Doing Words

How to love your nerd

// December 12th, 2008 // 0 Comments // people

Rands is a great writer as well as a true nerd so he writes from the heart and with great insight when he describes in The Nerd Handbook how a nerd thinks, what makes a nerd different to you and I, and how the life partner of a nerd can help create a lasting relationship with a nerd.

I love how he details the nerd’s obsession with the latest project, and how a new relationship can be just like a new project. That can be a problem once the nerd believes he’s got you figured out:

As you discovered when you were the project, your nerd’s focus can be deliciously overwhelming, but it will stop. Once a nerd believe he fully knows how a system works, the challenge to understand ceases to exist and he moves on in search of The Next High.

While I don’t know who you are or why in the world you chose a nerd for your companion, I do know that you are not a knowable system. I know that you are messy, just like your nerd. Being your own quirky self will be more than enough to present new and interesting challenges to your nerd.

More great advice in The Nerd Handbook…

[Cool "I like code" tee from Chezza & Scottie @ Molt:n ]

Peace on earth, good reading to all men

// December 12th, 2008 // 0 Comments // people

In addition to world peace, an actual reduction in global carbon emissions in 2009 (versus a promise to do better) and an end to the Econolypse, here’s a list of things that would surprise and delight me.

Just in case you’ve enjoyed Doing Words this year sooo much that you’d like to show me some lurv.

Wishing you peace, love, and good reading.

“I am 3D and more saturated”

// April 29th, 2008 // 0 Comments // people

Sadly these days most new follower notifications on Twitter are from other self-promoters trying to get their own brand out there. My advice would be to first concentrate on offering something of value, and then the audience will find you – that’s what the interweb is all about. I guess some people don’t have the patience for the organic approach.

Someone who can help you with an alternative approach – Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – is Marina Feygelman, who was probably marketing herself when she decided to follow me on Twitter. Never mind, I thought her blog was a useful guide for folks new to SEO, so I’ve added it to my bookmarks for later. We’re even.

In my eternal search for new ways to tell business stories, the About page of Marina’s blog makes a great little case study. I laughed out loud when I read her self-description. It reads, “Marina Feygelman is natural intelligence behind Adpuma. I look approximately like the picture on top of my page, but I am 3D and more saturated (color, that is). I am married and have three homeschooling children. ” That, along with her interesting photo, tells us everything we need to grasp where Marina is in her life and how her work relates to the rest of her life.

Her offer right up front is clear as a bell: get on the first page of Google search results tomorrow, call me now for a free consultation. At least, it would be clear as a bell if it didn’t say that in all upper-case. More than a few words of all upper-case encourages the eye to skip that copy and maybe come back later… if there is a later.

She has her phone number, email address and live chat link right there on the page too. Leaving your phone number and email address accessible on the page may be a problem if you don’t like spam and sales calls, but it sure breaks down the barriers.

There are a couple of minor spelling and grammar mistakes too, but that’s not a major problem, since you wouldn’t be hiring Marina to write for you.

Otherwise she has it all totally right: her offer is straightforward, her profile is memorable and has personality in spades, and her contact details are right there.

…but I’m still not adding her to the people I follow on Twitter!

This morning in da house: Yorke Hinds

// March 11th, 2008 // 0 Comments // people, Products, strategy