Sizzle! Posts

What's up in the World of Blogs and Connections with Social Networking?

by Kas Kunz

This past week eMarketer.com published an interview excerpt with David Tokheim, the General Manager at Six Apart Media who are the creators of the blogging service TypePad, Movable Type, and Vox. One trend brought out is both blogging tools and social networks are making it easier to connect between the two. When you post on your blog such as TypePad you can publish through to your Facebook and Twitter — which means you don't have to use multiple systems to connect your various online activities. Other insights from the interview:

"Mr. Tokheim: We're seeing a lot more women blogging, a lot of mommy bloggers. They have a different dynamic than what we've seen from tech bloggers in that most of the moms have multiple blogs. They work with different networks like BlogHer, as well as Six Apart Media. And there's a very strong community around what they're doing.

eMarketer: What do you think is driving the spike in mommy bloggers?

Mr Tokheim: Two things: I think it's awareness, or word-of-mouth, and blogging platforms have become easier to use.

One of the reasons that technology bloggers were some of the first bloggers is that they were tech-savvy and able to write code, which you needed to do in the early days of blogging."

In the same week, Anita Campbell, the Executive Editor of Small Business Trends shared her insights on a recent 2009 Women and Social Media Study by BlogHer, iVillage, and Compass Partners released April 28, 2009.

3 Findings she highlighted from the study:

• Interesting Finding #1: Social Networks Like Facebook Get the Most Usage
• Interesting Finding #2: Blogs Wield the Widest Influence
• Interesting Finding #3: Women Look to Blogs for Business, Politics, Cars, and Technology

"Depending on the nature of your business, it might be worth it to focus on Facebook or MySpace — if, for instance, you are in the entertainment business. But for most things, such as if you are in B2B business or selling technology, blogs could give you more influence."

Read Anita Campbell's excellent post for more of her input on these findings.  

More from the Study:

• Women are twice as likely to use blogs than social networking sites as a source of information (64%), advice and recommendations (43%), and opinion-sharing (55%), while they are 50 percent more likely to turn to social networking sites as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family (75%)
• U.S. Female Internet Population 79 Million
• U.S. Female Active Social Media User Population 42 Million
• Age range in the study 18-77 years

For details of the methodology and to delve into the insights of the study Download the PDF Survey and read their press release.

Large, medium or small doesn't matter when it comes to the Internet, the services and connections it enables impact everyone's business. How do you see these market insights being integrated with your business goals and objectives?

Video — is Anyone Watching Online?

by Kas Kunz

Just a mere 4-years ago video on the Internet got a major boost. The year was 2005 and in February of that year YouTube came into existence. It made it easy for an individual or business to publish a video online. How many videos are watched online today?

eMarketer.com May 4, 2009 published research:

• According to tracking figures from comScore, in March 2009, Google sites once again ranked as the top US video property with 5.9 billion videos viewed and a 40.9% online video market share. YouTube.com accounted for the bulk of that viewing, with more than 99% of all videos viewed at the property.

• Overall, the average US online video viewer watched 327 minutes of video in March, nearly 5.5 hours.

With the newcomer Hulu.com opening their site to public access in March 2008, the pros are starting to make their move online. Hulu provides commercial supported streaming videos of TV shows from the networks and movies from the networks and studios.

YouTube also provides TV shows and full length movies.

Internet statistics show there's room and interest to watch video content produced by amateurs and pros alike. Which means it doesn't have to be on a grand scale to be effective for your business and worthwhile for your prospects and customers. With the time lapse it's taken the pros to arrive it means they're having to figure out how to connect with their audience online like the rest of the business world.

Below is a short video on The History of YouTube to help give you an idea of the impact of video online and the type of connection to create for your business prospects and customers. This is part of a study on YouTube conducted by an anthropology class at Kansas State University.

Do you associate tech savvy, online, and social media with a young audience?

by Kas Kunz

Currently I exchange emails with family members and friends that range in age from junior high to almost 90. They’re all comfortable in sending attachments, downloading photos, sending videos, links to things they want to share, and doing other activities on the computer that's past being a novice. It's all driven by a desire to communicate, to stay in touch, because of distance — living a couple hours away to across the country from each other.

You can find Web sites and online communities geared towards specific age groups such as Grandparents.com to children's Web sites that are sites for young children's museums located in a number of major U.S. cities, and community sites geared towards parents. There are social network sites such as MySpace and Facebook that initially started out for the teenagers and college students. Now these social sites have a wide range of adult age groups using their service. What does this mean? At this point in the life of the Internet all age groups have a place to hang-out if they so choose.

It's a natural progression for age groups to shift and change with different services and how we view and use technology as we grow older. As new communities and services are introduced online and if it's one that catches on there are early adopters who try it out — then word gets around and its popularity grows until it becomes something the population at large starts to use. The more frequently they're used the more successful it's deemed. It ends up being used for personal and business or geared towards one or the other.

The driving factor regardless of age, personal or business is the desire to communicate, to make a connection. The reason the Internet was created — to make it easier to share information. What is unique right now is the age at which a person's experience with today's technology began and what's the benefit for them to use it.

The company Accenture for the past two years has been conducting research about the usage patterns of various types of consumer technology products and services among U.S. consumers. The goal was to determine if there had been any changes in usage between Baby Boomers (age 45 and older) and Generation Y (ages 18 to 24). Here are a few interesting trends their research uncovered:

• Baby Boomers are embracing consumer technology applications nearly 20 times faster than the younger generation;
• Generation Y's cravings for consumer technology applications are leveling off;
• Boomers increased their rate of reading blogs and listening to podcasts by 67 percent year-over-year. That's nearly 80 times faster than Gen Y (1 percent);
• Boomers posted a 59 percent increase in use of social networking sites — more than 30 times faster than Gen Y (2 percent).

To find out more you can download the full PDF article here with their findings by Kumu Puri on Accenture's  2009 Consumer Electronics Usage Survey.

Technology and Internet services we use today has been with us long enough the 'age factor' is becoming less of 'the point' to think about. The point has become more of what, how, and where are the different age groups using it and why.

Share with us your thoughts on these findings.

The Art of Conversation, How Does It Work Online?

by Kas Kunz

If you're online every week and regularly visit online news Web sites or surf the Web in general you've probably seen or read about Twitter. You might even be using their service.

If you're not familiar with Twitter, it's a free online service started in March 2006. Within the last year its grown in popularity and gained a large number of users and media attention. According to it's Web site it's a service for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Twitter puts a 140 character limitation on answering the question. You can send them through mobile texting, instant message or the Web. You choose different individuals to follow their tweets (comments)with their permission and vice versa. The tweets are mostly public and can be connected to display in blogs, Facebook, and other online accounts you might have. It's real easy to let everyone know what you'e doing... simple enough.

Not everyone that uses Twitter is just answering the question: What are you doing? They're also letting you know their thoughts, ideas, and giving you a heads-up about something or answering a question. And this additional use of Twitter has made it a very valuable resource to get answers and help in a variety of areas.

For business use some have direct conversations with customers, with the goal of helping them when they "tweet" about a problem they're having with their company. These exchanges have resulted in great customer service experiences for the customer. Others have used it to let their "followers" know about promotions or specials. At events such as conferences it's been a great way for groups to network by putting the word out where everyone is getting together. And some use it to make business or professional connections but are okay with giving personal details about waiting in an airport, they're at lunch, and so forth. In all fairness family and friends might want to know this or a person you're scheduled to meet. But if most of your followers and the ones who follow you are business oriented... and you randomly put it out there I'm eating a cheeseburger, you might reconsider. On the other hand if you're traveling and would like information on a place you've never been to before, its proven to be a great resource to get answers. And you might make a connection you would not have otherwise over something as simple as... where to eat.    

With Twitter, if you choose to, you can give others a minutiae view into your world. As with every social connection whether it's through technology or in person paying attention to others response to how you are communicating with them is essential to make a positive connection.  

Some of your communications will get kudos others will get push-backs. Online it's easy to loose sight of how you're coming across and who might be listening. One good check is to make sure you're doing your fair share of listening!

The video below, produced by LandlineTV.com, is a fun — over the top, irreverent look at the unknown response you might be getting by how you answer the question: What are you doing?

What are your thoughts on the art of business conversations online and experiences you can share?

Happy Twentieth Birthday World Wide Web!

by Kas Kunz

Twenty years ago this month was the start of what is now the World Wide Web. While the development of the Internet started in the 50s, the Web didn't come about until the late 80s. In March 1989 Tim Berners-Lee proposed a system of connecting information that would use the Internet plus a simple address system. The goal was to make it easy to share information. In 1993 the Mosaic Web browser was created which made the Web available to PC and Mac users. Now, there are approximately 80 million Web sites with over a billion people sharing information all over the world. That's a lot of information being shared!

This ability to share information is part of what fuels the knowledge breakthroughs we experience at such a rapid-fire pace. Every 2 to 3 years the Internet and Web goes through a metamorphosis which changes how it's used. What does this mean in how you market your business?

The Internet and Web is the largest communications pipeline in history. Over the last twenty years it's moved beyond the exclusive use of research centers, universities, and governments into the everyday lives of the general population. It's a center point of communications with mobile devices which taps into voice, email, Web sites, text, music, video, podcasts (radio type shows), social connections, and more, and the same through computers. The old fashion written word has gained prominence with a readership that has moved online with print publications and blogs. Some variations of these have percolated for a long time and matured with use while others have come about and grown in acceptance in the last 2 to 3 years. This means figuring out how to use the Internet and the Web is one BIG ongoing experiment for everyone.

Technology with the Internet and Web has acquired a more human touch in how it's used to communicate. And with this online communication pipeline the shift of control has passed to the individual. With this shift of control it's important for your business to learn how to have meaningful conversations with the goal to turn them into productive connections for both parties. Lot's of experimenting to learn how to tap into this pipeline is the key for your business.

What online hit or miss business experiments can you share with us and what suggestions do you have for businesses to learn how to make productive connections online?

Are You Fluent in Acronyms, Text Messaging — Real Talk?

by Kas Kunz

Over the last 30 years a mind-boggling amount of acronyms has sprung-up around technology, business, and marketing. Mobile devices with their small screen size has created the need for abbreviations — hence text messaging. All of this is used in personal and business communications of all types. Assuming that everyone understands these terms is not a safe bet.

One trend I appreciate and has far reaching benefits for any business — communications is becoming real again. Acronym, jargon-filled corporate speak isn't what it's cracked up to be and often hurts your credibility. The use of acronyms and jargon has its place, use it sparingly if you want to connect to your audience.

I used to keep thick spiral bound glossaries of technical acronyms. I've progressed. One of my go-to-places when I need a language translator for acronyms, text messaging, and other assorted jargon is NetLingo.

What are your special go-to-places for your business and education?

Covered Wagons to the Moon to World Wide Communications — What a Trip!

by Kas Kunz

We're unique right now in terms of technology and what's taken place over the course of 3 to 4 generations that was personally connected. My grandparents were born in the late 1800's at a time when a lot of the base knowledge for the technology we use today became understood and the springboard to new breakthroughs. Whole industries and marketing disciplines came into existence with these discoveries and evolved over these 3 to 4 generations.

I will never forget a conversation I had with my brother-in-law's grandmother. She talked   about when she was 10 years old and remembering her family's move riding in a covered wagon. Here is an individual who went from transportation by covered wagon to seeing man land on the moon!

My grandmother homesteaded. We have family photos of my grandparent's teams of horses they used for farming. My mother, and her brothers and sisters have talked about what it was like to use horses to farm and the difference when they began using tractors.

My parents have shared stories about their families and relatives buying their first car. Don’t confuse that with families buying their first car today. The family’s first car they are referring to is post horse drawn transportation.

 

My mother is an avid radio listener, having grown up with radio as the “TV” of her generation. She remembers President Roosevelt’s fireside chat radio broadcasts. She has passed her love of radio onto her grandson. I’m fascinated by his reaction to her explaining what radio was like when she was growing up. Talk about watching a living history lesson!

 

I’ve experienced the arrival of TV the way we know it today. From fuzzy black and white to the first color television, which was really no more than a color glow, to the high definition version today showing everything in incredible detail as if you’re there.  

 

I went from learning to type on a manual typewriter that is considered a museum piece today to being connected to the world through the Internet and the Web.

 

My niece talks about how many frames per second her sophisticated SLR digital camera can shoot still photos – compared to her grandfather telling of her Great Uncle’s camera. His was practically setting up a dark room just to take a single still photo... his displeasure of missing the shot! My niece has never experienced taking rolls of film to a store to get them developed.

 

My niece and nephew have never known a world without radio, television, computers or cell phones. They have grown up with the Internet.

 

What a trip! It hasn’t slowed down – it keeps building on new breakthroughs and changes on shorter and shorter cycles. Even with all of these monumental discoveries the human need to make a connection is still there. Each new available use of technology introduces a new learning curve on a personal and business level, requiring new marketing perceptions to be uncovered.

 

Where and how does the traditional offline marketing and new digital marketing mix? It depends on who you need to be talking with – I’ve learned not to assume anything. 

 

What are your experiences with different generations in the use of technology and your thoughts on connecting with such a diverse group?

I'm cured from social-media-itus!

by Jane Betters

I've just finished my basic training from Travis Carter - our director of social media - and am rarin' to go! He gently walked me through posting to a blog, explained TrackBacks, helped me understand why in the WORLD I need to Twitter and introduced me to aspects of Facebook and LinkedIn that I didn't know. AND, I can access most of these and get updates from my iPhone! On the face of it, it's overwhelming. I'm not a 30-something, or 40- or 50-. In fact, most of my friends wouldn't have a clue what I just said. But I'm not one to sit on the porch swing and let these new technologies pass me by!

During my training, I began to see why I not only 'need' to get involved, but 'want' to! My brain is buzzing with the possibilities and options these tools bring to me and my business. I can feel new knowledge wrinkles growing in my brain as I type!

If you're reading this, you don't need to be convinced, but spread the word to your parents, grandparents, the CEO of your company - Get online, Get involved and TWEET!
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Do you have someone who is social media resistant in your life? What's their excuse and do you see a reason they should get on board?