Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Measuring Social Media Marketing
In working with our various clients at New Marketing Labs, we like to start with measurement as it aligns to goals. We’re always excited that people want to work with us, but we also want to make sure their time isn’t wasted by simply “doing social media.”
To that end, we start with an understanding of our clients’ goals, and work from there into what kinds of measurements we might come up with to help them with their success. I don’t talk about specific clients (as that’s not part of our contract), but I’ll share the general way we’re going about working with clients in 2010, so that you can get a sense of how we’re doing what we do. (My goal is to open conversations about how social media can be used effectively as part of business communications, including marketing and channel development.)
Our 8 Questions
In working with clients, I have eight questions that I like to ask to get a sense of what we might be able to do to improve business:
- How can we fill your sales funnel?
- How can we improve engagement?
- How can we improve exposure and coverage?
- How are we empowering your community to interact?
- How do we grow sales from your community?
- How can we build a voice and a new stage for your ideas?
- How do we bridge your offline experiences with your online presence?
- How are we extending to the mobile environment?
These questions don’t always line up with what our clients are seeking for help, but they always get the conversation going in the direction Read More via http://chrisbrogan.com http://www.chrisbrogan.com/measuring-social-media-marketing/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+chrisbrogandotcom+%28[chrisbrogan.com]%29
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Beware Social Media Snake Oil
At this moment, the must-read stories in technology are scattered across hundreds of news sites and blogs. That's far too much for any reader to follow.
Fortunately, Techmeme arranges all of these links into a single, easy-to-scan page. Story selection is accomplished via computer algorithm extended with direct human editorial input.
Our goal is for Techmeme to become your tech news site of record.
Why Google Chrome OS has already won
Today InfoWorld’s Randall Kennedy says that Google’s Chrome OS will fail.
What he is missing is he’s looking at the wrong field.
Google is playing a different game. Google Chrome OS is NOT about killing Microsoft or Apple.
What is it about? Developers, developers, developers, developers, developers.
See, what happens if the world goes to Microsoft’s Silverlight, the way that Seesmic did this week? Google is locked out of such a world.
Google is in a war over developers with Microsoft. Google wants developers to build for the open web. Microsoft wants developers to build for Silverlight. Those messages are VERY clear coming out of both camps now.
But that’s not really the game either, although if it were Google Chrome OS would already be a winner because it reinforces to developers that they better keep developing for the Web using HTML5, even if you follow Loic Le Meur into Microsoft’s camp and build for Silverlight too.
So, what is the game?
Well, it’s a new field altogether. I’m hearing a raft of new, low-cost, devices are coming that you will only need to have on the Web. For instance, I want a cookbook on my kitchen counter that just brings me cool recipes. Right now I use my big Windows 7 computer for that, or my big MacBookPro.
But what if there were a new device that costs less than $100 that JUST does cookbooks and other things I need in the kitchen? I would buy one. A Chrome OS is all that’s needed for such a specialized device.
Where else would I use a low-cost computer? How about the bathroom? Just leave it there. Put a bunch of news sources and magazines on it.
Or, what about my son who is in high school. By the time Chrome OS comes along in big numbers he’ll be in college. Why take a $1,000 computer to class? Couldn’t he do everything he needs to do on a low-cost computer that’s lightweight, replaceable, uses low power, and just uses the web? Absolutely!
See, InfoWorld is making assumptions that the world is going to stay the same. That simply is NOT true.
Now, what will run on these new devices? A heavyweight OS like Windows 7 that takes me 40 seconds to boot up and does a ton of stuff I really don’t need, or a new OS that just has Google Chrome as its centerpiece?
Hey, I just wrote this post on Google Chrome while sitting listening to Marc Benioff at the TechCrunch Real Time Crunchup. I have not seen a single thing demonstrated on stage yet that won’t run on Google Chrome OS.
This is a winner, but on a new field.
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Friday, December 4, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Tablet Business Is Clearly Not Easy Business (http://louisgray.com)
We are nearing the end of 2009, and the world of tablet PCs is just as fuzzy as it was at the beginning of this year. Despite continued rumormongering and finger waving about guesses on what Cupertino has planned, Apple's long-anticipated tablet remains unseen and more discussion has been devoted to its reported slips than has been made about its potential specifications. Meanwhile, as you no doubt saw, Michael Arrington of TechCrunch made the abrupt announcement this morning that the CrunchPad project had been put to rest before it was able to debut - the victim of relationships gone awry between client and vendor. While the two examples are significantly different, they both demonstrate how hard it has been for companies big or small to make headway into this space.Despite seeing only the earliest of prototypes, and not ever seeing the product run myself, I was bullish on the CrunchPad's potential for a few reasons. The first was due to its promised low cost, starting at $299, and later said to be closer to $400. The second was the recognition that computing is moving away from the folders and desktop metaphor, and more to a Web-centric cloud (as discussed with Apple vs. Google), with applications running on Web services instead of CPUs. Third, I wanted the opportunity not to avoid Apple, but to support a new challenger - as I saw a respected peer and occasional acquaintance try to take the leap from creating content to creating hardware.As I mentioned in a pair of posts in July, I said I was leaning to choose CrunchPad over Apple, and guessed Mike could be as much known for the success of the device as he has been for the success of his blog network, if it were to take off. Now, barring a complete reversal, it looks like not only can't I get my hands on a CrunchPad, but we won't get to see Mike and his team fight the operational and sales challenges common in any hardware firm.These challenges look to be exacerbated when you add the word "tablet" - either due to the challenging engineering demands on cramming so much utility in a slim technology device, reducing costs, or in finding the right market. Even if I find the concept of a tablet intriguing, I am still wondering where I would put a laptop down, and pick up a tablet, or when I would holster the iPhone and pick the tablet up. It occupies an uncomfortable middle ground which hasn't yet been solved, in mass, by manufacturers keen on penetrating the space. Even Google's Chrome OS, which looks like a clear candidate for such a project, looks to be focused on NetBooks, which are not quite tablets and not quite laptops. Once you divide up the potential market, it's one full of slivers, without much pie.Unlike others who are calling the CrunchPad vaporware, I am not. I see no good coming from seeing this product never reach the market. Even if it were to have shipped and not found dramatic traction, it would have had a chance, and given customers choice.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Stop Humping My Leg
Dear people trying to sell me on something new: stop humping my leg. You know what I mean. You’ve seen dogs do this, right? That’s what it feels like when you jump on me breathlessly to share your new product or service when you don’t really much know whether I’m the right guy for your services.
I was recently leg-humped at Web 2.0 Expo, by someone I like, and who I think is smart and has a lot of good potential. The thing is, I politely declined a demo, and he persisted. Immediately, I shifted to my back foot. I felt defensive. I rolled up my interest and tucked it away.
This is a relationship. Everything is a relationship. Even if it’s on the transactional side of the spectrum, it’s a relationship. Think of it that way. Think of the protocols of getting into the better parts of a relationship. Julien and I wrote Trust Agents as part of the antidote to doing this the wrong way.
Simply: If you hump my leg, you risk screwing yourself.
Photo credit Tanais Fox
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Tagged as: dontbethatguy, hbw, marketing, sales
ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Thesis Theme for WordPress
Thesis is the search engine optimized WordPress theme of choice for serious online publishers. If you’re a blogger who doesn’t understand a lot of PHP, Thesis will give a ton of functionality without having to alter any code. For the advanced, Thesis has incredible customization possibilities via Thesis hooks.
With so many design options, you can use the template over and over and never have it look like the same site. The theme is robust and flexible enough not only to accommodate a site like ChrisBrogan.com, but also to enable the site to run far more efficiently than it ever has before.
- Go on a guided video tour of Thesis and see the amazing things you can do with this theme! Seriously, you’ll love it.
- Check out the Thesis demo site
- See more Thesis-based sites in the gallery showcase
Wired Is Getting Ready for Apple Tablet
First, we heard rumors about the hardware. But you can only have so many rumors about hardware, so after a while everything we heard about Apple’s mythical Tablet merely resulted in one huge pile of colorful images, with little real substance.
The rumors about publishers who already have big plans for the device, however, are galore. The latest on the list? Condé Nast, which – according to All Things Digital – claims it’s preparing a digital version of Wired magazine for the Apple Tablet by the middle of next year, followed by its other 18 titles.
The interesting thing about this news is the fact that Condé Nast claims they haven’t talked to Apple, and they don’t even know the company has plans for such a device.
While this is very hard to believe, if it’s true, it would mean that Apple has attained a new, truly outwordly level of influence: companies are making plans and spending money based on what Apple might do.
Imagine the power: all the major news publishers bend to your will even before your product has materialized. You can simply wait until the demand is big enough, and then come down from your pedestal and deliver the goods (earning a huge heap of money in the process).
Snapping back to the real world, it’s quite obvious that Condé Nast, New York Times and others have been talking to Apple and yes, the tablet is coming. Its look and hardware-related details now seem to be less interesting than the question: will it save the newspaper industry? If it does, I suspect that Apple will have a nice, healthy chunk of the profits.
At Last! Facebook Improves Photo Uploading Experience
Facebook has just added a new photo uploader tool to their Prototypes directory, the "labs" section of the social network where new programs are released for testing prior to their public rollout. The uploader dramatically improves one what was previously one of the worst experiences on Facebook: adding photos. Despite the fact that Facebook hosts over 80 billion photos and adds around 2 billion more each month, the process of adding new photos to your profile was cumbersome, slow, and buggy. Even Facebook itself admitted there were problems saying that most users found the tool "functional, but only just." They also discovered that a significant percentage of users couldn't even upload photos due to technical issues. Because of these complaints, the company finally decided it was time to revamp their uploader for good.
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Believe it or not, the Facebook photo uploader hasn't changed since its introduction in 2005. As it did then, the current tool still relies on a third-party ActiveX control and Java Applet. For users, this meant a photo-uploading experience that felt just as old as it was.
When thinking as to how the new uploader should function, Facebook had a few goals, most of them technical in nature. They wanted the new tool to no longer depend on Java, be compatible with future versions of Facebook's chrome, be easy to update, and more. However, to the end user, the best part about the new uploader is that it allows you to start a photo upload and then leave the page to browse around elsewhere on Facebook (or even the web!) while the upload is underway.
To meet their goals, Facebook went with a browser plug-in that uses JavaScript APIs and a front-end created with HTML and CSS. The end result is a much improved experience. But like the Facebook blog post says, "while it looks like magic, it's really just a bunch of cool hacks." Hacks or not, regular Facebook users will greatly appreciate the upgrade.
Install the New Photo Uploader Tool
To install the new uploader, you must first visit the Prototypes page for the tool and activate it for your profile. Then, the next time you go to create a new album, you'll be prompted to install the Facebook plug-in. Once complete, you'll be presented with the new user interface which lets you browse through your computer's photo library and select the images you want to upload. This new interface is much easier to navigate - and more attractive, too - than the old Facebook uploader from days past.
Facebook says the new tool has several additional security mechanisms built in as well, one of the more interesting being a "kill switch" that can remotely deactivate the tool in the event that a security hole is discovered. While confident that the new uploader is already securely designed and architected from the start, the company has released it as a prototype first so people can report any security issues they may find.
Less technically-minded folks can simply activate the tool and use it, reporting any problems they find as well as far as user experience issues, crashes, or other bugs. Depending on the results of the tests, Facebook will be able to correct any problems prior to rolling it out to all users. If you want to give the new uploader a shot yourself, you can do so by visiting its page here.
DiscussMeasuring Social Media ROI: Why it fails
Recently, I was invited to give a talk to a small group of managers about KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) used to measure social media (SM) campaigns. Some of the points we discussed that ....
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Why I don’t use Google Reader anymore
An hour or so ago I wrote a post over on my Posterous Blog about why I don’t use Google Reader much anymore and it’s already gotten a ton of interesting comments and been viewed 1,600 times. Since it’s the middle of the night in San Francisco, that tells me it was a popular post and I wanted to make sure that those of you who are just reading me only here (probably because you’re using an RSS reader) I wanted to make sure you had a chance to see this and comment on it.
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Twitter’s lists make Chris Brogan feel bad
Chris Brogan wrote that Twitter’s Lists make Chris Brogan feel bad. Why? Because he sees them as exclusionary. Chris doesn’t like that lists exclude people, by their very design.
Here, look at my list of programmers. It excludes me.
That makes me feel bad, according to Chris Brogan.
Except, well, I’m NOT a programmer so why should I be on a list of programmers?
I can’t STAND this attitude that everyone should be included in everything.
I should NOT be on a list of golfing greats. Heck, I’ve never even played the game, but let’s say I played. Are you KIDDING ME by saying I should be mentioned in the same breath as Tiger Woods?
I’m not on my Venture Capitalists list either. Should I be included in that list? NOOOOO! First, I don’t have the money. Second of all, I don’t invest in companies. I SHOULD BE EXCLUDED from such a list and being excluded from such a list does NOT make me feel bad.
Oh, I didn’t make my Web Innovators list either. Come, now, is writing about the web innovative? No. I don’t deserve to be on that list. Damn it.
Sorry Chris, but life isn’t fair. Steve Gillmor tells me all the time I’m not in control of how people view me. That’s why I don’t feel bad about lists I’m not on.
I CAN control my own lists, though, and even when I do my own lists I leave myself off of most of them. That does NOT make me feel bad.
Chris: I think you just got included on my list of people who have bad opinions about lists.
UPDATE: I had lunch yesterday with @nk who runs the team at Twitter who makes lists. He says “following” someone is just another form of lists. Since there’s 45 million people on Twitter and only about 100,000 that Chris is following, I’d guess that Chris is exclusionary.
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Social Media Benchmarks - 2 steps to start measuring ROI Advertising - Technorati
Social Media Benchmarks - 2 steps to start measuring ROI
Author: conradhall / Published: October 29, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Measuring your ROI (Return on Investment) for social media starts with your existing advertising — online and offline.
A common situation for business owners is that they have a website and do most of their advertising using traditional, offline media. The website has just a few pages, and hasn't really been updated since it was first put together. Often, the information on the site isn't even quite accurate anymore.
Step One is to find out what results your advertising is giving you today.
For your website, go to your hosting service and look for a "Logs" menu. My service (www.usebluehost.com) lets me choose to use Webalizer or AwStats (or both) for each of my sites. Yours will have the same, or similar, log programs.
These are the bits of software that tell you how many people are visiting your site. It also records useful information about how they got to your site, what keywords they used in a search, and which pages they visited.
Be sure your log program(s) is turned on for each site you have. I use both Webalizer and Awstats for every site.
Now do the same thing with your offline advertising. Take a look at each ad, brochure and coupon you use. What return is each one giving you?
Many clients are surprised when I tell them to track all their advertising. After we do it for a while, they're even more surprised at the money they save by getting rid of advertising that isn't working.
Step Two is to look at how well your advertising has been put together.
You can already see how these two steps fit together nicely. Many of my clients opt to do them at the same time for each advertising piece.
For your offline advertising, you want to get the help of a good copywriter. Avoid using the folks from the newspaper or radio station where you advertise. Remember that their first priority is to keep you advertising. Many ad reps don't have the knowledge you need to make your advertising effective.
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Content is Not King
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Content is not king. You are. (or Queen.) Content is currency. You’re the king.
Content is a means to deliver interest. It’s a gathering place for you and the people you hope to entertain/attract/educate/equip. That doesn’t make it the king.
Kings rule. Kings make hard decisions. Kings try to maintain the balance of the good of the country (you history buffs pipe down; it’s my story). Kings do have egos, by the way. It’s part of being kingly.
But content? That’s treasure. That’s salve. That’s wood for the fireplace around which great stories are told.
Work hard on content, but focus on relationships. Be a good king. Be a servant. Be a steward to your people.
And use content well.
What do you say?
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ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Thesis Theme for WordPress
Thesis is the search engine optimized WordPress theme of choice for serious online publishers. If you’re a blogger who doesn’t understand a lot of PHP, Thesis will give a ton of functionality without having to alter any code. For the advanced, Thesis has incredible customization possibilities via Thesis hooks.
With so many design options, you can use the template over and over and never have it look like the same site. The theme is robust and flexible enough not only to accommodate a site like ChrisBrogan.com, but also to enable the site to run far more efficiently than it ever has before.
- Go on a guided video tour of Thesis and see the amazing things you can do with this theme! Seriously, you’ll love it.
- Check out the Thesis demo site
- See more Thesis-based sites in the gallery showcase
@Loic Listening, Not Following
@Loic Listening, Not Following
By Holden Page on November 18, 2009
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I give credit to Loic Le Meur, I may not like Seesmic all that much as a Twitter App (though that might change) but he has head screwed on straight when it comes to developing his apps based around his user base.
Recently, Loic and his team released a new version of Seesmic Desktop for Windows. Why did he do this?
Seesmic’s users are nearly all Windows, approximately 80%. So Loic and his team responded accordingly, they built a native app for Windows.
In another words, Loic listened.
Loic and his team took all the data they had, analyzed it and made what they believed was the best decision for the majority of their users. If that means not developing for what you think is a better platform (Mac vs. Windows) then so be it.
The world isn’t Silicon Valley and if you are a growing brand, you need to start looking at the data and what you should do for users rather than the latest cool thing.
I would be willing to bet everything I have that if Seesmic would have released a native Mac client, blogs would have covered, highlighted and hyped the product to no end. But Seesmic would’ve been making decisions that benefitted a small set of their users, not the smartest way to invest time, money and energy, even if it does lead to more hype.
This is what makes Loic a good CEO. He is willing to make decisions that may not lead to hype, but benefit his users the most. This is like me choosing to do longer, more thought out posts that may not lead to huge sums of traffic, but benefits my reader instead of rehashing the same breaking news over and over again (which leads to traffic spikes, but not dedicated readers).
So, startup CEO’s, take a cue from Loic.
Don’t develop for the hype; develop for the user.
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Louis Gray’s “five stages of early adopterism” chart
One of my favorite posts Louis Gray ever did was this one where he explained the stages early adopters go through as we use a product.
He explained how early adopters go through five stages of using a product starting with discovery and ending with migration.
Right now I’m in the “migration” phase with FriendFeed and the “entitlement” phase with Google Reader (actually, thinking about it, I’m in the migration phase there too).
But some tools and services get to restart the loop. Twitter did that for me in June.
What happened in June?
Well, I had an accidental meeting with Ev Williams (founder/CEO of Twitter) and he told me about the wave of new features that would be coming soon (lists was the first one).
If you’ve been following my dealings with Twitter I tried to get everyone to join FriendFeed. You all know how that worked out. In hindsight that never would have worked because of the chat/forum problem I talked about last night.
So, now, because of Twitter’s new lists feature we are back in the “discovery phase” and moving quickly to “promotion.”
It was this meeting that got me to refocus on Twitter and not Facebook’s purchase of FriendFeed (although that sped things up a lot).
I realized that the new features (we’ve only seen one of the three so far) would rejuvenate Twitter and make my investment in FriendFeed (time investment) not worth as much. It was then that I decided to delete all the 106,000 people I was following and take a new approach.
It’s a pain to figure out what I’m excited about, I know. It’s a pain for ME to figure it out!
One thing I love about this new world is everyone can Tweet about what they are excited about.
So, Tweet on!
What are you excited about? What are you migrating off of?
And, this shows me that new features CAN get you to reengage with a product, even one that you don’t like for personal reasons (I got over it with Twitter).
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