If you’re a regular here, you already know that my new book, Engagement from Scratch!, launches next week. Tuesday, to be exact.
I want this whole week to be a celebration of the most engaging people on the net, by way of your nominations.
So I’m going to do something kinda fun and cool with you.
Here’s my challenge:
I want you to tell me who you look up to when it comes to engagement. Who does it really, really well? Whose community are you proud to be a part of?
I want to know who inspires you – not just by what they’ve accomplished, but by how they accomplished it.
I’m going to offer a bit of motivation to encourage you, in the form of a chance to win:
- A 1-hr “Borrow My Brain” phone consultation
- A signed, limited-edition copy of Engagement from Scratch!
Here’s how to win, while inspiring others to kick their own engagement up a notch:
Step 1 – Nominate Your Engagement Superstar
Post your nomination – who you want to nominate, and why you think they’re the most deserving engagement superstar out there.
You can do it in the comments below, on your own blog, on any website you write for, Tumblr, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, or anywhere else online that feels right to you. It can be text, video, images, illustrations, audio or all of the above. Feel free to embed the book’s YouTube video for extra brownie points and inspiration. The sooner you post, the better. But, the cut-off is Monday, November 28th at 5pm Eastern time.
Step 2 – Spread the Word
If you shared your story in the comments below, then go share this post on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and anywhere else you can. On Twitter, be sure to use the hashtag #EngagementFromScratch. And on Facebook and Google+, either tag me, or add me to your share so I can keep track. I want the world to see who you nominate, and be inspired by their examples.
If you’re sharing your story somewhere other than the comment section (even more brownie points for going the extra mile if you do), then make sure you drop a link to your story in the comments below, so we can see where you’ve posted, and everyone can go see what you’ve written. Then, spread your post around on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.
Step 3 – I’ll announce the winning entry on Wednesday
On Monday evening, after the 5pm EST deadline, I’ll read, watch and listen to every entry (I’ll actually be doing that all week, so the sooner you post, the better)… and based on the completely un-objective opinions of myself and my close friends, I will pick the winner, and make the announcement on Wednesday to everyone who is subscribed for updates about the book.
(So if you aren’t subscribed yet, go subscribe right now!)
P.S. If you feel like mentioning or linking to the book in your posts, tweets, status updates, etc, I certainly won’t complain, but it’s not mandatory.
Okay, share away!
Danny Iny (@DannyIny) is an author, strategist, serial entrepreneur, expert marketer, and the Freddy Krueger of Blogging. Together with Guy Kawasaki, Brian Clark and Mitch Joel, he wrote the book on how to build an engaged audience from scratch.
{ 52 comments… read them below or add one }
Danny, the one guy I thought of immediately is Pat Flynn.
There are a couple others who directly communicate with their followers. I can think of two that most would consider the authorities in their niches that actually respond to tweets. Pat’s never responded to mine, but Twitter’s got nothing to do with why he’s an engagement expert.
Pat’s got this ability to make me feel like his success isn’t beyond my reach. Event though he’s had fabulous success, he communicates in a way that makes you think it’s actually possible. His posts aren’t extra technical. He talks to the people who are learning, and he genuinely seems to want to educate. He’s the guy I go to when I want to learn something new for my blog. I know everything he puts out is gold, and he doesn’t ask me to do anything to get it.
He may not respond to every tweet or every comment or every Facebook message (he does respond to many), but he engages us via his awesome posts, his fabulous ebooks, his podcasts, and his videos. Even though he’s broadcasting, it almost feels personal.
That’s why I look to Pat as an example, and why I’m happy to mention him.
Hey Jason, great call – I’m a huge fan of Pat’s, and what he’s done on SPI is amazing.
I think you’ve raised a really good point in terms of what makes someone really stand out; it isn’t about interacting on Twitter, but rather about teaching and empowering, whether that is through direct interaction, or otherwise.
Thanks for sharing, Jason!
Wow, thanks for mentioning me here Jason, I truly appreciate that. It’s hard to respond to all the tweets and Facebook posts (although I do focus a lot on Facebook and purposely try to respond there) and comments – especially now that the site has grown pretty big, it’s just impossible, but I’m stoked you see that I do engage via my posts and I also try to get people to engage with each other too. Thanks again for the mention, and great post Danny! Glad to have your guest post on SPI today!
Hey, I’ve learned a lot from you. Your material has specifically helped me with my facebook fan page, placement, page tidiness (boy that can get out of hand quickly!) and eventually my videos and podcasts. Oh, and my ebook that I haven’t finished yet. Thanks for teaching so much!
-j
Great idea Danny!
To me Kim Kardashian is a leader in the field of fan-engagement. She basically became famous for “nothing” (read: powerful fan-engagement and authentically being-herself, plus a superstar marketer-mom.)
I’m in the middle of writing a guest post for Laura Roeder on Kim Kardashian, and it’s quite an eye-opener
Interesting, Jason – I never would have thought of her, but you’re right. I’d love to read the post – shoot me a link when it’s ready!
Well, I must say it will be you!!
I’ve been following you for quite a while now – you’ve been answering questions, giving me some good ideas, pointing to things I would have never notice on my own, making me feel confident with my endeavors, and turning my mistakes to a learning tool, always stressing that only work, my work, can bring results.
And I am sure you’ve been following exactly the same path…
Well, I’m flattered – thank you very much!
For what it’s worth, I want to nominate Jonathan Fields, whose “Ride the Butterflies” contest actually inspired what I’m doing with this post. Thanks, Jonathan, for the inspiration!
(Not that this will count for the draw, of course, but I just wanted to put it out there!)
There are a lot of great engaging people out there, and I agree that you, Danny, are one of the best. But I’d like to use this opportunity to nominate someone who isn’t as widely known, but should be. His name is Ryan Critchett, and he is an amazing person. He is extremely active on Twitter. Much like you, he is a busy guy but he always takes the time he has and devotes it to engaging his audience. Also much like you, he is incredibly kind and giving, almost to a fault. It only takes one encounter with him to see why he’s the most perfect, most deserving recipient of an Engagement Superstar status. I already consider him to be one. I hope you all will, too.
Ryan on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RyanCritchett, http://twitter.com/RMCTech
http://imarketinghacked.com http://rmctech.net
Hey Diane, thanks for throwing Ryan’s hat into the ring. I’ve known Ryan for quite a while now, and I can definitely vouch for his enthusiasm about social media.
I’m sooooo humbled at this. Thanks Diane. This means sooooo much. Glad you think I talk up a storm! Danny, cool of you to have something like this on your blog. You’re always coming up with cool stuff for people to get involved with. Cool!
You’re very welcome, Ryan. You do talk up a storm, but more importantly, and the whole reason for this nomination, you make a huge effort to listen. And you take your knowledge and feedback to make not only yourself better, but everyone who comes in contact with you. You’re a generous, passionate person and the world needs a ton more like you.
Melting!! I appreciate the fact that you see what I’m really up to. Love listening. I think a lot about people, what they’re saying, and how I can somehow interact positively with them. Thank you thank you thank you!!! This seriously made my week Diane.
Hey Ryan, it’s been a long time – nice to see you around here again. What’s shaking with iMark and RMC Tech?
Danny,
Yea man, I’ve been trying sooo many different things. Imark is actually going to stay around for a while. There’s much more to write about. RMC Tech is growing. My life is about 1 thing right now with it: marketing! Good to be here again.
Cool, Ryan – glad to hear that things are going well, and RMC Tech is growing. What happened to that other blog you were talking about?
Good question. May just integrate it all into Imark. Added some categories. Still considering. It’s a difficult decision to nix a blog that has a bit of traction. We’re sticking with Imark for now, and adding different kinds of content. The headline has changed as well.
It’s evolving!
I’ve become a HUGE fan of Marcus Sheridan (theSalesLion). I actually got to know him after filling out his form to ask him a question. On his form he asks for a phone number (optional) and I filled it out, not thinking anything of it. About 10 minutes later I get a call from Marcus and we talked for a good 20 minutes. Now that’s engagement!
I also love the fact that he became known online because of his work selling pools. Seriously…pools. If he can make pools interesting, that’s a skill.
Hey Stephen, great choice – Marcus is one of the best guys I’ve met online, and I’m a huge fan. I love your story about him; it really shows what’s so special about him and his philosophy. I think you’ll appreciate his chapter of Engagement from Scratch!, too!
Hey Danny,
For engagement, I would nominate Ramit Sethi. His focus is as far removed from teaching how to build an online business as it gets, but he cannot be faulted for his honesty and no-BS writing. I haven’t read one thing he has written that I would doubt and his products get rave reviews. Inspiring and daring, he definitely gets my vote.
A close second (may I be greedy and nominate two?
) is Marie Forleo. Your post on ‘One Person’ is in the forefront of my mind when I watch her video blogs. The number of comments she receives that say ‘I was just thinking about this’ or ‘I am going through this right now’ are guaranteed. She knows her customer base really well and provides quality on the back of that.
@ Jason Fonceca – looking forward to reading your post on KK – I never saw that one coming as a nomination !
- Razwana
Oooh, good call! You’re right, Ramit is in a bit of a different space, but he’s great at what he does, and he’s great at building a following around it (I’m actually a big fan of his blog and his book).
I don’t know much of Marie Forleo’s work, but I guess I’ll have to start researching!
Fantastic nominations from everyone, wow. I especially love Marcus The Sales Lion and Marie Forleo (that caught me by surprise
)
I’m feelin’ the energy and there’s been a lot of interest in my Kim Kardashian post. I have it mostly written, and it is a show-stopper
Thing is, Laura’s team has told me they’ve slotted me in as a guest post for April 2012. Maybe head over there and tell her you want it early http://www.lauraroeder.com/
Or I can figure something else out (maybe a teleseminar on How Celebrities Engage + Influence
What a great community here, you guys rock!
Hey Jason, there’s no point pestering Laura Roeder’s people; if they’re telling you April, it’s probably because they’ve got a packed editorial calendar (I know what that’s like!). The teleseminar might be a good idea, but you’ve got to pack the house for it… how would you do that?
Haha… never say never superstar, but I understand what you’re saying
Packing the house for a seminar sounds like it could benefit from Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula and Product Launch Blueprint — so I’d start there
Woo, what a great community, and fantastic nominations from everyone (I got on a few email lists from this post
)
One more vote for Pat Flynn please , he has this amazing ability to earn your trust by his transparency and honesty. I’m following his footsteps too
Thanks to him I found this amazing blog and you Danny. It seems you are getting tobe everywhere now;) keep up the good job.
Come visit my blog sometimes
Welcome to Firepole Marketing, Tram! Absolutely, Pat is great, and I’m thrilled that you found us through him.
I did click through to your blog, and I like what you’re doing. There might be a way for us to give you some exposure – shoot me an email to danny (at) firepolemarketing (dot) com, and I’ll tell you the details.
What? Adrienne Smith of http://www.adriennesmith.net hasn’t been nominated yet? Adrienne is the most accessible, most helpful, most generous and relatable blogger I’ve met. That, coupled with her insight and expertise makes her incredibly engaging. If you haven’t checked out her blog or her Basic Training video series (which is FREE!) then you are missing out in a serious way!t
Great call, Ruth – Adrienne is great, and definitely deserves the nomination. Thanks for throwing her hat in the ring!
Hey Danny,
I’d say you. I look up to you when it comes to engagement from your audience. It’s amazing how fast you got to that point, too. I am impressed with how hard you work, and how much you get done. You provide consistent massive value, and you are a shining star!
Cheers,
Matt
You’re too kind, Matt. I’m truly flattered.
I mean it
It’s actually a 3 way tie for me: Adrienne Smith, from Adriennesmith.net, Ashvini Kumar Saxena from http://aks-blog.com/ and Ryan Critchett from IMarketinghacked.com. All three bloggers are brilliant writers and very helpful when it comes to engaging with their readers. Ryan was the first blogger I engaged with that taught me allot about blogging and what it means to engage with people online.
Adrienne, the mother hen of blogging (to me) is the go to person when I want to learn something new that I might have missed to help my readers. She is extremely helpful, engages anyone on twitter and her blog speaks values. Ashvini, another brilliant blogger is someone I truly admire and a fellow IT techie. His blog touches on anyone looking to blog full time as a business owner. His thoughts and experience is very valuable and his message is priceless. Ok, Danny, those are my 3 so either one you pick would be fine with me. Sorry I cheated, but I couldn’t resist.
Hey Sonia, no worries about “cheating”, I appreciate your sharing the nominations! I’m familiar with Adrienne and Ryan, but I don’t really know Ashvini yet – I’ll have to change that, pronto!
Not sure I know who Adrienne is either! But I definitely need to check this guy out. Totally know my boy Ashvini! Ash!! You rock brother.
Ryan,
.
thank you so much for such kind words. You are my source of social media knowledge. I have to say that I get a lot of ideas from your blog. Plus you are an energetic fellow who is hell bent on teaching us about social media LOL
I am going back to your blog as I can see you have started it once again
Sonia you wonderful chick! Ooooooo do I have a stop to make when I’m out there in Cali! Did you know that you’re like.. THEE most exciting, energy packed blogger to chat with online? UMM! You Are!
Thanks for even thinking of good ol me. Means a lot, sis. :~)
LMAO! You’re a brilliant blogger and your mind is amazing. Anytime R.
I guess I am really late to the party
. Sonia always is the best person to learn about the engagement. We actually talk a lot on twitter 
.
And she always spread the good word about me everywhere she goes. Thank you so much Sonia for being such a great friend.
My nominations are of course Sonia, Adrienne, Carolyn( from wonderoftech), Ryan ( social media champ), Adam Paudyal(http://endeavor-online.com. These guys always have something that want to make you have conversation again and again .
I won’t be thus able to talk about a single person because they are all are excellent and unique in their own styles
Thanks Ash for doing that for me. I value your friendship hugely! What great connections we have all made with blogging. You can’t ask for more than that!
Hey Sonia,
You are a really great friend 
.
. I think my engagement leaders are many, I cannot name one:). Sonia, Adrienne, Carolyn ( wonderoftech.com), Ryan ( social Media champ), Adam Paudyal ( endeavor-online.com). They have their distinct styles and all of them worth emulating. I know it has to be a single person but I cannot do it 
Sorry
Thanks for spreading good words about me
Danny, how are you? I am a regular visitor to your blog, though in silent mode
( I am reposting because probably my last comment got lost).
Have a great day
Hey Ashvini, it’s great to see you here – you should make yourself heard more often, since you have such great ideas to share with everyone.
Hi, The person that has inspired me the most is Adam Toren.Becaue of his marketing smarts.And he has revolutionized the internet marketing business with a Big Vision.And he continues to get the job done. Here’s the link to my post the nomination , http://tlkool9.blogspot.com/2011/11/adam-toren.html .
Thanks for nominating Adam, Tracy – he’s an excellent choice, and thanks for posting about it.
I know of several great engagers in the blogosphere. I’m going to nominate Hesham Zebida in part because his post led me here, but mostly because he’s super engaged. As a beginner, I notice those who have engaged with me, even though my page has a low rank and I have more questions than answers. I could name so many other kind and helpful bloggers, and I hope they don’t read this because I should have named them, too!
Hey Astro Gremlin, thanks for nominating Hesham – I only connected with him recently, and I already know that he definitely deserves it!
I like to nominate a great blogger who has worked his way up this past year starting from scratch and who’s progress is obvious. His name is Barry Wells
Thank you for sharing that, Sylviane! I’m not familiar with Barry, but I’ll definitely look him up.
UMM! His blog touches on anyone looking to blog full time as a business owner.
So who was the lucky winner?
Adrienne Smith!
Internet marketing or online marketing is now vast area where you have no bounds. I like Adam Toren so that he critically discuss every point of this and that is so easy that anyone can easily understand. Wish you all the best.
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