Is Social Media a Fad or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

August 14, 2009 by Michael Marlatt · 2 Comments 

Social media is transforming our personal and professional lives.  It impacts everything we do on the web.  Erik Qualmann, author of Socialnomics, recently produced an eye-popping video that speaks to social media’s popularity around the world.  He’s calling it a revolution, but what do you think?

Check out Erik’s video on Social Media…

You can follow Erik Qualman on Twitter, or jump over to his site Socialnomics for more details.

Filed under: Blog Posts, Emerging Trends, Mobile Trends, On the Radar, Social Media, Video, Web 2.0
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QR Codes, Twitter, & Viral-Marketing: A lesson in mobile innovation

July 6, 2009 by Michael Marlatt · 2 Comments 

The Editoras story…

Editoras Online, have you heard of them?  If not, don’t worry - you are not the alone. Editoras is the Brazilian equivalent of Amazon.com and they recently launched an ad campaign to promote their online store. Ordinarily, you would write them off as yet another average online business trying to go mobile. However, take a closer look and I think you will agree that their ad-campaign was quite clever. Let’s examine why…

What was special about Editoras Online’s ad-campaign?

As part of their “guerrilla” marketing strategy, they incorporated the use of 4,000 QR code stickers posted throughout São Paulo.  Mobile participants quickly discovered that each QR code redirected them to select Twitter messages.  Each message related to either love or hate and refreshed every seven days.  The unique part of this campaign was that Editoras was able to produce a 200-page “living book” made up entirely of QR codes and messages from Twitter feeds.  To close the loop, the messages also carried a “call-to-action” that ultimately drove participants to the Editoras website.  The buzz generated from their guerilla campaign was so successful that copies of their book sold-out in less than a week.  Now, that’s ROI.

See video for details…





Mobile Recruiting via QR Codes & Twitter?

If you are frequent reader of my blog then you have likely heard me reference the use of 2-D barcodes in the past. There are creative ways to leverage QR code (2-D) technology as demonstrated in the Editoras example above.  As an employer, imagine being able to update candidates to your open jobs without having to manually push out the updates. The beauty behind 2-D barcode technology is that the content behind the barcodes can change while the overall framework remains the same.  What exactly does this mean? From the employer’s perspective, it means the 2-D barcode could theoretically represent a ‘company brand’ with the ability to render different content at different times. Today, we already see job updates pushed to Twitter, as seen here and here. Integrating the 2-D barcode would be the final piece of this digital marketing strategy.

The challenges with 2-D barcode technology in recruiting?

Yes, I know, all of this is easier said than done. I realize that not every prospect candidate (user) has mobile internet access, or a built-in 2-D barcode reader.  Plus, even if a candidate understands this technology, there many different 2-D barcode formats so how does a company decide on which format to use?  These are valid questions and they should be asked before attempting to launch this type of mobile strategy. However, there are over 270 million mobile subscribers in the U.S. and mobile internet usage is on the rise.  The point is, with the overall increase in U.S. mobile adoption, we are only limited by our imagination on how we connect with this vastly untapped audience.

Filed under: Blog Posts, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Recruiting, Mobile Trends, On the Radar, Video
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Phonecasting, a rising trend in mobile communications?

June 6, 2009 by Michael Marlatt · 6 Comments 

Ok, so I know what you’re thinking… another buzzword.  So, what in the world is Phonecasting?

Phonecasting, also known as phlogging or phone-blogging, involves the ability to use your phone to broadcast directly to the internet, live. Phonecasting combines the popularity of podcasting with the ubiquity and ease of use of mobile devices.

How does Phonecasting differ from Podcasting?

Well, for starters, podcasters typically use a microphone and recording software to create their programming. In contrast, phonecasters use the phone as the microphone. In addition, unlike traditional podcasting, phonecasting does not require recording software but simply phonecasting service (or application) that allows users to dial a number and record.

Don’t like blogging? Try phonecasting to attract your target audience.

You have often heard me speak about the topic of mobile marketing as a recruitment channel. Mobile recruiting offers the ability to market specifically to a target audience anytime, anywhere, on their mobile device. Since mobile is the most widely used of all mass media channels, phonecasting offers yet another dimension to the idea of mobile recruiting. With phonecasting, recruiters/employers have the ability to share job opportunities in the form of audio podcasts or jobcasts.  Chris Russell over at JobsinPods has built a formidable business providing jobcasting solutions for employers.  Consumers (candidates) can easily subscribe to a phonecasts/jobcasts and listen while on-the-go, at the gym, during idle time in traffic, etc.  You can follow Chris Russell on Twitter to get more on this topic.

In addition to jobcasting, industry voices such as Michael Kelemen from the Recruiting Animal Show, Asia-Pacific’s Most-Connected Recruiter Stan Relihan, and my good friend Jim Stroud at The Recruiter’s Lounge have helped to popularize the general use of podcasting as a form of infotainment in the recruiting industry.

Phonecasting’s self-service model…

In the true nature of Web 2.0, there are many self-services applications today that offer users the ability to begin phone-blogging, or phonecasting with minimal to no costs. To get started, all you need is a phone, a phonecasting service provider, and a message you wish to deliver. If you want to dive right into podcasting, then you will be pleased to know there are many available options to get you up and running in no time.

The following are 10 services that offer either phonecasting, podcasting, or voice broadcasting solutions:

1. www.phonecasting.com - Phonecasting.com is an online social network that brings you the best in podcasting, phonecasting, mobile and video content, plus simple tools for you to publish your own content to the nets podcasting community.

2. www.ipadio.com - ipadio allows you to broadcast from any phone to the internet, live.  Phone blog, commentate, collect audio data, record and update the world or simply let your mates know what you’re doing - ipadio is integrated with Twitter & Facebook.

3. www.gcast.com - Gcast’s goal is to make personal broadcasting (podcasting) simple. Their focus is to allow users to create audio broadcasts, easily record voice messages, mix in your favorite music, and share it all for the world to hear.

4. www.jobsinpods.com - Jobs in Pods, the internet’s first ever audio recruitment platform built with social media. Unlike the traditional job boards you are used to visiting, Jobs in Pods is a place to actually hear from the employers themselves through audio interviews with their HR managers/employees.

5. www.yodio.com - Yodio offers an integrated, one-stop digital publishing service where anyone can go to self-record, produce, and share audio recordings (podcasts) and personal broadcasts (audio synchronized with digital photos).

6. www.gabcast.com - Gabcast.com is a podcasting and audioblogging platform that offers virtual communities, individuals and organizations an easy way to create and distribute audio content.

7. www.earfl.com - earfl was created to give your voice a voice. We’ve made it easy to tell your stories: just call 415.223.3802 from your mobile phone and start talking. Hang up, log on and start listening. It’s really that easy.

8. www.xmvoice.com - XMVoice offers voice broadcasting that allows you to instantly send hundreds or even thousands of interactive phone calls with ease while managing the entire process right from the Web.

9. labs.jaduka.com/dukaBuzz - dukaBUZZ enables site visitors to leave audio messages and testimonials that can be shared with others. Instead of typing and posting written comments, site visitors record audio comments using the dukaBUZZ widget and their standard phone (no software downloads or headsets required).

10. www.tweetmic.com - TweetMic is a Twitter fan’s must have iPhone app. It’s simple, intuitive, and allows you to make high-quality audio recordings or “Tweetcasts” then publish them directly to Twitter. There is no limit to how much you can record and you don’t need to sign up for any additional service to start using TweetMic. For more, check out the TweetMic review from goodBetaBest.com..

While the list above was not intended to be all-inclusive of the services available, if you feel I have left out any particularly useful sites, please be sure to leave a response and let us know. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Filed under: Blog Posts, Mobile 2.0, Mobile Apps, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Recruiting, Mobile Trends
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Greg Verdino: Marketing, Media & Trends: You’re ahead of the curve. Deal with it…

September 16, 2008 by Admin · Leave a Comment 

Greg Verdino: Marketing, Media & Trends: You’re ahead of the curve. Deal with it…
A new graph of the Gartner hype cycle for emerging technologies has been popping up on a variety of blogs. If you haven’t seen it yet, the graph charts the path that many nascent technologies take from launch, through irrational exuberance, through disillusionment and ultimately to that ‘a-ha moment’ that leads to measured and rational mainstream adoption. It’s classic ‘Crossing the Chasm’ stuff…

Filed under: Asides, Cloud Computing, Emerging Trends, On the Radar, Social Media, Web 2.0
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