This past week, I reached out to readers and community members through social networks to learn where people discover Conversation Agent content, and whether they read specific articles, or just browse the site.
I'm listening for your answers and questions on the Facebook page, in Google+, and on Twitter.
Feedback of this kind contributes to retooling my own strategy and where I spend my time. It doesn't change my philosophy or strategy, just how I execute on it.
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Each week, I will also select specific questions posted by readers on any of those networks so we can discuss them here.
This week, Christa Miller shares on G+ she is on the look out for content that is: something in between tactical case studies, and high level strategy.
Her priorities are:
1) Work out her own brand promises, and figure out where they intersect with clients' promises
2) Use that work to improve on promises she's been breaking due to allowing herself to become overextended
3) Put her own content on an equal par with clients'
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I like this question very much, because I think it's what many of us wearing several hats face. It made me think of a post I wrote a long time ago about how free is not a benefit. This blog, for one, is not a benefit to you, unless you do the work for yourself.
All of these free tools and platforms encourage us to spend time using them to figure out their utility in our work (and potentially that with our clients). They are not a lazy way out from seeing or seeking to see more clearly how to continue to make better promises.
To me, the answer to the second point made by Christa, which is probably the keystone of the three, comes from learning to say no.
We need to get better at qualifying what is for us and what is just a distraction -- and there are plenty of those in social networks. Relationships are built upon being or feeling connected by real things with people, so that's a start.
The second part is about gaining clarity on what we're willing to stand for, even if nobody were watching and taking note.
These are hard to do because being exposed to social networks also means coming into contact with what so many others choose to do and say. And we have this built-in mechanism that says "fit in". Except for we're not in high school any longer.
So building on my third piece of advice: follow through with what you choose to stand for:
- learn to say no (no explanation required)
- make connections through real things
- be willing to stand for what you believe in and follow through with it
This week I will share more resources and thinking that will help with all three. A big thank you to Christa Miller for asking the hard questions we need to raise, and for the numerous contributions to this community.
[image by Christine]