Imagine the biggest, juiciest, most delicious meatball you can imagine. Now picture covering that meatball with caramel, hot fudge, whipped cream and colored sprinkles.

Pretty disgusting, huh?

That’s the picture that Seth Godin painted in his new that seller Meatball Sunday. He makes the case that new media marketing options like blogs, online video, social networks, and all of the Web 2.0 social media marketplace are like the toppings at an ice cream parlor.

If you start with ice cream, adding sprinkles, cherries, hot fudge and whip cream will make it tastes great. But if you start with a bowl of meatballs, it becomes messy, disgusting and ineffective.

Seth’s message is directed at corporations who sell basic staples like cereal, beer, cars and toys.

But this analogy is even more applicable to entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

Here’s why…

It’s OK to market like a meatball - IF…

Imagine again that same big, juicy, delicious meatball. Except now this time picture that meatball surrounded by fresh handmade spaghetti, covered with the tastiest tomato sauce you’ve ever had, dusted with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and accompanied by a great glass of Chianti.

Quite a different experience now isn’t it?

You see, for the solo-preneur, start-up entrepreneur or small-business owner; the fact of the matter is YOU are the business. You are what you’re selling.

Why?

Because the fact is —

people by WHO you are before they buy WHAT you’re selling.

If you’re marketing in today’s new media marketplace, it doesn’t matter if you’re marketing as a meatball, tofu, or ice cream.

What needs to come first is you answering the following three questions:

- What is my personal brand? (And how well is that packaged?)

- How effective are you at gathering a Tribe that passionately connects with your style?

- Have you chosen the right “toppings”?

Look - the bottom line is pretty simple. It’s human nature for you to want to hang out with people who are like you. The same is true in business. We want to do business with people who are like us… or at least people who we like.

How well you package and present yourself will have a major impact on your success in today’s New Media Marketplace.

What about you?

What are your answers to the questions above?

And what else do you think is crucial to persuade people to to buy WHO you are before they buy WHAT you’re selling?

Share it in some graffiti down below.

I was shocked by a quote I read today. It was given as advice to business people, and it went like this; “emulate, do not innovate, be unique, but not original.”

Now as soon as I read it, the hair stood up on the back of my neck and I started to shake with frustration. I got control of myself and commented to the person; “that’s good advice — if you want to be a follower!” (And I don’t mean a Twitter follower either. )

I mean, really! Do u think Apple, Virgin, Chris Angel, Martha Stewart, Oprah or any other standout company or personal brand adheres to advice like that?

No, of course not. The “nots” in that piece of advice will limit your success by making you a follower, not a leader.

Look… watch the 2:30 minute video and you’ll understand better the life-sapping trap of being trapped on the path. Then let’s chat.

It’s the worse thing that can happen to you…

You’re trudging along day after day, thinking you’re on the right path because someone else beat it down for you. Finally one day you get to the end, and you realize your destination is not what you were looking for. And you have to start all over again.

Not good. Not good at all. Modeling is great, but only when you innovate using your own strengths as the basis.

Being unique is terrific, sure. But my dogs leave unique piles of poo every day. If they were original and used the toilet - that would get my attention!

Beware of using cute little quotes as the basis for your business strategies. Dissect them and make sure they’ll work for your style.

Use common sense to map out each piece of advice to its’ conclusion. That way you’ll see if the end point aligns with your goals. If it doesn’t, either learn how to modify them to work with your unique strengths, communication and motivation style, and personal brand… or trash it.

What’s your story?

Have you ever gotten trapped following someone else’s trail? If so, how did you break free and cut your own path?

Are you already leading the pack? If so, how are you proving yourself and your products as innovative? What are you doing to create a personal brand that makes you stand out as both unique AND original?

Watch Now:

 Twitter Withdrawal @ the Beach Pulp Fiction Style: Play Now | Play in Popup

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Bitten by the Twitter bug? Got Tweets running through your veins? Not able to go a few hours w/out knowing what your followers & friends are doing on Twitter?

Well, you’re not alone! @CoachDeb can’t even do it on the beach in Hawaii!

The social marketing and personal branding power of this New Media tool is truly addictive. Especially for the Courtier’ style who loves people!

Watch what happens to a Twitter addict caught on tape @ the beach - Pulp Fiction style.

*Warning*: if you’re used to Twitter, this WILL mess with your time line.

“Don’t go into blogging to make a living,” says HDNet chairman Mark Cuban. Philip Kaplan from the online advertising firm AdBrite cautions that “only 3 percent of active sites make more than $1,000 a month from advertising.”

These are two quotes from the NY Times article “So You Want to Be Blogging Star” by Paul Boutin. Quotes obviously meant to entice bloggers into sharing some buzz love. (No love for the NY Times here. Just buzzing for your benefit. )

Don’t expect to get rich blogging

That’s the message right up front in the article.

I say; “No Duh” to that.

If you’re counting on getting rich from ads on your blog, you’ve got an uphill battle on icy ground. AlGore’s got a better chance of getting hit by a rogue iceberg than a blogger making six-figures from ads.

The real profit pulling power of blogging is stardom

Boutin does get it partially right when he says “…amassing a large audience is the goal.” (Though I think that was part of a statement meant more as a backhanded critique than a word of advice.)

“Large” is not necessary to create a nice cash flow. But becoming a star in your niche to attract and gather a tribe of raving fans is a requirement.

A strong personal brand and passion for your niche teamed is what makes a blog a powerful New Media marketing tool. That’s what will build trust, rapport, and reputation equity. Once you have those things, it’s a relatively straight forward process to turn those assets into profit.

Some good points

The article does share some good points, especially for New Media marketers just starting out with a blog.

Some of the better points are:

• Write about what you want to write about, in your own voice
• Fit blogging into the holes in your schedule
• Just post it already!
• Keep a regular rhythm
• Give credit where credit is due
• Place, plug and promote yourself

Book-ended by back stabbing

Ahh… but alas, Boutin bookends the good with a snide implication that blogging is am “unhealthy obsession.”

Maybe for those without a plan that’s true. But if your goal is stardom in your niche — obsession is not only healthy, it’s profitable too.

Let’s face it, in today’s’ world of politically correct speech most people walk a line that’s so bland, they blend into the white walls they’re standing in front of. Most people are afraid to say anything that they’ve been indoctrinated to believe is “wrong” or “evil” or… God forbid… something that some man, woman, child, (or cross-dresser, molester or red-footed blue-nose field mouse) may take as “offensive.”

The good news is that this makes it really easy for you to stand out from the crowd. And actually, if you stop being a squishy Jello-like person and stand for something — you’ll attract a crowd.

When you speak your mind, unfiltered and unabashed, you’ll be surprised to see you’ve got a Tribe of raving fans who’ve quietly been thinking what you’ve actually had the guts to say.

The Gabby Cabby example

My good friend Wayne Kelly over at On Air Publicity has a great example of this “get-real” approach. It’s a quick radio interview with the Gabby Cabby.

In the 3-minutes of audio that Wayne shares, you’ll see how a strong, straight-shooting Personal Brand transformed a NYC cabby into a internationally known “expert” on the streets of New York City.

Of course, when you decide to be different, to be edgy, you’d better be able to back up what you’re saying.

• Be passionate about your niche, know your stuff, and use facts to reinforce what may “seem” like outrageous comments.
• DON’T rattle off facts or opinion to hammer people over the head with your views.
• DO use facts to make people think and come to a conclusion on their own.

I have a saying that I’ve used for years… “Most people think in screams, and speak in whispers.” In world dominated by brainwashed Jello-minded people, you don’t need to scream to get noticed. (Leave that to the Marketplace Molesters.)

Just speak what your Tribe is thinking and you’ll not only get attention — you’ll be remembered.

When is the last time you spoke without filters? And what happened?