Social Media ReInvention Blog

Google Real Time Search: Five Observations on the Strategic Implications for Search Domination

Last week, Google announced real time search and additional innovations to it core search offering.  These announcements received significant media coverage, and I find the various viewpoints highly interesting.  After reviewing a variety of publicly available sources, I've summarized my observations and opinions on the strategic implications for Google and the battlefield for search dominance.

Observation #1 - Real Time Search is a First Step in Addressing the Threat of Vertical Search Via Social Networks 

I recently wrote a blog post about this challenge in Charlie Rose's Conversation with Ken Auletta: Innovation, Efficiency, and Future Challenges at Google.  The partnerships with Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace enable Google to include updates from the Big 3 social networking sites into its search index.  Previously, it took a few minutes for updates from social networks and blogs to filter into Google's search results (not the case anymore).  By offering real-time social networking updates in a Google Search, they're decreasing the threat of users using these sites to conduct searches (particularly Twitter Search).  Which leads us to search relevancy ...

Sources: New York Times - Google Add Live Updates to Results

Observation #2 - A Killer Combination: Real Time Search with Google's Search Relevancy

According to the New York Times article, Biz Stone (one of Twitter's co-founders) think Google is better at providing relevancy to a search user's questions.  In addition, TechCrunch hammers home how relevancy is a major strength of Google searches.  MG Siegler, the author of the TechCrunch article made some great points:

* "Relevancy is perhaps the key to making real-time search a pillar of the web."

*How Google Fellow Amit Singhal positioned Google's relevancy advantage: "It's Google relevancy technology meeting the realtime web."

In Adam Ostrow's Mashable article, the partnerships with Twitter and Facebook are a concession by these companies that they can't outbuild (or outspend) Google when it comes to search.  Just ask Carol Bartz, the CEO of Yahoo ...

Sources: Mashable - Google Launches Real-Time Search, New York Times - Google Add Live Updates to Results, Tech Crunch - Google Aims to Push the Speed of Light with Realtime Results. Seriously.,  New York Times - Out of the Search Business, Yahoo Shifts Its Focus

Observation #3 - Google Continues Expanding Search to the Mobile Space

Christina Warren (another of my favorite Mashable writers) made some intresting observations about the implications for Google's competitors:

* Microsoft's Bing: They're now going after a moving target because Google will continue to innovate in search.

* Yahoo: Even though it's has more market share than Bing, Yahoo is conceding real-time search to Google and Bing.  Search isn't a focus for them.  Their niche is as a service provider.

In addition, The Wall Street Journal points out that Bing has gained market share and credibility in search.  Naturally, Google is going to protect its core business.  These announcements show Google is still on the cutting edge of innovation and will continue to introduce new advancements.  

Therefore, it's not surprising that these advancements focus on the mobile space:

*  Google Goggles: Allows users to pull up information about a landmark or product by taking a picture from their cellphones.  This service is currently only available on cellphones running Google' Android OS.  According to Vic Gundotra, a Google VP of Engineering, the end goal is to "visually identify any image over time,  merely by pointing a mobile device to it."

* Google Voice Search | Google Translation: Allows users to conduct search based queries by speaking into your phone (supports Mandarin, Japanese, and English).  When you speak into your phone in English, your query can be auto translated into another lanaguage (i.e., Spanish) and the query can can be spoken back to you out loud -- your phone becomes a Universal Translator.

* Google Local Search / Location-Based Search: Allows users to get information about locations and user ratings of nearby restaurants and shops.  It will also provide "contextualized" suggestions relevant to the current location you're in.

Sources: Fast Company - Google Unveils Real Time Search, Translation, Image Searching, Goggles...Awkwardly, Forbes - Google Conquers Time, Mashable - What Real-Time Means for Google's Competitors, The Wall Street Journal - Google Rolls Out New Tools as it Battles Rival

Observation #4 - Personalizing Search is Going to be a Major Factor in Establishing Search Dominance

Silicon Alley Insider highlighted what Google considers The Four (4) Biggest Challenges in the Future of Search:

* Challenge 1: Modes - how and where people type in a search query
* Challenge 2: Media - how people manage and consume content
* Challenge 3: Language - how to help people conduct searches without communication barriers
* Challenge 4: Personalization - enable customized searches re: tastes, preferences, and locations

ComputerWorld emphasized the importance of Challenge 4 in the search rivalry between Google and Microsoft.  Search is becoming more indvidualized and that includes finding relevant and applicable content from images, video, tweets, and blog posts.  According to Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group, search is "looking more like the dynamic lives of its users" because:

* Search is becoming more personal and granular
* Search results are now drilling down to include a single people's observations or opinions (whether you're famous or not)

Sources: ComputerWorld - Google, Microsoft's 'War of Innovation' Changing Face of Search, Silicon Alley Insider - Google Shows Off New Search Features to Top Bing

Observation #5 - These Innovations Bolster Google's Competitive Advantages in Advertising and Cloud Computing

Real-time search and the mobile innovations naturally support Google's vision towards cloud computing.  Google wants users to spend more time on the Internet searching for information (specifically with their search engine and subsequently looking at more of their ads).  By performing more Google searches, we'll provide more information on our online behaviors.  This data gives Google the advantage in delivering more appropriate advertisements (and that increases the value of the ads it auctions).

Sources: Forbes - Google Conquers Time

Charlie Rose's Conversation with Ken Auletta: Innovation, Efficiency, and Future Challenges at Google

I've started reading Googled: The End of the World As We Know It by Ken Auletta.  There's no question Google is reinventing and transforming the world of traditional media.  If you're an online strategy nut or corporate strategy geek like me, you'll love this book. 

I discovered this book from a Charlie Rose interview conducted on November 5, 2009.  After watching the original broadcast and studying the online archive, I had to write a blog post about the key takeaways from their conversation.  I also purchased Mr. Auletta's book from Amazon because I love learning how Google:

* Approaches and dissects problems
* Views business opportunities
* Drives and sustains innovation throughout its organization

Furthermore, Charlie Rose is the television industry's best broadcaster and interviewer.  Check out this Fortune Magazine article: Why Business Loves Charlie Rose.  The outstanding content and insights shared on Mr. Rose's nightly show make it required viewing.  I also learn from Mr. Rose's preparation, questioning, and listening.  He possesses that rare ability to comfortably engage guests and non-threateningly ask difficult questions. 

Without further adieu, here are the seven (7) insights I learned by studying the conversation between Mr. Auletta and Mr. Rose.  If there are additional viewpoints or lessons you think should be included from the November 5th interview, please share them in the comments section.

Insight 1: Ask Why Does It Have to Be This Way?

Google asks this fundamental question whenever confronting a problem or business opportunity.  Their engineers challenge the status quo by starting with a basic assumption -- the traditional analog world is inefficient.

Advertising. Wouldn't you want to know if people are reading your ads?  Wouldn't you want to know if the people who buy your product(s) do so because of your advertising?

Packaged Computer Software. Why does computer software have to run from our hard drives or a computer desktop?  Why can't it run off a computer "cloud" accessible through our web browsers?

Newspaper Publishing. Isn't there a more efficient way to publish and distribute newspapers?

Bottom Line: Google finds a way to drive out inefficiencies.  This "engineer's mindset" is the core capability Google brings to solving all traditional problems. 

Insight 2: Google and Microsoft are Different -- and Alike

Cold Engineers Versus Cold Businessmen.  Google isn't out to destroy the competition.  Their engineering goal is to drive out inefficiencies.  Contrast this mentality with Microsoft in 1998 (when it was investigated for antitrust concerns).  Here, the US government questioned the company's intent to compete fairly with Netscape and Sun Microsystems.

Both Share an Inability to Anticipate Other People's Fears.  Both Google and Microsoft are brilliant in solving problems.  However, both firms don't understand why the US government and public would question their business motives.  In Google's case, people now fear them the way people feared Microsoft in 1998.  The recent legal proceedings between Google and the publishing industry regarding the digitizing of books is a prime example.  Here's a recent article about how Google is attempting to smooth over relations with the publishing industry from The Washington Post titled, Google Allows Publishers to Strengthen Pay Walls.

Insight 3: No One Saw Google Coming (Not Even Bill Gates)

You Can't Anticipate What You Don't Know.  In 1998, Mr. Auletta interviewed Bill Gates during Microsoft's antitrust trial period and asked what worried him the most.  Gates replied: "I worry about someone in a garage inventing something that will displace Microsoft."  Ironically, Larry Page and Sergey Brin are now Microsoft's most significant competitor particularly with their push to establish cloud computing and Google Chrome OS.

2006 was a Tipping Point: The $1.65 Billion YouTube Acquisition.  Before this acquisition, it was unclear if Google was making money.  With the YouTube acquisition, traditional media finally realized Google's broad ambitions and imminent threat as a future media company.  Mr. Auletta said it best during the interview (paraphrasing): "Wow, they're coming after me (e.g., traditional media)."

Insight 4: Google Views Itself as a Media Company Not a Search Company

Become the First $100 Billion Media Company.  Eric Schmidt says this is the ultimate goal.  Currently, Google hasn't significantly monetized their product portfolio beyond search.  However, you can't bet against them because of their involvement in a vast number of areas:

* Advertising: Google AdWords, Google AdSense
* Telecommunications: Android OS
* Television: YouTube
* Books & Publishing: Digitized Books
* Software: Cloud Computing, Google Docs

Make Money But Not at the Expense of Violating User Trust.  Mr. Auletta finds this insight or clarity of thought extremely telling.  At a young age, Brin and Page recognized the value of building user trust because they've received plenty of opportunities to make "easy money."  For example, they declined Visa's $3 million offer to place a banner ad on the Google Home Page.  Brin and Page declined becaus they thought the ad would be intrusive and disruptive to the user experience.

Insight 5: Google's Simplistic Home Page is a Nod to Steve Jobs and Apple

Google's founders admire Jobs' passion and his vision to simplify with "elegant design."  The simplicity and clean look of the Google home page reflects Jobs' and Apple's influence.

Insight 6: How Will Google Handle Current and Future Challenges

Challenge 1: Expanding Revenues Beyond Search (aka The One-Trick Pony).  Mr. Auletta points out how Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, criticizes Google's reliance on search-related revenues.  But, I liked Mr. Auletta's anecdote that Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, replied: "Yeah, but it's a pretty good trick."  Still, Ballmer has a point.  AdWords and AdSense accounts for $21 billion in revenues (out of $22 billion total).  Mr. Auletta puts this number in context and explained that $21 billion is roughly equivalent to the advertising revenues for all U.S. consumer-related magazines.  Also, Google's revenue is also equivalent to two-third's of U.S. newspaper advertising revenues. 

Not too shabby for a one-trick pony ...

Here's a video clip from the CNBC Original: Inside the Mind of Google.  It talks about how Google is looking to expand its influence into the mobile market with its Android Operating System:

 

Challenge 2: Google is Concerned About Vertical Search Via Social Networks.  I can personally confirm the power and appeal of search via social networks like Facebook or Twitter.  I've commented on other blogs that the reason I find Twitter so powerful is because the people I follow on Twitter are often a better source of content than my own Google search.  The authority of your Facebook Friends or who  you follow on Twitter is why Google wanted to acquire Twitter. 

In many ways, real-time search or conducting a search through Twitter is what Google would ask or propose to threaten their own offering.  Google is asking themselves: "Why should you conduct a search through Google when you can solicit the trusted opinion of friends or people who share your common interests?"  This idea is captured in one of the best articles I've ever read on Facebook as a potential threat  to Google: Wired Article - Great Wall of Facebook: The Social Network's Plan to Dominate the Internet -- and Keep Google Out.

Challenge 3: Convincing Top Talent to Remain at Google.  Mr. Rose and Mr. Auletta discussed the challenge of employee retention especially when your top engineering talent (1) has no shot at attaining the top spot because you have young founders and (2) the opportunity for a big pay day has already passed.  A prime example is Marissa Mayer, Google's VP of Search and User Experience.  Even though she's achieved significant wealth as one of the original team members, she may want to forge her own path by leading her own company.  Here's an article about Marissa Mayer from the New York Times titled, Putting a Bolder Face on Google.

Challenge 4: Trappings of Your Own, Phenomenal Success: Arrogance and Hubris.  Right now, Google is not concerned about Microsoft Bing.  They respect what Microsoft has accomplished with Bing and are aware of the Microsoft-Yahoo combination.  However, Mr. Auletta thinks Google looks at Microsoft as "an old company" that won't move as quickly as Google. 

Furthermore, when you're young and you've become successful so quickly, you begin to question why would anyone question your business motives (e.g., why's the U.S. government giving our company grief for wanting to digitize all books)?  In 1998 and 1999, Bill Gates had the same attitude when the U.S. government investigated Microsoft for anti-trust concerns.  Christine Varney, Head of the U.S. Justice Department's Anti-Trust Division, is investigating all concentrations of power and the tendency of Democratic-led administrations is to introduce more government regulation.  As a result, Google has been beefing up its Washington office with legal talent.  Check out this June 2009 New York Times article titled, Google Makes a Case It Isn't So Big.  The story profiles Dana Wagner and his significant role in Google public relations on Capitol Hill. 

Challenge 5: What Happens to Privacy?  Will Google Continue to Not Be Evil?  With every Google search we conduct, we leave a digital fingerprint or footprint (i.e., our individual IP address).  Everyday, Google collects millions of data points about our online habits and tendencies.  This is the reason why advertisers partner with Google.  Advertisers want access to that information.  What happens if advertisers make significant financial offers to Google to access to that information?  This concentration of personal information on Google's servers is the biggest reason people fear it is becoming too powerful.

Here's another video clip from the CNBC Original: Inside the Mind of Google.  It talks about how this very subject and includes Marissa Mayer's opinion on this issue:

 

 

Inbound Marketing by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah Levels the Marketing Playing Field

I am a huge fan of HubSpot and its founders, Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah.  Their team members, Mike Volpe and Rebecca Corliss, generously share outstanding content and services (i.e., Inbound Marketing University) to help all marketing professionals continuously improve and reinvent their marketing skills.  This organization is the epitome of a social media core value: "It is always better to give than to receive."

Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs is an outstanding and practical marketing strategy guide targeted to small and startup businesses.  Halligan and Shah have written this book with small and startup businesses in mind because their book shares numerous insights from their own experiences as entrepreneurs (i.e., Tips from the Trenches).

The Value of This Book.  Inbound Marketing makes a convincing case that marketing success is not limited by the size of our respective marketing budgets.  Instead, these limits are now a function of our own creativity and investment of time.  Inbound Marketing practically explains how small or startup businesses can practically and effectively compete with larger competitors by executing:

* Social media strategy via channels such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
* A lead nurturing and conversion process
* A sales marketing funnel process to measure campaign ROI

 

The 6 Practical Benefits of Studying Inbound Marketing

1. Understanding how/why Google plays a signifcant role in your marketing success.  Here, Inbound Marketing explains in non-technical terms why inbound links (e.g., links from other websites that connect to your site or blog) play a vital role in your website's  "Google Juice" or Google Authority (e.g., the number of inbound links to your web pages and the authority of those pages linking to your site).

2. Executing practical and actionable "to-do" lists at the end of every chapter.  The suggestions are hardly rocket science but they require personal commitment, preseverance, and time.

3. Learning social media marketing tactics for use across all major social media channels.  Halligan and Shah ably provide specific examples on how to effectively deploy blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, StumbleUpon, and YouTube.

4. Measuring the effectiveness of your social media marketing initiatives by channel.  For example, the book guides you on how to compare the effectiveness of a Twitter campaign versus a YouTube campaign.

5. Implementing a lead nurturing process in all marketing campaigns.  Why is this important?  Every prospect is at a different place in the buying cycle for your particular product or service.  Therefore, you want this prospect to have your organization at the "top-of-mind" even when they're not ready to buy from you (because one day they will be).

6. Informing marketing decisions (e.g., ROI) by creating a sales marketing funnel process.  This process will enable your organization to measure and evaluate campaign yield along with ROI.

 

The 3 Audiences Who Will Benefit from Studying Inbound Marketing 

1. Amateur Bloggers.  You will learn how to build Google Authority for your blog by understanding why you don't want your blog's URL address to include the name of your blogging platform.  For example, if your blog's URL address is www.myblogname.typepad.com or www.myblogname.wordpress.com that's not good.  Make sure to address this problem -- I did and my search engine results are all the better for it.

2. Marketing Professionals (especially CMOs).  You will make better marketing decisions by creating a sales marketing funnel so you can measure campaign effectiveness per channel using campaign yield and ROI measurement techniques.

3. CEOs.  You will learn how to monitor your competitor's activity and progress by tracking seven (7) attributes.  These attributes can be tracked using free tools on the Internet.  These attributes or tools are:

* Website Grade via WebsiteGrader.com
* Number of Delicious.com bookmarks
* Number of inbound links
* Number of Facebook fans
* Website traffic via Compete.com
* Google Buzz of your brand name relative to a competitor's brand name

If you've read Inbound Marketing, please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of the book.  I'm curious to know what you found helpful or valuable.

3 Reasons Why I Rejected Your LinkedIn Invitation (and the Solutions for Getting Accepted Next Time)

How many times have you seen this communication in your email Inbox?

* I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
* Since you are a person I trust, I wanted to invite you to join my network on LinkedIn.

And here's the kicker:

* You have no idea who the this person is 
* You've never met this person one-on-one ever in your life
* The invitation and the person's LinkedIn profile is your only reference point

This post's inspiration emerges from an October 30, 2009 CNN.com article titled: Defriending Can Bruise Your Digital Ego.  The article's author explains  a LinkedIn user's disappointment after receiving being rejected by another LinkedIn member.  The prospective connection's reply: "I only connect with people I know, and hopefully our paths will cross one day."

In my opinion, these types of LinkedIn rejections stem from more than just "I don't know you personally."  From my own experience, I suspect that  other factors came into play:

Reason #1: You Used the Standard LinkedIn Invitation Form Letter

The Problem. The boilerplate language of a every LinkedIn Invitation is a form letter. Trust me, why don't you just put up a big blinking sign that says: "Reject Me Now."  Is this the best you can do?  Are you really that busy that you sent me the exact, same text that you blasted out to probably 1,000 others!  Perhaps I'm being overly judgmental, but my initial reaction is always here's someone who desperately wants that coveted LinkedIn status symbol: Connections = 500+ (versus my individual connection).  Let me guess, you probably also have 10,000+ Twitter followers also ...

 

The Solution.  Demonstrate why you want to personally connect.  Define your purpose sincerely.  Prove to me this connection is not all about you.  In this case, you have to prove why this is actually "about me."

How often we forget (and yes, that includes yours truly) that social networking and social media is about building personal relationships and trust.  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are powerful communication tools that can help us initiate or build personal relationships.  The mistake we make is thinking that these tools are substitutes for the relationship itself.  I always remind myself that sitting at the other keyboard is another human being.

A Personalized LinkedIn Invite Example.  One of the best LinkedIn Invitations I've ever received from someone I've never met went something like this: "Tony, I'm sending you a LinkedIn Invite because I've listened to / read your comments in LinkedIn Discussion Groups A, B, or C (sample comment or paraphrase went here).  It appears we enjoy participating in and learning more about social media. It would be great to connect so we can exchange ideas in the future.  Sincerely, A LinkedIn Member." 

Now that's what I'm talking about!  Show me that you've invested some time in getting to know me (and why a relationship will mutually benefit both of us).  Sounds a lot like dating doesn't it?  Well, it's probably because it is ...

Great Article Advice on Customizing a LinkedIn Invite from Jason Alba.  Heather Huhman of Examiner.com wrote a great article titled: Customizing LinkedIn Invitations for Maximum Results.  In this article, Huhman interviewed Jason Alba, author of "I'm on LinkedIn, Now What??  Alba's suggestions included the following 4 tips:

A) Customize the Invitation
B) Tell the Person Where You Know Them From
C) Tell the Person Why You Want to Connect
D) No Strings Attached

Reason #2: We Have No Previous Communication History Via Other Social Networks

The Problem.  If I'm not currently following your activity or participation in Twitter, LinkedIn, or blogs, I have no frame of reference for who you are.  Depending on the details of your LinkedIn Profile, it may not communicate enough information about what we share professionally.  Please help me understand why I should grant you access to my personal and professional contacts because I'm not an "open networker."

 

The Solution.  To me, LinkedIn Connections represent the ultimate professional privilege.  I've worked incredibly hard to cultivate and maintain my personal and professional network (and it's taken me more than 20+ years to build my professional credibility and reputation). 

Therefore, if you're unsure how to write a LinkedIn invite that makes a strong case for connecting,  let's establish a connection on another social network first.  If you're on Twitter, send me a quick @reply or RT one of my tweets that you found helpful.  This is the only way I know you're out there.  I promise I'll check out your Twitter profile and Twitter stream so I can learn more about you.  And, if I  start following your Twitter stream, that's even better!  If we read and comment on the same blogs, tell me so I can review your blog comments.  The same thing goes for LinkedIn Discussion Groups.  I usually connect with other group members who actively participate and comment. 

All of these items give me an opportunity to learn more about you.  I promise to take the time because you took the time also.

Some Other Resources on Writing LinkedIn Invitations. 

Reason #3: I Suspect Your Real Motives for Connecting With Me

The Problem.  You send me a LinkedIn Invitation because you think I can help you find a job (and you don't state that as your original intent or purpose in your invitation).  The same thing goes here for people asking me for a LinkedIn Recommendation.  There's something about "baiting and switching" that grates at me. 

My problem stems not from wanting to help someone find employment in this vicious job market -- far from it.  I've been helping former colleagues, classmates, and new connections try and find work ever since we've connected on LinkedIn.  The key difference: These people were honest and up-front with me.  That's why I accepted their invitations, and provided my assistance.

 

The Solution.  If you're unemployed and think I can help you, let me know that's the purpose of the invite.  Let me know why you think I can help and what common point-of-reference we share (i.e., are we alumni of the same school or do we participate in the same LinkedIn Discussion Groups?). 

I know what I'm requesting isn't easy, and it's easier to say than do.  When I was looking for work in 2002, I vividly remember stating the "can you help me find a job" purpose to people in emails or phone calls.  Yes, it's humbling and you may feel embarrassed.  Don't be -- Honesty goes a long way with me.

I hope you found this helpful in writing LinkedIn Invitations that get you connected. 

* What have you found in your own experiences with writing or receiving LinkedIn Invitations?

* Have you received any invitations that stood out in your mind (good or bad) that you either accepted/rejected?

* What advice did I leave out that you think would help another reader?

If you made it this far, thank you for reading and stopping by.  If you liked or disagreed with anything I wrote, please leave me a comment. 

A Twitter Tryst: 3 Reasons Why I'm Cheating on My Beloved Tweetdeck (By Using HootSuite)

* Will you forgive me?
* I was thinking of you the whole time ...
* It didn't mean anything to me ...

Okay, okay, I know these are a bunch of stereotypical cliches to comically describe the types of apologies portrayed in "cheating scenarios" in relationships.  But, I also have have a confession to make.  Please don't hate me Tweetdeck, but I've started using HootSuite!

Why I Fell in Love with TweetDeck in the First Place ...

When I first started learning Twitter (about 6 months ago), I found TweetDeck a fantastic tool for broadcasting tweets.  For a Twitter novice, it represented my user-friendly multi-purpose tool, and it made the mechanics of tweeting less daunting.  My favorite features for TweetDeck at that time included:  

* Creating an "executive dashboard" multiple-column view
* Sending retweets (RT's) and @replies and
* Shortening URLs

When I want to monitor Twitter activity on my iPhone, I go straight to my TweetDeck app.  Even on a smaller screen, the information is displayed beautifully and zipping from column-to-column is just a finger swipe away.  But 645 tweets later (as of this morning), I found myself wanting something more ...

... and the 3 Reasons Why HootSuite Has Stolen My Twitter Affections

Reason #1 You Can Easily Schedule Tweets for a Future Date or Time.For me this is huge.  I conduct my article research either early in the morning or late at night so I can include their links in my tweets.  Also, I have a demanding full-time, daytime job so sending out tweets during the workday isn't going to work.  As a result, few followers would see my tweets because I was sending them out during "non-peak" Twitter viewing times (at least for my following which is primarily US based).  With the HootSuite Scheduler, this problem is easily addressed with an easy-to-navigate, "point-and-click" and click solution:

I now rely heavily on this feature and I love it!  Now, I can schedule the tweet to be sent out either the next day or later in the day during "peak Twitter viewing hours" (i.e., 9 AM - 9:30 AM Eastern Time, Noon Eastern Time).

Quite simply, the HootSuite Scheduler increases the likelihood of a follower reading my tweet.

And how do I know that followers are reading my tweets or "engaging with my content?"  That leads us to reason #2 ...

Reason#2 You Can Track Twitter Viewer Engagement. HootSuite allows you to view clicks on your URL-shortened links in near real-time.  This capability is very important for organizations who desire to:

(1) Measure audience engagement with their content
(2) Evaluate messaging effectiveness / tweeting effectiveness or
(3) Monitor what type of Twitter content really attracts consumers

Here's the link to the HootSuite YouTube video describing its viewer statistics capabilities.  Also, here are some screen shots from my computer showing how HootSuite can help you in measuring audience engagement, your messaging effectiveness, and content popularity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reason #3 Viewing User Information is a Lot Easier (My Opinion).  Admittedly, this is subjective argument on my part.  I just like being able to easily view information about other users (especially if they've granted me the privilege of their follow).  In TweetDeck, this feature usually set up what looked like a new column (even though it really wasn't).  The HootSuite solution just appears a little cleaner and more visually pleasing (at least to me).

Please let me know what you think by leaving me a comment:

* How many of you out there have a preferred Twitter client / user interface?

* Which one do you prefer (i.e, the Twitter web interface, TweetDeck, HootSuite, others?)

* What's the favorite feature(s) of your favorite Twitter Tool?

* Are their other Twitter Tools you can share with us that I need to learn?

Many thanks and I hope to hear from you in your comments! 

A Great Example of Online Listening & Brand Monitoring: The Ritz-Carlton

How Many Times Per Day Do We Ask Ourselves These Questions
* Will major companies or brands ever understand the importance of "listening" to online conversations?
* Is this this whole concept of "online listening" just a matter of hype and social media hocus-pocus?
* Does showing online audiences that we're listening really do anything (e.g., start engagement, build goodwill, do anything?)

The Ritz-Carlton Gets It ...

I recently read a great article in Forbes.com: How Ritz-Carlton Stays at the Top.  The article is an interview of its CEO, Simon F. Cooper, who describes a number of the processes and the organization's famous service culture such as:

* Its Famous Service Motto: "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen."

* Employee Trust: Every Ritz employee is permitted to spend up to $2000 per guest to make sure a guest is satisfied (and that's per guest incident not per year)

* A Compelling Objective: Create an Absolutely Wonderful Stay for a Guest

The Ritz doesn't just talk-the-talk, they walk-the-walk.  Their organization carries the distinction as the only service company in America to receive the Malcolm S. Baldridge Quality Award twice.  

The Ritz-Carlton's Senior Director of Public Relations, Alison Sitch Demonstrates Online Listening, Engagement, and Brand Monitoring

I tweeted about the Forbes article late Wednesday evening around 9 pm - 10 pm and referenced the $2000 per guest factoid because I thought that was pretty cool.  I learned a lot from reading the article, and thought my Twitter Followers might enjoy reading it too. 

Here's what impresses me about the Ritz-Carlton's online listening engagement by Alison Sitch -- Check this out:

* I received a "Mention" in my Twitter stream the following morning from @RitzCarltonPR (Alison Sitch) thanking me for the tweet I sent about the article -- Unbelievable!

* Not only did Alison thank me but she also sent out 11 "thank you tweets" acknowledging 60+ people who also tweeted about the Forbes.com article (based on my quick scan of her Twitter stream).

* I have never received any type of "thank you note" or communication from a large or prestigious organization like the Ritz-Carlton for any tweets I send (and I've sent out a lot of tweets).

I just think this is a great example of what Chris Brogan says is "showing others how we can be human at a distance." In a cynical age where there's more mistrust than trust in the business world, isn't it great to hear the words "thank you?" 

* If you received a thank you note like this wouldn't it make you feel good too? 

* Wouldn't it make you feel like there's someone genuinely trying to treat you well and wasn't taking your kindness for granted? 

* Isn't that something important to all of us as human beings (whether we're communicating online or in-person?

Please tell me what you think in your comments.

It made me feel really good, and I'm now following @RitzCarltonPr (aka Alison Sitch) on Twitter.  Here's Alison's Twitter profile in case you'd like to follow her also:

 

Social Media Club Kansas City Education Chairman, Mark van Baale, Presents at Kauffman Foundation's Ignite Kansas City

On November 3, 2009, The Kauffman Foundation held its first Ignite Kansas City Event.  These Ignite KC events revolve around the premise: "If you had five minutes on stage to pitch a new idea, what would you say?"

Another cool and challenging aspect is the overall presentation format for the speakers:

* Slides will auto-advance
* You get 15 seconds per slide
* 5 minutes max for your presentation
* Only 20 slides (or less) allowed

Mark van Baale, Social Media Club of Kansas City Chairman, presented his idea titled: Raising People's Hopes Through Community (both Online & Offline).  Mark did a great job in his presentation, and it was an enjoyable evening filled with a lot of creative ideas. 

Here's Mark's presentation:

 

 

What Ross Kimbarovsky, crowdSpring Co-Founder, Taught Me About Personalizing Audience Engagement

Ross Kimbarovsky, co-founder of crowdSpring, wrote a phenomenal Mashable article titled, 10 Small Business Social Media Marketing Tips.  Every professional marketer should read this article for his fantastic advice that readily applies to any business thinking about social media marketing execution.  The article shares both "beginner" and "advanced strategies."

A Case Study in Audience Engagement

More importantly, I'm genuinely impressed by the personalized responses Kimbarovsky provided to the reader's comments.  After reviewing about 45 of his responses, I stopped counting. These personalized responses ranged from "I'm glad you found the article helpful" (for the commenters who provided quick "thank you-type" comments) to longer and thoughtful replies. 

I think we could learn a lot about genuine audience engagement by studying his responses.  Kimbarovsky demonstrates the importance of listening and individualized treament.  If I could ever generate comparable numbers and types of responses for my content, I would be overjoyed. 

But generating the responses or initiating the conversation is only half the story.  The other half is carefully listening to each individual -- and isn't that really the art of great conversation ... 

If you think I'm full of it, read this eMarketer article, Consumers Demand Brand Interaction.  One of the study findings shows that new media contact with companies and brands fosters goodwill in a majority of users with at least 70% of the respondents reporting positive impressions, stronger connections and a greater willingness to engage with the company.

Great Examples We All Could Learn From

Check out Kimbarovsky's personalized responses here -- it's a clinic in genuinely listening, responding, and engaging an audience:

 

 

 

 

 

Set Up an iGoogle Heads-Up-Display (HUD) to Comment Faster on Newly Published Blog Posts

* Do your comments get noticed by the authors of the blogs you comment on?

* How often do blog authors acknowledge and respond to your comments?

* Are you leveraging the opportunity to earn more inbound visits to your blog or website from other commenters who might want to learn more about you because you left a thoughtful and helpful comment?

I'm currently reading the outstanding book, Inbound Marketing, by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah (they are the founders of HubSpot).  This book is filled with many pearls for any professional marketer about inbound marketing, and provides clear examples that great marketing isn't limited by the size of your wallet but it's actually your individual creativity and investment of time.

This book has many insights to help professional marketers find ways to increase the online visibility of their companies and thought leadership. One of the many insights they focus on is commenting on blog as a strategy for building your online reputation.  For this post, I will focus specifically on being a first-mover in commenting on your favorite blogs so you or your company have better chance of getting noticed by the blog author or other commenters. 

Before we go into the specifics of the post, I want to explain how I'm a big fan of the company HubSpot and am an avid participant in their Inbound Marketing University (IMU) curriculum.  IMU helps professional marketers from both large and small organizations make better online marketing decisions regarding search engine optimization (SEO), social media, blogging, lead nurturing, and many other important topics.  The content shared in IMU is outstanding, and I highly recommend studying its content which HubSpot generously shares online. 

Build Your Online Credibility by Commenting on Blogs

"Street cred" in the online world takes time and patience. Halligan and Shah spend a good portion of their inbound marketing strategy on commenting on the blogs of influential bloggers.  Building relationships with bloggers starts by commenting on their blogs, and it's a great way to begin building your individual or corporate blogging reputation about a specific industry or online marketing topic (i.e., personal branding, social media strategy, web analytics, etc). 

As I've analyzed the inbound link traffic or referring websites to my blog, I've noticed more traffic is coming from the blog posts I comment on.  If I write a comment that other commenters deem credible, my web analytics follow-up indicates that other commenters are checking out my blog to learn more about me.  These new blog visitors provide a great opportunity to potentially convert new visitors to new subscribers.

 

Get Noticed by Blog Authors & Their Readers

Halligan and Shah point out that you don't want to be commenter #14 because your comments can be lost in the shuffle.  Whenever possible, make it a goal to be one of the first three commenters on a newly published post.  How I wish I'd implemented this strategy many months ago when I first started commenting (but that's okay, it's part of the learning process).

I diligently comment on my favorite blogs ~5 to 7 times per week.  Now, I respond faster to post my comments and implement a smarter strategy that increases my chances of:

* Earning a response from the blog author and
* Attracting inbound traffic to my blog from other commenters

 

Use a Heads-Up-Display (HUD) So You Respond Faster

One of the best ways to ensure you are one of the first two to three commenters on a post is to create a heads-up-display (HUD) in your iGoogle Home Page.  Halligan and Shah recommend setting up a HUD or other monitoring tool via RSS feeds so you're in touch with what's going on in the blogosphere.  By the way, this method also works great for Competitive Intelligence gathering (and will probably be the subject of a future blog post).

I monitor the RSS feeds from my favorite blogs to look for newly published posts.  This is a more efficient way to stay-up-to-date on great blog content and look for blog commenting opportunities.  I initially tried monitoring individual RSS feeds but I found this too cumbersome.  A quick scan takes only a few moments (about the length of time to sip and drink my morning cup of coffee).

How-to-Video: iGoogle HomePage Heads-Up-Display (HUD)

BTW, let me know if you get a kick out of the screen reflection of my Sunday Morning BedHead!  After all, I want to provide some on-screen entertainment - LOL and thanks for reading if you've made it this far.

 

Turn Your iGoogle Homepage Into a Heads-Up-Display (HUD) to Monitor Your Favorite Blogs from Tony Faustino on Vimeo.

 

How-To Video: Making a LinkedIn Public Profile Easier to Find for Google or Executive Recruiters

* Are you getting found on LinkedIn?
* Can Google easily find your LinkedIn Public Profile?

More and more executive recruiters are using LinkedIn to find quality candidates. This article titled, LinkedIn leads among social networks used for recruiting while Facebook and Twitter exhibit significant growth, states that 95% of the respondents are using LinkedIn for employee referrals or employee candidate searches.

A LinkedIn Profile is a great place to start building your online identity. LinkedIn Public Profiles rank high in Google searches. I have two (2) suggestions for taking advantage this great online opportunity.

Customize Your LinkedIn URL to Include Your Name

My LinkedIn Public Profile URL is http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyfaustino.

By including your name within your LinkedIn URL, you increase your search engine optimization (SEO) chances of getting picked up by Google (or friends, former colleagues, past classmates, executive recruiters or anyone else who types your name into Google).  You can find this option within the Edit Public Profile Section of your LinkedIn Profile. Take advantage of this option!

 

Fill Out Your LinkedIn Profile With a High Level of Detail: It's Your Online Resume!

It doesn't always have to be like this picture where you're the one doing all the searching.

By filling out your LinkedIn Profile with a high level of detail, you provide Google with lots of important keywords -- keywords that point to your profile.  That's especially important when an executive recruiter is searching for potential candidates within the LinkedIn network. I know from 1st-hand experience that this works! There's a big difference when someone is seeking you out as opposed to the other way around.

Don't just list past job titles, former companies, and the timeframes you held these jobs.  In my opinion, that's a mistake and can result in lost professionally or personal opportunities.  Why? You're providing limited information which limits the number of keywords that someone can use to find your LinkedIn Profile.

 

Here's my little video. Sorry it's not Steven Spielberg quality but it's my 1st one and I'm still learning. If you have some helpful hints to improve the quality (I used my Flip Video Camera), please let me know in your comments. I'd love to learn from more experienced video practitioners!

Also, near the end, you'll hear my dog Ollie drinking from his waterbowl in the last few seconds.  Obviously, Ollie doesn't understand the words: "Quiet on the Set!"

How To Make a LinkedIn Public Profile Easier to Find for Google and Executive Recruiters from Tony Faustino on Vimeo