Internet collaboration still in infancy

I’m about half way through Wikinomics, by Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams and came across this article today.

The age of public collaboration over the Internet is still only in its infancy, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales told AFP in an interview.

The 42-year-old web guru, in an effort to show Wikipedia’s impact thus far, referenced a recent trip to a slum in India where he “met this young man on the street who told me that he had used Wikipedia to pass his 11th grade exams.”

I was glad to see Wales acknowledge that for certain creative processes, the individual is still the best way. I am all for collaborative work, but as humans we are made to create, so it is naive to think that anything will replace that.

He acknowledged collaboration has its limits, noting that if “we said we want to write a novel about loss, and redemption, probably not so much public collaboration, that’s really an individual vision and a view of the world.”

“But for basic factual information, I think having an open public dialogue and debate and democratic process, seems to be very powerful.”

Thoughts on International Domains and Usability

I responded to a question on Linked about the use of domains. Here is the original question:

I am about to start an internet marketing campaign in Canada for a product that I am importing from the USA. Their website (example) is www.CoolProduct.com, my question is: do I promote www.CoolProduct.ca, or www.CoolProductCanada.com, in my marketing? I have both registered, and one will have a redirect to the main site I end up using.

Here are my thoughts:

The focus of domain selection process should always be on usability. So, you may want to do some research on the most common used domain (whether it is .com or .ca). If .com is the most common domain, you will find that many users will mistakenly recall the CoolProducts part of the domain, and automatically assume it is a .com domain. If this is the case, I would suggest using CoolProductsCanada.com.

If, on the other hand, it is common and popular to use .ca domains in Canada, and other similar or industry brands are using a .ca domain, then the more “expected” domain would be a .ca and I would recommend going with the CoolProduct.ca domain.

The key is user memory retention — which one are they most likely to recall–and ease of use (easy to spell).

Another approach is to do some benchmark research or competitive analysis. If your competitors are using one or the other, that is an indicator. Also, look across industries or product lines to see what other retailers/marketers are doing.

The final thing would be to see if there is any research available on internet usage in Canada (or your particular country). This would give you the most factual data.

The LinkedIn user followed up via email with this thought: “If I get coolproduct.com to link to me for my Canadian customers, I think I am better off using coolproduct.ca as it is shorter and easier to remember.”

I would agree with his thinking in general there. Another key thing is he would have the need to brand the regional nature of your market (Canada only), so the .ca may do that best.

Streaming radio station's audio on an ad-driven website?

LinkedIn member, Kelley Boster, Owner at Corporate Promotions & Incentives LLC. asked a compelling question through the LinkedIn Answers section.

Would Radio Stations allow their streaming to be accessed on other websites?

I have a Client who’s primary product is website advertising and we would like to see if we can add the “sound” dimension by partnering with a radio station with a matching demographic that offers “streaming” through their website? Would radio stations be open to this idea to allow streaming through another website that is not their own? What would the obstacles and/or objections be to this suggestion?

In dealing with potential radio content partnership, it is key to realize that a radio station’s revenue model is advertising as well. Radio ad sales have not been doing all that well, considering the current economy. Most radio stations build custom “player” interfaces that allow them to sell banner ad space to online listeners. So, I don’t see how any logical radio station would give up their revenue “inventory.” Also, while most radio stations are not making their bread & butter from online ad revenue, they do use online ad inventory to “sweeten” the deals for traditional radio advertising. I worked for a website property of a major radio conglomerate, and we would regularly have to display ads for “radio” customers (while not really seeing any revenue for it).

But, here are some thoughts to consider:

1. Independent or locally owned radio stations who might not yet have an online stream may be open to letting you make money of it, assuming you pay for the cost of the stream.

2. Stations already online may consider sharing revenue (50/50, 40/60, etc.) if you make it worth it. What can you offer the radio station that they don’t have already?

3. How about recording the radio shows, and offering them as “podcasts” or on-demand streaming, as opposed to “live.” The radio station gets a “secondary” market (through shared revenue) they probably would not have otherwise (most are not yet into podcasting as they see it as competition) while your website does not eat into their live radio audience. You could also arrange it so the radio station website can also provide the podcasts to their users directly.

The radio industry is an “old fashioned” industry, and from my experience, they are being slow to adapt and jump into the online world. When they do–and many radio/media companies are–they tend to have old fashioned radio industry mindset about how to do things, and revenue sharing and open-source are usually not included in there. Its a tough industry, so you’re going to have to be real creative in proving you can offer something of worth to their listeners and to their bottom line.

Below I provide a link to my previous employer’s web property. It is a very good model of the sharing of audience between radio and a website. Notice that several of Salem’s major radio hosts are bloggers who provide content on the website. They also regularly mention the website in their daily live radio shows. In exchange, the top 5 radio hosts get prime placement on the website, with direct links to the show websites and prime advertising of the radio host’s books. In this case, though, both the website property and the radio network are both owned by the same parent company, enabling the “innovation” leaders to “force” the change needed to make this work.

I’ve also posted below 2 links to an Economist set of articles on the convergence of old media with new media. Since you are in the web world, a lot will make sense to you, but you should read it from the point of view of what it communicates about the radio and traditional media industry. It is revealing of how far behind they have been and may be insightful into figuring out a model that will be tempting to your potential radio station partners. The first link is to the whole set of articles. The second Economist link is to the article on podcasting and radio.

Here are some articles and reference links that might be worth checking out in reference to the above:

Links:

* http://www.townhall.com
* http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794156
* http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794210

Writing your LinkedIn Profile Summary

A close friend asked me for some thoughts on writing a LinkedIn profile.

I noticed on someone else’s profile that they had put their Summary in the third person. I had done that with mine, but now I am about to start a serious excursion on looking for a new job. Should I re-write my Summary into the first person and overall, do you have recommendations on what I should put in there?

Here are my thoughts.

I would write a LinkedIn profile summary in first person. Third person can have the effect of making you sound arrogant or full of yourself. In a competitive job market, being personable and nice to work with can make all the difference when hire-decision time comes. You want to create that positive first impression right of the bat. It’s probably fine to write in third person for a printed document like a bio, or brochure, but in the case of a “social network” it has a more personal connecting intent, so first-person is probably more effective. That’s just my intuition opinion, so if you disagree or know otherwise, I invite you to share in the comments section.

Here are some other tips:

Start your LinkedIn profile with the job you want in mind — that’s your vision. Look up a few ideal job descriptions in openings being posted on Monster.com or other job sites and analyze the key words and skill-requirements companies are asking for.

Based on these, while staying honest, craft your profile making sure to cover those key points. Make sure to not get to granular (ex. I know how to use photoshop) unless that granular skill set is very important to the role. Sometimes alluding to a skill without being specific will get you an interview, because now the person has to interview you to know more. Of course, you don’t want to be so vague that you don’t stand out among a pile of candidates — it has to be clear from your profile that you are qualified. But because its the web, keywords (search) are the key factor to an effective profile.

Basicly, your summary should be a “match” to your ideal job. I am assuming, of course, that you are qualified for your ideal job.

If the job description says, “Opportunity requires an experienced interactive marketing professional with proven results in developing small to large-scale consumer and B2B web sites and integrated email campaigns” you would write your profile to say, “I am an experienced interactive marketing leader with proven results in developing small to large-scale consumer and B2B web sites and integrated email campaigns.”

Now — if you know you’re interviewing with a specific company, don’t copy off their specific job description, or edit it enough and “make it yours” so its not “clearly” a copy/paste–the HR rep might not appreciate it and it will come off as being dishonest (…again, make sure to modify to ensure accuracy and honesty in regards to your abilities and experiences).

On a side note: An important thing to remember about job hunting is that even if you don’t have every specific experience or skill set asked for, you may have skills that compensate. For example, years ago I was hired as a web designer. The job posting required knowledge of JavaScript, and experience using Macromedia Dreamweaver. I had been doing some copy/pasting of JavaScript (though I don’t know how to program it much) and had been working with MS FrontPage. So, I indicated these things when I sent in my resume and cover letter, and also indicated that I had a strong ability in rapidly learning new software and a solid understanding of the key concepts behind JavaScript programing. I got the interview and I landed the job. I was using Dreamweaver to complete HTML code on the first day of the job — I walked in with 3 fat Dreamweaver books I picked up the Barns & Noble discount pile. My new manager thought it was funny, but was surprised when I completed a pile of Web Help Desk requests within hours of having them assigned.

So, in short, don’t fear not having every skill set required– just make sure to communicate other skills you do have that compensate for the one you are missing.

Kindle competitor debuts!

Now this is cool! You can watch a video over at Fortune by clicking here.

Plastic Logic launches handheld document reader at DEMO Fall 2008 conference. Paper-sized and thin, the device is geared towards business customers.

The Kindle is great, but the Plastic Logic document reader has a larger screen and its thinner.

Crisp images and text in grays and whites are easy to read, and with just a little lag, scroll from page to page easily. While it isn’t ready yet, ultimately you will be able to add notes and sketches to PDFs, CAD drawings, spreadsheets and text documents. The documents will synch from a computer via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or a wired connection. Lithium ion batteries power the display. An obvious upgrade in future versions would be a color screen.

Check out the video where Richard Archuleta, CEO Plastic Logic demonstrates their electronic reader aimed specifically for business users.

UCCS Programs Ranked Among Best for Public Universities

Looks like UCCS, where I got my MBA, ranked pretty high this year in U.S. News & World Report.

DENVER – The University of Colorado at Boulder remains among the nation’s top public universities for undergraduates—ranking 34th overall—and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is among the best public colleges in the West offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.”

You can read more here. I personally thought they did a good job of the business of getting me prepared for the real world. The economist professor in their MBA program is phenomenal — worth going to the school just for a one semester in his class.

Start-Up Attacks Media Bias

This article covers an interesting new tool that helps users discover media bias.

Users download Spinoculars, a toolbar that sits atop the browser and lets readers know if the story they are reading has any phrases or words that indicate bias. (It works only in Firefox now and will work in Internet Explorer in a couple weeks.) It highlights those phrases in a big red box, and readers can click to find out what exactly SpinSpotter found wrong with the phrase.

The concept is novel, and considering our times, probably something many consumers would love to have. But, I have to say I don’t really see how its going to work. They will have to prove its effective and accurate first.

Desperately wanting to find spin, I went to the Silicon Valley gossip site, Valleywag, which makes no qualms about writing stories with its own snarky spin. Yet calling PR people “the most annoying people in our inbox” did not raise any red flags on SpinSpotter. Writing that Rupert Murdoch is “not going to have any luck recruiting an outsider to fill the spot” of MySpace China chief executive wasn’t spin either.

That is partly because SpinSpotter has started out with very few phrases in its database of spin, said Mr. Herman.

You can learn more about SpinSpotter by visiting their website.

RelevantNoise: Keeping track of the political buzz

I’m a big politics buff, so I thought this article was rather interesting as it brings together my interest in interactive media and the world of politics (and its related to a tool I have used and can recommend).

Bloggers and social media enthusiasts on the Internet have weighed in on the recent McCain – Palin ticket, and the responses have pulled the Republican nominee into a virtual tie with Senator Barack Obama in the blogosphere.

I’ve had the opportunity to test-drive the technology behind this — lots of powerful intelligence and analytic tools to help you interpret the “noise” out there.

…according to RelevantNoise(TM), Zeta Interactive’s technology that mines the Internet’s social media landscape — including over 100 million blogs, as well as countless message boards and online communities — the buzz on the Internet regarding John McCain has skyrocketed by more than 12 percent since the announcement of Palin as his running mate, bringing him virtually even with Obama for the first time in the campaign.

I’m rooting for McCain, and was happy with his pick for VP, so its nice to read the good news. From a political strategy point of view, it seems to me that all the attacks on Sarah Palin is backfiring for the Obama campaign and has them off-message.

Since announcing Palin as his running mate, McCain also has benefitted from an increase in positive posts on the online media landscape. According to RelevantNoise, the number of posts that were determined positive in tone increased from 47 percent in the month prior to announcing his VP to 59 percent positive on the day that McCain named Palin. (Click the URL to see the volume and tonal charts) – http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080903/NYW144

Integrated Marketing: Aligning offline and online efforts

Lack of marketing strategy and execution integration seems to be a common challenge to many companies face when there are “silos” within the marketing channels. Inevitably, your customers will end up seeing different creative, different offers, and different price points.

Your integration efforts would probably needs to start at your “List” level. For best integration, you’ll want to make sure all channels are working of a shared List/customer database. Depending on who your customer is, you would then build an integrated segmentation strategy (who gets what channel as well as what offer/incentive, etc.). You will also want to make sure to pay attention to touch points and marketing calendar — you don’t want customers getting a flood of communication from different channels, so keep things on the same marketing calendar and decide how much is appropriate for each segment/channel.

To determine the best strategy, you could run some tests — select a control group and then do some split or A/B testing (DM vs Email, or DM & Email, etc.).

Most experts agree that the evidence supports sending mail first and following with email a week after a timed in-home mail date. You can find some case studies with more information on this at the DMA (Direct Marketing Assocation) website: www.the-dma.org.

I would certainly advice on a cohesive messaging and offer value. We tend to do DM first (strong branding effect, as its in-hand and tangible) followed by a reminder email that reinforces the offer (one week later). I have also seen it to be effective to send “reminder” emails on regular intervals during the promotion period (this will depend on how long your promotion is to last).

Finally, all channels are usually tied to a custom-built micro site that pulls the promo together. Usually, the micro site should be created to match your corporate or product brand. I also like to use tracking links and unique URLs on DM vs Email to be able to measure which creative caused the customer to take action or respond, as well as to test various email creative.

Browser Wars II — Chrome vs. IE7

Sounds like Google is seeing the IE 7 as a possible threat, or perhaps they see a potential market that has been under-served.

Google Chrome is designed to make it easier and faster to browse the Web, by offering enhanced address-bar features and other elements that are very different from those on other browsers. The product will be open-sourced, meaning others can modify the code, according to the report.

I wonder how much of “search” preference is impacted and influenced by browser choice. With browsers having pre-set search tools, more and more people probably just type in their search queries into the browser search fields — which in turn drives the search ad results.

Google has been working on the product for about two years, but work became more serious when Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 7, the Journal said.

Google release a comic book as part of their launch of the new browser, which is scheduled to go out in over 100 countries tomorrow. There is more on the official Google Blog.

As you may have read in the blogosphere, we hit “send” a bit early on a comic book introducing our new open source browser, Google Chrome. As we believe in access to information for everyone, we’ve now made the comic publicly available — you can find it here. We will be launching the beta version of Google Chrome tomorrow in more than 100 countries.