From a marketing point of view the challenge is delivery the messaging is understanding the current filters and creating messaging that is readily and easily passed along. The idea is not to ‘defeat’ filters, but to increase the quality and and construct of the messaging so that they do not just pass through, but get passed on by filters.

Shirky speaks of the original filter – convenience and practicality. It is neither convenient or practical to read every book ever published. So we rely on social filters to  bring us not only the best, but what is best for us. Social filters are like algorithms – the learn and know you as an individual and can pass forward quality content. In marketing design we are challenged with creating items that are not only good for the market, but good for the individual. Having data in CRM databases helps to tailor messages, but that is valuable in terms of direct marketing.

I think the best way to learn the filters in specific social media spaces is to participate and build trust and equity in the communities. Although time and energy consuming, it is the most effetive way to build brand awareness and drive relationships on the web.

The marketplace is fracturing  into two functions – strategy and execution and what is unique about digital advertising is that these functions have a near zero barrier to entry. Therefore almost anyone can become a digital strategist, and a digital marketing expert. For better or worse anyone can be a digital marketing consultancy. Agencies have the luxury of Brand, which is ironic since they are in the brand building business, and large companies will tend to gravitate to well seasoned professionals to execute their multi-million dollar campaigns.

However the best independent consultants will be the ones innovating at an exponentially faster pace. They will implement light, quick, and efficient technologies and plans for small and medium sized businesses. It is the small and medium sized business consultants that are going to be driving innovation in the space. Why? Money.

Small budgets demand innovation, and doing more with substantially less is what independent consultants do best. They are more likely to share ideas with each other, and participate in collective work because their client bases are so unique that fear of  client and idea poaching are secondary to producing results.

For large digital agencies to thrive they must shrink in terms of their mindset and embrace the grass roots to see what digital marketing is becoming. They need to not walk so tall as to loose perspective of what is happening right under their noses. Agencies should embrace the innovative bleeding edge. If not for implementation, for the value that lies in awareness and inspiration.

It appears that presence in local-focused directories has provided a strong SEO impact for geotargeted search queries.When we placed local links into the local Internet yellow pages and business directories with geo-modified anchor texts we saw a substantial increase in page rank and traffic. An example is a Cincinnati Realtor whom we placed in  the Cincinnati Bell Yellow Pages as well as other local Cincinnati digital directories.

However the strategy becomes overly complex and cumbersome when we considered our national clients. Is local geographic targeting the best approach for connecting potential customers with our clients? Depending on the nature of the business and their target the decision could go either way.  We had a set of conversations to genuinely understand the target for the client and then balanced that with their needs with what we felt was the best use of their budget. One thing we found is that without a physical presence or sales channel in a locality the hyper local approach was less effective.

Waring! Foul Language Ahead!

I found this video on Ad Broad, and loved the message that is sends. Any one can claim to be an expert, so make sure you ask for references, insist on results, and manager your expectations! TWMDC has built its reputation of giving valuable strategy advice, and tactical implementation help to our clients year over year. We have a track record of unique and meaningful programs that have delivered tangible and measurable results. We take pride in how we deliver honest and realistic insight, and set client expectations in-line with potential results. Red our biographies, and learn about out prior projects for proof of our expertise.  If you have interest in leveraging Social Media and want honest consultation please contact us!

As Innovation consultants we recognize that the best laid systems for screening and prototyping innovations are worthless if there are no ideas to act on. Casting a wide net and considering all potential ideas is what we recommend. Beyond that, there is value in even the most mundane concepts, the key is process that encourages recombinant concepts that are born of multiple smaller ideas. The sum can always be greater that the whole of its parts if assembled corectly.

Ideas While You Sleep

Ideas While You Sleep is a very intriguing product that sources concepts from around the world by posing your particular challenge to many individuals and solicits thier repsones. For those who would say that this is cheating, we would say that it is a creative way to crowdsource creativity. Who has the ideas is the least of concerns, it is what you can colelctively do withthem that is the deffinition of ultimate value.

Fundamentally social media is redistributing influence away from centralized authority figures and media channels. The value is the community that redistributes the message, spreading it viraly, creating that multiplier effect. In previous years there was no easy way to redistribute messages on a mass scale. Recipients were often only able to pass along a message to one person (an audio tape, a video tape, a flyer) creating a 1:1 distribution model.

In international politics the cellular phone is going to be the platform for global change. Wimax enabled handhelds are the solution for the spread of democracy and tolerance. Leveraging a nimble, pervasive, and open phone platform in concert with a built in social media community should be core component to a democracy spreading strategy. If government actors have the funding and the capacity to support locally active fight for democracy, they should do so by delivering phones, setting up social networks, and allowing the constituents to grow their on local movement. Tie geographies together and create regional movements.

The power of distributed communication technology came into clear view recently durring the disputed Iranian elections, thanks in part to support for the US State department.  2006 Philipino student protests were fueled by text messages. Distributed communication will play significantly larger roles in spread of democracy in the comming years. The qquestion is are we in a position to accelerate it and leverage it?