A pic I recently shared on my Tumblr blog...

1. I don’t have time to set up a blog.
2. I don’t know what I’d write about.
3. I don’t have the money to pay a designer and set up a blog.

I have been conducting a personal experiment for the last month.

In my free time, I have been studying and reading about minimalism and the art of simplifying as a way to remove the clutter from my complicated life. And yet, still trying to live an intrepid life. I needed a creative outlet to share what I am learning, and what I am reading.

Secondly, I have been wanting to experiment with and learn Tumblr. So, I created a blog using Tumblr and the focus is on minimalism, simplicity, and boldness. You can FIND IT HERE.

So, here are my simple observations:

1. Tumblr is way cool. I love it. It is easy. And it is fun.

2. It is free.

3. Tumblr makes it very very simple to attach a personalized domain to your tumblr account. All you have to do is own the domain, and the process to assign it to your tumblr blog is idiot proof for non-techies like me…

4. Even the big dogs use Tumblr for their web sites…

5. Tumblr blogs seem to fare well in the SEO-friendly space. I launched this thing on May 16th, and it just recently passed the million mark on Alexa. Not bad for a small, dinky, experimental blog in just under a month…

6. Tumblr makes it SO easy to share other’s work. In fact, many people use Tumblr strictly as a means to showcase and spotlight the work of other writers.

7. And this speaks to my point about the advantages of using a Tumblr blog to address your fear of not having enough to write about. You can easily share the work of others, and “reblog” material that matters to you, to your audience, and is designed to fit into the construct of your blog. This took some getting used to when I first launched mine, but now it is a big piece of the message delivery of mine…

8. When you are prepared to publish new content, Tumblr’s dashboard is set up for you to easily publish your own text, share photos, nicely present quotes, share links of other blog posts, uploads chat conversations, and audio and video of course. Once you select what type of content you intend to publish, Tumblr again makes it idiot-proof.

9. When you are setting up your Tumblr blog, you have hundreds of templates to choose from, with a wide variety of styles. And once you install a theme, it is pretty easy to customize. And, lastly, you do have the option to have a professional designer make serious customizations.

10. I have really enjoyed the community inside of Tumblr. I have met a lot of new people, and that has been a pleasant surprise.

11. I was also surprised to see so many other A-listers present and spending time here. Kevin Rose, Leo Babauta, or Hugh MacLeod for example…

So those are my quick observations after playing around with Tumblr for 30 days. It is a very simple solution for the entrepreneur who doesn’t have the money, the perceived lack of time, or the knowledge base to launch a blog. If you even think a blog will help you market your business, but don’t want to fully commit to hiring a designer to set one up, this is a great tool for you to experiment with!

Disclosure: If you are going to become a serious business blogger, where you commit to blogging as a major piece of the marketing work that you do, I still recommend Wordpress, with the Thesis template (what you see here). But don’t let time, difficulty, or expense be something that holds you back. Tumblr is a great option for you if you can’t pay someone to set up your blog for you…

“I don’t know how you do it,” they always tell me.

They are referring to my finding the time to comment on their blog. I almost don’t want to tell them how simple it is. The only two things you need are a little time and a commitment to do it.

I am talking about using RSS and my Google Reader. My process is simple. I subscribe to blogs I care about through their RSS feed. When they publish new posts, my RSS reader alerts me. Then, I comment. Simple. And it’s the best marketing thing I do…

It all starts with the orange icon you see on the upper right corner of this post. Clicking this button on most web and social web sites unleashes a wave of functionality that can change how you do business. Really, it is all about aggregating information in one place. But it is not just that…it is then doing something with this collected information. And that’s where most people fall short.

Have NO idea what I mean by RSS? From the RSS Feed Wikipedia definition: Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place.

To me, RSS is the MOST important online tool we have. Cutting to the chase, here are 10 things I do personally with RSS that make me a better and more intrepid marketer:

1. Subscribe to the RSS feeds of blogs I care about (community friends, prospects, customers). In your reader, you will be notified when new material is published. You can now review the material, and if appropriate, offer up a helpful comment. Benefit to you –> Commenting on others’ blogs is the best means of driving traffic back to yours. RSS makes this process much much easier!

2. Use Twitter Search to find and monitor important keywords, and then create an RSS feed of the query results. For instance, I have a Twitter seach RSS feed for the keyword “gluten” which is important to my restaurant client FuegoMundo, who offers gluten-free food. Now, when anyone in Atlanta mentions the word gluten, I can converse with them if I choose. Benefit to you –> This helps you identify prospects talking about things you can DIRECTLY help them with!

[Go to Twitter Search, opt for Advanced search, type in your keyword(s) and other appropriate data, and then hit Search! Here is a sample query result. Note the orange RSS button upper right that says "Feed for this query" - click this to store the feed into your RSS reader. Simple!]

3. In addition to Twitter search, you can also create RSS feeds direct from the main twitter.com page, especially if you are not using a tool like TweetDeck. For instance, this is how I monitor mentions of my full name. How? On your main twitter.com page, type in your keyword in the white search box on the right sidebar, and after the results appear, scroll down the right sidebar and click on the “RSS feed for this query” link.

This is also a great way, again if you are not using something like TweetDeck, to monitor hashtags. It is very popular for people to categorize tweets around a specific topic, idea, or event – with a unique #hashtag. You can set up an RSS feed all ALL tweets mentioning this hashtag. Benefit to you –> Allows you to monitor a stream on a specific topic, and respond quickly if the situation calls for it.

4. You can now monitor the status stream from your LinkedIn network. Most agree that LinkedIn is their choice of platform to engage with business contacts. Well, now you can include an RSS feed of this stream into your reader, and keep an eye on what people you care about are saying, and who they are connecting with. For me, this will save the time of having to go direct to LinkedIn and monitor this, which I don’t do on a busy day, and I have a lot of busy days.

Clicking on the link in your RSS feed will take you direct to that person’s LinkedIn profile, enabling you to easily engage. [This new function may significantly increase my use of LinkedIn as a key tool] All you have to do is click on the RSS icon found at the top of your LinkedIn Home page. Benefit to you –> This feature is pretty new, so if you do it, you will have an immediate edge over most people!

5. You can also subscribe to an RSS feed on LinkedIn Answers to any one of dozens of discussion topics. Pick an issue you want to learn about, or know about and can help others with a meaningful answer. Benefit to you –> An easy way to find people asking questions about something that you are an expert in!

6. Monitor the news. Honestly? I don’t read newspapers or watch TV news. Ever. I no longer directly visit news websites anymore either. But I subscribe to a few news site RSS feeds and get news displayed on my RSS reader. Here, I can scan headlines and read an article if it interests me. Benefit to you –> A very simple way to aggregate all your news in one place, saving you valuable time!

7. There are a lot of different RSS readers out there. Choose the one that works best for you. Me? I use Google reader, for it is simple and easy to use. I can’t speak to any others, since, I have NEVER used any others. That said, one of the reasons I like Google’s reader is that you can help a publisher by hitting the “Share” button at the bottom of the feed display in your reader, and/or you can use “Share with note” and add commentary to someone’s post. Benefit to you –> This enables more opportunity for engagement with your community, which deepens relationships.

8. In addition, “Sharing” people’s work in your Google reader also displays it automatically on Google Buzz, if you use that application. Benefit to you –> Yet another EASY way to share the work of others in your networked community!

9. Many blogs offer you the option of subscribing to the RSS feed of the public COMMENTS to a specific blog post. I maintain that the dialog found in blog post comments is the best interaction found on the social web. Benefit to you –> Subscribing to the RSS feed is an easy way to keep and eye on that conversation and prompt you to engage and continue the dialog!

10. And I don’t have to say it, because you probably already know this, but inviting others to subscribe to your RSS feed is a great way to build a loyal following to YOUR material – and for many, the most critical call-to-action bloggers want to see happen with their blog’s audience. Benefit to you –> Grow your influence!

So here is my shameless plug: CLICK HERE to subscribe to my RSS feed! Please know that I am most grateful!

The only problem with my RSS reader? The time suck. You know how people say to NOT be a slave to the ping noise when a new email arrives –> when you drop everything, lose train of thought, and creative momentum flow – all to check one silly email? Well, I am proud to say email no longer does that to me. No, now I just scream with delight – and get all distracted – when new content pops up into my RSS reader. So, you have to exercise discipline here as well, in addition to your email inbox.

Undoubtedly, there are MANY other ways to utilize RSS to your advantage. Those listed above are how I personally use it. What additional ways are You using it? Let us know!

I still run across people who do not see value in investing time into social media. They say things like:

“I just don’t see any value in it.”

“It is not worth my time.”

“I started a blog yesterday. But I haven’t gotten any business yet. It clearly doesn’t work.”

“I need to focus on REAL marketing.”

“I don’t have time for fads.”

“My market doesn’t spend time in that space, so I don’t need to…”

In fact, the percentage of sales and small business folks NOT using social media is still pretty staggering. And I will continue to do my part to help educate these good folks on the possibilities. Before I continue that mission, here are a few things that have happened to me, ONLY because of my participation in blogging and the social web:

1. I’ve been approached about writing a book.

2. I’ve been asked to contribute bits to other’s books.

3. I’ve had my blog posts picked up by other blogs, exposing me and my writing to thousands of new readers.

4. I’ve met some amazing people, people I would not have met otherwise.

5. I’ve learned so much. Each day, I get exposed to new blogs, opening up a whole new world and opportunity for learning.

6. I have reconnected with old friends, people that I had thought were lost forever.

7. It enabled me to co-host a TweetUp that had 200 people in attendance, including people from five states and Canada! I’ve always been a connector – social media scaled it big time.

8. It has allowed me to connect with someone like Tom Peters.

9. I have been asked to guest blog. Often.

10. I have been able to strengthen my personal brand. Because in addition to my business writing, it has also given me an outlet to write about things I am passionate about, such at this and this.

11. And most importantly, from a business perspective, I have found and engaged new clients.

Key takeaway from this post: If I can do this, ANYONE can do this.

Seriously. Here is how it happened for me:

> I am not a particularly good writer, but I have been a pretty steady blogger since 2008. As a result, I do think my writing has improved.

> I make a real effort to share the work of others. And I plan to get better at this.

> I make an effort, by monitoring blogs I care about on my RSS reader, to comment on the published posts of others. I can do better at this too. And not a day passes where someone doesn’t express sincere gratitude for this, which, I don’t have to tell you, deepens the relationship…

> I am not worried about the raw numbers of followers. I used to worry about this, but I have forced myself to focus on the actual relationships. The impact of this change in thinking has been powerful.

> I am NO guru. Or expert. Or Jedi Master. I am still learning. Every day. And realize, every day, that I have MUCH more to learn.

> I have become a much better listener.

> I have been able to help A LOT more people.

> My sphere of influence is small compared to many others. But, the point is, I have a sphere of influence.

> This whole world of the social web is evolving. Constantly. The sooner you recognize this, the faster you will evolve with it. What works today, probably won’t work tomorrow.

> But that said, the importance of building relationships will NEVER change. Just the means of doing so. As soon as you understand this? I mean, really understand this? Social media will make sense to you.

I am just a guy, working from home, with a manageable book of clients, running a small little business. If someone like me can see real results from this investment, anyone can!

Agree? Disagree? Let me know…

[subscribe to my RSS feed]
[cartoon by @gapingvoid]

[UPDATE: This post was picked up by Social Media Today]

So I had yet another conversation with a gentleman about how the social web (blogging, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) just isn’t appropriate for B2B sales.

To which I replied with my standard professional, classy response to such a statement:

“Hooey.”

Let’s begin with one key assumption. I am not necessarily talking about companies like Dell that have sold seven figures worth of computers through Twitter.

I am talking about selling services, high-end consultative services, and high-price ticket orders such as manufacturing equipment and installation.

If I had a dollar for every sales guy who said “I will make no sales on Twitter,” I could retire and spend 24 hours a day blasting such characters…on Twitter.

Funny thing is, they are sort of right. And that’s WHERE they stop. And that’s WHY they stop. And that’s exactly why they WON’T ever sell anything on Twitter. Or anywhere on the social web for that matter…

Mail me one penny for every time you’ve heard this line: “The kind of people I sell to aren’t on social media.”

I hear this all the time. And while I want to get angry at these souls for feeling this way, I don’t. Because I know that they just don’t see it, just don’t believe it. Or, in many instances, aren’t willing to do the work necessary.

Many are looking for the easy way to make sales and generate revenue for the business. I hear people all the time who say they only get business from face-to-face networking or from word of mouth. But I ask, if you are legitimately getting business via these tactics, you’ve invested lots of love and care into building that referral network, yes?

It is no different on the social web. In fact, you do it to accomplish the same goals:

1. Establish trust.
2. Build relationships.
3. Demonstrate competence.
4. Educate.
5. Teach.
6. Learn.
7. Make friends.
8. Find alliance partners.
9. Find support partners.

So how do you start? How do you begin the process of building relationships?

1. Engage people on Twitter, start conversations. Here are some ways to start.
2. Use geolocation platforms such as Foursquare and Gowalla to start conversations.
3. Comment on relevant industry blog posts.
4. Listen and comment to relevant industry podcasts.
5. Monitor prospects and what they are doing/saying on Facebook. And engage.
6. Monitor prospects and see what groups they are participating in on LinkedIn. And engage.
7. Find meaningful conversations, and identify people you want to know, through strategic queries on Twitter Search.
8. Share other’s work. On whatever tool you want. By whatever means works for you.
9. Blog about your passion, your hobby (here’s mine). You will meet new people. These people could be prospects. Or know people who should be prospects.

These are just a few ideas. There are more. In fact, if you have other ideas, please share in the comments. And here’s the important piece of advice: don’t sell them.

Get to know them. Talk about music with them. Talk about sports. Where they had dinner. What books are they reading.

Talk about anything that matters to them – that isn’t BUSINESS related.

What’s going to happen?

They will learn to trust you. They will inquire about you. They will look you up online to find out more about you. You will meet up at an event somewhere and it will feel like you’ve known them for a long time. You will agree to have coffee. You will then learn ways to help them in some way perhaps. They will become, at the end of the day, your friend.

And don’t people like to do business with their friends? I’ve read that somewhere…

Before you go, remember these 7 keys to success:

1. Be consistent.
2. Be patient.
3. Be disciplined.
4. Remember that this process takes time.
5. Understand it won’t happen overnight. Or in a week. Or in a month. Probably longer.
6. Finally, recognize your competitors aren’t willing to put in that time. They spend their time making up excuses as to why this won’t work.
7. And when you win? Don’t gloat. Instead, teach others how it worked.

That’s when the book deal and speaking gigs come!

What do you think?

P.S. Important thing to remember (for those who read this far): Notice how this wasn’t a blog post about how to sell your high-end consulting services? This was a post about how to use the social web to make new friends and strengthen relationships. Once you do that, the selling is the easy part…

[photo from marfis75 on flickr]

I am going to be honest…

As confident as I am in what I am, and what I do, I have my moments of doubt. And I question things.

Will all this time blogging ever amount to anything? Will spending countless time helping and serving others – most who never return the favor – ultimately matter to me? Do people have the first clue how much I care about their success?

I am trying to look back to a few years ago, when I wasn’t active on Twitter – when I wasn’t blogging – when I built my business serving entrepreneurs ONLY attending face-to-face gatherings of real people. And I wonder…was I a better business person then?

Did it seem easier? I could more easily tell when people had no interest in me or what I had to offer. I could observe body language that told me they didn’t care, or had no budget, or didn’t believe what I was suggesting was possible.

But then the social web happened. A mass engagement of people all around the world connected and networked. And the world, my world, changed forever. Was it for the best? I have no doubt that it complicated things.

But was it for the best?

Some hide behind their avatars with no sincere intentions of following through on their promises, or willingly or unwillingly spam us, and still others use the social web for pure self-promotion. That can’t be helped. And that won’t change.

But as hard as it is at times, I fought hard to keep the faith. And I gambled that it would pay off. Many colleagues fell off the wagon and gave up. But I soldiered on (stupidly I sometimes wondered to myself…).

But I am starting to hear from people who appreciate the approach of selfless giving, I have received countless messages of support and encouragement for my half-marathon training, made some true friends with people I feel like I can rely on (and whom I have never met personally), and made some friendships that will have a lasting impact on my life. And yes, I have landed business.

So you have to have faith. Faith in your community. Faith that some people you’ve connected with do matter to you, do care about you, and will be there in times of need. And do matter to the growth of your beloved enterprise you care so much about.

The simple lessons here? Have faith that the time invested in caring for people will matter. Have faith that a sustained effort over time will matter. And have faith that the rewards for this sometime lonely effort will be worth the frustration that you will most certainly feel.

You will have ups and downs. You will get frustrated. It does get very hard. And it would be very easy to lose faith. We all fight it. We all sometimes long for the easier way. But it is not there. The grass isn’t greener… At the end of the day, you need to have faith that building relationships and helping people matters.

Despite the fact that thousands talk about it, and so few actually do it, a firm belief in that principle can itself, be remarkable in the eyes of others.

Do you have faith?

cartoon by @gapingvoid

OK, so on the road to Birmingham tomorrow. Another day of filming for a client project there.

But whilst engaging in some pre-trip planning with my traveling colleagues, we got to discussing some additional tactics that are in the works long-term for this client/project.

One of those is setting up and helping this client execute their very own radio show…

As you know, my business partner Stone Payton and I co-host the High Velocity Radio Show. It has been an amazingly successful show that has helped connect us to a lot of talented people, and given us a lot of wonderful content and stories to share with our audience.

Now hosting a radio show isn’t for everyone. But I’d be hard pressed to find a business, large or small, that couldn’t benefit from hosting something like this.

But in doing some preparatory work in laying out the future steps for this client, my partners-in-crime and I brainstormed on how best to leverage a radio show. Here are a few things we came up with:

1. Podcasts. SEO pop. Enough said. I don’t have to tell you about the strength of the content generated by producing relevant podcasts, blogging about it, and achieving some powerful SEO oomph from it. Nothing new here – you already knew this…

2. Gravitas. Our client had NO IDEA what a radio show would look like for him and his company. But was aroused by the idea. Why? Because in his space? It was uncommon. And that made the idea rock.

3. Plus it makes you look cool. I mean look at Stone and I for goodness sakes…

4. Cross-Pollination. It is amazing how RIDICULOUSLY EASY it is to take content generated on the radio show and use it as an endless stream of specific content for your blog…

5. Content generator. Duh. Get some people on the radio talking about things that matter in the organization? And poof, you get some great sharable content!

6. Spotlight Veteran Rock Stars. Got some All-Star Veteran talent in the organization? Feature them. Let them teach. Demonstrate. Motivate the others who need to see leadership…

7. Make New Rock Stars. Got young up and coming talent? Feature them on your radio show. Make them push the envelope. Make them push their limits. Make them realize what they really can do.

8. Training | Education. If you need to teach a sector of your world something, whether they be internal members of your organization and/or your prospects and customers, setting up a radio show is BRILLIANT. They can learn from their peers, the members they respects and admire. I am thinking call-in radio show here…

9. Inspire buy-in on new ideas. Do you have a constituency within your organization that needs to buy-in to a new program? Well, they don’t want to read white papers. They don’t want to be force-fed lectures. Or be told to read boring brochures. But if you can get them engaged in a radio show dialog with their peers, engage them in a medium where they can revel – and shine – in that interaction? Well, you tell me…

10. Passion. Tell me a better way for your customers to see your passion about what you do, what you sell, and what you care about most…

11. Come on. I am waiting…

12. Simple. Now the cool thing about radio shows and podcasts? The tools are easy to set up and execute. A workable strategy to make it work for you and your organization? Well, that requires a little thinking, execution and some work. But, in this day and age, don’t let technology be your excuse.

What did we miss? Any other ideas that make sense?

Usually, something that is solid, that doesn’t move, that is unchanging, immobile, etc…is something we rely on, something that can be counted on, something that seems like a steady foundation. Almost comforting, if you will.

But not in the modern world of marketing. When it comes to your web presence, you don’t want to be described as unchanging or immobile. Your web presence needs to be…ENGAGING.

That’s what intrepid marketers do. [More text below video]

[In the video below, I discuss the value of an engaging web presence:]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek9hJljaWQ0]

Here are a few tactical ideas you can use to provide an engaging web presence:

1. Incorporate a blog into your site.
2. Allow comments on your blog.
3. Respond and engage people when they comment.
4. Provide forums to facilitate conversation.
5. Invite guest contributors.
6. Connect people to your social web tools, like Twitter.
7. Utilize surveys tools.
8. Solicit questions from your audience…
9. …and be sure to answer them!
10. Make it easy to share your content.
11. Invite people to join your e-newsletter.
12. Use an Instant Messenger plug in to invite conversation. Hold regular hours.
13. Provide content with various mediums, such as video and audio.

The items listed above are not new. They are not rocket science. In fact, I suppose when you reviewed the list, you probably said something along the lines of “no kidding.”

Yet I continue to be amazed how many entrepreneurs have chosen not to incorporate these simple tactical options into their web presence.

But that said, it is what you do with these ideas that matter. Here are a few reasons why having an engaging presence matters:

1. Strengthens your brand.
2. Allows relationships to develop. This is where the sales come from.
3. Simplifies process of testing – and getting feedback on – new ideas.
4. Does a better job educating people about you and your business.
5. Makes it easier to teach and help and serve others.
6. Allows for better story telling.
7. Not to mention provides fresh and unique content – updated regularly – that keeps people coming back for more.
8. Oh, and added Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strength.

At the end of the day, it is the safe and easy path to build a static website – one that is solid, reliable, and unchanging. But dare I say it is lazy? And boring? Static sites just don’t cut it any more in this fast-paced, conversational, and engaging world we now live in.

What do you think?

[Learn the 99 ways to be an INTREPID marketer]
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cartoon by @gapingvoid

In my examination of what makes for intrepid marketers, it is clear to me that they are simply master storytellers. They can take complex issues, and make them simple. They can take ordinary people, and make them legends. They can take boring things, and make them scintillating.

In other words, they are master storytellers. They talk about things that matter. They keep you riveted. They make you believe. They are master marketers. They are intrepid marketers.

There are many tools at their disposal. But what most intrepid marketers utilize in their quest to do something remarkable, is a blog. It is amazing to me how many individuals and small business people still do not blog. But the list of people who are achieving big things and living big dreams because of their blog is a steadily growing list.

But just why is that happening to that select and intrepid group? Here are a few reasons…

The free form of a blog is liberating, and conducive to storytelling. There are relatively few constraints on a blog, and spirited, creative thinkers thrive in this medium.

But ordinary people can make something happen too. I mean, look at me for chrissakes…

Blogs facilitate conversation. And as any intrepid marketer knows, this is what the new marketing is all about.

Blogs don’t care if some new idea you are trying out tanks, big time. You can always write new content the next day.

Blogs demand that you be different, edgy, living on the edge, pushing the envelope. That nice tri-fold brochure you have? That is so yesterday…

Blogs just seem to work better when you are being yourself. Be yourself, yes, but speak your damn mind. Be honest. Be transparent.

So, if you currently aren’t blogging, get out there and do it. Try it. Experiment. It can be free. And the lessons you learn, and the experiences you achieve, will be worth the effort. Two key thoughts:

Blogs require a sustained effort over time. Blogging takes a while. Don’t retire after ten posts. It works, but slowly…

Blogs work best when you use them to spin electronic yarns. About whatever the heck you are passionate about. I mean, I really can’t think of a better medium to facilitate good story telling. Use them!

What do you think?

[Read my list of 99 ways to be an Intrepid marketer.]
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Every day, I visit dozens and dozens of websites. And I run the gamut from great design to crap. But what I find the most frustrating about many of the sites I visit is the pure chaos that ensues when I get there. By this I mean there is so much happening on that page, that I am not sure what to do or where to go when I get there. In other words, there is too much clutter.

Now, full disclosure here. I am NOT a web designer – I rely on my design team to execute my vision. Like any vendor, there are those who are good at what they do, and there are those who are not. And there are probably lots of schools of thought here, and I welcome discussion on the subject.

As part of my exercise in studying and appreciating minimalist marketing, I want to have a conversation about what I, as a typical consumer, feel is necessary when visiting a website – and the value of applying minimalist principles to this part of your marketing arsenal.

The lens I want you to view this exercise through it NOT that you dig your own site design, but that your TARGET MARKET is able to navigate and take the intended actions you want them to. We often don’t test and see how our customers are actually going to use our site, and if they find it cluttered and complicated.

Here is my suggested list (add more in comments please) of things to think about when it comes to keeping your web presence not only simple and minimalist, but effective:

1. Don’t clutter up each blog post with a ton of images, videos, and other graphics. Keep it simple for the RSS readers. There is a reason it is called really simple syndication…
2. Is the description of what you do to serve and help people clear and simple?
3. And is that description easy to find?
4. Is your call-to-action easy to find, and is it easy to take action?
5. Do you have way too many advertisements? Earning money from web ads is cool, but don’t let the layout and design of your paid ads distract from true purpose of your website.
6. Do you have too many widgets, plug-ins, and other whatzits that are distracting visitors from the true mission of the site? Use only those that advance your goals…
7. Are your blog categories, tags, topics simple and organized? Or are they a complete mess, where half of your posts are “uncategorized?”
8. When you incorporate video, are your videos a distraction? Or are they an important supplement to the message you are trying to deliver? Think carefully before inserting a video and determine whether it helps make the point you are trying to make. Don’t add video just because it is cool…
9. Same goes for audio and podcasts…
10. Is it easy to find the RSS subscribe button?
11. We all love bells and whistles, flash, and fancy schmancy graphics. But are they really necessary?
12. Does your navigation bar make it easy for visitors to find what they need?
13. If you incorporate e-commerce in your site, is your process simple, clean, and easy to execute?
14. Do you use email forms? Do they ask for more information than is necessary? Keep those simple and easy to complete, and only ask for the essential data you need.
15. You are wise to have a professional design your site. But don’t let them build you an overly complicated design full of clutter. Simple can be beautiful. And remember, the #1 website on the planet has less than 40 words on it…
16. Less focus on bells and whistles, and more focus on SEO and keywords will serve you well…

What do you think? Am I off base here? Am I missing anything?

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[photo by _marmota]

So, what exactly is an intrepid marketer? And why have I built a business – and started this blog – around the idea of making people intrepid marketers?

The definition of intrepid from the Wiktionary is fearless, bold, and brave. It’s etymology is the Latin intrepidus, meaning “not nervous.” Here is a more detailed explanation for why I named the company HERE.

Fear is something that always holds us back. Fear of being rejected, so you never submit that project on time. Fear of never achieving a goal, so you never set out to do it. Fear of taking that leap to do something you love and are passionate about, so you stay in a job you hate. Fear of being truly innovative and taking your small business in an exciting new direction, so you just do the same old tired things…

I want to make intrepid marketers out of all of us. So, here is a partial list of attributes that make people intrepid marketers:

1. Intrepid marketers take decisive action.
2. They are bold.
3. They are fearless.
4. They do not fear making important decisions.
5. They create a serious marketing plan…
6. …but aren’t afraid to make mid-course corrections on their plan.
7. They read voraciously.
8. They have a blog.
9. Their web presence engages. It is NOT static.
10. They embrace the social web.
11. The celebrate transparency.
12. They give back to their community.
13. They serve others…
14. …and they even serve their competition.
15. They don’t hide behind traditional media.
16. They teach.
17. They tell stories.
18. They listen.
19. They embrace new technology…
20. …but only new technology that advances their goals.
21. They don’t tear down others…
22. …but they learn lessons from the mistakes of others.
23. They love joint venturing.
24. They love collaborating.
25. They love learning. And never stop learning.
26. They engage with others…
27. …even with people they disagree with.
28. They focus only on the customer experience.
29. They recognize that every employee is in the marketing department. From the CEO to the cleaning crew.
30. They see every conceivable customer interaction as something that can and should be continuously improved.
31. They see that automation is a bad word, most of the time.
32. They worry about communicating well.
33. They welcome customer feedback…
34. …especially negative customer feedback. It helps them improve.
35. They thoughtfully comment on the blogs of others.
36. They share. Freely.
37. They only upsell if they are truly benefiting the customer.
38. They ask a lot of questions…
39. …but only to really hear and learn from the answers.
40. They don’t gloat or show-off.
41. They believe in quality over quantity.
42. They admire courage.
43. They know that marketing is a two-way conversation, not a one-way push.
44. They sense that interruption marketing is evil, and should be mercilessly destroyed.
45. They don’t compete on price…
46. …and they won’t. Ever.
47. They have no fear walking away from prospects who aren’t the right fit.
48. They love what they do.
49. They are minimalist marketers.
50. They don’t “work.”
51. They don’t take credit. For anything.
52. They demonstrate value. With ease.
53. They know you earn your brand. Not hire a consultant to “create” your brand.
54. They test and measure. Everything.
55. They are always improving. Everything.
56. They understand the power of video, even if the medium isn’t right for them.
57. They understand the power of podcasts, even if the medium isn’t right for them.
58. They love networking…
59. …by which I mean they love learning how to help others.
60. The relish the chance to connect people.
61. They know what they don’t know.
62. They are trust agents.
63. They understand the power of images.
64. They respect differing opinions.
65. They push themselves, even when there are obstacles.
66. They aren’t afraid of improvisation.
67. They know there is no such thing as an overnight success.
68. When they identify a problem, they fix it. They don’t wait and let it fester.
69. They don’t spam.
70. They hustle.
71. They are creative.
72. They have patience…
73. …but they don’t sit around and wait.
74. They respect the A-listers…
75. …but they help and push the little guys.
76. They are innovative…
77. …and actually know what innovation really means.
78. They don’t have too many products or services. They focus only on what they do very well.
79. They are continually trying to improve themselves in every way. Personal development never ends.
80. They are good problem solvers.
81. They are NOT afraid to adapt to an ever-changing environment.
82. They see themselves as artists.
83. They don’t multi-task. They focus.
84. They are in the moment.
85. They are deep thinkers. And they make time to do serious thinking.
86. They sweat the small stuff.
87. But spend time focusing on the big stuff.
88. They know how to apply the 80/20 principle to their situation.
89. They honor and celebrate referral partners.
90. They are not conformists.
91. They aren’t afraid of sharing what they know. They aren’t held back by this notion of “people need to pay me for my knowledge…”
92. …but they charge a premium for their services.
93. They embrace relationships.
94. They live by “serving first, selling second.”
95. They don’t have time management problems, because they are always focused on the important stuff.
96. They have balance, and enjoy things outside of business that drive them.
97. There is nothing fake about them. They are real.
98. They apologize when they need to. And work hard to fix the problem.
99. And they are honest. Always.

OK. So what else am I missing? Remember, this is a partial list. And it is always changing. What do you think?

[photo by ~jjjohn~]