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Google Reader, Your Newspaper, and Chris Brogan

Posted by Christopher S Penn on Jan 22, 2008 in Blogging | 0 comments

Google Reader, Your Newspaper, and Chris Brogan

The first impression I have of Chris Brogan is from a presentation at BarCamp Boston. Actually, the first impression was watching him try to record a presentation by holding an iRiver 1 inch from a speaker cabinet, but beyond that, he did a great presentation on building content networks. One of the takeaway moments of that presentation was when he took a copy of the Boston Globe he’d stolen from his neighbor’s driveway and tore it up in front of the crowd into individual articles. He handed out an article to each person and said, “This is blogging.”

Each person’s blog is, in this model, a newspaper column. People don’t pay to read individual newspaper columnists, in his presentation, people pay for the newspaper, and the ads in the Boston Globe are no different than AdWords or banner ads, really.

What Google Reader does with its shared items and shared items of friends is no less than let you publish your own newspaper. You incorporate the authors you read and like into your own reading, which is your field reporting staff, and then hand-pick all the best stuff out for your friends and the world. That’s the distilled newspaper, YOUR newspaper, the newspaper that you’d gladly pay for if someone actually published it for you. It’s your news.

Your Google Reader Shared Items is every bit a part of your personal brand and worldview as any other form of media you publish. Some people might call it reblogging or lazy man’s blogging, but the reality is that it’s as much work to edit a newspaper as it is to write for one, and Google Reader Shared Items is a newspaper with you as the editor. What you choose to share reflects on your personal brand and what you think is important in the world. Want to check out a new employee? See what’s in their Shared Items. Want to see what’s on your boss’ mind? You know which newsstand to hit.

What’s in the headlines of Your Daily News?

photo courtesy of Mr. Brogan’s Flickr feed.

2008 Super Bowl Ad : $2,700,000 per spot

Posted by Christopher S Penn on Jan 21, 2008 in Advertising | 0 comments

That’s a heck of a lot of money.

Think about what else that money could buy.

Prospering in the downturn

Posted by Christopher S Penn on Jan 20, 2008 in Blogging, Money | 8 comments

Prospering in the downturn

It’s absolutely no secret that the US economy is headed to hell in a handbag, and honestly, it’s overdue. We’ve spent the last 20 years inflating one bubble after another – defense in the 80s, tech in the 90s, real estate in this decade – and the time for another correction has come. That said, while I believe that many of the large financial institutions need to get their houses in order and take their knocks, I also desire no harm to come to my family, friends, and community. Here are some thoughts about how to weather the storm and even prosper during it.

First and foremost, get your own house in order. Figure out exactly where you are financially, and do your best to clean house. Cut down discretionary expenses as much as you can without turning to a miserable quality of life. You -must- have three months’ mandatory expense funding set aside, or as close to it as you can. That will give you a cushion of three months to figure out next steps in the case of job loss.

Having a strong personal network is more important than ever. Not just a strong network, but a large one, one in which you participate and try to help as many people as you can and ask them to do the same. With so many social networks and digital communities, this is easier than ever. A strong network will provide you with information you’ll need to make decisions, and will also provide you with leads if you need a job, etc. as long as you bring as much or more value to the people in your network. The key is to get building as fast as possible. Reconnect with old friends, establish new friends. Attend conferences and other meetups, such as PodCamp, BarCamp, MacCamp, etc. that are free or low cost. Look for opportunities to help others.

I strongly recommend Keith Ferrazzi’s book, Never Eat Alone, as a good guide on network building.

Build a strong personal brand. Having a personal brand that’s established, clear, and unambiguous gives you the advantage of being memorable. If you can speak confidently about something you’re an expert in, you’re heads and shoulders above most people who can barely put together two words about themselves. That will translate into more opportunities for you. Be clear about yourself, about your goals, and about your passions, and you will build presence.

I strongly recommend Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation blog for more reading on personal brand.

A downturn is also a crowd thinner – if you’re able to weather the storm, once it’s over you’ll find the playing field emptier than normal. Strategically speaking, as competitors go bust during a downturn, if you’re able to weather it, you’ll pick up marketshare and when business trends upwards again, you’ll be in a much stronger position.

What things will you do to weather the economic downturn?