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The rest of the steps can be implemented in a fairly algorithmic manner, but coming up with original, engaging content defies a procedural approach. Actually, I’m guessing it may not be possible to answer my question satisfactorily for this reason, since each product is different and there is no general formula that will work for all cases.

Now for trigonometry (which is basically just a study of triangles) on the other hand, you can always use the Pythagorean theorem on right angle triangles or the law of cosines for more general cases. This is part of the beauty of mathematics; while it is often abstract, it is in a way more concrete than fuzzy, mutable concepts often encountered in other disciplines. Did you have any particular questions about trigonometry?

1. Understand your buyer personas by interviewing them on their own turf (school, home, company).

2. Determine their problems that an organization like yours or person like you can solve.

3. Find out what media your buyer personas frequent (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, whatever).

4. Find out what search terms your personas are likely to use to find a product or service that you offer.

5. Brainstorm to come up with several interesting content ideas (a YouTube video or ebook or whatever). Product and publish them.

6. Let your network know about the content.

7. Measure and improve.

Now, I’ve always wondered. What exactly is trigonometry and how do you do it?

David

I certainly understand the importance of buyer personas, but that doesn’t really answer my original question. Don’t feel obligated to respond to my ignorance though if you have better things to do.

It really does come down to understanding buyer personas. If you read one post to get the idea, read this http://bit.ly/4IN1WS

David

“balance of payments”

the big question is who is actually paying for the war and reconstruction? There’s a bunch of legal stuff that hasn’t even been worked out yet. Not to mention war crimes.

I’ll take a simplistic stab at the question and say we are paying the contractors and in exchange we get cheaper oil out of Iraq.

Since we got rid of Saddam and between the US and EU rebuilding the infrastructure with our private sector know how we should be getting free oil or at least no mopre than 3% above costs

Least a smart country would do that for it’s people – but we aren’t very smart are we?

Thanks for spending an hour with my ideas. I agree — Kevin, where is your video?

Short answer is that you need to understand your buyer personas really well. You need to create content for your buyers, not your ego.

Long answer is I’ve written 600 blog posts, 5 free ebooks, and 4 print books on this subject.

David

In case you missed my question above… If a US defense contractor sells it’s consulting services to a company in Iraq… how would it affect the U.S. balance of payments? (100 words or less)

I’m all for pioneering, but it’s often grueling, hard and unappreciated work, makes me think of the Mormons.

Fear is a pretty natural reaction, it’s a base instinct.

Most people, let me pull a few statistic from my hind quarters and say at least 70%, probably more, maybe a little less, want to sit on top of the heap they already built, resist change and starting anything new, fresh or untested by traditional means. They require a guaranteed trust. Most of these folks still have a savings account or are struggle to make ends meet and hang on desperately to what they have. Risk is not in their vocabulary, their favorite color is true blue and favorite TV show is COPS.

The next groups, say 28%, are those willing to try something new and different without too much risk, they’ve made their mark and are feeling financially secure. They’re a little bored now and want to get in on some of the action. Half are tickled about ground floor endeavors as long as it doesn’t cost them their reputations or suffering huge financial losses. These folks like to go to Vegas once a year and stop gambling when they’ve reached their set limit. Their favorite color is corvette red, they have cable TV and subscribe to at least one premium channel. These people are also the most financially vulnerable and yet, the most supportive. This is THE target group or audience, the foundation stone and supporters of real innovation. Appreciate them, because they aren’t far enough away from the above 70% and in this current political-economy their numbers have shrunk.

Finally, the last 2%, divided by two, the nuts and the eccentrics, and as the saying goes the only difference between a nut and an eccentric is money. Their favorite colors are black, white, and sometimes yellow, they are willing to jump out of a plane or off a bridge, they don’t watch TV unless they are extremely depressed. Regardless, these are the trail blazers and they are often hard to deal with on a personal level and almost impossible to live with, which is the accepted price we must pay for progress.

Course, none of these numbers are hard and fast, remember where I got them, and as always there are cross overs, we all have a tittle of each in us.

To bring some poetry to the topic of economics… Economics is like the ocean, it moves in waves, sometimes the seas are calm, sometimes they are stormy, sometimes the wind is at your back and the sea goddess Lady Luck carries you smoothly and directly to your planned destination.

As captains of industry, like the captain of a ship, what’s most important is to make the passengers feel safe and secure. Know your product, know how to calm people’s fears through your experience, project trust, wear a uniform that says you have high standards and your methods are above board, always ethical and most of all honest especially, in these current stormy economic seas.

From the top and in closing, I would like to leave you all with one good and solid piece of advice from our very own WVFF regular Nutcheese, who never ever fails to remind us to eat plenty of roughage.