Digital Marketing, Six Years Later

Six years ago I was a fresh college graduate just getting started in the online marketing world. The average person didn’t know what a blog was, Facebook was restricted to university students in the U.S., and Twitter had yet to be invented. And the web was just starting to be respected and understood by mainstream marketing firms and teams.

Today, bloggers appear in commercials and social media is a key part of the marketing mix for brands both large and small. Finally, some respect! That said, I still see companies struggling with the connectivity, the immediacy, and the transparency of the web, and how it is all integrated into their organization. It’s an interesting problem, and one that I’ll continue to write more about on this blog.

Unrelated and relevant only to fellow Chicagoans – my agency is hosting an event at Social Media Week on social engagement and content creation – RSVP! It will be a great chance to gain some expertise, network with your fellow members of the media, and generally have a fabulous time.

Getting Out of the Echo Chamber and Making Something Great

Yes, this blog has been quiet for a while – but I’ve been busy on Twitter (@jazspin), and I’ve been working on a number of exciting projects that truly exemplify the power and utility of the web.  Watch this space.  That said, it is has been nice getting out of the echo chamber for a while – there are plenty of amazing blogs out there, but there are also plenty that are bandwagon jumpers.  Another testament to the fact that people respond to authentic voices both online and offline.

On a related note, I recently re-read the Cluetrain Manifesto (ten year anniversary edition).  The first time I read it was online, sitting in my parent’s basement and probably signed into AOL chat talking with my friends and downloading music – it was 1999 and I was still in high school (yes, I was that much of a nerd even then).  I would like to think I am perceptive enough to have fully grasped it at the time, but not so much.  I did take away the knowledge that internet was going to change things forever, however, and that it was already making the world that much smaller and more connected.  I also recognized the way that the web opens doors – a realization that I did not fully take advantage of until I started my first blog, an endeavor that led to a gig with AOL, and the rest is history (and fodder for archive.org).

Today, I work on the web, developing interactive campaigns and changing the way businesses operate.  It has been an interesting road, to say the least.  There are days when I think I have to drag people kicking and screaming into the 21st century and days when I am so inspired and excited I want to do some Tom Cruise style couch jumping.  Fortunately, there are many, many more of the latter.

The Revolution Will Be Social

Everyone who doubts the power/usefulness of social media should read Andrew Sullivan’s post, “The Revolution Will Be Twittered“, and then check out the #iranelection hashtag on Twitter.

The key force behind this is the next generation, the Millennials, who elected Obama in America and may oust Ahmadinejad in Iran. They want freedom; they are sick of lies; they enjoy life and know hope.

This generation will determine if the world can avoid the apocalypse that will come if the fear-ridden establishments continue to dominate global politics, motivated by terror, armed with nukes, and playing old but now far too dangerous games. This generation will not bypass existing institutions and methods: look at the record turnout in Iran and the massive mobilization of the young and minority vote in the US. But they will use technology to displace old modes and orders. Maybe this revolt will be crushed. But even if it is, the genie has escaped this Islamist bottle.

I think the days of CNN breaking the news are over – people will share their stories themselves, bypassing the mass media conduit if necessary, and the role of the media will be to verify, organize, track, and curate the information reported via liveblogs, Twitter, etc.  The Huffington Post is doing a great job of that right now with their page on the Iran elections and subsequent fallout.

Out of the Echo Chamber

Maybe it is because August is vacation month for most of the world, but staying out of the blogging/new media echo chamber is pretty refreshing at the moment.

I think it is making me smarter more original.

Hi Freelance Switchers!

Hi FreelanceSwitch readers! 

For those of you who came here from another source, check out my post on FreelanceSwitch: Freelancers: It’s Not About You.

A Brief Guide To World Domination

I’ve written about Chris Guillebeau before, and he recently emailed me about his new ebook/manifesto with a textbook example of how marketing types/people with something to promote should approach bloggers (but of course he gets it, he has a blog of his own).

It is called A Brief Guide to World Domination: How to Live a Remarkable Life in a Conventional World *and other Modest Goals.

First of all, with a title like that, how could you not be interested?  More seriously, it is a great and inspiring read, especially if you’ve been in a rut lately.  I agree with much of his philosophy and ideas as well – I’d write more about them, but really, you owe it to yourself to go read it.  Moreover, it is beautifully designed and laid out (and only 29 pages) – perfect for a break from work or a nice literary nightcap.  So go check it out!

Simply Amazing: “Four Foolproof Ways To Create Unimaginable Wealth In This World”

Stop what you are doing and go read this poem by Robert Bruce (and check out the rest of his site – KnifeGunPen – while you are at it, his work is fantastic). 

If you are an artist or writer with a blog or website (or thinking about creating one), check out his guest post on Problogger: 27 Thoughts On Blogging For The Artist.  My favorite one is “If you’re thinking about SEO while writing your digital novel, you’re already screwed. Quit now.”

Hat tip to Chris Guillebeau for introducing to his work with this interview.

GlobalVoices Summit 2008 in Budapest

Global Voices Online has been one of my favorite sites for a while now.  It is a nonprofit project that “seeks to aggregate, curate, and amplify the global conversation online – shining light on places and people other media often ignore. We work to develop tools, institutions and relationships that will help all voices, everywhere, to be heard.” 

They translate and share posts written by wonderful bloggers from all the world – it is one of the most remarkable examples of citizen journalism on the web, in my opinion.  The founders also started  Global Voices Advocacy (which promotes free speech and defends bloggers from censorship) and Rising Voices (an outreach program that provides knowledge and resources to activists and citizen journalists in under-represented communities). 

The purpose of this love-fest is to point out the upcoming GlobalVoices Summit being held in Budapest at the end of June.  Now, I can only wish I was actually attending, but I’m sure it will be an amazing event – and that there will be lots of fantastic commentary on the conference blog.  Here’s a quote from the site:

“The Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2008 will explore topics around the theme “Citizen Media and Citizenhood”, and address fundamental issues surrounding the actual and potential role of citizen media producers in the public life of the countries they live in. As the Internet and the increasing accessibility of citizen media tools offer growing numbers of people throughout the world the means to distribute information globally, how does this affect or change the ways in which people participate in public life? Can citizen media make people better citizens? How can citizen media help affect lasting social change?”

Personally, I believe that citizen media and blogging is incredibly important; after all, even the most intrepid reporter can’t cover everything, and besides, there is something very powerful about an individual or group telling their own story.