Pay Per Post: Unwanted Mavericks?…

When you have a moment, listen to the podcast from TalkCrunch regarding Pay Per Post.I urge this for a number of reasons:- Regardless of the sound quality, it’s a great debate (although heated) about a controversial subject important in the world of social media- The podcast is from last summer and a lot has changed

- When I attended the October Blog Business Summit, this was an incredibly dirty subject that sparked debate

- In December, the guys from Pay Per Post were in the same restaurant as the Orlando Blogger Dinner, and everyone at our table hinted at sneaking away to see what these guys “were all about”.

I bring up the concept of pay per post because I just got done reading The Long Tail and re-reading The Tipping Point and both made me think about what they are doing. And then it made me think about the pros and cons highlighted in the podcast.

I believe this concept will not only catch on but most likely be an accepted practice this time next year.

No, I’m not crazy and I didn’t get paid to write this post.

My rationale for such a horrifying statement for all you purists out there is this:

- We all know marketing is changing from the traditional methods. We all know firsthand the power of the blogosphere. Given the two together, the concept of pay per post is a natural evolution of simple economic need.

- I read about 70 blogs a day via NewsGator. I read them because I enjoy what they are writing about first and how they write it second. I do not take what is said as gospel.

- The individuals that write the blogs I read have earned my respect through transparency and integrity. They are not perfect. They are just like me. They put themselves out there for everyone to see.

- I am confident that if they chose to work for pay per post, this would be transparent and regardless, I would not take it as gospel.

- I am confident that these individuals would not write a positive post for a product that they did not believe in. I make this statement because that would involve changing who they are and I doubt they would be hard up for $10.

If they did, they need to find a decent job rather than wasting time blogging.

- If they did the above, it would eventually catch up on them and I would stop reading their blogs.

- This type of of marketing is not just another “black hat” technique. You have to give the search engines more credit.

Simply put, we are not mindless idiots. If we see something that we don’t agree with, we’ll stop reading and move on to the next blog.

If we’re short on time, we may comment.

If we need something to write about, we’ll use it in our next post…
 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed:

Bookmark this page:

Project Management: A Blog Opportunity?…

As I near the end of my first major website redesign as a Project Manager, I think of lessons I’ve learned and what I would have done differently.

The first thing that comes to mind is a blog.

Although blogs are relatively new to my company, I feel the communication would have been much better had I used one. Obviously, you can rely on your Scope and Project Plan along with meeting notes and email trails.

But a blog would have been that much better.

Why a blog? Simple, it would have:

- Contained any communication breakdown or “extra” hands

- Put commitments on a well organized record

- Allowed for ongoing discussions about specific aspects of the project
Deterred “project creep” but offering an environment were new ideas could sprout and be used for later phases

- Offered management an easy way to monitor progress and offer feedback

- Given newcomers the ability to review and understand the task in an interactive manner

Regardless, I learned a lesson…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed:

Bookmark this page:

The Tipping Point: Revisited…

Recently, I re-read The Tipping Point a second time. If you’ve never read it, I suggest you do – or load the CD version to your iPod. It’s a book about social epidemics and how they occur. I bring this up because I believe that we are on the verge of a social media tipping point. Blogs, podcasts, video blogs, etc. are becoming familiar terms to everyone in real life.In fact today, my wife was asked by an acquaintance “…so, what’s Mark been up to?…” My wife replied, “ …ah, he’s doing social-online-blogs-and-community management-stuff…” The friend replied, “…Oh yeah, that stuff is really new, up and coming…” I hate to tell you this, but social media is already here. This friend happens to be a Vice President at a local consulting firm that specializes in management and IT. This is just another example of how social media is not yet taken seriously, but the tipping has begun. So, in terms of social media, I ask:Who are Your Connectors?Who are Your Mavens? Who are Your Salesmen? I know who mine are…
 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed:

Bookmark this page:

Podcasts: I’m a Slave…

I do it in public.I do it at home.I also do it at work.I can multi-task – regardless of what my wife says. I’m “that guy” walking around with his ears buds in and hooked up to my iPod Nano. What am I listening to? Simple. Podcasts.I learn more from podcasts (about social media) than my other resources. I also get to “be there” when I don’t have to opportunity to travel to the latest conference (e.g. CES 2007). My current top “3″:

- Web 2.0 Summit
- Marketing Voices
- Podtech News Even if you don’t have an iPod, these are easy to listen to on your computer.So check ‘em out…
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed:

Bookmark this page:

Net Neutrality: Is it Important?…

This month, my survey asks about Net Neutrality and if it could affect social media in the future.So far, I haven’t gotten the response I thought I would. Back in November, I was watching an interesting documentary by Bill Moyers called Net Neutrality.I got a little freaked out when I first saw this as I’m a believer that the internet is communication first, and information second. Given this, I see this issue needing to be defined as any common carrier.At the last Web 2.0 Summit, there was a great debate about this subject between Vinton Cerf and Robert Pepper. To get a more technical understanding, I recommend you listen to it. My point is this: The issue is important regardless of what side you’re on. I truly believe that social media would not be where it is today without the freedom and competition we currently enjoy.Let me know your thoughts.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed:

Bookmark this page:

Social Media: The Good and The Bad Yesterday…

Yesterday, time stood still.

For some of us, it was only a minute or two. For others, it was 30 minutes to an hour. Even more so, it was the majority of the workday.I’m talking about the unveiling of the iPhone.

The Good: The blogosphere along with other media (e.g. podcasts) has been focused on CES this week. It’s been great to get periodic updates from the convention since I couldn’t attend and really need to stay focused on a project I’m heading.Then the fire started.I took a 5 minute break from my work in DotNetNuke and checked out my NewsGator account. I came accross calcanis.com and saw the headline: Apple iPhone details & photos. Obviously, I had heard the rumors and had to see this.

I ended up at engadeget.com and could not stop reading, could not stop admiring, could not close my mouth. Minutes passed by and yet I could not turn away.Then I noticed others in the office were doing the same thing.In fact, when I went to ask a peer in IT if he had seen the feed, the whole Department also seemed to be enthralled by the whole event. Work stopped, time stood still.

Employees were grouped together anticipating each new “refresh”.This one action in San Francisco stopped not only real life work flow, but also undermined current news stories on the web (e.g. CES, MyBlogLog, etc.).It was truly amazing. THAT IS THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

The Bad: Work flow stopped for however long, however brief.

I know this doesn’t happen every day, but I know similar companies experienced what mine did yesterday. In fact, I’m confident these “events” – both big and small – happen everyday and they affect the bottom line of every company.

I’m not trying to kill the party here, but think about what I just said and how much money is lost every day due to “interruptions”.

By the way, cool phone Steve…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed:

Bookmark this page:

Blogging Code of Conduct: What’s The Golden Rule?…

I’d like to know if there is a proper protocol for handling blog comments.

When I receive comments on a post, I try to answer each one individally or group them together and later publish a rebutal post.

I also try to think about the comments and questions first before I address them.

Sometimes this takes an hour or two, sometimes a day or two.

Sometimes, I think man, that comment said it all and I do nothing.

When I comment on other blogs, sometimes I get a reply. Sometimes the blogger publishes a rebutal post. Sometimes, they do nothing.

Any ideas?

Maybe this is a question for AskDaveTaylor.com?…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed:

Bookmark this page: