The Sales Lion by Marcus Sheridan » Motivational/Inspirational

The Real Reason the Inc. 500 Is Made Up of a Bunch of Crappy Bloggers

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:25:56 +0000

This article won’t be long.

And it won’t be very romantic either.

But it needs to be said, so here goes.

I was reading a great post by Mitch Joel a few days ago that led me to the following article found at ReadWriteWeb, who wrote about a recent study the University of Massachusetts did on the blogging trends of the Inc. 500. It stated:

A new longitudinal study at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth focusing on the online activities of the Inc. 500 has found a huge drop in the number of companies maintaining corporate blogs over the past year. The UMass researchers, under the direction of Nora Barnes, has been following this group for several years. Only 37% of those interviewed had a corporate blog last year, down from half of those interviewed in 2010.

“The use of blogging may have peaked as a primary social media tool in the US business world,” she writes. “The new data shows adoption of blogging is declining for the first time since 2007 among the Inc. 500 companies….”

Upon reading this I could only shake my head. Furthermore, as Mitch Joel wisely predicted, many ‘experts’ will now point to this study as further proof that “Blogging is Dead.”

***For the record, if anyone ever tells you “Blogging is dead” you have my expressed, written permission to call that person a moron and never lend credence to a single word they ever speak again.***

I know, sounds harsh, but it’s true.

My reason for saying this is simple:

Stating that ‘Blogging is Dead’ is like saying “Great teaching is out of date, antiquated, and a useless practice.”

Say what??

And this is exactly what brings me back to the point of this post.

Corporations are failing at blogging because their writers and marketers don’t see themselves as teachers. In other words, they’re doing it all wrong and missing the entire point.

If these folks did have a teacher’s mentality, they might actually be able to answer the questions, needs, and concerns of their consumer base. Heck, they might even earn a little trust in the marketplace because instead of seeing the world from a soulless marketing angle, they would understand that great teaching equals trust, and trust equals a solid brand reputation along with a lot more sales.

This Isn’t Rocket Science

We can either be great teachers and set the tone for our industry, or we can write about stuff that doesn’t mean a dang thing in the eyes of the consumer…and then say, “Gee, blogging doesn’t work in this industry, let’s just drop it.”

As I stated earlier, it’s total bull.

The Inc. 500 is failing at blogging because they have failed to think like consumers (i.e. real people).

The Inc. 500 is failing at blogging because they don’t see the value of great teaching as a trust generator.

The Inc. 500 is failing at blogging because their marketing departments wouldn’t understand the phrase ‘education based marketing’ if you hit them over the head with it.

In fact, why are we still using the dumb word ‘blog’ anyway?

Frankly the word has never made any sense to me and maybe that’s part of the problem.

We’re teachers.

We’re publishers.

We’re educators.

That’s what we’re supposed to be doing folks.

Heck, maybe these Inc. 500 companies that have failed with blogging ought to brighten up and take a little walk down the street to the local elementary school and hire every kindergarten and 1^st grade teacher on the spot to run their blogging departments.

Maybe then we’d see content that consumers actually understood.

Maybe then these massive corporations would see the power of educational content to generate a stronger brand and more sales.

And maybe then we’d all realize that the value of teaching always has been and always will be the core of great human relations, business, and ultimately profits.

Until then, I guess we’ll just have to listen to the ‘Blogging is dead’ pundits do their thing…

Your Turn

Well, I think you now know my opinion on this subject, but I’d love to hear yours. What’s your take on the failing blogs of the Inc. 500? Are they simply missing the mark or do you think that blogging has lost its value.

Jump on in folks, your opinion matters.

10 Keys to Giving the Greatest Presentation of Your Life

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:31:40 +0000

At this very moment, somewhere around the world, there is a presenter standing in front of his (or her) audience that is swallowing the sad reality that he has failed to deliver the message he hoped to achieve.

Maybe he was boring.

Maybe his content stunk.

Or maybe he just choked.

For those of you that know me, you might also know I used to be deathly afraid of public speaking. In fact, when I was 16, I was actually committed to never speaking in public.

But as fate would have it, time taught me that communication and speaking were actually a tremendous passion of mine, and since those early years I’ve spent much of my time learning the habits that make some presenters great, while others never seem to be able to ‘find the magic’.

For the past 3 days, I’ve been speaking at the ANLA convention in Louisville Kentucky about social media and content marketing. During that time period, I gave multiple presentations but today I’m going to share one that embodies everything I believe necessary to achieve the speaking results you’re looking for if your goal is to stand out and deliver a truly memorable message and experience to the listener. (Plus, if you’re interested in Social Media, you’ll love it )

So do me a favor and please watch this video. I promise, it won’t be boring. Although I’m speaking about the fear we have that competition will steal our ‘secret sauce’ if we’re active in social media and content marketing, pay attention to what makes this audience engaged. Notice why they laugh, nod, or shake their head. Observe the percentage of folks that are ‘truly’ listening. After you’re done, I’ve listed 10 specific tips (all of which I tried to apply in this presentation) that will truly help elevate your ability to give awesome presentations in the future, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

10 Tips on How to Give the Greatest Presentation of Your Life

1. Get off the stage, get away from the pulpit

Granted, sometime you don’t have a choice as to where you speak, but if you have the option, never use a pulpit (which is a wall between you and the audience) and never speak on a stage (puts you above the audience). Great presenters know how to perfectly ‘mix’ with their listeners. This is also why I always require a center aisle whenever I speak to a group of people, thus enabling me to simply ‘be a part of the group.’

2. Don’t Spend Time on Your Bio: No One Cares

When a moderator asks me what I would like to be said in my introduction, my words are always the same: “Just tell them(the audience) my name, they really don’t care about the rest.”

Bios, especially at the beginning of a presentation, often times make us appear as braggards. It’s much better to share incredible value with your audience and then if you’d like to tell them about yourself and why you’re awesome, do so at the end.

3. Set the Tone Right Away with Questions.

Do you want your presentations to be a ‘one-way’ or a ‘two-way’ street? Remember, people don’t want to listen to college professors when they’re hearing a presentation, they want to have discourse. They want interaction. So set the tone right with powerful questions as soon as possible.

4. Make sure name tags are being used, then call the people by name, directly.

If you watched the video you likely noticed I called almost everyone in the room by their name. This is also why I ask everyone to show their name tag (if they have one) whenever I speak, as the personal sound of one’s own name has a powerful effect on the intimacy of any communication.

5. Walk within the group.

Beyond #1 (getting off stage), there is power in walking within the group you’re presenting to. It is for this reason that I always require a center aisle whenever I speak to a group, as it allows me to freely move about the audience, and truly form a stronger bond with each person there.

6. Use slides that everyone will relate to but are outside of your niche.

If you watched the video, you noticed I used different cheeseburgers from popular fast-food companies to make my point. And why did I do this? Because we all love to eat, and we’ve all known these restaurants since we were little children.

7. Your slides don’t deliver the message, YOU do.

Along with #6, remember that audience members are there to hear YOU speak, not to read your slides. Nothing is worse than watching a presentation that would have been just as easily sent out as an email instead.

8. Manipulate the pace with rapid fire questions

Pace is a big deal with presenting. And when it’s fast, and everyone is involved, it makes for a powerful experience. In the video, notice how at times I would repeat the same question back to back to back in a rapid manner.

9. Make ‘em laugh

Who doesn’t enjoy laughing? If you’re stuck in a room as a group of people, you may as well have a good time, right? This is also why presentations shouldn’t be so rigid, as too much structure will deter your ability to capture the magic moments when they present themselves.

10. Passion!

We all know the deal with this one folks. If we can’t get excited as the presenter, how in the heck can we expect others to get truly interested in our words?

Your Turn:

OK, 2 questions for you: What are some further qualities that make for a great presenter/presentation? Also, what are some of your biggest pet peeves when you’re listening to someone speak? As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback, as your voice truly matters here on TSL.

Download your FREE copy of my 230 Page Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy eBook now and start reading in 60 seconds!

7 Ways to Be a Blogging Rebel and Turn Your Industry Upside Down

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:22:43 +0000

There is one rule I’m 100% certain of when it comes to blogging, be it business or personal:

We all want to be noticed, seen, and respected.

Some folks act like they don’t care about these three words but I honestly feel it’s a bunch of bull. Why?

Because if we didn’t really want to be seen we wouldn’t have an online blog in the first place for the entire world to see.

I freely admit that like everyone reading this, I want to be viewed as a thought-leader in my field. (Why are we embarrassed to admit this btw??) Whether it’s swimming pools, inbound marketing, blogging, etc—I want readers.

I want growth.

I want to spark discussion.

I want to force myself and everyone around me to take a stand.

(***Notice here I didn’t say I want everyone to like me, but that’s another point for another day.)

But again, I’m by no means alone, we’re all in this boat together.

Despite our overall uniform desires of recognition (of some kind), well over 90% of us fail in this endeavor. When it comes down to the brass tacks, our blogs lack the ‘it’ factor. Notwithstanding all our hard work and efforts, we miss the mark. We’re left out of the crème that rises to the top.

As I look around the world of business blogging today, and the saturation that is occurring at a faster and faster rate within each industry, I wanted to offer my thoughts on how any of you reading this can stand out from the crowd. How can you, despite the competition, stake your blog’s claim as one of the best in your business?

Let’s talk about it…

1. Compare Like Mad

Some of you have read before how I’ve discussed the power of ‘vs.’ and ‘comparison’ when it comes to blogging. Without a doubt, this is still the most underutilized and untapped content tool in the world of blogging today.

For example, when I started in the fiberglass pool industry, consumers kept asking me which manufacturers were the best, and which ones I suggested they stay away from. (Similar to someone saying, “Which is better, Ford or Chevy?”)

Upon hearing these same questions over and over again, I knew it was my duty as a content marketer (and thought-leader) to put my opinions to pen. So I started writing. Just a few of the articles were:

Viking Fiberglass Pools vs Trilogy Pools Reviews/Ratings: Which is Better?

(Results: 125 inbound links and 13,195 page views)

San Juan vs. Viking Pools Ratings/Reviews: Which is Better?

(Results: 22 inbound links and 6050 page views)

Fiberglass Pools vs Vinyl Liner Pools vs Concrete Pools: An Honest Comparison

(Results: 201 inbound links and 21,577 page views)

With each one of these articles (plus the many, many more I’ve written), they all rank #1 on Google for their respective key word phrases, and the reason for this SEO domination is very simple: I was the only one writing them in the industry, and Google appreciates rebels that aren’t afraid to write about what others aren’t willing to.

2. Don’t Be Bullied by Dinosaurs

I was about 30 years old when I started voicing my opinions online with respect to swimming pools. Most of the leaders in my field were in the +45 crowd. This being said, I was attacked, verbally, a lot. I was also sent letters from lawyers, a lot.

Before long, I realized an important truth: Many industry leaders and their lawyers are like the big bully on the playground—If you stand up to them and even punch them in the face, they’ll likely run away and their true colors will come out.

Once I stopped caring about false threats and started realizing I was always within my rights (due to the fact I was stating the truth), everything changed, and the amount of attention we received as thought-leaders skyrocketed.

3. Question the Way It Has Always Been Done

Don’t like the way things are done in your industry?

If so, then stop complaining and do something about it. Use the power of words or video to change the status quo. Stand tall and tell everyone why you believe what you believe.

As an example of this, the warranties in the fiberglass swimming pool industry are ridiculous. Full of tricky semantics, some are very, very misleading to consumers.

Seeing this problem, I posted an article entitled: The Most Egregious Fiberglass Pool Warranty I’ve Ever Seen, and to say this article got much attention and page views would be a mild understatement.

Remember, this applies to every single niche, field, industry, etc., so don’t feel you’re the exception to the rule.

4. Be ‘The Drudge Report’ of Your Industry

Whether you’re a republican or democrat, you have to respect what The Drudge Report has done in terms of building its brand by breaking news and events.

So often on the web, ‘timing’ is everything, which is why your blog should report on the latest events, as they happen, in your industry. If a major manufacturer makes an acquisition, talk about it. If someone files bankruptcy, talk about it. If there is a significant innovation, talk about it.

But remember, the timing to this is critical, so as you see things start to unfold, get to your computer.

5. State the Best and Worst

Everyone loves ‘Best of’ and ‘Worst of’ Lists. Surprisingly, most industries don’t have them. Most folks refuse to write about them. Why? Because they’ll get attacked, judged, criticized, etc. Just ask Jade Craven who writes ProBlogger’s ‘Bloggers to Watch’ List every year. Heck, Jade doesn’t even call them the ‘best bloggers’, she just calls them ‘worth watching’, yet the article is still anticipated by thousands every year, discussed all around the internet, and at the same time criticized by many.

Again, this goes back to having an opinion about your industry and putting it out there. Write your opinions down. Tell us why you’ve reached those opinions. And then stand by your claims.

6. Question Authority if You Feel They’re Wrong

What’s the deal with people being afraid to question authority in their fields? I see this everywhere and wonder sometimes if 99% of us have become the sheep that aimlessly follow the shepherd without any rhyme or reason.

Here is a good rule of thumb my friends: If someone in your industry, especially a leader, says something you don’t agree with, then write about it.

Got me?

But there is a second part to this: Don’t be a jerk. Don’t call someone names. Don’t question motives. Just state your opposite opinion with class.

I’ll give you a couple of examples of exactly what I’m talking about:

I’m sure most of you have heard of Chris Brogan, a major authority in the field of social media marketing, Google +, and other areas.

What I love so much about Chris is that because he is always stating what’s on his mind, his findings, and his opinions; I know if I read his blog I’ll likely be moved in one direction or the other in terms of agreement or disagreement.

Chris once discussed on his blog the merits of asking other people to ‘share’ our online works. Because I didn’t agree with his take on the matter, I wrote this post, cordially expressing my differences.

On another occasion, Chris was called out by many for his Twitter unfollow experiment. Considering I thought it was nuts that his actions had affected and polarized so many, again, I wrote an article about it, one that ended up in my top 10 all-time here at The Sales Lion, entitled: Chris Brogan Unfollowed Me on Twitter, and Now I Hate My Whole Life.

Yes, this was a very sarcastic article, but my difference of opinion with others, as well as my support for what Chris had done, was well made.

Through these experiences and others, Chris and I have developed a friendship and mutual respect for each other, even though we might not always agree with each other. (Which is a good thing.)

Readers have also noticed I’m not afraid to take on issues or question authorities, all while not being a sheep following a shepherd—something most folks appreciate quite a bit.

7. Lose the Filter (Be Authentic)

Do you remember the day Gary Vaynerchuk made waves across the entire social media industry when he responded to a social media ROI (return on investment) question by stating, “What’s the ROI of your mother???”

This one little statement seemed to catch everyone’s attention. Some adored it. Others despised it. But as for me, I elected to focus on the beauty of his unfiltered approach.

What makes Gary Vaynerchuk so appreciated and respected is his lack of filter. (And no, I’m not at all referring to his language here.) What I mean by this is he isn’t a social media politician. He doesn’t throw his finger in the wind too see which way it’s blowing. He feels it, he thinks it, then he says it….and people dig that.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, we notice Gary Vaynerchuk for this reason.

Your Turn:

So there you have it folks, 7 ways you can become a blogging rebel and truly build your business and brand to a point where it impacts your entire industry and is viewed as a though-mecca for your field.

Considering I quit at 7 because this article was starting to get a little long, I wanted ask each of you this:

What other qualities do you feel enable a blog to reach the top of its industry? Of the qualities and techniques I mentioned above, are there any you disagree with? Why? Which of these have proven most effective in your efforts to be ‘read, noticed, and respected?’

Jump in everyone, your voice here matters.

Download your FREE copy of my 230 Page Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy eBook now and start reading in 60 seconds!

How to Be Your Own Webmaster and Unleash Your Entrepreneurial Spirit Again

Marcus Sheridan — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:53:45 +0000

I got an email the other day from a client that made me smile. Here it is:

Marcus,

Check it out man! I’ve turned my home page from two columns to three columns and now the layout is perfect. I’m getting good at this stuff man!!

Jason

Ahhh yes, my client Jason is now experiencing what I call ‘The Paintbrush Effect’.

The Paintbrush Effect

What is the paintbrush effect?

Well, look at it like this: Most business owners are artists when it comes to their field. They know how to talk about, teach, and present their product/service extremely well. For years, they’ve been deeply involved in their chosen field, and for this reason, they literally exude knowledge and ideas.

But the problem with today’s world is most of these same business owners are handcuffed. The area where they are able to best talk, teach, and present is their website. It is, without question, the ‘great digital art room’.

Sadly, most are locked out of this room. They can only peer in the window while someone else (aka webmaster) paints what should be their canvas with their vision.

Years of Frustration

I used to be one of these onlookers. For seven years, off and on, I attempted to learn web design and failed. Unlike my friend JK Allen, who was able to master CSS on the side and start his own web design business, it never came for me. Spending hours in an effort to learn Dreamweaver in 2005 was a disaster. I seriously would have been more successful attempting to master Chinese.

But the clock was ticking. With each day, I saw more and more consumers were headed to the web to do all their research. My frustrations mounted. I can remember well looking at my dull website, with its dearth of content, and having one idea after another of things I needed be doing and adding, yet they never seemed to happen.

But again, I was locked out of the art room.

This all changed though, as many of you know, when I discovered Hubspot in March of 2009 and learned about CMS (content management system) technology.

The Power of Content Management Systems

For those of you unfamiliar with what a CMS does, it allows web dummies like me to do the majority of my own web design/content without the help of a webmaster. In other words, one doesn’t need to be a coder (for the most part) to build pages, add forms, paste in videos, etc.

Or, to state it even more simply, one can now hold the paintbrush and produce their own art—hence ‘The Paintbrush Effect’.

I can remember well the day in 2009 when I was given this brush. After years of making calls to a webmaster to cross my T’s and dot my I’s, the power was now in my own hands.

At the time, my pool company’s site consisted of about 20 pages, and there was little to speak of in terms of traffic, leads, etc.

But fast forward to present and everything has changed. The site is now 750 pages and generates massive amounts of leads through content, SEO, and some solid inbound marketing.

The Future of Web Design

In today’s rapidly advancing world, CMS technology has never been better. Where there used to be only a handful of platforms to choose from, now there are many, with the most popular being WordPress, which has a mountain of sub-platforms (like Thesis, Genesis, and Headway) falling under it. But WordPress and Hubspot are just two of what has now become hundreds of CMS platforms, all having their own pros and cons, depending on the end user. (Note** For those interested, I’ll soon be doing a WordPress vs. Hubspot article.)

For those of you interested in seeing how easy it is to build a page with a super simple CMS (like Hubpsot in this case), watch how quickly I was able to build a quality landing page on my swimming pool site with this video, with no coding involved:

Click here to view the embedded video.

What’s cool is this is just the beginning. As tech advances, more and more average Joe and Jane business owners like me, who are ‘non-techies’ but would like to be, are going to be able to hold the paintbrush and create masterpieces when it comes to their site, much like digital cameras have done for the photo industry.

Taking Charge

When it comes down to it, as entrepreneurs and business owners we do what we do because we like control. We want to be in charge of our own destinies.

For the first part of the web explosion, this ability to ‘take charge’ was ripped away from most of us. Literally, the ‘paint brush’ was snatched right out of our hands.

But the time has come for all of us to start painting again. Just like my ecstatic client Jason, who is by no means a ‘techie’, we can all benefit from this technology and get back to doing what we do best—CREATING.

The Challenge:

So here is the challenge: If you’re a small to medium sized business owner/marketer and you feel like you’re completely ‘locked-out’ of your website, do something about it.

Switch to a CMS.

Take control.

Allow your creative juices to run wild.

And be an entrepreneur again.

Trust me, the feeling is magical.

Your Turn:

I’m curious to know your thoughts on the future of web design and user ‘control’. Do you see it as I do, a world in which most biz owners handle most of their design, or do you think webmasters will always hold the majority of the cards (focusing on small biz here)?

Also, for those of you using CMS technology, tell me about it. Is there one you think is the most effective for ‘non-techies’? For WordPress users, what theme do you feel best fits this need?

As always, your thoughts, questions, and comments matter, so feel free to leave them below.

Why ‘Community’ is NOT the Holy Grail of Blogging and Online Success

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:26:50 +0000

Many of you read an article I wrote a few months back entitled 10,862 Comments Later, I Realize Blog Comments Are NOT a Business Model. At the time, the article certainly got a lot of comments and interaction.

Some understood it.

Others completely missed the mark.

But today’s post is a harder and deeper look at a subject that affects each and every one of us—the misunderstood concept that is ‘Online Community.’

Yep, Let’s Talk Money

As you can tell from the title of this post, today we’re going to talk about money.

The reason for this is simple: Businesses don’t exist without money.

I think this statement is one of the most forgotten truths when discussing the subject of online business success.

Again, nothing happens in business without money.

If your business makes enough of it, you smile and turn a profit.

If your business doesn’t have enough to pay your bills, and the creditors are after you, and you can’t make payroll…well then life stinks.

I should know—been there, done that.

Blogger’s Denial

Let me give you an example and then to my point.

A few months ago , while I was attending blog world and grabbing a bite to eat, I happened to see a lady sitting alone at a small table and being that I was looking to meet someone new, plus the fact that all the tables were taken, I asked her if I could join her and she happily obliged.

We proceeded to have a very pleasant conversation about her blog, her large community, the high level of engagement, etc.

Upon hearing all this, I told her that I thought community was great, but blog comments, in and of themselves, were not a business model nor a strong success indicator.

The lady disagreed with me but as we continued our discussion, it came out that her blog was clearly not making enough money .

In other words, she couldn’t pay her bills and was very, very concerned.

Although her blog appeared successful, there was a reality check happening beyond what was showing in ‘the community.’

In many ways, this very kind lady was wrapped up in a belief that is killing the success of many, many bloggers and businesses today—that ‘community’ means ‘profits.’

Nope.

Not even close.

Make the Choice

Now for those of you who legitimately don’t care for one second if your blog ever makes a dime, please understand this article doesn’t apply to you, and you’re welcome to hit the ‘delete’ button now.

But for the large majority that are doing their best through blogging, content marketing, and inbound marketing to make a living, I’d ask you to consider this question:

Would you rather have a thriving online community or a thriving bank account?

And no, you’re not allowed to say ‘both.’

Yes, of course the ideal answer is ‘both,’ but in this case, let’s just pretend you’ve got to make a choice.

What’s the answer going to be?

I submit that too many bloggers are worried more about ‘offending’ their community than actually leveraging said community to turn a profit.

Again, we can love our communities to death and have the greatest intentions in the world, but if we can’t pay the bills, it’s all for naught.

Focusing on What Matters

Someone recently told me they didn’t like my opt-in box on the homepage of this site because it was too ‘pushy,’ and that others in the community probably didn’t like it either. But considering the incredible amount of eBook downloads that form generates everyday, plus the fact so many of those same readers turn into actual consulting and HubSpot customers of mine, I really don’t care if a few people are offended with the box.

Again, it’s about priorities, and paying customers are #1. Because you can’t always please every reader you have with every decision you make, sometimes you’ve simply got to choose the one that leads to the greater good.

You see, I don’t think many folks online would ever make such statements, as ‘community’ is viewed by most as the ‘Holy Grail’ of the blogosphere.

And although community is very, very important, it is not the Holy Grail.

What is?

Happy Customers
Profits
Business success

Now that is the Holy Grail.

And if it happens by way of an amazing blogging community, then great…wonderful. In fact, when a blog/business finds a way to better monetize their community and give great value in the process, then believe it or not the community itself grows stronger. (As noted by the 100+ emails I got last week alone from people that read my newsletter yet don’t actively comment on my blog.)

But if a blogger or business owner loses track of this extreme priority, then we have a serious problem.

This Ain’t the Field of Dreams

Blogging for business is not like the movie ‘Field of Dreams.’ Sure, ‘If you build it, they will come‘ is a start, but there needs to be a few more words attached to the end of this statement to make it applicable to our industry: “And once they come, know how to make enough of them happy and paying customers.”

So before your business starts focusing too much on the number of Facebook likes, tweets, silly Alexa rankings, massive amounts of blog comments, or even frivolous Klout scores….please remember the one thing that we all must have first and foremost on our minds—Financial Peace.

Your Turn

I must admit, I’m very curious as to what the reactions will be to this post. If you had to choose just one, would you say ‘community’ is your blog’s #1 goal, or is it ‘profits’?(Remember, just because you list profits as #1, doesn’t mean your not extremely pro-community, as that’s certainly the case with me.) Also, what has been your experience in balancing these two all-important aspects of effective online marketing?

Your thoughts matter, so jump in in folks…

Download your FREE copy of my 230 Page Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy eBook now and start reading in 60 seconds!

Do ‘Top Blogger Lists’ Really Mean Anything At All?

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:38:36 +0000

So here I sit, really not knowing how to start this blog post. Frankly, it’s one of those subjects that I know needs to be written about but also has the opportunity to be greatly misunderstood. But due to the fact that I don’t have a witty opening line to grab your attention, I’ll just say what’s on my mind:

Top Blogger Lists mean everything…and they mean nothing.

There, so I said it, and now I’ll hopefully make some sense of it.

They Mean Everything

This past Friday morning, as I was driving home from visiting my Dad in Charleston WV, I noticed a trackback I’d received to my blog. Glancing at the sender, my eyebrow raised high when I saw it was coming from ProBlogger’s Top 20 Bloggers to Watch in 2012 List.

Upon seeing this, immediately I asked my wife to read it out loud. Here is what the incredibly kind Jade Craven, who authored the post, had to say:

I love his blog. He isn’t a pseudo-guru testing his theories—he only teaches about stuff he’s personally experienced. He also has a talent for community engagement. Many of his posts contribute to the conversation surrounding many facets of our industry, which encourages related companies to adjust their model to serve bloggers better.

Hands down, Marcus is one of the coolest guys online. He helps so many of us when he already has a successful business and doesn’t need the social validation. I hope we’ll see a lot more of him in the coming year.

Upon reading the final words, my wife looked at me with tears in her eyes and a huge smile. My 11-year old daughter Danielle told me I was, “Awesome.” To say they were excited would be the understatement.

Yes, Recognition is Nice

You see, what most folks don’t see when they read The Sales Lion is the emotional investment that has been made by the entire Sheridan Clan since it birth 2+ years ago.

Most don’t know that when I started writing this blog my average sleep time per night went from around 8 hours to 5 or 6.

Most folks don’t hear the conversations I have with my wife and kids on a daily basis regarding this blog, the business, time spent away from home, etc.

Now don’t get me wrong friends. I’m not mentioning these things so you’ll in any way feel sorry for me (you shouldn’t), as it’s something I willingly signed up for and has been a major blessing. It’s also a story that has been similarly repeated by any blogger or business owner around the world trying their best to find success.

But I mention this because without the ‘group effort’ of my family, none of this is possible. There is a balance and order needed and all things, and we’ve worked very hard, together, to find said balance.

So when recognition comes from ProBlogger, or as it did with Jonathan Fields a few days later, there is certainly a sense of gratitude that comes with it.

We all like to be recognized for our talents and labors.

Every. Single. One. Of. Us.

Again, It’s All About YOUR Goals

But to be completely honest, had I not been included on ProBlogger’s or Jonathan’s list, I never would have blinked.

Why?

Because the only thing I judge my ultimate success on comes from the goals I’ve already laid out for my future.

And being on ProBlogger’s “Bloggers to Watch” list has never been, nor will it ever be, one of those goals.

The same could be said for any other ‘list’ or ‘ranking’ that’s online today.

Honestly, they aren’t on my validation radar whatsoever.

If they are a byproduct of my work, then great, but not for one second will I allow a list or ranking to define me.

Nor should you.

They Mean Nothing

I say this because as a result of being named to these lists I received an abnormally high number of emails that greatly concerned me.

Why?

Because they all asked a similar question:

“Marcus, what do you think I could do to get on a list like that?”

And with each email that came in, I literally cringed, and then responded with a simple question:

Why did you start blogging in the first place and was that one of your goals?

Think about it for a second- Why have so many in this industry gotten to this point of ‘list’ and ‘ranking’ validation? Is this how we judge all of our hard work and efforts? Aren’t there any other goals that define success and failure?

What do these lists really mean?

Yes, there is the recognition.

Yes, there is the chance for more traffic and links and such.

But at the same time, what do you think happens when a blogger, who has been on one of these lists, stops producing quality content?

What happens if they lose focus on their real goals(assuming they have them) and go after the non-fulfilling ones of the world?

Or better yet, what happens if they just stop writing?

The answer, as you might imagine, is their blog/business suffers like the rest of us. They are immune to nothing. Look at any past ‘top blogger lists’ on the web and you’ll see many folks who today are no longer even active online.

Last Week Does NOT Define the Future

The internet is a competitive place. Yeah, sure, last week was great for my blog.

But that was last week. It’s over. Done.

Now, if I don’t write good stuff, and don’t give real value, I’m toast.

Some will disagree with my thoughts here and call them too harsh, but I honestly feel that in many ways we’re only as good as our next post.

This is why I’m not one to look back and pat myself on the shoulder and then forget what got me here.

But this is also why it bothers me deeply when I read bloggers expressing their disappointment about not being included on lists or receiving the peer-recognition they feel they deserve.

As a young industry full of talented people, we must move past this.

Call me naïve if you wish, but I certainly think we can all do better.

Am I saying list posts and rankings are bad?

No, of course not. I’ve written my share of these types of posts in the past simply because I enjoy shedding light on great people who are blessing others through their work. This, in my opinion, is a very good thing and will never grow old.

But it’s also time we all understood and defined our true individual metrics of success, as it’s this vision that will carry us through the good and bad times that come with all the hard work, effort, and deep passion that is blogging.

Your Turn:

I’ve said my piece, but now I’d love to hear yours? Why do so many of us, as bloggers, allows lists, awards, and rankings dictate our feelings of self-worth? And what goals have you personally set that define your success with blogging?

As always, your thoughts and opinions matter, and I’d love to hear them below.

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The Misconception that is Inspired Writing and Blogging

Marcus Sheridan — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:37:09 +0000

Around 9:30pm last Monday night my wife and I were having a discussion. It went something like this:

Nikki: What’s on your work schedule tonight?

Me: Well, I need to post something on The Sales Lion tomorrow but I honestly am not sure what I’m going to write about.

Nikki: Oh, I’m sure you’ll think of something, you always do.

Me: Yeah, I hope so…..(after a thoughtful pause) Maybe I’ll write about ‘success habits for 2012’.

Nikki: There, just like I said, you always do.

This Ain’t So Bad

Shortly after our conversation, I was sitting in my downstairs office, smacking the keys of my laptop, and pensively thinking about the habits that had made such a difference in my life in 2011. And as quickly as my fingers could type, before I knew it there was laid out in front of me a list of 20. With almost no previous thought of what I was going to be writing that night, the words were now taking care of themselves.

About 45 minutes in, the first draft was done. Never once had I stared at the clock. To me, it felt more like 10 minutes.

But there they were, 1700 words, and after reading the draft, a surprising thought came to mind.

“Wow, this ain’t too bad.”

Frankly speaking, I knew it was good. No, not a good as in “Look at my writing, it rocks” but rather a “These words have just been waiting to find their page” type of good.

Those of you that have been writing and blogging for some time know exactly what I’m talking about. Sometimes your stuff is just OK and you know it. On other occasions it’s ‘pretty good’. But then there are the moments when everything seems to come together and you look back and say, “Wow, I just wrote that??”

This, my friends, is inspired writing.

The Results

The next day, once the post was published, I found my intuition had not led me astray. Quickly, personal emails started coming in. Twitter started to bustle. And Facebook really began to work its magic.

In fact, in less than a 24-hour period, the post received over 1000 visits from Facebook alone.

For some of the bigger bloggers out there, this number may seem like chicken-feed, but for me it was a big deal. After all, I usually get just under 1000 visits from Facebook over the course of an entire month.

Within 72 hours, the post had become my #1 trafficked article ever on The Sales Lion, and had also been tweeted and ‘liked’ more than any other previous post. Furthermore, it was a lightning-rod for private emails of people telling me how it how touched them in some way, with the word ‘inspired’ coming up again and again.

Just Start Writing

I don’t say these things with any intent to brag here my friends, I only mention them to make this critical point:

If I hadn’t started writing, the inspiration never would have occurred, and none of the ‘good stuff’ would have ever happened.

Seriously, think about that for a second.

How many times have you said to yourself: “Oh, I really don’t have anything good to talk about today and so therefore I’m not going to blog.”

We’ve all been there—every single one of us.

Last Monday night, as I was discussing this subject with my wife Nikki, it would have been very, very easy to simply ‘pass’ on the article and look for lightning in a bottle some other day. The inspiration, at least at first, didn’t appear to be present.

But again, that’s not how inspiration normally works. In fact, the idea (shared by many) that we should only write and blog ‘when we feel inspired’ or ‘have something amazing to say’ is a complete falsehood, and it’s certainly not the M.O. of the majority of the greatest writers and bloggers in the world today.

The Key

So here’s my 2012 writing advice to you:

1. Set a writing/blogging schedule.

2. When the time comes, open up your laptop.

3. Once open, start hitting keys.

As for the ‘inspiration’, well I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if it decides to join the party.

Your Turn:

You’ve heard my take, and now I’d love to hear yours. Do you only write ‘when inspired’ or do you find keeping a schedule and sticking to it is the best strategy? Also, what are the things that inspire you the most with respect to writing and blogging?

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20 Life-Changing Habits That Will Make 2012 Your Best Year Ever

Marcus Sheridan — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:20:26 +0000

Well folks, it’s the week of goals, dreams, and the magic of thinking big. With the New Year here, it’s a fresh start for all of us, and I know many of you are hoping to make 2012 your greatest year ever.

This past year for me was a special and memorable one, and I’ve decided to make a list today of the habits, behaviors, and actions that made such a year possible, as the momentum seems to keep growing by the day.

Instead of listing all the things you should be doing to make this year great, I want to talk about the things you may want to consider stopping as this new year rolls forward. I’ve been working on every single one of these habits for well over a year now, and I’d strongly urge you to consider each, as their impact on my life has been unbelievable.

But if you feel like some of these suggestions don’t apply to your situation, then happily chuck them aside and move on to the next one.

Here goes….

20 Life-Changing Habits That Will Make 2012 Your Best Year Ever

1. Stop Thinking you can do this alone

That’s right, you can’t. We all have weakness, and we all need others to reach our full potential. Behind every great man and woman there are multiple pillars of support in the shadows.

Since the very beginning of time, man was not meant to be alone, and this principle has not changed whatsoever these many, many years.

2. Stop telling people, including yourself, that you’re tired

Seriously, how many times have you made this statement in your life? For some folks, it’s their natural response to being asked, “How are you?”

But the hard truth is no one cares that you or I are tired. By verbalizing the feeling it not only becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, but it also brings others down in the process.

3. Stop Worry About Stupid Numbers that Don’t Matter, Like Klout

I personally talked with Joe Fernandez, founder of Klout recently. Here was our conversation:

Me: Joe, your system interests me, it’s visionary, and I can see why many people put so much stock in Klout scores. Notwithstanding, if I’m going to be busting my tail anyway, I don’t think it really matters if I know my Klout score or not, which is why I see no need to check it. What’s your take?

Joe: Actually, that’s very true.

The time has come for all of us to stop worrying about so many metrics that don’t really mean a darn thing. In business, we should be worrying about customers and profits. In life, we should be worried about peace, happiness, and fulfillment. The rest, too often, is simply empty noise.

(Oh, and if you don’t know what Klout is, don’t bother looking it up, as it doesn’t matter)

4. Stop Watching the News

I don’t care if you’re republican, democrat, whatever—the news stinks. I stopped watching it a little over a year ago and I became a happier person. The moment I realized 99.9% of what I was watching was outside my circle of influence, I happily let it sail off into the sunset without me.

(Note*** Just because you don’t watch the news, doesn’t mean you’re not informed or don’t care about the world. You’ll be amazed at how the news will still find you if you adhere to what I’m suggesting here.)

5. Stop Allowing Yourself To Get Pinged to Death

I laugh when people tell me they can handle writing a blog post while having their phone go off with every text message, email, etc. Fact is, we all grossly over-estimate our ability to ‘multitask’. In fact, because we can only have one thought in our head at a time, the idea of multi-tasking, for the most part, is a complete myth.

A few months ago I turned my phone on silent. No longer do I hear any pings. I check it every 30-60 minutes as needed, but it no longer runs my life.

Do yourself a favor and take charge of the technology, noise, and distractions in your life. I can assure you, it will make all the difference in the world.

6. Stop Wasting Your Vehicle Time

Most people will not agree with this statement, but the majority of radio we listen to in the car is a complete waste of brain cells. Yes, music can be nice and soothing, but so can an inspirational or educational podcast, so can a book on CD, and so can silent meditation.

This past year I listened to well over 50 books, plus hundreds of talks and seminars, while looking through the windshield of my vehicle—and what a difference it made in my day to day thoughts and emotions.

7. Stop Waiting to Ask Others for Forgiveness

If there is anyone in life that you’ve had a falling out with, the time to carry that weight around with you must come to an end. Call the person. Whether you were wrong or not, ask for forgiveness. Just let it go. Let me assure you it will be one of the most empowering and enlightening experiences of your life.

8. Stop Saying Yes to Every ‘Opportunity’

The more successful you become, the more you’ll need to say ‘no’ to others. I never understood this principle until the magic of momentum came into my life so strongly in 2011, but today I find myself saying ‘no’ much more than I say ‘yes’.

9. Stop Trying to Be Everything to Everybody

Remember our little conversation about ‘knowing your shtick’? In business and in life, the quickest way to unhappiness and frustration is by trying to be everything to everybody.

Accept the fact that you’re just not a good fit with certain people.

Accept the reality that your business wasn’t meant to do certain things.

Just be good at being you. Embrace who and what that is, and run with it without looking back.

10. Stop Waiting for Your ‘Big Break’, It Doesn’t Exist

I used to say to myself, “I think this might be my big break” whenever something ‘great’ would happen. But shortly thereafter, things would get back to normal and I’d realize the ‘big-break’ was just another small step in the path towards reaching my goals.

Today, I don’t think about ‘big breaks’ any longer. I solely try to string as many consistent positive moments together, day after day, with the hopes that eventually it will snowball into the success vision that I currently have in my head.

11. Stop Reading This Blog If You Haven’t Ever Applied Anything I’ve Said

No, I’m not kidding. If you’ve been reading this blog for months or years and still have yet to apply what you’ve read, I beg you to unsubscribe this second and go do something that really matters.

12. Stop Trying to Be on Every Social Media Platform

You can’t be Mr. Twitter, Mr. Facebook, Mr. LinkedIn, Mr.Google +, Mr. Blog, and Mr. “Soup of the Day” social media platform. It simply doesn’t work like that. Again, know your shtick. Don’t be a jack of all trades and master of none. Find greatness in at least one area first and then move on.

13. Stop Denying Your Spiritual Side

I don’t care if you’re Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, whatever—the spiritual stuff matters. Finding happiness in life is about achieving balance on an emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual level. More and more, people are thinking they don’t need to lean on their spiritual roots to reach their potential, but the reality is we all need to look up a little more often and ‘return to source’.

14. Stop Doing What You’ve Been Prompted a Hundred Times to Stop Doing

I’m not going to tell you what this one is because it’s your prompting, not mine. I just know you keep getting it. So do I. Now let’s stop making excuses and tackle the dang thing, shall we??

15. Stop Telling Yourself Why It Won’t Work

Was I ready to start The Sales Lion when I did? Heck no. There were a million reasons why the timing was bad, why the resources just weren’t yet there, and why my lack of knowledge would hinder success.

But I did it anyway, and it was the greatest business decision of my life.

Stop counting the reasons why that prompting you’ve been getting won’t work. Now start counting the reasons why it will be a success.

And when you’re done, go launch that baby.

16. Stop Agreeing With Other People So Much

The time has come to question the status-quo. It’s also time to stop nodding your head ‘yes’ when your favorite friend, writer, or political leader says what’s good and what’s not good.

Listen to your gut. Give heed to your intuition. You were given that gift for a reason—to use it.

17. Stop Saying You’ll Start Eating Healthy and Losing Weight

Fact: No one ever lost any weight by talking about dieting.

So instead of talking about it, start eating less, working out more, and taking back control of your physical self.

18. Stop Texting and Driving

I’ll be honest in saying I used to have this problem, but I got tired of seeing and hearing about people dying due to distracted driving. Today, I drive with my phone on silent and despite the fact that I don’t answer my messages in real-time, life still finds a way manage OK.

19. Stop Consuming So Much Information without Doing Anything

Seriously, do you really think that next eBook for $27.99 is going to tell you way more than you already know? It amazes me how many people would rather ‘consume’ all day than actually apply the teachings they’ve been reading and hearing again and again and again.

The fact is most of us don’t need any more information, we just need to actually do something.

20. Stop Waiting to Tell Those You Most Care About How Much You Love Them

I’m serious about this one. Many of you know what I’m talking about because you’ve recently experienced the death of a loved one.

One of the greatest moments of my life was when I wrote my grandfather a very long letter, expressing my deepest personal feelings and sentiments, shortly before he died a few years ago. I cannot imagine the regret I would have had I not listened to the prompting I received and written him that letter.

Your Turn

So those are the 20 actions I’ve taken in my life that have made all the difference, but like any list, there is always more. If you’ve enjoyed this article, I’d ask that you share it with a friend or consider leaving a comment below answering this question– What action have you recently stopped doing that has made a positive difference in your life?

As always, your thoughts and opinions matter, so feel free to leave them below.

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Merry Christmas from The Sheridan Clan!

Marcus Sheridan — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:38:48 +0000

Daniell, JT, Pink, Larsen, and Nikki all signed the poster card.

Thank you all for your incredible support this year. Here is to an amazing 2012 for all of us.

With Love and Appreciation,

Marcus

5 Magical Moments Blogging Brought Me in 2011

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:38:49 +0000

We all hear about the benefits of blogging. Yes, it can generate traffic to our website. Yes it can induce more leads and sales. And yes, blogging can make some, if not a lot, of money.

But today I’d like to submit that there is also a magical side of blogging most folks generally overlook. Frankly, the big reward here often times has nothing to do with dollar bills. No, it’s much, much more than that.

When I look back on what has transpired for me in 2011, I can only smile in awe of what has took place these past 365 days. Without question, it has been an amazing year on many levels, but much of the blessings have been a direct result of the labors I’ve put in here with The Sales Lion.

So to paint this picture clearer, here are my top 5 magical moments I received from my blog in 2011, and when I’m done, I’d love to hear yours as well.

1. Meeting a Hero, Fulfilling a Dream

A while back I mentioned in a post that I met one of my heroes, Tony Caridi (The radio voice of the West Virginia Mountaineers), when he contacted me to help him better leverage Hubspot and have more success with his inbound marketing. When I went out to meet with Tony and his staff, not only did he give me a full tour of everything WVU, but weeks later I also ended up sitting with him in the press box for the biggest game of the season, WVU vs. LSU. Although we didn’t win the game, it was an experience I’ll never forget. And one last thing—The video you see in the upper right hand side of this page was produced by Tony’s company as well, something that was done in a trade, and an element of this site that has generated many more speaking opportunities for me since.

Sitting in the Pressbox of the WVU vs. LSU game

2. 25 Minutes in Cleveland That Changed Everything

I’ve talked a few times about some of the experiences I had at Content Marketing World this year, but without question that one event, and the short 25 minute presentation I gave, were a quantum leap in my career.

The events of CMW lead to multiple other speaking engagements, including Blog World LA and the Mesh Conference in Canada. But more importantly, during my time in Cleveland I established relationships with some really, really amazing people, like Amy Porterfield, Michael Stelzner, Joe Pulizzi, CC Chapman, Deb Ng, Jay Baer, and others.

Standing with Joe Pulizzi at Content Marketing World

3. Canadians are Awesome

As I mentioned in #2, a few months ago I spoke at the Mesh Marketing event in Toronto Canada. Although I’ve had fun just about everywhere I’ve spoken these past few years, none were quite like Mesh, which I owe to the fact that Canadians are passionate about social media (at least in Toronto) like I am about bacon for every meal . As I explained in my “Twitter is the Greatest Feedback Tool in the World’ article, the reaction I got from that event, and the people I met, were all unforgettable.

Like I said, Canadians are awesome

4. A Simple Trip to Michigan

One of the great parts of this blog and what I do is the fact that companies hire me to come out and speak to their organization about the power of inbound and content marketing. Although I did this a few times this year, one that really stands out is my trip to Lansing Michigan when I met with the folks from Block Imaging. To make a long story short, after speaking and conversing with their staff over the course of an entire day, I truly came to care about their people, their vision, and the integrity they stand for as a company. Months later, I’m still closely following their marketing progress and keeping in touch with some of their employees.

Speaking in Michigan, a truly rewarding experience

5. Boston Baby!

Another opportunity that came from this blog in 2011 was speaking at the Hubspot User Conference in Boston. As everyone knows, I have strong feelings about the power of Hubspot and Inbound Marketing, and so getting a chance to help fellow Hubspotters on a large yet personal level is very rewarding.

But not only that, after I gave my seminar and went out for a bite to eat, I realized the Boston Red Sox were playing, so my business partner Jason and I walked down to famous Fenway to see the historic structure.

Minutes later, as I described in much detail here, Jason and I had walked straight through the gates without paying and found a seat next to the famous ‘Green Monster’ in left field, which was a moment neither one of us will ever forget.

Nothing like just walking into historic Fenway Park

5.5 When Online Friends Become ‘Real Life Friends’

I know I only said there would be 5 magical moments listed here, but I’d be very remiss if I didn’t mention the relationships I formed with some incredible people online this past year. For example, when I attended Blog World New York, I finally was able to catch up in person with two of my favorite online people(and super-talented bloggers): Gini Dietrich and John Falchetto.

Myself, Gini Dietrich, and John Falchetto in NYC

Meeting Gini and John only solidified what I already knew—Online relationships can be very, very real, especially when properly nurtured over time.

In reality, I could mention many other wonderful people I’ve formed strong relationships with this year because of this blog, but I’m sure you understand my point. In fact, I’d imagine that if you’ve been blogging long enough, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Again, It Isn’t Just About the Money

20 years from now, when I look back on 2011, one thing I know for certain is that money will not be the first thing to come to mind. Yes, this year was a financial success, but the magical moments, smiling faces, and relationships built will make up the memories that will stand the test of time.

As for 2012, I simply can’t wait to turn the page and see how the wonderful story continues to unfold.

Your Turn:

So those are my magical moments that resulted from my blog in 2011, now I’d love to hear a few of yours. Whether it was a business blessing, a personal lesson, or something very simple—Please share with the community here a blessing or two your received from blogging this past year.

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