This is how collaborative ideation and innovation works in the age of cognitive surplus.
- On Thursday, Seth Godin backed my official hashtags for books idea after my friend Chris Johnson pinged him about it.
- Throughout that evening and over the weekend, authors and publishers stopped by to tell me that they would be implementing the idea in their current and future projects, and about some of the related efforts that had been tried in the past (see the Twitter stream on the official page of #brandexpedition for a great example).
- Amit made a case for page-by-page hashtags, and I met him half way, arguing that chapter-by-chapter would work better.
- Michael L.wrote a tongue-in-cheek open letter to Jeff Bezos asking for the ability to follow and contribute to book-specific hashtag conversations via Kindle (awesome idea), and AJ Fisher echoed this request on Twitter.
- Michael V. imagined how publishers might benefit by curating these conversations on-site, and adding QR codes to the mix.
- Jim Benson shared his thoughts that the uniqueness and brevity of #pkflow were “instrumental in building community and conversation” around his book Personal Kanban, and that he started using this hashtag while the book was still being written.
And then Aidan built an entire website based on the idea, which I think is the ultimate testimony to the speed of ideation, innovation and implementation that we see today. In his words:
I think this is a great idea and have set up the site http://bookhashtags.com to try and curate a set of “official” hashtags for books.
This should help people to find the hashtags people are recommending for use with a specific book.
The site stores tweets so unlike a Twitter search which only returns the last couple of days of tweets for a hashtag the site will provide a more persistent record of the conversations taking place around a book.
It’s hard to imagine a better response to an idea I sketched out in about an hour. At the risk of being reported for humble bragging, I’m extremely grateful to everyone who picked up the ball and started running with it. Let’s keep working on this together.
Update: Welcome, Domino Project readers! I’m honored that Seth Godin chose to highlight this idea , and I love the response I’ve seen on Twitter. In fact, let’s try something: If you would like to tweet about this post, please use #htagbooks and follow me (@be3d). Let’s innovate together.
The other day I tweeted out an idea, and quickly received a burst of encouraging responses. I was on to something. The idea I shared was that all books should have official hashtags so that people can discuss what they’re reading as they’re doing so. This would serve both authors and readers remarkably well.
Readers would have access to a sort of whenever-you-care-to-contribute book club, where they could discuss the content, share related links and recommendations, and–perhaps the most appealing feature to me–add people with similar interest graphs to their social networks. Because the niche community would form on Twitter, an existing social network, it would be far likelier to reach the activity level at which online communities become sustainable and vibrant, unlike siloed, built-from-scratch communities like private forums, where the barriers to entry deter many from joining what they see as “yet another” social network.
Authors would stand to gain even more. By facilitating the foundation and growth of these hashtag communities, authors would be tapping into a goldmine of word of mouth, reader loyalty, consumer data, actionable feedback, jacket-worthy praise, and of course, book sales from new readers who learn of an author’s work through related activity on Twitter. A fan base like that can’t be bought, and can rarely be built.
These official hashtags should be promoted in all pre- and post-launch marketing materials, interviews, appearances, etc. But the books themselves need to feature hashtags even more prominently: at page tops, in introductions, even on covers. By promoting the hashtag so visibly, authors signal to readers that there is a community out there of fellow readers to engage with, and that all they need to join is a Twitter account and this hashtag. After inviting readers, the next step is making sure they won’t be showing up to a lame party. Authors should rally their core supporters to start using the hashtag in discussing the book as soon as possible to seed the community with killer content that will make newcomers feel welcome and pique their interest. Make it irresistible for them to dive right into a vibrant conversation, instead of asking them to create the first content.
But I haven’t yet mentioned the move that will catapult authors onto another rung of social success altogether: Showing up. Imagine an author being able to play a central role in the book clubs that have chosen his or her work, to participate in a way that invigorates discussion and thrills attendees. That’s the opportunity authors have in the era of the hashtag. For readers to know that their thoughts and ideas will even reach an author is a powerful incentive to participate and keep coming back. If authors take it just one step further and participate themselves, they’ll have their readers hooked.
Here’s a quick example of how it would work, from the reader’s perspective.
I pick up a book that outlines the creative processes and project management systems in play at ten successful startups. My goal as a reader is to learn from the best, and to implement an optimized creative process at my own workplace. The unique hashtag is hard to miss; it’s on the jacket, at the top of each page, and there’s even a one-page overview devoted to its use before the introduction. Out of curiosity, I search Twitter for the book’s hashtag before I read chapter one. There’s a lively discussion going on about the tips and systems dealt with in the book. I dive in, tweeting my observations, my questions and my criticisms throughout. Responses from other readers fuel this participation, and our shared interest in this topic and book motivates me to expand my social network by following them. The conversation doesn’t stop when I’m done reading. To the contrary, I’ve begun implementing some of the project management techniques outlined in the book, and I’m eager to share the results with the hashtag community. My feedback—both positive and negative—is often met by a response from the author, who offers additional insight and answers the community’s questions as they arise. Needless to say, her participation increases mine, as well as the likelihood that I would recommend her work to a friend or colleague, and the likelihood that I would buy her next book.
This hashtag strategy relies on the same dynamics that fuel social media success in general: two-way conversation, real-time communication and the power of positive word of mouth. As both a reader and an aspiring author, I’m looking forward to seeing how it can enrich the printed word.
Have you seen this done? Please point me to examples in the comments below, and share any additional thoughts you have on the subject.
A year and six days ago, I started a dream job. I got creative and worked hard to get it, and knowing this made it all the more sweet. I’m still at Bazaarvoice, and I still feel like pinching myself on occasion. This is a job that has allowed me to work with people like Sam Decker, to help shape the brand of a company that defined its own space—to feel, for the first time in my 26 years, like a person worth looking up to.
I know that having Bazaarvoice in my email address and in my Twitter bio has given me access to some people that would have otherwise given me little of their attention. Those aren’t the people I care to deal with anyway, but it’s always not so easy to pick them out (and trying to do so is a tremendous waste of time).
One of the questions I’ve heard more than any other in the last year is, “how’d you land that ____?” At first, the blank was almost always filled with “gig” or “job”. But lately, it has been filled with “guest post,” or “shout out,” or “meeting.”
I heard the question when Augie Ray mentioned me in the same tweet as Jeremiah Owyang, Steve Rubel and other social leaders. I heard it the first time I guest wrote for Jay Baer, and when I did so for Brian Solis. I nearly asked it myself when sitting down to lunch with Shel Israel. You can bet I heard it when part of my conversation with David Armano made it into Harvard Business Review.
Luckily, it’s an easy one to answer: I earned it all by building relationships. It was pretty fun, too. I chatted with them on Twitter, commented on their blogs and made sure they knew who I was.
People ask the question quite innocently—they’re excited for me, or they want to do something similar. But many that ask it seem to think there just has to be something going on behind the scenes, or something else at play for whatever it is they’re asking about to happen.
Most of the time, there isn’t. Stop looking for shortcuts. Focus on crafting valuable content, build a network of people who give a damn, and look for opportunities to take the next step.
Earn the relationships and the rest will follow.
Here are some things I’ve written lately:
Will Augmented Reality filter out serendipity?
Interview: Guy Kawasaki on reciprocity, influencers, ecosystems and the art of enchantment
Sometimes, even those of us who “do” social media for a living become a little jaded after hearing so much unqualified talk, hyperbole and cheer-leading. It comes with the territory, I suppose. After a few big wins, it takes just a bit more to get me really excited. But David Armano and the Harvard Business Review have done exactly that, and I’m incredibly honored. In this month’s issue of the Harvard Business Review (print edition), you’ll find a blog comment of mine reprinted on page 22, followed by David’s response. The comment (one of 92 on the post!) was originally left on his thoughtful post Six Social Media Trends for 2011, and led to a meaty little discussion between David, myself and other HBR.org readers.
The thread, and the guidance it lent to my planning of Bazaarvoice’s 2011 social media strategy, was extremely valuable in and of itself. But the fact that the editors of one of the most respected business publications in the world found it worthy of another look reinforced my belief in the power of blog comments, in particular, as a means of being seen and heard by those that are otherwise difficult to get in front of. Comments also give you the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise in a low-intensity, conversational manner. In a way, they’re even a means of guest blogging on top sites without having to make it through the various gatekeepers that guard their content. As if to illustrate my point, the link in the second sentence of this paragraph is to a piece that I originally sent to HBR as a guest post–I didn’t hear back (though I was thrilled Brian Solis ran it on his blog).
The first time my commenting strategy was publicly validated, I was in an entirely different role in an entirely different industry. But the importance of blog comments to relationship building–still the main reason I do it–hasn’t changed at all.
What is your commenting strategy? What results have you seen?
Instead of posting an excerpt of my recent guest post for Brian Solis, here’s an imaginary anecdote to illustrate the phenomenon I’m discussing in the piece:
Imagine you are a B2B company, and Best Buy is one of your hottest prospects. As with many B2B vendors, marketing executives are the ultimate decision-makers for what you sell. So, you take a traditional approach at first to reaching out to Best Buy’s marketing personnel. You call in, trying to access the top levels of the organization, starting with Barry Judge, their CMO. Predictably, you encounter several obstacles to contacting him by phone. In fact, you’re not even able to leave him a voice mail, as a receptionist informs you he doesn’t take unrequested calls from vendors as per policy (again, this is imagined–not saying Best Buy does this). You then try to call others near the top of the marketing ladder, only to encounter the same walls. Switching to email, you find several emails of Best Buy marketing managers on a list that you’ve purchased from another vendor. You make each message personal and unique, and you don’t blast them all at once. And yet, you receive not one response.
Then you switch gears. You decide to go social. Using a tool like FollowerWonk, you search Twitter for users that have “BestBuy” in their bios. Right at the top you find @BestBuyCMO, Barry Judge’s account. You follow him of course, deciding to engage with him about what he’s tweeting about, as opposed to what you want from him. The fifth time you mention him or retweet him, he thanks you. The tenth time, he carries on the conversation for a few more tweets. He might know your Twitter handle, but he probably doesn’t know what you’re selling, and it’s unlikely at this point that he’ll dig deeper.
You then notice that the link in his Twitter bio doesn’t go to a Best Buy website, but to his own blog. In the last two months, he’s written five posts. The average comment count is around 6. He personally responds to a few of them. Because you’re not stupid, you decide that you want to leave an intelligent comment or two on his blog. Every time you do so, you reason, he’ll get an email notification, complete with your name, comment, and a link to your company’s website or your Twitter profile. And because he’s interested in what people think of his posts, he reads these emails. He responds to your comment.
You wait a few days and try emailing him again. This time, you take the time to personalize the message even more, telling him how you really enjoyed his post and maybe even adding further thoughts on it to kick off the message. This time, he opens it. He recognizes your name from your combined Twitter and blog comment efforts, and he liked what you had to say through both channels. He responds, and eventually you set up a meeting.
Now, ask yourself: At what point does the scenario I described here stop being possible? Why? I explore this question in When Will the Social Media Gatekeepers Arrive? Enjoy, and please share and comment if you think it adds to the conversation!
Special thanks to Barry Judge for being a great example of how CMOs can get social.
Despite the lack of new posts here—Jesus, it’s been more than a month!—I’m doing quite well, thank you very much. My writing cadence hasn’t actually slowed down, either. I’ve forced myself to prioritize, and the mental math looks like this:
- I like when people read my writing
- My employer benefits (inbound contacts, 3rd party coverage, etc.) when I post on their blog, and also when I guest post on 3rd party blogs
- Tons of people read Bazaarblog and blogs like Convince and Convert, SME and MarketingProfs
- This blog’s audience is far, far more…intimate
- So, it makes more sense for me to write original content for other blogs
My words go farther elsewhere. As much as I like you, dear reader, you can still read my stuff on other blogs. Here’s how I’m going to make sure you see it: I’ll post links to it, and summaries, right here.
So this blog’s not dead yet. And I am very much alive. But this will become more of a curation of my writing around the web. Perhaps I’ll post exclusive content when it just wouldn’t fit elsewhere. You’re cool with that, right? Glad to hear it. Cheers!
Bonus! A few links to recent pieces I’ve written:
- 4 social-savvy ways to promote your brand without shouting (Bazaarblog)
- Why Quora will thrive long after the buzz wears off (Bazaarblog)
- Rocket Content – Your B2B Secret Weapon (Convince & Convert)
- Can Your Company Be Customer-Centric If Your Blog Isn’t? (Social Media Explorer)
- 4 Secrets to Killer Content Management for Your Corporate Blog (MP Daily Fix)
I’m incredibly grateful for my loyal readers, and all I’m asking is that they follow me a few clicks away now and then. If there’s anything y’all need, ping away.
Flickr photo credit: chrisstreeter
Before you read the three techniques below, let me give you what we might call a “meta-tip” about getting your words on the blogs you want to guest for. It’s really nothing new, but it needs to be stressed because its neglect is often at the root of failed guest blogging strategies. The quality of your content matters less than the quality of your relationships. If you don’t take the time to build meaningful ties with top bloggers, they won’t even look at your content. Comment on their blogs. Make an effort to meet them at events. Chat with them on Twitter.
The name in the “From” field matters more than the attachment.
If you’ve taken the time to earn their attention, they’ll read what you’ve sent them. If not, they won’t. With me? Rad. Let’s get our strategy on.
Tactic 1: Craft your content legacy
Think of every guest post as an opportunity to build your content portfolio. Even if you’re not yet writing on the rung of the blog ladder that you’d like to reach, you’re stringing together a solid blogging history that will help you hone your skill set, build name recognition and gain the trust of the guys who hold the keys to the blogs you really want to be on. Many of them will also come across your content on the blogs they themselves read. I was surprised to learn this year that a top blogger I was hoping to write for was already familiar with my stuff; he had read it elsewhere, and so he was that much more receptive to my proposed post.
Tactic 2: Leave them without a reason to say no
Writing is work, and it often feels that way. The fact that top bloggers have built an audience hungry for fresh posts is both a blessing and a curse for them. To keep up, they need to put out a lot of content in relatively rapid succession, and it can distract them from other things they need to focus on. They’re actually grateful for the right guest posts because they keep the engine running—traffic still flows to and through their site, their readers get more of what they want and they benefit as much as you do.
Never, ever ask someone to “allow” you to guest post as a “favor.” Guest blogging done properly is a mutually-beneficial arrangement in which a known blogger gets free, killer content while the guest blogger gets a chance to talk to a new audience, associate themselves with a thought leader and grab a few powerful links back to his or her site.
Make it effortless for them to say yes. Send them completed pieces that require very little copyediting and revision. Attach your headshot and include the byline you’d like to see on the post, complete with links.
Tactic 3: Help them expand on emerging themes
When top blogs start to post on topics they haven’t written much about, you should jump at the opportunity to contribute early on, especially if it’s something you’ve been writing about for a while. They’ll normally be more receptive because they’ll need to reach a critical mass of content on the subject before they start to get recognized for it. For example, if you notice a blogger that usually focuses on B2C marketing is venturing into B2B territory, they’ll likely be more receptive to posts about the latter. You’re helping them dig a foothold in what’s likely a competitive space, and they might even invite you back for more.
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably seen me raving about Microsoft Kinect, the motion-detecting hardware add-on for the Xbox 360. In a clear jab at Wii, Microsoft claims that with Kinect, “You are the controller.” Here’s a video that conveys that messaging:
While one might assume that the video is a jazzed-up simulation, a bit of marketing that exaggerates Kinect’s core capabilities, they’d be wrong. And that’s what’s so surprising about the device and everything Microsoft has built around it. It works exactly like it’s supposed to, and perhaps, better than most expected it to.
Here’s a formula I’ve been kicking around:
Back-end technological leaps forward + improbable intuitiveness = landmark product
Let’s break it down with Kinect as a reference.
Kinect is a tech leap forward because, among other things, it is being embraced and experimented with by even the most hardcore “professional nerds” and recognized innovators. Quite simply, there’s nothing else like it available to the average consumer.
Kinect is improbably intuitive because it requires no explanation. Showing it to my family a few days ago, I realized how different it was from all the other advanced devices I’ve bored them to death with over the years. They all required extensive set up, explanation, and training. Here’s what Kinect required (playing the sports game):
- Stand in front of TV
- Bowl
That was it. Everyone instantly got it. My 87-year-old grandmother bowled a strike on her first roll. I didn’t have to “sell” Kinect—I didn’t need to explain why it’s an advancement, why my generation likes it, or why it beats competitors like Wii. They just got it, right away.
This is the formula that has made Apple the success that it is. From the Newton to the iPad, Apple has understood that technological advancement is only half the battle when it comes to innovation that wins in the market. The other half is an intuitiveness that is almost itself perplexing—how does that beautiful, rail-thin iPad pack than much of a punch?
Products that are too complex from a usability standpoint will never see mass adoption. Products that are too simple, lacking powerful functionality, will never wow consumers. With Kinect, Microsoft has struck the rarest of balances—one between complexity and simplicity, without compromise. I have no doubt it will pay off in spades.
The barriers have been smashed. Start acting like it. (Flickr photo credit: sheeshoo)
Let me share something with you. The biggest difference between those that are finding social media success and those that aren’t is that the latter see traditional barriers where they no longer exist. In the world before social media, barriers were everywhere. They took the form of gatekeepers and rules of conduct that blocked access to those who, at least in part, held the power to change things for us. They were erected by people who could not be bothered, and it was normally only those with an almost absurd amount of drive or the means to pull strings that could shatter them.
Of course you have to work your ass off to be successful in your social media efforts, but hard work alone won’t cut it. Start acting like you’re already there.
- Don’t be afraid to write about subjects you’re still learning. What matters is that you’re adding to the conversation when others are holding back and adding nothing.
- Read what those you admire read. You’ll start understanding how they think, and you’ll be able to engage with them about things you know they find interesting.
- Disagree openly with them when they give you reason to. Understand that 99% of the people trying to get in front of them do so by publicly agreeing with everything they utter, retweeting everything and sucking up in general. Be part of the 1% that tells them the truth when they’re wrong, and you’ll earn their attention and respect.
- Click send. The worst thing you can do is ask yourself, “Who am I kidding?” It’s strange as hell seeing my writing on blogs like Convince and Convert and MarketingProfs, but if I didn’t stop worrying about whether it was really good enough, if I didn’t click send, it wouldn’t have happened at all.
The delta between our aspirations and our reality might be wide, but we have more ways than ever to navigate it. Write about what you want to become known for and it will begin to read like the writing of someone who’s already recognized. Engage with those you admire without worrying about if they’ll pay attention, and eventually they will. The barriers are in your head.
Flickr image credit: euart
I’m fortunate to know some incredibly creative people that constantly raise the bar for me when it comes to social. Aaron Strout is one of them, and his Brand Haiku project’s beauty lies in its simplicity–I guess that’s because anything else wouldn’t align with the spirit of Haiku! Here’s his description of the project:
The goal is to write a haiku about a recent brand experience — good or bad.
And here’s my entry:
Buying two new suits
Zara, a word of mouth rec
Tailored service win
Here’s where I’m supposed to link to the next blogger on the list, but I’m not on the list yet, so I get to link to Jay Baer at the top of the list (who already inspires me on a near-daily basis). And because he always goes above and beyond, Jay delivers a bonus Haiku for your Zen pleasure. In that spirit, I’ll share a Haiku I had already written about the brand I work for:
Don’t fear disruption
Bazaarvoice, a bullet train
You and I, the rails
Share your Brand Haiku and a link to it on your blog in the comments here and I’ll be sure to link to you as well.
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