Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

My efforts to keep you informed last month were not nearly as good as I thought, or intended, them to be it seems.  Please accept my apologies for that.  Recently, I announced that I was transferring a large portion of this blog to a new site called Marketplace Christianity.

This process ended up involving much more than I had anticipated, but I was exposed to many new tools and blogging concepts that I might not otherwise have had a chance to experience.  During all of this, it seems some of you sent the dogs out to find me.  Thank you.  It’s nice to know I was missed.

What Happened to The Christian Entrepreneur?

Let me just take a moment and explain what’s been happening for those who are not aware.  In November of last year, this blog was renamed to The Christian Entrepreneur.  While I still blogged about topics like social media, blogging, and small business the focus of the blog was primarily helping entrepreneurs apply Biblical financial principles to operate and grow their businesses.

God kept expanding the vision of what he wanted me to do with this site.  He wanted me to stop restricting the blog to just entrepreneurs.  The vision was to explore how His principles from the Bible work for leaders, managers, employees, and in the marketplace where we spend most of our time and money too.  So the new site was launched to focus solely on this topic.

What to Do with What’s Left?

The past three weeks I’ve spent launching Marketplace Christianity and the social media accounts for it.  This involved carving out a huge chunk of posts from this site, re-editing them, and transferring them.  Now that this process is completed, what do I do with what’s left?  Where do we go from here?

There was a surprisingly large number of posts left after this process.  Thinking back on how two separate communities had developed around this site, I shouldn’t have been surprised.  The remaining posts fall under either blogging or business with a few in social media or general announcements.  Is this what I want to write about going forward?  Yes, but there’s also many more topics.

Those Who Don’t Learn From History …

So am I about to go down the same road again with divergent topics?  Perhaps.  It’s likely as we travel down this road that I’ll announce the launching of another website and go through this process again.  I’ve already have a few ideas in mind.  Until then, I will be writing about topics that interest me and hopefully you too.

I will be sharing more of myself and you will see that reflected in my writing and this site’s design.  There will still be religion, but hold onto your hats because it will likely be controversial.  I’ll still share with you interesting blogging and social media tips I discover.  There will still be posts about small business.  Finally, there will be whatever happens to be in my head from politics, news, sports, movies, and music.

It should be fun.  I hope you’ll share the journey with me.

No related posts.

Yesterday I shared with you the best commercial ever, but today we look at the worst commercial ever.  Whatever possessed Quiznos to adapt Joel Veitch’s We Love the Moon sketch featuring Spongmonkeys?  Rat-like creatures with bulging eyes singing about your subs isn’t exactly mouth watering.

Some people have claimed that this commercial is just short of advertising genius, but I just find it disturbing.  While preparing this post, I was surprised to find out that my seven year old son loves this commercial.  Maybe there’s something here I’m missing?  He didn’t ask to go to Quiznos though.

We Love the Subs, a Quiznos Commercial

5-4-3 Commercial

While not quite as disturbing as the commercial above, one still has to wonder what Quiznos was thinking when they pulled another page from the Joel Veitch playbook and recently aired these kittens singing discordantly about their subs.

What Made This a Bad Ad Campaign

These commercials have some of the same qualities that made the EDS commercials so great.  They were definitely unique, memorable, and  I’m sure some people found them humorous too; however, all of this is eclipsed by their strangeness.

Tomorrow, I’ll compare both the best and worst commercials ever in greater detail and explain why I think they were so effective (or not so effective).

What is Your Worst Commercial Ever?

What commercial is at the bottom of your list?  Why did you hate it?  Despite hating the commercial, did you think it was effective?

Related posts:

1. What Entrepreneurs can Learn from Martha Coakley’s Campaign
2. Is Your Small Business Kissable?

It’s been over a decade since EDS’s Cat Herder commercial first aired during the Super Bowl, but I haven’t been able to forget it. Maybe it’s the Aggie in me that likes seeing the traditional longhorns of a cattle drive replaced with all of those cats, who knows?  It still cracks me up every time I see it though.

The advertising folks over at Fallon have made some great commercials, but this is hands down my favorite one.  It may not be the undisputed champion; however, I bet it earns a place in most people’s top 10 list.

Cat Herders, an EDS Commercial

Here’s the transcript from the commercial.

This man right here is my great grandfather. He’s the first cat herder in our family.

Herding cats. Don’t let anybody tell you it’s easy.

Anybody can herd cattle. Holding together ten thousand half wild short hairs — that’s another thing altogether.

Being a cat herder is probably about the toughest thing I’ve ever done.

I got this one this morning — right here. And if you look at his face, it’s just ripped to shreds, you know.

You see the movies, you hear the stories — it’s … I’m living a dream. Not everyone can do what we do.

I wouldn’t do nothin’ else.

It ain’t an easy job but when you bring a herd into town and you ain’t lost one of them, ain’t a feeling like it in the world.

(Text) In a sense this is what we do. We bring together information, ideas and technologies, and make them go where you want.

(Voiceover) EDS — managaing the complexities of the digital economy.”

Encore! The Airplane Commercial

As an encore to the Cat Herders commercial, EDS produced this Airplane commercial which also aired during 2000.

Curtain Call – Running with the Squirrels

This advertising campaign ended with another commercial called Running with the Squirrels that was aired during the following Super Bowl in 2001.

What Made This A Great Ad Campaign?

These three commercials make up one of the best TV advertising campaigns I’ve ever seen aired.  They were unique, funny, memorable, and illustrated their messages well.  Later this week, I’ll write in more detail why these commercials were so effective.

Tomorrow, I will share with you The Worst Commercial Ever.  Cats are involved with the follow up to this campaign too.  Any guesses?

What’s Your Best Commercial Ever?

What is your favorite commercial of all time?  Why did you like it?  Why do you think it was an effective commercial?

No related posts.

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

The first lesson anyone who wants to have a successful blog must learn is that their blog is not just about them.  It sounds like a simple enough lesson to learn, right?  Yes, but you’d be surprised at just how hard it is to master.

Learning how to build a community around your blog is a lot like learning your shapes as a baby – it’s trial and error.  Sometimes you’ll get lucky and the blocks fall through the right holes, but we all seem to find a few square blocks that we’re determined to jam through that round hole.

Your Blog is More than a Journal

At some point in your blogging career, you’ll come to the conclusion that even if nobody reads your blog you’d still feel the need to write it.

Allowing your thoughts to flow out of you onto the page is a cathartic process.  Bloggers often experience a calming, cleansing feeling after writing a post.  It’s like someone has just released the steam from a pressure cooker.

It’s long been a favorite technique of therapists to have their patients write down their feelings in a journal for a similar effect.  If this catharsis is the primary reason you’re writing a blog, change your settings to private and convert it to a journal.

You’re So Vain

I highly recommend that every blogger maintain a personal journal anyway.  There are some thoughts, feelings, and experiences that you need to express in writing that don’t necessarily need to be shared with your readers.

While we’re on the topic of sharing, most of your readers don’t care much about everything happening in your life (even if you’re famous).  It’s easy to become vain as a blogger.  There’s a fine line between sharing yourself with your readers versus becoming obsessed with yourself forcing your readers to turn into Carly Simon and break out in a chorus of You’re So Vain.

Using a journal will help you walk the line.  You may consider using your social media accounts to share a little more of yourself with your readers.  It’s a great way to augment your blog and connect with the core of your blog community.  Just remember you can be too social there too.

Stop Confusing Your Readers

This has probably been the square block that I have most often tried to force into the round hole.  This past week, I migrated all of the faith in the workplace content to my new blog marketplace christianity. This process was an eye opener.

As I watched my archives build on the new site, I noticed there were periods of time that I didn’t write about faith in the workplace – some periods were up to two weeks in between posts.  It wasn’t hard to imagine the frustration the people who were interested in this topic must have felt as I wrote about blogging or social media.

Two different communities had grown up around my blog with very different interests.  I made the mistake of thinking that just because I was interested in these topics my readers would be as well.  It must have been confusing trying to figure out what my blog was really about.

You Have to Really Listen Carefully

As a blogger, you have to be able to listen to what your blog community is telling you – and what they’re not.  After just a few months, there were signs that my blog was attracting two different set of readers.  It was reflected in the comments (or lack thereof) and who was commenting.

I think I knew at that point I would need to split the blog into two sites, but I decided to rename the blog and sharpen my focus on one community.  Great plan, but I executed it poorly.  I thought most of the other blog community would simply fall away, but many stayed and I started writing for them again.

Since then, I have been trying to juggle both communities on the same blog.  Had I really listened I would have heard the need for two blogs and avoided some frustration for myself and my readers along the way.

The Golden Rule is Still Golden

Luckily for me, the round block for the round hole was easy for me to pick up.  Despite all of the mistakes above that a blogger can make (and I made them all), doing for others what you would have them do for you saved my blog.

If you go out of your way to help your blog community succeed in their endeavors you’ll find they’re very forgiving of your flaws and will help you succeed too.

You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want. – Zig Ziglar

It’s the only advice you really need to grow a community around your blog.  Every blogger will have their own square blocks that they try to force into that round hole, but practicing Zig’s philosophy will earn you a lot of patience from your readers until you get it right.

What Are Your Square Blocks?

So what square blocks have you tried to force into a round hole on your blog?  What approaches to building your blog community have been the most frustrating for you?  Which have worked the best?

Related posts:

1. What You Need to Know About Guest Posting
2. The Shameless Self-Promoter Keller Hawthorne (3/3)
3. Are You a Passionate Lover?

To accommodate the expanding vision of The Christian Entrepreneur, I have created a new website called Marketplace Christianity at mpchristianity.com.  This new site will expand the conversation to include topics related to entrepreneurs, employees, leadership, sales & marketing, and stewardship.

I believe the new name, along with a new site dedicated solely to bringing Biblical principles into the marketplace, will better reflect the vision God has shared with me.

Most of the posts under the current categories of Christian Entrepreneurs and Marketplace Christianity will be permanently redirected to the new site over the next two weeks.  Once this process is complete, I will change the name of this site and revamp the categories to better reflect its focus going forward.

I had hoped to do this all behind the scenes and just “flip the switch” to make all of the changes instantaneously.  Unfortunately, this is beyond my limited technical expertise so both sites will be a little messy during the transition.

Thank you for your patience.

Related posts:

1. A Blog By Any Other Name
2. The Christian Entrepreneur – Site of the Month
3. The Christian Entrepreneur Picked as Site of the Day

This week I’ve been spending a lot of time behind the scenes working on the new home of this website.  As a result, I didn’t get a chance to visit as many sites as I normally do; however, I think I still found some gems below that you’ll want to read.

If you like these links, please leave a comment on their website and/or share them on your social media sites.  Also, I’m always looking for feedback on how to make this series more helpful to you so please let me know any suggestions you have in the comments below.

If you’re new to this series, every week I share my favorite links from bloggers that I have Stumbled Upon during the week.  These links will feature resources for blogging and social media, as well as, great posts on incorporating our Christianity into our businesses and the marketplace.  There may even be some random stuff that makes you laugh.

Fill up that coffee mug, and let’s see what I Stumbled Upon this week.

Christian Entrepreneurs

Here’s the best posts I found this week to help you run your business.

How to Tell If Your Business Vision Is a God Vision

This post by Sue Miley is on a subject that I have struggled with throughout my life.  It’s so easy to take the vision that God has put in your heart and co opt it by changing it to fit your own desires.

Digital Footprints

Here’s the best posts I found this week to help with your blogging and social media use.

How to Write a Great Blog Post in Just 15 Minutes

Okay, I don’t know if you’ll be able to write a 15 minute post after reading this, but following the tips in it will dramatically reduce the time it takes you.

How to Add a Visual Slider to Thesis

Like the new Featured Posts slider on the home page?  It’s created with the Dynamic Content Gallery Plugin.  It’s a snap to install if you’re using the Thesis theme and following the instructions of this post.

Marketplace Christianity

Here’s the best posts I found this week mixing our Christian faith, the workplace, and personal finances.

Redeeming Social Life Online

This post by Justin Buzzard has made me really stop to think how social media has changed my life.  How has it changed your life?  Think about the relationships you have with your coworkers, your family, and your friends.

Tidbits & Random Stuff

Here’s the best posts I found for the week that were humorous, touching, thought-provoking, or just plain weird.

You Might Have TBD (Too Busy Disorder)

Our good friend, Brandon Cox, shares a hilarious video he found on TBD (Too Busy Disorder).  It’s takes a comical look at how our work lives can carry over into our personal lives.

Want to See More Links?

Well, that’s my list for this week.  I hope that you found these links helpful, interesting, and worth your time.  If you’d like to see more, check out everything that I’ve Stumbled Upon for the week.

Related posts:

1. Look What I Stumbled Upon This Week
2. Look What I Stumbled Upon This Week
3. Look What I Stumbled Upon This Week

The look on this guy’s face when he realizes the implications of the video that was just posted to YouTube is priceless.  It’s a great reminder that even something benign posted to a social media site can have consequences for us in the workplace.

It’s Like Living Your Life on a Movie Set

If you’re like me, it’s probably hard to separate you from your smart phone.  I can’t imagine going through a day now without my iPhone within arm’s reach.  They’re handy to have around for just about everything.

When my sister was married last year, I must have had 50 pictures posted on FaceBook by the time they left for their honeymoon.  Only a few relatives could make the trip down from Indiana, so it was great to share the moment with them.

It never occurred to me though that maybe someone at the wedding, especially the reception, may not have wanted their picture plastered over FaceBook.  Who knows if a picture I thought was harmless caused grief for someone in the pictures.

I doubt that when they were getting dressed to go to my sister’s wedding they were thinking about their starring role on my FaceBook account.

Blame it on Kevin Bacon

What if someone saw the champagne glass in that person’s hand who wasn’t supposed to be drinking?  Try explaining it was sparkling cider to your boss while you were on-call as a nurse or to the Sunday school class you teach.

It’s amazing how many people you’re connected to through the people you know and the people they know.  It’s the whole seven degrees of separation game except you’re Kevin Bacon.  Is their boss’s spouse or pastor in your social media network?

I was connected to over 1 million people on LinkedIn with only 50 people in my contact list.  It’s insane how technology instantly connects us to so many people.  It’s likely I was sharing the moment with many more people than I’ll ever know.

Getting Fired Over a Social Media Post

The number of people losing their jobs because of something appearing on a social media network is on the rise.  I saw a post the other day of someone being fired through a comment left by their boss in response to their status update.

I guess she forgot her boss was one of her friends.  My wife is a teacher, and she has to ignore hundreds of friend requests from her former students every year.  She’s seen how an innocent post from another teacher caused an uproar among parents, and she’s not taking any chances.

No matter how careful she is though, there’s always someone like me around to snap a picture or record an embarrassing video with their smart phone.

Smart Phone Dos and Don’ts

Maybe we all need a dose of good old-fashioned etiquette?  I know I could use some.  The next time you grab your smart phone to capture the moment make sure you’ve done the following.

• Let everyone in the picture/video know you’re filming. We all know that everyone acts differently when they’re on camera.  Smart phones make it too easy to candidly capture the moment.  It might not be obvious to everyone what you’re doing.
• Ask permission BEFORE you post that picture/video online. Your social media account actually requires you to have these permissions before you post.  Something your friend may know will cause grief for them might not be something you think about.

What did I miss?  Do you have a story or a tip about capturing the moment on your smart phone?  I’d love to hear it.

Related posts:

1. Don’t Make Me Unfriend You! Oops!
2. Largest Social Media Study to Date Released – What Does it Mean for Small Business?
3. Is Small Business Saying No Thanks to Social Media?

This week we look at leadership, branding, social media marketing strategies, how Christians are handling their finances, and whether some Christians need to tone down their online comments.  All of the sites are new this week , so I hope you find a resource you haven’t seen before.

If you’re new to this series, every week I share my favorite links from bloggers that I have Stumbled Upon during the week.

These links will feature resources for blogging and social media, as well as, great posts on incorporating our Christianity into our businesses and the marketplace.  There may even be some random stuff that makes you laugh.

Fill up that coffee mug, and let’s see what I Stumbled Upon this week.

Christian Entrepreneurs

Here’s the best posts I found this week to help you run your business.

5 Examples of Leading Outside the Norm

Ron Edmondson shares some great insights on how to be a more effective leader.  I liked his point about giving your team ownership in the vision.

Personal Brands: A Cup of Coffee to Differentiation

What differentiates you from your competition?  Dan Schwabel gives some interesting ways for you to find out the answer.  It’s a  30 minute exercise that can be a real eye opener if you haven’t done this with your business before.

Digital Footprints

Here’s the best posts I found this week to help with your blogging and social media use.

How to Avoid the Social Media Catch-22

Determining the return on investment (ROI) for social media campaigns is still rather difficult.  Changing the perception that results come with no investment or just by logging on and posting updates is even harder.  Tia Peterson walks you through a few tactics that should be in every social media marketing strategy.

How Social Media Drives New Business: Six Case Studies

From a street car vendor who only advertises on Twitter to huge corporations like Starbucks, these six businesses are experiencing success with their social media marketing strategies.   What can you learn from their example?

Marketplace Christianity

Here’s the best posts I found this week mixing our Christian faith, the workplace, and personal finances.

Survey: Living on Less, Christians Still Giving, Avoiding Debt

I really want to believe the results of this poll; however, they just seem too out of the norm.  In most surveys, Christians tends to fall in line with the rest of the nation on how they handle their finances – poorly.  If we’re following Biblical financial principles then this headline should describe us.

Tidbits & Random Stuff

Here’s the best posts I found for the week that were humorous, touching, thought-provoking, or just plain weird.

Too Much Grace

Jon Acuff respond to a harsh comment he received in response to an article he wrote for CNN called My Take: Why Christians are Jerks Online. Both are an interesting read, and made me stop and think a bit about how we, as Christians, need to pay closer attention to the digital footprints we’re leaving on the web.

Want to See More Links?

Well, that’s my list for this week.  I hope that you found these links helpful, interesting, and worth your time.  If you’d like to see more, check out everything that I’ve Stumbled Upon for the week.

No related posts.