GETTING OVER THE 3RD WORLD SUCCESS PSYCHOLOGY

As a student of politics and international relation I learnt in school that the primary psychological disposition of most if not all 3rd world countries have always been to catch up. While this has been the disposition of most African economies it is impossible to deny that it hasn’t also been the disposition of the average African business. This been the case, the approach would have been a good one if development was a fixed position in time and space but unfortunately this isn’t the case. And unfortunately so, over the last 60 years, our so called catch-up psychology is yet to pay off and for most of it, most African economies and businesses have been eating from the bottom of the pot, left with nothing but scrap.

However there is a need for what I call the 3rd world success psychology. This shouldn’t be confused with sheer economic materialism drive as many tend to confuse success with materialism these days, although with success does come material wealth. One thing that African businesses and the continental economy as a whole must realize is that our primary approach toward economy and business which is influenced by the catch-up psychology isn’t going to work because by the time we think we have caught-up we would only wake up to realize that we have been left behind once again hence the need for us to review our approach and precepts towards business growth and economic development.

When it comes to business development or economic growth psychology does play a crucial role as a determining factor which dictates how far one can or can’t go and as growing economy or business we seem to be better placed unlike what many would think to achieve success faster than most. I know this sounds clique but actually it is true. For starters as come-ups we already have a blueprint of what works and what doesn’t and likewise we have the pages of history full lessons of success and failures and how best to avoid them thus this put us in a vantage position. However more than this, is something fundamental which can be traced to the very nature of man himself which is that when men/businesses/ economy have gotten to a certain point, they have a tendency to get comfortable and become ok with the status quo and also try to perpetuate the continued existence of this status quo that has them on top. And with this status quo comes an acceptable knowledge base and behavioral pattern. As a matter of fact each and every economic or social status quo is built and driven by what they deem as an acceptable knowledge base and social behavior.
As upcoming business or economies it is fundamental that we understand that as long as we continue to work within the framework of the accepted knowledge base we cannot really go as far as we may truly desire. My kind of 3rd world business psychology is one that says that we shouldn’t be afraid to go where no one has gone before and it starts by going past the knowledge of today and in quest of the knowledge of tomorrow which in turn will demand some level of research and development.

As growing businesses and economies it is not ok for us to be ok with the global business templates because to do so will only imply that we will only remain at the periphery of the global hierarchy of states and society. Rather we must reach beyond the comfort and confines of today and press forth for new ideas, new thesis or better still combing two seemingly opposite ideas to beget a new synthesis because unless we do so, we will never discover anything new which will propel us to the position where we can easily reap the good form the global market. To survive either in business or in the global economy one thing is central; a competitive advantage and how can we have any form of an effective competitive advantage if we refuse to entertain new ideas of how to do things? Man isn’t the strongest of animals as you know but he appears to be amongst the most surviving specie after the crocodile and the reason for his survival can be found in his ability to always reach forth for something new. The same principle applies to business and economic growth, as come-ups we must never be scared to go into the dark where many haven’t ventured, we must not be scared to blaze new trails and new paths. We must learn to work with the present structure but the aim of going beyond it. We must ceaselessly put forward new theories, new philosophies and start to entertain nascent ideas and concepts and in doing so we must never be scared to fail as well. Contrary to what you many think it is good and healthy to fail like they say a smooth sea never made a good sailor.

My opinion about 3rd business and success psychology is one that is far from catch-up but one steep in venturing into the dark of new ideas and new thoughts and ways of doing things and as a matter of fact I am not the only one who shares this opinion; Google ventured into uncharted territories and came out a success, so did apple et al. so what are we waiting for?

The Forgotten Skill of Truly Successful People

Conflict is one of the great inevitabilities of life (after death and taxes). And while you can try to avoid conflict for a while, you cannot escape it.
This is especially true if you are in a leadership position in the workplace. Conflict — and, more specifically, conflict resolution — is your job. The more you are able to recognize it, understand it, and ultimately resolve it, the more successful you will be.
When I published my recent post on the most important soft skills of successful people Tracey-Leigh Wessels commented that there was another vital one I forgot - conflict management. I agreed and replied that I would do a post on the topic, so here we are.
The vital soft skill of leaders
I don’t think it can be overstated that conflict management and resolution is perhaps the most important soft skill for leaders, because in a leadership position, you will encounter conflict every day.
Avoiding conflict is rarely a good idea, because it allows problems to fester and worsen. We’ve all had or known a boss who repeatedly gave into someone simply because he wanted to avoid the conflict. In parenting, that turns out spoiled kids; in business it turns out weak leaders.
Too many times, I’ve witnessed otherwise smart and capable professionals lose control over a project or a team because they were unwilling or unable to engage and defuse a conflict that arose.
But conflict doesn’t have to be a dead weight on a project or a team if you, as the leader, brush up on some key conflict management skills.

Hone your conflict management skills

The first step you can take is to prevent conflicts that are preventable — not all of them are, but by actually seeking out a potential conflict and taking steps to mitigate it, you’ll make your job ultimately much easier. For example, if someone on your team sends out a vague email that could easily be misunderstood, asking for clarification upfront could head off future conflict.
As a leader, you also need to be proactive in defining what is and isn’t acceptable and helpful in a given situation. If, as in our previous example, team members are often sending vague emails or not including all the relevant information, creating a template for project updates with all the necessary parts can help prevent misunderstandings and conflict. Likewise, easy to understand rules and expectations make conflicts easier to resolve: when someone doesn’t meet expectations, there are consequences.
Finally, it’s important to remember to pick your battles. Seeking out conflict just because you can isn’t the mark of a good leader. Understanding which conflicts are important and which are petty annoyances is an important skill to master.

5 steps to handling a conflict

The next time you’re faced with a conflict, try practicing these five steps for handling the situation:
Stop and think. Don’t react right away. Our first reactions are almost always emotional, and those feelings can cloud the issue. Take a second to breathe.
Acknowledge the conflict. Try saying something like, “I’m feeling some tension here. Let’s talk about it.”
Engage in active listening. While the other person is talking, actually stop and listen to them — don’t just use the time to formulate your argument! Ask questions. Repeat key phrases; “What I’m hearing you say is…” And don’t jump to defend yourself.
Stay on topic. When responding or giving feedback, concentrate on the issue at hand, not how you feel about the person or what he or she might have done this morning or last week. Be specific and descriptive, and focus on your thoughts, feelings, and wants. You might say, “Here’s what I was expecting, and here’s what happened. Let’s talk about the gap.”
Be respectful. No matter how the other person reacts, stay calm and respectful. If their emotions or attitude are preventing a resolution, you can always take a break and come back when they’ve calmed down.

Every conflict is an opportunity

Teachers often talk about “teachable moments,” and every conflict is a strong teachable moment. When there are two sides, two opposing viewpoints, there is a remarkable opportunity for learning, innovation, and even team building.
Great leaders don’t shy away from conflict or avoid it, but rather see it as a tool for bringing a team closer together. When there is a desire to resolve a conflict, it can be resolved — every time — and usually to the benefit of both parties.
Creating these win/win resolutions is a skill that can only be built over time with a great deal of practice, but it’s also one of the strongest hallmarks of a true leader.
How do you deal with conflict in your organization or team? Do you believe in seeking out conflict proactively, or avoiding it to maintain the peace? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the

5 Ways to Make Money During Video Production

There’s an old saying in the video production business: “cheap, quick, and great – pick two.” Because you can’t have it all! If your video is quick and great, it’s not going to be cheap. If it’s cheap and great, it won’t be produced quickly. And if it’s cheap and quick? Well…you’re going to get what you paid for.
While saving money on your video marketing budget is certainly desirable, keep in mind that cheap, quick, and great don’t all go together. You’ve been warned – sometimes fixing the problems a cheap video campaign creates ends up costing more in the long run.
But are thee ways to save money on video? Absolutely. There are plenty of ways, actually, and a number of great companies that are more than willing to help lighten the load along each step of the way. The key is understanding how to reduce your expenses along each stage of the video production process, including pre-production, production, and post-production.

Saving Money on Pre-Production

Pre-production is the step of the video production process that happens before the cameras start rolling. It’s when you have to budget, plan, and propose. If you want to save money, this is when you start doing so.
1. Pick a budget

Remember what we said about cheap and quick versus cheap and great? You can either cut down on production time, or sacrifice quality for a quick deliverable. You can’t have everything.
Once you’ve decided on the quality of video you’re comfortable with, you should take the time to really map it out. Have you ever produced a video before? If not, go online and search for ways to keep a video budget under control. If you’re already familiar with budgeting, then start asking yourself qualifying questions, like:

• Does my project need a professional script?
• Should I work with an agency or freelance videographers?
• Do I want live-action or animation? If live-action,
• How many actors do I need for the project?
• How many sets do I want?
• How many locations will I probably need to shoot on?
• How much equipment will I have to rent?
• How many videos do I want to shoot at once? Will this be a video series?

While you may only have an idea at this point, all of this matters a great deal. You’re allowed to change around the budget as much as you want right now, because trying to do so later on will cost you big time.
2. Prepare Your Proposal

Once you’ve answered the high-level budgeting questions, you should focus in on the project proposal. Also known as a “production brief” in video lingo, this proposal should be a concise one-pager that describes your project’s scope sufficiently to justify each part of the budget. The production brief should answer basic “Five Ws” type questions, like:

• What’s the objective?
• What’s the goal?
• Who’s watching?
• What’s the key message?
• What is the video style?
• How long is it?
• How will you distribute?
• When is the deadline?
• What’s the budget?

Not only will you need a production brief to get approval before the project can take flight, you’ll need one just to start a conversation with outside producers and directors. Everyone has to be able to manage their expectations.
3. Be informed of your choices

Pre-production is also the time to find out exactly what your options are, especially when it comes to working with third party vendors. Stumbling upon a great “Oh, I could have used that!” product or service in the middle of post-production isn’t going to help anyone.
Fortunately, we’ve taken the time to gather together a short list of useful video production services. You may find some of them useful, and others useless. It all depends on the project you have in mind, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of your marketing team:

Your video production will be based on two documents – your production brief and your script. Needless to say, you could use some professional help preparing both. Conveniently enough, Scripted is a content writing service that began with scriptwriting services, and offers help with scripts at very competitive rates (compared to the EFA’s standard rates).

Fiverr is useful for a lot of things. When it comes to video production, it is a great resource for quick and cheap voiceovers, actor testimonials, and custom-made music for video production. Most of the time, you’ll be getting exactly what you paid for. But some Fiverr creatives have pretty stellar ratings and rave reviews.

What’s an infographic got to do with video production? Good question. If you’re making an animated explainer video, for example – an infographic can often help you preview the data and see whether it’s as compelling as you think it is with the added bonus of an affordable infographic that can also stand on its own. Why not throw two outs with one pitch? Many famous animated business videos are actually just a series of motion infographics.

VoiceBunny takes the guesswork out of voiceovers with a simple, user-friendly service that has amazing turnaround times. With access to over 10,000 voiceover professionals, there are few voiceover needs that Bunny Inc. can’t meet.

Saving Money on Production

Production is the stage of the process during which the shoot occurs. Ideally, this stage should take as little time as possible because it will slice and dice up your budget with each billable hour. (Are you sure you don’t want to stay in pre-production just a little longer?)
By now you should have chosen a style for the video. You should have also cast all actors, scouted all locations, and budgeted for the video crew’s every need. You should have a day-by-day breakdown, or shooting schedule, of exactly what will happen. Now’s the time to:
5. Communicate efficiently

Most of the time, you’ll be working with a team of people or an individual freelancer who will report to you remotely and in-person. You’ll probably have spent plenty of time communicating remotely during the pre-production process and working out the kinks, so it may be tempting to simply sit back and hit autopilot during production.
But keep in mind that face-to-face communication is priceless. Now’s the best time for you to ask any remaining questions, add in suggestions, and voice concerns. If you can, be in the room while the camera is rolling so that you can catch any problems before they reach post-production. Learn how to better communicate with creatives and agencies.

7 Ultimate Skills For Cash Flow

 

1. High EQ

EQ stands for emotional intelligence quotient, and your emotional intelligence determines how well you relate to other people, your ability to put yourself in other’s shoes, and your ability to build rapport. It’s important when you’re managing or working with a team, in networking, in understanding workplace politics and really any time you need to interact with a co-worker or client. In other words: it’s invaluable to develop these skills. You can improve your EQ by mindfully practicing putting yourself in another’s shoes, for example, to practice empathy and understanding.

2. Communication Skills

You might have the most brilliant ideas in the room, but if you aren’t able to effectively communicate those ideas, you’ll never get anywhere. Being able to communicate clearly is vital to working with managers, teams, and clients. You can start improving your communications skills by studying the words and phrases you should never use, and paying more attention to what you say.

3. Decision Making

A decisive person is going to be desirable in any position, at any level, and the ability to make decisions is especially important the higher up you climb on the ladder. Taking forever to decide, procrastinating by doing unnecessary research, or avoiding making decisions altogether aren’t a good way to get ahead anywhere. Practice being decisive and demonstrating your decision making abilities to get ahead.

4. Integrity

Integrity at work means owning your mistakes, doing what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it, acknowledging when new information means you’re wrong, and being willing to say, “I don’t know.” People will respect and trust a person much more who has a reputation for integrity than someone who never admits he’s wrong or always puts the blame on others.

5. Drive

Having drive doesn’t have to mean working 80 hours per week or volunteering for every extra project. Instead, demonstrating that you have drive could mean consistently working hard while you’re at work. It could mean having the initiative to continue your education in your field or go the extra mile for a project. It demonstrates that you’re committed to your work, and that’s very attractive to employers and managers.

6. Focus

Maintaining focus is an extremely important skill, whether we’re talking about focusing on a single task at hand or on your long-term objectives. It also means not getting sidetracked by “shiny object syndrome” or by what seems easy or expedient.

7. Balance

Perhaps most importantly, the key to a successful career in any job is maintaining a healthy balance. Only you can determine what makes a healthy balance for you, but it’s vital to balance your career with those things that will make you truly happy.
These are my picks for the top seven skills that are essential to career success, but they’re certainly not the only ones. What soft skills would you add to the list?

Life-Changing, Money Making Books To Grab This Year

What's one of the best resolutions you can make for the new year? To read more. Yes... I know you're already busy enough as it is, but even adding in just *15 minutes of reading a day can help you:

• Reduce stress
• Slow progress of and possibly prevent Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
• Expand your vocabulary and improve writing skills
• Boost your knowledge
• Improve your memory
• Strengthen analytical thinking skills
• Improve focus and concentration
• Foster creativity, imagination, and new ideas

To help you create a reading list for 2015 that's filled with the most motivating, educational, and worthy books out there, I talked to 12 entrepreneurs and business professionals to get their recommendations on what you absolutely must read in the new year.
And whether you hit all 12 (a damn-fine goal) or even just a couple, know that with every word you read, you're bettering yourself, your mind, and your business -- and that's a year-long resolution you can be incredibly proud of.
Check out the top 12 books to read in 2015 below:

1. The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz

Joey Wilhelm, vice president of technology at Scott's Marketplace, says, "The best way I can describe this book is that it contains four agreements to make with yourself about how to live your life in order to make it suck less. Keeping these four simple things in mind every day has improved every aspect of my life, both personally and professionally, and I find new ways to apply them daily. I can truly say that I would not be who I am today, and in the position that I am, without the guidance provided in this book."

2. How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

Michael Maguire, principal of Michael Maguire Consulting, believes this book's teachings are timeless and beneficial to all small business owners. He says, "Old school I know, but no less valuable in terms of effectively and easily managing customers, vendors, and staff."

3. Dataclysm: Who We Are (When We Think No One's Looking), Christian Rudder

Daniel Leeman, entrepreneur, recommends this book, written by the founder of OkCupid, because it "shares fascinating insights about the human condition, drawn from the millions of users on the OkCupid dating website. Equally important is its focus on big data, and I believe it paints an exciting picture for the future for small businesses to transform aggregate data into meaningful stories."

4. Rework, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Since long books can often feel overwhelming to business owners with packed schedules, Matt Simpson, a sales and marketing consultant, is recommending Rework, which he says is more of a daily meditation book for entrepreneurs. "It provokes enough thought to push buttons without overwhelming the already-taxed mind. Read one passage every morning and spend five minutes reflecting. Perhaps, like me, you’ll be inspired too."

5. Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, Herminia Ibarra

Cindy Boynton, vice president of operations at Scott's Marketplace, notes, "The saying goes 'Think first, then act' but this book challenges you to do the opposite: act first, then think. Learning from your experiences and your environment is a great way to learn about yourself and your business. As a small business owner, you are more inclined to think first because there is so much to take into consideration before doing. Take a chance by reading this book and challenging your leadership style while building your small business."

6. Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits, Greg Crabtree

As entrepreneur and CEO of web design company, Crosshatch Creative, John Durso strongly recommends Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits to new entrepreneurs. He says, "The author is a CPA and business owner, and the book makes business finance and the effect of your decisions on your business very, very clear. I'd give anything to have read this two years ago starting out."

7. The Four Steps to the Epiphany, Steve Blank

"This is probably the most influential book I’ve read as far as relevancy to starting a tech company," says Scott Curry, founder of Scott's Marketplace. "The customer development process is something that I completely endorse and strongly recommend. You have to build a company on what your customers need, not what you think they want."

What is Big Data and What is Ontology?

Much of this can be found on the Web. I have tried to consolidate the most important points and of course added my two cents. I would suggest anyone that believes the Big Data trends needs to understand the role Ontology will play going forward.

In computer science and information science, an ontology formally represents knowledge as a hierarchy of concepts within a domain, using a shared vocabulary to denote the types, properties and interrelationships of those concepts.
Ontologies are the structural frameworks for organizing information and are used in artificial intelligence, the Semantic Web, systems engineering, software engineering, biomedical informatics, library science, enterprise bookmarking, and information architecture as a form of knowledge representation about the world or some part of it. The creation of domain ontologies is also fundamental to the definition and use of an enterprise architecture framework.

As it relates to the Big Data trend:

Ontology claims to be to applications what Google was to the web. Instead of integrating the many different enterprise applications within an organization to obtain, for example, a 360 degrees view of customers, Ontology enables users to search a schematic model of all data within the applications. They extract relevant data from a source application, such as a CRM system, big data applications, files, warranty documents etc. These extracted semantics are linked into a search graph instead of a schema to give users the results needed.







Ontology gives users a different approach in using enterprise applications, removing the need to integrate the different applications. It allows users to search and link applications, databases, files, spreadsheets, etc. anywhere. The product of Ontology is very interesting because in the past years a vast amount of enterprise applications for various needs and with various requirements have been developed and used by organizations. Integrating these applications to obtain a company-wide integrated view is difficult, expensive and often not without risks.

Why is it important?
It eliminates the need to integrate systems and applications when looking for critical data or trends.

How is it applied and what are the important elements that make it all work?

Ontology uses a unique combination of an inherently agile, graph-based semantic model and semantic search to reduce the timescale and cost of complex data integration challenges. Ontology is rethinking data acquisition, data correlation and data migration projects in a post-Google world.

10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2015

Here’s what the experts had to say when I asked them which digital marketing trends they see dying in 2015 and which trends they see catching more steam.

1. Get Ready For Paid Social

2015 will see both the death of unreasonable expectations from organic social media and the corresponding further growth of paid social.
Countless business owners have come up to me and said that they’re doing everything they should be doing on social media but achieving little, if any, results.
This is happening because every business owner is competing for your attention against other people as well as bigger brands with more resources to spend on both organic and paid social.
If social media was made for people and not for businesses, businesses will always be at a disadvantage. This disadvantage is clear today and the only way to both beat your competition and compensate for those disadvantages is to establish a budget for paid social to supplement your organic storytelling.

Neal Schaffer

Founder, Maximize Social Business

http://maximizesocialbusiness.com/

@nealschaffer

2. Content Libraries Are The New Attraction

I see the act of list building via the single bait piece such as an eBook going away and being replaced with the use of content libraries that attract community members.
In other words, instead of signing up to get blog posts or a generic email newsletter, list builders will offer access to a growing library of useful information that someone will join and consume based on the content that interests them most.

John Jantsch

Founder, Duct Tape Marketing

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/

@ducttape

3. Communities Will Overtake Pages

As social networks like Facebook gear more and more towards “pay to play”, more people are gravitating towards platforms, groups and communities that allow for one-on-one conversations with others and a feed that is minimally “filtered”.
Awesome organic reach on Facebook is still possible and you can get great results with paid ads but the hey-day of businesses solely relying on a profile or page has passed.
Across social networks there is a shift towards Facebook and LinkedIn Groups, Google+ communities, Twitter chats, Pinterest boards and hashtag conversations. It’s a shift back to conversations that we control vs. newsfeeds that are out of our control.
It’s in our DNA to tell stories, connect, debate and discuss. It makes sense to me that we will see marketers get creative to find more “human” ways of interacting with fans and pay more attention to platforms that allow more direct communication. It’s a more enjoyable interaction, builds trust and ultimately results in sales and revenue.

Donna Moritz

Founder, Socially Sorted

http://sociallysorted.com.au/

@sociallysorted

4. The Death of Silo Marketing

Silo marketing will die by necessity in 2015 and rightfully so. Silo marketing in social media began early on as businesses gravitated to one social network and focused solely on that platform for their marketing. This was the restaurant that only had a Facebook Page or the business that had a great YouTube channel but nothing else.
In 2015, that doesn’t work…it’s about integration.
Content on your blog is critical. It must be amplified and engaged with on social media to drive visitors back to your site where lead capture moves them into your email nurture process! Content, social media and email will all work in tandem to deliver results.

Mike Gingerich

Founder, Tabsite

https://www.tabsite.com/

@mike_gingerich

5. Pinterest Is Out, Instagram Is In

I have noticed a distinct drop in the interest and discussions around Pinterest recently and a sharp rise in folks interested in Instagram. As a caveat, I have never been very good at Pinterest as I’m a B2B company servicing B2B clients.
I find this rather fascinating, as they are both similar and absolutely reliant on visuals. From what I can see in my very focused world, for some reason, Instagram is pulling ahead of the game and that’s where I’ll be investing more of my time in 2015.

Viveka Von Rosen

Author, LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour A Day

http://linkedintobusiness.com/

@LinkedInExpert

6. Social Media-Specific Campaigns Are No More

One digital marketing trend that I think is dying is social-media specific campaigns. In 2014 we started to see a small shift in businesses no longer using Facebook to host their apps (campaigns) but a majority of businesses were still relying on the single social network as their “hub.”
In 2015, I believe we’ll see a big shift towards businesses being “platform-agnostic” and using campaigns that work everywhere with differing levels of engagement.
Zipcar UK is an example of a business who stopped hosting their campaigns on Facebook and embedded them on their website instead. As a result, their participation has increased 717% and campaign page visits have increased 203%.
Building a marketing campaign for multiple channels is expensive and with audiences expanding their presence, businesses will shift their offerings to be “everywhere” so their messages can be seen.

Jim Belosic

CEO, ShortStack

http://www.shortstack.com/

@shortstacklab

7. No More Algorithm Chasing

The trend I hope that is dying in 2015 is lazy marketers chasing the Facebook algorithm. You should be aware of it and pay attention to changes, but chasing the algorithm is like a dog chasing its tail. It leads to nothing but heartache and pain.
In 2015, I think we’re seeing businesses move back to posting more original content (videos, graphics and blog posts) and posting less memes and fluff on social media. We’ve lost the human touch on social media and it’s time we got it back!

Scott Ayres

Author, Facebook All-In-One For Dummies

http://postplanner.com

@scottayres

8. The Content Marketing Revolution

I see a lot of social media marketers shifting towards re-branding themselves as content marketers in 2015.
This is part of a bigger trend among all kinds of marketers, especially search optimizers and PR professionals.
A year from now, when everyone calls themselves a content strategist, clients and employers will need to dig deeper to learn what the preferred channels are for that professional.
2015 will also be the year that people learn the difference between marketing automation and content marketing. Too many companies have signed up (and pay big money) for marketing automation tools but they’re really only using these tools as glorified email marketing systems.
This will be the year that businesses get smart about this. Many will cancel their marketing automation contracts and others will learn that they need to actually be active in marketing before it makes sense to automate it.
People who drank the kool aid are putting down their cups and realizing that they don’t need an expensive marketing automation platform to do content marketing. This will be a revelation for many businesses in the New Year.

Andy Crestodina

Author, Content Chemistry

http://orbitmedia.com

@crestodina

9. Paid Fans & Followers Services Will Die

The number one digital marketing trend I see dying in 2015 is the “get more fans & followers” trend. As crazy as it may sound, it’s still a goal too many businesses are pursuing. Don’t believe me? Go in Google Keyword Planner and check the volume of searches for “get more fans”, “get more followers” or even “buy followers”. You’ll be shocked.
This is not sustainable. Businesses will soon all realize that this was useless and that they need to take a different approach.
The trend I see growing in 2015 is that businesses will start to be much more selective with their social media efforts and reducing (or even stopping) them when no evidence of benefit can be demonstrated.
On the other hand, they’ll become smarter at figuring out what works and then focusing their energy there. The market is maturing and that’s a good thing!

Emeric Ernoult

Founder, AgoraPulse

http://www.agorapulse.com/

@eernoult

10. The Year of Social Advertising

2015 is the year of social advertising. Now that many of the social sites have some type of ad platform, and Facebook is basically requiring businesses to have some ad budget for anything promotional, it is time for business owners to understand social ads.
The targeting that you can do on social sites is amazing and businesses should be taking advantage of it. Plus, there is a great capability to track your conversions and understand which targeting and platform works best for you.
Understand how to do split testing, optimize your ads and track your conversions on each platform and you will be effective.

Andrea Vahl

Author, Facebook Marketing For Dummies

http://www.andreavahl.com

@andreavahl

Digital Marketing Trends For 2015: Key Takeaways

Telling Tales Poeple Can Never Forget

By telling this story from my point of view, my intention is to show you - rather than tell you - how memory works.

If you don't know how to tell a memorable story, you can't be an effective leader, can't raise money for a startup, can't be the number one sales professional, and can't even get your kids to listen.
My client didn't die; he slid 300 yards, regained his composure, and hiked back up the slope. After climbing a bit higher, we skied down without incident.
Dr. Carmen Simon is an expert in the science of memorable presentations. She and I just pooled our efforts to create a visual catalog of ten techniques that make communication memorable, five of which I used in this story:

• Evoke emotion
• Spark mental images
• Be shocking and visual
• Tell a story
• Exaggerate (mostly with the implication my client may have died)

We are not just talking about PowerPoint decks. These principles apply to the way you present ideas to colleagues, friends, relatives and casual acquaintances. Whether you are trying to sell a new idea to your boss or raise money for a charity, your first challenge is always to have the other person remember what you said.
Carmen reminds her clients that people remember just ten percent of what you tell them... you can't change this retention rate significantly, but you can influence what other people remember. The way you do this is to use one or more of these techniques in association with the 10% you most want others to remember.

Does Height Matter In Career ?

The average American man is 5’ 9”. Women are closer to 5’4".
The average 20th-century American president, on the other hand, is 6 foot. Nineteenth-century presidents were still taller, at 5' 10". In fact, in more than half of presidential elections, the taller candidate has gotten more popular votes.
It's no surprise that height is strongly correlated to success in professional sports like basketball, where how high one can reach is an explicit part of winning the game. But it's bothersome to think that we would vote for someone based on a physical attribute that has nothing to do with the job.
Are we heightist?


It sure seems like it. Statistics show that an extra inch of height translates to an average of $1,000 more annual income—the six foot man makes five grand more than his 5' 7" colleague.
On the other hand, it's well-known that Hollywood actors skew short—especially leading males. Robert Downey Jr., America's highest-paid actor at the time of this writing, is below average at 5' 8". Other high earners like Mark Wahlberg, Tom Cruise, and Zac Efron are below average. (One of my personal favorites, Kit Harrington aka Jon Snow, is 5' 8" as well.)
Film producer Brian Hennessey sums up a common explanation:

"The dynamic of 'shorter' actors is mostly a result of practicality. There is more of an abundance of actors and actresses of average height so they are easier to cast. They are also by and large easier to shoot. It is somewhat challenging to frame an actor who is 6 foot 3 inches when the rest of the cast averages 5 foot 9. This is especially true when a male actor is significantly taller than a female actor in a romantic themed story. There is also a number of stars who are uncomfortable working with actors who are significantly taller for fear of appearing too short. They can have a significant influence on the casting choices of a film. Then there is the aspect of taller men by and large choosing to participate sports over performing arts early on in school, thus leaving a smaller pool of skilled taller actors for films."

So, on the silver screen, being tall does not provide an advantage like it does in basketball—primarily because height can be made relative by the camera. And being smaller may make things easier on the cameraman. When you roll in social pressure from established short actors to not appear with tall actors, and the assumption that short people opt for high school drama club instead of volleyball, 6 foot up-and-comers may be at a casting disadvantage.
But all of that appears to be bollocks when you look deeper at the earning statistics. Seven of the top 10 highest paid actors last year are above average, and the majority over 6' 0".
Yikes.

The discussion of heightism and success in America mostly revolves around speculation like Hennessey's. We vote for the tall guy "because height conveys power." The short guy gets the leading role "because he's easier to work with"... except he makes less money and gets worse gigs than the tall guy. What a bunch of discriminating bastards, we are.


Fortunately, that's not true either. A few years ago, three economists, Nicola Persico, Andrew Postlewaite, and Dan Silverman, tackled heightism from a clever statistical angle. Controlling for family background, they looked at workers' heights and earnings—which were correlated as highly as race and gender earning disparities—and then investigated how tall those workers were as teenagers.
That data yielded something remarkable:
"Controlling for teen height essentially eliminates the effect of adult height on wages," they wrote. "The teen height premium is not explained by differences in resources or endowments."


In other words, how tall you are now actually has nothing to do with how much money you will earn; it's how tall you were in high school that matters.
Notably, the economists found that height as a pre-teen or child did not correlate to future success. Only during those crucial, awful, self-conscious pubescent years where we struggle to "find ourselves" does height play a pivotal role in our future earnings.
The crucial difference between more and less successful people, it appears, is not height, but what height bestows at age 15: confidence. And just like getting started in sports early correlates to higher chances of professional success, a confident teenager will do more, get more, and be more confident at age 40 than an anxious one.

How To Explore God's Secrets To Success

God is widely believe in by the vast majority of people, but for all intents and purposes we live as if the divine is irrelevant to the duties and challenges of everyday life. I felt that a change of attitude was urgently needed, which led me to write a book, The Future of God, where this new conception can be fully laid out. What would make God useful isn't found "out there" in the rituals, dogmas, and orthodox beliefs that most people focus on when they approach religion. "In here" are aspects of consciousness that connect us to our source, and that source is God.

Therefore God is human insofar as we are connected through our own sense of self; God is divine insofar as he (or she) has infinite scope--cosmic consciousness pervades everything, whereas individual consciousness doesn't. But rather than getting into any abstractions, the essence of the connection between human and divine is pragmatic. If God can't help with life's daily challenges, he is unlikely to have a future in our increasingly secular world.

One attribute of God or cosmic consciousness, is non-judgment. If consciousness is everywhere, then there is only one consciousness. As it expresses itself through each human being, there is an appearance of separation. What you think about politics, for example, or about family, religion, your career, etc., isn't the same as what I may be thinking. But we both draw upon the infinite reservoir of consciousness, with its unlimited creative potential. If you can see that this is true, there is no need to judge other people. Non-judgment is a divine attribute, not because God is a nice person, but because consciousness is a level playing field from which all of us draw purpose, meaning, values, desires, etc.

Here are some behaviors that allow you to test if non-judgment leads to a better life.

• Accept others as equals, not superiors or inferiors.
• Hold off criticizing others.
• Entertain ideas that aren't identical to our own.
• Don't try to improve other people, imposing your own notions of morality or correct behavior.
• Stop making others feel wrong.
• Offer encouragement and approval, which are the positive results of non-judgment.
• Tend to your own shortcomings instead of focusing on the shortcomings of others.
• Avoid using tags of race, gender, politics, and religion.
• Drop wholesale judgments against 'those kind of people" and look instead on each person as unique.

How To Manages 3 Companies And Still Remain Human

Carlos Ghosn, is a businessman born in Brazil, who is half French and half Lebanese and who at the time spoke only enough Japanese to make short, formal speeches. the joint CEO of Renault and Nissan, became such a hero in Japan for saving Nissan that a manga maker released a 7-part comic about him in 2002. That’s right about a businessman. The manga was a best-seller.

Since then, Ghosn has taken Nissan from has-been to industry leader, aggressively pushing into electric cars — the Leaf is by far the top-selling electric in the world — and declaring that “autonomous drive” vehicles are coming up shortly. He’s also continued to expand his reach, this summer completing the takeover of Russian automaker AvtoVaz, which makes the top-selling Lada. Ghosn is now AvtoVaz’s chairman.

In other words, if comic makers thought he was impressive for his leadership a decade ago, the fact that he now steers 3 international car companies, in 3 different languages, responsible for 10% of all cars sold and grossing an expected $140+ billion in 2014 sales should practically guarantee Ghosn an Avengers movie by now (in which, of course, he’d play every role).

But that would assume that Ghosn (pronounced like “phone”) is a larger-than-life, Elon Musk-like character. He’s not. Ghosn lives his life — as he says — “almost like a monk:" everything is planned and everything is telegraphed. (Even our interview ran with precision: He walked in, went over the time constraints, answered the questions and left — in the exact window he had laid out.)

That’s because the discipline of running 3 companies in 3 far-flung countries requires exactly that: insane amounts of discipline. Want to know where Ghosn is going to be next year this week? Ask his staff. His schedule is mapped out 15 months ahead and distributed widely. His plane flights are reserved for sleeping since he knows that as soon as he touches down, he’s going to get hit with questions from the local staff who now have an audience with the CEO. And when he’s in each of those countries, he focuses only on the company whose name is on the local headquarters.

“I start with the principle that when I'm in Japan, I'm making decisions for Nissan,” says Ghosn. “When I'm in Paris, I'm making decisions for Renault. And when I am in Russia, I'm making decisions, eventually, for AvtoVAZ. I don't mix the different responsibilities because I just want to make sure the different teams in charge feel responsible and there is no confusion between the different companies. So, a lot of pragmatism, some basic rules, professional people around you and, at the end of the day, it's possible."

Why 'Stupid' Startups Do So Well During Seed Funding Rounds

Buzzfeed a website filled with animated gifs, listicles and quizzes, just raised $50 million dollars, valuing the company at a reported $850 million. Scoopwhoop which is the indian version of Buzzfeed raised Rs10 crore (1.6 million) from Bharti Softbank (BSB), which has taken a 25% equity stake in the company. The deal gives the 15-month-old website an enterprise valuation of Rs40 crore at this stage. Snapchat, the messaging app known for helping teenagers sext one another, reportedly recevieved a $10 billion valuation from its investors.

I am sure you are wondering why and if the world has gone mad.

Some industry watchers see the recent boom in seemingly trivial apps and websites as foretelling tech bubble 2.0. However, there’s much more to the story.

Our knee-jerk reaction to classify innovation as either important or frivolous is exactly why many are left agast when previously dismissed companies reveal shocking valuations in ridiculous investment rounds.

Vitamins and Painkillers

Most people, including many professional investors, tend to put new products into one of two categories: vitamins or painkillers.

Painkillers tackle important problems. They solve an obvious need, relieving a customer’s specific pain and address a quantifiable markets. Think Tylenol, the brand name version of acetaminophen, and the product’s promise of reliable relief. It’s the kind of ready-made solution for which people are happy to pay.

Innovators in companies big and small are constantly asked to prove their idea is important enough to merit the time and money needed to build it. Gatekeepers such as division heads and managers want to invest in solving real problems — or, meeting immediate needs — by backing painkillers.

In contrast, vitamins do not necessarily solve an obvious pain-point. Instead they appeal to users’ emotional rather than functional needs. When we take our multivitamin each morning, we don't really know if it is actually making us healthier. Efficacy is not why we take vitamins. Taking a vitamin is a "check it off your list" behavior we measure in terms of psychological, rather than physical, relief. We feel satisfied that we are doing something good for our bodies — even if we can’t tell how much good it is actually doing us.

Unlike a painkiller, which we can not function without, missing a few days of vitamin popping, say while on vacation, is no big deal. Likewise, people tend to dismiss innovations like Buzzfeed as vitamins believing it’s a nice-to-have product, not a must-have -- and for the most part, they’re right.

Like a Toy

However, what we often fail to realize is that over time, vitamins can become painkillers. As Buzzfeed investor Chris Dixon wrote, “the next big thing will start out looking like a toy.”

Let’s consider a few of today’s hottest consumer technology products — say Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. What are they selling — vitamins or painkillers?

Most people would guess vitamins, thinking users aren’t doing much of anything important other than perhaps seeking a quick boost of social validation. Before making up your mind on the vitamin or painkiller debate for some of the world’s most successful tech companies, consider this idea: A habit is when not doing an action causes a bit of pain.

Think back to before you first started using these services. No one ever woke up in the middle of the night screaming, “I need something to help me update my status!” Like so many innovations, people did not know they needed Facebook until it became part of their everyday lives -- until it became a habit.

From Vitamin to Painkiller

It is important to clarify that the term “painpoint,” as it is frequently used in business school and marketing books, is somewhat hyperbolic. In reality, the experience we are talking about is more similar to an “itch,” a feeling that manifests within the mind and causes discomfort until it is satisfied. The habit-forming products we use are simply there to provide some sort of relief. Using a technology or product to scratch the itch provides faster satisfaction than ignoring it. Once we come to depend on a tool, nothing else will do.

Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain are two key motivators in all species. When we feel discomfort, we seek to escape the uncomfortable sensation. Over time, the solution to the user’s pain is found in the product’s use.

Habit-forming technologies seem, at first, to be offering nice-to-have vitamins, but once the habit is established, they provide an ongoing pain remedy. It is easy to dismiss these seemingly "stupid" technologies as frivolous when we don’t understand the deeper psychology compelling users to come back again and again.

This essay is an adapted excerpt from Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal. Nir blogs about the psychology of products at NirAndFar.com.

Author: Nir is a consultant at Nirandfar, and has lead two former companies to acquisitions.

Blogging? 4 Important Tips That Guarantees Your Success As a Blogger

It’s very true that you can make up to a six figure income from your blog. But don’t get it twisted; it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Like every other business, you have to pay your dues. What I mean is this, “there is a growing and nurturing period”. During this period, you have to be patient and “feed your blog”, by feeding I mean giving valuable FREE content to your blog readers. This will certainly help you to build trust. Blogging is time consuming, but if you get it right you can command cash whenever, wherever, howeverJ. I mean you could be playing PS4 and receiving payment alerts on your phone. Don’t get all excited too soon lol. Read on!

So, so… I just wanted to prepare your mind again with these 4 great tips that will help you develop the right mindset for your blogging career. You shouldn’t start blogging without putting these things in check! If you are blogging already, you could also learn a thing or two from this tutorial.

So Here Goes!

1.     You Need To Break Out Off The“ Get Rich Quick Mentality”

It’s understandable that you want to make money. I mean, everyone wants to make money and even more… Right now, I need you to slow down and reflect. Most of the guys on the Forbes list probably started from somewhere and then over time, they grew their businesses to their present level. When Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook, he wasn’t as rich as he is now, was he?

Today, every blogger wants to start a blog, throw up some posts and start making money immediately. Hold on bud… It doesn’t work like that. I need you to rid your mind off the “Get Rich Quick Mentality”. As a blogger, when you have that kind of mindset, it will show in your quality of work. You might be forced to start doing the copy and paste method (duplicate content) from other sites and honestly, that isn’t way to go. As a blogger, you need to think about your business for the long term and not short term. Think about it, one year from now how credible would your blog be. I am not saying you have to wait one year to start making money off your blog, but blogging is all about building trust. Can you focus on writing one high quality article everyday for the next one year?

2.    Prepare to Write At Least 100 Quality Articles

If you can write a 100 quality articles without quitting on blogging, then your success is guaranteed! Most bloggers don’t have the persistence to get to that point. I hope you read the lines clearly… I meant “Quality Articles” and not some crappy or copy and paste shit. It’s unlikely that those that give up before they get to the 100^th post would not experience the “Ultimate Blogging Success”

The reason why I am using the 100 article benchmark is this:

If you get to a 100 quality articles; then chances are you enjoy writing! For me, writing comes naturally and I could do this over and again even though sometimes I hit a writer’s block J that shit happens sometimes lol. I always feel fulfilled when my blog post is being read by a stranger who commends my writing either via the comment box, email or phone call. I feel blessed!

If you are considering blogging as a career and don’t enjoy writing, I suggest you think about it over and again. Also, the love of writing can be developed over time… Still talking about a 100 posts; on the long run, you find out that you get better by the day. You don’t have to be an English tutor to write meaningful content for your blog; I mean you don’t need to ACE a TOEFL or something. Just write in such a way that people would feel your personality by more reading your blog posts.

3.    Don’t Burn Yourself Out Focusing on Google Ranking and All That Alexa Stuff…

Until last week, I used to bother my head about ranking on the search engines, checking my Alexa stats and stuffs like that. When my rank goes down, I feel real bad! Truthfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. When you read through a blog that tries to rank certain keywords for the search engines, it becomes obvious that the writing is unnatural.

Of the truth, if your site happens to rank high then that’s fabulous but if not, do not fret over it. All the keyword stuffing in between sentences and things like that doesn’t make your writing feel nice. I advice that you write as naturally as you can, the search engines tends to pick up some long term keywords even when you write naturally.

4.    Build a List and Focus on Your Subscribers

I don’t know if you ever heard of money being in the list. Building an email list is “What’s Up” in the blogging business. I call my list members “My Loyalist”. If you have ever entered your email address on a website to receive something free, I am quite sure you know what happens next! You receive updates from the list owner; sometimes FREE content and other times PROMOTIONAL stuffs.

If you have a list of 10,000 subscribers then it means that whenever you post on your blog, you can send the link to 10,000 people. Even if you get a 1% open rate, you still have 1000 people reading your blog posts and offers. Do you understand?

You need to focus on writing for your subscribers and not for the search engines. When you write knowing that you got 10,000 people waiting to hear from you, it makes you want to write better stuffs. Lastly, It’s not all about building the list; you should also learn to build a good relationship with them. By relationship, I mean putting their problems first before yours. What this does is to build trust. When they find out that you sincerely care about them, they will buy products from you.

Thinking about starting a blog? Or started one already, I am very sure these tips would help you in building your blog business and making you money.

I hope this helps.

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