Marketing Roadmaps

Susan Getgood

Round-Up

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Just a last few, somewhat random things.

Further on Web 2.0 hype from Hypocritical, Web 2.0 Design Checklist.  ROTFLMAO — and if you don’t know what that acronym means, please refer to your Web 1.0 manual 🙂

From Marketing Tom, Santa’s blog and a pointer to a Harvard Business School article on corporate blogging. 

Two items from NevOn: Global Internet Stats, and The importance of continuity of personal presence. And a reminder to listen to Neville’s twice weekly podcast with Shel Holz, For Immediate Release.

On to new content tomorrow and Monday!!

The “Best Of” Post

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At the end/beginning of a year, some bloggers like to publish a "Best Of" post of the favorite/most popular posts from the previous year.

I am not going to do that.

Sure, it’s an easy post to write, and probably something of an ego-boost, that you can have a "Top Ten" list. But something of a cop-out too, Ithink. If you have past material that you’d like to revisit, by all means do so, but add something new to the conversation as you do. Don’t just give us a list.

Instead, my year end posts are going to touch on some areas of the marketing plan that I haven’t written much about in the past year. Advertising, trade shows, discounts, channel marketing. I’m sure I’ll touch on my fave topics of PR, direct mail, integrating sales & marketing and blogging as well, but I thought it’d be a nice change of pace.  Expect the first posts early next week.

In the meantime, later today I’ll be wrapping up a few other random bits from the past month’s accumulated bloglines.

Random acts of blogging

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I have a series of posts in mind to wrap up the year, which I will probably start over the weekend.

For today, I have a whole bunch of interesting stuff to comment on that has accumulated over the past month or so, while I was feverishly working so I could take two weeks off, followed by the mostly off-line vacation. 

In no particular order.

Blog comment spam: I increasingly find myself the victim of blog comment spam. I usually just delete it and move on.  Here are two takes on the issue: from Blog Business World, some ideas for how to manage it and from Jeremy Pepper, some words about blogs that do not allow comments for fear of spam.

One thing I am thinking about: I have noticed that the comment spam always seems to be on the same old posts, leading me to suspect a script of some sort. I AM considering turning off comments on these older posts, with a note explaining why comments have been turned off for any legit folks who want to comment on the topics.

Web 2.0. Okay, I am trying, really, to understand why we need to define a Web 2.0. Sexist though it may be, I’m wondering, is this kind of a "guy thing" — the need to define and box up things? How does any of this help customers and who really cares? Why do we have to put it in a box? Because as Elisa Camahort says in her post, a version number implies something finished and definable,and that ain’t the web that I know.

Seriously, please, can someone explain to me what Web 2.0 is all about, other than a way for companies to promote their offerings ("Web 2.0 compatible, whatever that is), and for consultants and analysts to make money explaining it to everyone. Simple words please. I’m just wondering, "where’s the beef?"

Here are a number of other posts about Web 2.0. I’ve read ’em all, and I am still confused….

I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on the call to action by Steve Rubel for PR agencies to figure out this new media thing. Huh?!  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, actually you are very lucky — it is a tempest in a very small teapot, a major ego-fest and I am 100% with David Parmet: YAWN!! He has the link in his post to the memeorandum thread if you have the inclination.

Those who are doing things will just keep on doing. If you want to posture, position and pontificate, go for it, help yourself to happiness. I’d rather just get on with it. Some other interesting commentary on same: 

Character blogs. As many of my readers know, I have strong opinions about character blogs –I believe they are a valid blog form, albeit hard to do well. About a year ago, this debate took off flying. A year later, here are a couple of anniversary commentaries:

That’s it for random acts of blogging. This weekend I will start my end of year series…..

Corante Marketing Hub

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I am pleased and honored to be among the marketing bloggers selected by Corante to be part of its marketing hub. I am in extremely good company, and rather than miss someone off, I’ll refer you to the list on the hub.

Corante has taken a unique (and I believe ultimately successful) approach to the concept of collecting/aggregating interesting content. Instead of recruiting folks to contribute to another blog (in our copious spare time), they are providing what amounts to a daily commented, digest of content from participant blogs. Some posts are commented on, others are just included in a raw feed. BUT here’s the most important part: our feeds are pulled with NO ADDITIONAL WORK ON OUR PART. Amen to that.

It is up to the hub members to continue to write engaging,interesting posts on marketing topics. Which is after all the reason we were recruited in the first place: the folks at Corante thought we  had interesting, original perspectives on marketing topics.

Did I mention no extra work!!! I have participated in group blogs, and the hardest part is finding the time. The spirit is willing, but there just ain’t no time. Lately (as I am sure my readers have noted), it has been tough to find the time to write here, let alone somewhere else too.

So, take a look — this model has "legs" and I’m honored to be part of it.

One year on the Roadmap

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Wow!  While we were in Hawaii, this blog reached the one-year mark. Not sure whether that’s a birthday or an anniversary, but whatever it is, we’ve made it this far. Thanks to all my readers and commenters for sticking with me!

I’ll be back next week in full force with the Hawaii report and perhaps a few other things.