Archive for the 'New Media' Category
Using RSS for Business - Part I
To watch the news and stay up to date with what is going on in my professional and personal interest areas, I use Google Reader, where I can pick and choose what I want to track. My range of sites that I follow spans new media, journalism, psychology, fitness, economics, perezhilton.com and obviously a whole load more. This enables you to track a much greater number of sites and sources that is possible through an iGoogle page and is a great tool to use as well as these types of personalised page services.
RSS Readers
I have at present 308 sites and sources subscribed to in my Google Reader that I monitor through RSS feeds. View my shared items page here
What is RSS?
The driving purpose of RSS is to regularly update your own interests by receiving dynamic web feeds directly to your screen. It means that you do not have to bookmark a list (in my case of 308 sites) and visit them independently to get an update on any new content or developments. RSS is short for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary and has revolutionised the way we search for content.
Apparently the adoption of RSS technology is not yet mainstream despite the efficiencies it can deliver for work and home. If you want to learn more about why and how of RSS read this ReadWrite Web post, “An Ode to RSS, on RSS Awareness Day”
This video within the Readwrite Web post from Commoncraft, RSS in plain English, explains it quite well. Watch the video here
In a business setting, this Article below in IR Web Report asked, “What is fundamental on an IR website?”
- Point 1 - Identifying future fundamentals is a big part of our jobs as advisors. We help companies that are planning upgrades for their IR websites identify practices and technologies that are likely to have staying power and which should be incorporated into their sites. RSS feeds, for example, are still an emerging technology on IR websites and haven’t really taken off with investors. But it’s just a matter of time before they become fundamental components of any IR website and no company should upgrade without feed-enabling their sites.
- Point 2 - But just because so few companies implement these practices does not mean they are leading-edge or nice-to-have.
Extra Tools to complement your own RSS Reader
While the Google Reader shows what I am interested in, tools such as Pop url’s (http://popurls.com/) and Readburner (http://readburner.com/) can complement your own Reader and show what is currently being read by the masses, which is a good way to catch up on some really cool things you may have not come across.
So in summary, try RSS - you will be much more up to date and save a whole load of time on searching sites for content updates. RSS brings the content to you, in real-time as it is published.
If your in business and a content creator, provide RSS Feeds on your site, this is a fundamental. This way you can make it easy for your customers, shareholders or any other stakeholders that are interested in staying up to date with company developments and news.
This post is on WHY to use RSS for business. My next post, Using RSS for Business - Part II, will be on technically HOW to create an RSS Feed from your site.
BTW, You can sign up for Google Reader here
No commentsSocial Media for Efficiency and Productivity in Business
I read an interesting article on Readwriteweb this morning titled, “Real people don’t have time for social media”. There were a few really interesting points in there that helped formulate my understanding of roles within a social media scene although I think “most people” as opposed to real people would have been much more accurate headline for this article.
I think social media still has connotations of unproductive time wasting through things like online chatting. This isn’t the case at all. What social media tools allow are a huge increase in efficiency and productivity.
Some “real people” use social media tools to help them stay up to date with topics they wish to follow and are passionate about (personal) but also use them to do their job better (professional).
In the information age that is today there is a mass of research, data and opinion readily available at our fingers tips. Social media tools, are just that tools, for us at home and in the workplace to filter, sort and receive all information that is relevant and potentially critical to our areas of personal and professional interest.
I did like the breakdown of roles ReadWriteWeb made within a social media community
1) Participants
2) Content providers
3) Community Directors (What must be the mayoral equivalent in the offline world)
I think people must move through each role as they find their areas of interest (participant), find a voice and form opinions (content provider) and then connections are made with others and the interest becomes a true passion that they really want to share ideas around with others (community director).
My point for this post is to say that yes, social media tools and the increases in efficiency and productivity they provide are currently not accessed by most (”real”) people. But for people like myself for whom information is integral to staying abreast of developments they can really make a difference to building understanding, skills and expertise and in ensuring you are up to date with any shifts of new developments.
I use a number of social media tools for both my personal interests (online/New media, emerging tech, journalism) and professional interests (finance, capital markets and investment) and since I have done so it has made a huge positive difference in both areas. Based on this, I would recommend that more “real people” give these tools a go.
Another great ReadWriteWeb post here Ten common objections to social media adoption and how you can respond
No commentsOld to New Media: Mindset Shift - LA Times Offsite Case Study
See here for a diagram of a vision for 2010 that came out of an LA Times offsite of 24 newsroom editors “to develop a three year plan for the newsroom.” As you would expect there is a focus on feedback and input from readers, customisable content, a recognition of content from professionals and amateur and a wide channel view for the future across TV, print, web and mobile. See this link for the memo sent to staff and a book/blog reading list provided to those going along.
“Rest assured that we still want to break news and do in-depth and investigative stories that matter to our readers. But we also are looking for ways to reimagine our business so that we can remain relevant for many years to come.” - LA Times Editor
When easily accessible publishing tools such as blogs and citizen journalism sites first came into existence they were very far removed from traditional publishing houses. In the last 6 -7 years they have become commonplace, in use by individuals who would not previously been able to publish their ideas, opinions and any other creative content they choose to generate. If this content is generated out of a work setting and of a person’s own initiative many claim it is because it is a created out of passion, which makes for expertise, understanding and a good read. This is how many of the leading blogs were formed and the reason they can gain such a strong and rapid readership.These tools are now also used widely by organisations, with main benefits that come to mind gains in productivity, increased ability for collaboration and the ability to have a two way conversation.
But more relevant here is that they are also used to today by “traditional” media companies, complementing (e.g. add a comment, social media tools) and in some cases replacing traditional journalism. What I thought first thought when I read the article about the LA Times offsite was how difficult it must be to accelerate change within a large media organisation. This is where pure new media companies have an edge through agility. This LA Times plan is a couple of years off (2010), when realistically technology that is hot now and integral to this roadmap plan from LA Times may will be archaic, may have evolved, maybe even totally replaced.
In my mind it would be best to run this type of “Newsroom to New media” offsite with the understanding that “remaining relevant” will always be an ongoing process, not a fixed project with an end date looked to, in this case 2010. At the offsite focus would be best set on reinforcing to the whole editing team that the fact the roadmap that they set today will quite possibly need to change daily, weekly, monthly. And that this is one of the most exciting aspects of their field.
On the journalism note this seems relevant,
“The latest gaff in online journalism comes courtesy of prominent tech blog, emphasizing once again an important point: When bloggers are under pressure to be first and fast, the journalistic process is undermined and due diligence is neglected.”
“New Media’s final hurdle for true credibility can be summed up in one word: veracity.In two words: journalistic standards.” Read the full article here
No commentsFlexibility and agility with language - Why an Urban Dictionary makes sense
We watch the world change daily, new technologies are created then shortly after evolve again, new jobs are created that didn’t exist when our parents (or when we) were children and new concepts come into existence that we may have once thought of as impossible.
Nothing remains the same no matter which way you look at it. So why should our language? We must create new words and phrases to communicate these new concepts and technologies to the world. Thousands of books today in the management literature category espouse how critical agility and flexibility (for individuals and organisations) are to survive in today’s global marketplace.
We need to be just as flexible and agile with our language, which in essence creates our world. This summarises exactly why the urban dictionary (www.urbandictionary.com) is such a progressive forward-thinking tool helping to continuously create our future.
No commentsTalk vs Action with digital developments in media
I came across a really great post from Mark Glaser of Media Shift where he contrasts instances of talking vs action (and success) with creating and implementing digital developments in Newsrooms.
Check out two of my favourite “actions”
popurls - blue edition
beatblogging.org
And read the full MediaShift post here
No commentsOld Media vs New Media - Shift explained
This slideshow discusses:
- How old media has changed to survive
- How societal communication changes as media changes
- What new media must learn from old to continue to evolve
Online Media (Thrive) vs Print Media (Barely alive) - Fact or Fiction?
There is always a constant stream of readings/blog posts/research I come across debating the assertion that print media is on its way to a certain death. You can find a convincing argument from each side of the online vs print media argument, although it is always good to look at the interests of the publisher behind the content before taking it as fact.
In my opinion, there will always be a place for both, it is the weightings and dominance in the market of each that is the grey area. There will be an inevitable shift to digital as a preference as todays Gen Y & Z (and those to follow) age and become the baby boomers of today and target customer$. This digital preference is for real-time immediacy of information that is now expected and the norm, but these demographics have grown up much more environmentally aware also. In saying this though, there will always be those with a need or passion for some things printed regardless of age. For many nothing beats the experience of a great book or a fresh copy of your favourite magazine. The podcast below captures some of these ideas.
First see here for some extracts from a debate between a online editor (Buzzmachine.com) and print editor (National Geographic):
- Online
- “That’s the problem with print: It is far too one-way for this two-way world.”
- “Print is not dead. Print is where words go to die.”
- “In our post-scarcity world, distribution is not king and neither is content. Conversation is the kingdom, and trust is king. Perhaps your value is not just editors or articles but the community that gathers around them.”
- Print
- “There is tremendous value in passionate, knowledgeable, talented editors who can assign stories and photographs with budgets to do them better and more authoritatively than any individual can.”
- “Print is the perfect introduction to an informed debate and to the deep resources of the web.”
- “The web is the friend of print, not its killer.”
- In Agreement
The winning media companies will be the most adaptable, not the biggest or the one with the most content. The winners will be aggregating audiences in interesting ways. Bottoms up, not Top down.”Here is a great podcast from Knowledge@ Wharton (Mar 19, 2008): ‘Dead tree Medium’ no longer: For many marketers print outperforms digital. “People like paper, and paper works”.
Listen to podcast here
As always, if you want a concrete answer (for now anyway) pays to look for some cold, hard objective metrics. See Techbrief link, “Print Media vs Online Media. Who will win?”
Scott Karp from Publish2 Blog is a thought leader within this realm. Essential read is this post here “The New Media consolidation”
1 commentHow to: Make it easy for search engines to find (and read) your press release
- Do your homework on keywords
-Research your what your business/ products keywords are. understand why these are important and why this is a worthwhile time investment. This is a communications job, not IT realm exclusively.
-Keywords these should be nouns or adjectives. Not verbs.
-Craft “keyword phrases” rather than using a single keyword. This will increase search engine findability.
- Use keywords liberally
Always be sure to include your keywords in the title of your release as well as in the lead paragraph.
- Write for both new and traditional media
Online releases need to be written for both bloggers/new media channels as well as traditional media. The new media channels keep evolving so don’t get too set in your process as if it doesn’t constantly change you aren’t doing it right.
-Point links listed in the release to relevant pages, not homepage. Think social media release!!!
- Use search engine friendly wire services
Not all news wire services are search engine friendly. Recommended from Social Media today…. PrimeNewsWire, Marketwire, PRWeb, BusinessWire.
- Watch your metrics!
Count your clips and start counting the blog results from your release. Analytics!
State of the News Media 2008 Report Released - Problems different than expected
“It appears the fundamental issue for the future of journalism is not audiences splintering away to citizen media, corporate PR and other non-news venues. In many ways the audience for news—and for what traditional newsrooms produce—appears to be growing. Nor are journalists failing to adapt. There are more signs in 2008 than ever that news people embrace the new technology and want to innovate.
“The problem, it is increasingly clear, is a broken economic model—the decoupling of advertising and news. Advertisers are not migrating to news websites with audiences, and online, news sites are already falling financially behind other kinds of web destinations.”
Will cover more of the findings and insights later, in the meanwhile:
No commentsNews re-invented - Now an experience you control
A few weeks ago I wrote a post linking to Scott Karp’s Publishing 2.0 Blog where he talked about Reinventing journalism - links as news, links as reporting
I just came across this article “Opening Bell: The economy’s toxic blend” in the Columbia Journalism review today, which is a stunning example of this in action. While not a warm, fuzzy topic, it is an example of bringing depth and breadth to a story and creating a controlled experience for the reader, with exit points to further educate yourself right along the way. This article can take 5 mins or 50 mins to read, you can learn 5 things or 50, its up to you - this is journalism reinvented.
No comments