
Steve Mouzon is an architect, urbanist and author. His new book, New Media for Designers + Builders, serves as a provocative thought-leader with applications and benefits that extend well beyond the real estate trades. Like the rest of us, Steve struggled through the Great Recession. Lots of companies down-sized and some simply disappeared. Marketing budgets were decimated. In our own ways, we each learned to do more with a lot less. This profound and extended economic downturn proved time and again that better, cheaper, faster is not good enough anymore. Everyone got cheaper and faster. Mouzon writes, “If you don’t become remarkable in some way, you’re simply not likely to survive.” Political gridlock aside, fundamental signs indicate the dawning of an economic recovery. But having come through the tough times, today’s successful businesses have fundamentally changed. With this in mind, Mouzon makes the case for the virtues of patience, generosity and connectedness as the keys for priming the pump that will generate long-term recognition and success in the emerging “Age of the Idea.”
The “New Media” is a catch-all phrase used to describe the affordable toolkit of new and old communication techniques that allow us to thrive. Mouzon systematically breaks down the best practices for blogs, websites, speaking engagements, listserv discussions, idea cards, email, publishing and more. He covers the basic “dos and don’ts” of each medium and then describes how they each relate to and then support your overall marketing thrust. By learning exactly how to build a website, you not only become competent on your own, you also become a more informed, efficient purchaser if you choose to pay an expert (Arlington Chamber member) to build and host a site for you. He makes an emphatic point that resonates with me (and my delete key) about the importance of never sending any communication that might be considered SPAM.
I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of New Media for Designers + Builders. You can get a copy for ten bucks by going to the iTunes Bookstore or the Kindle Bookstore. New Media has dozens of embedded weblinks to details, diagrams and even proven vendors that flesh out the basic steps. This interactive feature - which I tested - is one of the most useful aspects of this modern addition to my reference collection.
As I turned the pages of New Media, I felt like a trusted mentor was walking me through the steps I needed to take in order to be more successful. These are the steps he took to survive and get ahead in extremely challenging economic times. I may not adopt every single one of these New Media practices, but I have already used this how-to book to improve my effectiveness with blogging, websites, public speaking and email. Next, I’m noodling how I might use an idea card to summarize my real estate specialty.
Continue this conversation by sharing it with others or by contacting me ([email protected]). 10/28/13