Tuesday 27 December 2011

2012 - here comes the future.... what shall we do?

The past is the future for most of us.

We cling to misguided notions that persistence, endurance, and more of the same will result in a new future. It won’t.

99% of the conversations I have about the future are actually about the past. People try to create a future by cling to or modifying the past.

Frequently, the future is turning back to distant “glory days.” It’s futile.

Memories without dreams are anchors.

The future is made by those who face forward, not backward. Stand on your glory days, don’t repeat them.

Finding your future:

Stop defining yourself by past methods, accomplishments, and behaviors. In a turbulent world, methods that are moral imperatives destroy the future.
Your future is about people not projects or accomplishments. Current relationships tend to maintain stability; new relationships disrupt. Treasure both.
Get into social media; meet people succeeding where you want to succeed. (Becky Robinson thinks it can be done 12 minutes at a time)
Face timidity with small steps. 70% certainty is enough.
Systematically build your new future alongside your old present. Once your future is strong enough, fully embrace it.
Point of stability:

Focus on your values. Creating a new future is disruptive and disorienting. Determine three or four guiding ideals. Without them, you’re adrift.

Values guide-as-you-go without determining destinations.

Questions:

Who do you want to be?
What is your current legacy? What do you wish it was?
How can you step toward your preferred future, today?
How are you most useful to others?
What will you let go?
How must you develop?
Challenge:

While creating your new future you’ll be tempted to blame others for your disappointing present. That thinking destroys your future. Stop blaming others for the choices you’ve made. Your future begins when you own it.

With 2012 peeking at us, how can leaders take steps to create the future?

**********

Friday 23 December 2011

Blogging and the new laws - ala Google.

Google however has made some changes recently in how they would like this done so it’s imperative that you learn this little trick so that, while others get penalized, you can increase your search ranking. Basically it’s meant so that the “blog-bots” don’t just farm content, driving the blog without anyone at the wheel or even worse, trying to pass the valuable post as their own.

Google does not mind if you mine for blog content as long as you have a reference backlink “anchor text” that recognizes the author. Jon Jantsch and Matt Cutts did a great job outlining how to go about this so that the Google spider will recognize it.

In an effort to place more emphasis on the original authors of content and perhaps further eliminate duplicate content, Google has begun focusing on an anchor text attribute – rel=”author”. For those that don’t know, to create an anchor text link you can just use your mouse to highlight a word or phrase, right click, select “hyperlink” and add a site address. From that moment on, clicking on that word or phrase will send the reader directly to the site address you specified.

Now, an “anchor text attribute” is just more information contained in the HMTL code of a link. In this case the use of the author attribute in conjunction with content, such as a blog post, signals search spiders that this is the original author.

So a link to my about us page with attribute would look like this:
a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/about/" rel="author"John Jantsch

The reward for using this attribute has started showing up in search results with the image of the author placed to the right of the results in a growing number of instances. The Google author program kicked off formally a while back with a limited number of well-know bloggers and journalists and is slowly rolling out to others. (Here’s the official Google announcement)

The images Google is showing next to the selected articles are drawn from Google Plus profiles and link back to the author’s profile page. Some people have noted, incorrectly that this is a further extension of active Google+ users into the search results. The author program was actually in place prior to Google Plus and drew originally on the old Google personal profiles. In fact, some of the higher profile authors chosen have very limited Google+ activity.

Thursday 22 December 2011

I never knew that - Over 45s buy the most virtual goods

They're 18 per cent of the market, but they do 42 per cent of the spending. Amazing.

Stats from the US mobile social network MocoSpace surveyed nearly 500,000 gamers on its network of 22 million users.

It found older gamers spend the least amount of time playing games, while younger gamers (25-35) spend the most. But gamers over 45 buy exponentially more virtual goods.

The 18- to 25-year-olds, who made up 43 per cent of those surveyed, bought just 18 per cent of virtual goods.

Most active were the 25- to 35-year-olds, who spend nearly twice as much time gaming as any other group.

Mocospace reckons older demographics may have more disposable income, or a desire to progress further within games via virtual goods to save time.

Here are the key stats

18-25: 10 per cent of all gamers bought virtual goods
25-35: 22 per cent of all gamers bought virtual goods
35-45: 50 per cent of all gamers bought virtual goods
45+: 70 per cent of all gamers bought virtual goods

“We’re seeing parents go from spending money on buying games for their kids, to spending money on virtual goods in games for themselves. The time-versus-money balance seems to come into play here, where young people have more time than money, and the reverse holds true as we all grow up,” said MocoSpace CEO Justin Siegel.

Now this is interesting for all those who next year are moving into gaming :)

Wednesday 21 December 2011

What are the most competitive areas for talent these days?

What are the most competitive areas for talent these days? Here's a look:

Worth thinking about when you are starting up your start up :)

Software Engineers and Web Developers

The demand for top-tier engineering talent sharply outweighs the supply in almost every market especially in San Francisco, New York, and Boston. This is a major, major pain point and problem that almost every company is facing, regardless of the technology "stack" their engineers are working on.

Creative Design and User Experience

After engineers, the biggest challenge for companies is finding high-quality creative design and user-experience talent. Since almost every company is trying to create a highly compelling user experience that keeps people engaged with their product, it is tough to find people who have this type of experience (especially with mobile devices including tablets) and a demonstrated track record of success.

Product Management

It is always helpful for an early-stage company to hire someone who has very relevant and specific experience in your industry. This is especially true for product management, since the person in this role will interface with customers and define the product strategy and use cases. However, be prepared, as it will be a challenge to find people with experience in these high-growth industries: consumer web, e-commerce, mobile, software as a service, and cloud computing.

Part of things I personally have been involved with with @goaugmented.

Marketing

I'm not talking about old-school marketing communications. Companies are looking for expert online marketers who know how to create a buzz of inbound marketing or viral traffic through the web, social media, and content discovery. Writing a good press release just doesn't cut it anymore, as everyone is looking for the savvy online marketing professional who understands how the current state of the web operates and knows how to make it work to their benefit.

Which is what we do at www.greatmarketingworks.co.uk - so rather happy about this one being included :)

Analytics

Since data is becoming more and more accessible, smart companies are increasingly making decisions driven by metrics. Analytics is becoming a central hub across companies where everything (web, marketing, sales, operations) is being measured and each decision is supported by data. Thus, we are seeing a high level of demand for analytics and business intelligence professionals who almost act like internal consultants; they help determine what should be measured and then build out the capability for a company.

Again something I train people to love and I am personally obbessed with - so great news there too.

Thanks to Forbes for the article - most enlightening :)

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Entrepreneur vs Employee: the lowdown

Entrepreneur vs Employee: the lowdown

Here are the pros and cons of being an employee:

* Pro: You know exactly how much money you will make in an hour/day/week/year
* Pro: You know exactly when you are going to work (for the most part)
* Pro: ‘Safe,’ ‘Easy’
* Pro: ‘Benefits’
* Con: Layoffs at an all-time high, saturated job market
* Con: Left to fulfill the demand of the job market
* Con: Limited income potential, limited by time
* Con: You work for 45 years and own maybe a house and a few cars
* Con: Spend a lot of time away from family
* Con: Spend a lot of time with idiots and negative people (very bad for you)
* Con: Costs more and more with 4-8 years to get a degree / masters
* Con: Retire broke
* Con: A lot of your money goes to the worst money-managers: the government

Here are the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur:

* Pro: Set your own hours
* Pro: Lots of tax breaks!
* Pro: Set your own hours
* Pro: Unlimited income potential, limited by your expertise and product
* Pro: Retire young and wealthy
* Pro: Spend time with the people you want to spend time with (family friends)
* Pro: Spend time with leaders in your industry, with similar mindsets
* Pro: Can get started in a business and be "earning" with less than £5k
* Pro: Create the jobs that are filled by the employees
* Con: Need to buy your own benefits
* Con: Can take a lot of commitment and time to get started
* Con: Can be ‘difficult’ if you aren’t used to it
* ‘Con’: You don’t know how much money you will make… can be good or bad
* ‘Con’: Paid by results, can be good or bad

So it's up to you :)

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Six Social Predictions to Ponder for 2012...

People much more clever than I write about things before they happen - I like to see what works and then test things before I give that new information to my client. So here is a lovely #greatmarketing blog from David Amarmo - all about what can we expect in 2012 in a world that seems to grow ever connected by the hour.


Here are six predictions to ponder, in no particular order:


Convergence Emergence. For a glimpse into how social will further integrate with "real life," we can look at what Coca Cola experimented with all the way back in 2010. Coke created an amusement park where participants could "swipe" their RFID-equipped wristbands at kiosks, which posted to their Facebook account what they were doing and where. Also, as part of a marketing campaign, Domino's Pizza posted feedback — unfiltered feedback — on a large billboard in Times Square, bringing together real opinions from real people pulled from a digital source and displayed in the real world. These types of "trans-media" experiences are likely to define "social" in the year to come.

The Cult of Influence. In much the same way that Google has defined a system that rewards those who produce findable content, there is a race on to develop a system that will reward those who wield the most social influence. One particular player has emerged, Klout, determined to establish their platform as the authority of digital influence. Klout's attempt to convert digital influence into business value underscores a much bigger movement which we'll continue to see play out in the next year. To some degree everyone now has some digital influence (not just celebrities, academics, policy makers or those who sway public opinion). But for the next year, the cult of influence becomes less about consumer plays like Klout and more about the tools and techniques professionals use to "score" digital influence and actually harness, scale and measure the results of it.

So here I am thinking more about Peer Index (Ed - Dan - As I prefer this metrix)

Gamification Nation. No we're not taking about video games. Rather, game-like qualities are emerging within a number of social apps in your browser or mobile device. From levels, to leaderboards, to badges or points, rewards for participation abound. It's likely that the trend will have to evolve given how competition for our time and attention this gaming creates. Primarily, gamification has been used in consumer settings, but look for it in other areas from HR, to government, healthcare and even business management. Perhaps negotiating your next raise will be tied to your position on the company's digital leaderboard.


Social Sharing.
Ideas, opinions, media, status updates are all part of what makes social media a powerful and often disruptive force. The media industry was one of the first to understand this, adding sharing options to content, which led to more page views and better status in search results. What comes next in social sharing is more closely aligned with e-commerce or web transactions. For example, Sears allows a user to share a product or review with their networks directly from the site. Sharing that vacation you just booked, or recommending a product, or service from any site to a social network is where sharing goes next. We probably don't know what we are willing to share until we see the option to do it.

Social Television. For many of us, watching television is already a social act, whether it's talking to the person next to you, or texting, tweeting, and calling friends about what you're watching. But television is about to become a social experience in a bigger and broader sense. The X Factor now allows voting via Twitter and highlights other social promotions, which encourages viewers to tap social networks while they watch. Another way media consumption is becoming social comes from a network called Get Glue which acts as something of a Foursquare for media. Participants can "check-in" to their favorite shows (or other forms of media) and collect stickers to tell the world what programs they love. Watch for more of this this year as ratings rise for socially integrated shows.

The Micro Economy. Lastly as we roll into 2012, watch for a more social approach to solving business problems through a sort of micro-economy. Kickstarter gives anyone with a project, the opportunity to get that initiative funded by those who choose to (and patrons receive something in return). A crowdsourcing platform for would be inventors called Quirky lets the best product ideas rise to the top and then helps them get produced and sold while the "inventor" takes a cut. Air BnB turns homes into hotels and travelers into guests, providing both parties with an opportunity to make and save money. These examples may point to a new future reality where economic value is directly negotiated and exchanged between individuals over institutions.

These are a few emerging trends which come to mind. As with anything, looking to the past often gives us clues for what may come in the future. Please weigh in with your thoughts: where do you see "social" going in 2012?

Monday 5 December 2011

The Entreprenuer can be alone and sometimes forgotten - and this is why....

There is something rather wonderful about this blog - and so I copy and pasted it.

It is all about being on your own - or thinking you are - or perhaps more importantly acting like you are.

It's a stark tale about how you can change the game but if you only do it for yourself in the end the people you came to change will forget you.

The phrase ‘on your tod’ comes from the Cockney rhyming slang, Tod Sloan – alone. While the saying has stuck the person who helped coin the phrase, James Forman (Tod) Sloan, has long since faded from memory.

The more I read about Sloan’s life the more I was struck by how his outlook and the challenges he faced were very similar to those faced by companies and entrepreneurs who, not content with business as usual, have gone on to create some seriously sticky brands.

Born in Indiana in 1874 James Forman (Tod) Sloan’s life didn’t get off to a promising start. Rejected by his parents and left to fend for himself Sloan overcame almost impossible odds to become one of the world’s best-known sportsmen and the greatest jockey of the late 20th century. The song I’m a Yankee Doodle dandy, was based on Sloan’s life. *

Undoubtedly Sloan was a gifted rider but it was his unconventional approach to riding that was to set him, quite literally, head and shoulders over his competitors. While other jockeys used long stirrups Sloan used short stirrups. By positioning himself over the animals centre of gravity he enabled the horse to achieve its maximum speed. Sloan was not the first to use this style of riding but he was the first to adopt and adapt it for professional horse racing.

Having won every race there was to win in his native North America he travelled to England – the epicentre of the horse racing world. In 1897 the Prince of Wales engaged Sloan as his principle jockey. At the age of 23 Tod Sloan was the undisputed king of the horse racing world.

While the America press were far from complimentary about his unorthodox style of riding the British press were, true to form, positively caustic, referring to Sloan as the ‘monkey jockey.’ Far from being praised for his winning ways Sloan was mocked.

The Jockey Club, a stalwart of convention, did not approve of Sloan’s maverick behavior and in 1900 the club’s steward, Lord Durham, stepped up pressure on the Prince of Wales to have Sloan fired. In 1901 Sloan, no longer in the employ of the Prince of Wales, was informed by The Jockey Club that he need not re-apply for a license.

Sloan never raced again. The Cockney rhyming slang that was to far out last his fame proved to be an all too prophetic one. Sloan died in 1933 impoverished and alone or as the Cockney rhyming slang would have it ‘on his tod’.

The phrase may well be slipping from everyday use – my son who is 15 has never heard of it – but Sloan’s unorthodox style of riding which is the one used by every jockey in the world today looks like it’s here to stay. Unless of course….

Like most entrepreneurs who go on to create sticky brands, Sloan cared less about what others thought and more about what he did. An attitude that allowed him to look outside the confines of his profession and change the way things were done. When the going got tough, and you can bet your bottom dollar it will, Sloan’s disadvantaged background gave him the drive to keep on going. Like many entrepreneurs before him and since Sloan was a born maverick. A little like many of my clients, especially goAugmented - as they are doing some very out there stuff but with very little money!

But I can’t help thinking that there is one big difference between Sloan and the Apples, Body Shops, Howies and Innocents of this world. And that difference is Vision. While Sloan shared their passion, talent, and ambition there is nothing in his story to suggest that he wanted to change anything other than his own world.

Sloan, like so many driven men and women and the companies they have created wasn’t moving toward something but simply trying to escape from it. Ultimately those entrepreneurs and companies that are driven purely by fear and the need to grow ever richer and larger with the sole aim of putting as much distance between themselves and their fear are, sooner or later, bound to come a cropper.

Perhaps if Sloan had had a vision of how horse racing ‘could be’ he would have changed more than just the way jockeys ride and in the course of doing so a small part of the English language.

A wonderful thought for the day, so we said so to the guy who wrote it Owen from Brand Orienteering.

Worth thinking about as we start work again with goAugmented. As our mobile technology of augmented reality might well change the world (or at least our part of it) and maybe that's the problem :)What are we at goAugmented moving toward? What's our vision?

Thursday 1 December 2011

Commerce - E, M and now F....

Over in the Americas it looks like a wonderful year for ecommerce. But not only E commerce but F and S commerce too. The newest of all the commerces, Facebook and Social.

According to comScore, an estimated $37 billion will be spent online over the festive period this year, up 15 percent on last year’s $32 billion.

Meanwhile, Shop.org’s eHoliday survey anticipates that 73.7 percent of retailers will use Facebook pages to reach out to shoppers, a marked increase from 57.1 percent last year.

Indeed, according to CNBC, 18 percent of chief marketing officers say that social media promotions are their top sales priority this weekend.

To be sure, Facebook users have an enormous selection of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to tickle their fancy. eCommerce platform Payvment, for example, has launched a special Black Friday deals section for its Shopping Mall, offering up to 80 percent off products from its list of over 100,000 retailers.

But what about in the UK, what are we up to with our own Mcommerce? Well according to some -

24% of U.K. consumers have used a smartphone to access web sites while shopping, of which 50% accessed retail websites and 48% social media sites (Source: eDigitalResearch and IMRG Survey, 2011)

40% of U.K. consumers using a smartphone while shopping ultimately made a purchase in-store, online or via mobile (Source: eDigital Research and IMRG Survey, 2011)

55% of U.K. consumers have seen a QR code while shopping and 33% of shoppers who have seen a QR code have scanned one (Source: eDigital Research and IMRG Survey, 2011)

It is predicted that there will be 20.76 million m-commerce users in the UK in 4Q11 (Source: Mobile Consumer Trends, 2011) - so things are looking good.