Trust Agents Book Review

If you haven't picked up Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith yet, you should. Even if you aren't big into the web (although if you're reading this I would argue that you are into enough) you can still get a lot out of this book because the principles apply to life in general, not just on the web.

So what were the main takeaways from the book for me?

1. Leave a trail
2. Do good stuff

There's lots of details that elaborate and make these ideas stick out, but the jist of the book comes down to those two points for me. If you're reading blogs, Twitter streams, or Facebook updates, no one will know that you were there unless you leave a comment or reach out to start an interaction. The same goes for in-person events. Don't go and stand on the sidelines just to say you went. Step out and talk to people - make your presence known and add to the conversation.

The second point is just the Golden Rule. Whether it's on the web or in person, go out of your way to help someone out or just do something nice without expecting anything in return. When people experience your good works, they'll file that away and look for ways to pay it back at some point. The beautiful thing is that because you're not expecting or asking for anything in return, you'll never know when those people might turn around and repay you. A lot of people never will return the favour, but some will, and that's when everyone wins.

So in closing, if you're reading this I would encourage you to step out of the shadows and leave a comment. Leave a trail!

P.S. Thanks to Jeff for lending me the book!