Micro-blogging/media: Social networking, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc - an emerging science
Adventure: an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome.
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So, world web, let's "blog."
Let us begin with a seemingly basic question: What is a "blog?" Originally coined from Jorn Barger's "web log" in 1997, it's essentially a log of information. In contemporary terms, it's somewhat of a diary, right? It's also a social tool, where users can follow their friend's and discover new ones.
A blog is a powerful marketing tool. Tracking tools such as google analytics and Buzz Logic are fulfilling a previous need for Market Researchers. A blog is a PERSONAL marketing tool. This is especially important when one considers an evolving marketing culture where traditional mass marketing models are losing to the 1:1 experience (which we'll later explore and analyze with depth). Personal interaction, consumer satisfaction, and customer loyalty are at the core of future marketing strategies.
A blog is entertainment; somewhat of a lottery ticket to fame and success. One doesn't have to look far to find blogging and microblogging's influence and reach -- it's in the media as youtube, in the latest breaking news as twitter, in daily conversation (how many times have you been asked for your facebook instead of a business card?), and it's in the cinema (The Social Network, Julie and Julia, etc).
The Nielson Company reported a global 82% increase on time spent on (micro) social networking sites like facebook and twitter in 2009, finding that, "People in the U.S. continue to spend more time on social networking and blog sites, with total minutes increasing 210% year-over-year and the average time per person increasing 143% year-over-year ... [with Twitter] increasing 579% year-over-year, from 2.7 million unique visitors in December 2008 to 18.1 million in December 2009."
Although there is (currently) no replacement for very personal physical/verbal/visceral communications, we are exponentially growing to exist in a unified world over the web, where our identities reach only as far as our online presences do.
I invite you to share your thoughts as we continue forward in this daunting, but exciting, adventure.
Catherine
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