While I try not to mix business, personal life and my public persona with ANYTHING remotely political, I usually refrain from posting content such as this. But in this election season started by the Iowa Straw Polls this week and destined to continue on through the next 18 months and beyond, I had the urge to voice my perspective on our current economic state. Do I think this will “turn on the light or make the issues clearer to the candidates? No.
Maybe this will give some of my readers some perspective on how to address the trouble our economy is in.
Democrat? Republican? I don’t care. I think this issue is RELEVANT to us all.
The 12-Step Evolution of a Down Economy (Or… how to rape the economy and propagate slums in our suburbs):
Step1: Residents tire of rural congestion and discover beautiful, virgin territory
Step 2: Residents settle and develop land for suitable family living (“modernize”) Step 3: Residents draw “new” residents on shiny object & new opportunities Step 4: “Community” develops retail and consumer tax base Step 5: This entices residents into comfort and disillusionment with commercialism and retail tax abatements Step 6: Retail and consumer base offer incentives to “stay and grow” in the area with credit and superficial community amenities (that no one really uses) Step 7: Big Retail and Consumer tax base lulls residents into lethargic, numb zombie-like state of ignorance about economic cycles and surge growth detriments Step 8: Zombies extend credit with little or NO reasonable cognitive control Step 9: Retail and commercial base default on credit as corporate office search “New opportunities” in other beautiful, virgin territories. Step 10: Retail and commercial base close down / move away taking job and retail tax base with. Step 11: Residents default on credit foreclose and lose job opportunities… look for the next shiny object. Step 12: Original beautiful, virgin territory is left — unkempt, uncared for, unmarketable, uninhabitable and is sold or leased to those that will take ANYTHING to call their own, because that’s the American Dream
Are you living the “American Dream?”
Keep Cooking (TRUE Community – not the one we’re being SOLD)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
I have to give it up to those that have jumped into the Google + social media platform with such gusto. People I admire GREATLY like Robert Scoble, Steve Woodruff and Chris Brogan were some of the first people I added to circles and I see them streaming their content religiously through G+. I’ve seen some local adaptation for Google +, but a much more limited display. Why?
I wonder if missing my friends’ posts and content is just because of the volume of content that is generated by those like Scoble and Brogan or if there has been some kind of fissure in the connection between Google+ and the platforms my “Local Circles” produce content on. I have been dedicated to platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for a number of years now, simply because I started and built those networks up from my own social media infancy to a rewarding presence over the past 5 years. But like many I have talked to, I find that Google + is just more noise in the landscape that we’re all trying to understand.
A good local social media friend of mine, Laura Gaulke (@allauremkt on Twitter), posted on the Des Moines Business Mixer, a super aricle link from Mari Smith. Where even Mari questions the validity and application of another social media platform to compete with the likes of Facebook and Twitter. It’s evident, that like many of us, Mari is still waiting for the BIG TA-DA moment from G+ to make the complete switch over:
For now, I highly doubt we’re going to see any kind of mass exodus of Facebook users to Google+. For many people, it can feel like a foreign land and foreign language to have to learn a whole new social network. Many users on Facebook are still getting to grips with the (constantly changing) features on the platform. Besides, if the average user on Facebook uses the site to connect with family around the world and to play games, they will stay there so long as they can still reach their loved ones and play their games.
Google certainly has the power to create a behemoth of a social media network, but my questions is, “Should they?”
I’ve simply resisted adaptation for G+ to my social media strategy for a couple of reasons.
I just don’t have the time to manage another outpost for myself or my clients, and
I’m not seeing G+ as friendly when it comes to integrating my other social media tools
Until I can alleviate that pain, the utility and convenience of Google + remains a distant tangible. I will stay tuned, stay connected, monitor growth and play on the beachfront; but I probably won’t be diving in the deep end until I know HOW DEEP IT ACTUALLY IS.
So what do YOU think? Has Google+ added to your social media strategy or is it just more noise in the mix. I want to get this discussion started. Post below and share with your circles …(ha ha)…
So this post is a sort of an extension to my last post about “Flipping” your Blog.
From what I can tell, video,as with web development and content management systems, has hit a consumer marketing pace that is going to change the way we (you and I and the whole marketing communications world) will communicate in the VERY near future. While writing and posting blogs and articles will be of continued value for content and SEO, I think the video enterprise of social media is going to make short work of the roadblocks facing the “non-writers” out there.
Also think of the affect video communications has on:
Instant gratification
Personal relationships
Eye contact when speaking
Professional credibility
Brand engagement
On the other hand, production, encoding, storage space and other factors will still come into play when using video over the written word.
So, what do we do? Continue to write post after post about our key subject or flip a camera on and tag the heck out of a few videos for virtually the same results.
What say you?
So on that point, I’d like to offer today’s Get-Going Groove of the Day below. I look forward to hearing (or seeing more) from you all!
Keep Cooking (great, visual engagement)!
The Brand Chef
Andrew B. Clark
**As a disclaimer, I was just informed this morning (by my Intern) that Cisco has discontinued the production of the FLIP video Camera. So ANYWHERE I say “FLIP…” Insert the words “Cell Phone.” While it lacks the same fun and double entendre as “FLIP,” the premise still applies. If you “CellPhone” your blog (yawn), keep the following topics in mind… Now, I’m off to catch up on current events. Are we still in Iraq?**
Videos and podcast aren’t new to interactive marketing and communications. Some of my favorite blogs aren’t actually written blogs at all, but video blogs (or Vlogs) where the author turns the camera on and actually looks right at me and talks. Think about it. VIRTUALLY communicating eye-to-eye with your audience!
Image credit: http://blog.tmcnet.com
As technology improves and the speed of internet connections increases, the need for monster bandwidth, storage space and cost have become relatively low. Considering that, I’ve been encouraging my clients to “Flip” the model of their blogging.
I’ve sent many clients on over to The Flip Video product website for ideas on what the possibilities are and how it can bring people together. Sure, there are video samples given. That’s an obvious, but how they’re presented doesn’t feel quite so authentic. They feel like produced, planned recordings, even though they might not be.
I’m here to tell you… Flipping Your Blog doesn’t need to be difficult, but it DOES need to be done…
Here are three simple steps to how to make the Flip Video Recorder an integral part of your blogging (and interactive marketing) process.
Turn the site over to the people actually using the product / brand (employees and customers):
Sure there’s room for starched, corporate stuff, but why not make some space available to those that interact with the brand most? Allow them to upload videos, comment on other videos, tag videos and so on. Use your site as an outlet, so the experience with the brand doesn’t get capped in legal or proofreading. The Flip Video Recorder allows the “HUMAN” side of the brand to come back to communications. The Flip is all about shooting video easily and transferring it to your computer/website in a snap. You should prove this point every day.
Create a YouTube channel
Make your own space on YouTube. It’s FREE! Create a channel. Encourage people to tag their videos to your group. Flip has the “Upload to YouTube” feature, complete the circle and make the channel. You can then feed the channel right into your blog. Multiple authors and endless video opportunities can be sent to your site with very little effort. Why not harness all that free attention?
Make it easy to find you
Outposts… Outposts… Outposts! I’ve talked about this many times before, but your brand shouldn’t live solely on your website. With more outposts, the more opportunities you’ll have for cross posting, tagging and linking that all generate a little more SEO love as well as create multiple places for your target audience to find you, share your information and create a bigger, more enthusiastic brand community!
My point is this: the Flip Video Recorder is a tool that makes video, basic video editing and video sharing infinitely easier. It’s a tool for real people looking for a simple and convenient video solution. Why not take the easy road and FLIP YOUR BLOG?
So… why didn’t I do this post using a Flip video?!? I GAVE MY LAST FLIP CAMERA TO A CLIENT!
How would you use video to build a better blog? How could video improve your user experience with your brand?
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Keep Cooking (TRUE, engaging content)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
Well, I found one. In an article I read a few months ago, Kohi Vinh brought to the foreground the alarmingly BAD illustration and exposure artists are getting online. While I could have written a post agreeing with his post… I wanted to do one better.
Below is a narrative of the post – Kohi’s article driven down to its core – an automated, web-static dramatization of what’s wrong with online illustration (or the lack thereof).
Video… Feed readers may need to click through to the post to view the video properly.
I know a lot of my readers are artists, or used to be and now find themselves in “The Digital Wonderland.” What say you? Is this digital age making it harder for Illustrators and artists of all kinds to make a living at their chosen trade, or are we just a bunch of crybabies?
Step 4: “Community” develops retail and consumer tax base
I wonder if missing my friends’ posts and content is just because of the volume of content that is generated by those like Scoble and Brogan or if there has been some kind of fissure in the connection between Google+ and the platforms my “Local Circles” produce content on. I have been dedicated to platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for a number of years now, simply because I started and built those networks up from my own social media infancy to a rewarding presence over the past 5 years. But like many I have talked to, I find that Google + is just more noise in the landscape that we’re all trying to understand.
