Mark Schaefer once again graced the annuls of the number one best-selling author on Amazon, with his new book “Cumulative Advantage: How to Build Momentum for your Ideas, Business, and Life Against All Odds.”
The book hit the number one spot in three categories, namely job hunting, public relations, and small business marketing.
This is Mark’s ninth book, and the sixth book to hit the number one spot on Amazon, in at least one category.
Mark first appeared on the number one bestselling book on Amazon list in 2015, with the self-published smashing book, “The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business.”
Mark is also a world-renowned keynote speaker, trainer, and lecturer.
In this article, we take a deeper look at the life and times of Mark Schaefer, one of the most notable digital marketing gurus in the world today.
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Mark Schaefer Keynote Speaker – Highlights
Mark Schaefer Education
West Virginia University
In 1978, Mark joined West Virginia University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism in 1982.
He took part in various activities and societies and was the President of Appalachia Now Social Services and also the News Editor of the daily university newspaper.
While working as the news editor of the award-winning daily newspaper at the university, he learned how to work hard at the demanding job while, as he says, paying his rent.
Bastyr University
In 1995, Mark joined Bastyr University and graduated with a Master of Arts Degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences in 1997.
The degree in organizational development became a key feature in his career. He says that anyone can have plans and ideas, but it can be challenging to implement them effectively in the context of an organization. He creates legacies rather than binders of huge presentations, gathering dust on a shelf.
Drucker School of Management
From 1989 to 1992, Mark earned a Master’s in Business Administration, specializing in Marketing.
He was a member of several societies, and he says that he had a wonderful opportunity to study under Peter Drucker, the father of modern management thinking. This was a turning point for him. To this day, he never goes a single day without thinking of the things that Drucker taught him.
He had the chance of attending 3 classes taught by Drucker and he is proud to say that he scored “A’s” in all these classes.
Licenses and Certifications Earned By Mark Schaefer
Statistical Process Control
Marked earned a Certification in Statistical Process Control from Luftig Associates in the year 2003.
Certification in Supply Chain Management
Mark earned the Certification in Supply Chain Management from Lehigh University in January 2006.
A Quick Overview of the Professional Life and Times of Mark Schaefer
Mark W. Schaefer is a world-renowned keynote speaker, college educator, marketing strategy consultant, and author.
His career has been built upon a foundation of helping leaders and companies rise above the din and become a beaming signal in a world that is filled with information density.
Mark is the Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions, a company that is primarily involved in developing digital marketing strategies well as helping out with social media workshops and marketing training.
He has worked with a wide variety of clients, both start-ups and established worldwide brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Adidas, Dell, Microsoft, Pfizer, AT&T, the UK government, and the U.S. Air Force.
Mark is a holder of advanced degrees in organizational development and marketing.
He holds 7 different patents and studied under the legendary “Peter Drucker – the father of modern marketing” for 3 years.
He is currently a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University.
Mark is also an acclaimed and decorated best-selling author.
He has written nine popular books including the best book on personal branding (KNOWN), the first ever book on influence marketing (Return on Influence), the acclaimed “Cumulative Advantage,” and the chart-topping book, “Marketing Rebellion.”
His books can be found in 700 libraries all over the world and have been translated into 15 languages. Some are used as textbooks at over 70 universities worldwide.
When it comes to podcasts, Mark is the host of The Marketing Companion, one of the chart-topping podcasts on iTunes.
Mark is also the 7th most-mentioned person by CMOs on Twitter and is one of the Top Ten most retweeted marketing individuals on the platform.
His blog {Grow} is highly cited in lists of leading marketing blogs globally.
Mark is a leading marketing authority and has been a keynote speaker at various events and conferences all over the world, such as the National Economic Development Association, the American Bankers Association, SXSW, the American Bar Association, and the Institute for International and European affairs.
He has also graced the podium twice at the annual Social Media World conference.
Mark has lectured at many prestigious institutions, including Oxford University and Princeton.
Mark has also graced many television shows. He is quite popular and entertaining, and he has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Wired Magazine, CNN, CNBC, BBC, CBS NEWS, and the National Public Radio.
He is a regular contributing author and columnist to The Harvard Business Review.
You can connect with Mark through his website, businessGROW.com, for marketing and business strategy development, personal coaching, memorable and inspirational keynote speeches, and workshops.
The Career Path of Mark Schaefer
Mark Schaefer has had a very full and inspiring career path. His experiences in marketing are what has led him to be one of the best social media marketers in the world today.
Let us take a sneak peek at his career path:
Alcoa
Mark spent 21 years working for Alcoa, in various capacities as you will see below.
Sales and Marketing Manager – Food Production Applications
Between the years 1987 and 1992, Mark managed several multi-million-dollar accounts ad was the head of developmental sales on the West Coast. He worked with companies such as Del Monte, Heinz, Nestle, and StarKist.
He negotiated contacts to convert steel cans into aluminum, thereby driving sales from about 4 million dollars to more than 100 million dollars within three years at Silgan/Nestle.
National Account Manager – Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
From 1992 to 1997, Mark was the national account manager at Anheuser-Busch, Inc., where he managed a sales and service team of eight people. This was Alcoa’s largest customer with an account worth 1.5 billion dollars.
He negotiated the largest contract in the history of Alcoa, totaling 5 billion dollars.
He set the sales and profitability records every year.
He headed the statistical evaluation that reduced change orders by 75% within six months.
Marketing Manager
From 1997 to 2001, Mark rose to the position of Marketing Manager at Alcoa.
He was responsible for the global market management of aluminum can sheet and coated packaging products.
The sales exceeded 2 billion dollars.
He was also the head of new products developed, research and development funding, customer profitability analysis, market research, competitor analysis, retention strategy, contract support, and pricing strategy.
During this time, he was awarded seven international patents for packaging innovations that supported Heineken, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Coors ad many others.
He developed and negotiated every aspect of sales and manufacturing strategy, which led to the creation of a successful niche product, which became Alcoa’s most profitable offering.
He also negotiated pay-for-performance supply agreements for toll slitting and coating suppliers, saving the company 4 million dollars in two years while achieving record quality levels.
Senior Manager, Business Development
Between the years 2001 and 2004, Mark worked as the Senior Manager in charge of V=Business Development.
He led the staff based in the United States and was responsible for the profitable organic growth of all global units through their website Alcoa.com. eCommerce platform and proprietary customer technologies.
He also established the first online marketing exploits for Alcoa, which led to an increase in sales of over 50 million dollars every year. He managed this by providing high-performance content, functionality, and customer adoption.
He increased eCommerce sales by more than 300% and realized an annual cost saving of about 11 million dollars.
He also developed benchmark financial models which automatically assessed and measured eBusiness projects ad quantified value by saving, return on investment (ROI), and net present value (NPV).
He was awarded the Chairman’s Award for leading the global web conferencing project, which resulted in an annual cost saving of about 15 million dollars.
Global Director – eBusiness and Commercial Systems
Between the years 2004 and 2008, Mark was the Global Director of EBusiness and Commercial systems at Alcoa.
He was tasked with hiring and directing a global team of IT and marketing experts responsible for digital marketing, B2B integrations, eCommerce, customer and supplier portals, Sem, collaboration, market research, and customer relationship management, handling a budget of 4 million dollars.
He led a worldwide global eCommerce transformation of Alcoa, achieving a 320% increase in customer transactional cost savings, 360% increase in employee productivity, 240% increase in online revenue generation, and a 12-point improvement in customer satisfaction.
He led the globalization of their eCommerce platform, which led to on-time, under-budget deployments in Russia, Brazil, and China, which were among the first in those countries.
He also developed Alcoa’s first global strategy for CRM deployment, removing duplicated efforts among businesses and lowering costs by more than 1 million dollars annually.
He developed new online marketing products, which included customer portals, supplier support, and online collaboration technologies, despite having severe budget cuts at the company.
He was awarded the chairman’s award, for a second time, commending his marketing turnaround efforts in Europe.
Dell Technologies
Between the years 2017 and 2020, Mark Schaefer was on contract with Dell Technologies as a Podcast host and Producer, in Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area.
Mark was the principal executive producer and host of Dell’s first corporate podcast called Luminaries.
The show became popular and went on to be among the top 1 percent of all podcasts on iTunes. It also was among the most popular corporate podcasts in history.
He was tasked with designing the show, crafting the content strategy, being the on-air host, and consulting on all promotional efforts for Dell Technologies.
HARBOUR.SPACE
Since March 2020, to this day, Mark has been an Adjunct Professor at HARBOUR.SPACE in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
He teaches a course known as “Marketing New Realities and the Personal Brand”
$RISE Web3 Crypto Token
From November 2021 to this day, Mark has also been on contract as a Community Leader for $RISE Web3 crypto token.
The $RISE is a creator token that is offered through the Rally.io platform.
It is a learning and collaboration community, which is accessed through the ownership of the $RISE creator token.
Rutgers University
Since the year 2010, Mark Schaefer has worked part-time as an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University.
He teaches marketing courses for the digital marketing track offered in the university’s MBA program.
Schaefer Marketing Solutions
In 2008, Mark founded Schaefer Marketing Solutions, and he holds the position of Executive Director.
The company was founded to help people and their businesses to stand out in a world that has an overwhelming information density.
The company offers consulting services, corporate workshops, training, and strategy development, emphasizing content marketing, social media, digital marketing strategy, and personal branding.
The services offered by the company are unique, thanks to the extensive marketing experience of Mark Shaefer. The experience covers a diverse set of industries, and he has the uncanny ability to connect the dots between strategy and practical reality.
He can forecast what the future holds for the marketing world.
The company works with companies at all levels, such as solo entrepreneurs, start-ups, and Fortune 500 entities.
The main products offered by the company include:
- Marketing strategy development.
- Social media training.
- Business coaching.
- Public speaking engagements.
Some examples of engagements that the company has gone through include:
- Social media marketing workshop with a leading regional hospital chain.
- Brand development planning session for a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company.
- Digital strategy development for a new division at Adidas.
- Personal branding sessions for several hundred corporate executives.
- Social sales training at IBM
- Crafting a digital technology plan for the United States Air Force.
- Keynote speaker for the American Bar Associations and many other events and conferences.
Apart from providing the above services, Mark Schafer is also a world-renowned keynote speaker.
He offers all types of speaking engagements and training to meet the budget and goals of any business.
If you want a keynote speaker to charge up your conference, or a full-day workshop, then Mark and his company will create a program that will meet your needs.
Some of his recent speeches include:
- Social Media Week in London and New York.
- National Association of State CIOs.
- National Economic Development Association.
- Digital Dealers Automotive Conference.
- MIMA
- Institute for International and European Affairs in Dublin.
- Word of Mouth Marketing National Meeting in Tokyo
- Oxford University
- Content Marketing World in Sydney.
He has also presented at several corporate workshops for the following companies:
- Johnson & Johnson
- Welsh Government
- State of Tennessee
- Cisco
- IBM
- AT&T
- Pfizer
Mark Schaefer the Volunteer
As a person who loves to help others achieve their dreams, Mark also had a stint as a volunteer during his career.
Knoxville Leadership Foundation
Mark has been a mentor at Knoxville leadership Foundation since March 2007. He mentors inner city kids who do not have a stable family structure.
Habitat for Humanity
Mark is a Board member at Habitat for Humanity since January 1995. The organization mainly deals with the economic empowerment of society.
Mark Schaefer on YouTube
Mark has several short videos on YouTube that are sometimes funny, but very inspirational.
Let us take a sneak peek at some of his latest videos.
- Sales Lessons from My Hair (Really)
In this short 5-minute video, Mark gives marketing insights using his hair as an example.
It is unbelievable that a simple haircut can teach you a lot about the needs of your customers and how they evolve over time.
You need to be in touch with the needs of your customers all the time, and not assume that what they wanted last year is the same thing they need this year.
Go and listen to this video and be amazed at how a simple concept (a haircut) can be used to explain a complex concept (the evolution of customer needs over time).
- How to be Creative All the Time
In this video, Mark explains how he has been able to remain creative throughout his career.
Mark is a person who has:
- Written 9 books.
- Produced a podcast of about 248 episodes, every week without missing a single one.
- Has been blogging regularly since 2009.
- Has appeared on various stages all over the world to present content to a wide range of participants.
So how does he maintain his creativity without experiencing burnout?
Watch this video and learn how you can keep your creative fire burning throughout your business or blogging endeavors.
The video goes through 4 disciplines that you must have if you want to be creative all the time.
- Why the Most Human Company Always Wins
Mark has written the book Marketing Rebellion and is famous for saying that the most human company always wins.
Many people ask him what he means when he talks about the most human company winning.
In this short video, he quickly illustrates how and why the most human company always wins.
He talks about how great branding is about creating an emotional connection between what you do and your target audience or customers.
Traditional branding relied a lot on advertisements to generate this emotional connection, but today, many people spend time on media that does not show ads.
Think about Netflix and Spotify, where people do spend time watching movies and listening to music or podcasts.
There is no advertising there.
This is why you must look for another way to connect with your target audience or customers.
Listen to the video and be amazed at why the most human company always wins.
The Marketing Companion: An Entertaining Podcast with Mark Schaefer
The Marketing Companion has been a leading podcast, full of entertaining discussions on business issues for more than a decade. It is a spicy blend of tasty fun and authoritative insight.
Each week, Mark hosts a “marketing companion” and digs deep into the prevailing trends that forge the marketing innovations of the future.
The Marketing Companion is among the top 1 percent of podcasts on iTunes.
Let us take a look at a few of the latest episodes of the podcast.
In this podcast, Mark says that he has been thinking and writing a lot about the things that go into building a business community. He believes that this is a crucial part of the future of any business.
When he thought about community, his mind went to his friend Mark Masters and the lively “You Are the Media” group.
Like many marketers, Mark Masters struggled with building his marketing agency. His marketing and advertising were falling short when it came to creating an impetus for his business.
He was left feeling somewhat empty with the transactional, transitional nature of marketing. So, he undertook a bold experiment.
The podcast looks at:
- The role of the newsletter when it comes to building a community.
- The transition from audience to community
- The danger of a cult of personality.
- The powerful people of drawing people together.
- When the community transforms into the business.
- Gaining credibility by giving up control
- The role of sustainability and purpose.
- The collective voice
- How a community can impact your business.
This podcast is a glimpse of the future of marketing.
Click here to go and listen to this powerful 246th episode.
In this episode of Marketing Companion, Mathew Sweezy talks about the evolving role of Crypto and Web3 in marketing.
Mathew Sweezy is a highly qualified individual on the topic of NFT and Web3 since he runs some of the most significant global Web3/NFT brand projects through his position at Salesforce.
Some of the highlights of this podcast include:
- The Crypto Winter – explores the fact that there is a Crypto winter out there, and how it will disappear when the “silly” is driven out. Many people are still excited about Crypto at this point and time.
- The Future of NFTs – companies are now saying that NFTs are the next major source of revenue for their brand. Some are giving them away for free. It is a kind of reverse CRM.
- NFT Strategy – marketers have to establish a guiding principle, given that everybody wants to do everything when working with brands on Web3. Brands have to be guided to become ethical.
- The Consumer as Brand Creator -discusses how the future is more collaborative, and the relationships of brands are changing. Companies are transferring ownership of the IP. It changes the consumer from somebody who is buying to someone who is a co-creator and co-owner of the brand.
Click on this link to listen to this 247th episode.
After the reduction of restrictions that arose during the COVID pandemic, Mark has been traveling a lot more. However, it is becoming more stressful, given the emerging trends of supply chain problems, increase in travel demand, and understaffed teams all over the world.
The result is Crappy Customer Service.
He recalls how a friend told him that an air hostess broke down and shed tears after experiencing a wave of shame over how her customers were being treated.
People should not overlook the toll of the current conditions on human interactions, and there is a need to double down on empathy.
In this episode, Mark talks to Brooke Sellas, who runs a customer service company, B Squared Media, LLC.
She is also the author of the book, “Conversations that Connect”.
The podcast discusses the problems associated with customer service in today’s world, and the solutions available.
Click here to go and listen to this 248th episode.
Nine Amazing Marketing Books by Mark Schaefer
Mark W. Schaefer is one of the most popular marketing authors in the world today.
He has authored nine powerful and authoritative marketing books covering the topics of influencer marketing, personal branding, Twitter for business and personal success, content marketing, social media strategy, and blogging.
Here is a brief look at the books.
- Cumulative Advantage: How to Build Momentum for your Ideas, Business, and Life Against All Odds (January 20th, 2021)
The book is available in Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, and Paperback versions
When Greatness is NOT enough.
Marketing, as it is today, is in essence, all about answering a single question: “How can we be heard?”
How can a business rise above the din made by the infinite options, to raft sustainable meaning with a group of customers and other audiences?
It is not enough to simply follow the traditional rules of digital marketing.
Being great is insufficient when facing the onslaught of overwhelming competition, which is redefining the limits of excellence daily.
This is a marketing book crafted for the modern world.
Cumulative Advantage shows you how the world is stacked against you in big ways. The book provides new ideas to help you build the unassailable momentum that you need to rise above today’s marketing barriers.
The book has several motivating ideas and case studies.
It is an indispensable and practical river of inspiration for everyone who has a dream that is just beginning to take flight.
The book also has various free chapters and assets that will help you implement what is laid out inside in a powerful manner.
The book is available in Kindle and Audiobook format and is available for free.
Mark has compiled several essays into this book.
The essays are an inspiring and informational collection that explores the intersection of the human condition, business, and technology.
The 32 essays are truly honest, prophetic, and provocative articles. Marks deeply explores the raw truth of business and personal survival in the digital age.
Some of the topics covered in the chapters of the book include:
- How to remain bot-proof
- The intolerance of hustle
- Best presentation skills
- The importance of “belonging” in business
- Personal branding truths
- Why company culture is your marketing
- Emotional paralysis and social media grief
- Realistic content marketing
- Networking in the digital age
- Entrepreneurial business lessons
… Just to mention a few.
Given that Mark is one of the most vital and trusted resources in the business environment, then you should take this opportunity to get this book and learn from the thinking of one of the most gifted thinkers and writers in the digital marketing world today.
- Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins (January 11th, 2019)
The book is available in Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, and Paperback versions.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the challenging rate of change in the business environment?
Are today’s consumer trends and the continuous fast pace of technology confusing you?
Does the breakneck speed of digital marketing make you feel lost and irrelevant?
Then this is the book for you.
Mark provides a realistic and achievable framework to help you keep ahead of the curve through RE-IMAGINING marketing in a world where hyper-empowered customers drive the business results.
Marketing rebellion covers topics such as:
- How calamitous consumer trends are the predictable outcome of a revolution that started 100 years ago.
- Why you should build your business on human impressions and mot advertising impressions.
- The 5 consistent human truths that lie at the center of a successful marketing strategy.
- The reasons behind the slow death of customer loyalty, and what you can do to revive it to what it used to be.
- How to encourage customers to do the marketing for you.
- An actionable step-by-step guide to providing an instant course correction for a business no matter its size.
Through a series of research results, singular insights, and inspiring case studies, this book entreatingly challenges your view of what it means to be a marketer in today’s world. It also provides an innovative plan to kickstart your business growth.
The marketing rebellion is pounding at your door. Are you ready for it?
- KNOWN: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age (January 28th, 2017)
The book is available in Kindle, Audiobook, and Paperback versions.
There is a permanent advantage that comes with being known in your field in today’s world.
The people who are known get the most customers, invitations to exclusive opportunities, and better jobs.
But is it possible for anyone to become known?
This exceptional book lays out a step-by-step plan which is followed by the most successful people in a wide range of niches.
Some of these niches are banking, real estate construction, banking, fashion, and many more.
The book showcases amazing case studies, has a lot of exercises, and has inspiring stories.
This is the first book of its kind.
A best-selling book on personal branding that gives you a direct path to personal and business success in today’s digital age.
The book covers:
- A 4-step path, backed by research of well-known professionals in the various fields mentioned above.
- An explanation of why having a passion or even expertise and not the most crucial factor in being known.
- An actionable step-by-step guide, with exercises, included, to help you become known.
- An extra workbook that contains bonus exercises and materials.
- A plan that will help you measure the progress of your personal branding journey.
- A realistic approach that will account for the time you need to attain the goal of becoming known.
- A set of more than 50 inspirational case studies which shows how people managed to overcome huge challenges to become known.
- The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business (March 5th, 2015)
The book is available in Kindle, Audiobook, and Paperback versions.
This nook was named one of the best SEO books, by Book Authority, and one of the top 5 business books by Inc Magazine.
Mark Schaefer authored a path-finding book that delves into the six factors that will help you overcome the overwhelming wall of information noise to make it to the top of your niche.
The book goes beyond content, social media, web traffic ad Search Engine Optimization.
The Content Code begins where your current marketing strategy ends and gives you the launch code that will propel your business to the next level.
The book takes a deep dive into the real value of social media marketing, and the steps that businesses need to take to achieve measurable results.
It is a pioneering book that looks at the psychology behind social sharing.
It is a practical book, with hundreds of ideas that can be implemented by businesses of all sizes and budgets.
The main points of the book include:
- An in-depth look at the connection between brand and content transmission.
- How to focus on audiences that will share your content.
- Practical steps that will help you craft sharable content.
- The new role of promotion, distribution, and SEO in today’s competitive, digital world.
The book will allow you to unlock your true business value, unleash your audience and dig up the six digital secrets of The Content Code.
- Social Media Explained: Untangling the World’s Most Misunderstood Business Trend – Revised and Expanded Second Edition (January 21st, 2018)
The book is available in Kindle, Audiobook, and Paperback versions.
Thus was the best-selling social media book of 2014.
Although creating a social media strategy for your business can seem like an overwhelming task, it does not necessarily have to be so.
Mark Schaefer, in his role as an acclaimed author, educator, and marketing consultant, untangles the most confusing business trend in the world today.
This is a book that has ever-green advice on the topic of social media marketing.
Social Media Explained is an exceptional book targeted at busy corporate executives, business owners, or students who need to know what to do.
The topics discussed in the book include:
- The five basic and essential strategies behind a successful social media marketing campaign.
- A 6-step path leading to the discovery of your social media strategy.
- Tips and tricks that have been tried and tested and found to be successful.
- Case studies that look into social media strategies that have succeeded in the past.
- Answers to the towering questions about organization, budgeting, and measuring a social media marketing strategy.
This is the best book that will illuminate the best path to take toward social media success.
- The Tao of Twitter: The World’s Bestselling Guide to Changing Your Life and Your Business One Connection at a Time (September 26th, 2017)
The book is available in Kindle, Audiobook, and Paperback versions.
Since it was first published, this book has been updated several times. The Tao of Twitter is one of the best books on Twitter today.
It does not matter whether you are a beginner with Twitter, or you are a veteran of the platform, the book is bound to give you new insights and ideas into how to make great use of Twitter to build your business.
The Tao of Twitter unveils the language of Twitter, gives you dozens of great ideas that you can use to build your audience, and also describes 30 great ways to use Twitter to grow your business, among many more ideas.
Mark gives you colorful examples and easy-to-follow, tips, and non-technical ideas, such as:
- Developing business benefits through Twitter.
- The formula behind every success on Twitter.
- Leveraging Twitter for competitive advantage.
- The daily regimen of what to do on Twitter.
- How to implement Twitter advertising.
- How to find and cultivate a relevant and engaged audience on Twitter.
- Specific advantages on a personal and business level.
- 25 great ways to attract targeted customers.
There are hundreds of fresh ideas in the book that will make Twitter both fun and profitable to use.
It is time you restarted your journey to social media success by reading the Tao of Twitter.
Thousands of readers from all over the globe have benefited from this book which propelled them toward business and personal branding success.
The book is available in Kindle and Hardcover versions.
The book was the winner of the Choice Magazine Outstanding Business Book of the Year Award.
The world is at the cusp of a marketing revolution that is being led by you!
This is the first book that takes a deep dive into how brands are cultivating and using the world’s leading powerful bloggers, Twitter experts, and YouTube celebrities to build brand buzz, new sales, and product awareness.
In this revolutionary book, Mark shows you how to leverage the latest advancements in social networking and influence marketing to reach your goals through:
- Detailed explanations of the sources of online influence and how you can make them work for or against you.
- Interviews of 50+ experts, including Influence author Robert Cialdini, tech blogger Robert Scoble and other industry leaders such as Jay Baer, Mitch Joel, and Christopher S. Penn.
- An insider’s view of the controversial social scoring system used by Klout and how it goes about assigning influence numbers to everybody.
- Actionable, Practical tips to help you increase your online influence and personal power.
- Over a dozen unique social influence marketing case studies.
Even if you currently use social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook, or bogging to increase your visibility online, this eye-opening book, filled with actionable tips on how you reach the “super-connecters” will help you ignite epidemics through word-of-mouth influence, or turn you into one.
The book brings the future of marketing to your fingertips.
It is a rich library of fascinating case studies, interviews, and insider advice that will prepare you for the next wave of social networking.
- Born to Blog: Building Your Blog for Personal and Business Success One Post at a Time (April 3rd, 2013)
The book is available in Kindle and Paperback versions.
Born to Blog is a book filled with street-smart, practical practices, and ideas that will help you develop and manage a successful business blog.
It will teach you how to attract a loyal fan base, write powerful content, and promote your blog to generate new business.
Some of the topics covered in the book include:
- Unearthing your blogging style and strengths.
- How to get started with the minimal viable blog.
- How to save time as you create content.
- The economics of blogging
- Blog writing for your niche.
- How to attract readers and ignite your content.
The book has a lot of acclaim from experts in the field:
Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner said, “If your dream is to launch a business or publish a book, then read Born to Blog! You’ll realize the blogger way is your fastest path to success.”
Jay Baer, founder of Convince and Convert said, “Born to Blog makes blogging accessible and fun for anyone. Read it, use it, and watch your business grow.”
Jason Falls, founder of Social Media Explorer said, “Read this book, then go blog like you were born to do so.”
Leo Widrich, co-founder and COO of Buffer said, “Blogging beginners and seasoned pros alike will find valuable advice they can put to use immediately.”
People Who Recommend Mark Shaefer
Thanks to the exceptional way that Mark W. Schaefer has worked with people within his professional circles, many have high regard for him and give him glowing recommendations.
Here are a few of the praises and recommendations that mark has received from these grateful people.
Broke is a Digital Customer Experience Consultant and also the founder and CEO of B Squared Media LLC, a customer service/experience consultancy.
She is also a Social Media Management and Social Media Listening Consultant.
Brooke at one time managed Mark directly, as he worked together with her at B Squared Media LLC.
Brooke says that she had brought in Mark to be a keynote speaker at their first-ever event, The Hello Conference.
Mark opened the event with an exceptional presentation, where he got the audience to nod, laugh and gasp at his inspiring words.
His presentation also caused people to write d0zens of pieces of content that mentioned the event hashtag.
After the event, he stayed back to sign some copies of his latest book for the event attendees.
Brooke said that Mark was essentially a rare unicorn that added a special sizzle to the event.
Brooke has seen Mark speak on several occasions and says that his authority, vigor, and spark are without match.
From the largest events to the smaller ones… like The Hello Conference… Mark will leave the audience feeling energized and inspired.
Brooke highly recommends Mark Schaefer to people who need an amazing keynote speaker to grace their event.
Ian Cleary works a RazorSocial, a social media management company, and RazorAudit, a company that performs website audits for clients all over the world.
He is also a keynote speaker at several conferences and had the opportunity to work with Mark on the same team in the past.
Ian says that Mark is one of the best social media and content marketing professionals in the world, and is always one step ahead of everyone else in the industry.
Ian had the pleasure of working with Mark at a content marketing conference in Ireland, and the feedback that Mark’s session got was amazing.
He says mark is an inspirational speaker, and for the three hours that he presented to his audience, they were all rapt with attention to what he was speaking about.
There was a lasting impact on everyone who was in the room.
Ian says that he has bought ALL the books that Mark has written since he finds him to be an exceptional writer. He always learns something new from each book.
On a personal level, he says Mark is one of the nicest people he has ever met, who is committed to his business partners and friends.
He recommends Mark as a truly exceptional individual.
Jen is a Digital Sales Strategist at iHeartMedia and was once a client of Mark’s.
At one time, Jen asked Mark to go and speak at the American Advertising Federations, Louisville event. Mark had been recommended to her by one of her colleagues, who had seen him make a presentation at the Digital Nonconference in Cincinnati.
Mark spoke at one of iHeartMedia Club’s monthly luncheons, and he did an amazing job by explaining a complex subject to an audience of about 125 people.
This formation of the attendees was a mixture of all levels of expertise and experience.
During their next board meeting, everybody was still raving about the presentation. They all said that they should “Have More Speakers Like That.”
The executive committee needed to give their members programs that were of great value and had important information, so they could go back and implement what they heard in their jobs.
Mark was able to do just that.
He brought humor and entertainment at the same time as he gave the best advice.
Jen says that she would absolutely recommend Mark to anyone who wants to hold an event because Mark is a fantastic presenter and speaker.
Billy is the President at MLT Creative, a B2B marketing consultancy firm, and was once a client of Mark’s.
Billy has an interesting story to tell about his meeting with Mark.
For more than 2 decades, Billy thought of himself as an expert in B2B marketing.
This all changed some time ago when the economic equivalent of the perfect storm hit both his company and his clients too.
There was a silver lining that came with the storm though.
One part of it was realizing that there were a lot of new things that they still had to learn and that they need unlimited access to helpful information. The other part of it was that this was an opportunity to meet new people who were willing to accelerate his learning.
This is where he came to meet Mark Schaefer, who has gone on to be his personal friend.
He says that when it comes to the topics of B2B marketing, Marketing in general, and social media and human happiness, Mark is what Zappo’s CEO Tony Hsieh described in his book “Delivering Happiness” as a Servant Leader.
Mark serves everyone he leads.
From nationally recognized marketing gurus to those who are in the infancy of their careers, Billy and his team are far from alone in their gratitude for Mark’s help.
Since Billy met Mark on Twitter, he has been a huge help to their agency, and they have collaborated on many global projects, which continue to grow successfully.
Billy believes in the idea of “Never Quit Learning” and he feels it was nice to know a guy like Mark.
Dr. Ai is an education disruptor and founder of Classroom Without Walls.
Her organization helps teens and young adults who are struggling to identify their career paths, to find their new strengths, and develop essential life skills that will become a career.
She was junior to Mark, though she did not work under his supervision.
Dr. Ai says that there are few people in her life who she considered lifelong teachers and role models. Mark is one such teacher.
She has been a fan of Mark’s for several years, but she never dared to reach out and connect with him on social media, because she thought Mark was too much above and beyond her.
In 2017, she read Mark’s book “KNOWN”. The book was so great that it not only saved her personal brand but made her realize the strategies and tactics behind the creation of a successful social media presence.
The awesome book finally gave her the courage to reach out to Mark, and connect with him. Ever since that time, Mark has been her friend, mentor, and teacher.
She says that she can go on bragging about Mark for years, but the one thing that stands out the most to her, is how he genuinely cares about people… Not only those who are at the same level as he is but also those who are way below his level.
Mark can make people feel like they are equals.
She remembers when she connected with Mark for the second time when she attended #SMMW18, and mark quipped, “Ai! You and me, we are at the same level.” She literally shed tears, and it showed her what a great person Mark is.
She says without exaggeration that Mark is not only an asset to the social media marketing world, but is an asset to humanity too.
In Conclusion
Mark Schaefer says that one day when his daughter was young, she had a problem with her homework.
Mark, being an ever-dotting father helped her out with her homework.
His daughter later said that when her teacher was teaching her, she sometimes got confused, and when Mark explained it to her later, she always understood what the teacher was saying.
She remarked and told Mark that he should be a teacher.
This has been at the core of what Mark does. He can take complex marketing concepts and distill them into easy-to-understand snippets.
Mark has been able to use this knack in creating a successful career as a teacher of all things marketing, and do so in an exceptional way.
You can talk to Mark through his website and learn more about how you can turn your marketing around, and achieve greatness.
