The Long Haul

I've noticed something. We talk a lot about the affect the Internet is having on attention spans and I do believe they have been shortened. But I think the biggest issue is not the attention span of the consumer or user. It's that of the publisher or marketer. It seems like the ideas that really take hold are the ones that have a commitment behind them. Let me give you one example.

I watched a friend of mine begin to develop a poker blog. I watched him leave work every day, go home, and either write, read or play poker till the wee hours of the morning. He slowly built a following, created a revenue strategy and kept writing posts everyday. Eventually, he had the most popular poker site on the Interwebs.

What did I learn by watching his success? I learned three things.

First, there's a huge amount of noise on the web. If we're are going to "break out" we can't expect it to happen without lots of work. Making money online is not a get-rich-quick scheme, it's a work-hard-be-smart-then-work-more scheme.

Second, there's a delicate balance we must strike between commitment and abandoning an idea that's not taking hold. However, what I see most often, is a company chasing every new technology that comes along. We must have a long term, digital strategy that culminates in a clear objective.

Third, there's power in doing something and adjusting as we learn more. The relative low cost of failure, instant feedback and fluid nature of online marketing makes it the perfect ground to publish then perfect.

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BTW, if you want to learn more about online poker, make sure to visit Guinness and Poker.

Here's the Real Me

Last week I had a conversation with someone about social media and how it can effect the image of a brand. The question was asked, "Well I notice how many 'tweets' are personal and you guys put your Twitter IDs on the signature of your emails. A CMO doesn't care if someone is baking a cake or going to a movie. Maybe you should only have a WonderGroup Twitter feed on your sigs."

I've thought a lot about that and have come to the conclusion that that comment is completely wrong. The assumption that CMOs or any other "decision-maker" only care about you in relationship to what you can do for them, is a perspective that misses the humanity of everyone with which you work. People (CMOs are people) want to have an emotional connection with other people, even the ones who are creating their wire frames, developing their strategies and designing their websites.

In today's world of heightened authenticity, it's okay to say, "Here's who I am. Let's roll up our sleeves and work together." Yes, sometimes being authentic means someone will say, "Umm, no thanks, I don't want to work with someone like you." That's a risk, but one that's worth it.

It's not just CMOs that are looking for this openness, it's consumers, too. Today's consumers are sick of con men, politicians and posers. It's time for all of us to just be who we are.

So, in keeping with that attitude, here's the social portion of my sig file. Feel free to follow me, friend me, or ignore me. It's up to you.

AIM: senojjeff
Skype: j3ffj0nes
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/spidey
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wonderjeff
Delicious: delicious.com/wonderfrey
Last.fm: www.last.fm/user/senojjeff
Netflix Nickname: wonderjeff
Blog: www.jeffjones.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Jeff_Jones/728185251
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/senojjeff

Heard in the Elevator

Today while I was waiting for an elevator a young woman and a guy were also waiting and they were talking about tires. Apparently, it was time for the woman to change the tires on her Camry.

The guy asked if she had talked to someone about what tires to get. She said she had called a tire dealer and they asked, what size tires do you need, what type of tread pattern and whether she wanted low profiles. The only thing she could think of to say was, "I have a 2003 Toyota Camry, does that help."

The guy then said something astute. He said, "That's the problem with tire dealers, they think everyone speaks their language."

Actually, that's the problem with almost everyone who markets anything. The assumption that the consumer "speaks their language" has lead to ineffective product launches, weak marketing messages and disappointed consumers. And, like a foreigner who doesn't speak the native language of the land he finds himself in, marketers just start talking louder, as if that will bring a connection and understanding.

However, the good news is, today, we have the ability to listen, learn and speak with an authentic, meaningful voice. The emergence of social media has offered us a great learning and communicating opportunity. If we will just make effort.

Monday mornin' roundup

As you work through the last of the tryptophan, enjoy this morning's roundup:

-->From Michael, an article about Facebook's new efforts toward a revenue stream. A great introduction to Facebook Connect, which you'll be hearing a lot about in the near future.

-->From Chad, an interactive experience for Ferrari. Give 'er a minute to load-- she's worth it.

-->From Seth Godin, a remarkable opportunity: "Instead of getting an MBA, consider spending six months in my office."