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Liz Strauss: SOBCon And The Future Of Online Business - Blog Business Success

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Thought leader, widely acclaimed blogger at Successful Blog and social media expert, Liz Strauss describes the importance and growth of SOBCon from its beginnings to a leading social media discussion event. Liz shares how SOBCon is built each year and how attendees benefit from learning from other experienced social media users and practitioners. Liz also looks to the future of SOBCon as an idea generator for social media users, as well as a forum for sharing ideas. She also examines the future of online business, of engaging with customers through building relationships and trust.

Liz Strauss is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, December 23, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Special SOBCon 2011 Offer:

Use the code Wayne200 for $200 discount on the full registration price.

The offer is good until the ball drops in Times Square in New York City on January 1, 2011.

The "Register Now" button to the eventbrite page is in the sidebar.

Thought leader, widely acclaimed blogger and social media expert, Liz Strauss describes the importance and growth of SOBCon from its beginnings to a leading social media discussion event. You will learn:

* Why SOBCon remains a successful conference for business people

* How SOBCon has changed and evolved to meet the needs of the business community

* How social media continues to become a staple of relationship building

* How the future of business is evolving into new and exciting business models

Liz Strauss (photo left) is a social web strategist and community builder. Coming from a background of publishing, business, and instructional design, Liz understands how people perceive a blog, a product, and an experience — how the head and heart engage to make a fiercely loyal customer. She can articulate what makes things irresistible — what keeps people coming back — from literacy, editorial, design, and marketing sensitivities.

Liz works with businesses, universities, and individuals to help them understand how text, words, and images work in the culture of the social web. She has over 20 years in print, software, and online publishing, and has strategized with publishers in Europe, Australia, the UK, and Ireland. She was recently a featured speaker at the Cass Business School of City University in London and taught a Master’s Level class at the CityU School of Pubishing.

Liz is a founder of the highly successful business bloggers conference SOBCon — which has gained the partnership of companies such as Intuit, IZEA, ReveNews, Walmart, Colgate, Allstate, and Klondike Frozen Treats, as well as the attention of BusinessWeek, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Innovation Initiative of the Kellogg School of Business.

She has been named to the Top 100 Social Media & Internet Marketing Bloggers Top 100 Most Influential Marketers of 2008, the 50 of the Most Powerful and Influential Women of Social Media, NxE’s Fifty Most Influential ‘Female’ Bloggers and her blog is listed on Alltop Social Media and Alltop Twitterati.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with thought leader, widely acclaimed blogger at Successful Blog and social media expert, Liz Strauss as she describes the importance and growth of SOBCon from its beginnings to a leading social media discussion event. Liz shares how SOBCon is built each year and how attendees benefit from learning from other experienced social media users and practitioners. Liz also looks to the future of SOBCon as an idea generator for social media users, as well as a forum for sharing ideas. She also examines the future of online business, of engaging with customers through building relationships and trust on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: SOBCon 2011, Liz Strauss, social media communities, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Dan Hill: About Face - Secrets Of Emotionally Effective Advertising - Blog Business Success radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Authority on the role of emotions on consumer and employee behavior, and Founder and President of Sensory Logic, and author of the insightful and eye opening book About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising, Dan Hill, describes how buying decisions are made on emotion rather than logic. Dan Hill shares the latest research into eye tracking and facial coding can help advertisers find success by being "on emotion" rather than being "on messsage". Dan moves beyond the three P's of product, place and promotion, and moves toward the new P's of passion, purpose and personality. By engaging people emotionally, the customer's experience will be enhanced on a deeper level. Discover why people are primarily acting on emotion and why this understanding is critical to your advertising success.

Dan Hill my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, December 21, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Authority on the role of emotions on consumer and employee behavior, and Founder and President of Sensory Logic, and author of the insightful and eye opening book About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising, Dan Hill, describes how buying decisions are made on emotion rather than logic. You will learn:

* Why people make buying decisions based on emotional response rather than logic

* Why advertisers and marketers have been slow to embrace emotion based messages

* How to stay on emotion rather than on message in advertising communications

* How to transform your company and brand to emotion based advertising

Dan Hill (photo left) is the President of Sensory Logic, Inc., founded in 1998 as a scientific consumer insights firm that specializes in gauging both verbal and nonverbal, subconscious reactions to advertising, store environments, and product design, packaging and presentation. He has also provides executive coaching for sales force training relating to interpersonal communication skills.

Prior to launching Sensory Logic, Dan held positions in business and state government. In business, Dan was the director of Executive Communications for the Newark, New Jersey based utility company PSE&G. There he co-chaired a branding task force, organized the annual employee meetings, and was responsible for creating one of the top 11 annual reports in Financial World’s 55th Annual Report Competition.

While serving as a regulator at the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Dan was honored by the state senate for negotiating one of America’s first car leasing laws and spearheaded the creation of a 29-state task force on car repair reform for the National Association of Attorneys General. In academia, Dan earned a Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University and a Masters in Creative Writing from Brown University after undergraduate studies at Oxford University and St. Olaf College.

My book review of About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising by Dan Hill.

My book review of Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success (Revised Edition) by Dan Hill.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with leading authority on the role of emotions on consumer and employee behavior, and Founder and President of Sensory Logic, and author of the insightful and eye opening book About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising, Dan Hill, describes how buying decisions are made on emotion rather than logic. Dan Hill shares the latest research into eye tracking and facial coding can help advertisers find success by being "on emotion" rather than being "on messsage". Dan moves beyond the three P's of product, place and promotion, and moves toward the new P's of passion, purpose and personality. By engaging people emotionally, the customer's experience will be enhanced on a deeper level. Discover why people are primarily acting on emotion and why this understanding is critical to your advertising success on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising, Dan Hill, advertsing and marketing concepts, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

About Face by Dan Hill - Book review

About Face

The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising

By: Dan Hill

Published: October 28, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 212 pages
ISBN-10: 0749457570
ISBN-13: 978-0749457570
Publisher: Kogan Page

"With ever-gathering force during the past two decades, breakthroughs in brain science have confirmed what we all instinctively know in our gut but don't admit to in business: people are primarily emotional decision makers", writes leading authority on the role of emotions on consumer and employee behavior, Dan Hill, in his insightful and eye opening book About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising. The author describes the overwhelming case for utilizing emotional triggers in every aspect of marketing and advertising campaigns, and shares the concepts necessary to utilize emotional responses effectively.

Dan Hill explodes the myth of the rational decision maker through the use of cutting edge science and research. Despite evidence to the contrary, however, the much of the advertising and marketing industries have continued to insist that customers don't make their buying decisions based on emotional responses. Dan Hill demonstrates that emotions rule people's buying decisions every day. The rational reasons are only applied after the fact to justify that choice. Leading edge advertising agencies are already discovering the power of the emotional response, however. Through the research conducted by Dan Hill, advertisers can see readily which components of their advertising message is working. Perhaps more importantly, they can gauge precisely why the message, or parts of the message work on a deeper emotional, unconscious level.

Dan Hill (photo left) Understands that when a person makes an emotional response to a message, that person is also motivated to take action. With this fundamental concept in mind, the author provides a formula that assists marketers and advertisers in crafting the ideal communication format. The effective, emotionally charged message can be formulated as follows:

* Keep it simple
* Make it relevant
* Be memorable
* Focus on faces
* Always sell hope
* Don’t lead with price

For me, the power of the book is how Dan Hill shows clearly the critical importance of understanding the role emotions play in the buying process. For advertisers who relied on traditional communications channels and staying on message, the book serves as a true wake up call. Instead of staying on message, as previously practiced, Dan Hill urges advertisers to remain on emotion instead. This fundamental change in perspective changes the entire advertising and marketing landscape, from a rational model, to one based on the overwhelming force of emotions on human thought and decision making. The book is especially useful for creating an emotionally charged brand image, that will not only be memorable, but effective in a deeper and more personal manner.

Marketing to women has long been understood to be emotionally charged, and Dan Hill points to the effectiveness of that approach. He also recommends extending and enhancing the emotional marketing and advertising message to everyone, including both men and women. The good news, according to Dan Hill, is that creating an emotionally charged message should come naturally to advertisers. People can feel the emotional power of the advertisement naturally, and and on an intimate and very personal level. By trusting in the emotional impact of the message, marketers can achieve a more intimate relationship with their customers and clients. For the twenty-first century, Dan Hill provides the road map to a more successful and personally connected advertising industry.

I highly recommend the important and paradigm altering book About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising by Dan Hill, to anyone serious about understanding the crucial role made by the emotions in the buying process. This book provides the scientific background to support the premise, and the practical steps necessary to put the theory into practice. Dan Hill will change forever the way that you think about and approach marketing and advertising messages and communications channels.

Read the valuable and essential book About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising by Dan Hill, and enter the twenty-first century realm of emotion based advertising. You will move far ahead of the competition, and they will never even understand what happened to them.

Tags: About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising, Dan Hill, advertising and marketing concepts, business book reviews.

Invisible Capital by Chris Rabb - Book review

Invisible Capital

How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity

By: Chris Rabb

Published: November 2, 2010
Format: Paperback, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 1605093076
ISBN-13: 978-1605093079
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

"Very few entrepreneurs will create businesses that are profitable, let alone businesses that will be able to hire employees", writes consultant, and speaker on the intersection of entrepreneurship, media, civic engagement, and social identity, Chris Rabb, in his challenging and eye opening book Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity. the author describes how dangerous myths stand in the way of the success of many entrepreneurs, who then fail to draw on their invisible capital and develop a plan that builds on strengths and lessens the impact of weaknesses.

Chris Rabb points to some very sobering statistics that give pause to the mythology and misinformation that surround entrepreneurship. The author writes that only one in four businesses will generate enough revenue to add paid employees, with the owner of the independent business being the sole employee. In the words of the author, the entrepreneur is the entire business. Chris Rabb considers the high failure rate among independent business owners, not due to lack of entrepreneurs, but rather the need for better informed and more skilled entrepreneurs. Very often, according to the author, would be business people fall the idea that a good idea, a good attitude, and hard work are the keys to success. Chris Rabb dispels that argument and demonstrates that those characteristics alone are not enough. To fill the knowledge and information gap that stifles the success the majority of entrepreneurs, Chris Rabb recommends tapping into the entrepreneur's store of invisible capital.

Chris Rabb (photo left) understands that entrepreneurs possesses more invisible capital than they realize, in the form of social networks, and through weak and strong ties to other people and groups. The author considers the entire community to be a powerful source and base of invisible capital, but the entrepreneur must get past the myths of the lone business person and challenge the very concept of what success really means in their own business and personal context. Chris Rabb points out that every entrepreneur has access to their own, often hidden and unrecognized invisible capital, and that the invisible treasure trove is unique for every business owner. Invisible capital relies on networks, but is even more complex and diverse than social and business contacts. Invisible capital also includes the person's skills, existing knowledge, available resources, and experiences. When added to the networks, invisible capital becomes a very powerful source of business success.

For me, the power of the book is how Chris Rabb looks beyond the standard explanations of how business people succeed, and considers the deeper issue of why entrepreneurs create profitable and growing companies. For Chris Rabb, that success results from leveraging one's own storehouse of invisible capital. The author describes invisible capital as being little known, and even less understood, because of what he calls the "entrepreneurial-industrial complex". Chris Rabb charges this mysterious entity as proffering deliberate misinformation and mythology to the general public, where it is absorbed and internalized by potential entrepreneurs.

At the same time, writes the author, those same cynical manipulators of public ideas, make total use of their own invisible capital to enhance their own business success. Chris Rabb presents the important remedy and solution to this myth perpetuation through encouraging communities to help people build and strengthen their personal capital. The resulting skilled, and invisible capital guided entrepreneurs in turn build the economy of the community in a sustainable and beneficial manner. By unleashing the latent potential of invisible capital, the business person and the community enhance and build one another's prosperity, in a mutually satisfactory and community centered way.

I highly recommend the insightful and important book Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity by Chris Rabb, to anyone seeking a fresh and community centered approach to entrepreneurship that is both sustainable and works for the betterment of everyone. The author draws back the curtain that shrouds the critical concept of invisible capital, and shines a bright light on this relatively unknown and often misunderstood component of business success. The idea that the community itself can spawn and nurture successful businesses is a powerful one for this and any economy.

Read the essential and thoughtful book Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity by Chris Rabb, and change your view of why some entrepreneurs succeed why so many others fail. Discover how invisible capital, combined with a rethinking of what success really means for the business person and the community, levels the playing field for entrepreneurs. This book can transform a possibly failed business venture into a sustainable one that forms an integral part of the overall community.

Tags: Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity, Chris Rabb, community based entrepreneurship, business book reviews.

Online University: 15 Philosophy Books for Business Students

OnlineUniversity.com Blog posted a list of their recommended 15 Philosophy Books Every Business Student Should Read. As expected, the list contains standard philosophy classics from several different historical eras, ranging from the ancient world to the twentieth century.

While a person might disagree with the order, and the inclusions and omissions, the list is an excellent starting point for business students. Anyone working their way through this remarkable list will achieve a better grasp, not only of philosophy, but of business as well. It is my firm conviction that a solid grounding in the Humanities, including literature, philosophy, history and languages, serves a business person very well. Indeed, the failure to read, learn, and absorb the wisdom found in the great works leaves a real gap in anyone's education.

Reading and understanding the timeless wisdom found in the Humanities is even more critical for business students, as the moral and ethical dilemmas of our current era, have arisen in the past. The great writers have grappled with these issues for centuries. They offer guidance, that a business student who aspires to a leadership role, would be wise to consider and reflect upon. A business person will be a more effective leader and decision maker as a result.

As the blog post states:

There’s a lot of wisdom to be gained from philosophers — hailing from both this century and those of ancient times. Not only have they helped educate some of the best and brightest at universities and in classrooms around the world, they also serve as education and inspiration for those in the business world. These philosophical tomes touch on ideas like morality and ethics, human nature and leadership– all of which can be directly applied to aspects of business as diverse as management and marketing. So if you’re a business student looking for a little inspiration in your studies or new insights in seeing the world, don’t miss out on these amazing reads.

To get you started, the fascinating, and complacency shattering classic, A Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin (shown top left) is listed as Number 4 on the list:

What meaning does art have in a world where nearly everything is produced en masse? It’s an interesting point for any business to contemplate. Do you want your products to be unique or do you want them all to be just the same? There are arguments to be made for each, and Benjamin starts the discussion on what art means in the modern age within this text.

As a matter of interest, I have read eight of the fifteen books. I still have some work to do as well. It's a good thing that I believe in and fully support lifelong learning.

Happy reading!

Tags: 15 Philosophy Books Every Business Student Should Read, A Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, business and philosophy, philosophy book reviews.