social glue

What makes you "click"?

2014-03-11T11:12:00.000-04:00

I've given the old question "what makes you tick?" a makeover. I think we need to ponder instead, the question "what makes you click?". In today's world of 140 characters or less, creating an effective message that will create response (whether it's someone sharing your link, discussing it, or clicking it) is crucial for your social media communication. Here are just a few suggestions to help make those updates "sexier"

Create catchy headlines - What would make you click a link more: "Call us for an appointment today. We can take care of all your needs....or...."This roach infestation video is GROSS! Take a look and then call us...we can help"? Bring it to life!
Benchmark! Create some weekly/daily features that happen at the same time every time. This way you can promote it, post it, and then backsell it (ie: "if you missed our interview with The Gummy Bear, here it is again!") and give the link again. This is a great way to measure what tactics are generating traffic and which ones aren't.
Create interactivity. Anytime you can create enough interest to generate a click, you've done good. But, don't stop there. Keep your followers engaged with target appropriate videos, audio, pictures, polls etc.

All of that being said, I have decided to create a new feature on the Social Glue blog called "5 in 1", where I will interview a social media expert (via audio or video) and they will answer 5 social media questions in 1 minute. We already have commitments from some well respected social media players. If you have suggestions for interviews, please shoot me an email.

Thanks for reading my blog! Feel free to join my networks. Twitter and Facebook

Infographics...yes please!

2014-03-03T09:57:00.000-05:00

A few questions to ask yourself

2014-03-01T16:58:00.000-05:00

So, you've heard about social media, done your research and now you are ready to get going. Not so fast there, bucko. Anyone can set up numerous social media platforms...its what you are doing with them that makes them effective (or not). You need a strategy.

That's where Social Glue comes in.

Social media involvement can help you keep customers, find and develop new ones, and manage your business reputation among other benefits. Putting together a winning social media marketing strategy is one of the least expensive but most effective ways to attract business and increase profits.
A plan of action (how) to reach your goal is your strategy. You strategize to win. Without a strategy you get into the arena awaiting life or death, without a clue on what you may expect. With a strategy you work your way to your desired goal.

There are some parameters you need to identify in order to form a good strategy. Answer the following questions that deal with each dimension that you need to consider.

Why do you want to enter this arena (social media)? Three possible reasons can be: a) build awareness b) increase sales c) brand advocacy. Focus on one such aspect. At this point, you need to keep in mind that without awareness you will not attain sales and brand advocates are loyal existing repeat buyers.

Where do you stand with your potential audience today? a) Nowhere b) aware c) one-time customers d) repeat customers e) advocates or fans. Focus on two adjacent criteria to begin with. Build your strategy around these two - how will you move from A to B or B to C?

How will your target audience use social media on the Internet, what are their media interests? This will depend on their age group, interests, and other social behavior patterns. Young people love contests, freebies, and giveaways. Plan how you can work these interests into your reward programs.

What is your USP (unique selling proposition)? This does not mean product features. This means 'the one thing that makes your company unique'. Define it and coin a word that speaks volumes, and draws attention. This may be your first step towards creating your brand. Once you settle this, get a trademark or copyright your brand identity. The author of this article once used the USP shown here for one of his sites: "Turn your web site into an online TV." The idea was to differentiate his business from other web design firms by focusing on the use of video online. What is your firm's USP?

How will you nurture your social media participation real-time? Social media networking is all about developing people relationships with the goal of garnering brand advocates ultimately to increase revenue. Your persona plays a vital role here. Give them a human face to interact with.

What will be your tracking tool(s)? Keeping track of all online conversations about you or your brand is vital. Invest into one of the several tracking tools available online. Tracking web traffic, conversions, and repeat buyers are all part of this. Set up your key metrics to measure your success also. Most these tools are available free of charge. Benefits you can Look Forward to

The benefits of social media marketing are many and multi-directional. You can reap several benefits at once if you make a sincere effort to participate and become part of the online community. In fact, newbie small businesses thrive on these popular social networking sites. Keeping your strategies in place you can progress towards enjoying the following benefits.
Reduce Costs, Increase Revenue

In financial terms that business heads like to hear, there are two main benefits that a social media involvement can have on your business. Social media marketing can spur growth by creating a large sales funnel in terms of leads, conversion rates, customer accounts, sales per customer and revenues while reducing your overheads in terms of marketing, advertising, customer churn, and so on.

Develop a Consumer Dialog

SMM will attract, help you understand, and respond to your target audience or prospective customers. This kind public expression is widely seen in blogs, social networks, wiki articles, and other web 2.0-based media. It is important to encourage a dialog where you actively listen to what your consumers are saying while interacting with them on your latest offers or products.

Friends who become Fans

Social networking sites like Facebook are an example of how you can leverage your huge list of online friends who will agree to be your advocates or fans promoting your business to their friends and acquaintances. People prefer to buy from a company that others recommend rather than from a faceless entity.

SEO Benefits

More the number of back-links and links to your website on the web, higher will be your search engine ranking. Therefore, having a presence on most social networking sites, like LinkedIn, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Twitter, and so on can gain you SEO benefits. However, it is important to develop an online following via community involvement.

The business world has only begun to scratch the surface of the power of the Internet and social media in marketing. The stage has been set and now is the time to plan and enter the arena of SMM. With your unique strategy you will be way ahead of your competitors and others who blindly enter because it is on the news and everywhere on the Internet, where the talk is on.

Contact us and we will implement winning strategies for your new marketing tool!

Ref.: Koz Khosravani

What's your Freeway in Social Media?

2014-02-22T15:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I had the great opportunity to catch a webinar with two of my favorite social media experts, Jay Baer and Chris Baggot. I try to catch a good webinar at least once a week just as a great refresher, and even a great learning tool from some of the best.

Yesterday's webinar was titled "Should Blogging be the Hub of your Social Media Strategy". I love a good analogy and Jay and Chris Baggot had one that resonated with me. The comparison was in essence treating your social media strategy like a wheel. Choosing which platform is going to be the hub or the wheel, and the other platforms acting as spokes to your networking.

Problogger has this diagram that pretty much puts a visual to this concept:

I like to look at is as driving on a major freeway. You have your main artery that serves as a center point for all of your other destinations. Let's take the 101 (also known as Ventura Highway)

(for your listening enjoyment click play for appropriate background music background)

The freeway is where you decide where you are going, what you're going to do when you get there, etc. Downtown...East LA...wherever you are going, The 101 is your center point. Just as in traveling traveling the Ventura Highway, you have to choose what avenues are going to best suit your needs in social media, and more importantly what your "101" will be in your strategy.

So, for Social Glue, our "101" is our blog. Its the main artery to the other ventricles and and capillaries in our social media marketing. Thank you for taking time to read!

I would love to hear from you! email me, follow Social Glue on Twitter and Facebook!

The 84%...Are you one of "us"?

2014-02-16T09:35:00.000-05:00

I read a Time Magazine article the other day that has resonated and made me stop and think about what a strong fact this is:

84% of people WORLDWIDE say they can't go one day with out their mobile devices. 84%!

Do you fall into this category? Are you one of us? If statistics are right, then the answer is probably "yes".

Whether it's texting, gaming, FaceTime-ing, listening to music, Facebooking, Tweeting, etc...our mobile device dejour is leading us into the future.

Whether you use social media for personal use or professional, this is great information to stuff in your information hat. Knowing that your users and influencers are only a thumb-smush away from accessing you can be really awesome, or really scary.

Make sure your platforms are up to snuff!

A couple of other notable mentions in the article:

75 percent of 25-to-29-year-olds said they took their phones to bed.
One in four people check their phones every thirty minutes, while one in five check every ten
Nearly a quarter of those surveyed in the U.S. admitted sending “sexts”.

How To Schedule Posts In Facebook

2014-02-06T10:39:00.000-05:00

Here's a great way to schedule your posts in Facebook, directly from your status window. I hope this comes in handy!

Facebook Tip - Keeping Unwanted Posts Out Of Your Newsfeed

2014-01-30T10:24:00.000-05:00

VIDEO: How to keep questionable content out of your Facebook Newsfeed without deleting/blocking friends and pages.

The question!

2014-01-23T15:30:00.000-05:00

So, when I talk to folks about social media and how essential it is in today's world, the comment I most often hear is "I just don't have time to do it".

I put it like this. You HAVE to make time for social media. It's like when AM radio was on the way out and FM radio was on the way in...people fought it (and the older generations still do) hard. Or when FM radio was on the way out and digital downloads started making their way in. Sure, you can fight social media tooth and nail, but the only people you are hurting is yourself, your business, your clients, perspective client....that's all.

Granted, it does take time. And today, especially in small businesses, where you juggle so many balls as it is (believe me, I know), it seems impossible. If you look at it as building your business and relationships it makes it a bit easier to think about. Social media isnt going anywhere. As a matter of fact, it's going to become the norm for marketing. So many companies are now including social media marketing as part of their strategy for many reasons.

In today's world of "I need it now", social media just makes sense. Think about it. Traditional channels of communication take much more than a split second to get the message out. You get the message out faster and to more people by utilizing the right social media platforms and right content.

Improving your brand is another reason social media should be at the top of your list. You can gather input and feedback directly from your target audience, and use that intelligence for more effective awareness. Insight into why people like – or hate – a brand is needed to help change and control audience perceptions and preferences.

I'm done preaching. I cant stress enough, social media needs to be incorporated into your marketing strategies.

Even my three year old daughter knows the answer to the "why social media" question.

Shoot me an email. I would love to connect.

"Snow-cial" Media

2014-01-17T08:03:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing we know about social media and what works...it's that weather works! I know here in NC, we are expected to get some snow and is a great opportunity for everyone to share and bond over the white stuff that rarely makes an appearance in our "neck o' the woods".

So, knowing that we can't post about ourselves all the time, trying to figure out what others are talking about and posting a nice "relatable" can be a challenge sometimes. But, not today or tomorrow! We've got SNOW coming!

Encourage your users to upload photos and share to your wall. Then feature them on your timeline with a quick (tagged) post thanking said user for sharing. This is the best way to build on your existing relationships and build new ones.

It's not brain surgery. It's just like everyday life. Someone gives, we thank, and we share. It's what healthy relationships are made of...online and off.

This cracked me up. Somehow, I doubt we'll get enough snow to do THIS, but maybe enough for 4 or 5???

The best gift your boss could give you...

2014-01-03T14:23:00.000-05:00

If you are one of the fortunate ones who have a job and love it, congratulations! The remainder of the workforce isn't quite as lucky. I know when I worked for "The Man", sometimes the smallest of intentions from the higher ups really meant a lot. As a manager, I always tried to keep that in mind with my employees. While I may not be able to give you a monetary raise, I could certainly offer incentives that would keep you satisfied and passionate.

Hear me out. A new study was just released about employees that utilize social media at work. The findings were quite interesting. Before I get to the results let me ask you a question. If you work for someone else, are there restrictions put on the certain social networking sites? Facebook? Twitter? Ning? LinkedIn? If so, you just may have some viable ammunition to share after reading this article.

Last year, Nucleus Research warned that Facebook shaves 1.5 percent off total office productivity; a Morse survey estimated that on-the-job social networking costs British companies $2.2 billion a year.

However, for people who are in the creative field, it looks like a little dash of Facebook, a helping of Twitter, and a shake of Foursquare, could be exactly what your brain is in need of. The study actually shows that not only stepping away from your work is essential for success, but social networking is prime territory to get those creative juices flowing. Obviously, spending hours adding to your made up farms and feeding your fish are probably not what this study entails.

Our minds are like circuit boards. When so much time is being focused on one task, its only logical that a circuit is going to blow eventually. If you dont fix the circuit, than its really difficult to produce effectively.

If finding that creative trigger by a simple click into your social network platform makes you more effective, then "The Man" should lift those site bans and let productivity ring! Offer that incentive and keep the your employee's passion alive!

I would love to hear from you! email me, follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

See ALL Of Your Favorite Updates In Your Facebook Newsfeed

2013-12-28T16:02:00.000-05:00

Twitter Time

2013-12-18T10:41:00.000-05:00

I like to begin my day reading and checking out the latest news filtering in from the social media world. I saw a recent study that was done on the demographics of Twitter users. It was pretty interesting. Let me share some of these stats with you.

This is a very helpful graph (you can click on it to make it bigger). Let's dissect.

More than 30% of Twitter’s visitors were under the age of 25 up from about 20% of its visitors at the end of 2008. Twitter is different than most forms of social media, in that the younger generation didn't really grasp on to Twitter when if first came out (what the younger folks do, USUALLY indicates what is going to be successful). Still, look at who is really using Twitter. A huge segment of our society 25 years and older utilize Twitter as a form of communication. These are traditionally your money-makers and trend setters.

If your target demo is 25+, don't you think you need to speak their language? Communicating is key with whomever your demo is. Folks want to know what's going on. right now! Hence social media. Granted, Twitter is just a piece of the social media puzzle, but an important one.

Let us help immerse you in the social media world. Contact me today for a consultation. Follow Social Glue on Twitter

Are canned responses ok to DM new followers on Twitter?

2013-12-08T14:26:00.000-05:00

This topic has been making its way through the social media networks for awhile now, and it's a question that I can relate to on a personal level.

If you don't know what I am talking about, when someone follows you on Twitter, you can utilize a special feature to send a pre-written, direct thank you message, most times soliciting your site or product. Before I get to how I feel about these canned responses, I would like to share how I can equate this to my 20-year radio career.

My background is in radio/radio programming, and about 15 years ago, there came this great invention called "voice-tracking". It was a way to be on the air without being in the studio! Just record your tracks ( a typical 4 hours shift could be done in 30 minutes) and you're done. As a personality, I did not like the idea of trying to fake everyone out...it just seemed to take away from the spontaneous, purity factor. As a manager, this was an effective way to save money, and I liked it for that reason. And I utilized it. As a matter of fact, most shows on the radio are now voice-tracked. You'd be hard-pressed to get an answer on the phone at your favorite radio station between 10a-3p and 7p-5a. Try it out.

Here is a an example of a not so personable DM:

And here is an example of a better, more welcoming DM from my Twitter

I, personally, take the time to sift through my new followers on Twitter and Facebook and thank them with a personal note. I try to do it within 24 hours, because I want to connect quickly and effectively. And yes, I do promote my blog in my messages. If I don't promote me, who will?

An Awesome Facebook Tip - Secret To Editing Typos In Posts

2013-11-24T10:50:00.000-05:00

Have you ever made a post on Facebook, hit enter and realize just as you did there was that dreaded typo?

There is no way to go in and correct that typo without deleting the entire post and starting from scratch...UNLESS!!!

I am getting ready to throw down a huge Facebook tip that I hope you will be able to utilize in your daily FB contributions.

When you post an image, this is the only time you can go in and edit your text.

I have pulled an example from one of my posts so that you can see step-by-step how to edit the text. (This process works on the mobile version of FB, not the app.)

Here is a post that has a grammatical error and a spelling error:

Now, I will go in and fix it.

Simply click the picture and it will take you to a full screenshot of the post and comments.

Click the "Edit" button:

Edit your text:

Click "Done Editing".

And it's fixed.

You also have the ability to edit your comments on pages simply by clicking the edit button beside your comment.

Hope this has been helpful!

2013-11-18T10:49:00.000-05:00

Take the survey

and they'll two friends and so on...and so on...

2013-10-21T10:22:00.000-04:00

Maybe you aren't old enough to remember the Faberge Shampoo commercial. It was so catchy. I was just a kid, but I remember repeating that commercial over and over, and I even made sure our household had a bottle of this wheat-germ goodness. Pretty effective advertising.

Today, as my energies are focused on social media and what it truly is, I can't help but think of that Faberge commercial. "And they'll tell two friends and so on...and so on. Isn't that what it is? Sharing. Passing it along. And before you know it, you have yourself a fine network of followers, information sharers, and peers, etc.

Social networking is not only about receiving, but giving as well. It's great to have all of the awesome information you need, but returning the favor is how you become a source for information. Engaging in discussions and creating a dialogue is one of the main factors to having a successful identity in the social media world. Here are a three tips for you as you are sifting your way through the internet today.

Join discussion boards on LinkedIn, or your favorite platform, and participate in conversations.
Give credit when you are retweeting. No one likes an idea thief.
When some one friends/follows you, reciprocate and send them a thank you message. (the exception being spammer's, and questionable content, of course)

The most important is sharing. Pass along good information from your followers. Share good sites with your followers. Before you know it, they'll tell two friends and so on...and so on until you have a vast community of knowledge at your finger tips.

Here's the Faberge Commercial

A personal Social Media Success Story

2013-08-29T10:21:00.000-04:00

So, earlier this week I mentioned that I was going to give you a great analogy on how social media is just like nurturing your herb garden. It was chock full of great cliche's and examples...but as I was writing it, I realized it wasn't what I really wanted to talk about. So, I had a change of plans.

I decided that I would tell you a bit about how I realized the power of social media. It was a very personal experience and had a great outcome.

It was Spring of 2007. I was living in a beautiful, peaceful historic district in New Bern, NC. I purchased the home about 6 months prior. Neighbors were awesome, lawns manicured beautifully, diversity was welcome, and it was everything you would imagine a historic district to be in a great little southern town.

Directly across the street was the Maola milk plant. They had been there for 50 years manufacturing and distributing their products, adding to to the income of the town. There had always been a peaceful relationship with everyone. Until.

I came home from work one April afternoon to hear a loud noise that I assumed would soon stop. Several hours went by and neighbors started congregating outside trying to figure out what was going on at the Maola plant across the street. Hours turned to days...days to weeks...

Turns out, Maola had switched management, and decided to move the trucks that kept the product cold from a docking area that had been designated for that purpose for over 50 years. It was in an area that far enough from our homes, and we never even knew those trucks existed until they decided to move them 25 feet from our home.

After many failed attempts to meet with the managers and many days of staying at hotels because the noise level was excruciating, I decided to start blogging about it...documenting the noise levels, calling the news outlets, contacting city officials etc. Whatever I did, I blogged about it. Video, audio, pictures.

This blog became a bargaining tool for peace. That is how I knew that social media was absolutely priceless. Maola got their big lawyers on the case, and the neighbors rallied. After the blog went public, it became a hub for information, hits on the site went up every day by the hundreds. Maola executives were monitoring it. News stations were following it, newspapers referenced it. This blog hit the emotional string on everyone who readi it...whether they agreed with me or Maola. It was laced with passion. It IS what social media is supposed to do!,

Their executives told me in a meeting that they would meet with the public only if I took down the blog. I told them that the blog would come down when there was a resolution.

The town meeting happened and after some long fights, and sound experts coming from NCSU to measure the decibel levels (which were at times above 80 inside my house) the end result came. The offered to build a sound barrier so the neighbors would have their peace back.

I offer to you the said blog. I hope you can take some time to go read it, watch those videos, look at the pics... I would love to hear your thoughts.

For a brief sneak peak into the blog "Maola Mayhem...Corporate Bullies" here are two videos that kind of spell out what was going on. Truth is powerful...recording it is even more powerful.

This was the sound on a "good" day
This was the sound on a "bad" day.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to utilize the power of social media and share this experience with someone who wants to know how powerful telling two friends can be!!

I would love to hear from you.

Coming Tomorrow

2013-08-26T13:10:00.000-04:00

How these herbs equate to effective social media marketing...

Have a great day!!!

Making the most out of 30-seconds

2013-08-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

One of the things to keep in mind as you are posting your video or audio is to find those moments that trigger an emotional response. Your digital media should be no longer than two minutes (for the most part) and finding a way to captivate and engage your blog visitors is the whole goal, right?

Here is an example of of how video with no words...the right music...and natural elements can capture and make that emotional connection.

Chances are, if you feel some sort of emotion after you have hit play, mission accomplished.

The Coffee Analogy

2013-08-23T13:28:00.000-04:00

I love coffee. I drink way too much coffee. If I could legally marry coffee, I would.

Everyday (sometimes twice) I like to stop and grab a cup of coffee from one of my favorite establishments during a self imposed break. I have been going there for a really long time because it's convenient and they have what I need...in theory.

Unfortunately, what has been a reliable source for my needs is turning into a place that I am distancing myself from because of horrible service. There has been 8 times in a row that I have gone in and the coffee is cold and I have to wait for them to make coffee. As I stated in my previous paragraph, the two reasons I go there are convenience and coffee. I am getting neither.

How does this scenario relate to social media? Easy.
I love social media. I spend way too much time on social media. If I could marry social media I would.

I have several sources that I consider personal favorites and follow them daily. And I have found that if I reach out, most people will offer a hand back. If one of these sources started increasingly dropping off the radar and not delivering my needs, I would have to go somewhere else. I would keep checking in every now and then, but my attention span is short and I just don't have time to coddle a relationship, be it social networking or otherwise . Eventually, I would just find a new source.

On that note, I'm grabbing my travel mug, and instead of turning right on New Garden Rd., I will be turning left and heading to another coffee place where I hope the vanilla creamer is stocked and the coffee is hot. I may have a new source.

Thanks for reading my blog! Let's connect on Twitter and Facebook

Facebook's "Big Announcement" Coming

2013-01-14T18:08:00.000-05:00

Here we go kids. Another big announcement from Mark Zuckerberg and the gang at Facebook is coming down the pike. The big reveal is expected to happen tomorrow at 1:00pm eastern.

This is an interesting announcement, because the promo materials say that they've been "building" something, which indicates this isn't your run of the mill presser.

Rumors abound on what this could be. Could it be the Facebook Phone, which there have been rumblings about for the last year? Zuckerberg said last year that the rumors were not true. Maybe they are now?

How about video chatting capability? With google+ successful immersion of "hang-outs", this would appeal to those who want to bring life to their social media.

(I could actually see how this and the FB phone would be a great duel roll-out.)

Could there be a more aesthetically pleasing newsfeed coming our way? We need it. It just feels old...probably because the design hasn't changed in almost a decade. I don't think this will be the big announcement.

If you listen closely, you can hear the patter of thousands of geeks feet scrambling to the west coast as I type this.

I think they are doing something huge.

Would it be too much to ask to have my mobile devices work and do the same things as the desktop version?
...jus' sayin'...

Portfolio

2013-01-06T13:06:00.003-05:00

click image to see full portfolio

Who Am I?

2013-01-06T11:39:00.004-05:00

Matt Cutts with Google talks about how to get your site up to snuff

2010-07-16T09:32:00.000-04:00

Today its all about web traffic. Not just how many people can you get to visit your site, but how do you keep them coming back for more? How does someone find you? What can you do to optimize your sites and have loyal followers who share you with everyone else. Matt Cutts is a well respected Google Engineer and give 5 basic tips on SEO!

Facebook Now Drives More Traffic to Web Sites Than Google

2010-07-15T09:55:00.000-04:00

This is a great article from http://steverubel.com.

We're at the beginning of a major shift in how we find, consume and interact with information. If the 2000s was the Google decade, then the 2010s will be the Facebook decade. Already, you can see the writing on the wall - pun intended. Case in point: a search for "google decade danny sullivan" pulls up his Facebook note higher than a blog post (an item I wanted to include here for context). But that's nothing. Look at the data.

According to new stats from compete.com Facebook is becoming the web's top source of traffic (link via Jeremiah Owyang on where else, Facebook). The image above is a snapshot I pulled from compete.com. It shows where Facebook is sending traffic...

"According to Web measurement firm Compete Inc., Facebook has passed search-engine giant Google to become the top source for traffic to major portals like Yahoo and MSN, and is among the leaders for other types of sites.

This trend is shifting the way Web site operators approach online marketing, even as Google takes steps to move into the social-media world.

Some experts say social media could become the Internet's next search engine."

That last line is key. I see Facebook starting to look more like Google while Google tries and stumbles at becoming more social. Bing will start to play a central supporting role here. I see Facebook and Bing becoming an "Axis of FTW" that will disrupt Google on every front. (Microsoft is an Edelman client.)

You can already see it coming...

Titan/Facebook Chat will challenge Gmail in communications
Facebook pages will disrupt Google - especially if they were to integrate Bing Maps and location technology a la Foursquare. This can quickly position Facebook as the Web's Yellow Pages, an area that Google and Yelp currently dominate
Facebook will make search more social, allowing it to become annotated and curated. This up-ends Google's core business. It also makes the Facebook self-serve advertising model smarter and more effective as it collects more data about where it sends traffic. This threatens Adwords

Social networking is here to stay. It's where attention spirals are flowing and no one looms larger than Facebook. And while Facebook has plenty of critics and they run into the occasional privacy concerns, I believe that they will dominate the landscape the next few years. In fact, I see them becoming the number one web site in the world in under three years. It could eat the web.

Now a lot could go wrong. It is possible that Facebook will become AOL the sequel. But I don't see it. There's no alternative and the more we put into Facebook the more value we gain from it. This is a different era where vertical integration (e.g. owning and controlling the whole experience) is a major plus, especially if it's elegant and simple. There's too much information and things vying for our attention today. This turns vertical integration and simplicity into a competitive advantage.

So what does this mean? I believe business web sites will become less important over time. They will be primarily transactional and/or for utility. Brands will shift more of their dollars and resources to creating robust presence where people already are and figure out how to activate employees en masse in a way that builds relationships and drives traffic back to their sites to complete transactions. Media companies will do the same - they will be "headless."

Google and search will remain important for years to come. However, what we're seeing is the beginning of big changes where social networking and Facebook will further disrupt advertising, media, one-to-one and one-to-many communications, not to mention search.