It's not a big stretch to say that Apple is THE technological trendsetter of our time. The iPod helped usher in the mp3 revolution. The iPhone made smartphones truly live up to their name. Now the iPad has turned the promise of tablet computing into a reality. What makes Apple so visionary in its product line? The common denominator is mobility. With its recent game-changing product launches, Apple has confirmed the inevitable consumer drift towards mobile computing, entertainment and communication.

I believe that the marketing world could stand to take a few lessons from Apple's forward-thinking philosophy. Digital marketers are only beginning to capitalize on the promise of mobile technology. Though mobile devices have experienced accelerated growth over the past few years, they have yet to reach the necessary critical mass to attract the interest of most digital marketers.  After all, we still live in a world where many households still rely on land-line phones for their all their communication needs.

And yet a transition in our consumption habits is happening quicker than we might be thinking: A study from 2009 indicated that the number of U.S. households opting for only cell phones have finally outnumbered those that just have traditional landlines. In addition, Comscore reports that over 42.7 million people in the U.S. now own smartphones, a number that's sure to rise.

So how can marketers follow in the innovative steps of Apple and embrace the mobile revolution? First off, marketers need to begin seriously studying the differences between mobile Internet and traditional Internet delivery. An example would be the lack of support for Flash on mobile applications. By building up YouTube profiles in favor of Flash platforms, marketers can make sure their content is consumed by the widest audience possible. Secondly, marketers need to understand that mobile device users are accessing content in different ways than people on other platforms. According to a recent study by Ground Truth, nearly 60% of the time people spend on mobile internet is spent on social media sites. When coming up with marketing strategies for the upcoming year, wouldn't it be useful to know how where largest growing sector of Internet users are spending their time? Combining this knowledge with a marketing strategy that anticipates the needs of a growing mobile audience is a step in the right direction.

As more people begin relying on their mobile phones and tablets for information, we will surely see a shift in patterns of Internet consumption. How this affects marketing decisions will be key to most agencies' success. How will it affect your decisions?

Photo credit: Bruce Alderson

With the recent release of the iPad, there has been a lot of conversation about HTML5 and what it means for the future of video. This post will serve as a brief introduction to HTML, and discuss how it is changing video delivery.

What is HTML5?
HTML5 is the next major revision of the HTML markup language that aims to reduce our reliance on third-party plug-ins (Flash, Silverlight, etc...) by enhancing the core features with rich-internet application capabilities such as: vector graphics and embedded video. For now, let's focus on the video.

HTML5 Video
Traditionally, websites have delivered video through a third-party technology such as Quicktime, Windows Media Player, or Adobe Flash. The widespread availability and adoption of these tools made this a viable solution for many years, but there is now a better option. HTML5 includes built-in support for video through the use of a <video> tag. This will allow users to add video to their site just as easily as they add text or links.

So...what's the catch?

The Codec Problem
HTML5 is designed to be the new standard in online video, but there is a heated debate between the major browsers over which format(s) should be supported. Take a look at the following chart (which is an abbreviated version of this chart:

As you can see, Chrome is the only one that supports both formats, with Firefox and Safari on opposing sides of the coin, and Internet Explorer providing little support for either.  I won't get into the driving factors behind the debate (mainly patent issues), but you can see that this is no way for a "standard" to move forward.

iPad Launches Using H.264, Internet Follows Suit
With the release of the iPad this month, several high-profile websites created HTML5-ready version of their content to ensure their video could be delivered to the estimated 1 million units already in use. Since iPad uses Safari, these sites are all encoding their video in H.264 format.

Looking Ahead
HTML5 is still in development, and the debate on video codecs will need to be resolved for it to become an "official" standard. The success of H.264 on the iPad may help that conversation along, since so many sites are already serving video in this format.

Regardless of what codes is chosen, the advent of HTML5 will likely bring about a major decline in use of Flash / Silverlight for both embedded video players and rich-internet applications, along with an increase in standards-based sites that use the new built-in features of HTML5.

Stay tuned for the next few posts, as I will be expanding on the topic of video delivery on the web.

Photo credit: bioxid

I was listening to a report on NPR this morning about the state of newspapers.  A few points they made that I found interesting included that over the last 6 months the only US newspaper to experience growth was The Wall Street Journal, which grew slightly less than 1% during this period.  The other point was that The Boston Globe - that of the very special sports section - was not in the top 25 newspapers in the US.

I am sure there are many reasons for this, but I believe it's important to look at the different nature of their communities and how each paper has reacted to the supply of relevant (to them) online content.

It took me a while to understand the true value of online communities, and the differences between them, but I think the nature of a community's value is not just a function of its platform, but of its community's interests and how they are met.  Communities will jump to any platform or site that meets their needs.  A strong community will jump together, while  a disparate community will devolve and move into separate directions.  Stronger communities are focused on the One Thing That Binds Them.

The two data points from the above report support this notion.  The WSJ has a community with a very specific interest, i.e. financial news.  There are a few daily news sources that provide this type and quality of information, including The Financial Times.  There are other wire services providing information to analysts, e.g. Bloomberg, but the WSJ has the widest variety of content relevant to the financial and business communities.  These communities are focused on the financial area, and the type of content they need is supplied by less than a handful of sources. That won't change until there is another equally trusted source.  It is almost necessary.

The Boston Globe once prided itself on being the more sophisticated local paper.  It was more objective.  More worldly.  It had a separate business, metro and sports sections.  It covered more topics in greater depth than local competition.  This worked well until outside competitors with content richer in these areas became accessible (CNN, The New York Times, ESPN...etc).  Globe readers have sought this content in areas of highest interest.  The Globe's community interest was split across the general topic areas, becoming less focused on local and more on simply finding better sources for its information.  The community was not a tight community, but instead a consolidation of smaller communities.  The Boston Herald, another local newspaper, has typically catered toward local popular and general interest stories, and is probably faring better.  That paper, because it is locally based and tends to look at the outside world from a local perspective, does not have obvious content substitutes and remains tight.

Other examples include The Guardian in the UK, which, I have heard claimed, is the second most widely read English newspaper in the World.  The paper's strategy to provide and aggregate the best international news content has worked to attract a community that strives for this content.  The Economist has also grown incredibly over the past several years.

How important is it to know your community and understand how to feed their demand?  Can communities change their appetite, or do they just need better content around their existing interests?  Can your community impact your business success?

Photo credit: Ville Miettinen

The velocity at which mobile computing will change how we use the web and computers is faster than you suspect.

I'm writing this blog post at 30,000 feet using my brand new Apple iPad tablet computer and a reworked version of Apple's Pages application. I'm not typing on the screen. I bought a little keyboard that docks to the iPad. My other choice could have been a Bluetooth keyboard, but it required batteries to operate, and I just knew I'd be forever sitting somewhere without batteries to use it. There are three reasons why this is interesting.

It was only a few years ago that Apple changed the way we look at mobile phones, and it had very little to do with the device, and everything to do with the "appifying" of our mobile experience. We went from asking questions about minute rates and coverage to questions about which applications our phones supported. As GPS and other location-based technology spanned onto the phone, we started asking questions about how this would impact marketing, our ability to search, and more. It changed the answer to the question of "Why do you want to be connected to the web?"

App Nation

Shift Number One is that mobile applications are pushing our use of platforms, and pushing what we do with them. Pages on my iPad is even simpler than Pages on my Macbook. iPhone and iPad application versions of desktop apps are almost always a revelation. We say, "Wow, this is much reduced, and yet, the simplicity makes the app better." That's point one.

Four More Screens

Shift Number Two is that we're not designing for phones. We're designing for mobile computing devices. The iPad is roughly 3 iPhones wide by 3 iPhones tall. I have quite a decent sized screen. With the optional keyboard, I have a laptop-ish device that does most things I need to do in a given business trip. (Early complainers are right about one point: a built-in camera seems like an obvious missing feature. They're maybe right that it'd be much nicer if we could have an SD slot and a USB port, but I'll see how that impacts me over time.) Just as you started thinking about designing marketing for iPhones and Android and old Blackberry, you've got to consider the tablet world. It's back and growing. That's point two.

Workshifting

Shift Number Three is that we are workshifting more often. I owe this blog post to Ben at the office, but I'm on a plane headed to Las Vegas for meetings and a video recording session. Tucking Apple's super-tiny keyboard and an iPad into my bag gets me a very flexible computing platform for around $700 USD. I can walk around with just the tablet. I can use the keyboard or not. It is thinner than a Macbook Air, and about $900 less expensive. Client partner Citrix Online has already released GoToMeeting. Several other business players are building apps to hook the iPad into the business net. There's no skimping going on over here.

Your marketing teams might be on the fence about picking up an iPad or any of the other tablets. It's a mistake to wait. This technology needs to be experienced, lived in, and understood. Jump in faster than slower. Oh, and if you want one little extra boost on understanding how this will really work, pick up a Mifi card from your wireless carrier and give yourself "always on" computing power. Except when I'm on planes (and even then, if they have GoGoInflight), I'm only a minute away from the web. When you keep that in mind, it changes how you market. It changes where your prospects and leads are spending time. It gives you a lot to consider, actually.

Oh, and it jazzes up your work methods immeasurably.

Questions?

Photo credit: Dimdim Webconferencing

Are you desperately trying to figure out where your email marketing and social media efforts come together to form a seamless digital marketing strategy?

Recently, I have found myself in conversations with senior executives who have started acknowledging the increasing penetration of social media tools and platforms in the new communications medium.  For professionals who did not grow up in the social communications era, it is hard to grasp come of the new concepts that come naturally to the next generation of professionals.

As I get more people asking me for advice on how to approach social communications, I always find myself starting with the same advice:

"Don't fake it. Don't try to be what you are not". 

You have to acknowledge that you did not grow up with these tools and that they are not a natural part of your everyday communications platform.  That does not mean that you shouldn't participate at all; in fact it is just the opposite.  The only way to become comfortable with these tools as communications media is to jump in and get involved. 

But remember to be yourself.  Do not try to portray yourself as a natural.  Do not apologize either, just be yourself.  In doing so, be comfortable making mistakes.  Try things.  Experiment with these new platforms and tools.  But be yourself.  Don't fake it.  And ask for feedback.  You will be surprised how many people will be willing to give you advice, help you understand the new paradigm and get you successfully navigating the new world of online and professional communications.

photo credit: Matt Hamm

I've been thinking a lot about the phrase "Content is King". I agree that one of the keys to a successful online strategy is creating content actually worth reading. However, isn't it important that people actually SEE your content?

In other words: it's all about delivery.

Print / Newspaper
Over the last decade, we have seen a decline in traditional newspaper sales and a spike in readership of online blog sites. Is this because of poor content? No. It is mainly a function of delivery and cost. Why would I trudge down to the newsstand when I can get all the news I need delivered to my laptop?  Or, why even open my laptop if I can just get it delivered directly to my iPhone? The same concept applies to the new e-book readers such as the Kindle, Nook, and the much anticipated iPad. These small devices make the concept of lugging around a bag full of heavy books seem absurd in comparison.

Television / Video
Over the next ten years, I think we will see a major decline in traditional cable/satellite devices, as the major networks move toward delivery via the internet and mobile devices. As of right now, I can watch most of the shows on-demand, or have them delivered to me via iTunes, essentially making my cable box useless. Soon we will begin to see proprietary set-top boxes replaced with small inexpensive computers running Boxee or a similar program.

On-Demand
Netflix understands the concept of multiple delivery platforms, and has embraced it fully. Netflix Watch-It-Now allows Netflix subscribers to view on-demand movies and TV shows, some of which are currently running in primetime (Netflix picks up the NBC show Heroes the day after it is broadcast). As of today, Netflix will deliver this on-demand content via a slew of devices, including web browser, game consoles (XBox, PS3, Wii), Roku (a proprietary streaming player), Blu-Ray players, and internet connected TVs.

Content is King? Sure.

But a king without subjects isn't very powerful, don't you agree?

Photo credit: Tom Raftery

Today we have a guest post from Keith Burtis.  Keith is a successful Social Media Consultant who has worked in multiple markets ranging from large tech companies like Best Buy to artist communities like Niagara and Erie County Arts Council.  Keith regularly blogs over at KeithBurtis.com and you can always catch him hanging out on Twitter.

As I've been working with individuals and companies over the past three years, talking about and promoting the use of blogs, Twitter and new media tools, I've discovered that the common barriers to success are always lack of time and content. In this article I am going to give you a simple principal we use with all of our clients when attacking the Time/Content issue: Leverage the content you create each and every day as a part of your normal workflow to add value to your community, demonstrate your knowledge and generate leads.

Let's break this principal down into simple parts:

Part 1: Leverage the content you create each and every day as a part of your normal workflow to add value to your community.

How often do you send private emails each day? Is the "Reply to All" button still acting as the main source of internal collaboration for you? How many memos get passed around the office alerting you to updates in your industry? Fact is, you are passing around "Content" all day long that could be of great value to potential blog readers. Let me give you an example: You work for a financial services firm and a memo is passed around the office regarding new governmental legislation that could affect you and your customer base. The initial thought may be to file the fact away in your brain and maybe even bury it in a customer prospectus in the near future. Meanwhile, this new law has caused a bit of a stir in the minds of consumers. All of a sudden, hundreds of thousands of people are now scouring search engines to find the information they need about this topic. Who has the information they need? You do!

Part 2: Demonstrate your knowledge and generate leads.

Before I go a step further in this article, can you see where opportunities have the potential to slip away if you are not blogging? Yes? No? Ok then, let's break this down further:

You have received a memo from corporate about information that affects you and your customers. This information is not the property of your company but rather that of the public domain. There is a really good chance that there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people using search engines to seek the very same information that you just filed in your brain for future reference. Still don't have time to blog? Still at a loss for content? Here is how it is supposed to look.

1. You receive a memo and instantly recognize (Paradigm Shift) that this information could be of value to your current and potential customers, not to mention providing a demonstration of your knowledge.
2. You file the memo in your mind for future reference so that you can serve your current and future clients to the best of your ability.
3. You post a modified version of your memo on the company blog as a service to anyone that needs the information. If the topic is lengthy maybe you publish it as a free branded e-book (PDFs are crawled by the major search engines).
4. Google and the other major search engines start feeding you free traffic, targeted eyeballs and potential leads.
5. You take action on those inquiring further about your services and clearly give them the best service you know how.
6. Rinse and repeat.
   
   

This content will deliver value to you and others for as long as people are seeking the information. By following the "rinse and repeat" step you are staying in top mind, accumulating readers and constantly creating new leads.

The Paradigm Shift

In order for this to work it requires you to start asking yourself one simple question: "How can I utilize the information, emails, memos etc. that are part of my daily workflow to be of massive value to those that need it?" By answering that simple question you will solve the problem of time and content in one fell swoop. After all, time is invested in the things that produce results right? Start with a small test and let us know how it works out!

photo credit: Steve Bridger

Social media isn't new any more. It isn't gee whiz. It's part of the mix. For many companies, it's as commonplace as search engine optimization and email marketing (which, for all I'm concerned, is social media, too). So, now that we're all over the "gee whiz" stage, what comes next?

Deep wiring and sexy data.

I've said this for the last several months, and I'll tell you now, too: we have to wire the tools deeper into the fabric of the organization, and we have to start doing something with all the data we're collecting. The first simply requires that employees of companies learn to think beyond their job descriptions and their silos (I realize that saying this is like saying that monkeys just need wings). The second requires better tools to automate and analyze the obvious, so that we can work deeper with the less obvious.

Why deep wiring? Because it's not interesting that an airline can read my tweets when I'm standing at their counter and they can't resolve my issue. Because I don't care about your Facebook page when I'm talking to your aggressive sales reps. Because maybe your person is selling me last month's product and I'm reading on a blog that the new product is far better for my needs.

Deep wiring just means getting social data and the human interactions it uncovers deeper into the organization, and integrated into the rest of how business is done. Salespeople will know the current status of any prospects using the social web. Customer service will answer more than the phone and web forms. Marketing will know how to coordinate between a mainstream campaign and the ongoing social stream. Everything wired together will deliver more insights, more lead qualification, more everything.

Sexy data just means taking what we're culling from professional listening tools like Radian6 or Sysomos (sometimes sponsors of our events) and analytics tools like SAS's Social Media Analytics solution (partners), and turning that into actionable business. It means moving beyond the head-scratching part of defining ROI and into the clear and obvious.

We're working along these lines at New Marketing Labs. We believe we're finding ways to help companies go deeper, do more, and stretch into the human business web. So far, it's served our partners well, and we hope to provide even more insights as we work towards these ends. Have you worked on either of these types of initiatives in your organization? What do you think about this as it applies to your company? How are you presenting the data you discover on the social web today?

Photo Credit: Tanakawho