Scobleizer: Where Google and Facebook are fighting the next monetization battle
PXLated
· 1 year ago
Gary's in retail and an area where there is a million choices. Most product categories don't have that many. Most just a few. Then there is the difference between manufacturers/retailers and B2B is a whole different ballgame. In most cases, most people can rely on close friends (face-to-face) with some online info and maybe a Identica Dent or Tweet. There's always a success like Gary, how that translates into much else is not so clear or necessarily even possible. Personally I think Facebook and it's kind will have a hard time with it.
Amit
· 1 year ago
Don't forget about Corkd (http://corkd.com/) a social network built around wine that Gary recently bought. I think that's getting underplayed, but definitely helps in the buying phase.
Mary Baum
· 1 year ago
I'm about to email your post to my client in the 401 (k) business -- I see this as highly relevant, especially to the new generation of workers. One thing that hasn't totally hit us yet is that one of our new target audiences is those Gen-Y-ers that BNET and everyone are telling us it's so hard to manage. Well, if we're going to get them to contribute to their 401(k)s, this Facebook strategy is probably how it's gonna happen.
As for all the other products in the universe: Near as I can figure, kids who grow up on Facebook are staying on it past college and into young adulthood -- that's how they relate. As they grow up and have kids of their own, those kids may migrate to a different network, or they may regard their admission onto Facebook as a ninth-grader as a rite of passage.
It's only this generation of parents of the classes of, say, '09 and older, whose FB lives are at all circumscribed. And we're not going to dominate the marketplace in years to come.
But whether Facebook or another, newer network for the children of the current FB generation, I do believe the social-media, peer-reviewed shopping paradigm is here to stay.
Joe Franscella
· 1 year ago
@Mary - You are going to get Gen X to contribute to 401k's via influence through Facebook and Web TV shows?
Robin Dickinson
· 1 year ago
Thanks Robert. So now that the reach has expanded, how does Gary's strategy relate to increased revenue? Book sales? Greater share of catchment in his local geography? Longer-term brand/credibility building? Building a platform of 'traffic' for on-line advertising?
Robert Scoble
· 1 year ago
Robin: I'll ask Gary if he can share his sales figures and the effect his site has had (he's been on a ton of national TV lately like Jim Cramer's Mad Money). He told me several people have driven thousands of miles to get to his store and take pictures inside of it because of his show (60,000 watch each episode).
Robin Dickinson
· 1 year ago
Excellent, Robert. Thanks. My brothers both run sites from Australia (martial arts and motion graphics...go figure!!) and are intrigued with Gary's model. It's always useful to check out the metrics and business case.
Drew Olanoff
· 1 year ago
Recommendation is indeed a powerful thing and that's why I chose to join Strands.
Michal Geva
· 1 year ago
Robert Hi,
When trying to analyze how companies can benefit form Facebook Connect, I would differentiate between different sorts of companies: 1. Companies that sale products online 2. Companies that sale single/multiple brands only off-line 3. Companies that sale specific service off-line
What are the opportunities and risks in case?
HappyParts
· 1 year ago
I like reading your stuff. Thanks- I think also building trust outside of big companies to make purchases is key. Itunes, Wallmart- people trust and buy- but the little sites- it's not so easy- Something to ensure purchasing trust with CC cards will define who can step up with discrectionary income- did I spell that right-
it's a big deal. Trusting, signing up and taking part in social sites outside of the big 5-
shammara
· 1 year ago
Recommending products, brands, services, etc. are things we talk about in everyday conversation. when we find a product or brand we love, we shout it to our friends, write on their walls, send them messages and emails, and so on. There just hasn't been a structured way though, to see what your friends are buying and recommending. It'll be really useful when we'll be able to see what our friends are buying and recommending, without having to directly ask them every time.
Cliff Davies
· 1 year ago
The problem here is that social communities are going to have trouble dispersing recommendations, where Gary, as a singular expert on wine, does not.
How do you get people to recommend what they're buying? There are two models: either they respond to a request, or they publish their buying preferences for their friend network to peruse. The former option is no better than asking friends directly -- we don't need social networks for this. The latter option is more interesting, but again, how do you get people to do it? Why would anyone want to publish their purchases to a social network? And if you make this opt-out you'll have a massive privacy flare-up (as happened with Beacon).
Chris Lang
· 1 year ago
What is way more interesting than FriendConnect is what Google has done with Google Reader and you predicted it in 2006, Robert.
You can now add friends to your friends list, share feed items, bookmark single blog posts from blogs that you read on the web and here's the kicker, there is now a blog recommendation engine that recommends blogs you do not read by what your friends list is subscribed to in their Google Readers.
Then, everything you share and bookmark in Google Reader of course comes up on your Google shared items page linked to by your Google profile.
What really blew me away was the recommendation engine. If you add as many of your email list subscribers as you can to your Google Reader you can get a real good idea of what other blogs your subscribers are reading.
The links in your shared items are all HTML and fully followed so every time one of your RSS subscribers shares a blog post it is creating incoming links to your site.
Better yet, it uses the exact blog post title you wrote so now your links use your keyword phrases and bookmarkers can't change your title tag.
After talking to my SEO top dog contacts, they were all floored and assured me this is the new SEO tactic that no one knows about.
It is kind of hard to add friends, the easiest way is to send a chat invite from Gmail and then email your contact you want to friend and have them email you back. It seems Google wants a two way conversation before they will allow you to become mutual friends.
If you would like to friend me, add chrislang at gmail.com to your Google Gmail chat and send me an email letting me know so I can return an email to you, thereby creating a two way connection in Google.
Google is quietly rolling this out behind the scenes but it is a full blown social bookmarking application and the blog recommendation engine is the new blog marketing strategy.
One thing I have not quite figured out is if using FeedBurner now hurts you since the links point at the FeedBurner redirect rather than your site like a WordPress feed does.
JimAtJaxtr
· 1 year ago
I like how you phrased the social media thing for business: "Adding social networking features to your corporate sites helps your users through the research phase of the buying process." Companies get so caught up in the near-term transaction today mentality that they can miss the longterm concerns of building up interest and facilitating research for consumers that can drive future transactions. Hopefully as businesses continue to investigate online social networking, they'll do it in a transparent and authentic way.
Angeline Batimala
· 1 year ago
I am just stepping into the social networking features and google is surely impressive and easy to follow ....I hope to catch -up soon , as a marketing PRO/ I surely wish to learn alot from their new blog on marketing strategy.
VoteMeCool
· 1 year ago
Hi Robert,
Found your site while surfing, I immediately fell for it and subscribed.
Your content reminds me of the stuff published on TechCrunch (another fave or mine).
As it relates to the Marketing Battle between Facebook and Google, I'd have to say that Google just might win. (again)
Why?
Even though I'm a Facebook junkie, due to the company suddenly trying to impose a bunch of restrictions, some dissatisfied users will most likely find GoogleFriend Connect a decent alternative and defect.
In addition Google's liberal, sort of anything goes attitude (within reason) continues to attract more people wanting to establish sites/blogs, which of course equals more visitors and more revenue for Advertisers.
Let's face it since Google has the Internet Marketing gig on lockdown, it will difficult for ANYONE to pull a coup d’état on them in that arena.
This is somewhat veering off the subject but what you do think about utilizing NING for the purpose of adding Social Networking features and the Demise of Celebrity Gossip sites?
Since I'm definitely not a "Techie", a million thanks to people like yourself and Michael Arrington for creating the Educational Web 2.0 niche.
Wish I'd known some of this stuff before I started however its never too late to learn right?
Peace
P.S.
My brother who's a Senior in College (Bus. Mkting Major), subscribes to Fast Company. Great biz resource!
Jay Clark
· 11 months ago
Very interesting points and I completely agree with you. People in general buy because they want something. The key is working them through the reasons and convincing them why they want and need your product or service.
This is especially tough if you are in an industry that people don't always think they need. Like SEO or Search Marketing. What I have been finding, is people need to be educated first on why the need my services. I can't sell them something they don't know they need!
All Comments
There's always a success like Gary, how that translates into much else is not so clear or necessarily even possible.
Personally I think Facebook and it's kind will have a hard time with it.
As for all the other products in the universe: Near as I can figure, kids who grow up on Facebook are staying on it past college and into young adulthood -- that's how they relate. As they grow up and have kids of their own, those kids may migrate to a different network, or they may regard their admission onto Facebook as a ninth-grader as a rite of passage.
It's only this generation of parents of the classes of, say, '09 and older, whose FB lives are at all circumscribed. And we're not going to dominate the marketplace in years to come.
But whether Facebook or another, newer network for the children of the current FB generation, I do believe the social-media, peer-reviewed shopping paradigm is here to stay.
When trying to analyze how companies can benefit form Facebook Connect, I would differentiate between different sorts of companies:
1. Companies that sale products online
2. Companies that sale single/multiple brands only off-line
3. Companies that sale specific service off-line
What are the opportunities and risks in case?
I think also building trust outside of big companies to make purchases is key.
Itunes, Wallmart- people trust and buy- but the little sites- it's not so easy-
Something to ensure purchasing trust with CC cards will define who can step up with discrectionary income- did I spell that right-
it's a big deal. Trusting, signing up and taking part in social sites outside of the big 5-
How do you get people to recommend what they're buying? There are two models: either they respond to a request, or they publish their buying preferences for their friend network to peruse. The former option is no better than asking friends directly -- we don't need social networks for this. The latter option is more interesting, but again, how do you get people to do it? Why would anyone want to publish their purchases to a social network? And if you make this opt-out you'll have a massive privacy flare-up (as happened with Beacon).
You can now add friends to your friends list, share feed items, bookmark single blog posts from blogs that you read on the web and here's the kicker, there is now a blog recommendation engine that recommends blogs you do not read by what your friends list is subscribed to in their Google Readers.
Then, everything you share and bookmark in Google Reader of course comes up on your Google shared items page linked to by your Google profile.
What really blew me away was the recommendation engine. If you add as many of your email list subscribers as you can to your Google Reader you can get a real good idea of what other blogs your subscribers are reading.
The links in your shared items are all HTML and fully followed so every time one of your RSS subscribers shares a blog post it is creating incoming links to your site.
Better yet, it uses the exact blog post title you wrote so now your links use your keyword phrases and bookmarkers can't change your title tag.
After talking to my SEO top dog contacts, they were all floored and assured me this is the new SEO tactic that no one knows about.
http://www.keywebdata.com/?p=136
It is kind of hard to add friends, the easiest way is to send a chat invite from Gmail and then email your contact you want to friend and have them email you back. It seems Google wants a two way conversation before they will allow you to become mutual friends.
If you would like to friend me, add chrislang at gmail.com to your Google Gmail chat and send me an email letting me know so I can return an email to you, thereby creating a two way connection in Google.
Google is quietly rolling this out behind the scenes but it is a full blown social bookmarking application and the blog recommendation engine is the new blog marketing strategy.
One thing I have not quite figured out is if using FeedBurner now hurts you since the links point at the FeedBurner redirect rather than your site like a WordPress feed does.
google is surely impressive and easy to follow ....I hope to
catch -up soon , as a marketing PRO/ I surely wish to
learn alot from their new blog on marketing strategy.
Found your site while surfing, I immediately fell for it and subscribed.
Your content reminds me of the stuff published on TechCrunch (another fave or mine).
As it relates to the Marketing Battle between Facebook and Google, I'd have to say that Google just might win. (again)
Why?
Even though I'm a Facebook junkie, due to the company suddenly trying to impose a bunch of restrictions, some dissatisfied users will most likely find GoogleFriend Connect a decent alternative and defect.
In addition Google's liberal, sort of anything goes attitude (within reason) continues to attract more people wanting to establish sites/blogs, which of course equals more visitors and more revenue for Advertisers.
Let's face it since Google has the Internet Marketing gig on lockdown, it will difficult for ANYONE to pull a coup d’état on them in that arena.
This is somewhat veering off the subject but what you do think about utilizing NING for the purpose of adding Social Networking features and the Demise of Celebrity Gossip sites?
Since I'm definitely not a "Techie", a million thanks to people like yourself and Michael Arrington for creating the Educational Web 2.0 niche.
Wish I'd known some of this stuff before I started however its never too late to learn right?
Peace
P.S.
My brother who's a Senior in College (Bus. Mkting Major), subscribes to Fast Company. Great biz resource!
This is especially tough if you are in an industry that people don't always think they need. Like SEO or Search Marketing. What I have been finding, is people need to be educated first on why the need my services. I can't sell them something they don't know they need!