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Jul
30
2008

Instant Widget, simply add RSS [Recipe]

By | Content

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Lets talk content for a second.  If you took a moment to consider the websites that you find useful in your business sector most of them are going to be text based.  In the financial industry for example, your Bloombergs, Reuters, Barons and Wall Street Journals are all brokering in letters and numbers.  Words are their currency, more than dollars, Yens, or Pounds.  Likely your corporate site, too, is trading on its reputation to educate your customers through words.  All this textual content is going stale if unused.

One idea for your websites leftover content is to make a quick content widget.  They’re delicious, non-fattening and fun at parties.

Prep time is 15 minutes.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need.

  1. Text based content
  2. An RSS feed on that content
  3. A widget automator

I take the first ingredient for granted and assume your corporate website is not just a blank page surrounding a small ‘Coming Soon’ picture.  Now with your content in hand, gently break it up into smaller pieces.  These pieces are going to be used in our RSS feed.  RSS feeds are great little additions to any website.  They help make content on your site easily available to other computers by encoding it in XML.  If you don’t know if your site has an RSS feed, go ahead and ask your web programmer.  Okay, now that we have our content broken up we can put it into our RSS feed.  The feed isn’t going to do much right now, so just let it rest on your website.  We’ll come back to it.  Now, lets create our widget using your choice of widget automator sites.  For this recipe, I will be using SpringWidgets, but you could use WidgetBox or ClearSpring.

To use SpringWidget you will need to register a free account.  Lets do that now at the top right of the screen.  Once that is done, go ahead and click on the Express Widgets button on the left of the main page.  Now its time to add your RSS feed to the mix.  Take your RSS feed and slowly enter it into the field.  Try not to spill. SpringWidget will now use your RSS feed to pull in your content, wrapping it with a decorative box pattern.  That’s it, you have a widget for your content.  Almost good enough to eat.

The serving options are endless.  You can play around with your widget, style it how you want.  Once you are ready, the bottons on the left will help you embed this widget into Social Networks like Facebook, blogging tools like Blogger and WordPress, or anyone’s web page using the Javascript code.

Jul
29
2008

Using Social Networks for Business – Now what?

By | Social Networks

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Now that you’ve done some thinking about what your business goals are for social networking and investigated where your target audience is…

What will be the reaction to your message?

If You’ll Be Joining Existing Communities…

If you’ve decided to use existing communities and social networks to connect with your audience, take care not to put them all off by posting about how great your company/products/services are.  You’ll need to approach social networking as a way to help your customers (which will also help you).  Start by answering questions and trying to be as helpful as possible.  If the community allows you a profile page – fill it out and post blog entries if possible.  Once you’ve established a reputation for being helpful, you can make some inquiries of the community (to try to accomplish some of your business goals), be they feedback, reviews, etc (obviously some goals won’t require any inquiries if they’re directed towards increasing sales & traffic).

If You’ll Be Starting Your Own Community…

Starting your own community is the most difficult way to go, but sometimes it is the only way to reach your intended audience.  You will need a fairly large time committment to post content (lots of it), market and champion your network.  If you can enlist the help of some fairly vocal customers, it will help your cause (in terms of both effort and reputation).  Since a large part of the initial content will probably be posted by you, again concentrate on helping your audience.  Post frequently asked questions (FAQs) with answers, blogs about what the company is doing, and information to help with your products and services.

Help Your Customers

Hopefully you’ve noticed the common thread: using social networks should be about helping your customers.  Helping them should lead to help for you and will give you a reputation for caring and listening when you need to ask them for assistance.

Other Posts in this series:

What Social Networks Should I Join to Promote My Business?

Using Social Networks for Business – What Are Your Goals?

Using Social Networks for Business – Where Are You?

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Jul
28
2008

Widgets added to Buzzword Bingo

By | Content, Tech

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My boss just asked me to look into this Techcrunch interview with Eric Feng, CTO of Hulu announcing embeddable widgets for their online media site.  Must be a slow news day over at TC.  Am I alone in my surprise that Hulu didn’t launch with embeddable widgets?

Here’s the thing, widgets are a fundamental part of modern web communities, information distribution, viral marketing, you name it.   Just about anything we are trying to discuss here at Sazbean can involve a widget of some form.  They are incredibly important components for building better online businesses. And yet, the term ‘widget’ is getting all fuzzy and nondescript.

The word ‘widget’ has a nasty habit of sticking in the minds of almost anyone who casually reads tech articles hoping to glom onto buzz words they can throw at their IT department in the morning.  It sounds just technical enough to be important while retaining the rounded corner friendliness that glosses over all the scary details.   Widgets have become MacGuffins you check off on a list, like shifting paradigms and finding synergies.  In truth, widgets are invaluable.  But to use them correctly, you have to first decide if you are a provider or a consumer.

Widgets themselves are simply small kernels of code.  In the web today they exist to extend some content or function out from a single website to hundreds, thousands or millions of separate sites who want that content or function associated with their page.  Likely the example with the most exposure is the Google AdSense widget, which is a small kernel of code that Google wrote and millions have placed on their website’s pages.  When talking about widgets there are are always two parts to play, like a dance.   One part takes the lead by making the widget which connects to either their site or a publicly available, usually popular site (e.g. Flickr or YouTube).  The other part follows by embedding that widget in their site’s HTML source code.

From my experience, anyone thinking of adding widgets to their site need first decide on the goal.  Do you want to provide your content or service out to the world or are you looking to add content or services onto your business site?  Are you looking to drive traffic to your site, or are you hoping to keep them there longer?  Is there a service or function for which your online customers are pleading or is there something your site does that is better than the competition that you would like to brand?

The first half of the next series will deal with getting widgets for your site.  Useful business widgets that can instantly improve your sites value.  Then, we will look at a few services that can take your content and make it into its own widget, something your customers can load on their site and help spread the word.

Jul
25
2008

Ustream is streaming our language

By | B2B, B2C, Reviews

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I’ll be honest, its Friday.  Its gorgeous outside. I’m doing research on this post by watching shows on ustream.tv.

In truth it is hard to pull myself away from the high quality live broadcasts that sit up at the top of the ustream select channels.  Shows like Buzz Out Loud (a CNET property) are slickly produced and highly engaging examples of what businesses can do with ustream’s distribution technology. While CNET may have more polish in their delivery, their setup really isn’t much beyond a set on a show floor, two suits in front of a a good mic and a stationary camera.  Replace that show floor with a conference booth, or a marketing board room, store opening or factory floor and now you’re a broadcaster for your business.

ustream.tv has an interesting backstory.  Co-founders John Ham and Brad Hunstable met as cadets at the Army’s West Point Academy.  While serving as officers during wartime they experienced the troubles soldiers had in contacting many family members and friends within the short time given.  They started ustream as a way to connect many people to one soldier broadcasting over the internet.  From millitary to civilian, ustreams interactive technology fit comfortably into the Live Streaming space being left open by more established video hosting players.  In a Fox News interview the founders seem comfortable in their monitization plans which involve traditional silos as Ad revenue, partnerships and sponserships.  Funding for the live internet broadcaster has involved Angel funding from Ross Perot and the young company claim to list General Wesley Clark as a board member.

Getting away from the corporate About Us page for a moment, ustream does have a good man-on-the-street reputation.  Their video community is well policed for copyright and inapporporate content, lending to their legit rep.  Streaming tools available are intuitive to use, which is a must have for the competitve market.  Offering Javascript embedding, pre-recorded video, and chat capability is also standard selection.  Their monitization model is standard enough to say that most small broadcasters will be able to use their service for free.  Really for me the distinctive asset is a customer base which includes CNET, Penny Arcade and Digg.

Someday Sazbean will ready yet for live broadcasting.  When that day comes ustream will have our business.  Unless, you know… there is someone better by then.  Im looking at you justin.tv

Jul
24
2008

Using Social Networks for Business – Where Are You?

By | SEO, Social Networks

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Where are the people I’m trying to reach?

This is also an important question because there are a limited number of hours in the day and we need to put our efforts into what makes sense for our business.  Just because you heard about MySpace in the news doesn’t mean that your audience of roofing contractors is there or has even heard about it.  You’ll need to do a little research to find out where your audience is.

Here are some places to look:

  • Start with publications focused at your audience – their websites often offer or link to a existing community.
  • Look to see if there are dedicated groups on existing social networks (like Facebook, Ning, LinkedIn, etc).
  • Use Google to search for your industry name to see if any other websites have or link to a network.
  • Try a blog search to find blogs (try Google Blog Search or Technorati) in your industry – they often have communities or link to them.
  • Ask professionals in your industry if they know of any online communities.

If you still come up blank it may be that there isn’t a community for your industry (yet).  Before you run off to start your own community, it is also important to understand your audience.  Are they even online?  Do they just read websites or will they create content and join the conversation?  The Profile tool at the Groundswell site can help you understand the tendencies of your audience.

Other posts in this series:

What Social Networks Should I Join to Promote My Business?

Using Social Networks for Business – What Are Your Goals?

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Jul
22
2008

Using Social Networks for Business – What Are Your Goals?

By | Social Networks

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In the first post of this series, What Social Networks Should I Join to Promote My Business Website?, I gave an overview of some questions you should ask (and try to answer) to decide which social networks are best for your business.  The first question, is the most important:

What goal or problem am I trying to solve?

It may help to take a look at some possible answers:

  1. Increase Sales
  2. Increase Traffic to the Website – Why?  This is a common answer, but what does more traffic give you?  One would hope you’re actually trying to increase sales (see #1).
  3. Increase Customer Satisfaction – Good.  This should also lead to #1.
  4. Need more information on how our products/services are doing.  – Also good (and should lead to #1 – see a trend?)

Businesses often lose sight of their main goal – to increase sales.  Don’t become bogged down with all these new technologies and buzz words.  If sales are hurting because you have a customer serice or research problem, then use social networks and your website to solve that problem.

Take a deep breath.  Visualize what you’re trying to do and why.  Now we have a good foundation to move forward.

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Jul
21
2008

Stickam courts teens not business

By | News & Notes

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This week I want to navigate some of the legitimate business needs in the live broadcasting space.  But like anyone helping a friend new to a city, lesson number one is always a warning of which alleys not to enter.

There is a good reason video sharing giant YouTube, now corporate courtesan of the Google empire, has decided to shy away from live video broadcasting.  Unsurprising to most of us, live broadcasting on the internet has a very risque sub-community of young followers and interested parties.  Stickam has become the service of choice for that market, as is evident to anyone searching their site.

Stickam, started by Advanced Video Concepts in 2006, was an interesting technology company when it hit the press.  Well built, easy to use live video streaming tools made for inexpensive web cameras has the potential for great social impact and consumer activism when used responsibility.  Yet early on Stickam thought small as they focused on the MySpace social graph as a way to get AVC’s video technology out to a huge, interested demographic.  Through MySpace’s youth audience, Stickam was able to establish a large stake early by promising teens unrestricted access to content distribution.  As their success attracted more attention, it brought with it the reputation of an uncensored, lawless landscape.  Accusations allege that AVC’s parent company is in the adult entertainment business, loosely linking the youth related site to pornagraphy.

“Letting people do whatever they want is one way for these sites to differentiate themselves,” said Josh Bernoff, a Forrester Research analyst. “It is the race to the bottom.” – IHT

Stickam’s community aside, the AVC technology is solid.  There are a few notable users of the service like Leo Leporte that have promoted the possibilities as well as the potential.  As with any video sharing service, you can embed Stickam videos into your site without your viewers ever seeing the Stickam community site.  For a progressively thinking business this can be a great option as the Stickam tools for live broadcasting are extreamly easy to use.  Still, it is hard to separate the Stickam reputation and its communtiy from its technology.

When deciding between technology and community, it is clear where Stickam has its attention. Robin Bechtel, Warner’s vice president for new media, said in an article with the International Herald Tribune that people would migrate to even controversial video sites if they have features that MySpace and YouTube did not.

“People are going to go where the content is,” Bechtel said. “If Stickam has celebrities and is entertaining, they will go there.- IHT

Next we will take a look at a more viable business option in the free web streaming domain, ustream.

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Stickam
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Jul
18
2008

Are Buses IT's mortal enemy?

By | News & Notes

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“Oh, and have Tony document that accounting payment transfer thingy he wrote, in case he gets hit by a bus”

MLSP Network Engineers, Oracle RAC admins, that guy who keeps that FoxPro app running.  These are the unsung heroes who seemingly risk their lives every day while crossing the street to get to work.   No one knows why, but Public Transportation has had a devastating impact on the life expectancy of our irreplaceable IT brethren.

While there are no known reasons for specialized IT professionals to have a greater statistical likelyhood towards large vehicular manslaughter, there is anecdotal evidence dating back years to suggest that the tragic possibility has always loomed near.  Management has tried to warn us of the wheeled menace.  Through an organized campaign of prophesy and doomsaying, they have in their own way tried to stem the tide of blood on the sidewalk.  Sadly, few people listen to anything management has to say.

Bus patrons claim their commuter cars are being unfairly targeted by the IT community.  Passenger transport experts say they have been unable to identify a single documented case of technaside and maintain that buses do not attack sysadmins unless provoked.

Are buses the mortal enemy of IT?  While researching this report, I personally witnessed a prediction from my boss on the very real danger that exists should I neglect to pass on the diagramed call procedure for SOA workflow model I created.  In his words, should I one day come face to grill with a runaway bus, he would be ‘totally screwed’

The enemy?

IT’s natural predator?

Jul
17
2008

Internet Strategy Forum Summit – Innovate How We Connect

By | ISFSummit, News & Notes

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Presented by Chris Shimojima, VP Global Digital Commerce, Nike

Make It Better.

Nike’s motto: If you have a body, you’re an athlete.

Nike Plus is an RFID chip in a shoe that interacts with an ipod or a wristband. You can get information on how you run – distance, time, pace, calories burned, etc. On their website, you can connect with other runners, establish challenges, create training regimes, log runs, download music, share routes, etc.

NikeiD – individually designed shoes. Online you can design your own shoes, share your designs and be showcased as a creator. Nike created an exclusive NikeiD design studio experience in NYC for professional athletes. In Japan, they created a mass market design studio to experiment in how to make it work for the masses. Recently they opened two stores in NYC and London for mass market NikeiD.

Nike feels that these services add to the retail experience and do not compete with their existing products. They are a way to differentiate their competitive offerings.

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Jul
17
2008

Internet Strategy Forum Summit – End to End Marketing: A Fundamental Shift

By | Analytics, Internet Advertising, ISFSummit, News & Notes

Presented by Nancy Bhagat, VP Sales & Marketing Group, Director Integrated Marketing, Intel

Cost of media is low per person, but is unfocused.

There is a 300% growth rate in timeshifting TV.  But TV is not media, it’s a delivery.  Video will continue to exist, just in different places through different delivery strategies.  Behavior has changed in how people interact with ads.  56% say skipping ads is important part of timeshifting.

Technology is no longer about who is tech saavy and who is not anymore.  It is about the desire to purchase.  80% turn to Internet for information to make a purchase decision. Our targets are online.

People are looking for a person like them, but they don’t need to see or know them directly.  This is defined much differently than previously.

Great brands are no longer the brands that tell the best stories, but are the brands that have the best stories told about them. (needs source)

Power of online marketing:

  • Impact
  • Agility
  • Targeting
  • Scale

Leadership requires flexibility and focus. Online vehicles offer speed and flexibility to test multiple content types in one place and to determine what content is best.

Success metrics are shifting away from traditional impressions and CPC. The ability to evaluate success is critical.  Content is increasingly delivered through social media which is difficult to measure.  We now need to measure what matters – user engagement, behavior, movements & trends.  Data that is not actionable is meaningless.

We need to know what place people are in the buy cycle/qualification.  Data without valid business context is meaningless. We need to understand what activities are valued.  And if things don’t go well in those activities, we need to know what and why.

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