Posted in ROI, Social Media Community, Venture Capital, small business, social media

7 comments

9/04 2009

Put My Money on Myspace not Facebook

Ahh… welcome back to the Myspace and Facebook debate. I love talking about the business models of social networks across the Internet.

I was reading a post from Edmund Lee at theBigMoney called Why Facebook Can’t Succeed (via alisa at socialized) and I found myself agreeing with Edmund on some of the community versus business aspects of his post. I have always been under the assumption that we were approaching another net explosion (circa 1999) because of the value of companies being placed on growth instead of revenue. It seems ridiculous to me and completely backward.

It is easy for the social media nerds of the world to bash the social networks (Myspace) that tend to be a little more “whoring” of their advertising. The truth of the matter is that users of Myspace tend to spend more time on the site compared to Facebook.

“According to comScore Media Metrix, MySpace users spend an average of 234 minutes on the site each month, as opposed to Facebook’s 169 minute per user average. Furthermore, MySpace has a bigger cut of the U.S. audience, the most lucrative, at 75 million unique visitors for January, outpacing Facebook’s 57 million.” (Edmund Lee via comScore)

I might not be using Myspace as an individual but we cannot ignore the fact that they focus more on profitability than user growth. There is something to say about Myspace still appealing to users and the overall revenue growth of the company. Facebook may have a faster growth trend than Myspace but Myspace is the smarter social network of the two. The users are still hitting the site and using the tool…that is what matters to the growth of business in social media.

We are all still waiting for the brains of Facebook to present a viable revenue model for the site (Lexicon?) but until that time… I would invest in Myspace over Facebook.. any day of the week.

Thirty-Two Percent of Influential Churches in the U.S. are on Facebook (mediabullseye.com)
Is Facebook a Cult? (readwriteweb.com)
Looks Like Facebook Just Took The Top Spot Among Social Media Sites (techcrunch.com)
Twitter Is Huge? Yes. Twitter Is a Popular Marketing Tool? Probably no. (profy.com)

Posted in politics, social media marketing, social networking

3 comments

8/04 2009

Traditional Media Blasts Google

I have always been under the assumption that traditional or “old” media has lost its’ mind. I have looked at traditional media (mainly newspapers) as a dying breed of communication that will not change with the landscape of technology. If you do not shift your paradigm you will die and currently.. that is what is happening. Traditional media never ranked high with me but I have started to see another side to this coin.

Recently the Wall Street Journal editor Robert Thomson blasted Google and other content aggregators as “parasites of the Internet.” I thought this was a little over the top and then I read a little deeper into the article.

I am going to stop there for a side comment. The simple fact that I decided to read the REST of the article before making a qualified decision is probably part of the problem. We are way… way.. way.. to ADD as a society and social media is not helping in that arena.

I am starting to understand the concept behind the value of premium content. I can see where WSJ is coming from when it comes to content aggregators. I can also see where the Internet model is changing the way we consume media. Rupert Murdoch at News Corp is trying to be innovative with the media shift but I do not see the WSJ making any HUGE strides to welcome the new wave of communication tools. Please, correct me if I am wrong.

There is going to come a time when the shift is over and traditional media will be mutated into a massive conglomerate of data and information. Until that time, Google and premium content portals like Wall Street Journal will need to become even MORE innovative than before.

The world is consuming content at an unbelievable speed. The question is… how do you monetize that consumption?

Google addresses newspaper woes (news.bbc.co.uk)
Murdoch Calls Google, Yahoo Copyright Thieves – Is He Right? | Threat Level from Wired.com (tsurch.com)
Google dubbed internet parasite by WSJ editor | The Australian (tsurch.com)
Rupert Murdoch as Grumpy Piccolo Player (laf.ee)
Google: Now an Alleged Internet Parasite (arnoldit.com)

Posted in Corporate Strategy, Marketing, blogging, corporate blogging, small business

1 comment

7/04 2009

61 Million Blogs about Professional Experience

I was forwarded an e-newsletter from Harvard Business Publish by my business party in Brandswag.. Brandon Coon. They have a section of the newsletter called Daily Stat. In the Daily Stat it stated that Technorati has indexed an upwards of 133 Million blogs and that 46% (61 Million) of those blogs are about industry and profession. Wow!

Let me preface this by saying that we are not quite sure how active the 61 million blogs are in content but this is still a staggering number. The Daily Stat also stated that 79% blog about personal interests. What does this mean to the business community?

People are talking about you. Services and products are a part of our daily lives. There is bound to be a writer in the mass of the 79% that writes about YOUR product or service. Are you listening?

The stat went onto say that only 12% of those Technorati blogs catered to corporate blogging. This shows huge market potential for coporate blogging in the following months. The trend is growing and individuals are starting to listen… both in the small business market and the corporate market.

61 Million blogs about professions. Did anyone say B2B Marketing potential? I think so.

Stake Your Claim? Technorati Opens Goldrush-Inspired Tag Directory (techcrunch.com)
Is Twitter destroying the link economy? (sociallyminded.co.uk)
The Social Media Starter Kit: Blogging (altitudebranding.com)
10 Tips For Building A Corporate Blog Brand (streamxy.com)

Marketing, Micro-Blogging, Reputation Management, innovation, relationship, small business, social media, social media marketing

0 comments

7/04 2009

What Roseta, PA Can Teach You About Social Media

I have been reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and just to be clear… the book is awesome.

At the beginning of the book Malcolm talks about a researcher named Stewart Wolf who was fascinated with the long lives of a group of Italians living in Roseto, Pennsylvania. Wolf did extensive research to try and figure out when the citizens of Roseta had virtually no heart disease or any sickness related deaths of any kind. It was not the diet, exercise or location… what Wolf found was that it was the city itself (pg 9). The conversations and relationships that “Rosetians” experienced on a daily basis helped keep them healthy and jovial.

This post is not about the City of Roseta.. it is about the data that was presented to medical communities across the world. Wolf was being met with resistance because of lack of “long rows of data arrayed in complex charts (pg 10).” They had to convince the medial establishment to look PAST the data and look at the findings in an entirely new light.

The same is true for using social media. There is still resistance from the “establishment” because of the lack of data and charts to show growth rates and return-on-investment. Have we started to discuss the negative ramifications of not being involved in the new medium of social media?

Roseta citizens remained healthy and content because of conversations and relationship driven communication.. can’t that be applied to your marketing? Can’t that be applied to your communication strategy

What is stopping you?

Have You Tried the DO Strategy of Social Business Success? (successful-blog.com)
Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (basilandspice.com)
Malcolm Gladwell is so money (writeblack.com)
Malcolm Gladwell’s story of failure (news.cnet.com)

Guest Post, blogging, productivity, social media, twitter

0 comments

6/04 2009

Guest Post: Twit-O-Rama – Social Media Bug Bites Kathy Ireland, and Me

Today’s Guest Post is by Jeff Timpanaro is the president of Oberata Consulting, a 2009 Certified Total Integration firm, based in Kingwood, TX. Oberata is a consulting firm founded on the principles of strategy, process, and transformation, and utilizes the Total IntegrationTM system of business consulting. This system has helped business owners and professionals in the Fortune 100 with definitive, measurable operating strategies that produce unprecedented growth and profitability.

———–

(from the Honda Auto Repair Shop waiting room)

kathyireland As I write this, supermodel and supermom (self-nominated I presume) Kathy Ireland is busy touting Twitter on the Today Show. “I just love my TwitterBuddies!” she beams, with annoying enthusiasm.

Interviewer Ann Curry is mindlessly heaping sugar onto an already hyper-happy conversation. “IT-WAS-SO-GREAT-TO-TALK-TO-YOU-KATHY!” she spews. “THANKS, ANN, replies Kathy, exceeding Ann’s volume. “IT’S BEEN SO GREAT TO TALK TO YOU . . A REAL MOM . . THIS MORNING!”

Kathy’s amped up about her new book (forget the name) – but it’s something about real solutions for real moms.

Kathy’s spunky energy aside, what was more noteworthy about the interview was the continued talk of Twitter in everyday parlance. You can’t throw a pebble these days without hitting Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Plaxo, or the glut of other social media out there.

Even though many consumers – and business owners – are still wondering what all the fuss is all about, Kathy has apparently guzzled the social media Kool-Aid, and is banking on a successful campaign for her new book.

SOCIAL MEDIA and YOUR BUSINESS

Why is this bikini-hottie-turned-entrepreneur so excited about Twitter? Is she looking for meaningful relationships? Insert LOL. Her comment about “loving her TwitterBuddies” is pretty disingenuous, because the simple reason for her excitement is that zillions of solution-hungry moms are spending a zillion hours on Twitter today. Do you think that might impact her book sales?

Kathy’s message – and bubbliness – have become viral through Twitter (viral is good, folks – it means the thing you’re promoting is spreading like wildfire). To date, Kathy has 4,481 followers – moderate by Twitter standards – but numbers will certainly spike after her Today interview (and Twitter mention).

Mrs. Ireland’s celebrity, relationships, and ample budget notwithstanding, social media is part of her master marketing plan. I don’t have her sales projections, but I bet they would be paltry compared to pre-social media forecasts.

PART OF YOUR REINVENTION

If you’re not at least curious about Twitter and other social media as it relates to promoting your business, you are “ostriching” (a Kathy Ireland word I just learned). Yes, that’s burying your head in the sand. Historically, other breakout inventions that the experts “ostriched” about include the computer, the automobile, and the drive-thru window.

“In a world of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.” – J.P. Kelley

I am not saying Twitter is a silver bullet or a marketing savior for you. I am also not saying that you should engage social media. I am saying that if you keep yourself in the dark, you may be missing a huge swath of prospects that you serve best . . . who until now haven’t been able to find you.

I’m doing a 12-month trial to see what the use of social media holds for my own business. It’s too early to tell, but my website traffic has tripled since January. I’m working on a better net (or conversion strategy), but for the short term, I’m excited about the hike in traffic to me.

Oh dear I’m starting to sound like Kathy Ireland.

small business, social media, social media marketing

1 comment

6/04 2009

Respect the Social! Be Responsible.

What is the number one thing holding small business owners away from using social media? I will give you an example.

Brandswag: “So.. that is basically what social media can bring your business. It is a broadcast/communication medium that will turn your leads just a little warmer. What do you think?”

Small Biz Owner: “This sounds great. It really does. I just don’t have the time to spend on using the tool.”

It always seems to be time. This is not an issue for the larger companies we work with at Brandswag. They have the resources to hire either outside consultants or in-house people to act out their social media campaigns. What many small business owners fail to understand is that they have the personality that will win them business in the long run. It is harder for large companies to have individual personalities show through.

As a small business you have a huge opportunity to leverage social media as a relationship and lead generation tool. You have to make the time. You are a small business owner! You knew this was going to be more difficult then being an employee… you knew this was a bigger time commitment then the 9-5. Be responible.

If you do not respect social media… it will not return the favor.

And by respect… I mean spending time on the medium. Manage your time effectively and you will see return.

Twitter is not for every small business | Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing (tsurch.com)
Deleting 20,000 Followers from Twitter (kylelacy.com)
Small Business Matters: What Social Employees Can Do For Employers (graymatterminute.com)
The Five Factors of Growth Strategy for Your Company (usnews.com)

Marketing, small business

4 comments

4/04 2009

5 Marketing Posts to Read This Weekend.

I have been reading different blogs for most of the day today and thought I would list the 5 of the more interesting.. Of course… for your reading pleasure.

1. Time To Call It Quits? by Duncan Alney

Duncan always has a way with breaking down the internal strife of Internet companies and shedding light on the potential ramifications of biz activity. This is a great read for the group of us who cares what is internally happening at Facebook.

2. How Much Personality Should My Blog Have? by Lorraine Ball

Lorraine breaks down the intricacies with running two blogs: one for a company and one for the personal side. What do you think?

3. Integrated Campaigns. Multiple Partners? by Jacob Leffler

“Recent market research has exposed the fact that there are no less than 150 – 200 advertising agencies/marketing communication and/or marketing consultancies in the city of Chicago alone. Many of these firms claim to offer “web site” design/development and/or interactive services. If you go the portfolio section of many of these firms
web sites…” I’ve said enough.

4. How Would You Feel About Google Buying Twitter? by ReadWriteWeb

I’ve been wondering the same thing. ReadWriteWeb takes a couple of innovators in the area of Social Media and gets THEIR reaction. Good stuff.

5. Silver Square Reaches the Inbox of Your Brain by Clay

Hilarious April Fool’s Day post about Push-Telepathy technology. Freaking hilarious.

Micro-Blogging, Social Strategy, blogging, corporate blogging, microblogging, twitter

5 comments

2/04 2009

5 Steps to Deleting Your 3,000 Connections on Twitter

We talk a ton about quality over quantity. I need to take my own medicine.

I’m starting to see a shift in my own use of Twitter. I have been talking a lot about quality over quantity and the value of one-on-one relationships. I have realized I need to take advantage of my own advice.

It is time to purge the Twitter account. I need to start focusing more on the quality of the conversations I am experiencing on Twitter. What do you think about the quality over quantity approach?

5 Steps to Deleting Your STUPID Twitter Connections

1. I am going to unfollow all automatic feeds into Twitter. It doesn’t make sense… they do not talk back.

2. Keep following the people RT and respond to your posts. They are who matter! They are experiencing the value of communication and collaboration.

3. Pick 10 to 20 thought-leaders to follow. It doesn’t matter if they follow you back. They are there for education and sometimes “communication.” We cannot evolve unless we learn.

4. You can start to purge your connections by unfollowing people who do not follow you. Now, this does not mean you should be “upset” with people who do not follow you back. If they share great information… you should keep following them (See #3).

5. Do they have a logo as a picture. Eh? I would un-follow.

So remember the quality over quantity concept and start the process!

The Twitting Point (tsurch.com)
4.5 things Twitter teaches us (hyperorg.com)
Selling What isn’t Nailed Down (queercents.com)
Stikky Tweets: The Best Social Application Online (ableparris.com)
Why Rob Diana is right: Twitter gets the hype while Facebook will get the gold (scobleizer.com)

Seth Godin, blogging

1 comment

2/04 2009

Never Settle For Good Content. Go Great.

Sometimes I take on an envious quality that I am not overly proud of… Sometimes I wish I was someone else… That someone is usually.. Seth Godin. Yesterday was just another one of the envy days.

Seth had an April Fools post that didn’t have much content. He went on to describe the reasons for not posting his April Fool’s post. He had it written and decided.. ehhh.. it’s not that great. Because of the quasi-good content, Seth decided to post nothing.

The funny thing about this is…despite the fact he “thinks” he posted nothing.. there was a TON of value in the post. The valuable nugget of information? When you are writing your blog, tweet, or anything having to do with communicating online make you add as much quality as possible to your content.

If you are not secure with a post… don’t post it. If you are not proud of the content… write something else. Don’t stress out completely, just try again in a couple of hours.

Great content is a quantum leap over “good” content. Always.

It’s just one day (onemanblogs.co.uk)
seth godin robert scoble chris brogan | Jim’s Marketing Blog (tsurch.com)
YouTube – Seth Godin explains why we need a tribe (tsurch.com)
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (strivepr.com)

blogging, small business, social media

1 comment

1/04 2009

Nominate My Friend Brad Ward at SquaredPeg

Social media is about collaboration right? I love reading and collaborating on different ideas with Brad Ward. He has a higher-ed blog called Squaredpeg and it has excellent information about using social media with the higher-ed of the world.

He is running for the eduStyle Award for the best Higher-ed blog on the market. I vote Brad and you should too.

Why? He has some excellent Facebook research on admission department marketing and he speaks all over the nation about social media marketing and higher-ed.

Plain and simple. He is the man. Follow the link and vote!

Vote for SquaredPeg