Self-expression vs Professional marketing communications: There's room for both

I like it when I find a commentary that takes on something that I've been thinking about. Such a piece is Dorian Sweet's column, "Amateurism: The New Gold Standard" on ClickZ.com.

With the much-hyped (including by me) rampant exposure of new media platforms like YouTube and MySpace, professional marketers may be somewhat baffled. Sweet calls the content produced by these folks (normally labeled user-generated content) "digital amateurism" and he's right. It's not advertising or marketing. "It's self-expression." Two completely different things.

But, I was surprised that he didn't mention the LonelyGirl15 professional attempt to capitalize on the social video networks. Just the same, I have my own bottom line. Not only are professional marketing communications still completely viable, especially when they include an authentic sensativity to the medium as well as the intended audience; but (all back-handed references to Marshall McLuhan aside), the message is still the message. When you have something to say and when you say it well, you can still cut through the clutter. And if you really do your job well, you can even ride new waves of viral success.

The Birth of the "Social Video Network" (video blogging & social networking remixed)

You take a little MySpace, you add some YouTube, and mash 'em up. That's the latest in easy to use video blogging... er well, I mean video sharing/syndication... well, actually, I mean video "channels" based on MySpace social networking and YouTube video sharing type o' technologies.

The business model et al was written up on AlwaysOn or go straight to Dave.tv (the "social broadcast network") or vsocial.

Google Still Steppin' on the Gas & Growing Fast

In case you missed the business news, Google's latest earnings report kept the search engine giant's growth curve (and stock price) rocketing upward with momentum. While other tech companies (with the exception of Apple) are challenged to keep the mo., Google is now fully 50% of the search market and climbing. They've got by far the hottest pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform and much more. I see it daily in the search engine traffic that comes to my sites and my client's sites. Google delivers the lion's share.

And, at this point, since ComBridges works mostly with smaller companies, Google AdWords is big enough to deliver all the clicks that my clients are willing to pay for; and they are satisfied because the quality of those leads is there. As someone once said, "You've got to love it when it works."

More info on Google's growth is available all over the net, including from TechNewsWorld, Marketwatch, and TechCrunch.

MySpace Makes Its Video Play

The Google/YouTube deal has got MySpace moving video pictures... to their home page. And guess what? Videos are even easier to post, if you have a MySpace page. TechCruch has the skinny (a useful persepective)

Friendster, The Failure of the Decade

Can you imagine being first to market with a site that pioneered the massive social networking revolution? Yes, you would have been the first to put together a website that laid the foundation for what is now a billion pageviews per day phenomenon... that would be MySpace.

Friendster was first, but it went nowhere. A failure of the highest order. They missed the social networking party boat (and pay out) in part because they didn't keep their eye on the ball of operations and speedy page delivery, in part because they got seduced into thinking they could become billionaires like other silicon valley folk, in part because they were arrogant and turned down an offer from Google early on that might have made them billionaires today. It's an important internet business story and the NYTimes' Gary Rivlin has told it well. (Don't miss the "With Friends Like These" chart that shows the relative size and growth of the leading social networking sites over the last year.) Good stuff.

Next Generation: Online Digital Video Editing Software

As readers of this blog (or my old Videography columns) know, I like the ASP (application service provider) model of "software as service" using web-based applications to replace those that once lived exclusively on your computer's desktop. Video editing software has been one of the most difficult to deliver via an online application. But in today's world of ubiquitous high speed connections, not to mention the massive demand for online video deliver, much more viable solutions, like StashSpace.com are emerging. Very impressive! Read TechCrunch's review with links to other online digital video editing software application sites.