Education

Over on a different forum related to marketing and blogging that I am a member of, there was a question that was posed that asked, “Is it poor form to comment on your own blog?” This is very important so I’d thought I’d share it here as well. This is how I responded.

As marketers one of our main goals is to attract people to our sites to have them potentially sign up for more information about potential products or services we may have. I use the word potential because the best way to have someone click the big X on your tab is first appear as if you are trying to sell something. If you are pitching, touting, overtly recommending to buy or sign up, people will do one thing, Run away! This is not to say that you can not recommend things and ask them to buy, but that should only come after they have earned your TRUST.

So how do they earn your trust? Firstly, by not pitching. Secondly, by offering value in the form of insights, education, thoughts, perspectives, interests, and humor. To do this, it will involve interaction. Certainly the number one ice breaker in the whole world is the weather followed by concerns of how things are going. There are psychological underpinnings in this small talk and it is usually a way two people determine whether (pun intended) each other want to continue in a dialog. What’s the best way to do this? It is to engage people in dialog by responding to people in your blog just as Julia suggested. People love it when you engage them and consider their questions, ideas, or concerns important. They even love it more when you ask THEM what they think about something. This isn’t something that we have to be phony about. It’s just having genuine and concerned thoughts and ideas that will resonate with people.

So NO there is nothing wrong with commenting on your own blog posts. In fact I encourage it. I encourage it on all the social media you use. Engaging people and building relationships is something that will differentiate you from all the other spammers using social media as nothing more than an advertising bill board. In all your interactions with new people you meet should end with a question. This is the whole concept behind ATTRACTION marketing.

I’d like to hear your opinions…

Photo Credit McAzadi

Leadership is often misunderstood. First of all, it is not a title or an assigned position. A true leader can’t be awarded, appointed, or assigned. Leadership comes from influence and it can only be earned. Know that leading and managing are not the same. Leadership is about influencing people to follow, and management focuses on maintaining systems and processes. An education and high IQ will not assure your leadership as well. One who is out front in an endeavor is not a leader.

So what makes a leader? It’s someone who has heavy influence in their specialized area because of their character, their relationships, their knowledge, their intuition, their experience, their past success, and their ability is what makes a leader. It is these factors that influence others to follow. Leadership is earned, not given.

Do you have strong influence in these areas?
Are there ways you could improve them?
Do the people you work with, customers, family, see you as a leader?
Could becoming a leader increase your bottom line?