Tag Archive for: Web 2.0

Is the future of positive social approval changing?

Almost two years ago, I have written about the development on Twitter that positive comments are not rated in a way they should (in my eyes). Those days I asked the question if the RT (Retweet) becomes a killer for the positive blog comment. Many people tapped my shoulder virtually and agreed with my observation.

In some way the RT “button” is similar to Facebook’s LIKE button. It is a given opportunity to automize a process of agreement. And I am asking myself if Facebook’s LIKE button -launched one year ago- has the same “negative influence” on our positive comment on reviews in the future. Although it was meant to give its members an easy way to show approval for products, services, content and thoughts. I am coming back to these thoughts as I stumbled upon an interesting local study.

According to a recent study released by CityGrid Media, conducted by Harris interactive, that did some research on Web properties focused on local merchants, consumers prefer the “Like” button to writing a positive review for a local business. The study polled 1,006 adults in the U.S. over the phone between March 16 and 20.

OK, this is restricted to local only. But do we doubt that there is a difference in the regional and global attitude and behavior of humans? Especially as 52% of respondents said they visited more than two websites before visiting a local business, and Google plus Facebook were the most popular first sites those people accessed.

The study states that 20% of respondents say they show support for local businesses by clicking the “Like” button for that business on Facebook versus 13% who write reviews. The offline way is still the most successful method according to the study. The verbal way of telling a friend was the most popular method (75%). Not surprising as most of the consumers are still more listening than telling.

However this is just a local research, I asking myself if this s a good development, for us, for retailers, for brands and for the Social Web in general. Bearing in mind how much our written reaction on products and services influences our buying behavior, I think, it is not good if only the negative comments get (negative) credits while positive comments and reviews just find the automated, lazy “push a button” credit – no sentiment, no conversational reward, no tapping on the shoulder virtually…

How do you see this development?

Cebit Interview – Über die Zukunft der Arbeitswelt

Die Arbeitswelt verändert sich. Die Menschheit fägt sich, ob Social Software, Social Media, Social Networking oder Web 2.0 harte Arbeit ist, oder die Produktivität der Businesswelt an den Abgrund treibt. Geht es nur um die Erhöhung des persönliche Reputationsindex, des Personal Scoring Index, oder ergibt sich nachhaltige Lead Generierung -erst kürzlich als Salestainability umschrieben- und neues Business einfach selbstständig aus Gesprächen?

Wenn man zum Interview auf der Cebit von IBM eingeladen wird, kann man in ein paar Minuten nicht alles sagen, was man gerne sagen würde. Man kann auch keine 3-Säulen-Strategie im Detail erläutern, die man in der Zukunft als essentiell für den erfolgreichen Einsatz des Social Web für die Webstrategie eines Unternehmens ansieht.

Ich wollte im Interview so verständlich wie nur möglich auf die wichtigen Trends und erfolgversprechenden Taktiken eingehen, die sich abzeichnen und teilweise heute schon gelebt werden in der Businesswelt. Hoffen wir, mir ist es gelungen…

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Die Idee der Visualisierung meiner Gedanken von Anna Lena Schiller während des Interviews finde ich sehr gelungen. Sie greifen den Gedanken des Personal Web Managers auf (links oben), sowie die zukünftige zentrale Herausforderung für den Einzelnen, einen 24 Stunden Tag so effizient mittels Social Software zu nutzen wie einen 36 Stunden Tag.

Der IBM Social Business Channel gibt im übrigen noch weitere Einsichten diverser Vordenker im Social Web. Ich empfehle sich auch die Meinungen mal anzuhören bzw. anzusehen.

Nun interessiert mich eure Sichtweise der Zukunft der Arbeitswelt. Wie stellt ihr euch den Arbeitstag von morgen vor? Was fehlt euch heute, was wünscht ihr euch morgen? Bin gespannt, auf eure Gedanken…

Study: Web 2.0 increase market share, gain benefit

The latest research by McKinsey & Company states that companies embracing Web 2.0 opportunities have more chances to gain market leadership and step ahead of their competitors than companies that are less Web 2.0-savvy. The research was interviewing 3.249 companies as part of its annual Web 2.0 survey.

The study concluded that “networked enterprises” are more likely to be market leaders and winning market share. The study’s authors, Jacques Bughin and Michael Chui said that the Web 2.0 companies “also use management practices that lead to margins higher than those of companies using the Web in more limited ways.” They found that 27% of companies overall gained market share against their competitors and could succeed with higher profit margins.

The success curve of the “networked companies” is exponential. Those companies that are “highly networked enterprises”, defined as companies using Web 2.0 inside and outside their business in innovative ways, “were 50 percent more likely to fall in this high-performance group than other organizations were,” the authors state.

The authors prediction is that that in many industries, “new competitive battle lines may form between companies that use the Web in sophisticated ways and companies that feel uncomfortable with new Web-inspired management styles or simply can’t execute at a sufficiently high level.”

Companies that have embraced Web 2.0 philosophy continue to report that they are receiving measurable business benefits. 90% are reporting at least one benefit. The benefits were increasing speed of access to knowledge – 77% of respodents with internal Web 2.0 efforts and 57% using Web 2.0 to engage external partners. Obviously cost saving is a big topic: 60% of internal and 53% of external users mention that communication costs could be reduced. And travel costs decreased as well said 44% internal users and 38% external users.

Direct Messaging export – a missing feature in social networks?

Some days ago, a Nielsen study said that in the US social network usage is more popular than email. This does not surprise me, when I think about Luis Suarez speech at the Web 2.0 Expo 2008 “Thinking outside the Inbox”. If we agree with him, then there is one feature definitely missing in social network…

How I came across this missing feature…
In my new job role I do a lot of business socializing which is quite normal when the business is done 90% with international business contacts. A lot of business brainstorming is being kicked off or happening on the fly and you don’t think where you communicate. Many of these conversations start via the direct messaging functionality -comparable to email communication- in social networks. Some of them end in nothing. Some turn out to be brilliant contacts which become interesting prospects. And suddenly these end up being leads or potential revenue drivers. And then there comes the problem…

Where is the direct messaging extraction functionality? Some kind of external saving or export module to save the content and communication? Not speaking of an “email archiving” technology?

If your business, or the business of the company you are working for, is meant to be compliant (and which is not today…?) how can you export a conversation that already started in a social network? OK, you could copy it, and send it via email again. Quite uncomfortable though, right…? Or you save all the emails that you get from the social network providers. A lot of redundant data saving…

In business networks like Bebo, XING or LinkedIn users are possible to export the database of their contacts in one go – … but not an email communication threat. Meaning, if you have had a good conversation and mentioned some kind of business critical data, pricing, or offering than you have to have the proof for tax or auditing service reasons – and ideally you can extract it in one go.

In my eyes, this is a missing feature that at least all social business networks should be offering. Don’t you think?

News Update – Best of the Day

daily1Although web 2.0 provides all the benfit for e-learning, the use is till low. The study “Benchmarking Online Operations: Snapshots of an Emerging Industry” by the consulting company Eduventures shows that the education they offer is still based on “rudimentary, text-based technology”. This stands in contrast to webinars, web-conference or any kind of podcast or vidcast tools that the web 2.0 world offers today. “But when it came to technology, the Eduventures survey found that the widely used tools are e-mail, text discussions that don’t happen in real time, physical textbooks, and word and PDF documents”, reports http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Online-Programs-Profits-Are/8517/?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en.

Blogher released a new study on how social networks are used by men and women in the US. The main findings are…

– 84% (16 out of 19) of the sites have more female than male users.
– Twitter with 59% female users and Facebook with 57%.
– Most female-dominated sites: Bebo 66%, MySpace and Classmates.com 64%.
– Average ratio of 19 sites: 47% male, 53% female.

MINI started a great project“Wash me” at retail on the 3rd of November “when 10 different artists are each presented with a MINI to deface — ahem!…design at will”. See what these guys came up with…

News Update – Best of the Day

daily1One of the question of our web 2.0 times: How are companies benefiting from Web 2.0? The latest McKinsey Global Survey results deliver some insight and were well-analyzed by Andre Yee.

Coupons are not dead. They found a new renaissance in the online world and Dan Meihls gives us hints how we can get more for less “with the latest generation of an old standby” – online coupons.

The iPhone rules the world of mobility. But there are people who love to produce spoof ads on the latest innovations. And this one on the iPhone is really funny (ok, for boys)…

Contest: Let's create a new logo for The Strategy Web

After one year with my old and self-created amateurish logo (via Logoease), I have made two decision in one go. First of all, I definitely want a new logo and secondly, I like to see how a logo contest website is performing and what kind of ideas it’s ‘creative head community’ is coming up with.

A challenge for the designers or for me?
So on Thursday night last week, I started my contest and decided to go with elogocontest.com. And if you want to take part and hand in your ideas as a designer, please feel free to log on to my contest ID for the new The Strategy Web logo PS: This platform is called Hatchwise now). The challenge is on you. And some people have already been very creative and shown their innovative approaches.

For people or companies that are looking to start a logo contest the steps are easy. This was my challenge some days ago.

How does elogocontest work for contest holders?
You start by registering an account as a contest holder. Having done that, you kick off your logo contest by describing the basic outlines of the contest, your target group, the essential parts and texts of the logo and finally, by writing a short summary about the contest. This is the online brief for the designers which is a self-explaining questionnaire and easy to handle. And you think about how much money you want to hand over to the winner.
Done!

What is the benefit for designers?
The benefit for designers is not huge you might say… I do disagree with that. It depends how you see it. OK, 150,- US Dollars won’t make a designer rich, yes. However, it might have some serious impact for their future business. Generating first-class reference for your creativity and your business is not easy. By taking part in some of these competitions, designers can proof their creative power, train their creative heads in an open-competition, receive some references, and generate future business from contest holders (word-of-mouth is key in the business of the future!!!).

And if they are clever, they have a blog and a twitter account where they are talking about their contest success. If this does not help, then word-of-mouth tactics don’t work…

Any special thanks for the winner of my logo contest?
Yes, there is! My contest ends Saturday night… The winner will get an exclusive interview on his/her business, his/her thoughts on logo contests, and why the company started using elogocontest (or others as well).

So if you are a designer or a creative master mind, keep the speed up of new ideas coming in! Looking forward to your ideas. And I promise, feedback will be provided asap.

Spot On!
Logo creation has cost start-ups (and all other companies) a fortune some years ago. Today, it has found an innovative contest approach all over the web. Examples like 99designs, elogocontest, logo contest, Logoease, jovoto, mypitch, AAA Logo and mypitch proof that today the world of innovative and creative agency work is changing towards a more customer friendly web 2.0 approach. And it is becoming affordable…

For now, my work is done and I am sitting hear and am waiting for your ideas… And for those of you who want to help me choosing the right logo, comments on creatives in my blog are very much appreciated.

Online Reputation Management bleibt (zeit)aufwendig…

Als ich meine Vision des Personal Web Managers geschrieben habe, dachte ich, es wird sicherlich bald eine solche Dienstleistung des Reputation Coaches für aufstrebende Manager oder stark im Web aktive Persönlichkeiten geben. Derzeit ist interessant zu beobachten, wie sich dieser Plattform-Markt für persönliches Reputation Management in Position bringt.

Es steht eben viel auf dem Spiel: die Bewerbung einer Karriere, die für Nachhaltigkeit einer authentischen und erfolgreichen Persönlichkeit steht. Die Online Reputation wird dabei immer wichtiger für den nächsten Karriereschritt, aber ihr Management bleibt leider trotz unterstützender Plattformen zeitaufwendig. Ein kleiner Überblick…

Bisher galt der amerikanische Dienstleister Reputation Defender als der weltweite ‘Platzhirsch’ im Entfernen oder ‘Geradebiegen’ von bildlich belegbaren Fehltritten oder voreilig getroffenen Statements und Kommentaren, die im Web verewigt sind. Denn, wie wir alle inzwischen wissen sollten: Das Web vergißt nichts – teilweise nur, wenn wir entsprechend nachhelfen. Und so bietet Reputation Defender mit myChild ein Produkt an, das den Ruf und die Privatsphäre des Kindes schon von Kindesbeinen an online schützt.

In Deutschland ist mit my ON-ID eine sehr interessante Plattform am Start, die Online Reputation auf technischer Basis zu handeln, monitoren und optimieren anbietet. Die Web 2.0 Plattform offeriert sehr viele Optionen, das eigene Personal Brand als Visitenkarte (bzw. fast schon im Format eines Online CV aufzubauen (mit zahlreichen Schnittstellen und Widgetfunktionen zu anderen Social Networks).

Am Wochenende erhielt ich nun die neuste Pressemitteilung von Dein Guter Ruf, die mir von meinem Ex-Kollegen Jannis Moutafis zugespielt wurde. Die Nachricht preist die ab sofort kostenlose Suche des (mir noch völlig unbekannten) Reputations-Dienstsleisters an, sowie die Option eine Web-Imageseite zu veröffentlichen. Als Gadget wird der Test „Welcher Online-Typ bin ich“ angeboten, der einem Tips zum persönlichen Reputation Management offeriert (mein Testergebnis siehe Bild).

Hintergrund des Tests: Der Profil Organiser wird hiermit promotet. Dort kann man seine Netzwerk-Profile eingeben und hat diese so im Schnellüberblick und -zugriff. Der vordergründige Vorteil der Übersichtlichkeit, läßt sich mit einem grundlegenden Tip entkräften…

Starte kein Profil in einem sozialen Netzwerk, wo Du nur einen kleinen Mehrwert siehst und evaluiere vorher, ob Du nur aus einer zeitweiligen Zugehörigkeit (Schule, Uni, etc.) oder aus zukünftiger Überlegung (Kontakte halten, Karrierebenefit, etc.) dieses nutzen wirst.

Die Dienstleistungen von Dein Guter Ruf erinnern mich dennoch stark an den Personal Web Manager, denn hier geht es offensichtlich wirklich um den strategischen Ansatz des Reputation Managements mit persönlicher PR-Betreuung. Man bietet vier verschiedene Versionen an: Basis-, Profi-, Premium- und VIP-Manager – von kostenlos bis 129,90 EUR pro Monat. Letztere verspricht sogar…

– Wir legen für Sie Profile in mit Ihnen abgestimmten Portalen an.
– Wir integrieren bereits vorhandene Inhalte in Foren, Blogs, Fachportalen.
– Wir prüfen monatlich Ihre Reputation und liefern für Sie geeignete Portal- und Themenvorschläge.
– Wir führen für Sie geeignete Online-PR Aktivitäten durch.

Insofern wirken die Preise vernünftig und erinnern an das Preismodell von Reputation Defender.

Kurztest: Dein Guter Ruf
Suche: Die Suche ist unbefriedigend. Bei 466.000 Googletreffern zu meinem Namen fand Dein Guter Ruf rund 70. Einige hatten überhaupt nichts mit mir zu tun. Zahlreiche positive, wie Interviews und Gastbeiträge von/mit mir, wurden gar nicht gefunden.
Image-Webseite: Ein Bild kann nicht gefunden, hochgeladen oder integriert werden (vielleicht in einer Bezahlversion?!). Der erste Eindruck eines Menschen zählt – und der Mensch verkauft sich in der Karrierebewerbung über ein persönliches Bild. Man verschickt ja auch keinen Lebenslauf ohne Foto.
Paid Services: Daß man für zahlreiche Funktionen (z.B. Kommentar eines Suchtreffers) im Web 2.0 Zeitlater bezahlen muß, ist irgendwie Web 1.0 Welt. Zumal my ON-ID hier schon diese Funktion ohne Aufpreis anbietet.
Fazit. Unspektakulär, nüchtern, sachlich, nicht personalisierbar – aber vielleicht ist die Form genau das, was zukünftig für das Personalwesen die nachhaltige Bewerbung ist. Wer weiß…

Spot On!
Neben my ON-ID macht sich mit Dein Guter Ruf ein weiterer Anbieter auf, unsere individuelle Online Reputation im Auge zu behalten und zu professionalisieren. Mein Urteil bleibt dennoch kritisch. Die Idee Reputation Management mit persönlicher PR-Strategie zu verknüpfen, gefällt mir gut (schon wegen seiner Nähe zu ‘meinem’ Personal Web Manager). Man müsste es fast einmal einem Test unterziehen, um zu sehen, wie erfolgreich sich die Arbeit für das Personal Branding zeigt (Erfahrungsberichte bitte an mich schicken). my ON-ID ist dennoch derzeit einen ganzen Schritt voraus und bietet die spannendere und zielgenauere Lösung das Online Reputation in der Spur zu halten. Reputation Management bleibt weiterhin aufwendig, vor allem zeitaufwendig, denn am besten wird sie derzeit noch von jedem Einzelnen kritisch beäugt, bewacht und bewertet.

Dell: social media business or the just good marketers?

Dell is the social media super-hero these days and one of the most named examples of social media intelligence. At least, if we believe in a lot of blog posts…

Last week, Dell reported in a blog post that their Twitter account @DellOutlet earned more than $2 million US dollars in revenue. Money that can be attributed directly to their Twitter activity. This does not surprise us, having heard that Dell broke the $1 million US dollar barrier some months ago.

Nevertheless, let’s think a minute about the ‘social aspect’ of this Twitter account. The funny thing about it is that Dell is just using old marketing techniques to generate revenue via Twitter.

Or is the use of coupon codes a marketing innovation of the web 2.0 era?

These couopons come flying into my mailbox at home every day – quicker than I have time to throw them in a bin.

“Dell Outlet sells refurbished Dell products at great prices, but inventories fluctuate, making it difficult to know when products are available or on sale. Dell Outlet uses Twitter as a way to message out coupons, clearance events and new arrival information to those looking for Dell technology at a discounted price.” (quote from Dell blog)

Reading this statement, the question is what is the social media strategy? Isn’t this just good old marketing tactics? This Dell Twitter account @DellOutlet is not acting in any way like social media has been teaching companies lately.

“Listen, learn and engage” (Brian Solis) is the value proposition of social media. The customers are coming to you as they have heard about the quality and value of your product, service or business. Then, they buy and do some good word-of-mouth activity via Twitter, Facebook, blogs, rating sites etc. for your business. This is resulting in community building – not a sales channel like the Dell example.

Dell is talking, pushing and selling. It is the good old communication and marketing practice we all know from some years ago.

Why is Dell so successful? It is a matter of simple marketing technics. It follows the old sales intelligence… From more than 650.000 followers, 10% will be real followers (as you just follow when you are in the evaluation process mode before a purchase decision) = 60.500 followers. And if you are lucky company 5% will buy your product in the end = 3.025 users. This tells us about an interesting average revenue of 661,15 US dollar per Twitter client.

Ah, I love sales statistics… though admittedly, these might be taken from the easiest perspective of ROI measurement.

Spot On!
But is this Dell activity really ‘social’? It is the email marketing system – tables turned upside down. Opt-In or follower? Subscribe or unsubscribe is the question… Email promotion or social media promotion? Email spam or social media spam? What comes next in the marketers arena? And, the account is just following Dell accounts… is the client/follower really interesting for them?

Not saying this is not a very clever approach reaching out for clients… well-done, Dell.

Your views much appreciated…

News Update – Best of the Day

Social networking is a challenge. If you need some inspiration, read the 12 stories by David Spark, and you know how to continue and professionalize your social networking efforts.

Did you know that web 2.0 is over? No, check it out at Geek and Poke

Do you need extraordinary emoticons for your mails? Well, according to the Official Gmail Blog there seems to be a need for some people…

PS: Did you ever try Twitter in real life? Believe me, this can be quite amusing…