I have written several posts this year about podcasts; most of them are in support of specific shows, episodes, or genres that I think you will enjoy and learn from. This post, however, is all about the listeners. If you are a podcast host, you might not dig everything that I say here, but put your audience-cap on, and I think you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

Desire

Let’s start with the obvious. If you are listening to podcasts for any reason other than that you actually want to, it’s going to be hard to keep up. If it’s a chore, you might feel the need to just opt out entirely. Before you do, however, I’d encourage you to find your podcast-zen: find the right shows, limit your subscriptions, and stay in control of your listening habits. Keeping up with an ever-growing list of podcasts takes want, not work.

If you can’t wait to hear the latest episode of [best podcast ever], you will find the time. However, if you find that listening into [not best ever] is a chore, you’re doing it wrong. Find what speaks to you, and you’ll be hooked. And once you’re hooked, the rest is all about management.

Timing

Find your ideal listening time. Driving, exercising, and doing chores are ideal times to consume podcasts. Bonus: I will often exercise longer or run a few more errands if I’m all-in on a specific show. Also, experiment to find the right shows for the right times. I focus much better while walking, so I keep my “smart” podcasts for then. Entertainment shows are my favorites while driving, and storytelling is best for me during chores or while shopping. You’ll have your own breakdown, but try different shows at different times. Once you find your fit, keeping up with your favorite shows will feel much more natural.

Buttons

There are numerous ways to consume podcasts, including several mobile apps, websites, and even car integrations. Depending on how you are listening, find the buttons; they are an important part when taking control of your listening experience. I particular, get familiar with the skip buttons (forward and rewind). Sure, no podcaster wants to hear that you are skipping the ads, but we’re all adults here; it happens.

Personally, I find the backward button to be the most helpful. There are constant distractions, and sometimes you’ll find yourself lost during your listening. If you’re rewinding incessantly, don’t get discouraged; either save the show until later or pause it until you are able to focus. The marker of a great podcast is that you want to hear every word. If you just missed 9 minutes and you don’t really care, there’s your clear sign to move on.

Pause

It would be great to be able to start and finish every podcast in one sitting, but it’s very rare to time it perfectly. And when you add someone like Joe Rogan or Dan Carlin to the mix, it’s near impossible. So get comfortable pausing your listening experience. Hit the rewind button a couple of times to get back into the flow, and pick up where you left off.

Bonus: Sometimes you’ll unpause a show and find out that you’re just not into it anymore. That can be an added benefit of taking a break. If you fire the podcast up an hour or a day later and you’re still excited, perfect; if not, delete it and find something else. Sometimes a break is just what you need to seek out something that’s a better fit for you and your time.

Unsubscribe

I rarely unsubscribe from a podcast, but it’s about time for some curation. And you need to be open to it, too. When something newer or more interesting comes along, you likely will need to lose a show or two to make room. It happens. If you aren’t super passionate about the shows you are listening to, move on.

Also, the OCD among us will freak out as we watch our playlist grow and grow, unable to keep up. Sometimes, unsubscribing is your best option. If it’s particularly hard for you, keep the podcast in your library, and when you have more time, download the shows that you have missed and catch up. Yes, podcasters will absolutely want you to subscribe, but do what’s best for you and your time. If you need to unhook for a bit, do so. Then see which shows you come back to. Those hosts will have a listener for life, and they will be appreciative to have you back.

Tool(s)

I am not going to spend time here reviewing all of the podcast apps that are available, but just know that you have choices. Me? I have stuck with the standard iPhone Podcasts app. But I’d encourage you to shop around and find the tool that works best for you. My guess is that new ones will continue to be released with additional features, functions, etc., so keep your options open. We have yet to see a truly social app dedicated to podcasts; my guess is that will win the day if it is created well. In the meantime, podcasts will continue to be a 1:1 experience ,for the most part. (Note: if you are a podcaster, I am creating a couple of resources around podcast marketing; hit me up on Twitter, if you are interested: @mhollowell.)

Choosy

This is another tip that podcasters might not appreciate, but every podcast isn’t for every person. If you aren’t sure if you will be hooked or not (and how can you be before you sample), download a limited number of episodes first. Listen through three or four, and then decide if you are in for the long haul. There is no such thing as “must-listen” or “should” when it comes to your own playlist, so be choosy. You’ll be happier with your show line-up, and the hosts will be happy to have you as a passionate listener.

Being choosy also applies to individual podcasts. There are some shows that I will not miss a single episode of; others, I pick and choose. That’s okay. Again, in order to keep up and not be overwhelmed, you need to be in control of your listening experience. Be choosy, and you are much less likely to disappear entirely.

Binge

If you can handle having a backlog of shows on your device, embrace binge-listening. Every now and again, I hit the road for a solo road-trip or a long plane ride, and I look forward to having the time and space to get caught up on my favorite shows. The same can be true for a day of mindless tasks. I am much more likely to volunteer for chores or run errands knowing that I have the space to listen, learn, and get lost in my playlist. Embrace the binge, when you are afforded the time to do so.

Speed

I rarely listen to a podcast at 1.5x or 2x speed, but it can be done. If you have the brain and focus for it, try speeding up a couple of shows to maximize your time. I find that this works better with solo or interview shows than with highly-produced storytelling shows, but you’ll find your own peace with speed. If you can master the tactic, you can essentially double your intake. Whether that’s a good thing or not depends on the show and your purpose, but it’s worth a shot if you are feeling behind.

Hopefully, some of these nine suggestions will help you keep your head above water if you feel that you are drowning in the podcast ocean. Regardless of what tactics you subscribe to, I’d encourage you to try to find your zen with the medium. Podcasting is rapidly growing in popularity, and learning to manage your time/playlist now is the best way to set yourself up for success. Remember to keep your options open, your podcasts fresh, and cheat when necessary.

Similar to books or TV shows, we tend to get behind quickly. And that’s okay as long as you have the tools to manage it. Just don’t get overwhelmed or stressed, and be open to new shows as you navigate the waters. Sometimes you need to find more time, sometimes you need to speed things up, and sometimes you simply need to let go.

And all of that is okay.

How do you manage your podcast listening? What tips do you suggest? Or on the flip side, what are your pain points around keeping up with your podcasts?

The post The Podcast Playlist Overhaul: How to Systemize your Listening appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

Below, you’ll find shows specific to marketing, leadership, and business, and other shows dedicated to smaller pieces of those larger topics (i.e., design, social, etc.). This list is far from comprehensive, considering how many great podcasts are published each week, so make sure to post your favorites and recommendations in the comments section below.

Disclaimer: These shows are not listed in any particular order. I’m not interested in ranking, so I literally just rolled the dice; it seemed the most fair way to handle the list. Also, none of these shows are clients, this post is not sponsored, and no shenanigans have occurred, meaning I truly listen to each one of these and personally endorse them all.

Now…dive in:

The Beancast

Hosted by: Bob Knorpp

Recommended for: Marketing

The Beancast, dubbed as “The Best Marketing Podcast Anywhere”, recently celebrated its seventh anniversary. Any show that survives 350 episodes is not only time-tested, but also prioritizes quality and consistency. It’s the first podcast that I listen to each week, usually first thing on Monday morning, and it never fails to deliver on high-quality guests, time-sensitive topics, and plenty of laughs. Bob pulls together a panel of experts each week to discuss the very latest in marketing and advertising, and it’s a must-listen for anyone connected to the industry. If you don’t already subscribe to The Beancast, go ahead and do that now. You won’t regret it. Guaranteed.

Listen In: http://www.thebeancast.com/

Social Toolkit

Hosted by: Jason Keath and Jason Yarborough

Recommended for: Marketing

Social Toolkit is another top-notch marketing podcast. If you itch to keep up with the nuts-and-bolts and how-to’s of the industry, then put this show on your list. As we all know, some of the hardest parts of staying current in the marketing space is, well, staying current. Lucky for you, Jason and Jason do the hard part for you. Tune in weekly, and you’re sure to walk away smarter, stand taller, and feel fresher. They always have a new tool to test out, and you get to benefit from their ever expanding kit. So benefit.

Listen In: http://www.socialfresh.com/podcast/

Read To Lead Podcast

Hosted by: Jeff Brown

Recommended for: Leadership

Jeff Brown puts out one of the smartest, most interesting, and well-produced shows around. The backbone of RTL is the belief that “consistent and intentional reading” is key to success in business and in life. Jeff has interviewed the laundry list of thought-leaders and experts in the leadership space, and hearing insights directly from the mouths of best-selling authors is powerful. It’s no surprise that Jeff was a finalist for “Best Business Podcast” at this year’s 10th Annual Podcast Awards. You might tune in for his amazing voice (and it is amazing), but you’ll stay for the amazing content.

Listen In: http://readtoleadpodcast.com/

Social Zoom Factor

Hosted by: Pam Moore

Recommended for: Marketing

If a topic, tool, or idea is related to marketing and/or social marketing, Pam has it covered in her Social Zoom Factor podcast. Speaking with a believable authority, she uses her experience and expertise to great effect. There is an archive of over 120 shows waiting to speak to you, and trust me, they will. If Social Zoom Factor is not on your subscription list, take care of that today. Her confidence is contagious, and there are great benefits to being infected.

Listen In: http://socialzoomfactor.com/

The Xero Hour

Hosted by: Saul Colt and Bob Knorpp

Recommended for: Small Business

Saul Colt, aka “The Smartest Man in the World”, launched The Xero Hour fairly recently, but the show is already making a big impact. Though the podcast is named after the company Saul works for, this show is no advertisement or infomercial. In fact, the most Xero-centric episode is labeled as a Bonus Episode, which is a smartly humble way of keeping their true focus. Saul keeps small business as the star with stellar interviews on a wide-range of topics related to marketing, innovation, networking, and business trends. If you’re looking for leading thoughts on business with humor at every turn, this podcast will be one of your favorites.

Listen In: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/xero-hour-bob-knorpp-saul/id977452702

Seth Godin’s Startup School

Hosted by: Seth Godin

Recommended for: Entrepreneurship

When I rediscovered podcasts back in 2012, Seth Godin’s Startup School was my very first listen. And it still one of my favorites. Though geared toward those in the early stages of entrepreneurship, there is huge value here for brands and teams of all stages and sizes. One of the beauties of this show is that it’s finite, meaning 15 episodes…drop the mic. You’re not on the hook forever; instead, you’re in for a 6-hour ride through the ups and downs of business: how to speed up, swerve, and survive. Startup School is often my primary recommendation for anyone within earshot, which now includes you. Go grab this series as soon as possible.

Listen In: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/seth-godins-startup-school/id566985370

100 Proof: The Badass Radio Show

Hosted by: Jason Falls and Mark Murdock (formerly Tania Dakka)

Recommended for: Leadership

As many of you know, Falls is the founder of this here blog, though I didn’t contact him for this post and 100 Proof’s inclusion has nothing to do with the relationship. Instead, I include it because I dig it. 100 Proof is unique here due to its stated mission: Talk to badasses. Not business badasses or marketing badasses; just badasses. One of the most appealing factors of this show is that badasses can exist and can manifest anywhere, and this show finds them regardless of “vertical”, “industry”, or any other defining terms. You’ll know pretty quickly if that is up your alley or not. It’s up mine, and I’m guessing it’s up yours (see what I did there?).

Listen In: http://www.100proofshow.com/

StartUp Podcast

Hosted by: Alex Blumberg and Lisa Chow

Recommended for: Entrepreneurship

If you’ve spent any time at all researching podcasts, it’s very likely that you’ve run across StartUp. And there’s a good reason for that: it’s entertaining, smart, and delivers on the behind-the-scenes access that so many brands envy. Was it easy for Alex to put all of his hopes, fears, successes, and failures into Season 1? I highly doubt it. Don’t we all preach being authentic? Yah…this show is truly authentic and transparent, topics that we all talk about striving toward. Regardless of where you are in your business or career, StartUp will speak to you. Season 2 just kicked off, so there’s still time to get caught up. Get caught up, and strap in for some reality.

Listen In: http://gimletmedia.com/show/startup/

The Tim Ferriss Show

Hosted by: Tim Ferriss

Recommended for: Leadership

Tim Ferriss calls himself the “human guinea pig”, which makes him the most well-known and well-established guinea pig in the world. Tim’s show is eclectic and is sure to get your inspiration rising, regardless of which episode you dive into. It’s leadership-driven smart from some of the top leaders around. If you don’t know of Tim Ferriss yet, consider yourself educated.

Listen In: http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast/

Unmistakable Creative

Hosted by: Srini Rao

Recommended for: Creativity

Marketing and creative go hand-in-hand, and Srini has the best show around for exploring the depth and breadth of creativity. Unmistakable Creative has hundreds of shows in the archive (each with a custom-drawn cover image, btw; totally worth exploring the gallery), so you might feel overwhelmed at first with the choices. Don’t be. Dive into past shows, subscribe to get new shows, and let your brain take a creative trip each week with fascinating guests, deep questions, and solid insights into the creative spirit. Srini is top-notch, and as such attracts top-notch guests. The show never disappoints. Period.

Listen In: http://unmistakablecreative.com/

Smart Passive Income

Hosted by: Pat Flynn

Recommended for: Business

Pat Flynn appreciates you, and it shows in his passion. If you geek out over how to’s, systems, tools, automation, etc., then you will definitely want to tune into SPI. You will absolutely find topics highly relevant to your business and brand, no matter what your size or speciality, and there is even a how-to on starting your own podcast (if you do, send it my way; I’m always looking for new shows). Pat is a well-known leader in his space, and he lives up to the hype. If “smart” or “passive” or “income” speaks to you, this is definitely your show.

Listen In: http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/category/podcast/

Jay Today

Hosted by: Jay Baer

Recommended for: Marketing

Here is our outlier, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. “Jay Today” is a video podcast where Jay Baer tackles the news/trend/idea of the day (or even moment) and brings you his three-minutes, every day of the week. And he very often hits it right out of the park. If you are interested in the video side of podcasting, check out Jay Today to see how effectively a micro-show can be. And if you are interested in literally anything related to marketing at all, check out Jay Today, period.

Listen In: http://jaytoday.tv

Radiotopia

Hosted by: Award-Winning Hosts

Recommended for: Entertainment

Okay, here is the one non-business-related suggestion (which is totally a cheat b/c I’m actually suggesting 11). If you have not stumbled across Radiotopia yet, it’s time to take the plunge. I subscribe to all 11 of these podcasts (and even have a collection of shirts to display my affinity). When you need a break from industry talk, choose a few Radiotopia shows to subscribe to. Love+Radio says of Radiotopia, “They’re like a drug dealer for the narratively addicted.” Spot on.

Listen In: http://www.radiotopia.fm/

Tropical MBA

Hosted by: Dan Andrews and Ian Schoen

Recommended for: Entrepreneurship

Are these words on your wishlist: location independent, digital nomad, workshifting, distributed team? What about just plain ol’ “How can I do what I want when I want from where I want?” Here at SME Digital, we are a 100% virtual team (and our newest team member Alex is a true digital nomad), so Tropical MBA is right in our crosshairs. If you work virtually, or if you are becoming more and more curious about how it’s done, this show is for you. When there’s a deep down voice that is calling you to uproot for a while (or forever), keep the Tropical MBA close by. Let them be your sherpa to getting out of the commute, the cubicle farm, and the grind.

Listen In: http://www.tropicalmba.com/podcasts/

The Rocketship Podcast

Hosted by: Joelle Steiniger, Michael Sacca, and Matt Goldman

Recommended for: Entrepreneurship

Storytelling, how-to’s, and why’s are constant themes on The Rocketship Podcast. If you like to hear the tales behind successes, failures, and learnings from the mouths of those on the front lines, you’ll love this show. Joelle, Michael, and Matt do an excellent job on sourcing interviews, remaining relevant, and providing value in every show. There is a solid archive of episodes, so make sure to swim in the deep end a bit; but also definitely subscribe for the newest shows. This podcast should absolutely be in your ears.

Listen In: http://rocketship.fm/

Online Marketing Made Easy

Hosted by: Amy Porterfield

Recommended for: Marketing

Amy is amazing, and her Online Marketing Made Easy podcast is such a gem. There are tips and tricks, for sure, but these are not your run-of-the-mill variety; I’m talking deep, well-thought-out, actionable tips and tricks. For example, instead of simply suggesting that you send out a survey to your audience, she recently spent well over an hour on every little detail of that tip: how, when, where, why, etc. That’s commitment, that’s depth, and that’s putting you and your needs absolutely first. Keep Amy close by; chances are, you need what she’s offering.

Listen In: http://www.amyporterfield.com/category/podcast/

Yes, this list is necessarily incomplete, so now it’s your turn. What are your hidden gems or must-listen shows (or episodes)? What am I missing and should definitely hook into? Help us continue building out this resource; the comments section is yours:

The post 16 Must-Listen Business Podcasts to Turn Your Morning Commute Into Your New Classroom appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

Earlier this week, Jay’s guest J.B. Smoove made me laugh, rewind (several times), and think. He was all over the map, and it was an hour of beautiful chaos. But the moment that stuck with me…in his words:

“Here’s where my rational comes with chess and checkers.
Is it a different board? No.”

Now, there is a world of hilarious confusion preceding this gem (seriously do yourself a favor and start listening at 9:00), and I’m still not quite sure how Jay and JB got there, but the moment was brilliance.

Checkers or Chess

On the same board, you could play checkers, or you could play chess. Honestly, you could play tic-tac-toe or even the squares game. If you really got basic, you could even simply teach colors and patterns. The game pieces change, the players change, the rules change, but the board is the same for everyone.

The board, the foundation of the game, the most visible piece of the game, the entity around which everything else is decided, it’s the same board for all of us. Which kinda feels like an important analogy for all things digital.

The Social Game

Why? Let’s take a real-life example, SME Digital has four primary social properties that we have established and that we work to maintain: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and G+. For those who follow any or all of these outposts, you’ll have noticed a marked difference over the past several weeks. We’re changing up frequency, content types, timing, etc. It’s been a fun process, but it’s not without a purpose.

Our social strategy in 2015 is heavy on testing. We’re using strict methodology and variable isolation to discover what game we should actually be playing. In social, the players change constantly and so do the rules. When we sit at the digital table with our audience, it’s our priority to engage in the healthiest, most beneficial activity possible.

In other words, if we are playing checkers, but our audience is playing chess…no one is getting any value out of the exchange. Everyone involved is wasting their time. And no one wants to play that game.

If we’re playing tic-tac-toe, but our network really wants to play Connect Four, then we have a problem. And that tension and friction will negatively manifest itself in all sorts of ways: awareness, engagement, consideration, and ultimately, customer acquisition and conversion.

Are You Playing The Right Game?

So ask yourself, do you know the rules, which pieces to use, or even the game you should be playing? You can do all sorts of interesting things with the game board that is Facebook or Twitter. But do you know the rules that those on the other side of the table are playing by?

It doesn’t really matter what game you are playing; what matters is the game that your audience is playing. Or at least, what game they want you to play.

Now is a good time to start figuring out whether or not you are even playing by the right rules. All of the best practices, tips, and tricks in the world won’t help you if you show up with the wrong pieces.

So test, ask, isolate, and start mixing things up. In the end, you might just find out you’ve been playing chess with checker pieces. And that is a game that is just crazy hard to win.

The post Listen To This: We All See The Board, But What Game Are You Playing? appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

For this post, the ah-hah moment came about 37 minutes in, when talk of the industry echo chamber briefly surfaced. It was a moment that spotlighted storytelling. What kind of storytelling? The bad kind. The self-deceiving kind. The kind that oftentimes doesn’t seem like storytelling at all.

But first, a bit of context.

“That’s just a story you are telling yourself” is a phrase often heard around SME Digital. Generally, it means that we’re calling into question what someone puts forth as truth. And by calling it into question, we’re essentially calling BS. It’s well illustrated in Nichole’s recent post:

The first step is to recognize stories like this for what they are: stories. They are the things we tell ourselves to talk us into or out of something. They don’t represent reality.

What was called into question on this week’s Beancast? The story that consumers tune into the Super Bowl to watch the ads. We are certainly fed this story over and over, and those who shelled out the $4.5MM per spot definitely believe it, but is it true? We’ll have to wait for all of the ROI data and analytics to find out, but as Winston Binch points out, “[The polar bear thing a couple of years ago] got a lot of attention in the industry, but I don’t know how much consumers were really talking about it.” Enter the echo chamber. The industry believes and propagates a story around their efforts, but are we willing to ask for the truth?

This discussion of stories and truths brings up a related question: What stories are we, as social marketers, telling ourselves? Surely more than we have time for here, but here are three. There are more. Likely, lots more. I’m going to hit these three and then open the floor. The comments section and our social channels are yours.

Story #1: Our Audience Likes Us

It’s easy to blame Facebook for this prevalent misconception. Much virtual ink has been spilled over “fans” and “likes” and such, and though many argue that the terminology is moot, the idea of “like” still triggers an emotion. And how about the “unlike”? Community managers can claim all they want that likes don’t matter, but those unlikes…they still sting, right?

Now, if you like the Social Media Explorer Facebook Page, I am truly thankful. But I have to wonder whether “like” is in any way accurate. Are you interested? Do you want to hear from us? Do you dig our content? Awesome. But do you truly like us? I’d love to believe so, but I know that’s just a story.

Yet brands continue to tell themselves this story.

Truth time: Consumers don’t like your brand. They might like what you offer; they might like some of your products; they might even like what you stand for. But the like button is click just slightly above apathy, and apathy isn’t worth, well, anything. It’s meh. It’s whatevs.

I argued in a previous post that we should tell our audiences to love-me-or-leave-me. In other words, choose to Get Notifications (love) or walk away (leave). Anything else is just skewing the numbers and basically pointless.

But to a lot of brands, “likes” really do matter. As long as that number goes up and to the right on the dashboard, everything is working as it should. And that’s BS. Quit telling yourself that your audience likes you, and start the hard work of creating love. Otherwise, that >1% engagement rate that you are fretting about will continue to be a data point that you gloss over, hoping no one notices.

Tell yourself the true story: Your audience does not like your brand, nor will they ever. Likes don’t matter; love matters. Loyalty matters. Advocacy matters. Start measuring that. Yes, it’s scary and uncomfortable, but until you face the truth, you will continue to walk a fool’s path.

Ignore your fans; focus on your advocates. Those who love you are worth more than your other 99%. Every time.

Story #2 Our Audience Wants To Hear From Us

Really? I can’t remember the last time I wanted to hear from a brand. Seriously. You? Brands are not my friend; brands are not my family; brands fill a need at a time, and when that times comes, I will actively seek them out.

However, brands do everything in their power to sneak their message into every social feed possible. We pay Social to push our brand updates into streams. So, if we are paying to be heard by the herd, how can we believe that our voice is sought after, longed for, or even slightly wanted?

Essentially, brands are sneaking around trying to kick down the door in social while telling themselves that there is no sneaking and that there is no door. Hmmm.

The truth is so much simpler (and yes, there’s an echo in here). Ignore your likers and ignore the strangers. Focus on those who love your brand, what you offer, and what you stand for. Those people, your advocates, those people are your marketing.

Bottom line: Your audience doesn’t want to hear from the logo; they want to hear from their peers. Give those who love you something to scream about and give your social ad budget the day off.

Sure, paying to be heard is easy. And yes, nurturing and growing love is hard. But spread WOW and let your true fans do the talking. Turns out, your audience actually wants to hear from them.

Story #3 Our Audience Is, Well, Ours

Turns out, Social is not a zero sum game. There is no Pepsi challenge. There is no picking sides.

Here’s a quick test for you. Take 15 seconds and name all of the Facebook Pages that you like. Now do the same for corporate Twitter accounts. Seriously.

When I did this exercise, I came up with 10; 10 Facebook Pages that I could name without peeking (and two of them are my own). The reality: 256. How did you do? (Find out here: https://www.facebook.com/search/me/pages-liked.) My guess…you forgot a lot of them.

Brands and consumers sit on two different sides of the same computer screen. And we’re looking in totally different places. Brands look at their big number: 500 likes, 5000 likes, 50000 likes; normal Facebook users look at their friends’ baby pictures, their family’s daily updates, and they do a lot of Happy-Birthdaying. Brands focus their time and energy on themselves while consumers focus on everyone else.

On the brand side, we believe what we are saying and doing is important, and we believe that our fanbase is paying attention. Truth? It’s highly likely that the vast majority of our “fans” don’t even remember clicking that like button.

Our audience is not ours. Sure, we might be a part of their audience, but it’s likely that we’re not. Honestly, it’s likely that we’ve been forgotten. And that’s the story that we must accept.

How do we address this kinda sad story? How do we rectify our trees falling in the woods with no one around? See suggestion and echo above. Ignore your audience, and focus on your advocates. Because those advocates…they have a stronger audience than we ever will. And their audience is true.

Your Story

Umm…yah…got a little bit ranty there. Apologies. But now it’s your turn. What stories do you think we tell ourselves? Better yet, what story do you tell yourself? I’m telling myself that you are the only reader who made it this far, so many thanks for sticking with me! Now, you take the mic. I’ll be listening.

The post Listen To This: Stories We’re Telling Ourselves, inspired by The Beancast appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

So how do you navigate the waters of choosing singular excellence or growth, monomaniacal focus or staying ahead of the curve, or of simply choosing one path vs. another? Spoiler alert: there’s no right answer. But here are a three ways to find out:

LEAN Methodology

Here at SME Digital, we’re big ambassadors for Lean Marketing. We speak about it, train businesses how to implement it, and use it pretty much daily. Simply put, we’re all in on Lean. The structure allows us to build quickly, learn quickly, measure quickly, and iterate quickly. Everything quickly. The goal? Spend the least amount of resources possible (money, time, manpower, and focus) to achieve the highest learnings. On paper, it looks so simple:

• Define your Conditions of Satisfaction
• Define your Minimum Viable Product
• Define your LMBs (what do you want to Learn, what do you Measure to show you’ve learned it, what can you Build in under two hours)
• Check Risk Assessments
• Create your Rapid Prototype
• Get Audience Feedback
• Repeat

But in reality, well, it is so simple. If eliminating waste, weeding out the non-valuable steps, and actually doing stuff interests you, Lean should be on your to-learn, to-test, and to-do list.

When faced with the above-question: Do I go deep or go broad, resolve or evolve, keep drilling or test the waters, Lean can be a huge help. Stop pondering and start working. I certainly don’t know if expansion or new ventures are right for your business, but I do know a good first step: go Lean.

Bonus: We have a really good resource on Lean Marketing. If you’d like a quick resource and worksheet to step you through the Lean process, check out our free download here.

Rapid Prototyping

Rapid Prototyping is part of Lean, an important part, but even on its own it’s a great path forward when you are interested in testing a new idea. Caught the itch to build a new product? Don’t. Not yet. Instead of spending time, energy, and money creating what you think (and maybe just hope) the market needs, spend two hours of your time building something that will help you find out. The two-hour limit; that’s the Rapid part. The thing you release for feedback; there’s your Prototype.

You might be hesitant to release your first draft, but the truth is that quick, cheap, and dirty is the fast-track to valuable, actionable insights.

What are the rules for Rapid Prototyping? Glad you asked:

• Find the quickest path to experience
• Doing is the best kind of thinking
• Use materials that move at the speed of thought

In other words, cut the fluff, structured brainstorming, and pretty note-taking and get your hands dirty with the rawest of materials. Throw structure and turn-taking out of the window and allow that window to be covered in sticky notes.

Rapid Prototyping is not only a quick and cheap way to have something to ship, it is also quite fun and very satisfying.

Find two hours, stick to the rules, and don’t skip getting feedback from your audience. Ask for feedback. Get feedback. Breathe. Then, do it all over again.

Faking It

As I mentioned before, we work Lean here at SME Digital, which means we have a lot of experience with Rapid Prototyping. It works wonders for us. But what if you aren’t ready to Rapid Prototype your idea? What if you need a different path to audience feedback? Consider simply faking it (learn more at 17:25 in the podcast).

Personally, I don’t have a lot of experience with planned, intentional fakery, which is why this episode caught my attention. It’s a beautiful idea. Faking it is very similar to Rapid Prototyping, but it feels even less committed. Instead of building a button that is ugly, but at least works, faking it would say just build a pretty button. No functionality needed; just the button. Then ask for feedback.

The way Alex (the host) describes it: “Building a prototype like this is a little like building a fake house. The kitchen is all set up, you can walk through it, see how it feels, but the water doesn’t actually run, the refrigerator is just a prop, and the stove won’t produce a flame. It won’t function as a kitchen, but it will help you figure out is this the kind of kitchen I want in this house I’m building?”

Very cool. Faking it makes a lot of sense in terms of collecting feedback on design or proposed functionality. Where Rapid Prototyping would build the Minimum Viable Product, Faking it would build the Minimum Potential Product. Instead of click the ugly button and react to what happens, it’s more in line with pretend you could click the pretty button and react to what you think will happen.

I’m going to try Faking It on an upcoming project and see how it feels when bumped against the kinds of prototypes that I’m used to building. For me, it’s a new alternative, and I’m excited to see how it works in practice. My guess? If Google Labs is doing it (which they are), then there’s a lot of value in the experience.

Making The Choice

Which one of these methods is best for you? I have no idea. And you might not, either. In fact, you might find yourself trying bits of one and bits of another, just to see what works. In that case, you are free to prototype your process for prototyping. We do that internally at SME Digital, as well. Possibly because we just really like up-leveling and iterating; possibly because there is such value in pivoting, questioning, and occasionally burning everything to the ground.

Regardless of which path you choose, however, always keep your eye on the prize: minimum effort for maximum payoff. Not the other way around. Your audience wants to speak, they want to give their feedback, they want their needs heard and met. Your job is to facilitate those wants and needs.

If you build it, they will come. Nope.

But if you build it, they will react. And in that way, your Field of Dreams becomes a Field of Reality.

What has your experience been with Lean Marketing, Rapid Prototyping, or Faking It? Do you have a different, preferred method for testing and iterating? I’d love to hear about it!

The post Listen To This: Fake it Til You Make It, from Startup appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

This week’s “Listen to This” took me to a dark place in my professional career. A place that didn’t really exist before the adoption of social media. My guess? You’ve been to this place, too. Or you’ve at least seen it.

This American Life Episode 545 (“If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say, SAY IT IN ALL CAPS”) is quite dark, full of tough language, subject matter, and personal stories that might not sit well with everyone. But it’s an important hour, and one that I want to put a spotlight on today. There’s not a singular moment this week that grabbed my attention, more of an overall feeling. If you take the hour to listen in, you’ll understand.

“Communication crisis”; are you familiar with the term? It could go by so many other names, but essentially it’s the period of time directly after you have screwed up, particularly in social media. There is a mistimed post, an unfulfilled promise, a hashtag gone wrong, a bad attempt at a joke, or simply poor communication, followed quickly by a releasing of the hounds.

[An important sidenote here: I’m going to talk about my personal communication crisis experience and what I learned from it. It was a bad day, and there are important lessons to write about. But it was a day. Just one day. Many, many (many) people experience online attacks every single day because of their gender, beliefs, race, or other affiliations. It breaks my heart that it’s the norm for so many; I’ll let Lindy West say it in her own words (@6:30 in the podcast): “It went on like that for weeks. It’s something I’m used to. I have to be. Being insulted and threatened online is part of my job”. Me? I’m lucky, and I consider myself such. So take my story for what it is. A day. A hard day, but only a day.]

Are You Prepared?

What are we, as brands, to do when our communication is in crisis? How do we respond when we no longer have control of the message? What is your escalation plan? These are great questions, but ones that came too late for my day in the trenches facing the angry mob.

Some context. Rewind to January of 2012. I was at a previous company, and we were launching an updated version of a marketing program; we saw nothing but success on the horizon. We had listened to our audience feedback, worked out some minor bugs, and had all hands on deck. The countdown was on. The day had arrived. And…launch!

Uh-oh. A confused post to Facebook, another curious post to Facebook, a handful more, many handfuls more, and it was obvious that there was trouble. More posts, more posts, and more and more and more.

The posts started out as curious: Hey, what’s going on with the site?
Then, they turned to helpful: I tried X but there was an error that said Y.
It didn’t take long for the mob (numbering in the hundreds at this point) to turn angry: Hey! It isn’t working!
After anger came humor (not the good kind): memes, images, punchlines, making fun of us to our face (well, logo).
Then, the attacks poured in. Personal, mean-spirited, borderline-offensive attacks.

There’s nothing like a promise unfulfilled or a promotion gone wrong to bring out the vitriol, and nothing seems to produce vitriol more than the social web.

And what were we doing to calm the crowd? Scrambling. Behind the scenes, there was a flurry of chatter; however in public, we were largely silent. To put it mildly, we were not prepared. At all. Certainly not for the aggressive rate at which things escalated, for everyone to see.

In the end, we struggled but we survived. It was a very long day, perhaps the hardest of my career. Only one bad day but a day that I wouldn’t wish on any of you. (If you are interested in reading more about how it all went down, hit me up on Twitter, and I’ll send you a link to the news article.)

Why do I share all of this with you? Because there were lessons learned. And I hope you can take something away from my experience.

Have a plan, for Pete’s sake.

Here at SME, we love to create response models. These documents are built with the specific intent of instructing any employee using social what to do and when to do it. Happy social post? Awesome; follow this path. Really pissed off social post? Uh-oh; here is the escalation procedures. Confused social post? No problem; here’s how to handle it.

Sure, playing social on the fly can be perfectly fine…for a while. But the day will come when the social point-person will be stumped; that day is too late to start thinking about a plan. Ensure that everyone is aware of the procedures, signs off on the procedures, and follows the procedures. It’s better for you, better for management, and much better for your customers. If you don’t already have a response model for social, I’d recommend starting on that today. And if you need help, just holler (we’re good at those).

Be really, really, really honest.

Well, maybe just really honest; it’s unwise to publicize the emotionally-heated conversation you are having behind-the-scenes during a crisis. However, you will need to explain the situation, possibly apologize (perhaps multiple times), and make people aware of the progress to rectify whatever has gone wrong. Silence is a really bad idea when your customers are restless. Be honest with your audience, and take your cues from them. Do they need more information? What information do they want? They’ll let you know whether you’re succeeding or floundering, so listen, be honest, be mindful, and be transparent.

Be immediate, but be smart.

Timing is very important during a communication crisis. You need to get ahead of the crisis as quickly as possible. But be careful not to jump the gun. This is where a response model comes into play. The last thing that you want is for an employee to speak too candidly, too quickly, or out of turn. Make sure that your procedures are followed, and follow them quickly. Meet your customers’ needs before the spark turns into a flame. Public silence and internal confusion are the quickest way for a fire to get out of control.

Have so much empathy.

Yes, speak with authority; yes, speak with clarity; yes, speak with sympathy. But absolutely prioritize empathy. You are on the wrong side of the fence during a communication crisis. And even if you aren’t on the wrong side, your audience believes that you are. You need to be able to jump that fence, see things from their point of view, and speak to their needs, wants, and feelings. Understand where they are coming from, and they might just understand where you are coming from, as well. Empathy is the secret sauce of social; use it wisely.

Turn your unfortunate situation into a WOW.

It’s not always possible to turn the tide, but rarely is there an opportunity to make such a lasting impact as during a crisis. If you can view the storm as an opportunity, stop at nothing to capitalize on the event. Reach into your budget, go (way) above and beyond, extend offers of value or communication, find the pain points and solve them with passion, etc. Yes, you might take a hit financially or otherwise, but the opportunities to gain in customer loyalty, customer advocacy, and overall good will should not be taken lightly. Do what it takes to WOW because that WOW will last and last and last.

It is no fun to face angry customers, and that is especially true when it comes to something as public and complex as social media. However, if social is part of your job, you will face angry customers at some point. Know the plan before that day comes, and you can survive, even thrive, through the crisis.

Have you faced your own communication crisis? Let us and our readers know how you survived and what you learned. Hit up the comment section below with your experience and learnings.

Huge props to This American Life for tackling such a difficult subject. I highly recommend you check out the whole episode; you can do so here. It’s rough, full of tough language, violence, and heartache. But so is the internet.

And so is life. *Shanti*

The post Listen To This: Why So Mad? from This American Life appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

I have a page of notes sitting in front of me that I could delve into, but ironically, Jerry also talks about why it’s so very important to focus on one thing. So I will. We are going to laser in on a moment about halfway through (24:50) the podcast. That moment is all about the importance of doing good work, regardless of the immediate payoff, or at least regardless of knowing what the payoff will be. Let’s get into it.

“If you have done good work, whether you think it’s been recognized or not, someone recognizes it. That is the nature of the universe, is that good work – honest good work – is recognized.”

Do Good Work

It is highly likely that you do good work. We should all have this as our Purpose. What is less likely is that your good work is always noticed, at least not in the way that you might hope. We all suffer from this; see this article for a brutal self-examination of such. It is why the creation process is so daunting as it comes to a close on a particular project.

First, you work extremely hard on your good work, be that a blog post, a book, financials, a presentation, a strategy document, etc. That alone is difficult. But then, there’s the glorious moment of putting it out there for your audience: publish, present, email, ship, record, etc.

For the most part, you have control over the process up until it ships. You have created it, and you have intentionally chosen to make it public. But then, as Jeff Probst would say, the power shifts to the jury…but only if you let it. This is where we can easily lose track of the importance of the good work and start to go off the rails. Worse, this is the time when a lot of good work dies on the vine.

Hello?

I’m as guilty as anyone else in turning the period after the “glorious moment” into dark obsession. You create, you publish, then you wait. And wait. And wait for your good thing to get noticed. On one hand, this is the amazing beauty of the web. Your thing can get noticed. But this is also the imminent danger. Waiting for it to happen.

It’s dark and dangerous because you have already completed the hardest part of good work: doing it and making it visible. But the temptation lies in waiting for validation, and validation is very hard to come by. Especially in the short term.

Do More Good Work

Instead of hitting the reload button, watching your email, or waiting for the phone to ring, I’d strongly encourage you to start doing more good work. Sure, there is value in self-promotion; do that, too. But instead of wondering whether that first thing will be noticed, start working on that second thing. Or third thing. Or maybe both.

Again, there should be triumph and celebration in creating and publicizing good work in the first place, so don’t allow a lack of validation to stop you from creating even more good work. Time after time after time, you will hear stories that reflect Jerry’s quote: Do good work, and it will be recognized. So what’s stopping you?

No, it might not be recognized the way that you intend. And it likely will not be recognized on your preferred timetable. It might not even be recognized in the space where you think it fits. But that’s not your decision and is not in your control. And thank goodness it’s not.

Focus on the Good Work

Your focus should be on the creation and publication of your good work. So do more of that. Your focus should not be on how, when, and where others recognize it. So do less of that.

What good work are you pursuing at the moment? Where is your zone of genius? Where can we find the good work that you have already made public? Let us know in the comments.

Many thanks to Srini Roa, Founder of Unmistakable Media, and Jerry Kolber of Atomic Entertainment for this wonderful hour. With all sincerity, listen to the entire episode. It’s so worth all of your time.

Hit up the comments with your podcast recommendations for a future “Listen To this” and also to broadcast your good work. And thanks to you for tuning in! Until next Friday…*Shanti*

The post Listen To This: Jerry Kolber on Unmistakable Creative appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

This week, my inspiration comes from Dave Delaney’s “New Business Networking Radio” podcast: Episode 43; guest, Jason Keath. There is a ton of goodness packed into Dave’s interview with Jason, CEO of SocialFresh, but the moment that stuck out for me the most occurs around 15 minutes in. And it’s a goodie.

What’s Your Purpose?

In answering Dave’s on-point question about networking tips for attending conferences, Jason replies, “Have one Purpose.”

On one hand, what a great angle for approaching networking events. Instead of rambling around the room…rambling, or standing against the back wall pretending to be busy on your phone (yes, that’s me), Jason reminds us of the importance of arriving with a singular purpose. Decide on that purpose before getting dressed, keep that purpose in mind as you grab your nametag, and be monomaniacal about that purpose with every hand that you shake. I totally dig that, and I am going to steal it.

On the other hand, the inspiration here is not to only steal it for networking; it’s to steal it for life. We should take the time to focus on that.

I am going to take a wild guess that you are busy; some might call your days super-busy. So busy, in fact, that it’s 100% blowing my mind that you are taking the time to finish reading this post (thank you for that). I am busy, too. And I admit that the distraction of being busy oftentimes leads directly to my adopting numerous, scattered purposes. It might not seem like such a bad thing on the surface, having many purposes, but when you lose sight of the one, the capital-P Purpose, that’s an issue. Here at SME Digital, we call that capital-P Purpose your “zone of genius”. If that inspires you, steal it.

Your zone of genius is that part of your day that is effortless. It’s that thing you do that provides you energy, instead of taking energy away. It’s that space where, if you can stay there, you do the good work that you’re meant to do, that you enjoy doing, and that fulfills your Purpose. We should focus more on that Purpose and run everything else that we do against it.

My Turn

So here is my Purpose, thanks for asking (and I want yours in return).

My life Purpose: To enable my wife and kids to do the good work that they are meant to do. I’m a caretaker, and my purpose is to do everything that I can to care for them.

My work Purpose: Creating simplicity and beauty out of the complicated. (A little spoiler there from our coming-soon SME Digital website.)

But even beyond those, what is the reason, the Purpose, that I work here at SME Digital? Putting aside humility here for a moment, we are excellent at a lot of things: Conversation Reports, Digital Strategy, Marketing Automation, Social Outreach, etc. But where we really shine…our zone of genius…our Purpose… is Measurement. We’re phenomenal at measurement, and everything that we do, every other purpose that we take on, serves that larger Purpose.

Helping marketers become business Rock Stars by proving marketing’s effectiveness.

Apologies for the commercial there, but that exercise is important for a specific reason. When I attend networking events or participate in 1:1 outreach, I now know my Purpose. Yes, I am a caretaker by nature, and yes, I am a creative director by trade, but the one thing that I am going to talk to you about when we share a table: Measurement. Are you doing it? Are you actually being effective? Are you satisfied with your measurement? If so, awesome; tell me more about it. If not, I have a Purpose. And having a Purpose feels good and is empowering. It might even get me to put down my phone and leave the sweet comfort of that back wall.

Your Turn

Now, it’s your turn. What is your Purpose? Consider this blog a networking event, or at least a networking opportunity, step up to the plate, and commit to your Purpose. And if you’re not comfortable having that conversation yet, then making that decision, putting your stake in the ground, and committing to be monomaniacal about your zone of genius, well that’s your new Purpose.

Many thanks to Jason Keath and Dave Delaney for the reminder of how important and how valuable having a singular Purpose is. Own yours, and let us know what it is. There’s a comments section (and a Twitter account and a Facebook Page, etc.) for that. *Shanti*

The post Listen To This: Jason Keath on NBN Radio appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

For this inaugural “Listen To This”, I am pleased to recommend to you an amazing 33 minutes of audio: Seth Godin speaks volumes on the Read to Lead podcast. Why this episode? What’s so important? 

Action–>Belief

Though this entire podcast is gold, I found my inspiration a little over 12 minutes in, where the following question is posed: “How do I resolve the idea that I often know I can, but I don’t always believe I can?”

Woh. That’s a biggie. You might want to read that question again.

You should really listen to Seth’s entire answer, but here is how he boils it down: “We don’t take action because we believe; we believe because we take action. […] Do first; believe second.”

I’ll admit it; I had to listen to this section several times to really understand what Seth was saying. The idea of action preceding belief just would not jive with my brain, and it still turns me inside-out a bit. Generally, we act on belief, not the other way around. Or so my thinking goes.

However, what I finally understood was the angle of the question. He’s not talking about belief in something external (i.e., a cause or an event); Seth’s talking about belief in yourself. Like, how do I convince myself to do something? How do I jump out of my comfort zone to start something that I know I can do, know that I should be doing, but am just not sure yet that I have the right to do? Ultimately, how do I squash fear and do the good work that I know I should be doing?

And I whole-heartedly believe that Seth is right; just do it. How do you start believing that you can do something? Just start doing it. Like, right now.

What Is Your X?

We all find ourselves in this boat: I should be working on X; I know that I should be working on X; seriously, I need to start working on X. Then we whistle casually as we saunter back to A, B, and C. Why? Because it’s comfortable, it’s familiar, and it’s not that scary X-thing.

Doing X might mean doing good work, but also doing hard work. Doing X might mean exposure. Doing X might mean failure.

Can I do X? Yes. I know that I can type the words, do the research, connect a microphone to a computer, or whatever basic skills that X requires. But do I believe that I can do X…that’s the sticking point. It’s a sticking point that you have created as an excuse, but it’s still there.

How many times has that sticking point, that lack of belief, that fear of failure stopped you from doing what you know is your good work, the work that needs to be done? Yah, me too. Let’s stop that.

Today, let’s commit to action. No Fear; Just Do It; It’s Your Turn.

Why wait for you to believe in yourself when you have such an opportunity to make believers out of everyone else?

Your First Action

Let’s start today. Scroll down and leave a comment. It’s not for my ego, it’s not for analytics, and it’s not for nothing. Commit to action and put it into words (your first action). Make your commitment real (and public); that’s why we invite your participation. Or disagree with the post; that’s cool, too. I’ll just put the blame on Seth (kidding), but go ahead and push back, and we’ll figure it out together. Then leave me a link to what podcast you’re listening to; there’s a very (very) good chance that I’ll check it out. Thanks in advance for any of the above, and let’s keep this conversation going.

Lastly, thanks to Jeff Brown and Seth Godin for making the effort to share their conversation with the rest of us. *Shanti*

The post Listen To This: Seth Godin on the Read to Lead podcast appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

I won’t profess to know all the answers about what business leaders want from a business podcast because I don’t. And that is the point of this post. Rather than me pontificating about what I think business leaders want, I thought it was a great time to stop and ask the Social Media Explorer audience what you would want from a business podcast. So that’s what we’re going to do.

Please leave a comment and tell us your answers to these questions or anything else we may have missed.

1. What are the topics you most want to hear discussed on a business podcast?
2. Do you prefer a casual discussion or clear-cut advice?
3. Do you enjoy controversy/debate or hosts that agree?
4. Which of these formats do you prefer? A host interviewing a guest? A single host only? Multiple hosts with no guests? A panel of consistent hosts with no guests? Or a panel of consistent hosts interviewing a guest?
5. If you like interview formats, who do you want to hear interviewed on podcasts? Any specific people? Or any specific types of people, i.e. job titles, brands etc?
6. Also if you like interview formats, do you prefer ad-hoc interviews with questions relevant to the guest or a list of consistent questions that are asked of every guest?
7. What is missing in the business podcasts that are already out there?
8. What do you enjoy most about the business podcasts that are already out there?

Whew, that’s a lot of questions isn’t it! I debated on doing a formal survey or letting you go crazy in the comments and felt that letting you provide your thoughts in the comments would be the most beneficial for creating a useful discussion on the subject. With that…let loose! Add a comment with your answers below. Let’s figure out what business leaders want in a business podcast together.

The post What Do You Want in a Business Podcast? appeared first on Social Media Explorer.