Out-Smarts Internet Marketing

Recent statistics from Nielsen and other forums suggest the Facebook use is declining. After its meteoric growth last year, the social network is beginning to show signs of slower growth. Is it a case that the masses are spending more time on other forums or is it simply that social media is evolving?

In April both Facebook and MySpace saw a decline in traffic in the US. I don’t know about you but any time I try to grow my friends on MySpace I discover that the vast majority of users haven’t updated their profile this year (or last in many cases!) - a sure sign that the networking site is less popular. For Facebook the decline is less apparent and in my opinion we are seeing a change in user profile (kids fleeing as grown ups and professionals with less time to play take over).

At the same time we see LinkedIn and Ning taking off as more and more professionals recognize the value of virtual networking to grow their business. Both are aimed specifically at business professionals and have little of the fluff associated with MySpace in particular. New social networkers are looking for tools to help them become more productive not tools that distract.

Micro blogs are also winning. The most popular by far is Twitter whose growth has more than doubled in the US since the start of 2008. Again people are recognizing that pared down applications can help spread the word rather than simply increase the noise.

Its interesting to note that Social networks are not declining across the board, its simply that the way people use them is evolving. The popularity of digital social networking is increasing as more and more people use their phones to network.

So what does all this mean for marketing? It shows that Internet marketers in particular and any companies active in these forums need to be listening and aware of trends ahead of the pack so that they can adapt and evolve in synch and not get left behind. They need to be versatile and ready to change and adapt to evolving tastes and habits. Lastly its important never to put your eggs in one basket - if you’re hanging your social media marketing hat on Facebook alone then think again - it may be time to look at Twitter or LinkedIn too.

May was so much fun it came and went without our regular new media reasons to be cheerful post. Better late than never, here it is:

Tweet Scan - real time Twitter search: who is saying what about you or your company.
BrightKite - location based social networking
Squidoo - create your own mashup site about something your interested in.
Friend Feed - all your friend feeds in one central place.
Flock - manage feeds from your favorites in a browser setting.

I came a across this great video from Common Craft on the Twist Image blog. The clip explains social media in an easy to understand way by putting it into a context the beginners can relate to: ice cream .

And if you like that you should also check out their podcasting, Twitter and wiki explanations too.

The latest Out-Smarts’ podcast tackles the relatively new concept of crowdsourcing with Monica Hamburg, social media evangelist, writer and comedian. Crowdsourcing is a way of tapping into the online masses and collaborating with them.

Here are some of the links Monica mentions in the interview.

Monica’s websites: www.monicahamburg.com, Me Like The Interweb

Crowdsourcing sites: Sellaband, istockphoto, Crowdsourcing

Neat Sites: My Name is Kate, Read Write Web, Problogger
My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-405455b2ebaa02e9550208025ef3f134}

Last night the High Tech Communicator’s Exchange featured a great presentation by Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo of Capulet Communications. They discussed the 7 risks you should be aware of when considering a social media campaign. Here they are in cryptic fashion. For more detail, you’ll just have to buy their ebook (or the soon to be released in paper version) - Getting to First Base.

1. Your efforts are just not interesting enough - so spice it up a little.
2. Blogger backlash - beware the prima donnas and know your blogetiquette.
3. Rejection or backlash - could haunt you forever.
4. Efforts die on the vine - because of improper resource allocation.
5. You have Cluetrain goggles - social media is another tool in your marketing arsenal not the be all and end all.
6. Too self absorbed - always blowing your own horn rather than adding real value to the audience.
7. Be Proactive - do your homework and be prepared.

I would add only one thing to this and that is the risk of missing the mark. When considering any marketing effort, its always important to put yourself in your audience’s shoes and determine which social media hubs you are most likely to reach them in i.e. which Internet networking hubs they hang out in. For example, if your target audience is educated professionals, a MySpace focus would be less appropriate than LinkedIn or even Facebook or if you plan a campaign to promote a hi-tech device to bloggers you should hone in on tech bloggers not knitting bloggers.

A recent Information Week article asks the question - Is podcasting dead?. The article cites that “there is no easy way to sample podcasts without an excessive and irretrievable investment of time” as the reason that podcasting hasn’t taken off.

Lets look at the numbers to see if podcasting is indeed dying a death. eMarketer estimates that the total US audience for podcasts reached 18.5 million in 2007 and is expected to grow by 251% by 2012. These statistics hardly reflect the death throes of a dying medium but the growth rate isn’t exactly stellar if you compare it to other web 2.0 technologies.

The reason for its slow adoption rate is indeed, as Alexander Wolfe of Information Week suggests, a result of podcast complexity. And this doesn’t only apply to users.

Creating and publishing a podcast is not as seamless or as simple as it should be either. If you’ve read any of my new experiences in podcasting posts you will know of my own frustrations with the technology and I am relatively tech savvy. It seems to me that if you want to podcast you have to be a true propeller head. At this point that is podcasting’s main barrier to entry.

iTunes has tried to streamline the podcast publishing process but even using Garageband to create a podcast on a Mac doesn’t guarantee simple podcast submission.

On the bright side for podcasting, more and more traditional media outlets are using the technology to disseminate audio so that users can listen on the run and users are recognizing the benefits of being able to listen on their terms (coincidentally, one of my first ever blog posts back in 2005 touched on this). Global TV in Vancouver offers video and audio podcasts of its news content.

Podcasting is not dead but its not exactly burgeoning either. As podcasting is promoted more to the mainstream it will become more prevalent (it is slowly gaining popularity, especially in the 35-54 age group) but until producers can create and publish podcasts efficiently and users can access them as easily as turning on the radio, podcasting growth with remain slow.

I’ve been Twittering for a while now and find it interesting to see how the way people use the micro blog has evolved. Here are a few different applications I have seen Twitter used for.

1. To establish expertise.

2. To spread the word about produtc and services offered.

2. To enhance customer service offerings.

3. To drive traffic to a blog post or web site.

4. To illicit feedback for product and market research.

5. To expand or reinforce your brand.

6. To collaborate with remote partners in short blasts.

7. To give product update and enhancement information.

8. To blatantly sell - I wouldn’t advise this but I have seen it done…..

9. To find the applicable business partners.

10. To keep up to date with goings on in your market.

Obviously all of these depend on your followers and following but once you have these in place, watch the Tweets and you will see for yourself some of the innovative ways people are using this tool.

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Todd Sieling an interaction designer and web strategist with a focus on social web application development, based in Vancouver BC. Todd is perhaps best known as a founder of Ma.gnolia, the popular social bookmarking site. He talks about how Ma.gnolia came to be, ways the technology can be used and has a big announcement about Ma.gnolia.

Out-Smarts Podcast - Todd Sieling of Ma.gnolia

Facebook hysteria is hitting new heights. The media is abuzz with Facebook horror stories, sensationalized stories of how Facebook can threaten our very existence.

Perhaps its the cynic in me but frankly this is just the next example in a long line of innovations that have been seen as threats by the mainstream. Even the phone was described as a tool of the devil when it was first introduced.

Why this hysteria ? Because, like all new ways of doing things it challenges what people perceive as the norm. Its a new way of doing things and in good human nature fashion we see it as a threat because its something new that we don’t yet understand.

Get with the programme peeps! Rather than viewing Facebook as something to be afeared of check it out yourself - go online and see what its all about.

You have a choice, no one is forcing you to have a Facebook profile or interact with people in that forum but before you go spouting off about what a threat it is to society understand what a social network is and the potential benefits of using one and first and foremost, use your common sense.

Here are some common sense tips to bear in mind on social networks.

1. Every one of these sites has privacy settings that individual users can apply. Before doing anything in these forums, check what these are, the level of control you have and decide in advance how transparent you want to be. Use the privacy settings to your advantage.

2. Understand that yes, social networks do, by their very nature, cast a wide spotlight. Be aware if this and act accordingly (i.e. like the teacher in BC, don’t post naked pictures of yourself - thats just common sense).

3. Just like in the real world where there are things you wouldn’t do, online has the similar boundaries. Apply the same rules as you would in the virtual world. For example, don’t talk to strangers, don’t trust people you don’t know and don’t walk down the street naked.

4. Outline in advance your reasons to be on Facebook or other SNs. If it is to keep in touch with friends then only add friends you know in the real world. If you want to be a Facebook slut and add every one and anyone then be aware that every one and any one can see your personal details and use them accordingly.

5. Always think twice about what you post and do the Granny test. Be aware that once something is out there, its out there so stop and ask yourself is this appropriate do I want strangers to see it before you post anything. And never do anything rash in the spur of the moment.

6. Develop a policy for adding friends and stick with it. If you don’t think its appropriate (perhaps because of your profession) to add someone you know then tell them why and stick with your principles. Its a good thing to have principles and by standing by them people will only respect you more.

7. Never let Facebook consume your life (it can be tempting). Schedule time for it and use it as a tool - don’t let it use you.

A sensible approach to social networks should soon have you seeing the potential networking (both for business and for pleasure) benefits rather than the perceived unknown threat. Don’t get sucked in by the hype, keep the head - use your common sense and you should be good….

Social media for marketing and business development is the hot topic on the networking circuit in Vancouver these days and today’s SMEI event was no exception. With expert panelists from BCIT and Oracle bringing their unique experiences in SM to the panel, the event proved to be insightful.

It started off with a brief intro to Web 2.0 described as being “Tech, Process and People - but most of all collaboration” then went on to a 101 of web 2.0 terms such as RSS, blogs, podcasts for the real newbies in the audience.

Once the panelists got started the true value of the event became apparent. Justin Kestelyn, Director of Development Programs at Oracle discussed their web 2.0 adoption and the benefits they have gained from using a more transparent strategy and involving their customers and partners more. He made a great point in that by involving their customers and allowing them to have a voice these invariably become evangelists at little or no cost to Oracle. He points out that Web 2.0 is an attitude, a new way of doing business and not just an Internet term.

Next up was Robert Duncan from BCIT whose presentation centred on LinkedIn as a means of developing relationships (a topic close to my heart). He focuses on LinkedIn in particular of the social networks available and has over 800 contacts that he uses extensively to spread awareness of what he is doing at BCIT and in his work with innovators. He pointed out that by joining groups in LinkedIn you have access to all other members of that group - a great way to extend your network further. Its easier to do business with people you already know something about.
The last panelist to get up was James Wells also from BCIT and a founder of Lendary Social Financing a company that uses web 2.0 technology to build trust online and to put investors in touch with entrepreneurs looking for money. “Word of mouth is vital to growing any business these days”, he pointed out - “go out and do it - if you fail you learn”.

The conclusion - if companies don’t embrace web 2.0 then they face failure or a steep catch up. It costs very little to adopt these technologies and the benefits in terms of buzz are profound.

Interesting to see Vancouver mega blogger Miss 604 there. I am looking forward to her take on proceedings too.