Kyle, outstanding article with so many great ideas, I'm overwhelmed. You nailed the issue when you talk about trust being the core issue. In our e-commerce business, we've discovered that buyers first want to spend time getting to know you well, such as attending your free webinars, downloading your free content, listening to your podcasts, commenting on your blog - long before they'll ever buy. You're right that hard sells turn off future buyers in the social media space. The key is striking the balance between trust/engagement and guiding people to make an informed buying decision. At some point you've got to have a call to order.

Good example - is having a pop-up on your site for first time visitors to buy your Twitter book an element of first building trust or hard selling? Just a thought?

Barry Deutsch
IMPACT Hiring Solutions http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/blog

The title of our blog is Hire and Retain Top Talent - the focus of the content is on hiring and retaining top talent. The tagline reinforces the content "Put the Candidate in the Job Before You Hire Them". We've established a level of authority in the hire and retain space based on our blog, radio show, products, and best-selling book we wrote on the same subject.

Barry Deutsch
IMPACT Hiring Solutions http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/blog

Ed,

I use a tool to write my blogs offline - called Microsoft Live Writer - it's free. Usually I'll have 4-5 blog articles that I'm working on that are in various stages of being completed. I also find it very useful to map out an entire month's worth of blog titles - and then stay on track to knocking down each one. If you allow blogging to be a random event - such as "what should I write today?" it tends to become a low priority and doesn't get done. Let me know when you get your blog started.

Sharon,

I've been a fan of your blog and have followed if for quite some time. I have included your blog in this Vistage Leadership Community Portal. You'll find it under the Vistage Bloggers Tab - it's roughly the 15th blog listed.

I would also welcome guest blogging on this blog as you try to assist vistage chairs, members, speakers, and TAs in more effectively using pr, personal branding, social media, and social networking to improve their business. Let's touch base in the next day or two and discuss Guest Blogging.

In addition to the blog, I am also facilitating a few different LinkedIn Discussion Groups specifically for various members of the Vistage/TEC community, including chairs, members, speakers and TAs. You can find the link to join the appropriate group - Vistage Members - in the footer at the bottom of the blog.

Thanks.

Barry

Tom,

The funny thing is I follow your management blog as one of my favorite blogs. I didn't realize you were a Vistage Chair Blogger also. I look forward to connecting with you in few other forums, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and maybe Vistage Village.

I've added your management blog to our feeds of Vistage Bloggers. Would you be interested in becoming a guest blogger on our main blog - maybe an blog post once a week?

Thanks

Barry