Sigh.
I’ve been getting this question a lot, mostly from Twitter pals who are wondering why I am pimping Guy Kawasaki‘s site aggregator.
Did I sell out?
Am I sucking up to Guy?
Am I getting paid by Alltop?
No, No, and I wish, but no.
In a nutshell, Kids: I like Alltop. I use Alltop. That’s it.
I had signed up for a Twitterfeed that automatically posts new topics when they appear in Alltop. A few people get annoyed by that on Twitter, and I admit that initially I started to worry about my credibility.
I’m not worried anymore, and here’s why.
I’m a professional illustrator, right? I create fun content for kids to help build up their brains to ginormous sizes, allowing them to eventually take over the world and make it better.
(Yeah, but what does that have to do with Alltop?)
One of the ways I promote my work is through this blog. I’d like to teach the world to draw in perfect harmony, to paraphrase another major marketer. Every day I learn something new about how to build an audience and create good content.
(Yeah, but what does that have to do with Alltop?)
Another question I get asked a lot is how do come up with new content every week? When I’m thinking about new posts to write, I do a little reading. The thing is, I don’t just read about illustration or kids or Adobe product reviews all the time. I read all kinds of stuff. Celebrity gossip, technology news, homeschooling, beer blogs, sex, new music – just about everything you could think of.
After all that reading and a little thinking over nachos or alpaca poop-scooping (ask me later), I’ve got a post.
(Yeah, but what does that have to do with Alltop?)
You’re still with me? Then guess where I go to read all this stuff?
(Yeah, but what does that have to do with – oh, right. Thanks)
Listen, if you’re going to be a professional artist or a good blogger, you’ve got to be well-read. Just as the art of good conversation is listening, the art of creating art is observation.
On the last illustration I did for a major magazine, I used Alltop and Google to research before I even started drawin’ stuff. As a result, I got zero comments about the accuracy of the dated elements in the piece. I suppose I could have gone old school and sat at the library for the same result, but in this case I couldn’t leave the studio. That’s what new technologies are for.
I hear people all the time say things like, “I don’t see how Twitter could possibly help me with my business,” or “Blogging can’t really help me in my line of work. I’m different.”
Or, “That dude is just kissing some ass, Alltop is pointless.”
That’s totally cool. I get it. I used to think the same thing about people who wore Gap t-shirts. Why advertise for somebody else’s company without getting paid?
Because the people wearing the latest fashion or follow the latest trend appear that they know what’s going on in the world. While I’m not one to bow to every fashion trend that comes along, I do recognize that there’s value in at least knowing what’s new in the world. Here’s the value:
When Aunt Marge says things like, “What’s a blog?” do you look to her as someone who might understand how to help you with your marketing? Likely not, but hopefully you’ll educate her.
Conversely, when Aunt Marge answers an e-mail on her iPhone while she’s waiting at Starbucks, what do you think? Likely it’s not, “Auntie’s just a trend slave, the beeyotch.” It’s more likely that she becomes someone you might rely on for an answer or two.
When I put that little Alltop badge and Alltop list of Children’s Literature news in my sidebar, it’s not to curry favor with Grand Master Kawasaki (something he would see through anyway). It’s because it helps me and helps my readers.
If you’re still with me (and thanks if you are), you’ve got to try Alltop. You can think I’m crazy, you can think I’m a suck-up idiot, but I’m telling you that as an artist, it’s helped my research tremendously.
I’m giving away all my best trade secrets here. I’m not going to worry about how the world should work, I’m just reporting how I’ve noticed that it does work. Whether you choose to use that info is totally your call.
One last thing. If you don’t know what a new trend is about, ask one of the followers. There’s a difference between, “Hey what’s all this Alltop stuff about?” and “Dude, I’m so sick of that annoying Alltop crap.”
One is going to learn a lot and the other is destined to wander the Earth confused and irritable in their blank t-shirts.
