You may be a little confused.Yesterday I wrote an article about Gary Vaynerchuk and how his constant hard work is paying off as an incredible business strategy.He works non-stop and is reaping the rewards.In the past, I have also written about Tim Ferriss who I would say is almost the exact opposite of Gary Vaynerchuk.Tim looks for any way to minimize his actual work and automate processes so that he does not have to be involved.The only thing they have in common with each other is that they are both huge success stories.
Opposite Strategies But Both Successful
Both Gary and Tim are huge successes in their own right and I would say that the reason is that they are both consistent.They chose a strategy that worked for them and they stuck with it.I don’t think Gary would consider closing down his brick and mortar store, stopping to vlog and quit participating in social media to automate an online store.At the same time, I know that Tim Ferris is careful not to spend too much time on social media.When he started using Twitter, he followed 0 people and was heavily criticized since twitter is a new media communication tool meant for conversation.He finally caved and started following a limited amount of people but still believes that he shouldn’t be spending too much time in the social media space.
Dabble and You will Flop
Too many people dabble in so many things and become somewhat of a jack of all trades and a master of none.This brings me back to people striving to be average when the only way to get ahead is to be above average.It doesn’t make much sense but many people use messed up logic such as “John has an online store and is successful, therefore if I open an online store, I will be successful”.They go and open an online store, flop and then wonder why they failed, not even thinking about what John does that they didn’t do.
Seth Godin Likes to be the “Best in the World”
Seth Godin doesn’t have a Twitter account. Seth is one of the top marketing gurus out there and he does not participate on twitter because he will not participate in something that he cannot be the best in the world at.Seth has his own strategy and is successful as well.
Mixing Diets is a Recipe for Disaster
Imagine you are a few pound over your ideal weight and you want to start a diet.You look around for a diet and many times you start a diet because someone you know just lost a ton of weight on that particular diet.After suffering through a couple of months on the diet and not getting the results you’d hoped for you start to wonder “why didn’t it work?”.Chances are, you used some of the logic I spoke about earlier.“Well, the Atkins diet says I can have as much protein as I want but no carbs and the South Beach diet is very similar so it must be okay to have fries since they are ok on that diet”.People mix and match the parts they like and fail to stick to a single strategy.
Stick to One Strategy
You can be successful at almost anything but you need to choose a single strategy and stick to it.Don’t get sidetracked by shiny objects.You can work 20 hours per day like Gary Vaynerchuck or you can work 4 hours per week like Tim Ferriss and be successful.Just don’t mix up your strategy and you’ll be fine.
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As many of you may know, a few weeks ago, Google launched Chrome, their new internet browser.Since this site is all about “getting lucky”, I decided to wait a little while before posting about this major step for Google so that I can apply a lesson to Chrome instead of just announcing the browser and what it can do for you.If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I am big fan of Google and what they are doing for the internet and the end user.
Do We Need Another Browser?
Everyone has been wondering and talking about why Google would come out with a browser especially since they aren’t making any money off of it.Some people say that Google is trying to take over the word, dominate the net and have as much control over what surfers do as possible.Although there is probably some truth to that, I believe that Google is just trying to give the end users what they want.They want to simplify everything and give their users as many free (or advertise based) tools as possible.Current browsers were built based on the internet of the 1990’s where the average website was a document online.Now with web 2.0, sites are going interactive and cannot be viewed through the same lens as we’ve been using all along.The entire browser is open source so anyone can use it to build or improve their own browsers and applications.
What do People Think About Google Chrome?
I happen to love Chrome and have made it my default browser on all of my computers but I have been getting mixed reviews from others in the blogosphere.There are some plug-ins and features that Chrome is missing right now that Firefox has but I’m pretty sure that Google will catch on quickly and surpass the capabilities of the other browsers.The majority of the negative opinions on Chrome that I have heard are from the web designer’s side.Now designers and webmasters have one more browser to optimize their sites for.From the consumer side, it’s pretty much all positive except for a few sites that have not yet been optimized for Chrome and look a little messed up.
The Bottom Line
The Bottom line is that Google is making things easier for the end user and in this world that is all that really counts.The lesson we can take from Google is to do as much as we can make the end user happy even if it inconveniences us a little (or a lot) in the process.Companies are no longer in the position to tell their consumers to “take it” or “leave it”.If we don’t give the consumers what they want, they’ll leave and let the whole world know about it.
On Thursday I wrote that Seth Godin only likes to do something if he can do it “really well” which is consistent with his message to companies to be “remarkable”.Now while that is great advice for a company to only do things well that you can be remarkable at, I don’t believe it to be true for the individual in general.
Companies, to be successful must have a mission and have everything they do fit into that mission.If they put in half efforts, they will get less than half results.It is the additional 20% or the “extra mile” that gives a company their results.
Individuals are different in that sense because people have to discover their mission in life.They don’t have a great idea one day and define their life based on that idea.They have to keep trying new things and see what they enjoy and what sticks.People go to school to get a rounded education to see what is out there and hopefully begin their journey in life.Each new day brings new opportunities to the individual.He can change jobs, careers, start new businesses volunteer, vacation and retire.Each step of the way he can try new things and adopt them or drop them on his journey through life.It is the trying new things out that will prepare him to get lucky down the line.I must say though that this advice is only when you are playing around on your own and testing out the waters.When you are starting a business, applying for a job or to a school, or giving a presentation, the individual must also be remarkable.It is the best way to guarantee that you will be successful.
For companies, every step has to be so well thought out and they can’t just pick things up and drop them whenever they feel like it.It would look terrible for a company to start a blog and not update it for a month or to get a twitter account, collect followers and never update.An individual can do these things.If he enjoys keeping the blog or updating his tweets, he can do something with it.But if he doesn’t, nobody is really going to think differently about him.
If you are a business, be remarkable and only do what you can do better than anyone else.If you are an individual, try anything and everything that even remotely interests you because it is the journey that defines who you are and who you become.
Problogger posted a while back about a conversation he had with Seth Godin about Twitter.Seth mentioned that he doesn’t use twitter and barely even uses Facebook.He feels that if he does something, he wants to do it really well (which is a whole other post) and it’s better not to do it at all than do a mediocre job.
If Seth Godin Doesn’t Use Twitter, Who is Using His Name on Twitter?
Whoever it is has thousands of followers who think they are following him.That person isn’t really trashing Seth Godin’s name or reputation, but he could if he wanted to.There is so much possible damage that can be done by someone taking your name, so why let them?
Take Ownership of Your Name
Buy the domain name of your name, preferably .com if it’s available.You may even want to buy the .net, .info, .name and any others that are available.At $7/year, you can’t really lose.You should also secure your name on twitter, blogspot and any other Social Media tools that can be hijacked.
The web is growing exponentially and the amount of time we spend online is increasing as well and will continue to increase.Even if you just get your name now to secure it for the future, it is a good investment.Who knows what you will need it for in 10 years.You should even consider buying your kid’s names, I know one person who already does.
Five years ago, it was almost unheard of to buy your name’s domain.Now it’s almost common practice as people are using their domain for their blog, business, resume, or just a place to show things off online.
If you want to get lucky in 10 years when having your online identity is crucial, get it now.After all, Luck is all about being prepared for what lies ahead.
One thing I am realizing more and more is that nobody likes you more than yourself.You can learn many lessons from this, here are a few:
By liking yourself, you allow others to like you
If you love yourself, you give off a glow that people want to be part of because it makes them feel good.They can improve themselves by being part of whatever you are doing.On the flip side, if you hate yourself, people run from you because they get depressed just being close to you.
For Someone to do Something, It has to Benefit Them
People are interested in helping themselves get the most out of everything.If you ask a friend to go to a movie, they will only go because they want to see the movie, because they want to spend time with you or some other reason that helps them, like just not being bored.A friend will do you a favor because they know you will pay it back and/or because they want to keep you as a friend.Some people help others out because it feels good to them or they feel that they are making the world a better place.
People Don’t Care About What You Do, Unless it Benefits Them
People may ask you what you do for a living, during your vacations, or during your time off but they don’t really care.They ask you to get ideas for themselves, to network, or to make conversation and hear themselves speak by telling you what they do.
Nobody Cares About A Product Until You Prove Why it Benefits Them
As a marketer, you have to take a product and prove to people why they should care about it.A vegan does not care how many delis there are on his street but he will start to care when they start offering vegan menus.
I don’t mean for this to be a pessimistic post about how selfish people are, I want this post to help you have better social interactions with everyone and make the world a better place.There are simple things that you can do to help such as:
Give someone a complement
Listen when someone is speaking to you
Give people the time of day
Encourage your friends to reach for the stars
Be social
By doing these, you will feel good about yourself which will lead to your liking yourself even more, people wanting to be close to you, Spend time with you and listen to you.You’ll notice that it goes in full circle.Help others to help yourself or “what goes around comes around.However you want to put it, changing the world starts with liking yourself.
Marissa Mayer, the Vice President of Search Products & User Experience for Google said that at any given time, Google is running 40 search experiments.For all of you that have been hiding under a rock for the last 10 years, Google is the world leader in online search.They have patented search technologies that are years ahead of the competition which allow them to dominate online search.
It amazes me that a company that is so far ahead of the competition is still concentrating so hard on improving what they already have.I also heard that their search algorithm has been revised over 400 times in the last year.That means that they revise their product more than once a day.
The lesson here is, that just like Google, even if you are in the lead and ahead of everyone else in your industry, you can never slow down and stop improving if you want to keep your lead.That’s why I love Google, they keep making the online experience better.They even added “Snakey” to their Labs to allow people to procrastinate while doing work.
Mitch Joel from Six Pixels – Twist Image has a weekly podcast which is at the top of my regular listening list as well as a blog which I read regularly.Last week he posted a challenge to write a post about the best social media practice and I am taking him up on his challenge.He mentions that since social media is so new, the rules and best practices have not been established so he is taking this project on himself to compile a list through bloggers interested in social media such as myself.
Mitch’s Best Practice
Mitch wrote that his choice for the best practice was “consistency”.Use the same name and picture on every website, every social network, when commenting on other blogs and so on.Also be consistent in how often you participate in the conversation.If you podcast or blog, do it monthly, weekly or daily but don’t keep changing.Don’t join every social network and then just leave them idle.Instead pick one or more but participate regularly.Being consistent is extremely important because without it, you will lose your network and followers but I believe even more important is to provide as much value to your network as possible.
Provide Value
Providing value is what makes the conversation interesting, worth listening to and participating in.Nobody wants to hear someone talk who just wants to hear his own voice without adding anything to the conversation.If you add zero value, you will lose your network or not even be able to build one in the first place.
Traditional advertising is the company yelling out their message at you but they are only doing it for themselves.Social Media allows companies to provide value to their customers and audience so that they will be attracted to you and want to build a relationship with you.If you speak and add absolutely no value, you are just an interruption, like the other 2999 ads you see each day.
Everyone has something valuable to add to the conversation.Each person is an expert in some area and is well equipped to join conversations and add their value.Joining in, means adding opinion, insight, fact and most of all value.
What’s in it for ME?
We live in a “ME” world.Andy Sernovitz mentioned that “nobody really cares about your product except for you”.You have to give people what they want if you want them to listen to you.Everyone knows that one person who always needs something from you but will never reciprocate the favor.He’s the person that we try and avoid because we know he’s going to ask for something.He’s like a human “pop out” ad.
Value is King
Mitch overflows with value so no matter where he is, no matter how often he podcasts or blogs, I want to hear what he has to say.There are some other podcasts and blogs that I have found which I don’t run to hear or read no matter how consistent they are.In this Social Media world, adding Value is King!
I was driving down the highway last night on the way home from a conference and my mind started to wonder.All along the side of the highway I saw billboards for all kinds of different companies and services.What really caught my mind was a billboard advertising Diet Coke.I’m not sure why it caught my eye from all of the other signs but maybe it is because I own shares of Coke and I’m always thinking of my best financial interest.The thing that got me to start thinking was “why did Coke choose this location to advertise?”
The first thing that came to mind was “they have a huge budget and want to get as much exposure as possible so why here?”I would understand if they bought the side of a building in Times Square to advertise because that is the most expensive advertising real estate in the country.Then I started thinking that Times square will cost 100 times more to advertise in but they will get 100 times or more exposure from their advertising.So maybe everything is proportional and it doesn’t matter where you advertise because if you use the same budget then you will get different amounts of space but the same exposure to the same amount of people.
At that point I recalled a conversation that I had a while back with a business associate who was trying to sell a strip mall that he owned.He told me that he set a price for the property and had many people respond to the offer.He signed an initial agreement with one person who said that he just wanted to do his due diligence and do some research and if everything checks out, he will buy the property in 30 days.
At the end of the 30 days, the person came back to my business associate and said that his researched came back and he was willing to pay an amount which was 20% lower than the asking price.My business associate turned him down since he had many other people interested in the property.
The exact same thing happened with the next two potential buyers and they both offered almost exactly the same price as the first person.My business associate couldn’t believe that every single person gave him the same number so he asked the third potential buyer how he came up with that number and the person explained it to him.He filled in a formula which included all sorts of elements such as how much traffic was in the area and how much income the property would produce.When filling in a formula, there is almost no thinking involved, you plug in the numbers and in spits out the maximum price to pay that will be profitable.
Professional real estate investors do this for every property that they go to.They don’t really care about the location. They just care about the bottom line.If one deal doesn’t work out, there are plenty of other deals just waiting for them.
The same thing goes for billboard advertising.Large companies such as Coke do not randomly choose locations to advertise.They have teams of analysts looking for the locations that will fit into their formula.Their final decision on where to advertise is based on how much it will cost them per view.They have a set price that they are willing to pay and if the location fits, the go for it.There are many other factors such as where their target market lives but all of the elements fit into their equation.
Some people may look at the billboards and think that Coke just plugs advertising in wherever there is an opening and hopes for the best.Those are the same people who don’t know the difference between “chance” and “luck”.Lucky people know that to get lucky, you must put in the work beforehand.Business, advertising and pretty much anything else are not risky if you know what you are doing.That is why the more experienced people are usually better at their experience related tasks.If you want to get lucky, your only task is to get experience and know what you are doing.
This self improvement blog is full of advice on how to increase your luck and improve your life. You can start off by reading 40 Ways to Increase your Luck.
