How To Build A Web 2.0 Empire

As I was looking through the profiles of a whole weekend’s worth of new Twitter followers today, I was noticing an alarming number of profile links leading to an online branding disaster.

OK, let me explain.

Now, we all know (or have at least heard) that Twitter is just one of the many social media tools available out there. That means that it (or any other new or traditional media based marketing tool) should NOT be the only piece of your marketing puzzle.

As I’ve said many times before, the hub or brains of any online business operation which is implementing social media marketing needs to be a blog. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t have a company profile website or a static content website. It’s simply that a blog IS social media and it’s the place where your social media connections can go and see what you’re all about AND they can provide feedback (publicly) via comments. There’s nothing more powerful than pointing your social media connections toward a centralized location that is all you.

Your blog and YOUR name is a major part of your own brand.

Even a one person home based business should be working toward a self brand. If you think that potential clients and customers aren’t going to “Google you,” you better wake up.

That said, I keep seeing more people engaged in social media who are putting “gurus” and “marketing systems” in the place of their own self brand.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing at all wrong with learning from industry leaders and promoting (recommending) affiliate products. There are plenty of people as well as their information products and software that have played a part in helping me get to where I am.

But I have learned an important lesson through it all…

There is NO ONE ANSWER!

You’ll probably have to look at many different ideas and perspectives before you come up with the best solution for YOU.

I have no problem at all giving credit where credit is due and recommending blogs, newsletters, and products that have brought genuine value to my business and life. I do it all the time (even if the person is NOT a guru but just someone who has talent that has yet to be widely discovered).

The problem I see is when people use their social media channels (blogs, profiles, videos) to do nothing but go on and on about one “guru” or one “system” that has “made all of their dreams of financial freedom come true”

First of all, any leader in the world of marketing who truly wants to help you would NEVER say: “OK, Step 1- Turn your entire online presence into a billboard for ME!”

Look around.

Do some digging and see how many other people are promoting themselves as the “__________(<<<insert system here) master” or a “personal student of ___________(<<<insert guru here)”

Is this an effective way to stand out among the masses online?

Clearly, the answer is no.

So, if you want to start moving toward a more long-term direction for your business, stop being a poster child for the latest “next big thing” and start telling YOUR story.

Yes, your story.

No one has had the exact same experiences as you and no one has the exact same perspective as you. Start spreading your wings and thinking outside the box and creating YOUR brand, not strengthening someone else’s.

Now go start a blog and put THAT link in your profile.

P.S. Next thing I’ll do is put back the Blogger and Wordpress help that I had up on the original Web 2.0 Empire blog. Until then, at least start thinking about what strengths you have, what you have learned so far, and how you can use all of your experiences to tell a story. Oh, most importantly, try to learn at least something new every single day. All of the learning you do is all part of your story. no one starts off as an expert and success takes work.

copy and paste...

<blockquote>As I was looking through the profiles of a whole weekend's worth of new Twitter followers today, I was noticing an alarming number of profile links leading to an online branding disaster. OK, let me explain. Now, we all know (or have at least heard) that Twitter is just one... <small><br /> <a href="http://web20empire.com/2009/04/06/who-are-you-trying-to-brand/">Who Are You trying To Brand?</a> - http://web20empire.com</small></blockquote>

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