In today’s video I discuss some thoughts on a marketing message or company mission versus the medium(s) used to spread that message. And of course I talk about nothing I learned in school or books, but instead look to Michael Jackson’s career for inspiration. :-)
So as you’ll see in my previous post, I was trying to win a trip to BizConf in Florida this August.
Well, guess what?
I’m excited to go, and I’ll be sure to report back with some of the valuable things I learn. Thanks to BizConf and Jason at IWearYourShirt.com for this opportunity!
Okay, so this won’t really be a Jack Handey-related post, but I did start another blog called AnywhereMan that deals with topics concerning non-traditional working arrangements. By non-traditional I mean freelance, telecommute, or any other arrangement where a person can basically work from anywhere. That’s what I do, so I am “AnywhereMan.” :-)
Anyways, here the first video for my new blog and I’ll probably post some more here in the future, but you’ll be able to view ALL of them over at AnywhereMan.
In case you missed Google’s demo of the new Wave platform at I/O 2009 a few weeks ago, here is the video:
I am excited for this release. Collaboration tools just keep getting better and better, and Wave looks to really bridge the gap between email and instant messaging.
Just wanted to quick post this excellent description of Twitter by super-duper social media master Gary Vaynerchuk. He explains why Twitter is so powerful and game-changing in a very short video:
Taken from iReport.com. I love Gary – he gets it.
Without giving too much of the book away, Jarvis first dives into the "Google Rules." These are concepts which he feels Google (and other successful web companies) follow which make them successful in the growing world of social media and instant search.
One of the firsthand stories that really summed up the status of marketing and customer relations in the Googlefied world today was Jarvis' own example of typing "Dell sucks" on his blog after a bad customer service experience. The buzz from that single post grew and grew, and it eventually reached the front page of Google for the keyword "dell," at which point Jarvis got a call from Dell and they tried to make it all better. Dell has since changed their approach to service and actually uses Twitter to keep a finger on the pulse of their customer base. Marketing has become less of a bullhorn and more of a conversation.
The concept that I really took away from this book was the idea of being a platform. Google is a platform. Facebook is a platform. Twitter is a platform. We as users of the web can create our own online brand using these tools. Businesses can do the same. Give people control to create and improve...and they will. From my own standpoint, so much of my business is Google-based. Get up in the morning, check my Google-hosted Gmail, read my favorite blogs on Google Reader, browse news topics from the past 24 hours on Google search, etc. The platform is alive and well.
As for making money, Jarvis argues that the idea of a "side-door" is where it's at in the Web 2.0 world. If your platform itself is not free or at-cost, someone can easily come in and undercut you. However, if you are running free services and able to create a side-method for income (think Google's ad-words/ad-sense concepts), your user base will be much greater and your income will instead be generated from marketers.
The last half of the book was Jarvis' attempt to apply Google concepts to other business types: media, advertising, retail, utilities, manufacturing, airlines, real estate, money, welfare, etc. Some of these were really interesting, and some were kind of "out there" in my mind. But Google is an "out there" company and I guess that's why they're so successful.
I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the direction of business in a Web 2.0 world. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars. Enjoy!
Before I go any further, the only reason I know the word "plethora" is because of the movie The Three Amigos. That being said, if you want to experience a plethora of fantastic Web 2.0 apps that range from simple and useful to entertaining, in-depth, and complex, you need to check out Go2Web20. I've been bragging the site up for a long time but have neglected to publicize it here on my blog. It's awesome, and some of the apps I use on a regular basis were first discovered on the site. Have fun!
What I mean by "engaged" is to make it a two-sided relationship. Make the experience one where they are not coming to your site just to "take" from you. Interact with them. Make it a unique experience for every visitor. Give them a voice.
With Web 2.0 and the surge of social media, there is no reason not to have these types of features as part of your online presence. Set up a Twitter account. Create a Facebook group. These are easy enough to do yourself and you can simply link to them from your company's main website.
One of the oldest, yet still effective, methods for engaging your audience is the use of forums. Yes, they are old-school, but with the growth of features like OpenID and RSS functionality, they are as relevant as ever in my opinion. I would say that most if not all of the online tools I use have forums as part of their support system. They are a great way for you visitors to not only interact with your company, but with each other.
In this day of the Web and all the anonymity that it offers, forums can be a great way to build relationships that are less anonymous. For example, I visit many different guitar-related forum communities and have recently made several trades with other members. There is something about putting your trust in someone you've never met and actually making a successful deal that, in a way, restores good-feelings for other people once again.
Another real-world example of engagement in action is the forum-functionality I recently set up for GraceNet. Martha Grace Reese is the author of a series of books on Christian evangelism. The first of these books is called "Unbinding the Gospel", and many churches use this book as a training tool with their congregations. Last week we launched an online forum called the "Unbinding the Gospel Community" where readers of the book could go and discuss things related to the text and process. There is also a section where Reese can post news, thoughts, etc, whenever she has something to share - similar to a blog but within the Community. All the forums have RSS feeds so people can subscribe through their favorite reader application. This is engagement in an effective manner, and Reese is already seeing information from the Community members that will be useful in her current research project.
So get out there and engage. Create an interactive relationship with your users. Listen to them. Adapt to them. And most of all, value the things they have to say and offer.
PS - I am not a Trekkie. But I do love Trekkies, the film.
Depending on how involved you are with the web, you may or may not have heard the terms given to the various web "movements." We are currently living in the Web 2.0 movement and rapidly approaching Web 3.0. Speaking of which, I am wondering what happened to 2.1, 2.2, etc. But I will save that research for another time.
So what do these numbers mean? I'll try to give you a short description and examples of each, and you can figure out where your existing online presence falls.
Web 1.0 is the static web. A Web 1.0 site exists on it's own, with no interaction from users or other sites. It might look good, contain relevant information, but it really doesn't do anything that involves the user. A plain brochure site would be considered Web 1.0.
Web 2.0 is a move towards a more interactive, user-driven web. Sites now have a social element and often base some or all of their information on user-provided content. YouTube is a great example of Web 2.0 because it is entirely driven by user content. Facebook is another example with it's social networking aspect. Even Amazon.com is very Web 2.0 with it's dependence on customer reviews and ratings. The interfaces of Web 2.0 are also much more interactive and AJAX-driven. AJAX allows for things like drag-n-drop functionality and smoother interaction with the site.
The new kid on the block is Web 3.0. To me, Web 3.0 involves a push towards a limitless, machine-independent web. Basically, the web is your computing interface. All your software, data, etc becomes web-based. Web 3.0 has also been called the "semantic web." It's a movement where your online presence is really defined by a variety of sites and sources. For example, have several Blogger sites, a LinkedIn account, a Facebook page, a GoodReads account, and more. Factoring all these sources together becomes my online presence. A site like Plaxo that integrates all these profiles could probably be viewed as touching on Web 3.0.
So how would you classify your current online presence? If you're still in 1.0-land, it's probably time to re-think your strategy.
For the longest time I have been avoiding Twitter. I set up an account about a year ago and simply never saw the point. Those of you who are unfamiliar with Twitter should just know that it's a micro-blogging platform (140 chars or less in a post) where you simply answer the question, "What are you doing?" I know...it sounds really really stupid.
But now that I've taken the time to set up my profile and actually "follow" some other people, I absolutely love it. How did I live without this? Let me explain further.
I did a few searches for other development firms or companies whose applications I use frequently (FreshBooks, 37Signals, FreelanceSwitch, etc) and added them to my "Follow" list. In turn, a few people have started following me as well. Now when I log in to my Twitter account I can see the recent "Tweets" for each of people I am following. I can even send them reply Tweets if they are asking questions or talking about something I'm interested in.
Still sounds stupid doesn't it?
It's not! Trust me! Because here is the thing that's great: By following individuals in the same general profession as myself, I am able to keep up with the latest and greatest talk in the "biz." I can now keep up with the newest Web 2.0 apps, programming platforms, design standards, etc without even putting much effort into it.
What has made it SUPER easy is the TwitterFox plugin I set up in my Firefox browser. Now as I'm in front of my PC during the day, I can update my status easily, and other people's Tweets come across the bottom of my screen as they are posted. It's incredible: I feel well-informed without even really thinking. And that's what we all strive for, right?! :-)
So if you are looking into Twitter, be sure to follow me at http://twitter.com/daveyank I apologize in advance if following me is a complete bore, but try to find people with similar interests or professions as you and you'll love it. It's a great way to publicize your company and stay informed with the concerns of your client-base.
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