Thursday Morning Bits and Pieces

I read a ton of material and then form a logjam of possible posts that never see the light because 1) I never get around to them or 2) they’re too small.

So here are a few things of note that you might find of interest which I found in my travels around the Internet:

Personal branding is hot, hot, hot. (No, no, it’s not leaving a mark on your skin with a branding iron, it’s developing your own personal brand the way Nike or Pepsi do.) Lyn Chamberlyn, whom I’ve known for years, has combined her skills in PR and marketing and now writes passionately about personal branding on her aptly named The Brand Dame blog. Check it out.

Jessica Albon (who helps manage this blog and my newsletter) recently posted an article, “Is a CMS Right For Your Business?” I’ve had a few clients ask me this very same question, so I’m pleased that Jessica answered it for me.

MarketingSherpa has posted a free download, “2008 Dirty Dozen Email Newsletter Mistakes.” I haven’t read it yet, but as with all MarketingSherpa reports, it’s bound to be informative. (Hat tip to Debbie Weil.)

I recently had the chance to listen to “The 50 Biggest Mistakes Information Marketers Make,” developed by Speaker Fulfillment Services, Inc. (Full disclosure — I use them for my own products; however, this is not a paid referral.) This is one of the best programs I’ve heard all year. As I drove, my fingers itched to write down all that I was learning (thankfully, the course comes with a manual). If you sell information products, I highly recommend you order this product. Five stars.

Edited to add: Jill Konrath, author of the Selling to Big Companies blog, has a terrific post about LinkedIn. Like Jill, I have a LinkedIn profile and willingly add connections and give recommendations. However, LinkedIn has not brought in any new business. In this post she talks about how to use LinkedIn more effectively, and includes a link to Jason Alba’s new book, I’m on LinkedIn — Now What? (I just ordered it!)