20 May 2009

Posted at 16:31h in bloggers, blogging, joker, segmentation by

A few months back I drove home to see thick black smoke billowing out of my neighbour's car parked on the street. I quickly jumped out of my car to investigate the burning vehicle. By this stage a small crowd had appeared that was slowly creeping forward to get a better look. After a minute the car actually exploded. No one was hurt but what interested me was the curiosity of the viewers, myself included. Instead of running away from the fire, people were running towards it. And thus is the nature of audiences. In a recent conversation between myself and Oscar Nicholson, I realised this is the nature of how I blog. I cause controversy. I write about not only provocative issues but in a provocative manner too. I stir the pot and I start fires. But I do this to start conversations. Unfortunately people aren't attracted to a car that isn't on fire. A blog post that isn't controversial gets less readers and far less comments. People rarely comment on something if they simply agree. I do realise the shortfall of this; that once the fire's out, the people leave. I suppose I hope I've got enough good content to keep them around after everything's been extinguished. But I'm not going to kid myself, I can't consistently and regularly produce good, thought provoking content. So from time to time I'll start a fire. I make no apologies for the burns or damage caused. This is the nature of a Joker....

06 May 2009

Posted at 14:42h in australia, bloggers, blogosphere, positioning map by

This post is a development on a previous one about plotting the Australian Blogosphere on a positioning map. Jye Smith suggested this could be used to segment bloggers and it was made possible by Adam Ferrier, a very smart man (I have to say that, he's currently my boss). Jokers The pranksters of the blogosphere. They enjoy the attention they receive and are not afraid to post something fun or amusing, or even off topic. They're very flexible yet back it up with good content. Jokers tend to be amongst the youngest of the bloggers out there and love being the centre of attention. They're often controversial but at times need to be reminded not to stir the pot for the sake of it. Julian Cole is a Joker. Lovers The peaceful ones of the blogosphere. They probably started their blog one day for their own amusement and are not too fussed about their pageviews, hits and RSS count. With that said, they appreciate their readers and love that they are able to to express themselves and people will listen. They enjoy sharing their thoughts, insights, stories, videos, pictures and links. Rarely will they call someone out and must remember that their audience doesn't subscribe to them for their constantly thought provoking content. Stan Lee is a Lover. Drivers The quiet earnest ones of the blogosphere. They attempt to drive change with almost every post on their blog. Each piece of content develops conversations, asks the right questions and gets people thinking. Often, they're developing models and attempting to take their area of expertise to the next level. Posts can be quite detailed and lengthy and they need to remember that this can alienate audiences outside of their core niche of readers. Gavin Heaton is a Driver. Fighters The top of the food chain of the blogosphere. They probably started life as a Joker or Driver and decided they want to take it to the next level content wise, or get their name and brand out their in the media. Not afraid to speak their mind and take on the big guys, particularly when they know they're backed by a large popularity. Their content is solid and provocative but is often criticised and they need to remember that engaging in a flame war is not always the best approach. Laural Papworth is a Fighter. There are both benefits and limitations to each of the above. More importantly, there is no right or wrong and none of the four quadrants is a bad segment to sit in. It is important to remember who your audience are and what they're expectations will be. Remember that next time you question a blogger's motives or actions, perhaps think about what segment they're in and what they're trying to achieve. Before you depart, I have three questions for you...

15 October 2008

Posted at 20:37h in bloggers, broadcast, facebook, social media, youtube by

After identifying two approaches when it comes to social media marketing, yesterday's post discussed the first strategy of Response. The second strategy, discussed below is Broadcast. Above the line is from marketer's point of view. Below it, is from the consumer's. Produce Before anything, the marketer must firstly produce content. Ideally this should be of something remarkable and with a high social currency value. This could be a video, Facebook application, podcast, blog or any even a press release. Publish In order for the content to be seen it is published on sites such as YouTube, Blogger or Facebook. In some case a microsite can be as effective. Ensure the barriers of viewing are low and that the content is easily spreadable. This can be done through a number of means such as allowing embed links for videos or giving consent for consumers to mashup your content. Seed Seeding your published material should not be done in an interruptive manner. Spamming is definitely not an option here and one step wrong here could ruin a whole campaign. It is vital that this is done in a way that adds value to a conversation, do not seed where you are not welcome or even encouraged to do so. And most importantly, be transparent, open and honest. Pull New media is not about pushing content onto consumers who don't want it. Ideally you want them pulling it from you. The Internet has allowed this to become a easy and automated process with technology such as RSS, email newsletters and even YouTube subscriptions. After seeding the content, consumers should have the option to subscribe to a feed or service. This should be consented and with the ability to unsubscribe. You know those consumers who sign up to your feed will be among the most loyal and passionate. Spread Once the consumers are pulling your content, it will begin to spread. Buzz will be generated and depending on the medium you might even some get some consumers producing user generated content. Blendtec used this approach in October 2006 and it continues to remain a success with over 114,000 subscribed users on YouTube. If I ever decided to get a blender, I know which brand I'd purchase. If you're interested, also take a look at Julian Cole's Social Media Marketing Framework and Laurel Papworth's definition of Social Media. Be sure to check out my other approach Response. Please feel free to offer any thoughts or critique. ...