Brazen Careerist v2.0: A Love Affair

I love Brazen Careerist, but I think I could love it more, if....

Tonight, my network (The Modern Strategist) had a video conference to discuss the best ways to improve, market and advertise Brazen Careerist in 2010.

Here's what we came up with and why:

• Be clear about Brazen's unique features and niche.  Suggested tagline: "Brazen Careerist- Social Media Networking for Young, Ambitious Professionals."  Push Feature Example: "Join specialized, intimate conversations without 140 character limits!"

• Encourage members to invite other YOUNG, AMBITIOUS PROFESSIONALS...not just everyone on their contact list.  Preserve the niche!  Example invite template: "Hey NAME!  Are you struggling with a new job, hopeless job search or unknown personal brand?  ME TOO!  Join thousands of other young, ambitious professionals who share your pain!  LINK"

• Expand Brazen Careerist features to include: Video Conferencing, Live Network Chat, Dropdown/Expandable Fan Feed and New Member Mentorship Programs.  Let us meet all our professional networking needs within the B.C. site!

• Feature more than just writers!  Give network leaders the ability to choose an MVP to be featured on the homepage.  This would reward the readers, too!

I'm sure there are more ideas out there...  What other improvements make smart business sense?

Crickets!

So, I have been away from the computer for about a month now.  Life has been insane.  I got a new job as a Casino Host at the Hard Rock in Tampa, and I've been house shopping for weeks.  Now that things are slower, I can be getting back to normal.  I just wanted to apologize to my readers for the hiatus.
-Amanda Fox

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All on-topic questions will be answered with a video or blog post!  I'll tell you what I think you should do and how to do it without wasting money.  Think of it as a free consultation.  No commute and no strings attached.

Things I Adore: Part 5

Natural Photographs

I read another blog article about Elles' use of untouched and make-up free photographs in a recent issue.  How fantastic!  Too often, we forget that the models and actors/actresses in magazines don't really look that smooth and blemish-free.  They have moles, warts and pimples just like you and me.

While it's important to put your best foot forward; do you need a new face too?  I recently tested this with a couple of my own photographs.  I ran them through photoshop.  Here are the before and after effects:

I guess I'm lucky because there isn't too much to cover, but even so...  I like my real face.  Yes, I have a few freckles and a flat mole on my nose, but they add character.  What is so wrong about being unique anyway?  Why airbrush out the features that make you different?

Do you like au natural?

Things I Adore: Part 4

Color!

Why You Need It In Advertising and Marketing.

Made you look.

Color has a way of catching the eye.  It's undeniable.  I could link hundreds of resources that point to that fact, but you know it's true.  That's why color costs extra. It's special.  It makes your message special.  It shows that you love your product enough to be bold.

Recently I created a quick flyer for one of my clients.  I asked if there was a specific color palate that suited the current scheme and I was told to use whatever colors I felt suited the project.  So I did.  Three hours later, the client was graced with a beautiful deep purple and silver flyer that spoke to his target audience.  The next morning I had a message saying that it wasn't printing right, so I called my client... They're printing it in the office in black and white!  I told them I'd grayscale it and slammed the phone down in a huff.

It isn't smart business.  My clients' target audience consists of image-conscious middle to upper-class African-American men between the ages of 25 and 40.,  Which flyer says I'm your target and "I care about how I'm seen by others" so "I can afford to treat myself," the black or color? (Name of business, logo and address cropped out to protect my client.)

It's worth the extra money to send the right message.  Saving on the color now, won't save you money in the long run. Prove my point or argue against my intuition: Which ad has the most impact?

As a side note, I have really enjoyed having an excuse to toss cutesy color into my blog posts.

The Group Administrators' Lament

Forlorn! the very act is living hell

To toll for hours for thee by my sole self!

New! the fancy cannot post so well

As we are told to do, digital shelf.

New! new! thy informative anthem fades

Past the near forums, over the data stream,

Up the server-side; and now ’tis archived deep

In the fray, a search-bot wades:

Was it a calling, or a pipe-smokers dream?

Gone is that drive:—Do I drift to sleep?

 -Original satiric poem, adapted from "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats

 

I feel it. The desperation. The loathing. The brewing hatred for all you consumers. You consume my sweat. My searching. My intellect.

Shame on you.

Every forum admin, group founder and blogger has his or her own version of this lament.  You feel what I feel. That dirty, sweaty sock under-the-bed feeling.  The feeling of being used.  You created a blog, a forum or a group to share. All you have to show for it is Take. 

Nine members, 50 members, 100 members strong; few give.  Few share. Most take.

They take your insights with every, "Great post. Informative."  They take your side with every, "I agree. Good post."  They take offense with every, "How dare you!? Moron."  But it's worse when they take your time.

"Nice topic you posted, admin. We'd have more to say about it if you take some more time to post more of your opinions."

Okay.

Two hours later, their request has been assuaged.  You wait. Two more hours, two more days and maybe even two more weeks.  Nothing. They took your time.  You sucker.  You fell for it, again.

Take heed, users. Takers. We're growing wise.  We're seeing through the mock concern, the faux interest and the self-righteous criticism.  We're not service providers. We're not here to make a digital storehouse of information for you to pillage.  You must share. You will share.  You will stop asking questions when you don't care about the answer.  You will stop reading and start discussing. You will back up your criticisms with facts from more than just Wikipedia.

Why?

'Cause the jig is up! We're on to you. We're watching you.  We have our clicker finger hovering over the ban-stick and we're not afraid to use it.

You've been warned.

Experiment: Webcam vs. Personal Brand

Will streaming every moment of my online day negatively impact my personal brand?
My experiment into the effects of live footage on personal branding.

This all started as a joke.  Then the joke got serious. Folks on Brazen Careerist were talking about 'showing the best possible' personal brand on social media. I postulated that too much deviation from ones' real self would have negative effects somewhere down the line.

The questions is: How real is too real?  Since a personal brand is about your professional self, I can automatically assume that a look into personal parts of my life is too much.  What I cooked for dinner and what movie I'm watching are not professional activities...so, what is?

Since I do a lot of consulting work online from my home office, that would be the best place to be transparent about my professional self.  The most transparent medium I can think of is live video. So, with the help of Twitcam, I will be broadcasting every moment of my professional day. Note: My feed is video only. Some of the conversations I have while working are privileged information, and I don't want to violate any NDA's.

Every time I start the feed, my Twitter followers will be notified. My Twitcam feed can also be viewed through my blog homepage. I'll be putting up a poll to see what viewers think about the feeds' effect on my personal brand.

So, leave me a comment. What do you think? Does my live-stream detract or add to my personal brand? Would you be more or less likely to hire me after viewing my feed?

Big Shot Blogger

Top-Shelf Personal Blogging Tips
A guest post by John Moore

Amanda, I wanted to start off by thanking you for the invitation to write a post for Strategic Fox.  I enjoy having the opportunity to engage people anywhere, anytime, and it was a pleasure writing this piece.

 

When it comes to the blogging process, I must remind you that there is no right approach.  However, if your goal is to engage in a dialog to share opinions and discussions, here is what I recommend:

 

• Determine what you are excited about.  Your passions; what you are interested in discussing with other users.  I have chatted with a lot of people who recommend a laser-like focus on one or two topics, if this is your passion, follow it.   I enjoy engaging on a fairly wide-range of topics and it has been successful, thus far.
• Define goals for your blog. Personal blogs, like corporate blogs, are often a means to an end.  My goals for social media usage are defined here.  A similar outline may help you measure the results of  your own social media efforts.
  
• Give yourself a target number of posts per week. I strongly urge you not to write a daily blog update, as you will burn out.  On the other hand, don't write a post once every two weeks.  Readers will not come back.  If feasible, try to write 2 or 3 times a week for your first couple of months.  As you enter the flow of blogging and begin to find your social voice, you will be able to determine a frequency that suits your life.
• Please, please, please....  Do not write a one-way blog. Comments are critical for engagement and engagement, in my opinion, is the only reason to develop a blog.  Unless you are an all-knowing being, keep comments open. Actively review and respond to your readers.  As you do this, people will return to your blog, both to agree and disagree with your opinions.  This is one of the most critical components for a new blogger, do not forget this please.
• Decide what PR channels you will utilize.  I recommend starting off with Twitter, LinkedIn Groups, Facebook, and Technorati.  You will get big bang for buck with LinkedIn Groups and Twitter in the short-term, while Technorati will provide longer term payback.

If your goal is to create a platform for social engagement, these tips will get you going in the right direction.  Do not get too discouraged when your posts get few views and do not get too excited when you write a post that produces a lot of discussion.  I have had a day with fewer than 50 views and a day with over 4600 views.  Remain calm with the Tao of blogging and follow the advice above.  Maybe one day you and I will be at the head of the virtual blogging classroom.

 

John Moore

http://johnfmoore.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/JohnFMoore

Things I Adore: Part 3

Blogs of Note:
Great blogs and how you can have one.

As the owner of a freshly-launched personal blog, I am vastly interested in top web publishers and their methods.  According to Technorati, the following is an accurate list of the five most popular blogs to date:


1. Boing Boing : A brain-child of Mark Frauenfelder and his wife Carla, Boing Boing started off as a magazine before it became a group blog in January 2000.  Together with four co-editors, Boing Boing promises to be a "directory of wonderful things" and delivers 'weird' to a Technorati fan-base of over 4,300 people.  Boing Boing works because it highlights strange and unique content on a consistent basis via staff and guest posts.

2. Problogger:  Darren Rowse launched his personal blog about life, faith and his hobby long before he ever thought he'd make money doing so.  Today, Problogger boasts a #2 ranking on Technorati with over 3, 800 fans.  Darren has lots to say about his journey, but  his most important lesson is 'slow and steady wins the race.'  Since 2002, Darren has brought his hobby from fun to profit through niche subject matter and genius marketing.

3. TechCrunch: This commercial blog is new in comparison to the top two, but it boasts over 3,600 fans on Technorati and profiles all things technology and business.  Started by Michael Arrington in 2005, TechCrunch has a dozen staff members working to keep the content fresh.  Their success stems from loyalty to their niche and expanded content offerings through The Crunch Network; several sub-blogs that target different tech genres.

4.  Lifehacker:  With just over 3,080 Technorati fans, Lifehacker has provided a steady stream of 'life-simplification tips' via web since 2005.  With over 18 updates per weekday, visitors can always find ways to streamline their routine.  Lifehacker is one of many blogs owned by Gawker Media founded by Nick Denton.  The corporate blogs' popularity is attributed to a steady stream of updates about new products and services that improve quality-of-life.


5. Engadget:  Just barely behind Lifehacker is Engadget, a corporate blog dedicated to consumer electronics that has over 3,040 fans on Technorati.  Engadget sets itself apart by offering geek-speak in seven different languages through sub-sites.  Peter Rojas created Engadget in 2004, which was recently acquired by AOL.  The blog is successful because it makes a general topic personalized through translation and news leads posted from readers.


Now, most of these blogs are owned by companies, but they didn't all start that way.  The top two blogs began as personal platforms dedicated to the writers 'niche of choice.'  Since personal blogs are the most common variety, the next post will feature a 'guide to personal blogging' from John Moore, VP of Engineering of Swimfish, Inc.  John's blog was created on February 3rd, 2009, it averages six comments per post and over 180 unique visitors a day.  You can follow him on Twitter at JohnFMoore.

I'll be posting his article as soon as I get it, so watch my twitter feed at @foxystrategy for update status.

Things I Adore: Part 2

"Where's Waldo" Advertising:
Eye-catching ads and how to make them.

Every day I drive, flip and surf past hundreds of advertisements and I know I'm not the only one. They are everywhere; on my TV, in my mail, and along my commute. Most of the time, I don't even realize they're there. After a while, the modern mind just tunes them out. But what about the rogue ad that catches my eye? Usually, the ad has to be oddly placed or extremely daring for me to notice it. It's like the book "Where's Waldo" where one out of hundreds of zebra-clad look-alike cartoons fill the page, but only one is right. Here are some examples of 'Waldo' ads:

These ads; that were seen by many in Chicago, were created by using a stencil to pressure-wash the dirty sidewalk. Best of all, the ads are non-destructive, legal and very cheap to create.

BBDO created these ads for FedEx Kinko's using over sized highlighters and correction fluid to catch the attention of New Yorkers. Another example of non-destructive, creative and legal 'Waldo' ads.

In Japan, Nintendo commissioned ads on several subway cars as a way to boost sales of the system. A 'Waldo-esque' use of existing space that's legal and affordable.

Mini Cooper hit it "spot on" with this funny Canadian ad complete with traffic cones. Be wary of splash-back should you hit a cone on this 'Waldo' course.

This ad for Tin Foil is so 'Waldo' I don't know where to start. How about with the price? Dirt. Cheap. This American ad is more effective then 100 billboards, but for a fraction of the cost.


Finally, this Proctor & Gamble ad in Bangkok uses tangled wires to advertise their line of de-tangling hair products. Don't try to read the copy, this 'Waldo' is foreign.

So, how can you create 'Waldo' ads for your company?

1. Look at your product(s), are there any everyday places, structures or settings that LOOK like all or part of your product?

2. Are there any everyday places, structures or settings that SMELL, TASTE or FEEL like all or part of your product?

3. Are there any places, structures or settings that look like the OUTCOME or PROBLEM your product addresses?

4. If representing a non-profit, what place is appropriate for spreading awareness that would have the biggest impact? Is there a PLACE, TIME or SCENARIO that relates to your service/issue either positively or negatively?

Once you have some ideas, ask yourself:
Is this legal?
Is this cheap?
Is this bold?
Is this ethical?
Will we reach our intended audience?
Does this fit the brand personality?

If you answered yes to all the above questions, then you are well on your way to designing the next 'Waldo' phenomenon.

Happy hunting!

P.S. If anyone has seen more ads like these, include a link with your comment. I'd love to see what catches your eye!

Faux Online Experts

Blogging Should Require a License
The information age is thriving, but are we really learning anything of value?

I am not an expert. To be an expert, I figure one has to be immersed in a field for many years. While I may not have decades of work experience, I am schooled enough to easily determine whether a resource is credible.

The blog post titled "17 Strategies to Killer Ads" has been RT'd as an authority enough to grab my attention, and when I read it I threw up a little. Poor grammar and spelling aside, what are these gentlemen talking about?

Here's an excerpt:
"In the Advertising world, the creative process look like this: Strategy > Concept/Idea > Campaign & Tagline > Executions. You can see, the Strategy is in the most beginning of an entire idea and it is an approach, based on market research and insights, as to how a product or service will be positioned/repositioned. After reading The Advertising Concept Book by Pete Barry, we have an overall look at 17 different strategy for killer ads."

First off, the creative process as proposed by Roger von Oech (which is used by many Fortune 100 companies) looks nothing like what Harman and Penter (the minds behind 17 Strategies) outlined. Creative process; within the advertising industry, is the procedure used to find unique ideas or re-imagine old concepts. According to Oech, it consists of Research (Explorers)> Visualization (Artists)> Evaluation (Judges)> Presentation (Warriors).

Secondly, strategy is a plan-of-attack. This list doesn't show strategy, it shows the attention getting device/style. It shows HOW the message can be presented to pique interest and capture attention. Simply choosing one of these examples is not strategy and if the wrong device is selected the ad will fall flat with the target audience.

Finally, I feel obligated to caution fellow advertising professionals from distributing poor information. I saw this article (and others that are just as questionable) pop up on the feeds of some very sharp minds and that tells me that either:
A. People are not really reading these articles before forwarding them.
-or-
B. People are not fact-checking these articles for credibility.

In summation, as a basis for this post I used one hard-cover book and two online dictionaries to verify my conclusions before rebuking the authors of "17 Strategies to Killer Ads." Merriam-Webster, MAANZ Glossary and the textbook "Contemporary Advertising" by Willaim F. Arens are legitimate and credible sources. While I am only joking about blog licenses, I do feel that writers need to have more than one source when 'blogging to instruct' and making information up is not a good way to establish your expertise.

Things I Adore: Part 1

To hit the ground running on "Things I Adore," we'll begin with hoax marketing.

What is hoax marketing? It's where marketers cause a stir over a perceived threat that turns out to be a product launch. Now, before anyone gets alarmed... there are ways to do this right. Be cautious though. 'Hoax' the wrong people and it can cause a lot of problems.

A good case study is the Mobile Phone Virus hoax. Basically, targets received the following message on their cell phone: "Outbreak: I'm infecting you with t-virus, my code is ******. Forward this to 60022 to get your own code and chance to win prizes. More at t-virus.co.uk."

It wasn't a virus at all and gamers know that the T-virus is from Resident Evil; a gaming franchise that is older than most of its fans. CE's fatal flaw was poor instruction. As a result, some people did get alarmed. What did they think was going to happen? They told 17-yr-old gamers to forward the message to everyone.
Grandma doesn't know what the T-virus is!

Some recipients even called tech support worried that they had been infected with a REAL virus. (That is hilarious, by the way.) But trust me when I say, the appropriate targets for this campaign would know better. Why am I so sure? Because I am in that target. Gamers know the difference between a real virus and advertising. We live on the computer, console and iPhone.

The fact that anyone was concerned tells me CE didn't provide an appropriate call to action.

The strategy was sound but the execution was flawed. Infiltrating ONLY their tech-savvy target audience would not have caused a panic. Regardless, the game made major headlines and word spread like wildfire. Mission accomplished, albeit a little clumsily.

Things I Loathe: Part 5

*Cue the dramatic music* This is the last segment of "Things I Loathe." Peek in later this week for the first of my "Things I Adore" series.

Tonight I will be blogging about Agency Slogans. You see them at almost every advertising agency, and some of them are just plain horrible. In this post I will review a few and tell you why I think they are missing the mark.

Blueliner- "Acting outside the box"
Oh I get it!! There's a box that contains all the other agencies, and you're on the outside! Sharp. Cliches can backfire, and I feel this one doesn't do Blueliner any favors. They are smart, savvy Internet ad men who are at the top of their game, yet they use an arcane expression? That doesn't make any sense. I would go with something more progressive and tech-based. Something like "Experts in Cyberspace Navigation" or "ROI- Redefining Online Integration." Something clever.

Young & Rubicam- "Resist the Usual"
What!? Oh, you're creative. Why didn't you say so? I thought you only created advertising for companies run by aliens or the mentally challenged. Yes, I know Y&R is a top-shelf agency... but their tag line still stinks. It doesn't say "We're creative" it says "We're strange...or you're strange..either way, someone better be weird or we won't work." Isn't advertising supposed to reach 'normal' people? It sounds like you're limiting viewership from the start. How about "Big Apple-sized Ideas" or "We are aliens" (the second one would definitely set you apart). Y&R's tag line sounds contrived...trying too hard. Nobody likes that.

AD Lubow Advertising- "Advertising that moves people"
What are you saying? Really. I should run your site through the BS checker program from the last post. Your slogan means nothing. Not a thing. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy for about five seconds and then you realize that it said nothing. Empty words designed to make you feel good about AD Lubow. But it fades. Fast. Go for genuine impact, people. Try "Advertising that stuns" or "Water-cooler Worthy Creative." At least those statements have meaning.

I could go on for hours, but let me finish with this:
Slogans should be as creative, real and persuasive as you are. If your slogan is weak, then you look weak.

Things I Loathe: Part 4

This pseudo-rant series is quickly coming to a close. Only one more posting to go, so stay tuned for the last update to "Things I Loathe."

Originally, I had intended to write about a totally different topic, but after reading Beyond Madison Avenue, I have decided to blog about 'puffery'.

Fluff works its way into everything we; as members of the pr/ad/marketing machine, do. So, as a test of the Gobbledygook Grader I will run two examples through the system.

The first content tested is from a marketing blog. It scored 77 out of 100 with the following stats:

Word count	428
Sentences	41
Link count	2
Readability (minimum education needed)	9th Grade

This content contains 1 word that is considered gobbledygook (it is overused and lacks specific meaning).
Eh, not bad.

The next sample is from a marketing publication. It scored 82 out of 100 with the following stats:

Word count	676
Sentences	45
Link count	0
Readability (minimum education needed)	1 Years Undergrad

This content contains 4 words that are considered gobbledygook (they are overused and lack specific meaning).
Uhh oh, not good.
According to David M. Scott, the these are the most ambiguous words of 2008.

Just to make sure I am not a culprit, I'll run my own posting through the system.

This post scored a 51 out of 100 with the following stats:

Word count	201
Sentences	24
Link count	6
Readability (minimum education needed)	11th Grade

This content contains 0 words that are considered gobbledygook (they are overused and lack specific meaning).

I will reward myself with pie.

Things I Loathe: Part 3

Behold the third installment of "Things I Loathe." If you like what I have to say stay tuned for parts 4-5 and its natural counterpart: "Things I Adore."

I will be limiting these posts to communication-related topics to keep myself from going off on too many tangents.

I absolutely loathe bad photoshop jobs. Apparently I am not the only one, since I found a blog dedicated to seeking out the worst of the worst. In most of the cases shown on the blog, these 'oopsies' were for MAJOR publications. Places that have multiple people looking at your work before it goes to the press. The most recent 'whoops' was in Sports Illustrated. Really, SI? Are you telling me NO ONE saw that?

Sure, graphic artists are people too (maybe), and make mistakes because they are not perfect... but I can do a better job, and no one is paying me tens of thousands of dollars. I feel that they get paid well enough and have enough people looking over their shoulders that this shouldn't happen. Hey, here's a tip: Pay a good photographer to take the SHOT YOU WANT, and there won't be any photoshop problems!

Furthermore, I know my way around Adobe enough to remove every pimple and blemish from my headshots for the rest of my life, but is this much photoshopping really necessary? Put the mouse down, people. There is no need to mess up a great photo over one pimple or thick waist.

Things I Loathe: Part 2

Prep yourself for the next installment of "Things I Loathe." If you like what I have to say stay tuned for parts 3-5 and its natural counterpart: "Things I Adore."

Keep in mind that I will be limiting these posts to communication-related topics.

I was reading this blog about some of the worst websites the writer has seen. Now, individuals might have an excuse... they might not be technologically savvy, just made a site to try it out, or they got ripped off when they hired a buddy to do it. However, companies have no excuse. Guru.com, craigslist.org, and elance.com have people waiting for gigs who can get the job done. Why would you allow your brand to be represented with crap online work? Are your products that horrible?

Beyond bad websites, there are companies that don't understand how to PROPERLY integrate social media. They either use it to blast out their messages or flood the web with their presence on every site they can create a user name on. Don't these social media managers even make an ATTEMPT to understand the community they are pouncing on? Do you walk into a party, kick open the door and start talking about how awesome you are? No. Well, at least I hope not. You wouldn't be invited to any parties after that.

Hey companies, do it right or don't do it at all. Cheap websites and a 'fake friend' social media presence doesn't make you cool. Really. It doesn't.

Things I Loathe: Part 1

I've decided to start this blog with a segment that I have delicately named "Things I Loathe." If you like what I have to say stay tuned for parts 2-5 and its natural counterpart: "Things I Adore."

Keep in mind that I will be limiting these posts to communication-related topics, as that is my field of expertise.*

On to the topic at hand:

I decided to embark on this blogging journey after reading this post.

My initial reaction was, "Why does such a thing exist? Who needs that many acronyms!?" We don't. Not if you want anyone to take you seriously. Would it really kill you to write out the whole phrase? We already have contractions, people. Let's not get greedy!

Then I was reminded of a story where students in New Zealand were granted permission to use 'text abbreviations' on exams. You can read the story here. Unbelievable. What is even more ridiculous is that professors might have to use the above translator to decipher the .com-isms! It's a shame that academic institutions would tolerate informal speech in a formal setting, but now it appears that corporations are easing off as well.**

There is NO excuse for this behavior. Most people have a high school education these days; write like it. You are not saving money and time by using text-speak. Practitioners simply make themselves look unprofessional and uneducated. Leave the LOL, OMG, TTYL, :), <(*.*)>, and gr8 to the teens.




*No, I don't think I'm an expert (yet). If you have a better word to describe "the topic I am most interested, schooled and versed in" then please share with the class.
**Since I don't see a 'verified by' check mark, I will give a lot of leeway as the company may have been represented by an impostor.

Welcome to My BlogFolio

Before I graduated, my professor told me that within a few years everyone would have online resumes'. I believed him. So, since November of 2008, this blog has served as a simple online portfolio.

Hiring managers loved it! Their only critique was that they didn't get a very in-depth sense of who I am. I realised that I was ONLY using Blogspot for something other than its intended purpose. I was not leveraging its full potential. So, consider this posting my introduction to 'the well-rounded view of my professional self.'

Enjoy!