RemainComm

Is Blogging Just for Geeks?

Geek: A person who is interested in technology, especially computing and new media. (Most geeks I know don’t even own a pocket protector.) 

So, as I’m cruising through my Google reader this weekend I’m thinking, “Wow, the net is all about Leopard (the Mac OS) this weekend.” It started me thinking about all of the “feeds” I have in my "reader"…

Techmeme, Engadget,Connecting the Dots, Lifehacker, Tech-Surf-Blog... surely there’s more to my blogosphere than techy/geeky stuff…right? …Hear 2.0, Infinite Dial, Jacoblog…okay, radio stuff (Not much different though). Wait a minute…Boing Boing, Mental Floss, Mostly Trivial, RemainComm (Say, that one’s quite exceptional.) Whew! I do have some “non-geeky” nourishment feeding me. 

So out of curiosity I head over to Technorati and see what the “most popular blogs are. Three of the top five and 6 of the top 10 are…well…geeky. That’s okay; don’t let that stop you from digging farther into the online world. The truth is most of these geeks, me included, want more non-geeks onboard.   

Hop online, search for your topic and you’ll find it. Of course, don’t be surprised if you come across more information than you could possibly want on “killer apps,” “widgets” and a pile of blogs on…well…blogging. Hey, it comes with the territory. The people that build the web use it the most. It’s only logical that they are talking about it a lot. 

If you’re into the tech stuff, cool. If you want more brain food take in Boing, Boing, Mostly Trivial, of that up and coming RemainComm (very cool). Art, Politics, Writing, Gardening, Do-it-yourself, Animal Husbandry…everybody has a voice! Please, go ahead, listen…and if you want…join in. (Maybe you'll wanna keep the animal husbandry thing to yourself.)   

 

Converting to a new “Metrics” System

If you’re over the age of 45 you are probably thinking about the movement to convert the U.S. to the metric system. Remember, we were going to measure stuff just like the rest of the world? (Try as we might, us wacky Americans just couldn’t seem to get the hang of the whole x10 deal.)  

What I’m referring to is the new media and online business “metrics” system. The metrics we use to measure the success of online advertising. As I’ve addressed many times in this blog, new media needs to offer proof of its success in generating traffic for advertisers. I have always maintained that we are enjoying a buzz factor resulting in substantial amounts of money pouring into online advertising. It’s vital to get a better handle on how we measure the results because it’s only a matter of time before those advertisers want proof that their investment works. Who knew that time would be…gulp...quite so soon. 

In an October 22^nd New York Times article titled, “How Many Site Hits? Depends Who’s Counting.” author Louise Story points out the disparity in the site visit and page view numbers provided by the different companies supplying metrics (Nielsen, ComScore, etc.). Say hello to the first drop of what could result in a flood of media buyers pointing out “reasons we shouldn’t spend so much on web advertising.”

The numbers in question continue to be based on the way we measure TV, Radio and Newspaper. “How many see it? How many hear it? How many read it?” I would submit that we need to focus on “Who uses it?” New media advertising offers something to the consumer that no other media does…instant interaction. Clicking on a banner, downloading a video or podcast, that’s something you can measure. In fact, I think that if a new media ad inspires someone to take immediate action its worth more than a TV, Radio, or Newspaper ad.  

But, this goes beyond even “clicks”. Let’s invest the money and go a step further. Do the research and go beyond quantity. Take the opportunity that a new advertising medium is laying out to us. Provide information on the quality of the users and the experience they have. Start training media buyers now on how new media consumers take advantage of the advertising they interact with. Mass media is OK but, commitment and loyalty (brought about by the user experience) is so much better. We need to start working now on establishing a new style of metrics (just as organizations like the ADM is earnestly working to do). 

New media offers us a chance to advertise and market in a whole new way. Let’s stop trying to measure it in a whole old way.

To Blog or Not to Blog?

If you follow this blog regularly, and as you’ll find out later in this post, regularly is a term I use loosely, you’ll note that it’s been awhile since I’ve commented on anything. 

Don’t get me wrong, as many of my closest friends know, I’m never at a loss for “topics” that must be commented on (He says with just the right amount of sarcasm.). It’s just that lately; I’ve been wrestling with what topics are “worth” commenting or reporting on. 

For example, I noticed that shortly after the conclusion of the Podcasting and New Media Expo, known by it’s acronym as PNME, the organizers decided to drop the “P” or podcasting from the name. Ok, now the acronym for the New Media Expo is NME. NME…en-em-ee…enemy! Oops! I’m not sure this is what needs to be communicated by “new media.” So I’m thinking a post titled something like “When Acronyms Attack” could be good, but is it? 

Another example…Recently the National Association of Broadcasters (Yep, radio again) announced that it was launching the Radio 2020 initiative. The idea is to focus on keeping radio relevant for years to come. I don’t think the window is that wide, let’s go with Radio 2010. Clearing that hurtle is tough enough. Nah…that topic just seems so…well…done. Besides, it’s too easy to be cynical and that’s been way, way over done.   

So, I’ve shied away from posting because I want to provide content that is much more actionable as well as entertaining and not just musings. I’ve found, with all of the information that pours down on us every day it’s difficult enough to keep up without me adding to it. And yes, in addition, I now know the meaning of “writer’s block”. 

The problem is that if I want to fulfill the goal of RemainComm, which is to keep communicating, I need to…well keep communicating. In order to build relationships we all need to keep talking to each other. In my case, one way I do that is through this blog. If I’m ever going to build a relationship with you, I’m going to need to share more of me in the hopes of you sharing more with me. 

So, here’s the deal. I’ll keep striving to post real actionable content but at the same time I’ll keep posting “regularly”. That may mean shorter posts, posts that are a bit out of left field, or posts that are insightful, thought provoking, and life changing (yeah…well…maybe). In the end though, let’s keep talking… 

Now about this whole Ellen crying on TV deal…

Emotion In the Message

I was talking with a client and friend of mine about being comfortable speaking in an interview situation about what she does. She knows her stuff from top to bottom but gets the heebie-jeebies when in the spotlight. We spent a bit of time talking about why she does what she does and what it is that drives and inspires her. Then we identified some topics that directly related to those passions and will seek to target those topics in interviews. Needless to say she’s feels much more comfortable. She’s more confident because she is speaking from the heart…speaking with commitment…speaking with passion.

Bob McClain of WordsmithBob.com, forwarded an article from one of his guests, Judy Merrick-Lockett, about emotions being the bottom line of success. The article talks about the number one factor determining success…emotional intelligence. It’s an interesting read and points out, as above, that your emotions are a great tool when used correctly. 

Of course, there is a time and place for restraint. Let’s not be going off on a rant about the high price of plumbers when someone asks the way to the bathroom or starving kids in China when your kids say they’ve had enough to eat (Mom!).  At the same time don’t be afraid to be emotionally involved when you communicate whether in writing, during presentations, or in conversation. Too often we get caught up in what and how something should be communicated and miss the chance to really connect with the message and our audience. In a world crowded with too many messages, a bit of passion and commitment will go along way in cutting through the clutter.