent” (named “quote of the convention” by Ty Boyd)
- Ruby Newell-Legner, CSP

“We hired you for the fun…but paid you for the content.” (speaking as an event planner)
- Mike McKinley, CSP, CPAE

“To what question are YOU the answer.” (talking about branding and differentiation)”
- David Avrin

The best day of your life is the day you decide your life is your own.”
- Joachim de Posada, CSP

“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.”
- African Proverb

“Adversity introduces us to ourselves.”
- W. Mitchell, CSP, CPAE

After writing 5 Steps to Organizing the Blogs You Follow, I received many questions on how to go about finding relevant, high-quality blogs. Thank you for your questions and feedback!

Influential Thought Leaders tend to embrace others’ ideas and soak up information like sponges. They can’t get enough of peoples’ knowledge and live to build on it and share it with others. Does the same hold true for you? Think about it. Some of the best ideas, breakthroughs and “aha’s” you’ve had can likely be attributed to an article, book or publication you’ve read.

Adding online news feeds and blogs to your mix of content can round out your information sources and improve your influence online. To top it off, leaving comments on other blogs is also one of the quickest ways to build traffic to your own.

But with over 141 million blogs out there, where do you start?

1. Identify some people who have influenced YOU. Perhaps they’re famous, perhaps not. Maybe they authored a book you recently read or spoke at an event. Make a list. Then, search on Google for “Their Name + blog” or go to Google’s Blogsearch and search for them there. Go with your gut. Don’t feel that you must only follow “known” leaders. If someone’s content strikes you as valuable, add them to your list.
2. List your top interests. These may not even be directly related to your business. For example, I’m a productivity fanatic, so I follow several blogs specializing in productivity and efficiency. I run across plenty of helpful content that I use for my own business and pass along to my clients.
3. Search blog “top” listings. Sites like PostRank, Alltop and Technorati list the top blogs and content sites by topic. Try out some relevant keywords and start exploring.
4. Pay attention to Twitter – The more targeted your “Following” list becomes on Twitter, the more interesting the people and content become! As you follow links to blog posts, pay attention to those you like.
5. Subscribe and organize! - Once you’ve landed on a “keeper” blog or news site, make it easy to follow new content by subscribing to the site’s feed. For more information, check out 5 Steps to Organizing the Blogs You Follow.

After you begin following a “base” list of blogs, simply add or subtract blogs from your News Reader based on how often you find yourself “enthralled” in each blog’s content. After some practice, you’ll learn to take charge of your reading and create a customized content news list perfect for you and your business.

Your Turn

As Thought Leaders with busy schedules, it’s easy to get caught up in producing our own content and forget to feed ours brain with other people’s ideas and thinking!

How do you stay on top of your industry and share your findings with others?

One of the best ways to stay on top of what’s shaking in your industry and “sharpen the saw” each week is to read content-rich blogs! Just as reading books helps make us better writers, reading blogs helps make us better thinkers and bigger networkers!

Yet, I still hear over and over again, “Yea…I’ve been meaning to read more.” Or, “I just don’t have time.”

Well, to continue being a Thought Leader in your space, you need to make time. Period. Don’t panic. There are ways to make that time efficient and ensure you’re tracking the news that matters most to you.

1. Don’t Be a Hero.

There are tools that make tracking your selected blogs and news sites easy. Don’t even think about bookmarking every blog or keeping a manual list just to avoid learning a new tool. Within three days of DIY tracking you’ll be completely overwhelmed. Use tools designed to keep track of new articles, what you’ve read, and what you like!

Most credible blogs and news sites use RSS feeds to distribute content. RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” Ironically, most people are intimidated by RSS. Don’t be. RSS saves you from the task of having to hop out to each site to see what’s new. Subscribing to a blog’s RSS feed brings the news to YOU! If you want to learn more about RSS, check out the best video ever made on how RSS works.

2. Use an RSS Feed Reader (a.k.a. “news reader”)

There are dozens of readers out there. The one I use and train clients on is Google Reader. As with everything Google-y, it’s easy to use, easy to learn and accessible from anywhere. If you already have a Google account, your reader is ready to go. Just start adding some feeds to follow!

3. Add Feeds to Your Reader

First, look for the RSS symbol on any blog or news feed. From there, choose “Google Reader” as your preferred reader and you’re good to go! Shameless plug time: why not add THIS blog as the first feed you’ll follow!? Go ahead. Click on that RSS Symbol. We promise to continue delivering awesome content!

4. Subscribe by Email (if you dare)

Email is often another option, if you’re not quite ready for a reader. Be careful about subscribing to too many blogs by email, though. Receiving regular emails from every single blog you follow will become unmanageable. Only use this option for your absolute-MUST-read-every-day-blogs.

Remember, email is for a specific task. Your reader is for another. Mix the two and you’re bound to be unproductive in both areas!

5. Exercise Discipline (Dammit!)

Listen closely. Once you get a hand full of favorite news sites and blogs into your reader, you will get sucked into the vortex of amazing content. As a Thought Leader, you’re especially vulnerable. You’ll soak up information. Be enlightened and delighted. Then, you’ll look up and realize that the sun has risen and set. Twice.

Set aside dedicated time each week to reading. Don’t open every single article—click only on the headlines that intrigue you. Aaaahhh… finally, you’ll some sanity and FOCUS in your web browsing and reading.

Next week, we’ll cover how to actually FIND the blogs you want to follow. It seems like it should be easier, right? There are 141 million blogs out there you could follow. Many are “hobbybloggers” versus serious bloggers. We’ll help you get focused and narrow them down!

Your Turn

So, now that you’ve got your reader set up, what will YOU be subscribing to?

Will you be attending The National Speakers Association 2010 Convention next week? If so, don’t forget to sign up for Meet the Pros! Each breakout session is limited to a hand full of attendees, so reserve your spot ASAP!

I’ll be hosting a Meet the Pros Session focused on how blogging can benefit you as a speaker, author and thought leader. Send me your questions ahead of time OR just hit me with `em on the spot! I look forward to seeing you there!

Register Now