Loyalty. A funny concept. One that can mean so many different things to different people at different times.

Sports teams have loyalty from their fans. Well, the true ones do. Think Manchester City as opposed to Manchester United, where the latter’s “fans” are more interested in prawn sandwiches than a good soccer team.

Indie bands have loyalty from their fans. Until they sign that big record deal, that is, then they become sell-outs.

Humans have loyalty from their dogs. But then you would be pretty loyal as long as you had someone cleaning up your shit.

So, yeah, loyalty – a funny concept. And yet it’s something that’s so important to so many people, they spend their lifetime(s) trying to work out how they can build loyalty around what they do.

After all, build loyalty, you build bigger success, right? More sales; repeat sales; referrals. Get that gold rush and you don’t have to worry about marketing.

Okay, maybe just a bit about marketing (I’m a marketer by trade, so I’d be dumb to say you didn’t need my services, right?).

So, yeah – loyalty is something pretty much everyone wants to achieve in some form or another. And not just loyalty, but fierce loyalty. Because if you grab that piece of gold, the world is truly your oyster. That shit starts revolutions.

And so companies spend thousands (millions?) on trying to create loyalty programs. Bloggers spend thousands of words trying to say the things they think their readers want to hear to become loyal. Social media “gurus” spend all day on Twitter when they should be doing real work, just to try and get that extra loyal follower to buy into their crud.

And it’s all a waste of time. Seriously.

Because you don’t need to spend thousands, if not millions, of dollars trying to build loyalty. You don’t need to be that desperate typist. You don’t need to be that good-for-nothing-except-quotes-for-Mashable social media douche whose only loyalty comes from those laughing at him religiously.

If you want loyalty – fierce loyalty – it’s easy. Be fiercely loyal first.

Show people you care. Show people you mean what you say. Every time. Show people they can trust you. Show people you deserve that trust. Show people you’re not a dick who simply panders to those stroking your ego (or your dick). Show people every one of them is equal.

And it’s not fucking hard to do this.

• If you’re a blogger, encourage dissention of your views and don’t let fanboys be your voice.
• If you’re a business, embrace your critics as much as your fans (if not more so).
• If you’re a manager, let everyone speak and not just Tommy Kiss Ass.

In fact, no matter what you do, in what discipline and in what medium, it’s really not hard at all to build loyalty.

Think like the person you want to become loyal to you and ask what really matters to them.

Get that simple thing right and you’ll have loyalty so fierce you’ll wonder why you were making it so difficult to achieve to begin with.

This post originally appeared on Sarah Robinson’s 28 Days to Build Fierce Loyalty series.

image: Jean-

If You Want Fierce Loyalty, You Need To Be Fiercely Loyal First originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

It’s not because I feel I need one, per se – the community here is one of the best on the web.

I feel incredibly lucky to have you guys come here and share your views, because you always treat both me and your fellow commenters with respect when discussing something I’ve written.

That hasn’t changed.

So why a comment policy? Simple – it keeps everything upfront, so if anyone ever does “step out of line”, they’ll know why I either edited or deleted their comment.

Again, I’ve probably only had to do that 4-5 times in the 14,000+ comments made here since this blog started. That in itself goes to show what a great community you are.

I also want to make sure that you, the reader, feel safe and comfortable when sharing your views. As my comment policy states, I will not accept anyone attacking another commenter for having a point of view. You help make this blog what it is; the least I can do is help make it somewhere you want to hang out.

The blog policy can be found here, but I’ll also replicate it now:

When I write a blog post, it’s obviously my point of view. Once it’s in the open, though, it then becomes a shared point of view with you, the readers – and your point of view is what builds the discussions around a post. Sometimes you’ll agree with me; other times, not so much. And that’s what makes the comments after a post such a fervent breeding ground for ideas.

I don’t mind if you attack me for my views. Heck, I’m big and ugly enough to take your shots, and it shows me that you’re passionate about a topic – and I would never discourage passion.

Besides, I’m the person that’s invoked that reaction, so if it’s an attack, let’s have it open and unfiltered (although keeping it respectful would be nice).

What I won’t accept, however, is attacking other commenters. They’re like you – simply offering an additional view on the starting topic. By all means, attack me – the blog is my home and as the owner, I’m responsible for what goes on inside. But attacking another commenter – that’s poor form.

I’m a firm believer in an open comment policy; I don’t moderate before publication, because I feel that stints genuine interaction and conversation. Going by the conversations that have happened over the months, it would appear that most agree.

Let’s play nice and keep it that way. Like I say, attack me if you wish – as the instigator of discussion, I’m open to all views and words. But let’s treat the guests (and that includes you) nicely. Otherwise, you will be moderated and deleted where I feel it’s applicable.

And let’s keep the bigotry, hate, sexism, profanity and all that other fun stuff off here too. You want that, hit up TechCrunch, YouTube or similar.

What say you – fair?

I think that covers it pretty well.

Good to go?

Image: Bob.Fornal

My Comment Policy originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, and with the new design makeover almost complete, the time to actually launch a newsletter seems kinda apt.

But I don’t want it to be just another rehash of the weekly posts. Nor do I want it to be all about what I do, since that’d probably be as exciting as a wet fish towel drying itself.

So I’d love to hear your take.

If you were signing up to the newsletter, what would be the things you’d want to read about? What would be three things you’d like to see in it? How often would you like it to be? Would you like it to be fun, professional, a mix of both or none of the above (and I don’t know what’d be left then)?

I have some ideas of my own on what I’d like to make it about, and how often it will come out.

But you’ve helped shape this blog by coming here on a regular basis, and sharing your thoughts in either the comments, or online at other outposts. So I’d like you to help shape the kind of newsletter you’d like to read.

Obviously there’ll probably be some differing ideas and viewpoints, but the ones that seem to come up the most will be the ones that more than likely will make it over to the newsletter. So feel free to let me know what you would (and, equally, wouldn’t) want.

Let’s make it a good one for each other, yes?

photo credit: Steve Snodgrass

Shape Your Newsletter originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

These range from normal ad boxes in the sidebar, to comment and contact form box ads (where you’d see a pop-up after you’ve hit the Enter button, with “relevant” ads displayed for your pleasure).

Some of the companies emailing me are fairly big companies, too, which is kind of flattering. It means that my blog is getting noticed in the right circles, and for that I’m extremely grateful to you, the readers.

Because without you coming here, reading, commenting and sharing with your networks, the blog wouldn’t be anywhere near as visible with these ad companies.

And it’s for that very reason that you’ll never see any ads on the blog – because I didn’t start the blog to monetize it via you.

If I wanted to monetize my blog and make money from its readers, then I’d be a professional blogger like Darren Rowse or John Chow. But I don’t, and I’m not.

Instead, I’m just a marketer who likes to blog with his virtual pen, and hopefully the things I write will encourage discussion, either here or elsewhere. I also hope the blog will feel intimate enough to have you come back regularly as it’s somewhere you feel welcome and comfortable.

Placing ads all over the place would take away that intimacy and lose the feel of the “home away from home” I’m trying to have here, and would change the blog into something it’s (hopefully) not.

So that’s why there won’t be ads here, ever.

The only “ads” you will see are endorsements for something I feel strongly enough about, hence the Headway theme and BlogOnCloud9 badges that you see in my sidebar. I think Headway’s the best WordPress framework around, and the BlogOnCloud9 guys have a great product with awesome personal service and support.

If I find things I think are cool, and feel you would too, then I’ll share that with you – for free.

That’s the extent of any “advertising” you’ll find here. Everything else will be reserved just for us.

Sound okay?

photo credit: kathryn in stereo

Note: This blog no longer runs on the Headway framework. Instead, it’s a custom WordPress design by Lisa Kalandjian of SceneStealer Graphics.

Why You’ll Never See Ads on DannyBrown.me originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

Sure, I’d be using it to offer my views on the still-emerging (at the time) social media platform, as well as ideas and solutions on how you could get the most out of the new networks and tools that seemed to be popping up all over the place.

But the overriding factor would be to have my blog as a focal point where ideas could be shared; viewpoints could be discussed; friendships and connections made; and a community built that wasn’t afraid to challenge thinking to help each other grow.

What I didn’t expect was how the blog would grow in that timescale.

Today I found out that this blog was one of the recipients of Young Entrepreneur’s Top 10 Marketing Blogs Award. While I was uber-happy to be recognized by such an organization to start with, my jaw literally dropped on the floor when I saw the company I was keeping – Seth Godin, Andy Beal, John Jantsch and Valeria Maltoni among others.

These are marketers and bloggers that I look up to immensely, so to be sitting alongside them is pretty mind-blowing. What’s even more mind-blowing is how the Young Entrepreneur award is part of what’s been an incredible first half of the year for this blog.

• In January, it was voted PostRank’s Top Marketing and Social Media Blog.
• In February, it came in at number three as one of the Top 50 Canadian Marketing Blogs.
• In March, it received the Hive Award for Best Social Media Blog at South by Southwest.
• In April, it came in at number six as one of Cision’s Top 100 Social Media and Internet Marketing Blogs.

Couple that with its syndication across the Social Media Today, WebProNews and Newstex business networks as well as its inclusion on the AdAge Power 150 list, and this blog has taken on a life that I could never have foreseen back in September 2008.

Now, while I could lay claim to having done it all myself and how the content has spoken, blah-de-blah-de-blah, even it if were true it’d only tell half the story.

As I mentioned at the start, the aim of this blog has always been to foster a community that would not only question and offer views, but would help the blog grow because of that questioning and view sharing. And these awards and recognition are proof that’s exactly what has happened.

If you didn’t come here and read my thoughts; if you didn’t come here and offer yours; if you didn’t question my viewpoint and make me think differently and strive to be the best I can every time, none of the recognition or award-winning would have happened. I’m not that dumb.

So.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for giving me the time from your life to make me think better. To make me question my thoughts. To make me learn and improve daily.

And thank you even more for helping foster what is, without question, one of the best resources of knowledge, expertise, thought leadership and more – our community.

Your community.

Here’s to you.

photo credit: blentley

Blog Awards, Recognition, And Your Part in It originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

I don’t mean that from a, “Oh, woe is me, I have to blog” point of view. Nor do I mean it from a, “Why hasn’t my blog been turned into a book yet?” viewpoint.

Besides, how much of a letdown would a book that’s made up of recycled blog posts be?

No, it’s more from the perspective of getting the best user experience, without overloading that same experience with too much clutter (and when I say user experience, I mean it from you, the reader’s, point of view).

For example, anyone that’s read my blog for a while will know that I’m constantly experimenting with design, features and layout to make your time here worthwhile.

I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to stop by here, read what I’m thinking, and then share your own thoughts in the comments.

So one of the areas I’ve experimented the most in is the comments section. I’ve tried third-party comment systems (then switched back); video and audio comments; and commenter social profiles with Twitter and latest blog post options amongst other experiments.

And still I stay undecided at times. Just the other day, I tweeted that I almost switched back to the Disqus comment platform following their new updates, but that I’d miss CommentLuv too much (Disqus isn’t compatible and I think CommentLuv is one of the best blogger tools out there).

Another option I can never make my mind up about is social sharing. This is where, if you like the post enough, you can share it with your own networks (Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon, etc).

I’ve messed around with a few options here too. Sexy Bookmarks, Add This and BackType are three that I’ve used previously.

Currently I use Digg Digg, which provides the floating share option to the left of this post. I also use Share This at the bottom of each post, to offer a wider amount of networks than Digg Digg. And then there’s the Apture Bar at the top of the page, which I’ve just switched back on and only comes into view as you start scrolling down the page. (Note: since posting this I’ve had to switch the bar off as it looked like it was causing formatting issues on my design).

Yet is this too much? Just right? Not enough?

There are a ton of other little things like this that I constantly question when I look at my blog. While I write what I’d like to read, obviously a big part of any blog’s “success” is its community, from readers to commenters to subscribers. So making your experience a good one is just as key as me writing a (hopefully) good post.

Perhaps it’s just part and parcel of being a blogger? Always questioning not just your content but the content area. And perhaps that’s why bloggers are such an oft-misunderstood crowd – if we don’t know ourselves, how can anyone else?

How about you? If you blog, do you go through the same indecision and similar questions? And if so, what are some of the things you’re constantly asking yourself?

photo credit: bgblogging

The Indecision of Being a Blogger originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

While I’m still undergoing some treatment, I’m a lot fitter and healthier than I was six weeks or so ago. I’m still not quite back to 100% me, but I’m feeling stronger and healthier every day.

To that end, I’m looking forward to getting back into the groove that I’ve had to miss these last few weeks.

I just wanted to say an immense thank you to everyone who has offered amazing support, love and well-wishes during my sabbatical. Emails, blog comments, phone calls, physical help and a lot more – I’ve been truly speechless as people have reached out to me, and I can’t convey enough how much it has meant and helped.

I will be responding to the emails and calls more personally soon. One of the strange quirks of my treatment was blurred vision, so it’s been difficult to read at times without getting crazy headaches. Oh, the joy…

I also want to thank the great guest bloggers who have appeared here over the last few weeks and shared some amazing stories, action plans and more with you. This is why I love the blogging and online community so much – everyone wants to help in any way they can, and the insights these folks have shared has been simply awesome.

There will be more guest posts as I get back to normal over the next couple of weeks or so, so I look forward to seeing what else there is.

Also, there are some big announcements to share with you as well, and I’m excited to do that in the upcoming days and weeks.

Until then, I just want to say again how grateful I am to know you, and have you part of this little place on the Internet. I talk a lot about community and its power, both personally and professionally, and you all show that every day of the week. It’s an honour knowing you, and I’m grateful for your friendship.

Here’s to continued journeys together.

Back to Business and Thank You originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

It has baffled advertisers and businesses as the next generation of marketing is trying to learn how to tap into users in this space.

A significant shift has resulted where marketers realize that traditional advertising on the web is slowly becoming obsolete, and appealing to target groups as an advertiser in this space seems to be less effective than attempting to influence the influencers.

We’ve always seemingly put trust in the establishment to give us information on certain historical facts, best products, top destinations, hottest jobs and optimal solutions to problems.

But the emergence of Web 2.0 has elevated the power of community and hundreds of social networking sites have erupted to validate its authority. The establishment is slowly feeling the impact of this move.

I never really bought into community until a few years back.

Ironically, I managed the launch of Yahoo! Answers in Canada, one of the few social search products in this market.  Its premise was to leverage community to provide valuable information based on experience –> something algorithmic search could not provide. Unlike other social search products, Answers does not rely on expert advice from pundits in their fields but the common person, whose life experiences provides the source of answers to many questions.

The turning point for me came when I was attending a Search Summit in the UK, working with other international product and marketing people who were also launching Answers in their respective regions.

I received an email from a friend who informed me that my former VP’s daughter had passed away from Leukemia, something she’d been battling for 6 years. She was only 10 years old.

I wanted to immediately reach out to her and give her some comfort for her loss and was reminded of a poem that my Mom had shown me sometime back. I emailed my Mom and asked her about it but, while she remembered the poem, she didn’t know where to find it. I asked the rest of my family if they knew about it. But the response was same.

So, I searched for the poem online not really knowing the author or any of the lines — just the context. I did this for some time with no luck. So I gave Yahoo! Answers a go and I sent my question into the unknown abyss of the Answers Community, skeptical of what I would receive.  It took awhile, as I expected it should since I was looking for a needle in a haystack. The response came 9 days later.

And it made me cry.

I didn’t realize that someone out there had the answer. When I looked to established tools and systems for answers to my questions, they didn’t have any. I’m telling you that social networking is here to stay.

The tools out there are making it easier for users to create their own content, build and engage in community.  Businesses have to figure out how to maneuver themselves in this tightly-knit environment if they are to succeed.

About the author: Hessie Jones is an online marketer who has worked in the technology space for over a decade. Addicted to new technology who cannot do without her MacBook or iPhone, Hessie is currently at Isobar Digital NA, creating experiential catalysts for word of mouth influence. You can read more from Hessie at HessieJ.com or follow her on Twitter @hessiej.

The Power of Community – A Social Media Success Story by Hessie Jones originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

First up will be the continuation and conclusion of the 7 Days to Turn Your Blog Into a Social Media Hub series, and this will be followed by some thoughts I’ve been having around operational social media and marketing differently. So, thanks for your patience during this recent quiet spell – really appreciate it.

But before all that, I’d like to ask you a favour – share your blog.

Leave the URL and a little info about it in the comments section (don’t worry if it doesn’t appear immediately – I use a filter for multiple links, but I will publish any filtered as soon as possible).

You kindly come here to read and maybe share a post or two with your community; now I’d like to do the same. The comments are yours to share your blog with us. And while you’re there, make sure you check out some of the blogs left there – you might just find some great new reads.

Thanks for being you, guys.

photo credit: nicora

An Invite to Pimp Your Blog originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

So today was meant to be the third part of the 7 Days to Turn Your Blog Into a Social Media Hub series. This will appear tomorrow, as something’s been chewing on my mind today (and apologies to anyone who was expecting the Hub post).

When I write a blog post, it’s obviously my point of view. Once it’s in the open, though, it then becomes a shared point of view with you, the readers – and your point of view is what builds the discussions around a post. Sometimes you’ll agree with me; other times, not so much. And that’s what makes the comments after a post such a fervent breeding ground for ideas.

I don’t even mind if you attack me for my views. Heck, I’m big and ugly enough to take your shots, and it shows me that you’re passionate about a topic – and I would never discourage passion.

Besides, I’m the person that’s invoked that reaction, so if it’s an attack, let’s have it open and unfiltered.

What I won’t accept, however, is attacking other commenters. They’re like you – simply offering an additional view on the starting topic. By all means, attack me – the blog is my home and as the owner, I’m responsible for what goes on inside. But attacking another commenter – that’s poor form.

I’m a firm believer in an open comment policy; I don’t moderate before publication, because I feel that stints genuine interaction and conversation. Going by the conversations that have happened over the months, it would appear that most agree.

Let’s play nice and keep it that way. Like I say, attack me if you wish – as the instigator of discussion, I’m open to all views and words. But let’s treat the guests (and that includes you) nicely.

What say you – fair?

photo credit: Martin Deutsch

A Slight Intermission on Blog Comments Respect originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.