10 Ideas Worth Sharing This Week
Ideas about persuasion, job hunting, social media, and more.
Each week I share 10 ideas with my newsletter subscribers. Following is this week’s newsletter — sign up here to get future issues.
“The market for something to believe in is infinite.” — Hugh MacLeod
This week’s ideas include everything from how to persuade people, to how small changes can have a big impact on your life, to how to get the job you want.
Let’s do it…
1. AN ANALYSIS OF HOW PEOPLE USE FACEBOOK vs. INSTAGRAM
“For people who use both feeds equally, Facebook better satisfies their need for empowerment, recognition, and connection, and Instagram more strongly fulfills their desire for fun, relaxation and discovery.”
This recent study examined what people look for when they use these two social platforms. It found concrete differences that should influence the content you create for each platform and the way you use them for marketing.
It also includes this amazing stat: 20% of Americans’ time on mobile is spent on Facebook and Instagram.
Speaking of Facebook, another article that caught my eye recently is Ryan Holmes’ breakdown of Facebook’s rebirth as a professional network.
2. FOUR WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR RESUME
“Your accomplishments matter more than your responsibilities. Nobody cares what you were assigned to do in previous jobs, they care what you did with those opportunities.”
I’ve reviewed several friends’ resumes recently and didn’t love what I saw.
I noticed most them undersold themselves and I thought I’d share some simple suggestions for how you can improve your resume and increase your chances of landing the new job you want.
3. HOW MAKING MICRO CHANGES CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
“We struggle to change our behavior because our environments are designed to be a constant reminder of who we once were as opposed to who we want to be.”
I’m a big believer that little things matter and this Srinivas Rao post echoes that belief.
In it, he explains how small changes — things as simple as getting a new wallet or bedsheets — can have a huge positive impact in your life.
4. PRESTON SMILES IS A PERSON YOU SHOULD KNOW
“Take responsibility for something that happens 10 thousand miles away. It’s super empowering.”
Preston Smiles is an author and “motivational messenger” who’s as positive a person as you’ll ever meet.
In my profile of him, you’ll learn why he thinks whatever you intensely believe becomes your reality, why vulnerability is the key to your personal freedom, and how the need to prove you’re right can be the downfall of great things.
5. HOW TO PERSUADE PEOPLE
“How do we learn to harness the power of persuasion? Through looking at the people who persuade you to do things you never thought you would.”
This Jory MacKay post is a deep dive into how con artists, sales people, and politicians persuade us to do things and what we can learn from that.
He boils it down to five principles of persuasion that include everything from knowing who you’re up against to changing the conversation.
6. HOW TO WRITE HEADLINES PEOPLE WILL CLICK
“Our headline’s promise needs to be very specific because our audience is living a fast-paced life. They want assurance that they’re about to read the right thing. And that guarantee should come from your headline.”
This Rand owens post might be the most extensive thing I’ve ever read about headline writing — and, as bizarre as it sounds, I’ve read a LOT about headline writing over the years.
In addition to a great breakdown of the importance of headlines, it includes a ton of resources and tips for improving your headlines so they drive as many relevant clicks as possible.
7. IT TURNS OUT THERE ARE ONLY SIX STORIES IN THE WORLD
“Their techniques all point to the existence of six basic emotional arcs that form the building blocks of more complex stories.”
Creating a great story may not be as complicated as it seems.
The MIT Technology Review shares the results of a data-mining study that analyzed 1,700 stories and discovered they’re all based on the same six basic emotional arcs.
8. danah boyd IS A PERSON YOU SHOULD KNOW
“Today’s youth aren’t lazy. They want to socialize and they want to interact. They are just given too few opportunities to do so.”
danah boyd is a principal researcher at Microsoft Research and an expert on how teens interact with technology.
In my profile of her, you’ll learn why she thinks teachers must help teens think critically about social media, how teens use of social media is impacted by race and class, and why parental anxieties about technology are dangerous.
9. TALENT AGENCIES ARE BECOMING MEDIA COMPANIES
“Talent representation has always been a business where your key assets — your clients — can walk out the door.”
Talent manager George Ruiz explains why we’re seeing a shift within major talent agencies who are increasingly looking to become media companies by acquiring properties like the UFC.
As Hollywood’s margins have tightened, the agencies are scrambling to secure their future and find new revenue streams because the commission business ain’t what it used to be.
10. WANT SOMEONE TO INVEST IN YOU? MAKE THEM JEALOUS.
“Before I invest, I need to see a concept, an approach, or a strategy that makes me say, ‘Dammit. I wish I were doing that.’”
Venture capitalist Ben Lerer shares one of his key investment strategies — to invest in things that make him jealous.
In this post he explains what it takes to attract him to a project and how he can pick up on the difference between real and fake confidence in the entrepreneurs who pitch him.