The Real Bruce

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Tag Archives: Facebook

Is Instant Messaging Dead?

March 22nd, 2010

With all the ways we have to communicate with each other today, has instant messaging become obsolete? I tried to think the other day about the last time I sent an instant message and really couldn’t remember. I think it may have been when I was trying to send a file to a co-worker. I am not even sure that would qualify as a instant message, it would be more of a file transfer using the instant message platform.

I think that is what instant messaging has become, more of a platform than a action. People now use it to video chat, play games, and remotely connect to someone’s desktop. How many of us actually use it to send a message? After all we now have Twitter, Facebook, and texting for that. It seems that  rarely do we need to send a message where we can’t use one of those platforms to do it.

I remember just a few years ago when it was not uncommon to have five or six chat windows open at a time in my MSN Messenger. I would be typing as quick as humanly possible trying to keep up with all the conversations. Now I have so many other avenues to communicate I don’t even really need to have a messenger client installed. I can now chat through Facebook or Gmail just as I used to do on a stand alone application. Now chat is built right in to other tools I use, and available through the browser on any computer I am using.

Are the days of stand alone messenger client over? I am curious as to what you think. I believe they will continue to be used as communicating tools using voice and pictures, however the days of typing for hours on hours to friends or co-workers are a thing of the past.

Leave a comment. When is the last time you used instant messenger to just send a typed message? What is the number one way you communicate today?

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Foursquare – Is it Just a Great Big Hassle?

March 15th, 2010

I have been trying to get into this whole Foursquare thing for several months. I have read countless times how it is the next Twitter and will be the next big thing. As much as I try to get hooked on it, I seem to be having trouble.

First of all why does anyone care where I am at any give time? Seriously, is it really that important? I can see how this might be attractive to some college kids, who run in large groups. You could follow your friends and know where they are hanging out, I guess. However, couldn’t you do that just as easily on Twitter. Why do we need another program to have to manage?

I completely understand the whole idea behind Foursquare and their arch rival Gowalla, and I really want to like them. After all I try to be a cool tech guy and stay up with all the latest trends. What a great idea! Create a location based micro blog that has gaming aspects too it. Then allow retaurants, hotels and other businesses use it to promote there business. It all makes good business sense. However, I still feel like it is too forced. Something about it isn’t natural to me.

I already update my Facebook and Twitter what seems like hundreds of times a day, now I have to remember to check in every time I go anywhere. Do I check in at work? At home? What good does that do me? I guess it gets me points or badges or whatever, but I don’t get any discounts at these locations. If I am at home and then leave, do I check back in when I return? It just seems like and awful lot of work.

Now there are some places where I would like to check in, especially ones that will give me discounts or a bonus of some sort. I will probably remember to check in there, but for Foursquare to be really effective, don’t they need people to check in all day as they go throughout their routine?

I believe the major difference between these services and Facebook or Twitter is you feel like you HAVE to do it. When I decide to update my status on Facebook, or I want to send out a tweet, I do it because I want to. I do it at my own convenience, when I have time, and a good thought to share. However, with Foursquare, I have to do it when I am at a location. It seems more of a to-do item then a fun thing to do.

I know we are still in the early stages of these programs and I am sure new enhancements are on the way. As for now, I will continue to try each of these services and see how I can fit them into to my social networking routine.  Maybe when I become the Mayor of Fry’s it will all be worth it.

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Do You have a Social Communications Strategy?

March 7th, 2010

I have one simple thought for today. If you are going to venture into the world of social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or your flavor of choice, make sure you have a plan.

These days, almost everyone expects you to have a presence on these networks, but if you don’t have a plan, it is worse than not being there at all.

I recently had dinner at a local restaurant. When the service didn’t go as well as I would have liked, I decided to fill out the new “comment card” and post something on the restaurant’s Facebook page. I was going to use Twitter, but unfortunately, they didn’t have a Twitter account.

I made a simple post about my dissatisfaction and waited to get a response. I did eventually get one three days later. I am very happy with the end result, and the Manager did a wonderful job in making things up to me. He won a fan back by his phone call and email.

In talking with him, he did reveal to me that he was struggling with social media and wasn’t sure of the etiquette or how to respond to comments. This is my point. If you are not sure what to do or how to do it, hold off on getting started. Get some advice, make a plan, and then make the leap.

If I would not have been able to find this company on Facebook, I would have asked to speak with the Manager right then. He would have been able to solve the problem, and that would have been the end of it.

By opening his restaurant up to the social world, he is taking on the responsibility of managing that part of his business as well. He must react in a timely fashion and make sure he doesn’t miss anything that is posted about his business.

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Is Your Web site Social?

March 7th, 2010

Last week, Gigaom.com posted an article titled, “Facebook Driving More Traffic Than Google,” that I found very interesting. While there are many stipulations to their research, the fact remains more and more traffic is being generated by the “social web,” and business need to adapt to this thought process.

Think about it. How many times each day do you log into Facebook or Twitter and see one of your friends or followers commenting on a story or sending out a link to something interesting? What do you do? You click on it because you want to check it out, too. After all, your friend thought it was important enough to share. This is all part of the social web.

As I look at analytics each day for my clients, I see the same reflection. Search traffic isn’t necessarily down, but referral traffic is way up for almost every client. Where are these referrals coming from? In almost every case….social networks.

This is why it is so important to make your site social. Can visitors subscribe to a feed of your news? Do you have buttons that allow them to share your content on their social sites? Can they email interesting articles to friends or coworkers? These are just a few of the ways you can make your web site more social.

Now I am sure you found this blog post extremely interesting, so go ahead and click the “ShareThis” button below this post and share it with your friends.

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Does Everyone Need an Internet Marketing Strategy

August 4th, 2009

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go see Jerry Seinfeld perform. Before the show I wanted to get some more information about his tour, and what his routine is about now. What I discovered is that “the master of his domain” does not own a domain at all or have any Internet marketing strategy of any kind. This got me thinking, does the most successful comedian of all time really need to have a Website strategy?

Seinfeld seems to be a perfect fit for today’s social media and marketing trend. He makes short observations that his audience finds hilarious. Wouldn’t that be perfect for something like…Twitter? It is what Twitter was made for. If he used it properly he could be one of the most followed people around.

Facebook was my next stop. Of course I found a multitude of Seinfeld pages, but all of them were run by fans and not by the comedian himself. Why would Jerry not want to allow his fans to follow him and see what he is up to on a daily basis?

While attending the show I got a few of my answers. Seinfeld doesn’t really like the connected world we live in. He seemed to understand texting, but confessed he doesn’t do it. He knew about iPhones, but explained he just wants a basic phone and still uses one from years ago. Its no wonder then he doesn’t understand Social media advertising or the Internet Marketing Benefits.

After the show I asked myself this question, “In today’s social media world, if someone like Seinfeld doesn’t get on board, will he become a forgotten star sooner than those who do.” Will kids today remember Dane Cook, because they can download his material on iTunes? Will Seinfeld reruns be over taken by reruns of The Office, because that show has embraced social media advertising?

I guess time will tell. I could go on and on, but yada, yada, yada, I need to get to work.

Post your feedback on this, I would love to hear what you think.

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The Real Bruce

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