And there is now compelling evidence to prove it.

Watch this short interview with Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology. He has done extensive testing on why people buy. Even B2B people.

Listen closely as he clearly identifies how much the average business owner responds and thinks IRRATIONALLY.

Thanks to the Earnest Agency for this great video on B2B social media stats.

Dan Pink talk is illustrated in a way that makes it stick. Worth watching for the incredible information too. Grab a coffee and watch this.

If you didn’t already think the world was changing, and that social media was a significant part of it, then take a peek at this video.

Video based on the book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman.

Over the last few months I have done a lot of thinking about how I and my clients should be doing web marketing going forward. And while sometimes it makes sense in my own mind, putting it in a way that makes sense explain easily is another thing. So after a series of variations, I believe I have a web marketing framework that is easy to understand and can be followed.

I hope it is helpful to you.

If you want to hear a more thorough explanation if this framework, you can watch a speech I gave recently about it.

Tom Adams Web Marketing Speech.

Chris Brogan, co-author of Trust Agents says this…

“There’s no question that the Internet has changed the way we do business—especially when it comes to marketing. Consumer environments are short on trust and populated by consumers who are cynical, savvy, and informed. Though it’s easier than ever to reach your customers, it’s less likely that they’ll listen. Today, the most valuable online currency isn’t the dollar, but trust itself.”

I am frequently amazed at how often we assume we can sell our services, and not have done anything to build this trust that is so desperately required from us by our potential clients.

The big question you should be asking is this..

How can my marketing build trust INSTEAD of just pitching my services?

Billboards won’t do the trick here. Neither will basic sales language. You have to construct a more comprehensive set of marketing resources to support this kind of trust building.

More importantly it means you can’t be lazy anymore. It takes work to make trust happen.

What are you going to do about it?

These stats are old now – but this video shows you how powerful the numbers are to support the new reality of the ubiquity of the internet.

Wow!!

As a passionate supporter of business people who use video effectively, Susan Blond does it right.

Here is one of Susan’s Blond Tips videos. Read my comments below the video.

1. Her video is NOT about her or her services, it’s about helping educate you.
2. Her video is short and to the point.  Under 3 minutes.
3. Her video helps you get to know her without it being about her.
4. She is answering questions (or frustrations) that many people have.

Nice work Susan. You’d do well to mimic her.

In their book, Funky Business, Swedish business professors Kjell Nordstrom and Jonas Ridderstrale offer the following observations and simple advice:

The ’surplus society’ has a surplus of similar companies, employing similar people, with similar educational backgrounds, coming up with similar ideas, producing similar things, with similar prices and similar quality.

To succeed we must stop being so damn normal.

In a winner-takes-all world, normal = nothing.

So the question is… how normal are you?

Are you clinging like crazy to the mistaken belief that you have to look like your competitors… act like them and generally align with them as much as possible.

If so… don’t.

It’s not worth it.

Anita Sharpe, a contributor to Worthwhile Magazine writes about a conversation she had with Mark Kaiser, a well respected business person, two time winner of the Forbes High Tech 50 award.

“The simplest definition of business is you solve a customer’s problem and create sustainable profits over time. Anyone with vision should understand the problem they’re solving. The problem with business today is that people think the meaning is about building a monument to yourself. The meaning of business is having an impact on people’s lives.”

My question of myself and of you is…. are you building a monument to yourself with your business?

Or are you creating a organization of impact on your clients lives and businesses, which rewards you with sustainable profits.

Even if you are the face and voice of your business, it is ultimately not about you.

It’s about them.