Does your prospect have a honeymoon period?

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Business meetings take planning http://bit.ly/ulZgnb http://amplify.com/u/a1jdzc

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I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on a radio show. I was caught a little off guard when I was asked, while on the air, how to use “selling skills” to get a job. I hesitated, since that really isn’t what I do. Since the radio host was familiar with my program, he felt there was a lot of synergy. After I did the show, I got to thinking about the idea he brought up, and how getting a job really is so similar to sales … and life.

Here are five steps to help you land the job of your dreams:

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 http://b2bsales.wordpress.com/ http://amplify.com/u/a1gkx2

Why Sales Manager Underperform

URL:  http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/print-edition/2...

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Are you Networking Wrong?

Sam was a “good chamber member” by all accounts. He came to all of the functions; socialized with people he knew and always met the new members. He had been a member of the chamber for a number of years, so when the other members heard that he was not going to rejoin they seemed confused.

“Sam, I hear you’re not rejoining. What’s up?” “Well I have met some good friends and gotten some referrals but I feel like I should be getting more. I mean, I come to everything, I meet people, and I always tell them all about what I do.”

Does this sound familiar? Often when we join organizations, we think just being a member is enough. Even in Sam’s case he knew that he had to do more so he did. That should have worked right? Wrong!

The reason Sam focused on the referrals he’s getting is because he didn’t understand that building business through referral is about giving referrals, not getting them. Learning how to network is a skill. A skill is something we learn. There is truly a system for getting more referrals and poor Sam was just “winging it.”

Building relationships is the key to networking. My philosophy is ‘give first, give often and get going”.

When we learn how to give to others we will sell more business.

There are some keys that will help you with this process. I have outlined a few:

1) How are you introducing yourself? When you are at a networking function you are competing with everyone else in that room to be remembered. “Hi I’m John and I’m a financial consultant”. The typical response will be, “Oh, that’s nice” (interpretation – I have no earthly idea of exactly what that means). It is important to help someone understand what you do in relation to him or her. Try, “Hi, I’m John. I teach people what to do to ensure early retirement” or “I help people play more golf and travel more often.” Sound different? Well isn’t that the point?!

2) What questions are you asking about them? Though others seem interested in what we do, really, they’re most interested in how it relates to them.
I can explain this best in a story.
About 8 years ago, my mom was telling me about her new friend Nancy. “Oh Greta, you have to meet Nancy, she’s terrific, she’s wonderful…” So, that Christmas eve we go to my mom’s house for a party. I walk in and I see this woman I don’t know with a big smile on her face come toward me. I said, “You must be Nancy.” “And you must be Greta,” she says. “I have heard so much about you. Your son is so well mannered, do tell me how you’ve done so well?” As I am dropping Christmas gifts on the floor to engage in conversation, she continues, “and your new home, I hear it’s beautiful, tell me about your decorating plans…” After a lengthy discussion about my favorite subject – me – I walked into the kitchen and said, “Oh mom, you’re right. I met Nancy and she’s terrific!”
It was much later I realized that I knew nothing about her, yet she impressed me. Why? hmmm, because she was talking about me perhaps?!

3) Create a picture. People see in pictures. Create a scenario in which they can see themselves. A chiropractor might say, “The next time you are playing golf and the ball goes one way and your back goes another, that’s when you call me”.

4) Ask the big question. The big question is one that will differentiate you for sure. Here it is:
“What would be a good referral for you?”
Simple. Yet it?s all about them. It is the reason they have come. They will then ask about you and your business. More about how to handle that later.

These are a few of the skills that will help you be a better net worker. Remember, it’s not net eat, it’s not net sit, it’s network.

For more B2BSales Training Tips: http://ping.fm/Q5QPz

It's possible to measure just ab. anything in marketing, but impossible to measure everything in marketing http://bit.ly/mROItips business marketing

How to Get More Out of Networking

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Networking Faux Pas by GSchulz 8. February 2011 13:57 Steve was a “good chamber member” by all accounts. He came to all of the functions; socialized with people he knew and always met the new members. He had been a member of the chamber for a number of years, so when the other members heard that he was not going to rejoin they seemed confused. “Steve, I hear you’re not rejoining. What’s up?” “Well I have met some good friends and gotten some referrals but I feel like I should be getting more. I mean, I come to everything, I meet people, and I always tell them all about what I do.” Does this sound familiar? Often when we join organizations, we think just being a member is enough. Even in Steve’s case he knew that he had to do more so he did. That should have worked right? Wrong! The reason Steve focused on the referrals he’s getting is because he didn’t understand that building business through referral is about giving referrals, not getting them. Learning how to network is a skill. A skill is something we learn. There is truly a system for getting more referrals and poor Steve was just “winging it.” Building relationships is the key to networking. The philosophy is “givers gain®"*. When we learn how to give to others we will sell more business. There are some keys that will help you with this process. I have outlined a few: 1) How are you introducing yourself? When you are at a networking function you are competing with everyone else in that room to be remembered. “Hi I’m John and I’m a financial consultant”. The typical response will be, “Oh, that’s nice” (interpretation – I have no earthly idea of exactly what that means). It is important to help someone understand what you do in relation to him or her. Try, “Hi, I’m John. I teach people what to do to ensure early retirement” or “I help people play more golf and travel more often.” Sound different? Well isn’t that the point?! 2) What questions are you asking about them? Though others seem interested in what we do, really, they’re most interested in how it relates to them. I can explain this best in a story. About 8 years ago, my mom was telling me about her new friend Nancy. “Oh Greta, you have to meet Nancy, she’s terrific, she’s wonderful…” So, that Christmas eve we go to my mom’s house for a party. I walk in and I see this woman I don’t know with a big smile on her face come toward me. I said, “You must be Nancy.” “And you must be Greta,” she says. “I have heard so much about you. Your son is so well mannered, do tell me how you’ve done so well?” As I am dropping Christmas gifts on the floor to engage in conversation, she continues, “and your new home, I hear it’s beautiful, tell me about your decorating plans…” After a lengthy discussion about my favorite subject – me – I walked into the kitchen and said, “Oh mom, you’re right. I met Nancy and she’s terrific!” It was much later I realized that I knew nothing about her, yet she impressed me. Why? hmmm, because she was talking about me perhaps?! 3) Create a picture. People see in pictures. Create a scenario in which they can see themselves. A chiropractor might say, “The next time you are playing golf and the ball goes one way and your back goes another, that’s when you call me”. 4) Ask the big question. The big question is one that will differentiate you for sure. Here it is: “What would be a good referral for you?” Simple. Yet it?s all about them. It is the reason they have come. They will then ask about you and your business. More about how to handle that later. These are a few of the skills that will help you be a better net worker. Remember, it’s not net eat, it’s not net sit, it’s network. *Givers Gain is a registered trademark of my friend and Founder of BNI, Dr Ivan Misner. Read more at www.schulzbusiness.com

 

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Ask Questions, Don't Read Minds

URL:  http://www.schulzbusiness.com/blog/post/2011/04/05/Ask-...

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Acxiom's Tim Suther on Winning in the New ‘Marketing Democracy’ -Knowledge @Wharton http://ping.fm/n9FZy

One Question You Should Ask Your Staff 20 Times Per Day http://t.co/GpenqMp via @businessinsider #business http://amplify.com/u/bw3rc

Sales Consulting Company Develops Online Sales Training Program for Businesses :Thanks online media for the post

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Sales Consulting Company Develops Online Sales Training Program for Businesses Schulz Training's online sales training program, B2B Playbook, trains entrepreneurs and corporations to strip away the traditional image and help salespeople and non-salespeople alike better streamline the process and communicate more efficiently with potential customers. Online PR News – 23-February-2011 –For most, the term “salesperson” doesn’t conjure up the best mental picture. Instead of thinking about someone who gives them a solution to fix a problem, they probably see pushy people trying to get you to spend more money. One Florida company is hoping to change that. ““Because sales is a soft skill, it seems that as long as you have an outgoing personality and are good with people then you can sell; nothing could be further from the truth."” Schulz Training’s philosophy is simple: To sell is not to sell. Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, Schulz Training effectively trains and consults with entrepreneurs and corporations to strip away the traditional image and help salespeople and non-salespeople alike better streamline the process and communicate more efficiently with potential customers. “Because sales is a soft skill, it seems that as long as you have an outgoing personality and are good with people then you can sell; nothing could be further from the truth,” said Greta Schulz, president and CEO of the sales consulting company Schulz Training. “To be successful in sales, you need to follow a specific process. Not a script, but a process that lets you know what you did well, what you did wrong, and what to do to fix it.” That’s why Schulz has also developed an online sales training program: the B2B Sales Playbook. This interactive product contains all the steps entrepreneurs and businesses need to successfully close a sale, including sales and personality assessments, workbooks, training videos, and much more. Not only will Schulz Training and the B2B Sales Playbook help individuals become better salespeople, these tools will help businesses refine their strategy and ultimately increase their profits—all while not seven “selling” a thing. Greta Schulz is the president and CEO of Schulz Training. She has been involved in sales, sales management, marketing, and training for almost 30 years. She is a national columnist of “Sellutions” in more than 30 business journals across the country, a contributing author of the New York Times bestseller, “Masters of Sales,” and the bestselling author of “To Sell is NOT to Sell.” Schulz is also one of few noted motivational sales speakers who speaks to large corporations and organizations around the nation. Visit Our Site Read more at www.onlineprnews.com

 

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Cold Calling, Sales, Referrals - Stop Whining and Making Excuses: blog post- #business, #b2b, #marketing

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The following legislation has been in place for some time. I felt the timing was right to reprint the article – Lately, people have asked me lots of questions about the new bill that passed on the subject of phone solicitations, which we affectionately call “cold calls.” “So, Greta, don’t you think it’s unfair that they don’t allow people to do their job? Thousands of people are employed by these ‘marketing’ companies, and they’ll be out of work.” First, let’s understand the legislation. It does not say that you cannot solicit on the telephone; it allows people to put their name on a national list so they will not be called. I have not seen the percentage of potential prospects that actually have made that request, but do you really think it will decrease your business? Second, stop whining. Our country was built on entrepreneurs creating businesses based on opportunities. The telephone, and the wide usage of it, led to the brilliant idea of using it to solicit business. Times change, however, and so do ways of doing business. Third – and most of all (some of you are not going to like this) – stop cold-calling. Okay, maybe in some cases, at least in the beginning, you need to do some cold-calling. But are you developing a system for referrals and networking? Are you asking for referrals as a part of your business plan, or is your plan haphazard? Don’t you want to conduct business in the most effective, efficient, and pleasant way, which is through networking and referrals? How many of us would rather do business with someone we were referred to? The meeting is more pleasant, more interactive, and, if someone referred a customer to you, someone probably has already sung your praises. (Which is so much better that your doing it, right?) Here are some tips: 1. Create a system to generate more referrals. That means actually setting goals for how many referral meetings you will hold in a particular week or month. Then talk to as many clients, friends, colleagues, etc., until you meet your goal. 2. When you have those meetings, remember, they are not about you. The philosophy is “givers gain®*” – straight out of the Business Network International handbook. That means ask about the people attending, their businesses, and how you can help them. Help them grow their business, and they will help you grow yours. 3. Create a picture for them. I have a great example I heard from Wendy Widmann, an office-products sales consultant who said, “A good referral for me would be if you see on e of those big red office products trucks parked in front of an office building, give me a call.” I bet when you see one today, you’ll remember this article. 4. Make a top-10 list. When someone asks if they can help you, be very specific and help them picture your ideal customer. Show them your list – of the top 10 companies you would like to be introduced to. You never know whom they know. So don’t worry about rules and changes. After all, change makes us better: It forces us to think in other ways. This is growth. Have at it. *® is a registered trademark of Dr. Ivan Misner.  Read more at www.schulzbusiness.com

 

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Lendle: A network for borrowing and lending Kindle books via @thenextweb

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Lendle: A network for borrowing and lending Kindle books Lendle is a network that aims to bridge the gap of Kindle book exchanging by enabling U.S-based Amazon users to borrow and lend books to people they don’t know.  Sharing with the network doesn’t require a Kindle either, the service can be used through Kindle apps including Mac, PC, iOS and Android versions. To begin swapping books, users can sign up to the site and provide Lendle their Amazon credentials but users are given a strict two week time frame to finish the book. If the book is not returned back on time, the procrastinating user may be banned from the service. This service gives users a place to share and purchase books through their Amazon accounts, and it promises to keep the service fair by using an algorithm that watches for users who aren’t sharing. If you’re not lending, you’re not borrowing. No mooches. Lendle can’t work if people aren’t willing to lend books. When you join the site and tell us what books you own, you are given two borrow requests. As you lend books, you’ll get more borrow requests. As long as you’re lending, you’ll always be able to borrow. As it’s stated on the site, Lendle has no affiliation with Amazon but it’s able to tap into your Amazon associate account, and the books that are purchased within Lendle will award the site with a small cut in revenue. And while not all Kindle books have been approved by publishers to use the lending feature, Lendle currently has 821 books available on the site right now. Sadly, users who are outside of the U.S. are not permitted to use Amazon’s lending feature so Lendle won’t be of much use to non-U.S folks, however, it does seem to be an interesting way to exchange books. Have a look and let us know what you think of the service. Read more at thenextweb.com

 

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HOW TO: Optimize Your Social Media Budget via @mashbusiness. #business #marketing

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HOW TO: Optimize Your Social Media Budget 3 days ago by Erica Swallow 6

As marketers focus on optimizing their social media programs this year, return on investment is going to be a huge consideration. As a result, marketers will — and should — take a more calculated approach towards budgeting for social marketing initiatives. Prioritizing spending on particular social activities, though, is a task that hasn’t quite been mastered by most companies. Analyst Jeremiah Owyang and Founder Charlene Li of digital strategy consulting firm Altimeter Group, released a report on Thursday about “How Corporations Should Prioritize Social Business Budgets.” In short, the report concludes that budgets should be based on the maturity level of a corporation’s social business programs. Altimeter interviewed 140 corporate social strategists to create a standard for categorizing programs into novice, intermediate and advanced maturity levels. When asked about their programs, about half of respondents identified their programs as intermediate, while the rest were almost equally split between novice and advanced. The below graph is an overview of the priorities that each type of program should focus on. Read on for a more in-depth look at these goals. Assessing Your Social Program’s Maturity Level The report includes an assessment guide for figuring out where your corporation stands in the social world. The assessment covers topics such as leadership and organization models, processes and policies, education programs, measurement techniques and technology adoption to rank where your business ranks in maturity. Check it out on page seven of the full embedded report below. Novice Programs The average budget for novice social programs is $66,000, and an average team includes about 3.1 people in a centralized format, according to the report. Programs in the novice stage are often just testing out or experimenting with social media. Altimeter’s report suggests that programs in this stage focus on organizational models, staffing and education programs. Here are some top tips: Organize for collaboration: Organize a team dedicated towards leading the company’s social initiatives. This centralized, core team should be tasked with creating social media policies, deploying education programs and implementing collaboration tools, with the overarching goal of helping team members share best practices and communicate effectively internally. Iron out response processes: Before launching elaborate social initiatives, like Facebook Pages and corporate blogs, take time to develop a triage system, which details who responds to customers in certain situations, and what they should and should not say. Invest in social monitoring: The beauty of social media is that it breaks down barriers between people. Now, more than ever, brands can easily see what consumers are saying about them online. That’s where listening comes in. Businesses in novice stage should invest in brand monitoring tools and act accordingly. Check out Alterian, Nielsen BuzzMetrics, Cymfony, Radian6, Scout Labs and Visible Technologies, for starters, the report suggests, and Crimson Hexagon, NetBase, SAS Social Media Analytics and Sysomos for a deeper dive into customer insights. Intermediate Programs Intermediate level social programs enjoy a budget of slightly more than $1 million and a team size of about 8.2 employees. As programs move into this stage, the focus should shift to scaling, getting community members more involved in social programs and increasing efficiency through social media management tools. Focus on scaling: As buy-in increases across a company, the core social team should aim to morph into a “hub and spoke model,” in which one central team (the “hub”) provides guidance to multiple, cross-functional “spokes,” who implement programs related to their own business units. This allows social programs to permeate throughout a business’s culture and become a part of each business unit’s programming. Invest in community programs: Inevitably, a brand’s community is larger than it’s social media team. In the intermediate stage, social programs should focus on empowering customers to “do the work for you.” Altimeter suggests identifying key influencers in your community through these activities and formalizing an advocacy program. Centering around word of mouth is generally a much more effective strategy than tasking a handful of social strategists to tweet away from headquarters. Adopt social media management systems: To manage content production and deployment, intermediate programs should scope out and adopt social media management systems. This will allow for more efficient dialogue with customers and among staffers. With these tools, creating highly engaged communities across the social web will be much more manageable. Advanced Programs While advanced programs often entail having many more teammates (20.8 on average), their budgets aren’t much higher than those of intermediate programs, at around $1.3 million, according to the report. Larger corporations have the ability to support cross-functional teams, instead of fostering smaller groups of direct reports, which explains the huge leap in team members, but lack of proportional budgeting. Once a social program becomes more advanced, the core goal should be increasing social media integration throughout the entire business. Here’s how to do that: Prepare for total permeation: Whether a social program spreads to just key members in all business units, or to everyone in an entire organization, social media leaders should be prepared for social business to become a part of how every area of the business operates. Education will be key — businesses need to empower employees to get involved, while also clearly communicating guidelines and policies. Social education, then, cannot be an after-though — it needs to be part of standard employee on-boarding. Employ boutique social agencies: Instead of relying on traditional agencies for social media guidance and deployment, advanced social programs should begin scoping out the landscape of niche agencies that focus specifically on social business. These agencies can help with social management, campaign building and even change management. Integrate social into technology deployments: As an ongoing effort, advanced social programs must integrate social into each digital touchpoint across their businesses, including social customer relationship management (SCRM), social sign-on on corporate websites and social aggregation and curation. This overview is just a taste of how businesses should begin budgeting for corporate social media programs. View Altimeter Group’s full report below for a deep dive into best practices at each social program maturity level: Read more at mashable.com

 

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The big shots in life are only the little shots who keep shooting. Keep shooting. http://amplify.com/u/apcwh

Thanks @communitypapers "@GretaSchulz, covered “Five Things Every CEO Should know about selling... #business

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The Alternative Board hosts “Selling in the New Economy” workshop  Email Share0   0 ShareThis  Print Phil Rosen, Bloomgarden Goudreau & Rosen Arnold Goldman, President of The Alternative Board South Broward, recently hosted over 70 businesspeople to a three-hour workshop designed for small business owners, sales managers and sales force, entitled “Selling in the New Economy”. Guest speakers included Greta Schulz, president and CEO of Schulz Training , who covered “Five Things Every CEO Should Know to Grow Their Business in this Economy”. Topics such as networking, hiring, the psychology of selling were literally brought to life as Schulz laid out the costs of not having a ‘map to success’. Another guest speaker was Mande White, founder of FreeSocialMediaHelp.com and SocialMedia-CoachingCafe.com. White shared her expertise with the audience, guiding them on how to integrate and successfully implement social media and internet marketing campaigns. For details on The Alternative Board, call 305- 867-7770 or visit TAB-SouthBroward.com. Read more at www.communitynewspapers.com

 

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New Blog Post: Phone solicitations, which we affectionately call “cold calls.” http://bit.ly/dSTPNR http://amplify.com/u/anv4c

How To Use Skype To Gather & Record Video & Audio Assets

Better at talking than writing? Want to record testimonials, share a roundtable or offer a rich media experience to your readers soon to be listeners? Another benefit for having your voice and/or likeness integrated into your media is it helps your followers, likers, and listeners get to know you a little better - build affinity. It is also a great learning tool to help you explain concepts & information that may take pages of content vs. a 10 min audio share all above the fold..

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For many Skype users the tool is simply a phone replacement or a way to make international calls without a charge. While the direct communication uses are obvious, there are so many other ways to use this tool as well. In fact, I believe that one of the hottest trends of the back half of 2011 will be the ubiquitous use of video communication on the mobile device and this type of behavior change is going to make some of Skype’s features even more useful for business. As smart phone users begin to ramp up their use of video conversations, (iPhone Facetime proves this huge) video recording (smart phone cameras make this an everyday use) and video sharing, (what don’t we share) business communication, content creation and collaboration in this vein will become commonplace. Here’s how to turn Skype into a content creation machine. Recording Skype calls and video chat is a tremendous way to create podcast episodes and video content to run on your site. The fact that the recording is captured directly into your computer eliminates several of the steps in the content creation process. By supplementing your Skype account with a 3rd party recording application such as Call Recorder (Mac) or Pamela (PC) you can get built in recording of audio or video from within Skype. These programs record your voice and that of your guest in separate tracks, making it much easier to edit. Get a low cost transcription by uploading the video or audio file to Casting Words and you’ve got sight, sound and text content creation. So, get on Skype and get video testimonials from clients, interview clients and capture their video success stories, or set a time to interview an industry leader on a hot trend and capture the phone conversation for your next blog post. (Get a SkypeIn phone number and your guest won’t even need a Skype account to call you.) Invite featured guest experts to present at your next lunch and learn via Skype Video and Skype enabled HDTV. A few tool suggestions: Get a nice USB mic (Blue Snowball) and USB headset. (Sennheiser) so that the sound on your end is good. I use the headset for audio only and the mic with earpiece for video so I don’t look like a pilot on the video. You’ll need a camera for your computer is you’re going to do video. Most laptops come with build in cameras these days, but you should probably own a good HD camera anyway. I like the Canon HF20 because it has an external mic jack and flash memory card. Here’s how to use Skype for collaboration Sure, chatting on the phone is a collaboration activity, but you can a lot more with Skype. Some of the features I use to enhance collaboration. You can add multiple contacts and turn Skype into a conference call tool. (last I read it allows up to 24 – group video chat comes with an additional fee.) You can create groups of contacts and use the IM feature to create a group chat function You can share your screen with people on a call and do a quick demo – way faster than WebEx type of share You can transfer files while on a call so the person has a document in question open I think Skype is on the move to a become a big time player in the video and mobile space. The recently acquired Qik, an established player in the mobile video recording and sharing space and a sure sigh that Skype sees the shift to video communication. You can add the Skype app to your mobile and start using it on the go as well. Any drawbacks? Sometimes the call quality is shaky. I don’t have many issues, but low bandwidth can cause problems. To get the full ride your guests and collaborators need Skype and a video camera, but Skype is free and this seems like it’s becoming less of an issue these days. Read more at www.ducttapemarketing.com

 

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Remember No is a good thing in #sales. If you are not OK with a NO, excuses become ramped. Be proud to get a NO. #business #salestip. http://amplify.com/u/anj2x

An easy way to remind yourself to appreciate More @HappyRambles Aims to make you happier. #gratitude #happy

URL:  http://thenextweb.com/ca/2011/01/21/happyrambles-a-feel...

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"A Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way".- John Maxwell #quote #business #success #leadership http://amplify.com/u/bn802

Guide to B2B social media for Business and Marketing...

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

The definitive guide to B2B social media

View more presentations from Ricardo Pravia.

Don't dwell

Don't let yesterday take up too much of today. -Will Rogers #quote for #success in 2011 #b2bsales #business http://amplify.com/u/bkv4u

Branding and Marketing - One at a Time

"Branding is creating one "telling point" and communicating it many different ways."
Greta Schulz

5 predictions for start ups via @Mashable.

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5 Predictions for Startups in 2011  280Share Share 280 email share email share Do you like this story? How we engage with the people, places and things around us is ever-changing thanks to rapid improvements in mobile and web technologies. The speed at which this evolution takes place will only continue to accelerate in 2011 with the help of fledgling startups who will push the boundaries around geolocation, mobile photos, entertainment services, community and physical-to-digital connections. What follows is an exploration of five significant startup markets that will grow in significance in 2011. Some of these specialized categories are ripe for disruption and innovation, while others have already produced early leaders that will be difficult to best. Regardless, the startups iterating in these newly invented product categories will capture our imagination in the year ahead and transform the way we use technology in our daily lives. Read on for five major trends that will hit startups in 2011, and let us know your own predictions in the comments below. 1. The Rise of Object Tagging As constant web and mobile users, we’ve all grown accustomed to tagging people and places in photos and status updates. In the year ahead, new services will help us tag real world objects in much the same fashion. QR code and barcode scanning mobile applications are growing in popularity and purpose, and we’re quickly moving towards a scanning and tagging world where we use apps like Barcode Hero or Stickybits to add our own content to the physical objects we encounter in the real world. The physical-to-digital connection is what will drive this trend in the new year. Startups such as thingd and Moodstocks have a more grandiose vision around creating digital databases of things, but they’re also creating products that are people-friendly and practical. We’ve yet to see any one object tagging application or service become a breakout hit, but this will change in 2011 as more consumers warm up to the mobile and social discovery of “things.” 2. Entertainment Checkin Services Will Continue to Innovate 2010 was the year of the checkin. What started as a simple, albeit explicit, way to publicly say “I’m here” mutated into a way for startups to create entertainment checkin services and for companies to build tools to help publishers keep visitors on site. The entertainment-oriented services are an especially interesting group of services. GetGlue, Miso, Philo, Tunerfish, TV.com Relay and a handful of others have all cropped up with their own variations of the “check in to content, get rewards” concept. Most are successfully inking deals with studios and networks around their entertainment properties, and just recently, GetGlue grabbed $6 million in a Series C round led by Time Warner Investments. Within this fast-maturing niche is still room for innovation. The opportunities are in motivating user behavior around entertainment content and surfacing fail-proof recommendations. Somewhere sandwiched amongst Clicker (), Rotten Tomatoes (), GetGlue, Boxee () and Netflix is something that can actually figure out what we really want to watch right now and help us watch it in a fashion that supports the interests of studios and networks. It might be a combination of semantic intelligence, social media and game mechanics, or it could be something entirely new. There’s certainly money to be had here. Investors are financing these ideas, networks are looking for strategic partnerships and cable companies have money to spend. 3. Website Communities Will Dominate the Digital Experience The rise of the social web has led to brands and businesses emphasizing Facebook (), Twitter (), Foursquare (), YouTube () and their social presence over their own website. Social will remain a top priority in 2011, but there will be a website renaissance that focuses on bringing the community back to the site. 2010 has laid the foundation for this movement with the emergence of publisher tools that drive website visitor engagement. Badgeville, OneTrueFan, Marginize, Meebo and Envovle, for instance, are all working on their solutions for the website-as-community concept. Badgeville lets publishers install a plug-and-play product that adds social rewards and gaming elements to their websites — think rewarding user activity with badges and achievements, à la Foursquare. OneTrueFan also applies game mechanics to website content and Meebo will release its own solution for web checkins in 2011. Marginize’s browser extension pulls social conversations into a site’s margin but its publisher tool eliminates the need for the extension and lets visitors check in, earn badges and rewards, and participate in onsite comment threads that can be pushed out to social networks. Envolve, however, takes a Facebook-chat style approach to website engagement. There will continue to be rapid innovation around publisher community tools in the new year. I’m not yet convinced that 2011 will be the year web users completely embrace this idea, but this trend will certainly be pushed forward by publishers who use these tools to engineer a more compelling reason for the visitor to stay and engage. Should they do so successfully, the fruits of their labor will be users that remain on site, share their activity with social networks and influence upticks in traffic, and possibly even sales. 4. Private Location Services Become More Popular In 2011, the location-sharing counter culture will emerge as mobile users demand less social, more practical tools for sharing their whereabouts with smaller circles of friends and family members. There’s clearly an audience that appreciates the visibility and rewards that come with checkins, and that is not likely to change. But, a growing number of mobile users will want to apply geolocation technology to their personal lives — think keeping track of the kids, knowing that a significant other made it home safely, or sending and receiving timely notifications based on geographic location. Consumer-friendly Neer is a prime example of how always-on location technology can be highly personalized and yet not overly intrusive. Geoloqi’s geonotes further personalize the experience by allowing you to leave notes for you or your friends at various locations. In 2011, we’ll see more applications and services emerge with similar purpose due to advancements in geofencing, proximity awareness and mobile device technologies. Perhaps the only barrier to mainstream adoption is the strain that these services place on mobile phone batteries. 5. Mobile Photo Sharing Takes Off We’re in the midst of a mobile photo sharing boom that has yet to reach its climax. Due to rapid improvements in handset technology, it’s now possible to take a stunning photo and upload it to the web in seconds. Applications that build expressly around this purpose have cropped up in recent months and prove the viability of this emerging market. Instagram (), for instance, has surpassed 1 million registered users in just 10 weeks’ time. With this type of momentum, the startup looks to be an unstoppable force. But greatness will not be achieved in replicating the features or filters of Instagram, at least in an iPhone app. Android () may still be up for grabs, though not if Picplz has a say in the matter. Purpose will matter just as much as a platform. Foodspotting, DailyBooth () and Path () all have put their own unique spin on mobile photos. Still, the underlying mobile photo sharing trend can be applied in a number of yet-to-be fully explored fashions. Because smartphone adoption is nowhere close to capacity, and growth is anticipated in the new year, there’s still time for a few more big ideas around mobile photo sharing to emerge in 2011. Read more at mashable.com

 

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8 IT Security Threats for 2011.

URL:  http://www.govinfosecurity.com/podcasts.php?podcastID=908

Definitely social media and mobile security threats will increase in 2011. What do you think will be the biggest security threats?

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