10 comments on “The Problem With Being A Human Brand by @MargieClayman

  1. Love the titles of each of your points above “Oh No.” The big corporate giants are going to obviously become more transparent over time and every move they make will be known. The pressure is on for them to act ethically in their internal and external environments. WOM has never had the opportunity to travel sooo fast! Learned a significant amount from your posts in the last two days!

    • Hi Jim, I’ve always wondered whether the subject of transparency is a blessing or a curse for corporates today. Sure, it benefits us the consumers and it keeps the competition up but could it also be a bad thing? A small slip up and the world will know in seconds. What are your thoughts on that? And yes, Margie is really smart – I learn a great deal of stuff from her too :)

  2. I don’t have an answer to this particular problem because I’m in the thick of things with my own blog. I’ve been talking with some of my other acquaintances about monetization and all that. The general consensus – for me, anyway – is to keep doing what I’m doing. I am adding elements to help grow my business/brand, but I plan to heed that advice, especially since I’m in the initial stages of growing my blog and business.

    • You know what, being yourself is the best way of being human because that’s who you are. Many bloggers jump into monetization a tad bit too early and it just ruins their ‘carrier’ for being too quick to sell. Brands, however, can only try to be human and in fact, are controlled by human(s) which may lead to the problems identified by Margie. You’ve pointed out a great point and brands should react the same to be a real human – to be natural and keep what they do best. Thanks for sharing, Erin :)

    • Hi Erin,

      Sounds like you’re on the right track. It seems like people start out wanting to build their businesses, but without a careful plan and clear objectives, you can end up getting really distracted by the “me” aspect of social media.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

  3. Interesting that all of Margie’s points make the case for the agile, strategic, small business. With a thoughtful plan for following and followers – I think a small business can make a name for themselves. I’ve long believed that Social Media and Web 2.0 have leveled the playing field for small business – historically thwarted by never having the marketing budgets a large company has – they can now out-perform with “sweat equity”. Most small businesses have grown via word of mouth – a dynamic and engaging online presence is word of mouth on steroids.

    • I have to agree with you on that one, Dawn. Social media has greatly evened the playing field between small businesses and large corporations also because small businesses tend to have a flatter organization structure, allowing the owner himself to be actively engaging across various platforms or as Margie puts it – being human more so than the corporates. Thanks for your insights :)

  4. When I started blogging and opened my twriter account 3 years ago, It was strictly a social/writing outlet for me. I do not have the biggest following in twitter, nor do I have the biggest following on my blog, but I have stayed true to who I am and what my goal was. It seems that there was the mindset of “monetize” and “get more comments”… and the connection part got lost. There was so much “expertise” being given away that we no longer needed to connect and establish relationships. Having stayed true to my “brand” – my ethics and my own personal reason for having an online presence, I think I have been rewarded with great connections, many great experiences and opportunities, and a level of credibility. Social Media should not be seen as a “get rich quick” type arena for personal or professional business. Like anything else, it takes time, authenticity and connection.

    • Wow, sounds like you’re doing a fantastic job! Not many can stay in that mindset as I’ve come across many who tend to ask the question “Why am I doing this?” “Is it worth my time?” “How can I make $ out of this?” and eventually phasing out of being social on social media. I’m not against taking it to the next level to monetize it, but being human should be one of the main priorities. This reminds me of what Jay Baer mentioned – if you don’t love social, you will suck at social. So true. Your experience is invaluable, Angie. Thanks for sharing and keep it up!

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