"Small Business Conversations by Network Solutions" - 2 new articles
A Look Back at Getting Social in 2009.It’s been a few months since I started writing for Network Solutions reporting on the social media and technology events happening here on the West Coast and in the world-famous Silicon Valley so I thought I’d take some time out to highlight all the different events here to talk about how busy the West Coast has been. Starting with South by Southwest, I set off on a whirlwind adventure that took me to the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco where the goal was to understand simplicity and how information can be repurposed to help all save time, energy & resources. From there, it moved onto Startup Weekend, the Society of New Communications Research’s NewComm Forum, Inbound Marketing Summit, Ad:Tech, WordCamp San Francisco, Twiistup and many other conferences. Out of all of these, I’ve learned that social media has played a real big factor in how people view business being done in the future. I have met with many startups and learned from them what problem they are trying to solve and out of all of these conferences and demos and pitches, there’s one thing that seems to play a factor in any decision: is there a mobile aspect of it? Sure, while you’re having this “real-time” web phenomenon floating out there, let’s not forget that a majority of people are starting to realize the potential of their mobile phones. More startups are putting out a new app that will run on one of the three major platforms: Blackberry, Android and the iPhone. The time of just setting up a new website and launching a tangible product is now over. Here in Silicon Valley, there are a lot of talk about what’s going to be the next big thing in the Internet and also as it relates to technology. And that, my friends, is all about mobile technology. Not mobile marketing, but just the amount of things you can do with your phone these days has probably far surpassed that which people can do on their laptops or desktops. In looking back again, there have been a lot of buzzwords that have also been thrown around that probably have also dictated the trends that companies are targeting. That may include things like “real-time” or applications that address Twitter, social gaming and Facebook, blogging tools, etc all that helps to perpetuate the concept that the Internet will provide us with the tools that we need. And in most cases, they were right. There are now multiple tools that will help you discover what you want, tools that will help you create a more memorable & shortened web address, and much more. Over the past year, I’ve also learned some valuable bits of information that I think is essential for anyone trying to get into social media. For one, how to effectively sell the program to your boss and break through the curmudgeon. Next, understanding how to pitch bloggers and speak their language. Of course, we should always also be aware of safe social media etiquette so we don’t get ourselves into trouble, but also remembering that to be truly successful online, we’re all going to have to build credibility – a.k.a. whuffie. Lastly, I recall Loic Le Meur’s presentation which proves to be especially helpful as a case study on product launching, especially when your advertising, marketing & PR sucks. So looking forward at 2010 – I’m looking forward to seeing what other companies are going to launch. Will they be more Twitter-centric or will we see the Facebook platform become a super juggernaut that everyone hopes won’t take over the world (or is that Google?). I’m seeing less dependency on the data on the computer and more in the cloud and also on the mobile phone. I, for one, do hope that I’ll get a chance to meet some great startups and do reviews on their product. Expect more commentary from events that I’ll be attending in the next year that I hope you will find informative and stimulating. I encourage you to drop me a line or leave a comment letting me know your thoughts and/or feedback. So until then, may you have a wonderful holiday and a great 2010! Going, Going, Gone Social in 2009The end of the year is as good of a time as any to look back at what you’ve done, and this is triply true for bloggers. After all, from a scheduling perspective, you know when it’s going to happen and can plan accordingly; you can count on it for your editorial calendar no matter what else is going on in the world; and since it’s a look back on your own stuff, you should at least be passably familiar with it. Actually, I look back on my 2009 posts fairly regularly — not because I’m a particularly deep, introspective, or self-aware person, but mostly to make sure that I’m not repeating myself. (And also a little bit because I’m in love with the sound of my own voice. At least when written down.) In doing so, I note that I do tend to repeat myself — being charitable, we’ll call these “recurring themes.” One of the themes I keep coming back to is the idea of sharing your expertise through social linksharing. I’m a fan for multiple reasons: It builds on an existing behavior (saving a bookmark to a useful or interesting resource); by using a social bookmarking or microblogging tool, it’s a low-effort way to introduce people to the habit of publishing stuff, without making a big production out of it; and it’s a great example of how socializing a previously private behavior can help everyone. (By showing readers the benefit of your knowledge, you gain expert points. Mark it as “enlightened self-interest.”) Another area I keep revisiting is how social media interactions influence real world behavior (really, isn’t that the point of all this social media noise?), from the impact of the social RSVP on actual event attendance, to ways that office pools and Mafia Wars can extend your offline relationships. I fully expect entries in 2010 featuring some wailing and gnashing of teeth about some online interactions that seem completely detached from real-world experiences (and thus, benefits). Speaking of gnashing of teeth, in 2009, I was worried about more than a few things — the pernicious effect of microcelebrity and microrage (I’m sure 2010 will add a few other micro- things to fret about). At times, I was preoccupied with social media death and other existential topics, though I was really concerned about our dependence on the mobile Internet’s hive mind. But then again, I was also looking at some more concrete worries, with a little fearmongering about social broadcasting and operational security in a world full of geolocation and self-belling cats. Despite some of my more navel-gaze-y entries, I did have a few items with advice for the real world, including suggestions for small (and not-so-small) businesses to figure out what to write about and how to handle (or at least, how not to handle) online reviews. Oh, and there was a whole lot of stuff about Twitter. Now, looking ahead to 2010 — well, this isn’t going to be my official predictions post (I think I did okay for 2009 — at least, over .500), but I think it’s pretty safe to say that I’ll continue to be preoccupied with all of these kinds of topics. Some will be a little more abstract and inward-gazing; others will very obviously be mined from my own personal life for topics that I hope are at least somewhat relevant to matters at hand; but hopefully, they’ll all reflect my continuing belief that this social media stuff matters and can improve the way we life our daily lives, and the interactions that we have throughout them. Got any feedback? Like a particular entry? Got a favorite headline (I was going to try to pick my favorite, but in the end, I couldn’t.) Leave a comment. More Recent Articles |
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Keep a civil tongue.