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Podcast Episode #49 – Google Buzz, Trending Topics, Trust Deficits, The Most-Normal-People Rule
Hear ye, Hear ye! Interested citizens of The Internet, you are invited to the fourth gathering of the Marketers Roundtable.
Whereas marketers like to congregate and discuss marketing,
Therefore, let them gather at The Marketers RoundTable to discuss marketing issues for all to hear on Power to the Small Business.
Guests:
Jason Falls – Social Media Explorer
Geno Church – Brains on Fire
Mark Roberge – Hubspot
Jay Ehret – The Marketing Spot (Podcast Host)
Length: 38 minutes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Marketers’ RoundTable – A discussion of current marketing issues:
Selected quotes from the show:
ON GOOGLE BUZZ:
JASON FALLS: “In order to use this tool most effectively, we really have to parse and narrow down the number of people that we follow or the number of people we want to connect with there to a more reasonable level. “
JAY EHRET: “I just wonder is it something we really need, we’re going to use? Is it a marketing utility at all? What are we going to do with it?”
GENO CHURCH: “It appears really busy and fractured and a little bit half-baked.”
MARK ROBERGE: “Don’t be a late jumper to the game even if you don’t believe social media is for your target audience because I think the impact of something like a Google Buzz is going to be much beyond social media to SEO and other elements.”
ON TRENDING TOPICS:
JAY EHRET: “The key for small businesses Is getting in to fresh content. Because if you’re not creating fresh content, you’re not likely to be engaged in these trending topics or show up when people start searching for information on these trending topics.”
JASON FALLS: “It’s an opportunity for (local, small businesses) to tap in to, put a finger on the pulse, of what their customers are talking about at that given moment.”
MARK ROBERGE: “It’s not that hard sometimes to be a trending topic when the community is new. And that presents a whole new environment for you to go into when something comes out.”
GENO CHURCH: “I know first-hand of a corporation that online conversations about trending topics, and I’m not talking about the mass trending topics, they’re using it to help build better products.”
ON TRUST DEFICITS:
MARK ROBERGE: “It’s just a function of people’s definition of what a friend is and what a contact is and how many people they’re able to keep in touch with is much broader, and that in turn has decreased the trust.”
GENO CHURCH: “Just collecting friends, collecting numbers does not transfer to people talking about your product or services or recommending you.”
JASON FALLS: “I think that we’re a little bit more skeptical of the relationships we have (online); maybe think they’re a little more superficial than we did a couple of years ago.”
JAY EHRET: “Maybe there’s 20% less trust because our circle has become too big, and you can’t trust everybody.”
ON THE MOST NORMAL PEOPLE RULE:
GENO CHURCH: “We talk about how many missed opportunities we have for extending the conversation face-to-face. A lot of times we don’t ask customers that love our products and services to have a conversation on our behalf.”
MARK ROBERGE: “Search is the big thing where the everyday person is. I think that folks just need to appreciate that search, social media, and blogging are all connected. And you do them all together and you generate that ROI and everything flows.”
JAY EHRET: “Most normal people like to talk to other people, and they like to do it face-to-face. They like to have conversations about the products and businesses they frequent. Pay attention to that and don’t get caught up too much in this online stuff.”
JASON FALLS: “Email and search are pretty much ubiquitous. Everybody has it, everybody does it. And I think that’s where you can focus and reach the most people.
Show Links:
Geno Church: Brains on Fire Book, Geno on Twitter
Jason Falls: Backupify, Jason on Twitter
Mark Roberge: Website Grader, Mark on Twitter
Jay Ehret: The Marketing Spot, Jay on LinkedIn
– All guests on today’s show will be appearing at the upcoming Optimization Summit on March 23rd in Dallas, Texas.
– A complete archive of all past podcast episodes can be found here: Power to the Small Business
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