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Don’t Suggest Another Web Service … Give us a Reason to Change!

Written by: Andy Marken

Article Overview: You have to love today's social media. Ok you don't have to love it because there is so darned much of it and it has empowered people. Problem is some people just shouldn't be empowered. Heck some should have their computers unplugged and their smartphones confiscated. But sites and blogs have done an excellent source of how-to (how-to install, how-to use, how-to fix, how-to replace, how-to get action) information. You have to love today's social media. Ok you don't have to love it because there is so darned much of it and it has empowered people. Problem is some people just shouldn't be empowered. Heck some should have their computers unplugged and their smartphones confiscated.

Don’t Suggest Another Web Service … Give us a Reason to Change!

"Destiny is something we've invented because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental." - Annie Reed - Sleepless in Seattle (Tristar Pictures, 1993)

Recently, we emailed Dr. Jon asking if a rumor we'd heard was true.

His response... "IF you would have read my blog and my Tweet, you would have known the answer!"

That's what we like; a simple, straightforward answer to a simple question!!!

Hey ... we're pretty much like everyone else ... well, pretty much.

Hop out of bed, check the office voicemail, check our email, check text messages, check a few very high-priority "gotta see" web sites, have a cup of coffee, head for the club for a workout.

Then, to the office to finish up the 24 "must-check" sites, scan a dozen "important" blogs, wade through a couple of hundred emails that accumulated overnight (o.k., 60+percent were garbage but...).

After that, there's a little work to be done.

At the end of the day, the process is reversed so the inbox is clean, emails are handled/filed/passed along and we can sleep with a clean conscience.

That pretty much sums up a typical day ... round the clock, round the calendar.

We're far from alone in this always-on state.

Two billion plus computers, four billion plus plus mobile devices, a gazillion (and growing) web sites, blogs, social nets and instant in-touch services have shrunk the world and the clock to fit nicely in our screen(s).

We're all (actually about 20 percent of the total world population) are connected.

World Connected - With Internet connectivity virtually everywhere, it's no wonder when you tap into your smartphone, notebook, netbook almost any time of the day, you can find something important or interesting. In addition, the global Net lets you keep in touch with friends, family, colleagues anywhere, any time. Source - Intel

Easier Access

The bigger the pipes' bandwidth in a country and area, the more people are connected.

At work and at school, being able to connect is expected.

But it turns out 8, 10, 12 hours staring at the screen isn't enough.

Increasingly, people aren't just connected; they're hyper-connected.

Always in Touch - Smartphones and ultra-thin notebooks/netbooks have made it far too easy for people to go from essential connections to hyper connections. Increasingly, you "know" that if you aren't online, aren't available, someone somewhere is going to want to know something or communicate with you. The clock, calendar, location have been virtually eliminated in our 24x7 world. Source -- IDC

TNS Research says an average of 30 percent of people with Internet connectivity are online just to be online. China, South Korea and Japan top the list with the greatest percentage of people spending their leisure time online (about 40 percent).

Our kids like us to believe that the Internet and Web were developed solely by and for their Net Generation.

But a recent Pew Internet and American Life Project research report reassured us that people of all ages are online ... actively online!

In fact, the Internet population closely parallels the age groups' share of the general population.

Online Parallels Life - While the Net Generation may believe they own the Internet/Web, Pew's research shows that the online population closely parallels the breakdown of generations in the real world. Source - Pew Internet and American Life Project

The age groups are just online for different things.

Choosing which things you focus on is becoming a stress point for individuals and relationships.

Today, there are tons of ways to communicate with individuals and with groups - Twitter, Skype, IM, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, Facebook...

For a growing number of people, they are all important!

Despite the new billion dollar (valuation) connection options, plain old email continues to be the leading means of communicating with people.

The Net Tool - Too bad VCs haven't found a way to monetize the run-away leader in online activity with folks - email. Web sites, blogs, microblogs, content exchange locations and news/information sites can be monetized with advertising, access fees and sales but email is still 1:1, 1: controlled group exchange. Source -- ComServe

eMail is one thing everyone can master without jumping through a bunch of hoops and remembering/living with a whale of a lot of rules, passwords, secret handshakes.

Social networking sites are great ways for you to be in touch with people you want to be in touch with and they allow you to share content with friends, family

Social Media - Individual social media locations have gone up and down in the number of users and in their demographics as interests and content change. The changing visitor mix is not unlike that seen with conventional media. But as long as traffic continues to grow, site owners and marketers aren't too concerned. Source - Strategy Analytics

They're the locations you can go to spend time with them ... like you would in person if you weren't so busy on your fantastic communications device!

Web Options

Ask the venture capitalists what they're investing in and you'd think the number of Web 2.0 technologies, options can't grow fast enough.

They open the world for us to do research, shop, compare, learn, bank, be entertained and entertain, get health information, make travel reservations, get work information (present and future jobs), buy/sell and just do stuff that keeps you from going to bed.

Our kids and the groupies that follow the newer, even better options swear that each is the best.

Face it...blogs and microblogs will come and go.

"Their" fame will fade...you'll outgrow them...they didn't really have that much worthwhile to say anyway.

Waiting for their next Tweet or Twerp as they expose even more of themselves on the Web for everyone, forever to see, just isn't worth losing sleep over!

But we feel it's a lot like Dennis Reed said, "When you're attracted to someone, it just means that your subconscious is attracted to their subconscious, subconsciously."

Now personal/business sites...that's a whole different breed.

Community, specific subject sites -- as long as they stay focused -- will continue, they'll grow, they'll prosper.

Why?

These sites bring people together to share a common bond -- hobbies, social, professional, family. The sites enable individuals everywhere, anywhere to share, learn, grow, prosper.

Self Selection - The diversity of sites, sub-sites, blogs and microblogs allow closely defined groups to come together to exchange news, information, ideas. The beauty of the Web is that organizations and individuals can always find something on the Web that will interest, entertain, educate them. Source -- IDC

Marketing Opportunities

People from literally around the globe congregate at one location to share a common interest, common bond.

Marketers should think of these subject sites as outstanding relationship opportunities.

As long as the companies (or their communications folks) don't try to take "ownership" of the community, it can be a symbiotic and profitable relationship for everyone.

The problem is, it is tempting.

That's when folks pack their belongings and move to new communities.

Suddenly, the marketers are alone!

Connectivity Growth

All we'll need then is a whole new set of devices to help move us from the digital age to the connected age.

Device Evolution - With each product introduction manufacturers, engineers, marketers add new, better bells and whistles to give you another reason to upgrade or change allegiances. We look at some of the introductions and wonder why would anyone need that with their device? But then, it quickly becomes a question of how did you live without it? Source -- IDC

Today, the sites, the blogs, the communities are finding their audiences. People are becoming really involved.

And it's sometimes tough to remember, but even the young crowd gets older!

The stable online locations may be where the loyalty, the commitment, the money, the future lies.

These online services/locations won't be sexy enough for venture capitalists to get huge returns.

But for the people who matter, the people who are connected/involved, they will be the places to visit...frequently!

The problem is, whether it's Dr. Jon's blog or his tweet or any new social networking site or content/information exchange location, people don't really need another online location to visit or follow.

That means new locations, new communications avenues have to give people a powerful reason to swap out one site for another...add to our already huge list...change our habits...give up more time.

Getting folks to change isn't as easy as Jessica said, "If it's in the computer, they believe anything."

There are only so many things you can do/enjoy without work or sleep interrupting your life online.

But if you find something really hot and something we've simply got to participate in...send us an email!

We'll read it in the morning...

Dog Tired - No matter how many hours you spend on your communications device(s), you simply can't get ahead of what you wanna', gotta' read/do. At some point, your body and mind say it's time for a break ... take a nap.

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