I recently had the opportunity to talk to a couple marketing classes at Lehigh University about several aspects of Internet Marketing. I also took the opportunity to give these seniors some pointers on finding a job. Below if a video of that segment of the class:

Every once in awhile I come across a new online tool and add it to a folder in my bookmarks titled “Web Tools”.  Here are a couple new sites that I have come across that you may want to add to your “Tools”:

Facebook Application Stats:

http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-application-statistics/

Facebook Fan Page Stats:

http://www.allfacebook.com/statistics/pages/

Search the Blogosphere by Key Words:

http://www.blogscope.net/

Search the entire SocNet universe:

http://www.whostalkin.com/

Data on any Web Site:

http://www.quarkbase.com/

Compare web site stats:

http://www.compete.com/

SEO Tools:

http://www.avangate.com/articles/online-seo-tools_79.htm

Internet TV is finally happening!

Check out this Rueters post (link) about Cable providers in talks with the cable networks to broadcast all cable content over the net.  We all see this bus coming — the Internet will be available on your TV and TV content will be available over the Internet (on your TV or Computer).  The show down will be between the content providers and the content distributors.  This Rueters article is showing us that the Cable distributors don’t want to be pushed to the side.  Which they kind of are with TV content sites like Hulu.com.  Hulu is a joint venture between NBC and FOX.

I say that the Cable distributors are “kind of” pushed aside only because the Cable distributors in many cases are also the Internet providers.  However, the Internet has reached pretty much complete saturation in the US.  So the Internet providers / cable companies can’t make any more money UNLESS they start to charge for premium content over the Internet.  That’s why they are eager to work with the content creators to work out a deal where they can charge for content.

In the Hulu model consumers pay their monthly internet fee and get access to all of the Hulu TV content.  Hulu makes money on the ads.  The Internet providers make the same amount of money regardless of what the consumer views on the internet.   The content creators are now in a position to either push for free content over the internet and they can make their money on ads OR work with the distributors to charge consumers for premium content over the net.  Which way will it go?

My bet is that you’ll see a bit of both — just like TV is now.  You’ll get a ton of content over the Internet for free.  And you’ll have to pay a premium for premium content — just like HBO.

What does this mean to us internet marketers?

• Start learning a lot about TV.  Because your world is going to start looking a lot like the way TV looked 50 years ago.
• What are the opportunities you may have with Advertising Sponsored content or Premium content — or both?  Think about what the P&J Soaps could be over the Internet.  And think about creating premium content – not only Video but also professional research, software applications, and audio books.
• An Internet connected TV will have all the interactive functions of the Internet.  Think about adding SocNet to a TV Show so the water cooler talk can happen in real time.  Think about a 30 second ad that allows you to “get coupon”, “send me more info”,”forward to a friend”, and “buy now”!  If there is a “Buy Now” button on the 30 second spots how gets the sale – how is the retailer/advertiser in this model?

Facebook Notes Growth

Have a look at these data points posted by Compete.com (link) on Facebook’s pop in traffic to their Notes featured from the hugely popular “25 Things About Me” phenomenon.  The “25 things” concept is that you post a note in your Facebook Notes application that lists 25 things your friends may not know about you then broadcast the list to all your friends.

It all started a couple months ago — but no one ones who and how it got started!  That’s the best part — this is a completely viral phenomenon.  I’m sure Facebook could back track to the first person that posted the “25 Things” list and find the originator.  I would not be surprised the learn that Facebook created this thing themselves.  But regardless of how it got started there is some great learning for Social Network marketers:

Thoughts:

• When creating a viral campaign dig deep to find something that is very very relevant to the participant.  25 Things worked because most people like to talk about themselves and most people like to learn things about their friends they may not know.
• Viral campaigns work best when their is a high degree of “Desire to Pass Along”.  Facebook makes it easy for people to pass stuff along — the challenge of the SocNet marketer is to prompt that engine.

Last week Google launched the Latitude service.  Latitude allows you to notify your family and friends your location via your cell phone or computer.  The location updates are manual for now — so your cell phone does not automatically update your location. You simple go to the Google Latitude web site on your computer or through your mobile browser and enter your location. Your friends can see where you are and you can see where your friends are on a Google Maps interface.

Location aware devices are a HUGE development in technology.  Although this service requires users to manually enter their location GPS phones will soon do that automatically. By merging cell phone with location awareness you now have an extremely powerful marketing tool that we’ve all been talking about for years.  And remember that Google is in the Advertising business.  So expect Latitude to be a platform for pushing very relevant ads to your phone.

Thoughts:

• Expect to see a lot of activity around mobile and local search advertising.  Now that we know where the consumer is we can push very relevant promotions to them.  For instance,  Latitude knows that you and Sally frequent the local Starbucks — it knows where you are and where Sally is AND it knows where Starbucks is.  Now the local Dunkin Doughnuts can push promotions to you and Sally as you’re getting closer and closer to that Starbucks.
• Google will become the next Facebook.  I don’t have anything to back this up with other than we know Facebook will most likely fizzle out (remember they don’t make any money and their ad CTR are terrible) and that SocNet will go mobile.  Google has the platform and the machine to make a mobile Social Networking platform that dominates.
• Merge this Mobile Social Networking with Location Awareness and now add in a bit of User Generated Content in the form of consumer reviews and consumer price checking.  Add in the cell phone camera and now you have everyone a walking, talking, picture taking communication platform.
• Is there an entertainment angle here?  Will we finally see a Real World / Virtual World game that actually delivers?  Add in Latitude with Geo Tracking and a Story Line and you may be onto somethings. Here’s the idea — set up 4 games in a location.  For example, “Vampires”, “Spies”, “Dungeons”, and “CSI – Your Town”.  Someone playing “Spies” needs to leave a secret letter under the mail box on the coner of 1st and main.  Players of “Dungeons” need to pick up a secret letter under the mail bos on the corner of 1st and main.  Each game will fuel the other — all of the them fueled by Location aware devices and Social Net.

Next time you’re asked “What’s the next BIG thing” — for awhile you can answer “Location aware devices”