walk on: exploring the digital experience

Social Media as a Career

I've come across several very interesting posts that have begun to track the emergence of Social Media as a legitimate position in the communications departments of many organizations. These organizations are taking up the challenge that is being presented by consumers and the use of new media tools and committing themselves to the conversation.

Several of the brands that I work with are beginning to embrace social media and the opportunity to engage with consumers and build relationships. It's an exciting time to be a part of digital communications.

Here's a few links for review if your organizations is considering developing a full time position for a Social Media Director/Strategist.

Social Media Headhunter with Jim Durbin.

Social Media Strategist is a Real Job by Des Walsh

Social Media Today article by Romain Pechard

Groundswell Thoughts from Josh Bernoff

Technorati Tags: Social Media,New Media,Communication Strategy,Jamey Shiels

Age of Conversation 2 - In the Works

A little over a year ago, I had the opportunity to join in a collective project with over 100 bloggers. The goal was for each of us to write a brief piece focusing on the developing online conversation. It was an amazing project that benefited charity while providing value to its readers.

Well, the gang is at it again. The Age of Conversation 2008 is in the works. This time over 250 authors will be contributing thought pieces on one of the following topics. I was personally drawn to Life in the Conversation Lane and submitted my piece last week for review and entry into the final book.

• Age of Conversation Manifestos
• Keeping Secrets in the Age of Conversation
• Moving from Conversation to Action
• The Accidental Marketer
• A New Brand of Creative
• My Marketing Tragedy
• Business Model Evolution
• Life in the Conversation Lane

More information will be on its way shortly. In the meantime, check out the list of bloggers below and visit Ryan Barrett's blog for a teaser from several of the authors.

Adam Crowe, Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob Carlton, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Bradley Spitzer, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Clay Parker Jones, Chris Brown, Colin McKay, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Cord Silverstein, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Goldstein, Dan Schawbel, Dana VanDen Heuvel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Darryl Patterson, Dave Davison, Dave Origano, David Armano, David Bausola, David Berkowitz, David Brazeal, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Emily Reed, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, G. Kofi Annan, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Graham Hill, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, J.C. Hutchins, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, Joe Talbott, John Herrington, John Jantsch, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Flowers, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kris Hoet, Krishna De, Kristin Gorski, Laura Fitton, Laurence Helene Borei, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Barnes-Johnston, Louise Mangan, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Marcus Brown, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Mark McSpadden, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Hawkins, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Monica Wright, Nathan Gilliatt, Nathan Snell, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul Marobella, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Beeker Northam, Rob Mortimer, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Cribbett, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tiffany Kenyon, Tim Brunelle, Tim Buesing, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Longhurst, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem

Technorati Tags: Jamey Shiels,Age of Conversation,New Media,New Marketing

Internet Crash!

Working in the Digital Marketing space I get a kick out of this video...

Me and my Facebook

I've jumped on the Facebook bandwagon. To better manage my "Brand", I've decided to narrow down my list of social media/web 2.0 apps to my blog, LinkedIn and Facebook. I've surrendered to the fact that twitter is not my cup of tea. It's an interesting thing to follow some of the tweets but I'm not to the point of that type of always on posting. I also don't have the mobile access which I think is a strong tool for twitter users.

I also like the premise behind LinkedIn and Facebook and the amount of information you can provide. As I look through the expressive branding glasses, it's important for me to be consistent and manage the content and regularity in putting information out there. I'm using linkedin for professional, work, networking and facebook for more of a personal meets professional space.

There was another story about how Ms. New Jersey was being blackmailed because of pictures on her facebook page. These tools are designed for personal expression but we do have to be careful the content we put out there. It's an interesting experiment.

How to Use RSS

There's a great video from Common Craft on how to use RSS. It's a great, non-technical demonstration of how to get your content delivered. Check it out below.

Click To Play

There are two types of Internet users, those that use RSS and those that don't. This video is for the people who could save time using RSS, but don't know where to start.

Who do you want to Jott?

There's an awesome new tool out there that will help get you organized and on track with ideas, to do or other items that come to you when you're out and about...Jott.

Jott allows you to call an 800 number, leave a 30 second message that is then transcribed and delivered via e-mail. You can send it to yourself, staff, friends, family, you name it. I have a 40 minute commute and constantly think of ideas, to do items or other ramblings. I've carried a voice recorder or left myself voice message at the office but then never get around to writing the stuff down.

So, I registered with Jott, set up my phone number(s) and e-mail and I was off to the races. Here's how it works: I'm driving home and think of something I have to do at the office. I speed dial Jott from the cell phone. Quick question, who do you want to Jott? Myself. Then there's the tone and I'm leaving up to a 30 second message. In no time, the Jott is delivered to my Gmail.

The cool thing is that the transcriptions are pretty accurate. If not so good, there's a link to the audio file. I've also got my Gmail set up to tag all incoming mail from Jott as to do items.

Check it out and you'll find yourself capturing all sorts of ideas and to do's that would have otherwise been lost forever.

Content, Content, Content

There's so many ways to receive information today. RSS feeds, blogs, Twitter, e-mail alerts, digg, popurls and others. It's such a big list that it seems hard to keep up with all of the conversations that are developing and going on. I find myself trying to get on top of it all in the morning and then trying to engage in different conversations via twitter and site comments, all the while trying to think up content for a post on my blog.

The thing I've found interesting this week is the number of discussion on the importance of choosing the right words in how we express our ideas on design, marketing. The dictionary for marketing is changing as new marketing concepts take hold. We're in a world where design is relevant to everyone because it impacts our every day lives through interactions as well as the fact that we are ourselves become designers when we post content, comment or engage in online activities. We're designing the dialog, the conversation, the communications environment.

It's all very interesting and dynamic. And exciting. 

The Iphone Impact

David Armano and Bruce Nussbaum have created an interesting discussion regarding the Apple Iphone and its impact on the cell market and product development in the U.S.

There's a lot of information about the cell phone market, product development and the future on full service digital devices

Very interesting discussion. To complicate matters, it looks like LG has already developed a similar product that may be able to compete depending on features.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/11/iphone-and-lg-ke850-separated-at-birth/

Graham Hill points us to Tomi Ahonen for some very interesting information and stats on the Iphone and cell market. The stats from Graham's post are very interesting and show an uphill battle for Apple to get to 10 million. Especially if LG and others get rolling.

I also think you'll see a higher than usual number of "early adopters" for the Iphone because of it's cool factor. Another question is, in a smartphone power user market, can apple provide the connectivity and programs that business users live on.

Social Networks

Neil Patel has an nice post over at Pronet regarding Social Networks. He hits a couple key points regarding identifying your niche and making the network worth returning to. I'm working at a company who is developing a social network and game site for kids and that is the constant challenge. We've identified the audience and are working to listen to what the users want and developing content that they can customize and get involved with.

Companies, not just social networks, need to stay connected to consumers/users and their needs because the next best thing is just around the corner if you can't keep their attention.

Your Computer on the Go

Reid Givens of Return on Intention, points us to an interesting new product called Mojo. It's a program that allows you to take your "desktop" computer with you, programs, files and all, and run them on any PC anywhere.

With today's mobile world and consumer content management this is a great product. Your favorites, where ever you go.