Twitter says that there are still lots of details to work out. But at a quick glance it looks a lot like Google’s ad plan. Ads show up in searches. (Only searches, not a user’s main Twitter feed.) Search for “laptop,” and you might see a Dell ad, to use WSJ’s example.

So how does this advertising model affect brands that are active in the new media arena? Right now I think there’s a pro and a con to this system.

Pro: Ability to advertise on Twitter. Duh. Huge pro. Pilot Travel Centers can now place coffee ads to appear when someone searches “coffee.” Great.

Con: Monitoring. When Lynsay Caylor (@lynsaycaylor), Pilot’s social media manager, uses search results to monitor Twitter traffic on coffee, she might see ads in her feed. This could seriously clutter some folks’ monitoring feeds.

The API will deliver ads, so third-party applications, like HootSuite, will have access to the ads but can choose not to show them. The ones that do show them will share revenue. Depending on the share percentage, we could begin to see ads on third party sites. Hopefully this will all get worked out in the finer details of Twitter’s advertising plan. As a firm who helps monitor and strategize in the new media realm, Moxley Carmichael hopes so and will continue to follow developments. One of the hottest topics in new media is finding ways to monetize the most popular sites on the Web, and there will be a lot to follow.

We’d love to connect. Let’s talk about how we can monitor and strategize about your new media presence.

Three panels dealt with social media and issues in health care, journalism and business. Comments from attendees can be seen on Twitter by searching for #knoxsummit.

The afternoon was filled with great comments from experts in their fields.  Here are a few:

Posting online is global, discoverable and permanent. I tell my clients and my kids that! –Amy Howell, Howell Marketing Strategies LLC (@howellmarketing)

Your social media folks need to be tech savvy AND corporate savvy. –Howell

Be careful who is in charge of social media…..protect the brand. –Howell

Not everyone will love your brand, but that makes you more authentic in the social media space. –Lynne Farmer, Bush Brothers

When moderating comments on our social media spaces we keep in mind that this is their space, not ours. –Lynsay Caylor, Pilot Travel Centers LLC (@lynsaycaylor)

Monitor the vernacular your customers talk in. Not the way you talk about your products. –Robin Hawn, PetSafe

Everyone at AC Entertainment is expected to participate in social media. Finance person to owner. –Fiona McAnally, AC Entertainment (@AC_Ent)

Have a filter. Don’t use social media to complain about your work, because the company may be monitoring. –McAnally

Our customers are social. Ignoring them would be rude. –Hawn

Reporting hard news is the killer app for newspapers. –Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit.com (@instapundit)

The best people to report a situation are the people already there. –Reynolds

I don’t want to see any media go away. Competition breeds excellence. Journalism can get better with print, radio, TV, and now social media. –Dave Foulk, WNOX-FM 100.3 (@foulknews)

Social media rewards authenticity. The more anonymous you are, the less you get out of it. –Rusty Coats, E.W. Scripps

Most news organizations monitor Twitter to catch the first instance of a new lead. –Coats

Twitter not a distribution tool but a great reporting tool. –Coats

When people are walking around with a media hand-cannon [holds up his smart phone], they have the potential to break news at any time. A fundamental journalism course should be added to our education programs. –Coats

We cannot suggest reporters not have some internal bias, but we can expect them to be fair. –Foulk

I covered the Spanish-American War. –Foulk

Most news is inuendo and out the other. Journalists must adapt as tech changes. –Foulk

Live tweeting from the operating room will happen sooner than later. –Barry Wallace, Covenant Health (@lasthome)

Online medical records will be available to docs on their mobile devices. –Jennie Campbell, Summit Medical Group

Do you remember a great comment that’s not listed here?  Please add yours in the comments below.

And if your company is interested in getting into new media, contact us.  We can help you see the possibilities.

If you haven’t added a blog to your online communications mix, you should. Here’s why:

Your message, in your words. Almost any third-party medium will put its interpretation on the story and may add information from multiple sources. However, a blog is your opportunity to deliver your message in your own, unfiltered way. And many savvy Internet users now know that blogs are the place to find the freshest content on a Web site.

Be an industry thought leader. No one knows more about your products and services than you. You build trust and become a thought leader by posting solid content related to what you do, and over time you become a reliable and respected source representing your industry. Potential customers will take special interest when you begin the conversation as the “best in the field.”

Search engines love updates. When people need products or services they are not as likely to reach for the Yellow Pages any more. Google, Yahoo and Bing are the starting points for most of the buying decisions happening today. We all know landing in the first three or four places in search results is important. And there are all sort of necessary strategies to optimize your Web site so it ranks high on the list.

One of the fundamental elements search engines look for is change. They love to see site updates. Sometimes it’s tough to find ways to constantly refresh your Web site, and a blog is a great way to keep those updates happening. A good blog is updated regularly. By consistently loading solid, fresh content onto your blog, you provide folks with helpful information, and search engines help make it easier for searchers to find.

If you haven’t added a blog to your online presence, now is the time. When thoughtfully planned and regularly updated, your blog can be a very powerful communication tool. And, while new media provides lots of effective communication tools, well-written, useful content is still the key. Make sure your consultant has a strong background in writing and editing.

If you want to add a blog to your communications mix or have added a blog but don’t know how to get the digital wheels turning, we can help. Moxley Carmichael has developed and manages several effective and informative blogs for our clients and our own firm. Some of these include:

Gastrointestinal Associates’ For Your Digestion

Cherokee Distributing Company’s On Tap

South College’s From the President’s Desk

Foothills Weight Loss Specialists’ Weighing In

Moxley Carmichael’s staff blog about the changing landscape of communication The New Streak

And, East Tennessee’s Best Blogger and Twitterer, Cynthia Moxley’s The Blue Streak

We would love to help you develop and maintain a blog that is effective, insightful and a key component to your online presence and communications strategy.

We’d love to connect.  Send an e-mail or call us today at 865-544-0088.

My vision of the iPad legacy is not as a game-changer, but certainly a catalyst. Here’s why:

I don’t think the iPad has to be wildly successful to succeed. I think its legacy will be helping us decide what we really need from our devices. Does the portability of the iPhone/Android/smartphone outweigh the small screen size? Do we need the power of a laptop? Or are we in the middle, making the iPad the perfect device?

I’m reminded of the Newton.  By 99 percent of all accounts, the Newton failed. But without the Newton, it could be argued we would not have Palm, Handspring, Windows Mobile, Android or even the iPhone itself. The Newton was a catalyst. It helped us decide what was important, and what the possibilities were, even if we didn’t buy it.

I think in years ahead we’ll look back on the iPad much the same. Sure, it may sell more units than the Newton, but most of us will be saying “I love my smartphone!” or “I love my laptop!” because the iPad made us look long and hard at that decision.

Success for Apple? That remains to be seen. Success for a public trying to decide what’s best? I think you can count on that.

See the iPad in action in this Apple video:

I’ve heard Foursquare described as the “cooler” Twitter. Talk like that dares me to give it a try. After two weeks I can say it’s interesting, but it’s no Twitter.

First, it’s very location-centric. You “check in” to different places if you so choose to let your friends know what you’re doing and where you are. There are other perks to checking in, but letting others in on your whereabouts is the main user benefit. The person who has checked into a place more than anyone else is considered the mayor. That’s kinda fun.

On Foursquare, I’ve had a couple of friend requests from people who live far outside my area. I don’t really care where these people are at any given time since I have no experience with their far, far away places. I haven’t accepted these requests since I really don’t want their updates cluttering my stream. (Sorry, guys.)

Twitter, on the other hand, is more information-centric. It doesn’t matter where you are, if you’re interesting I want to follow what you have to say. The same people I haven’t accepted on Foursquare I might be very interested in following on Twitter. See the difference?

I think the location-based model of Foursquare is both limiting and exciting. It’s limiting because I’m not interested in updates from outside my area, and it relies on user-added location data, which can be sketchy. It’s exciting because I’m more interested in where my local friends happen to be, and I could miss these updates if they’re only on Twitter.

I’m still using both. And I might pull a 180-degree turnaround like Chris Brogan on Google Wave. But for now I can say Twitter is not going anywhere, while Foursquare is on the fence.

If I’m missing something, let me know in the comments. If you’re in the Knoxville, Tenn., area and use Foursquare, add me as a friend.

If you need help adding Twitter, Foursquare or other new media tools to your outreach mix, contact Moxley Carmichael for help.

I take notes at events with pen and paper. Sure, many of you cannot imagine anything but a computer or other gadget, but for me it’s great. If I write something down I can remember it better and when I get back I can reinforce it again by typing it all up. I guess it’s a habit from college that never left.

So after writing then typing, in no particular order, here are my takeaways from SocialFresh Nashville 2010:

• When creating content for your company or cause, be passionate about your topic and make it personal. Passionate and personal is more interesting.
• When using that content to connect with potential customers, first ensure the content is helpful and relevant. Make selling very subtle. If your intent is only to sell and not to first add value, that intent will come through, and you risk being ignored.
• Let your use of online tools evolve with the needs of your followers and fans. In the beginning, Southwest Airlines’ Twitter followers only wanted weather updates and trivia. After a couple of years they were ready for ticket promotions. Southwest adjusted the outreach with the needs of their Twitter audience.
• If you’re advocating for new media in a corporate environment, establish an executive sponsor who can help. Then educate employees so they’re behind you.
• Decide early whether you want big numbers of followers/fans or a smaller, more relevant group. This decision will affect how you operate.
• Be efficient and choose the right tool. If you require only a few sales or have limited inventory, targeted landing pages or pay-per-click advertising may be more effective than a big new media campaign.
• With metrics, patience is important. You need data over time to compare results, and you need patience to get data over time.
• And finally, my No. 1 takeaway: When deciding what to track, ask “To do what?” after each metric. Examples: We want to track Facebook fans to do what? We’re tracking coupon redemptions to do what? Asking the question helps you focus on results and spending resources tracking what’s most important to you.

Were you at SocialFresh Nashville or another SocialFresh event around the country?  Please add your own thoughts and takeaways in the comments.

To find out how Moxley Carmichael can help you put these ideas to use for your business, contact us today.

]]> http://newstreak.moxleycarmichael.com/2010/01/18/top-takeaways-from-socialfresh-nashville/feed/ http://newstreak.moxleycarmichael.com/2010/01/08/the-way-we-were-new-media-as-we-left-2009/ http://newstreak.moxleycarmichael.com/2010/01/08/the-way-we-were-new-media-as-we-left-2009/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:40:57 +0000 BobWilson http://newstreak.moxleycarmichael.com/?p=543 2009 was a huge year for new media. How huge? Take a look at these statistics from the end of the year:

Facebook

2.5 billion photos were being uploaded to Facebook each month, up from 2 billion in September and 1 billion in July.

Average Facebook user stats:

• Average user had 130 friends on the site
• Average user sent 8 friend requests per month
• Average user spent more than 55 minutes per day on Facebook
• Average user clicked the Like button on 9 pieces of content each month
• Average user wrote 25 comments on Facebook content each month
• Average user became a fan of 2 Pages each month
• Average user was invited to 3 events per month
• Average user was a member of 12 groups

Neilsen reports Facebook was the #3 destination for the Over 65 group. In 2008 it was #45.

Facebook had almost 100 million United States users, which is close to 1/3 the total population.

Google released a new Android app for Facebook. New Droid owners rejoice!

Twitter

Twitter hit the world stage as one of the only ways for news to get out of Iran during the political violence.

Third-party applications that use Twitter’s back-end API to connect could include location-specific geotagging to pinpoint where your tweet came from in the world.

LinkedIn began allowing Twitter updates on LinkedIn profiles. Even Facebook changed their news feed to be more Twitter-like.

YouTube

Youtube began using speech recognition to auto-add captions on videos for increased accessibility.

46.2 Years of video from YouTube were viewed on Facebook every day. MySpace showed 5.6 years of YouTube linked video each day.

10 hours of video was uploaded to YouTube every minute.

So there you have it. A brief snapshot of the end of 2009. I can’t wait to see what 2010 brings us!

If you’re curious about this new world and want to talk to someone about the possibilities, please contact Moxley Carmichael.

Image courtesy of kevinzhengli.

Tami Hartmann, Writer

Skype me

I sat down in my kitchen in Knoxville this morning and spoke to my son face-to-face – as he was in Prague. Skype has been a wonderful communication tool while he has been studying abroad this semester. A fabulously inexpensive (free, actually) way to keep in personal contact with one another. I predict that this technology will become an important feature on mobile devices, keeping families close in years to come.

I also see business taking a page out of this book. Even in this digital world, people love human contact. And nothing digital is more personal than face-to-face conversations. Skype gives businesses something to think about. Could you turn down that police officer that asked for a donation if he spoke to you face-to-face? Would you be more likely to purchase a service if you could see who you were hiring? Does a company mean more to you when you know real people are working there?

Mobile giving

What if you could inspire 107,000 people to whip out their phones and text at once? And what if each text message raised money for a worthy charity? That is the techno thought behind mobile giving. United Way of Greater Knoxville used the technology to boost this year’s campaign to a successful conclusion. Here’s how it works: United Way shows an audience, perhaps at a local sporting event, a short video on reasons to give and asks people to text a number to donate $5 to United Way of Greater Knoxville. After a return text to confirm the donation, a $5 charge is added to the cell phone bill. I predict you will be given the opportunity to text and give frequently in the next year.

What do you think we should watch for in 2010?

Bob Wilson, Director of New Media - bio

Facebook ads

Facebook advertising will become one of the top outreach tools for small business. Why? Local targeting that’s cost-effective. The most creative at catching eyeballs and delivering ads in context are the winners.

Twitter and customer service

Twitter will continue to grow and more companies will use it for customer service. Live monitoring gives companies the ability to host semi-live chat with customers without opening the chat port through their firewall. The winners are the ones who have employees literally monitoring (and responding to) real-time results.

Social Internet monitoring

Monitoring tools will come out of the woodwork. Oh, measurement too. As more companies begin to use new media, the requirement to track and justify the effort will give rise to tools for that purpose. The winners can deliver quality, in-context and automated results based on a saved search.

Social Internet policies

Social Internet policies guiding employees, franchises and remote locations will continue to grow. I hope that more companies implement them before a crisis, not afterward.

What do you think we should watch for in 2010?

Lauren Christ, Account Executive - bio

Smartphones

Smartphone popularity increases. Many professionals can’t imagine surviving without constant connection to e-mail, calendar entries and contacts, but just a mere 17 percent of Americans currently use smartphones. As data plans become more affordable, network speeds become faster and a greater variety of devices are made available, more Americans such as stay-at-home moms and college students will upgrade to smartphones.

TV in 3-D

The future of TV is 3-D. Who wouldn’t want to watch a football game in three dimensional life-like clarity? Tech gurus say that HD is already on its way out and that the future is in 3-D televisions, which are slated to start hitting living rooms in 2010. I first read about this on CNBC Sports Biz.

Alabama is BCS champ

Alabama wins the national championship. They beat out my Florida Gators for their rightful spot to compete for the title in Pasadena. I expect Alabama to represent the SEC well and destroy Texas. Final score prediction: Crimson Tide 38, Long Horns 17.

What do you think we should watch for in 2010?