Want to Be Successful? Quit Being Entitled

At a recent event, my wife, who’s in the culinary and nutrition business, was asked an interesting question about the obesity crisis in America: “In an era where everyone seems to be aware of the importance of diet and fitness, why are so many people overweight and out of shape?”

“Taking care of yourself is hard work,” she said. “Eating right and exercising is hard work. And in today’s world, everyone wants everything to be easy.”

She’s right, you know. Everyone wants so many things these days, but they don’t seem willing to do the work to achieve them. And that’s an enormous chasm that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

The question is, what’s the source of that gross misconception? Why do so many people think they can accomplish anything worthwhile in life without doing the heavy lifting?

It comes down to a growing disconnect between goals and the reality of what it takes to achieve them. It’s one thing to say you want to live life on your own terms. That’s called empowerment. I think a lot of people have jumped right over empowerment and gone all the way to entitlement. That’s a whole different story.

Let me explain how this works. You have the right to set any goals you want in life and the power to achieve them, but that’s the easy part. The hard part is doing the work that’s necessary to achieve your desired outcome. Not only is that hard, it always requires that you do certain things you do not want to do.

Nothing worth achieving is ever easy. It always takes smarts, guts, hard work, and perseverance. Becoming really good at something is always hard, but that’s the only way to get anywhere in the working world. And you know what? Building a successful career or business over the long haul is even harder.  

And yet, many of you who say you want to be successful entrepreneurs are also picky about all the things you don’t think you should have to put up with to achieve that success. Well I’ve got news for you. You can’t simply avoid the things you don’t want to do for one simple reason: those are usually the things you need to do to succeed.

Look, if you want to get anywhere in life, you have to learn to face what comes your way and deal with it, especially if it’s hard and you desperately don’t want to do it.

For example, I hear a lot of you don’t like sitting through meetings. You think they’re an inefficient waste of time. But meetings are how decisions are made. They’re how the business world works. And how do you know beforehand whether a meeting is going to be a waste of time versus one where something critical gets decided? That’s right, you don’t.

You wouldn’t believe how many people hate dealing with contracts and agreements. They despise having to negotiate pricing and terms. So they avoid that stuff like the plague. You know what happens to those people? They get the short end of the stick. They do lousy business deals that cost them big-time down the road.

There are all these articles about avoiding negative people who put you down and sap your energy. Everyone should be nice and no one should have to deal with jerks. Fair enough. But don’t you see how subjective that is? Haven’t you ever disliked someone you met and changed your mind later?

Besides, some of the most brilliant entrepreneurs who built some of the greatest companies on earth have been egotistical jerks. Are you saying you wouldn’t work with them if you had the opportunity? The sooner you learn to be flexible, to adapt, to deal with all kinds of people, the better things will turn out for you.   

Lots of folks don’t like having to tell others what they don’t want to hear. They avoid giving employees direct feedback in real time. Never mind giving the boss or a customer bad news. So they put it off or sugarcoat the truth to make it easier on themselves. All that does is destroy their organization’s effectiveness.

Avoidance of things we don’t like to do is never a good idea. Never.   

Look, if you want to delude yourself into believing that your hopes, dreams, and positive thinking are powerful enough to make things happen in the real world without you having to do the heavy lifting that comes with the territory, be my guest. Enjoy your entitled life in utopia.

But here’s the thing. If you avoid healthy food and exercise, someday you’ll wake up out of shape and in poor health. Likewise, if you avoid dealing with hard things at work, you’re bound to end up poor and miserable. 

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Warren Buffett's Remarkably Simple Mantra for Success

Warren Buffett is wealthy, to the tune of $72.2 billion. To put this in perspective, only 67 of the 200 wealthiest countries listed by the United Nations generate a GDP greater than the value of his holdings.

He is also by many accounts one of the hardest-working people in business. According to his biographer, his "vaguely autistic aura" provides him with a keen ability to see and analyze numbers. And when most of us might question the validity of an undervalued company, he sees it for what it really is -- an opportunity.

Buffett is also an incredibly humble, honest and pretty funny fellow.

In 2002, I had the opportunity to hear The Oracle of Omaha speak at Georgetown University. Our small group of aspiring business leaders sat patiently hoping to hear sage investment advice or catch a hint of an upcoming acquisition. The jovial Buffett, however, lamented about his surprisingly humble rise to wealth and provided us with a few simple rules to live by.

Buffett quipping that the only difference between us young business students and him was that while we probably arrived to the venue by foot or in crappy old cars (given the costly tuition at Georgetown), he came on his cushy private jet.

That is hardly a small difference, Mr. Buffett.

He was quick to point out that we had all in fact started off poor, scared and naked. He dismissed the attributes of luck, though he acknowledged the fact that he was fortunate to have been born to supporting parents with means, or as he called it, "winning the fallopian tube lottery."

His career success and wealth, however, was not achieved through chance circumstance. Hard work, conviction and an enormous helping of common sense is what he attributes to success.

But that was not the secret.

Instead, Buffett emphasized that the true secret to success was to live a righteous life, because dishonesty, cruelty and immorality follow you throughout your career, and it is far more difficult to shed than any failure we will ever have.

He suggested that by adopting one simple mantra, all other parts of your personal and professional lives would fall into place:

Never do anything in life if you would be ashamed of seeing it printed on the front page of your hometown newspaper for your family and friends to see.

It is that simple.

There was no top-secret formula for valuing businesses or stock tips. Just be good, do right and treat others fairly.

Of course, Buffett has acquired ownership in a few small newspapers over the past years, so perhaps his goal is to control the front page content of his hometown newspaper.

Alas, I am certain his investment reasoning is far more sophisticated than that.

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3R Branding System - How To Be a Bit "Renegade" & Stand Out!

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Am I Good Enough?

What is stopping YOU from Realising YOUR dream and living the life you desire?

For those who prefer to read, here is most of the scripted dialogue from the video


Picture this situation:

You're at a seminar listening to a well respected, highly motivating and expert speaker challenging you to raise the bar and take that step towards making a change in your life. A change that you recognise needs to be made. The program that they are offering is valuable, proven to work and heavily discounted at the seminar price. Remember you are an action taker just by being there, right?

You feel yourself starting to get out of your seat to go to the back of the room but before you can gain enough momentum to launch out of your seat and take the next step, you hear a voice in your head, a voice you've heard many times before, a voice you don't want to hear or pay any attention to, but it is a voice that has controlled your decision making and kept you where you are for all of your life..........

"Who do you think you are? you're not good enough to make that happen. Why do you need to be doing that anyway, you're comfortable enough, aren't you? Why take the risk?"

How many times has that little voice in your head whispered those words to you just when you have been on the brink of wanting to do something to change the direction of your current path in life?

How many times?

You've heard of this phrase right........"If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always got!"

The problem is, most people spend much of their life being comfortable and unfortunately that is the problem.

Consider this:
Being comfortable:

1. didn't enable Thomas Edison to relentlessly pursue his dream of making the electric light a reality -
    even after 10,000 failures!

2. didn't enable Henry ford to realise his dream of enabling everybody the opportunity to own a
    family car, even after many failures and bankruptcy

3. didn't enable Walt Disney to realise his dream of building a place where everybody could just be
    happy, even if for a little while. He even went against the recommendations of his own board and
    numerous bankruptcies to realise his dream

And yet, we can sometimes baulk at stepping over the line because we either fear failure or fear what other people might think of us. For what?

An opportunity to make ourselves and the world a better place. 

Here's the thing, thinking small is not only restrictive but stops you from making a difference. What you need to do is get the focus off "you" and onto others. When that happens, you will start to think big picture and that's when things will start to happen for you. Guaranteed!

Why?

Well, because when you think big picture, there is no time think about the small things that we think are problems. Funny how they seem to disappear! 

So what is holding YOU back?

What excuses do you find yourself making on a daily or weekly basis that are cheating you out of leading a life of service, helping those in your world to be better people, to be making a bigger difference for the common good?

It all starts with your mind set and if you are finding it difficult to change it, I suggest you start by doing some really simple things:

1. Meditate on a daily basis, preferably in the morning for at least 20 minutes. As part of this,
    visualise what it is that you want down to the fine detail. This will set up your day.

2. Read books and teachings by those who are already successful and making a difference in the 

    world. There are thousands of them out there. Branson, Trump, Dalai Llama, John Maxwell,

    Dr John Demartini, Darren Hardy, Bob Proctor, John Assaraf, Joe Vitale, the list goes on........

3. Make sure your daily actions have a purpose. This will keep you focussed.

So, in conclusion, the next time you are challenged to step over the line to get out of your comfort zone and take action, are you going to listen to the voice in your head, or recognise its existence, ignore it and take the step anyway. Try it, you will be amazed at how empowered it will make you feel!

Until next time - stay safe but don't necessarily play safe!

6 Ways to Work a Room

Taking an active approach to meeting people can turn any event into a productive networking opportunity. It’s also a chance to influence how others perceive you, says Susan RoAne, a San Francisco-based speaker and the author of How to Work a Room (William Morrow, 2013). Never forget that other people are listening to and observing you at all times, she says.

Here are six steps to take before, during and after a networking event to ensure you get the most out of your interactions:

1. Assess the event. Be selective about the events you attend because “you could go to a networking event every night,” says Dale Kramer Cohen, co-founder of IvyLife, an Ivy League business networking community based in New York. Choose events based on who will be there and the type of contacts you can make. If possible, obtain the list of people attending beforehand. If you can’t get the list, ask the person who invited you or recommended that you go who might be there, Kramer Cohen advises.

2. Have something to say. Read the news and think ahead about topics that will make for interesting small talk, says RoAne. And yes, you’re going to have to engage in small talk, at least initially. “The only people who demonize small talk are the ones who can’t carry a conversation,” she points out.

3. Summarize yourself. Know how you'll introduce yourself in 10 seconds or less, RoAne explains. But don’t just give your title, describe what you do, she says. “Give people context about why you’re there,” she says.

4. Scope out the room. While at the event, note where the bar and hors d’oeuvres are located, RoAne says. These are great places to strike up a conversation with a person who isn’t already talking to someone, she notes. Also, scan the crowd to see if you know anyone. If you don’t see any familiar faces, start off approaching people who are standing alone, says RoAne. Not only is it an easy way to engage someone, it’s a considerate, welcoming gesture that will be remembered, she adds.

Ben Dattner, the principal of executive coaching and organizational development firm Dattner Consulting in New York suggests talking to a mix of people in terms of age and gender.  Don’t just hunt down the most senior, well-connected person in the room; be open to talking with everyone. “The bartender could be your best connection,” Dattner points out.

5. Keep moving. If you’re at the event for an hour, try to talk to at least three people, advises Kramer Cohen. Ask open-ended questions to get the conversation started, but don’t talk with anyone for too long, she says. Gracefully exit a conversation by extending your hand, saying you enjoyed talking, and offer your business card. Then move on to another person or group, says Kramer Cohen.

6. Follow up promptly. “This is where you get the value—showing up isn’t enough,” Kramer Cohen notes. Prioritize with whom you want to follow up and don’t wait too long, she advises. Be sure to email or connect with the people you met at the event on Linkedin within a few days, she says. Jot down detailed notes about your new contacts so you can find ways to be helpful, like offering to introduce them to valuable connections, says Dattner. But you can also stay on your contacts’ radar by simply keeping in touch. For example, if you know a contact will be making an important presentation, send a note wishing him or her good luck or to ask how the presentation turned out, he suggests. Apps such as Contactually can even help you schedule reminders to touch base every few months to keep bonds strong. 

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What Is Your Purpose?

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4 Tactics To Create Brand Loyalty Through Relationship Marketing

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “no one will care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” This statement is true in many facets of life -- the business world being no exception.

In fact, when it comes to personal branding, creating relationships and building trust is vital and imperative for success. Once you have created relationships with your customers and you have earned their trust, you will also gain their loyalty. This is a huge advantage. Once you gain loyalty, you could have a customer for life.

Below are a few specific ideas for how you can build relationships and create brand loyalty:

1. Offering returning customers a discount on services.

Everyone loves a good deal. Therefore, when a customer returns to you, it is a good idea to reward them for coming back. This doesn't have to be a huge discount; it can just be a percentage off of their bill. However, simply acknowledging that you appreciate their business and are thankful they are coming back to you is a great way to encourage loyalty.

2. Giving rewards for references.

Giving your current customers rewards for referring other customers to you is yet another way to show your current customers you appreciate their business. It also helps build up your customer database quickly. 

3. Offering updates. 

On your Facebook or Twitter page, you can post updates about your business and even your personal life -- if you are comfortable with that. This will make your customers feel like they know you. They will have the inside scoop, a behind-the-scenes look at what you are dealing with on any given day. As a result, you suddenly become more human to them. This is important because appearing as a human in their eyes instead of a big, cold, heartless company is key to relationship building. Consequently, it’s crucial to personal branding as well. Updating your social-media accounts or website is a great way to humanize yourself.

4. Really caring about your customers.

Your customers will see through any fake expressions on your part. Therefore, when you aim to build relationships with your customers, be sure that you actually do care about their well-being. By treating your customers well, you will be amazed at how willing they become to support your business.

Building relationships and personal branding are intertwined. You simply can’t have one without the other. Your work to build lasting relationships with your customers will pay dividends in regards to the growth of your personal brand. 

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21 Ways Rich People Think Differently Than Average People

World’s richest woman Gina Rinehart is enduring a media firestorm over an article in which she takes the “jealous” middle class to task for “drinking, or smoking and socializing” rather than working to earn their own fortune.

What if she has a point? Steve Siebold, author of “How Rich People Think,” spent nearly three decades interviewing millionaires around the world to find out what separates them from everyone else. It had little to do with money itself, he told Business Insider. It was about their mentality. “[The middle class] tells people to be happy with what they have,” he said. “And on the whole, most people are steeped in fear when it comes to money.”

Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil.

“The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest,” Siebold writes. That’s why there’s a certain shame that comes along with “getting rich” in lower-income communities. “The world class knows that while having money doesn’t guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable.”

Average people think selfishness is a vice. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue.

“The rich go out there and try to make themselves happy. They don’t try to pretend to save the world,” Siebold told Business Insider. The problem is that middle class people see that as a negative––and it’s keeping them poor, he writes. “If you’re not taking care of you, you’re not in a position to help anyone else. You can’t give what you don’t have.”

Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality.

“While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems,” Siebold writes. “The hero [middle class people] are waiting for may be God, government, their boss or their spouse. It’s the average person’s level of thinking that breeds this approach to life and living while the clock keeps ticking away.”

Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge.

“Many world-class performers have little formal education, and have amassed their wealth through the acquisition and subsequent sale of specific knowledge,” he writes. “Meanwhile, the masses are convinced that master’s degrees and doctorates are the way to wealth, mostly because they are trapped in the linear line of thought that holds them back from higher levels of consciousness…The wealthy aren’t interested in the means, only the end.”

Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future.

“Self-made millionaires get rich because they’re willing to bet on themselves and project their dreams, goals and ideas into an unknown future,” Siebold writes. “People who believe their best days are behind them rarely get rich, and often struggle with unhappiness and depression.”

Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically.

“An ordinarily smart, well-educated and otherwise successful person can be instantly transformed into a fear-based, scarcity driven thinker whose greatest financial aspiration is to retire comfortably,” he writes. “The world class sees money for what it is and what it’s not, through the eyes of logic. The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities.”

Average people earn money doing things they don’t love. Rich people follow their passion.

“To the average person, it looks like the rich are working all the time,” Siebold says. “But one of the smartest strategies of the world class is doing what they love and finding a way to get paid for it.”On the other hand, middle class take jobs they don’t enjoy “because they need the money and they’ve been trained in school and conditioned by society to live in a linear thinking world that equates earning money with physical or mental effort.”

Average people set low expectations so they’re never disappointed. Rich people are up for the challenge.

“Psychologists and other mental health experts often advise people to set low expectations for their life to ensure they are not disappointed,” Siebold writes. “No one would ever strike it rich and live their dreams without huge expectations.”

Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich.

“That’s why people like Donald Trump go from millionaire to nine billion dollars in debt and come back richer than ever,” he writes. “While the masses are fixated on the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it’s a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results.”

Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people’s money.

Linear thought might tell people to make money in order to earn more, but Siebold says the rich aren’t afraid to fund their future from other people’s pockets.

“Rich people know not being solvent enough to personally afford something is not relevant. The real question is, ‘Is this worth buying, investing in, or pursuing?’” he writes.

Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they’re driven by emotion and greed.

Investing successfully in the stock market isn’t just about a fancy math formula. “The rich know that the primary emotions that drive financial markets are fear and greed, and they factor this into all trades and trends they observe,” Siebold writes. “This knowledge of human nature and its overlapping impact on trading give them strategic advantage in building greater wealth through leverage.”

Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs.

“Here’s how to live below your means and tap into the secret wealthy people have used for centuries: Get rich so you can afford to,” he writes. “The rich live below their means, not because they’re so savvy, but because they make so much money that they can afford to live like royalty while still having a king’s ransom socked away for the future.”

Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich.

Rich parents teach their kids from an early age about the world of “haves” and “have-nots,” Siebold says. Even he admits many people have argued that he’s supporting the idea of elitism. He disagrees. “[People] say parents are teaching their kids to look down on the masses because they’re poor. This isn’t true,” he writes. “What they’re teaching their kids is to see the world through the eyes of objective reality––the way society really is.” If children understand wealth early on, they’ll be more likely to strive for it later in life.

Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth.

The reason wealthy people earn more wealth is that they’re not afraid to admit that money can solve most problems, Siebold says. “[The middle class] sees money as a never-ending necessary evil that must be endured as part of life. The world class sees money as the great liberator, and with enough of it, they are able to purchase financial peace of mind.”

Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained.

While the rich don’t put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says. “Walk into a wealthy person’s home and one of the first things you’ll see is an extensive library of books they’ve used to educate themselves on how to become more successful,” he writes. “The middle class reads novels, tabloids and entertainment magazines.”

Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people.

The negative money mentality poisoning the middle class is what keeps the rich hanging out with the rich, he says. “[Rich people] can’t afford the messages of doom and gloom,” he writes. “This is often misinterpreted by the masses as snobbery. Labeling the world class as snobs is another way the middle class finds to feel better bout themselves and their chosen path of mediocrity.”

Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning.

Siebold theorizes that the wealthy focus on what they’ll gain by taking risks, rather than how to save what they have. “The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities,” he writes. “Even in the midst of a cash flow crisis, the rich reject the nickle and dime thinking of the masses. They are the masters of focusing their mental energy where it belongs: on the big money.”

Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks.

“Leverage is the watchword of the rich,” Siebold writes. “Every investor loses money on occasion, but the world class knows no matter what happens, they will aways be able to earn more.”

Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty.

For the most part, it takes guts to take the risks necessary to make it as a millionaire––a challenge most middle class thinkers aren’t comfortable living with. “Physical, psychological, and emotional comfort is the primary goal of the middle class mindset,” Siebold writes. World class thinkers learn early on that becoming a millionaire isn’t easy and the need for comfort can be devastating. They learn to be comfortable while operating in a state of ongoing uncertainty.”

Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life.

While the middle class squabbles over the virtues of Obamacare and their company’s health plan, the super wealthy are enrolled in a super elite “boutique medical care” association, Siebold says. “They pay a substantial yearly membership fee that guarantees them 24-hour access to a private physician who only serves a small group of members,” he writes. “Some wealthy neighborhoods have implemented this strategy and even require the physician to live in the neighborhood.”

Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all.

The idea the wealth must come at the expense of family time is nothing but a “cop-out”, Siebold says. “The masses have been brainwashed to believe it’s an either/or equation,” he writes. “The rich know you can have anything you want if you approach the challenge with a mindset rooted in love and abundance.”

AUTHOR: Mandi Woodruff

 

Mandi edited the personal finance vertical for Business Insider until October 2013. Before joining BI, she covered breaking legal news for Law360.com, was a research editor at Reader’s Digest, and reported on education in her home state of Georgia.

Her work has appeared in Yahoo! Finance, Daily Finance, The Wall Street Journal, The Fiscal Times, The Christian Science Monitor and the Financial Times, among others. 

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How To Create Effective Content on Websites

Content on websites is really important, but it needs to be written in a certain way....enjoy the video!

How To Sustain Business Growth

Learn how to test and measure everything you do in your marketing to get the sustained growth you are looking for.

Get More Leads & Sales

How to get more leads and sales in your business. You must engage your audience and build a relationship!

Enjoy the video.

5 Social Media Marketing Metrics You Should Be Tracking

Social media can be an extraordinarily effective marketing medium, but it can also be a tremendous time sink for brands that focus on the wrong priorities.

Many marketers religiously monitor their Facebook followers, retweets and other popular social media data, but there are other metrics that are even more important that many people ignore altogether.

Miss these, and your ability to drive major performance results from your social media marketing efforts declines significantly!

There are several reasons social shares provide very little information about the overall effectiveness of your campaign. Some of these include:

• Many social shares come from bots.
• Social shares may not come from your target customers.
• Social shares can be from people that are speaking negatively about your brand.

While Facebook likes and retweets can provide some interesting information, you’ll also want to track the metrics that provide a more nuanced understanding of the impact of your social media efforts.

The primary goals of your social media campaign should be boosting customer engagement and brand awareness. Social shares and follower counts can tell part of the story, but you’ll want to monitor the following metrics as well for more valuable insights.

1. Brand search volume

A 2009 study from GroupM found that customers that are exposed to a brand on social media are 180 percent more likely to search for that brand on search engines.

Clearly, this demonstrates that search volume for brand terms is an important metric, yet many brands somehow fail to monitor it.

There are a variety of tools to measure brand search volume, but Google Insights and Google Trends are probably the most effective. Use these tools to compare changes in search volume for your brand against changes to your competitors’ volume. Doing so can provide insight into your ability to engage customers on social media, relative to your competition.

2. Lead growth

While this aggregate data -- such as number of social followers or social mentions -- can be a good indicator of overall brand awareness, it provides little information about your ability to draw targeted leads to your site.

Instead, use an attribution program to tell you whether your social media campaigns are resulting in positive leads or conversion growth.

For example, a program such as Marketo or Convertro will measure how many social interactions, web page visits or email opens it takes before one of your prospects becomes a customer.

Depending on the program, they may even assign a relative weight to each action so that you can see what kind of role every interaction played in the eventual conversion. Not only will this data tell you if your social campaigns are performing effectively, it’ll show you how to better allocate your activities and marketing resources in the future.

3. Brand sentiment

Contrary to popular wisdom, all publicity is not good publicity!

This is even more important when it comes to social media, as negative consumer sentiments can destroy your brand in very little time.

Tools such as SocialMention and Meltwater can help you measure the sentiment of the conversations surrounding your brand online, but what’s just as important is having a plan for how you’ll respond if you find that your brand’s image isn’t as pristine as you like.

To prepare for this frustrating possibility, create internal documents dictating who is responsible for responding to negative brand mentions, what your official company response will be and what types of recompense you’re willing to offer unhappy customers.

4. Inbound links

Inbound links are both essential ranking factors for Google and a good measure of your content’s overall popularity.

But rather than merely measuring any changes to your search engine result page rankings, it’s also a good idea to actively track changes in your link velocity in relation to your social media campaigns.

You may notice that the volume of inbound links to your site increases after running a contest, producing a specific piece of content or implementing some other social media marketing strategy.

If you can identify these surges and tie them to your social activities, you’ll gain insight into which of your campaigns have made the biggest difference in terms of link building and brand exposure.

5. Klout score

Klout has become a popular tool for measuring social media engagement, and it’s one you’ll want to start using right away to determine whether your marketing efforts are resulting in better brand recognition or higher perceived authority.

In 2011, Klout claimed that 100 million people used its platform, though anecdotal research suggests that few of these people actively monitor their Klout score.

Don’t be that guy!

Monitoring your Klout score will give you a good indication of how effectively you’re engaging with your social media followers, so it’s a good metric to start tracking today.

Start measuring your social media campaigns differently.

Measuring follower engagement and brand awareness is a crucial part of social media optimization.

But unfortunately, gauging the effectiveness of your social media strategy is often difficult, as this type of interpretation is highly subjective.

To measure the impact your social media campaigns are having on your brand’s performance, start by making sure you’re tracking the right metrics.

Lead growth, brand searches, brand sentiment, inbound links and Klout score are just a few of the variables that any brand concerned with its social impact should be tracking.

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