Dave Evans on Twitter & the Metrics Panel at SXSW

I am posting a short video below that I took over dinner at Truluck's in Austin with Dave Evans' version of the Metrics Panel at SXSW. Apparently, the panel members were taking a little too long to get to the point for many audience members, who were communicating via Twitter. Read some actual quotes from the back channel audience conversations.

It's graphic evidence of how fast and dramatically the balance of power is being re-weighted in favor of the recipients of information as compared to the disseminators. Heck, we are all busy; it's not hard to understand the "just get to the facts" attitude that is prevalent at least at tech conferences.

HAF - Links from Roxanne’s Presentation

This post is a summary of the conversation we had at the Hawaii Advertising Federation Conference. Please feel free to join in. Tip: Lots of links here, so right-click or control-click to open them in a new window.

Advertising online is fraught with challenges. Most web savvy consumers have learned to tune them out, as people are increasingly displeased with advertising in general. A large part is due to ads getting noisier and more ubiquitous. I was on a US Air flight recently and when it came time for drinks, and the tray tops came down covered in ads, I heard three different people complain out loud. People are tired of the intrusiveness and one-way-ness of most ad messaging. They want to have conversations that are two-way. The nice way to put this, is that advertising is due for an upgrade.

Since my expertise in online, the underlying theme today was to convey how the internet is a foreign country. It has it's own practices, many of which are the opposite of their offline counterparts. The pace is faster, the look and feel is less polished in most cases, the interactivity is high, and there is a good chance someone is talking about you whether you know it or not. You may use email, Google, and have your own website. (That's web 1.0). To be a successful traveler, you've got to leave the Holiday Inn in this foreign country and go out to meet the vocal locals. (That's web 2.0.) The social web is filled opportunities and pitfalls for advertisers.

A Few of Our Group Metrics

• Most of the 70 or so people in the room had read a blog before.
• Less than 10 had left a comment on a blog.
• 2 had written in a blog.
• About 10 belonged to LinkedIn.
• 1 person was on Twitter.

Benefits and Buzzwords
Your power comes from joining the conversation. At it's most basic form, by adding a comment, you create a valued in-bound link back to your web site. You also add your point of view. You can in many cases claim thought leadership for your company, for your industry, for your customers, for your vendors. Read my post on how and when to leave blog comments.

Remember relationship marketing? The tools and apps (applications) of web 2.0 are relationship marketing on steroids. People stay longer on sites that allow them to do something other than read some text or look at a some pictures. On blogs and socnets (social networks) people click through to more pages. That translates into longer session times and more page views which are a resource you can sell, or sell ads on. And the relationships you build with your visitors? Priceless.

Accepting comments on your site allows people to tell you what they love, what's not working so you can fixit sooner than later, ideas for new products and services, and most importantly they build trust with you. If you talk back in the comments, it shows you pay more than lip service to the concept of listening. When it comes time to buy, they will come to you first, because you have already established a relationship and possibly market leadership too. All the while you are getting free market research data, if you think of it that way.

And regardless of whether or not you (as the company) are engaged in online conversations, your brand is being discussed, debated, celebrated and parodied online. This brand democratization can be ripe with opportunity as well as fraught with bloopers. Your odds are better the more you are engaged. Here's a "link to the YouTube Mac vs PC" ads, the real ones and the spoofs, some of which Jason Sperling showed to us at lunch today.

Social Networks
Thanks for joining our "analog" social network! Now that you've had practice creating a profile and sharing a few details about yourself with someone you did not previously know, you are ready to go out an join an online social network. Try one under a personal screen name to get some more practice before you start doing this on behalf of your company. And check out Mitch Joel's blog on personal branding to get tips on how to benefit from your participation.

Free Blogging Services: (Set one up and play with it for personal use)
WordPress
Blogger
iWeb - if you're on a Mac (It's part of the iLife software package)

Sites I mentioned:
CNN - Click on "From the Blogs" link below an article to see recent, related blog posts
Honolulu Advertiser - find a news item and look for "Reader Comments"
Technorati - indexes millions of blogs; look for blogs here and claim your blog here once you have one
LifeHacker - popular blog with tips for managing your life
Chris Brogan - Look at the "MyBlogLog": in the orange-bounded box in left column to see recent readers (we left a comment on the Mac Book Air post)
My Sister's Site - pets and kids in southern california
My Mom's Site - Blanche's Art Show

Business Examples:
Mary Schmidt - marketer who grew her service business with a blog
Association for Downloadable Media - Association for Downloadable Media; multi-author association blog
MightyJ Music - local girl band who gets bookings by having a video blog; doubled site traffic after an appearance on Beach Walks with Rox, as compared to zero traffic increase after appearing on local morning television in Honolulu
Legal discussion of Hasbro/Mattel - Scrabble and Scrabulous discussion of Hasbro/Mattel/Scrabulous trademark infringement
Discussion of Ford Black Mustang Fan Club issues

Social Network (SocNet) Sites:
LinkedIn
MySpace.com
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Viddler

Please leave a comment and tell me what you liked, didn't like, and anything I may have missed! I am working on some additional training programs targeted for agencies and business communicators to learn how to use the social web effectively. Let me know if you're interested.

Mahalo nui for inviting me. I had a blast - and hope we can continue learning together.

Pep Talk and Talk Prep for HAF

I'll be speaking this morning at the Hawaii Advertising Federation's annual "university." This is a day when the ad pros come together to network and open minds to new ideas.

First off, I say congrats. There is this sticky wicket in that the more a person becomes an expert, the more confusing it is to find space for new information. If you are like me, you can hear the echo of a client somewhere saying, "But you're the expert - why didn't you know that already or why are you going to this seminar?"

Of course, true experts and wise people understand that with information being created at an inconceivably fast pace, no one can be an expert for more than a few moments in time. I prefer to think of myself as a lover of knowledge, and that inspires me to learn as much as I can, plus I am interested in sharing it with others. That is my time-saving gift - I will do the research and make some of the silly learning mistakes so I can fast track you with a new tool.

This session is a tour of the deep parts of the tubes. The internet truly is a culture of its own, and I will be your tour guide making the trip inside fun and informative and safe. It will be a living example of how the net works these days, so please expect some interaction, some social networking, some gossip 2.0, and some key takeaways for how this can impact your business and those you serve.

HAF: A Message for You from Susan Bratton

I am getting very excited about the session I'll be running in a few days at the Hawaii Advertising Federation meeting. I've been addressing the topic here on the blog, and today's post is a personal video message from Susan Bratton, one of the founders of the Association for Downloadable Media a co-founder of Personal Life Media and chair of Ad:Tech digital marketing event, just to name a few!

She has deep experience in the world of traditional advertising and has adeptly moved herself into the center of digital marketing. She also hosts her own audio podcast, so please visit Dishy Mix to hear some of Susan's out of the box interviews with technology and marketing experts.

Now, a few words from Susan:

Video provided by Viddler. Get an account and send me your video comments or leave a comment right inside Susan's video.

Will I see you Honolulu colleagues at MegaComm tomorrow?

I am speaking at MegaComm 2007: Hawaii 5.0, the combined PRSA and IABC Annual meeting on Friday, Oct 12 in Honolulu, HI. I've re-produced the conference info for you here.

I am going to try to find time to mention this case study from Robert French, among other things. Thanks to Steven E. Streight for the referral on Twitter. Leave us your comment if you have any free advice for PR and Communications experts.

Advancing the Communications Professional • Friday, October 12

This unique program is specially designed to equip communications professionals with up-to-date tools and strategies needed to effectively influence Hawaii's unique culture, employ rapidly changing technology, and transform the economy. Join us for an enriching half-day event and learn from some of the most experienced communicators in our state.

Friday Oct. 12, 2007 - 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii
2454 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
Google Map Link

REGISTER ONLINE NOW!

Registration and Continental Breakfast - 8 - 8:30 a.m.

Exploring the Brave New Underworld of Web 2.0 - 8:30 - 10 a.m.
Exploring the Brave New Underworld of Web 2.0. This session will cover blogging as a business communication tool, and examine the new models for today's web success. A fascinating case study on mini or mass multi-media marketing, highlighting the development of a rich website for the 2007 CD release of Israel Kamakawiwao'ole.

Steve Petranik, 24/7 - News Editor, The Honolulu Advertiser
Roxanne Darling, Bare Feet Studios
Chris Kanemura, Entheos Interactive

Cultural/Community Engagement - 10:10 - 11 a.m.
What does it mean to proactively engage communities? Why is it so important and how do you ensure you are successful? Successful community and cultural engagement can be the critical link to helping you achieving your business and communications objectives. Hear how Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric Company's senior vice president of public affairs, and Dawn Chang, principal of Ku'iwalu Consulting, have successfully navigated their way through this challenging arena, successfully building community support for their projects.

Robbie Alm, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Hawaiian Electric Company
Dawn Chang, Principal, Ku'iwalu Consulting

Employee Engagement - 11 a.m. to Noon
Internal communications is a vital tool for binding an organization, enhancing employee morale, promoting transparency and reducing attrition. Even more critical is having an efficient delivery mechanism. How do you manage and deliver internal communications efficiently and effectively? Hear how Brandt Farias, First Hawaiian Bank's vice president of marketing; Doreen Griffiths, Grant Thornton's managing office partner; and Mike Gonsalves, Hawaiian Electric Company's video specialist, champion the communication processes in their successful and vibrant organizations.

Mike Gonsalves, Video Specialist, Hawaiian Electric Company
Doreen Griffith, Managing Partner, Grant Thornton

Luncheon - Noon

Keynote Address: Convergence Media - 12:30 p.m.
Nate Smith, President, Oceanic Time Warner Cable

Welcome to the digital age, where the melding together of different media has resulted in a seismic shift in the way we view communication. Nate will share how media convergence has brought a new way of doing things and what it holds for the future.

For more information: Call 585-7931 x105 or email darcies@hawaii.rr.com or Patrick Williams at email patwill9@gmail.com