Think about some of the top dogs in Social Media and Search. They include:
Chris Brogan
Jason Falls
Danny Sullivan
(Publishes Search Engine Land)
Lots of people publish blogs but don’t get paid for it; others make money from their knowledge. Chris, Jason, and Danny earn a living showing others how to profit from the Web.
The reason they profit while others ‘give it away for free’ isn’t complicated, and their strategy is 100% replicable.
Maps are Where the Money Is
First, the All-Stars I’m writing about didn’t get to where they are by accident. Each one of them had ‘regular’ jobs, just like you and me, and put in their time before they became Internet celebrities.
That disclaimer aside, successful Social Media and Search individuals create maps to the objectives we seek. Chris Brogan distills complicated strategies for using the social Web into easy guides that anyone can understand, one small bite at a time.
Jason Falls explores new ways businesses (primarily) can use social media to further conversations with their customers in a genuine, profitable fashion. His posts are thoughtful and educate readers about emerging social networks and ‘best practices’ for each.
Danny Sullivan is just…well, wicked smart.
Search Engine Land is the first stop nearly everyone in my search department makes once we flick on our browsers for the day. His articles, and content from associate publishers, educates the search community about the newest changes happening in the search engines, and how to navigate them for maximum effect.
The reason businesses pay lots of money to hear Chris and Jason speak and work with their teams, and thousands of Internet professionals pony up to go to SMX to hear Danny’s speakers, is simple:
Create Your Own Map
You can replicate the success of the Internet celebrities with some hard work and creative branding too. The key is to learn how to become an expert at communication.
What you really need is to become a professional salesperson — an ambassador — for your industry/business/product/service and learn how to explain its benefits clearly (without being pushy, and by keeping the interests of others in your heart as well).
The more I help others in the pursuit of my own goals, the more I keep my mind on social community building, the more success comes my way.
That’s why I created a map for people and businesses who need help branding themselves on Web 3.0. The map is called Social Brand Solutions, and my goal is to raise awareness for the importance of a social brand that helps you achieve your Online goals.