I have to say that there are some really great reads out there this week. I’ve been pushed, prodded, and cajoled into thinking about brands, social media, hiring, content, and fear. It’s shaping up to be a fabulous week. As always, if you see a great marketing article, please let me know in the comments.

Create Vocal Brand Advocates
In this article, Susan Gunelius talks about the seven steps of advertising success. Sometimes you don’t get an immediate sale from your advertising and marketing, but you can create awareness and build your brand.
Fear
David Meerman Scott talks about fear of marketing on the …read more

Yvonne Russel over at Home Biz Notes scoops me again! In a post called “Free – Penguin Authors Guide To Online Marketing – A Great Promotional Tool,”
I suggest you go right over and download it. It’s a 64 page ebook with some cool graphics and, it looks like, some sage advice. I haven’t read the whole thing on this Sunday morning, but I have read enough to be sure it’s worth the time to download and at least scan.
What I haven’t figured out is why Penguin has put together such a helpful guide. Usually this sort of thing is done …read more

Folks just getting started in freelance writing often ask if they should write for free. I just posted an article on the subject where I list a few reasons why you may want to write without getting paid. But when the topic comes up for discussion, those of us with more experience generally discourage the practice.
What’s interesting to me is how often, based on our encouragement, the questioner will ask for pay and actually get it. Oh sure, there are all sorts of sites and new ‘zines out there that won’t pay you, but often, if you’re dealing with an …read more