branding

Since attending Chris Brogan’s New Marketing Bootcamp in September, I’ve been practicing how to use Google Reader effectively. Subscribing to Mr. Brogan’s shared items feed has been a big help.  Four things now essential to my practice might be helpful for you:

1. Keyword Search from Google Blog Search and Twitter Search – Create keyword searches that focus in on your content area, and then create RSS feeds that deliver items daily into reader.  This has opened up potential on two fronts.  Through the blog search feeds I learn about who is working my content area and can access where I want to align myself.  Keyword searches in Twitter deliver folks that share a vocabulary and would likely be a good addition to my network.
2. A Vanity Folder – Create a folder to catch all of your activity across different social media platforms along with comments about you.  Also helpful is a link search which delivers notification of when other sites are linking to you (search on link: http://etc…)
   
3. Use reader as a launch pad for comment activity on others blogs.  When I discover a blog through search that is important for me, I subscribe to that blog directly.  This gives me an opportunity to focus on that content stream so that I am able to comment in that blog when the opportunities present themselves.  The little double arrow button in the upper right of the reader post takes me directly to any page of interest.
4. Shared Items with Notes:  Now for what this post really aims to deliver…

There’s a debate going on.  One side of the fence encourages the practice that all activity needs to take place at your blog.  The other side says it doesn’t relly matter where it takes place, as each exchange builds (or detracts) from your brand and your influence.  Know that I’m of the school that says it doesn’t matter (unless your blog is highly monetized and your priority generating revenue through ads).  Connecting with the mind of another is where the action is at, regardless of the location that takes place.

Google Reader Shared Items is another powerful outposting (to use Mr. Brogan’s term) opportunity.  Here’s why.  Alongside your own blog posts, you can feed your audience relevant information.  Over the last three month’s I’d estimate that Brogan has shared four times more content through his reader than he has posted on his own blog. In as much as those choices are useful to folks, then he is building trust and keeping his following engaged.  Doing this allows him to bring his audience to other bloggers, thereby building relationship with other content providers.

To make use of this re-publishing activity, know that it is possible to import your shared items into Friendfeed, which in turn has the ability to post a tweet to your audience on twitter.  If you choose to use this functionality, you will want to be mindful of a re-publishing rhythm so as not to flood your twitter stream.  I’m currently limiting myself to four shared items a day, keeping the posts spread apart by a few hours.

Finally, remember to share items with a note.  This cool little feature allows you to put a few comments on the top of the shared item explaining why you think it’s relevant.  This reinforces for your audience who has framed the content they are about to engage in.  For folks not wanting to blog, shared items as a main practice can be an effective way to build influence in the social media space.  Consider how Silliman’s Blog does this through his massive link posts on poetry and you’ll get a sense of what I’m seeing.

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