Using a Web 2.0 Tool to Prepare a Web 2.0 Seminar

Published by
Skip Lineberg
at April 24, 2008 in Social Media and Web 2.0. 0 Comments

Jason Keeling and I will present “Business for Breakfast” at the Charleston Marriott’s Whitewater Grille tomorrow morning. That’s Friday, April 25, from 7:30-8:30 a.m. We surely hope to see you there!

Our focus will be Web 2.0: Blogs, Pods and Twitters — How Emerging Internet Technologies Can Enhance Business Communications.

We’ll be discussing the growing importance of blogs, podcasts, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. We will discuss the significance of these technologies to West Virginia businesses and organizations.

In a bit of an unconventional twist, we utilized a Web 2.0 tool, a Zoomerang survey application, to poll our audience in advance of the presentation to assess their familiarity, needs and expectations. Here’s what we learned:

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Do Agencies Get Social Media?

Published by
Skip Lineberg
at April 7, 2008 in Social Media. 0 Comments

Cross-posted from the Maple Creative Marketing Genius Blog

Friend, blogger and marketing genius, Tom Pick of Web Market Central posted this interesting commentary recently. (Perhaps I found it interesting because he cited our firm. Thanks for the compliment, Tom!)

Tom’s thesis is that smaller marketing consulting firms, like ours, are exploring and implementing social media tools (such as this blog), while larger traditional agencies are still relying upon traditional tactics like advertising and PR.

While this is true and we are, indeed, exploring and learning about new ways to communicate and promote, we have not completely abandoned traditional media. Our soapbox philosophy and credo remains: success lies in creating aligned layers of strategic marketing tactics. The Web, blogs, Facebook and Twitter are new, promising (and exciting) channels–not the answer. In fact, we hold as truth the belief that there is no such thing as the answer. Each client is different; each situation with corresponding objectives and audience targets is unique.

Part of the beauty of Web 2.0 and social networking is the relationship aspect. I have not met Tom Pick (in person). Yet, we are working together to share ideas and to promote the best of what the other is doing. And once you jump onboard with social media and embrace the concept, you will meet dozens of allies. I certainly have, and I consider it a true blessing.

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The Train Hasn’t Yet Left Every Station

Published by
Paul Woodhouse
at July 6, 2007 in Social Media. 3 Comments

How many people do you know who are looking for that killer online idea wanting to be the next [insert name of web company bought by search engine giant for 57 times its actual worth here]?

If only they’d spend a couple of hours researching their brain-toot online instead of wasting more of your or their time than is absolutely necessary. After all, it’s only some lame Youtube clone done in frontpage that requires the user to email the video to the webmaster before it crashes some cheap server.

CNN has 25 startups to watch covering all your fancy Web 2.0 pioneers from StumbleUpon to SimulScribe in a range of categories.

One of the interesting things is the amount of money some of them had as backing. Nobody seems to have been funded by less than $750,000 and nobody seems to have come up with a bone-headed idea either.

But the thing is, instead of wanting to retire on the backend of a new Myspace, why not consider how elements of this kind of software can benefit your business online. There are still plenty of industry niches and geographical areas that are yet to catch on to Web 1.0. That isn’t to belittle said industries or areas, it’s just a fact that your average Web 2.0 type tends to forget.

And that’s as good a reason I can think of for attending conferences such as Online Marketing: Innovations That Work in areas such as Pittsburgh.

It isn’t just about having a web presence or getting that web presence found; it’s also about ways of building communities and developing conversations with your customers - wherever you may be.

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Web 2.0 Explained

Published by
Paul Woodhouse
at June 28, 2007 in Social Media. 0 Comments

This video has been doing the rounds for a while now. But if you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth a few minutes whether you do/do not know what web 2.0 is or purports to be.

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