Social Networking as defined by Wikipedia is here. Our focus here is, of course, how your business can use social networking tools and sites and this is a basic intro.

What’s the big deal about Social Networking?
The impact of user-generated content on marketing has been great. Web 1.0 users were considered consumers by marketers but now with Web 2.0, they become participants. To interact on the Web, people use web sites, blogs, forum participation, audio and video, to participate by commenting and/or adding content that other users can interact with. Well known examples of Web 2.0 social networking sites are Wikipedia, Digg, MySpace, Twitter and Flickr. The content of these sites can usually be shared, rated and even sometimes edited or added to by visitors (user-generated content). Social networking also uses content on the Web influenced but not necessarily created by visitors to those websites.

How basic marketing happens with Social Networking tools and sites.
Now, visitors to your site/blog can comment on your blog or they can create blogs of their own and include content from outside sources (including you/your company). Again, content such as forum participation, text, video, and audio.`To better market your business and/or products you can join in on discussions, offer help, and generally use your knowledge to interact with customers and potential customers. Ask for their input and interact with them. Use a slide show with audio or just audio to tell your story, give tips and advice. And look out because here comes video. It’s got a lot of impact (and it’s not as hard to use as you may think…) Use the best of what you can do to show examples of why your company is the best choice for the customer. By the same token, ask others for advice or comments. Why? Because interaction is a two way street. Link to other sites of interest and have them link to yours.

Again, this is a basic overview but it should give you a better idea of what’s going on with social networking.

“Hey Michael, how can you help my business?”
That’s a great question! I can help you market better and make more money by coaching and showing you how to implement cool web stuff that creates more business. Is this something that you might be interested in? If so, call or send me an email.

Hey, next time I’ll have something you can use in-house to improve your business (and/or use for social networking)…Wikis!

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. The Wikipedia definition is here. An RSS feed allows a person to “pull” content of their choice to their computer (unlike email being “pushed” to your account). You can “subscribe” to the news sites, newsletters, blogs, and podcasts that you want delivered to you and control the flow of info. When something new becomes published, it is delivered directly to your computer. There are thousands of blogs, info sites, or entertainment sites that continuously create great content on almost any topic you can think of. The content can be text, audio, or even video.

When you subscribe to a RSS feed, you receive only the information you want. Usually, a “feed reader” or “Feed aggregator” must be installed to subscribe to the content. Go ahead and Google “feed aggregator” there is a lot to choose from. Oh, yeah, they’re free.

“How does RSS change my business?”
Here’s one big one. Your customers can easily accumulate shopping info and prices and availability of items or services that they’re looking for on the internet. You want to be involved in that shopping activity don’t you? You want it to be easy for your customers to be reminded of your presence and aware of your new items, new services, and your special offers. Your business should be set up to deliver useful information that your customers would want to receive along with those special offers. “Useful information” can be seasonal tips, industry news, event news, new products, new uses for your products and so on. Each delivery of that information is your billboard directly on your customers computer screen. Be smart and make your delivered info something that your customers will want to pass on to friends and family.

To sum up…
When you offer and deliver an RSS feed to your customers, you stand out as a useful and informative business that cares about them. It’s a personal message served directly to your customers. They’re easy to set up and delivery is automated. You should offer the RSS feed on your website and tell your customers about it through email and/or in-store info, (flyers at check out…) If your business has a blog (as it should) a new entry can be delivered to your customers by making an entry to your blog. When you get up to speed and use powerful, available tools, like RSS, you’ll serve your existing customers better, create new customers, and see a payoff in the bottom line.

*Warning* Utterly shameless plug ahead…
I can help you market better and make more money by coaching and showing you how to implement cool web stuff that creates more business. Is this something that you might be interested in? If so, call or send me an email.

Next time we meet here…Social Networking!

In my last post, I mentioned that I would continue to cover how Web 2.0 tools are disruptive to the old ways of marketing.

First of all, as a reminder, here’s the official definition of Web 2.0 by Wikipedia.

Why is Web 2.0 disruptive to traditional business models?
Web 2.0 Tools enable people to do a great job at reaching out to the market (marketing) in an interactive way. The “secret” to creative and successful marketing has always been new tools combined with inspiration and action. The “new tools” we’re looking at are Web 2.0 tools. Traditional marketing takes more time and money and is all too familiar to your market. These Web 2.0 tools create much more powerful marketing for you to reach (and impress) your existing customer base and potential customers in a more cost effective manner. Less expensive, more powerful, and easier to manage than traditional marketing, sound good so far? Well then, read on my friend…

One powerful Web 2.0 marketing tool is called “podcasting”.
Podcasts can deliver audio and video to anyone, anytime for little cost. You can target and penetrate your local market by using audio or video in a way that your competitors don’t have a clue about. Podcasts are a great way to offer your customers direct download or streaming content that they are interested in and appreciate. They add a more interactive element and better communication of your company’s brand, beliefs, and offerings. Podcasts give your company a way to deliver compelling content about existing or new products and services that your customers didn’t realize you offered. Best of all, your customers can easily share your podcasts with others. How’s that for good marketing?

“How does podcasting work?”
Barriers to entry are very low for businesses. Basically, if you have a microphone, a computer, a camera, and an Internet connection you can publish audio or video “shows” that can be listened to or viewed by people anywhere in the world. You can also use a service like… GoldfishNetwork.com! These podcast files will be online so your customers can easily play them on their computer or put them on their MP3 players at their convenience and listen when ever they want to. When your customers have that kind of control, they are much more open to your message.

Many companies choose to provide podcasts to the public for free, but podcasts can also be a “Premium content” subscription-based service.

Why is podcasting disruptive to traditional marketing?
The companies who are acting now and using tools such as podcasting are rapidly gaining an advantage over their competitors by drawing new customers and delivering content directly to their customers the way the customer wants it. This translates into a better relationship and bond with your customers resulting in more referrals, more sales, and higher retention of your customer base. Companies that are restricted to the more traditional (and expensive) marketing approaches are facing an increasing disadvantage.

From blogs and RSS feeds to podcasts, Wikis, and social networking, when you get up to speed and use at least a couple of these new tools, you’ll create new customers, serve your existing customers better, and see a payoff in the bottom line.

“Thanks Michael, but what about you and your well-being?”
Thanks for asking. And you know, this blog just wouldn’t be the same without ending with an utterly shameless plug so here you go… I can help you market better and make more money by coaching you and showing you how to implement cool web stuff that creates more business. Is this something that you might be interested in? If so, call or send me an email.

OK, I’m done for now. Next time we’ll take a look at RSS feeds…

A lot, especially if you’re a business or a person…

Hi! Michael here. First of all, here’s the official definition by Wikipedia.

Ok, here’s my quick and simple definition for businesses:
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Web 2.0 is now the way smart businesses are using the web to reach their markets…and have their markets reach them. That interaction between business and client transcends the “conventional” way businesses have used communication for marketing. Web 2.0 is about interaction with clients using the new tools that the web is providing.
______________________________________________

But wait there’s more!
Tools such as blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, and Podcasts are used with serving community in mind. They are ways to stay informed and in touch. Blogs, for example, are a huge phenomena in the business world and are used by millions of people to criticize, praise, and give suggestions to businesses (the ones that listen…)

“So what?”
So, businesses that listen to their customers and act on what they learn, prosper. And customers also compare notes with other people (fellow customers or potential customers) by having conversations about the company’s products or services. It’s a very powerful way for businesses to not only engage their market by actively taking part in that conversation, but to also gauge ongoing marketing efforts, product or service satisfaction levels, and test new product or service ideas. That’s what.

“What’s all this mean to me and my business?”
Web 2.0 is changing so many things about doing business so fast that companies are struggling to keep up with what’s going on. The phrase “lead, follow, or get out of the way” is quickly becoming more true than ever. “Listen up” is also a nice, useful phrase here. For businesses that are making the moves and getting up to speed, it’s a very good thing. Good for everyone involved. The customers win with more information and insight from the company and the company wins with more information and insight from the customer.

*Warning* Shameless plug directly ahead… I can help you get up to speed with all this and make sure you win (so your customers win too). Because when I help you make more money, you’ll give me some (which I give to my wife). It’s a win-win-win…win situation. My telephone number is up on the header of this page…

Ok!
Well, that’s my simplified overview of what’s fast becoming a way of life for people and a fact of life for companies.

The next post will give some examples of how “disruptive” (wait…that can be good, very good) “Web 2.0″ has been to the old way of marketing…. See ya then.

1) Your business is very important to you. Ours is very important to us. We have a reputation for going “above and beyond” for clients like you and for delivering top quality websites and website development. Besides, if we don’t pay attention, we won’t be able to pay anything else.

2) You’ll find that we’re “people people.” We actually enjoy the interaction we have with our clients and the satisfaction that comes with a successful project and happy people who give us checks.

3) When you work with us, you will appreciate the fact that we are business people running a media arts and marketing company, not artists trying to run a business. That means we understand budgets, project deadlines and other factors necessary for a business to succeed.

4) Most web design companies won’t take projects under $5K. They have high overhead and can’t make smaller projects profitable for their company. We actually specialize in redesign. Why pay for more work than you really need?

5) We offer unique “Time Block” billing. This allows you, the client, complete control of your project scope and budget. Unheard of in the web design world!

6) You’ll find that we communicate well. Telephone messages, faxes, emails, whistling, and hand signals all get a prompt response from our team.

7) You can actually walk in and visit. We love meeting our clients face to face and sitting down with them to understand and deliver the online image they want. We offer a FREE initial consultation of up to 1 hour. Besides, we also have a vast tea selection, great coffee, and bags of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish snacks.

Contact us at www.GoldfishNetwork.com and we’ll be glad to be of service to you.
And you’ll have new friends in the web design and marketing business!

Thanks!
Michael and Lisa Thayer

Hello and welcome!

My name is Michael Thayer and my wife Lisa and I own GoldfishNetwork.com. Perhaps you’ve read about us in the New York Times or have seen us on important TV shows. Wait a minute…nope…actually that wasn’t us. Yet.

In addition to kicking off our brand new branding and morphing from Better Site Solutions into GoldfishNetwork, we now have this here blog that you’re reading. There are two perfectly good reasons why this GoldfishNetwork blog now exists.

Reason 1) Value. I enjoy reading and learning from blogs of interest (don’t you?) and I wanted to provide more value to our clients (and potential clients) by seeking out useful and important information for small (and not so small) business owners. I hereby pledge to make this thing worth reading…

We’ll post tips, articles, photos, videos, and (?) here. Mostly news and information but we’ll also have some humor as well because we like humor. It’s funny. It’s been known to amuse people on occasion. Heck, humor can be darned funny from time to time so we’ll find some for you while you’re busy working…

and

Reason 2) Example. I wanted to show what a blog (and other Web 2.0 tools) can do for your business by…you guessed it, having a blog and using some of the web tools available (man, you are quick). The tips, articles, photos, videos, and (?) that I post here will be wide open for feedback, comments, praise, accolades, wonderful insight and….let’s see….oh yeah…corrections and a bit of criticism as well. And that’s fine, because interaction is a important part of this thingamajig called a blog. Besides, if you don’t provide some corrections, critiques, and/or points for me to ponder, my wife will be glad to visit here and provide some for you.

Ok…. ready? Good. Me too.