VBlog: 7 Critical concepts every business must know

Straight from my spare room, this is the first in a series of vblogs that define the fundamental change in communication between business and consumers brought about by social spaces on the internet I refer to as the "paradigm shift". There are 7 easy to understand, but critical concepts every business owner must know and understand before taking their brand online or managing their brand online. In this vlog we will work our way through how to successfully integrate your brand into social spaces online, based on some simple rules.

I look forward to your feedback,

What your online media seller doesn't want you to know

Prosperity Research has launched many campaigns for customer utilising the editorial spaces on social networks. We have proven that we can reach a vast demographic, capture the front page of search engines and do it in an honest and meaningful way without the use of ppc or display ads. Read on to learn what your media seller does not want you to know.

Social Networks are the fastest growing space on the Internet and arguably the fastest growing space for information and entertainment. With this has come an avalanche of advertisers and marketers (online media sellers) to take advantage of its popularity. Unfortunately they came with the same old bag of tricks. What they don't want you to know is that the old bag of tricks is . . . well, old. To tap into Social Networks it is critical to understand the dynamics of why they are the corner stone of the the greatest communications revolution since movable type. It is simply, people talking to people on a one to one level. It is this dialogue between individuals, not business to customer that is the difference.

Knowing that it is the conversations BETWEEN people in social spaces is what drives both the generation of content and the explosive growth rate of these spaces. This dynamic defines how it is possible to get vastly better results without relying on ppc or Display advertising.

What to do? Become part of the conversation!

• Create interesting and engaging content that is relevant to your customers
• Establish conversations with your customers
• Be interested in their opinions and respond to them
• Establish a presence for the long term to build relationships, trust and loyalty
  Keep your content current and evolving. Like in real life relationships it is about continuously growing

Using these techniques will not guarantee results, but it will provide you an effective and more cost efficient means of reaching your customers. It will also allow you to establish loyalty with your customers that can not be attained with ppc and banner ads.

It is time to become part of the conversation before you get left out.

Data Driven: Social Media A Must Do!

A continuous show of force for the value of digital marketing and especially Social Media. This is NOT ppc or banner ads! This is true social network marketing. That is, interacting at a peer to peer level with content sharing and interaction between business and customers that looks, feels and is the same as when two customers interact in social spaces. The audience of one is now! Being able to understand what this means is critical to business' success in the digital space.

Social Media Presence - Why You Need One — Social Media Optimization via kwout

I now spend more time watching videos on my tv than watching terestrial tv on my tv.

Google Trounces Web Video Competitors With 5 Billion Views via kwout

Even brick and mortar stores are finding a space in the digital frontier.

Social Media and Retail — Social Media Optimization via kwout

Social Network Marketing: Catch More Flies With Honey

Web 2.0, rich media, social media, social networks what ever you want to call it, IT IS DIFFERENT. In this blog I write tirelessly about the need to largely abandon much of the traditional advertising methods that have been in place for eons and embrace the wonder that is the new medium.

Since the beginning of time advertisers have been positioning their messages "next to" interesting content:

• Read the newspaper for the news, the ads are little boxes next to the news


• Watch TV for the shows, the advertisements are for snacks and toilet breaks


• Surf the web, the advertisements are the banners around the interesting content, and banner ads served all around them


• Videos on the internet now have advertisements tagged to the front and back of them

After all this time you would think that someone could have come up with something a bit more clever. But the reality is, since the beginning of time the same method of serving up advertising has changed very little. And not surprising people's views on advertising have changed even less.

If people don't like advertising and people do like engaging content (e.g. news, tv shows, web pages, and videos) why is it an impossible leap for advertisers to just start creating interesting content and say "forget it" to advertising.

Well the truth is most likely of three sources.

1. With an industry as large as the advertising business, it is unlikely that even if it wanted too, it would or could change quickly


2. Old habits are hard to break, and consumers support the old model, even if they don’t consciously want to


3. Well, I can't think of anymore

Thank goodness for Social Networks. With the creation of Social Networks each individual now has the same ability to influence as big business has traditionally had. Collectively, individuals on the internet can now make or break a brand by their input. Now content created by individuals is viewed more often than professionally produced content making the internet a truely democratic forum.

So, like in any true democracy, you need to vote for what you like and against what you don't. Therefore, if you like content vote by clicking on it. And if you don't like advertising -- don't click on it!!!

Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride

There is a significant industry built around the idea that if you stand next too, wear the same clothes, drive the same car etc. you will be as magnificent and glamorous as the people in the advertisements. We all know that this acquisition of fabulous attributes through proximity is absurd. So why is it that advertisers continue to push on businesses the concept of placing their advertisement next to interesting content is the preferred, if not only, method available? After all, it is still advertising and no matter how engaging the content is it is placed next too; it is will always be advertising. Would it be better if the advertising was really the interesting bit?In the digital age it is now easy for anyone to develop content and distribute on the internet. So why should businesses settle for "being next to" when they can be the "centre of attention". That is right, everyone can now be a bride and all of us are the better for it. Imagine if all the money that was spent trying to attract your gaze away from the interesting content was spent on making interesting content in the first place.

All of us are sophisticated enough consumers that we would certainly "get it". After all we know that if we want to be a star athlete like our heroes we will need to buy the kit. And if we want to catch the babe we need the car, clothes and cologne.

Prosperity Research is working hard to educate small and medium business' that it is O.K. for them to be the centre of attention. They do not have to be a 2 inch square advertisement at the bottom of the weekly paper. They can create rich media to WOW their customers,

So if you had your choice, would you be advertising or interesting?

Facebook Iphone app reaches 1 million

Facebook Iphone app is the first to reach 1 million downloads. This and other compelling news is what I highlight in my weekly blog. From NBC taking the Olympics online to the number of Women exceeding men in Social Networks, the statistics coming in on New Media and Social Networks are anything but boring.

NBC Launches On-Demand Olympic Coverage In HD via kwout

Rapleaf Business: Press - Rapleaf Study of Social Network Users vs. Age via kwout

Short Web Video Dominates; Full Online Episodes Drive Users to Network TV via kwout