“If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn’t thinking.”

George S. Patton, General U. S. Army

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Mark Twain

"The ancestor of every action is thought."

Emerson

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought."

Buddha

"When you are not told what to do you begin to think what to do."

Roger Cohen, Op-Ed Columnist New York Times

"No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking."

Voltaire

"Never be afraid to sit awhile and think."

Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun

"You and I are not what we eat; we are what we think."

Walter Anderson, The Confidence Course

"Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"

Winnie the Pooh

"Time to think matters ─ at least if we’re interested in getting the answers right."

Stephen L. Carter

"Thinking is always out of order, interrupts all ordinary activities and is interrupted by them."

Hannah Arendt, Life of the Mind

"Too often we…enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."

John F. Kennedy

"The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds."

Will Durant

"Thinking is like living and dying. Each of us must do it for himself."

Josiah Royce

"Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar territory."

G. Behn

"The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking."

Albert Einstein

"Pursuing our thoughts in silent contemplation takes an investment in time that few can spare."

Stephen L. Carter

"A moment’s thinking is an hour in words."

Thomas Hood

"Sometimes I think and other times I am."

Paul, Variete: Cantiques spirituels 192

"To think is to differ."

Darrow

"To think is to live."

Cicero

"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

William Jones

"What we think, we become."

Buddha

"Our job is not to make up anybody’s mind, but to open minds and to make the agony of the decision-making so intense you can escape only by thinking."

Anonymous

"The person who thinks before he speaks is silent most of the time."

Anonymous

"Think ─ and you will be very lonely."

Anonymous

"Thought is action in rehearsal."

Anonymous

"We live in a world that leaves very little time to contemplate."

Anonymous

"Don’t worry too much about what people think because they seldom do."

Anonymous

"Invest a few moments in thinking. It will pay good interest."

Anonymous

"One cannot think crooked and walk straight."

Anonymous

"Think Differently + Do Things Differently = Better Results"

Anonymous

February 03, 2015

3 Reasons Why I Don’t Care If I’m Liked

Tags: Business, Promotion, Digital Communications,

A newspaper editor friend was telling me that, these days, “the bosses” are judging the value of a journalist’s reporting by the number of “Likes” tabulated for each published piece. Careers rise and fall with the analytics and it would seem that the Pulitzer Prize is no longer a guarantee you’ll be tapped for a new assignment (or remain on the payroll). Likeability is the new coin of the realm. This point-and-click value system drives me crazy. Here are “3 Reasons Why I Don’t Care If I’m Liked.”

#1 I Want to Be Loved. Why Settle?

There’s no icon for this emotional reaction but if there were, it would be red in color with bold face type and click to my direct phone line or business deposit account.

It would mean that something I did, said, or shared created a reaction, satisfied a need, begged a response, closed a sale. Or to be more specific: prompted a call-to-action.

Content that compels -- that personally connects -- makes the reader or viewer stop and think….about doing something (other than clicking a jaunty “thumbs up”). Like doing what you hoped they would in the first place: making a phone call…sending a personal email...setting up a meeting…starting a relationship…buying what you’re selling. Quality Leads -- not Quantity Likes -- usually translate into revenue. Lots to Love about that…

#2 Click Baiting is Like Speed Dating. No Commitment in Sight.

Why do you suppose that 90% of the highest-read online content is in the form of a list?

10 Boot Styles that Will Drive Him Wild.

5 Foods Guaranteed to Stop Your Heart.

4 Cities Where Your Pocket is Most Likely to be Picked.

“Listicles” are a quick read and generate beaucoup clicks, which in turn generate an insane number of Likes (and apparently guarantee job security for their author).

Clever headlines are the secret ingredient for pulling readers in, as are unique visuals, including colorful infographics. Consumers tell all their Friends about theses postings immediately (Like/Tweet/Share). Interestingly enough, they do the same with long form content that contains a snappy headline and brilliant first paragraph.

But don’t get too full of yourself, content creators. On average, online readers are spending a total of 15 seconds scanning your thoughtful pieces. (And you thought they were drawn to your story, in sync with your opinions, excited about your new product offering…).

Is it any wonder they never contacted you or took the relationship to the next step? A big part of your audience won’t “stick” to your content long enough to get it. Not too much to Like about that…

#3 You’ve Read This Far. My Work Here Is Done.

So how can you keep your audiences hanging in ‘till THE END? The most valuable online audiences are the ones that keep coming back for more. And they keep coming back because they like what you have to say (but don’t necessarily always “Like” it) and view your content in its entirety (or close to it).

There are all kinds of analytics now that will tell you who is opening your stuff and what they do with it before moving on. But Facebook Likes and Twitter Retweets are only part of the story.

Relationships (interaction + time) still matter most when it comes to building a successful brand. And being a trusted, consistent source, with quality information -- respectful of people’s time, intelligence, and interests -- is still the best way I know to create loyal, committed, engaged, paying customers.

Like it or not…

Anita Alvare (bio)/Alvare Associates/610-520-6140

Since establishing Alvaré in 1981, Anita has guided the agency through 38 years of steady growth and success. A marketing communications entrepreneur who has done it all, she remains deeply involved in strategic planning and creative direction, bringing extensive knowledge and insight to each client project.

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Comments (3)

02.04.2015
Kevin

I read it all and “I Like it”! Relationships and trust are the key factors and it takes time, interaction and patience for it all to come together and last.  Thanks! (by the way - What are the five foods that are guaranteed to stop your heart and where can I get a pair of those boots for my wife?)

02.04.2015
Phyllis Vail

Like it

02.05.2015
Karyn Koerwer

I “like it”........all the way to the end!!!!