I'm willing to bet there are a few of you scratching your heads at the title of this post.  However, if you really want build your brand and build it strong, promoting the people, ideas, and brands you are passionate about is a must.  Not only will help in the karma department but you'll also define who you are by who or what you choose to promote.

No matter where you are in the process of building your brand, this is key.  If you're at the beginning, you might think that you need to go buck wild and promote the cheese out anything and everything.  Slow down.  I'm not saying hold back.  I'm saying if you feel it, if you feel an emotional connection then tell the world.  Shout out your unbridled enthusiasm if a person or brand makes you feel inspired, saves your day, or puts a big grin on your face.

If you're brand is already established, you might not feel you need to do this.  That you've paid your dues so to speak.  This is definitely the wrong attitude to take.  You're probably strapped for time more than you were in the beginning, but it's the "little guys" that brought you where you are today.  Don't make them think you've forgotten about them.  Why?  Well, for one people are human.  And two, they're fickle.  Enough said.

So what can you do to promote others?

• Reach out to someone that's inspired you and ask if you can interview them on your blog or on a podcast.


• Connect with them on Facebook and become a Fan or join their group.


• Write them a recommendation on LinkedIn.  Some people shy away from this because they might not have a formal working relationship.  If you've observed someone rocking out a promotion for a big brand or you just really admire their expertise - add a meaningful recommendation for them on their LinkedIn profile.


• Stumbleupon, Digg, Technorati, Kirtsy, whatever your favorite bookmarking tool is, use it to show your appreciation for their work.


• Add their badge somewhere on your site.  I created a "Friends" page here on Jessica Knows for the sole reason to pimp out those people I swoon over.  On that same token, provide an easy way for people to grab your code so they can show you some love.  Just substitute your image and url into this code snippet and add it as a text widget in your sidebar:

<div align="center"><a href="/2008/10/15-days-of-marketing-with-jessica-knows-starts-november-1/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f48/jessicaknows/jessicaknowsconversation.jpg" alt="15 Days of Marketing with Jessica Knows"></a></div></br><div align="center"><form><textarea rows="6" cols="20" ><a href="/2008/10/15-days-of-marketing-with-jessica-knows-starts-november-1/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f48/jessicaknows/jessicaknowsconversation.jpg" alt="15 Days of Marketing with Jessica Knows"></a></textarea></form></div>

I want to thank Tara from Deal Seeking Mom for letting me lift this code off of her site.

So to reiterate, promoting others not only makes your brand stronger by defining your taste and what you're passionate about, it also helps build relationships.

If you add the "grab the code" to your blog with your logo, let me know in the comments so I can grab it and add to my Friends page, I highly recommend making the image you choose 125x125 so that people will be more likely to add it to their site. (In other words, don't assume that if you make it a big ol' banner, people are going to embrace it.)

YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

Explore the comments from the first seven days of #15Days and see who else is participating.  When you come across someone you feel you relate to or who inspires you, write a blog post about them.  And if you have time, reach out and ask for a short interview.  You can even interview over email or IM to make it easier.  Connect with other participants on Facebook and support them through the ideas I mentioned.  Write someone a recommendation on LinkedIn.  Use a bookmarking tool to promote posts you discover along the way as you decide who to blog about.  Grab others' badge codes to pimp out on your site and make your code available so others can do the same.  If you can do a handful of these homework tasks, you get an A+ not only from me but from the people you promote.

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