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New Media Journal launches - finally!
Posted by at 12th March, 2009
I’ve always wanted to be a magazine publisher. I think it stems back to the Judith Krantz mini series “I’ll take Manhattan” from many, many years ago. I watched it as a little girl, and fell in love with the main character’s career, which happened to be “magazine magnate”.
But then, somewhere along the way, I also fell in love with new media, and the immense (and immensely underutilized) potential that it brings to business communication.
And now I have mixed the two passions, and am the (online) publisher of the New Media Journal. This really has been months and months in the making. The idea went through countless drafts, business models and designs. Finally, I settled on the most common model online (free!). And in the true spirit of no free lunch, I hope to make (some) money through premium products, added consulting gigs and (maybe) some advertising. The premium products will follow shortly.
So, if you find the time to read it and if you happen to like it - please pass it on. And please subscribe to the blog, so that you don’t miss future issues (as well as my regular blog posts).
As a last comment, expect this blog to grow. I have re-launched it with the release of the New Media Journal and will make it my hub for all my new media thoughts.
(For those of you new to Scribd.com, the host of the Journal, mouse over the “More” button in the view below for options to print, email etc. To download, click on the red link below)
The need for community managers
Posted by at 10th November, 2008
Those of us who are plugging the advent of Social Media to South African companies often have a bit of an uphill battle. That’s because we not only have to convince the corporates that’s it’s a good idea, but we also have to convince the prospective audience that’s it would be worth their while to participate with the brand online.
More technologically advanced countries do not have this problem, because a vast majority of customers already expects their favourite (or least favourite) brand to have an online presence, and to use it to the customer’s benefit.
It is a bit of a chicken-or-egg dilemma. We need an audience that is eager to interact with the business online, but we also need the business to start the conversation. And it seems that each party is waiting for the other to go first.
Which is why the role of the Community Manager is so vital. I see that Seth Godin has identified it as a potential new job for you, but it is not a new job role at all. In fact, the local grapevine is filled with companies who are wanting to fill this position. It is an essential role for anyone who has a startup too, because it is the easiest way to galvanize a new audience.
A Community Manager’s role is to start, moderate or continue an online dialogue with potential or existing customers, via a multitude of channels. (Peter Kim identifies 22!)
What makes for a good Community Manager?
Ideally, I think it has to be someone who is an early adopter of technology, but also one who understands that most people aren’t.
It is someone who has a great passion of the potential of the Internet, and knows how to use it brilliantly as a communication tool.
It should be someone who is well connected, but this is not actually as essential as one would think, since the “A-list” of online fundis is so small (in South Africa) that it is almost ineffectual.
It is someone who has a understanding and admiration for the product he is representing
We are lacking!
There is a shortage of community managers in South Africa, probably because not a whole lot of us feel comfortable to use any of the online channels to communicate effectively. And those of us who do, are running our own online projects.
But having discussed this in some detail with an online entrepreneur who is desperately looking for someone to start and continue a dialogue around his new venture, I’ve concluded that in most cases it does not actually have to be a full time job. And since the remuneration should be incentivised according to the actual result, it could be a very worthwhile part time job.
I admit that I have a vested interest in seeing more community managers in South Africa: it would be so much easier for a web strategist (me) to create a strategy that I could trust to someone else to implement. And it would make my clients even happier 
So if you are interested, drop me a line. Or at least a comment!
(Image by D’Arcy Norman, from Flickr)
Social Media Reads, Sept 30
Posted by at 30th September, 2008
Links to some good reads on Social Media that have popped up on my monitor lately:
According to Nielsen Mobile study, American send over 350 sms per month, on average. Compare this to 204 phone calls made in the same time frame, and you begin to get a clearer picture f how cell phones are really being used. Read more here.
If you’ve never received negative feedback on any of your social media spaces, then you are not active enough! Paul Gillin give us some sound advice for dealing with the negativity - an no, deleting it won’t help!
So, umm, why exactly do you blog? And are you achieving your blogging goals? Two important questions, and Mukund Mohan at BuzzGain does an excellent job of steering you in the right direction. This is a must read.
Technorati have released a comprehensive report on the state of the blogosphere. It comes in five parts:
* 1: Who Are the Bloggers?
* 2: The What And Why of Blogging
* 3: The How of Blogging
* 4: Blogging For Profit
* 5: Brands Enter The Blogosphere
Read full report here.
Boston Globe reports:
A study from Boston consultant firm Cone finds that almost 60 percent of Americans interact with companies on a social media website, and one in four interact more than once per week.
According to the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study, 93 percent of Americans believe a company should have a presence in social media, while an overwhelming 85 percent believe a company should not only be present, but also interact with its consumers via social media. In fact, 56 percent of American consumers feel both a stronger connection with and better served by companies when they can interact with them in a social media environment.
Read full story here.
Top 10 wish list for Agencies of the future
Posted by at 16th September, 2008
OSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sapient (NASDAQ: SAPE) recently sponsored a national online digital marketing and interactive advertising survey to gain insight into what marketers want from their advertising and marketing agencies in the next 12 months. The survey polled more than 200 chief marketing officers (CMOs) and senior marketing professionals, all of whom are either directly or indirectly responsible for managing digital marketing budget allocation across multiple channels.
Survey respondents were asked about the top qualities they sought in their advertising and marketing agencies in the coming year. Based on the survey results, Sapient Interactive, Sapient’s marketing services group, has created a Top 10 Wish List for Agencies of the Future.
1. Greater knowledge of the digital space. With more than a third of marketers surveyed revealing that they are not confident that their current agency is well-positioned to take their brand through the unchartered waters of online digital marketing and interactive advertising, it’s clear that agencies need to have a greater knowledge of the digital space in order to thrive. In fact, nearly half (45 percent) of the respondents have switched agencies (or plan to switch in the next 12 months) for one with greater digital knowledge or have hired an additional digital specialist to handle their interactive campaigns. Further, when it comes to an agency’s area of expertise, 79% of respondents rated “interactive/digital” functions as ‘important/very important.’
2. More use of “pull interactions.” When trying to engage consumers with their brand, 90 percent of respondents agree that it is becoming increasingly important that their agency uses ‘pull interactions’ such as social media and online communities rather than traditional ‘push’ campaigns.
3. Leverage virtual communities. An overwhelming 94 percent of respondents expressed interest in leveraging virtual communities (public and private) to understand more about their target audience.
4. Agency executives using the technology they are recommending. Ninety-two percent of respondents said it was ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ important that agency employees use the technologies that they are recommending. For example, it is important that agency executives regularly use Facebook, Flickr, wikis, blogs, etc. in their personal social media mix.
5. Chief Digital Officers make agencies more appealing. Forty-three percent of marketers surveyed said that agencies with chief digital officers are more appealing than those without.
6. Web 2.0 and social media savvy. Sixty three percent of marketers surveyed said that an agency’s Web 2.0 and social media capabilities are ‘important/very important’ when it comes to agency selection.
7. Agencies that understand consumer behavior. Seventy-six percent of respondents deemed this as an ‘important/very important’ aspect of their agency’s online digital marketing and interactive advertising area of expertise.
8. Demonstrate strategic thinking. Seventy-seven percent of marketers surveyed ranked strategy/brain trust capabilities at the top of their agency wish list.
9. Branding and creative capabilities. Sixty-seven percent of respondents ranked branding at the top of their agency wish list while seventy-six percent ranked creative capabilities as ‘important/very important.’
10. Ability to measure success. It’s no surprise that marketers want an agency that can report on where campaigns succeeded, fell short and where they should be fine-tuned. Sixty-five percent ranked analytics at the top of their agency wish list.
“Marketers want agencies that can deliver on these demands today – not by 2009 and beyond,” said Gaston Legorburu, chief creative officer, Sapient. “As the interactive channel becomes increasingly important, only those agencies that can create, manage and measure multi-channel campaigns will stay relevant and thrive in an uncertain economy. Marketers keep turning to agencies like Sapient to deliver more sophisticated, integrated digital marketing initiatives that truly deliver optimum levels of customer acquisition and retention.”
This post was taken from a press release by Sapient. You can find the full copy here.
Social Media Must Reads, Sep 10
Posted by at 10th September, 2008
A lighthearted look at what we should not be doing. For example:
- Thou Shalt Avoidest Using the Term Social Media, Except When Specifically Discussing Social Media
- Thou Shalt Not Use Thine Blog or Twitter Purely to Show Off About
all the Cool People Thou Know, nor the Secrets Thou Art Entrusted With - Thou Shalt Not Use Twitter in Conjunction With a Service Which Updates Itself Automatically and Frequently
This might not be directly related to Social Media, but I think that creativity is the current that drives all successful online initiative, so the more you have of it, the better. Gino Cosme, a fellow South African web strategist and friend, gives an inspirational list of 20 websites to get the mind working.
Mobile Subscribers Forecast to Top 5 Billion Mark by 2011
If you are still not convinced that the mobile market is growing fast, and that it is an area which you need to know more about, then let these numbers and trends convince you. Specifically, “there is a lot of potential for mobile broadband subscribers to
outnumber wireline broadband subscribers in the long term ( in the
2015-2020 timeframe).”
“Most companies have no formal plans to manage the adoption of social media or leverage its benefits, despite early evidence such tools bring improved customer relationships and increased sales.”
“Only 5 percent of the U.S. companies surveyed have a fully documented
and implemented strategy for integrating social computing for use by
employees within the enterprise. Of companies worldwide, more than threetimes this percentage has a strategy in place.”
The press release (for Avanade) has a lot more juciy tit bits that will help you inderstand the corporate social media environment.
Social Media Reads, 8 Sept
Posted by at 8th September, 2008
Debbie Weil posts links to some very comprehensive lists of Social Media use examples. She also includes links to over 60 “Big Brand Blogs”. If you want to see how big business uses social media, this post is a good start to an afternoon of reading and researching.
Just how should you protect your clients from negative websites? And should you even bother? This SJ article examines the issue in some detail. For instance, did you know that about 20,000 domains exist that end in the word “sucks”. What to do?
This is one of those “obvious” blog posts, that offers little new information or advice. However, it is written expertly as usual by Chris Brogan, and can serve as a wake up call if your blog is not living up to its potential.
If you have ever wondered if it is good enough to rank on the first page of Google results, or if you should really always aim for one of the top three slots, have a look at the research results from Think Eyetracking. They found that
fixations are studded around the top 5 results and the majority of clicks are upon the top 3 results (discounting the sponsored link). The sponsored link was actually not well attended to due to the fact that searchers are now familiar with advertiser placement within Google
Also, Cornell University found that the top 3 Google results get 79% of all clicks.
This is a suberb article from the NYT that explains the power of “Ambient Awareness”, which is the “incessant online contact” made possible by Twitter or Facebook news feed.
This is the paradox of ambient awareness. Each little update — each individual bit of social information — is insignificant on its own, even supremely mundane. But taken together, over time, the little snippets coalesce into a surprisingly sophisticated portrait of your friends’ and family members’ lives, like thousands of dots making a pointillist painting. This was never before possible, because in the real world, no friend would bother to call you up and detail the sandwiches she was eating. The ambient information becomes like “a type of E.S.P.,” as Haley described it to me, an invisible dimension floating over everyday life.
Social Media Must Reads, Sep 1
Posted by at 1st September, 2008
Darren Rowse from ProBlogger takes you through ways to make becasue of your blog, as opposed to on your blog. Things like consulting, freelance writing and speaking engagments are mentioned.
If you are starting to play in the social networks, you might get overwhelmed rather quickly. These are handy, and relvant, tips for how to keep your head, and get the maximum out of your online relationships.
Taly Weiss discusses 6 trends and stats that suggest that podcasting still has potential as a social media tool. It’s a worthwhile read if you are investigating the viability of a regular podcast as a marketing tool.
When you need them, you can’t find them, right? This post has links to some amazing resources that will help you find the right numbers.
How to Get Noticed
Jeremiah Owyang gives some excellent tips for how brands (and personal brands) can get noticed in the crowded space (made even more crowded by social media). If you are finding it difficult to get heard, maybe this could prove an inspirational read.
iGoogle Gadgets
Posted by at 26th August, 2008
I attended the Google/Quirk Gadget session last night, and thought it would be worthwhile to post my notes for those of you who could not make it.
The first session was presented by Rob Stokes, from Quirk and basically introduced us to the role that gadgets have in marketing.
Now, I should immediately confess that when I got the invite I interpreted “gadgets” as, well …the gadgets that I have like cell, iPod, iTouch etc. Turns out, gadgets are also widgets, and that is what the presentation was all about.
Lest you think widgets are new, think again. The first one was created in 1997, so by Internet standards they have been around for almost forever. Today they most often appear in the side bars of blogs, or as a collection of apps on a web page, such as iGoogle.
According to Wikipedia, “A widget (gadget) is anything that can be embedded within a page of HTML, i.e. a web page. A widget adds some content to that page that is not static. Generally widgets are third party originated, though they can be home made. Widgets are also known as modules, snippets, and plug-ins.”
iGoogle gives you the opportunity to create your own, customized homepage that is filled with nothing but gadgets, or widgets. And there are 30,000 to choose from, so you can really have some fun playing around with it. Your page can include your Gmail, your horoscope, pacman, daily quotes, feed reader and countless other applications. If you have never tried, I suggest you go and play around there a bit.
Gadgets are good for marketers
It makes sense to develop an application/gadget/widget that can be branded or that can promote your business directly. For starters, the gadgets bring you eyeballs and interactions with your brand. One in five Google users in the US uses iGoogle. That’s a lot of eyes.
Gadgets also enable a user to engage with your brand. As Rob said, engaging your users online is no longer about engaging them at your website.The brand (your brand) needs to be on their turf. iGoogle can be that turf, and it is Google’s fastest growing product.
What makes a good gadget?
Things to consider when developing a gadget:
Make sure it is
How to use gadgets for marketing
Make sure the gadget is remarkable, because that more than anything will ensure its success. Once it has been developed, you can start by syndicating it on your blog or website, with a “add to iGoogle” button. Since the gadgets work in any online environment (such as websites, blogs, dashboard) you are not limited to only promoting them through iGoogle.
There is an iGoogle directory of gadgets, and you should add your gadget to it as soon as possible. As with Google search results, the rank of your gadget depends on an algorithm, and there are factors that affect the ranks. Some of these are:
The performance of gadgets can be measured with Google Analytics or any other web measuring tool. In addition, the iGoogle directory will show you how many page views your gadget has received.
You can use a gadget as a mini version of your website. For instance, if you are running a travel website, you can have users choose a destination and dates for hotel accommodation from within the gadget itself. In other words, the user can engage with your site from within their own site. Far better option than simply displaying a banner enticing a user to click through to your website.
To view excellent examples of gadgets, visit www.widgetbox.com.
What is Technorati.com and why is it important?
Posted by at 20th August, 2008
“Who’s saying what, right now”
Technorati is a search engine that indexes blogs only. Type in a search term, see what blogs are saying about it.
Technorati also ranks blogs according to their “authority”. A blog’s authority is determined by how many other blogs link to it. One blog that links is one “Authority Vote”. Many links form one blog only count as one vote. Each vote is valid for 180 days from the latest link from that blog.
So, you should know:
How do you find out your blog’s rank?
First thing to do is go to Technorati.com and sign up your blog. You will have to claim it, which is a pretty standard procedure.
Then, search for your blog, and see your rank!
Why is rank important?
How do you improve your rank?
No magic formula, no secret algorithms. Just write good posts, promote them via the usual channels and links should come. Comment a lot, with your blog’s URL. In fact, leave a footprint of your blog anywhere you ethically can (your profiles, home pages etc).
You should also note that unlike Google, your authority is really based on live results. As soon as soemone posts a blog that links appropriately to your blog, your authority improves. (Google can take days to index someone’s blog).
You can find the top 100 blogs, as ranked by Technorati.com here.
Note: If your Technorati rank is low, it is not the end of the world. Some blogs are written to be read, not linked to. There is a big difference!
Social Media Must Reads, Aug 20
Posted by at 20th August, 2008
BUT, now you can use a new bookmarking service Delizzy, which does the opposite: it searches the content f the web pages you bookmarked (but not the tags or description). Until Delicious incorporates this feature, I might just switch permanently to this new start up which understands my limitations:-)
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