Twitter has all the complexity of walking into a room full of people at a party.  You start by listening, and then introduce yourself and get involved.  Microblogs boil social networking down to its most essential elements: a post, a comment, and an indication of relationships. -Dave Evans

There is much to be said about the use of various microblogging sites such as Twitter, Seesmic, Jaiku as well as the various status update features on Facebook and Myspace.  All of them allow you to post quick, short bursts of text to the entire world (or just your friends and family).  At its core, it is a great way to get information across quickly and efficiently.  And in the business world, microblogging can be extremely effective for marketing purposes because it allows you to interact with your consumers.

A Note About Podcasting

According to Wikipedia, a podcast is a “series of digital computer files that are released periodically and made available for download by means of web syndication”.  In plain English, it’s an audio file that you can download on iTunes daily, weekly or monthly by subscribing to it.  It’s an extension of blogging.  Regarding podcasting, Evans is quick to point out that the real importance of podcasting isn’t the clip itself but rather how it is delivered.  As he stated:

It’s about giving your audience the absolute choice of where, when and how to consume your content.

When done correctly, podcasting is highly effective.  Check out the following statistics that Evans notes:

• Advertising in podcasts and online shows has a three-fold ad effectiveness increase over traditional online video and a seven-fold effectiveness increase over television.
• Embedded ad placements are more effective than pre-roll across a range of audio and video formats.
• Advertising in podcasts and online shows is effective in moving users from awareness to consideration to purchases.  There is a 73 percent average increase in likelihood to use/buy versus a control group.
• Podcast advertising leads to a more favorable opinion of an advertiser after hearing or seeing an ad.  Sixty-nine percent of those podcast listeners surveyed had a more favorable view of the advertisers following ad exposure. [Source: Podtrac-TNS Advertising Effectiveness Studies, 2006-2008]

The Main Points According to Dave Evans:

• Blogs are an effective, easy way to build a credible social presence: Be prepared to deal with direct, public customer feedback.
• Microblogs are casual forums that can be used to quickly create a following.
• Audio and video content can be used to extend text-based information.  When created by your customers, video can convey to them a real sense of participation in the brand.
• Podcasting gives those interested in what you have to say the ability to choose where, when, and on what device they will listen.
• Social media is one of the many tools that you have available when developing and extending your business prescence.  Like your entire toolbox, the more that your social components interlock with each other and with your traditional efforts, the better.

When advertisers run an ad campaign on television, they may get 30 seconds or so to get a viewer’s attention. It’s a form of one-way interaction (since a person cannot interact with a television) and it’s an interruption that most people choose to ignore.  When  you turn it around and start comparing advertising on the Web, it’s slightly different.

A Few Notes About Interruptive Advertising:

When you’re watching television, you are typically watching it to relax and be entertained.  When you are using the computer, you are typically using it to relax, be entertained, communicate with others and quite possibly gain knowledge.  Therefore, when you throw advertising in in the form of commercials, pop-up ads, or banners, it’s an interruption- an annoyance.  However, most people accept television commercials the same way that Internet users accept banner ads and pop ups: they are a tradeoff and something that can be ignored.

Evans cites Myspace as an example stating that most people know and understand that the reason Myspace is a free service is due to the presence of advertising….EVERYWHERE.  The reason that the majority of social networks online (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) are free is due to the presence of ads, so I guess the ad people must be doing pretty well.  However, if you’re anything like me, you never click on the PPC ads on the sidebar which begs the question that Evans brings up:  If you knew that no one was watching, would you still pay for the ad?

On the Internet, the only real way that your advertising message receives any attention is if people are interested to begin with.  If you depend on iterruptive advertising to earn revenue, then you might as well pack up your bags now.  This is why so many ad campaigns have turned towards social networks and microblogging services such as Twitter.  The thinking is that if you generate enough of a buzz about your product/service to a targeted audience, then eventually you will succeed in having people purchase that product/service.

Participation is Everything

On the Internet, the social media element demands your full attention and presence.  According to Evans:

On the Social Web, if your profile isn’t up-to-date, if you’re not commenting, if you’re not making connections, you don’t exist.

The Main Points According to Dave Evans

• Social networks lend themselves to direct participation.
• Participation and transparency are central to success on the Social Web.
• You can tap existing social marketing applications that operate within leading networks.
• You can use white-label platforms to implement your own community and support services.