This post is by Michael Pollock, the original owner of Small Business Branding. Yaro Starak now owns and produces the latest content for this blog.
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A while back, I started a list called Small Business Branding in the Digital Age. I tried to come up with 50 ways to develop a a brand in this day and age. With a little help from some of you, I managed to come up with 45, and its time to flesh out the list a bit further. I’m starting with number 30, information aggregating.
1. Information aggregating is simply the act of tracking down and
publishing information that’s relevant and valuable to the people in
your network.
2. Most people either don’t have time, haven’t developed the skill
set and/or haven’t discovered the tools to sift through the enormous
and ever-expanding amount of content that’s being created each day.
3. By becoming a human information aggregator (HIA) for your
network, you become a mini news and information outlet they come to
rely upon.
4. The more focused, relevant and valuable the information you provide, the stronger your brand image. Key words: RELEVANT and VALUABLE. And don’t forget to add your own personality through commentary and perspective.
5. The best bloggers are HIAs. It’s a big part of how they become A-listers (i.e. highly read and respected bloggers).
6. Example: Steve Rubel, Micro Persuasion.
7. Example: Jeff Jarvis, Buzz Machine.
8. Step one to being an HIA – Answer the question: "What am I interested in passionate about?"
9. Step two to being an HIA – Answer the question: "What is my network passionate about?"
(Ideally, you come up with the same answer for both questions.)
10. Step three to being and HIA – Find and publish info.
10a. Step four to being an HIA – Repeat step three consistently.