theimpactequation-blog

[theimpactequation-blog]

I created this Pinterest board to showcase resources related to the book The Impact Equation. 

[theimpactequation-blog]

The Impact Equation: Summary & Review

For my digital book report, I chose to read The Impact Equation: Are You Making Things Happen or Just Making Noise? by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.

Brogan and Smith discuss the “equation” for how to make your business or content stand out in a world where everyone is competing to create and share information. Their magic equation is as follows:

Impact= Contrast x (Reach + Exposure + Articulation + Trust + Echo)

• Contrast refers to creating material that is different and unique compared to all the other content out there. • Reach is the amount of people who see your creation, typically measured through number of followers, email lists, etc. • Exposure is an extension of reach and describes how often you connect with your followers, people on your list, etc. • Articulation refers to how clear, concise, and understandable your content is. • Trust is a more complicated variable in the equation as it can be difficult to measure, but it is gained through a long-lasting, positive relationship with your group of fans or followers. • Finally, Echo refers to how a company makes you feel and if a company is able to create a feeling of connection with their audience.

The book goes on to explain each component of the Impact Equation in detail using examples from specific companies to showcase which brands excel at each variable,as well as which brands make mistakes and how they should be correcting them.

Brogan and Smith also emphasize how each of these variables have four sub-catergories which will help you apply them to your business.

1. Goals: you must always be thinking about what your goals are for your business, brand, etc. and how each variable can help you achieve your goal.

2. Ideas: once you have a solid understanding of what your goals are you have the ability to create ideas that align with these goals to help you build your business. 

3. Platform: which platforms you choose to showcase these ideas on is important because they have the power to determine who sees your idea. If you don’t choose the correct platform you won’t reach your target audience.

4.Human Element: This section emphasizes the importance of the community and relationship aspects of online business

My criticism of the book would be that I would have liked to see more detailed information on how to apply each aspect of the impact equation to your own business and less case studies/theory. However, overall I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in trying to make their content stand out.