Marketing Pilgrim

Google’s SPYW (Search Plus Your World) certainly has elicited some strong reactions. We have heard many of them, read the long -winded diatribes and had every “expert” weigh in on the situation. That’s all necessary (I suppose) but when the rubber meets the road, just what level of impact this change in Google’s search methodology is will be determined by the Internet commonmer, not the Silicon Valley insider.

That’s why some research from AYTM Market Research that was passed through by eMarketer is interesting but I have some questions myself. First, look at this chart which measures people’s concerns about privacy and search.

Right now, some of the top internet entrepreneurs are in New York City discussing social commerce, Facebook, the daily deal space and all things social media.

It’s all happening at the Social Commerce Summit and since we can’t all be there, Business Insider is boiling down the important points in a series of articles on their website. It’s still a lot to take in, so I’m narrowing it down even more.

Here’s my pick for the top 5 pieces of marketing advice culled from lists put together by Business Insider.

5. Like it or not — Google+

Jason John, Gilt Groupe marketing exec says:

Search is extremely important to us. Google will have its way and we will have to focus on Google+. We launched our presence on Google+ yesterday.

We have a Blockbuster store in our town that is still open for business but you wouldn’t know it when you drive by. But if you go down a block to the grocery store any evening, you’ll have to navigate your way around the line of people waiting to hit the Redbox DVD machine.

Now that Redbox has the hard-copy, DVD rental biz sewn up, it’s time to move on to the streaming biz. That means competing with Netflix. Even with all their recent troubles, the online DVD rental company has carved out a deep niche for themselves.

Redbox isn’t worried. They have a plan and a partner – Verizon.

Maybe 2012 will be the Year of Online Security? There seems to be some talk about it these days and that is a good thing. We like to get excited talking about all the latest ways to communicate and the gadgets that enable that communication. We are all about getting the message across and finding out who did what and why online.

As marketers that is perfectly acceptable and good. It’s our job. An increasing part of that job, however, is the responsibility of ensuring the relative safety of our businesses in the online space. That seems to be more precarious than ever especially with the extensive movement into the mobile space.

One of the attractive feature of Apple products in general is the relative insignificance of viruses, malware and overall mischievous behavior by those who like to mess things up for folks in the Internet age. Most of the wrath and venom of hackers and others has been pointed at Microsoft based products because Microsoft is cast as the villain of the tech world, whether it is deserved or not.

Marketers need to pay attention to systems that they tie their success to as well. Stability and safety are two things that corporations like. Apple’s iOS usually provides that. A story from the Apple Insider, however, made me wonder if Apple will continue to be more of a tech safe house if more headlines like this occur.

While Tumblr, Pinterest and Facebook generate buzz, LiveJournal has been quietly steaming along for 13 years. The service is the ultimate combination of blog and social media, connecting folks with like interests with easy friending tools and communities.

And though it may seem like blogging is on the way out, LiveJournal is looking to pump up the volume with the concept of super communities.

LiveJournal General Manager Anjelika Petrochenko talked with me about the future of the service and how it could become the next big thing for any one marketing content.

CB: Can you talk a little about blogging’s place in social media. It seemed like it was headed out but now is experiencing a resurgence.

Facebook has a dirty little secret. They don’t know how to make money with their mobile app.

That may sound like no big deal, or even a little humorous, but its actually pretty scary. Facebook has one of the biggest user pools around and if they can’t find a way to make their smartphone users convert, then what hope is there for the rest of us?

The trouble stems from the fact that Facebook’s mobile app is a highly stripped down version of the real site. It’s about giving users a quick overview of what’s happening and a way to post an update while on the go. It’s not designed to handle the interconnected series of links, likes and lookarounds that keep people on the web version for 18 to 38 minutes per visit.