This is the second part of the study guide I’ve pulled together to help you connect with the main concepts Mitch Joel writes about in his book, Six Pixels of Separation. (This study guide was created for my COM106 students at Rider University. In our class, we will be having a quiz on Chapters 7-10 of the book next week.)
Chapter 7: You Are Media
Understand key concepts/terms/people from this chapter: personal brand, digital footprint, Robert Scoble, Chris Brogan
“In a world of Six Pixels of Separation, it is not about how your business connects and communicates in online channels, it’s about how you (or your employees) as an individual build, nurture, and share personal brands. A company is no longer made up of anonymous people building one brand; rather, it is made up of many personal brands that are telling your one corporate-brand story in their own, personal, ways.” (p.126)
“Build a 3D Personal Brand:
- Give abundantly…
- Help others…
- Build relationships…” (pp.134-135)
Chapter 8: From Mass Media to Mass Content
Understand key concepts/terms from this chapter: content, word-of-mouth
“There are really only four types of content you can create:
- Text…
- Images…
- Audio…
- Video…”
“The tone, flow and vibe you give off in your content will reveal who the ‘real company’ is [or who you are]. This is, specifically, why blogs are so popular: they’re the human voice behind it all.” (p. 152)
“Great content = great word-of-mouth.” (p. 159)
– Know the “Six General Rules for a Healthy Blog” (p. 160)
Chapter 9: Digital Darwinism
“Building community has many more similarities to dating than you might imagine. So if your blog, podcast, or Twitter is getting no traction, more often than not it’s simply not what your customers [readers] are looking for and, to be blunt, they’re just not that into you.” (p. 164)
“How do you build trust once you begin receiving attention? By using the Web in a very human way. This falls into two major categories: 1. Be Helpful… 2. Be Sincere…” (pp. 167-168)
Chapter 10: From Mass Media to “Me” Media
Understand key concepts/terms/people from this chapter: Garr Reynolds, Seth Godin, cloud, niche
“Always be experimenting… The win is not in creating something that appeals to the masses. Your personal win will be leveraging the power of a very specific and unique niche that you can serve, protect, and call your own. Your personal brand builds your business. You find your own ‘mass’ in your niches.” (p. 195)