martin gover dot com » social networking

The Shame of Social Networks revealed – Lurkers and the 90-9-1 law

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:59:09 +0000

DIRTY SECRETS EXPOSED – WEB 2.0 - HIDES 90% LURKERS!!

The media and not a few Web sites love to trot out DATA about how less than (insert a low decimal here) % of people actually use Twitter/MySpace/Facebook/their Web Blogs on a regular basis.

Then with delight they quote -”The whole ‘social network’ fallacy of WEB 2.0 EXPOSED. by the 90 -9 -1 law”

1% drive the engine of content creation, 9% do so every so often and 90% of Social Media types just – LURK. ( The social Media equivalent of the couch potato)

Now in the REAL world – where people have REAL lives (we are told- endlessly) there is the famous 80 – 20 rule (Pareto Principle) – 20 % of the people contribute 80% of the work, 20& of the people have 80% of the wealth. 20% of your customers give you 80% of your business.

For Social Media – less than 1% do anything – so its not a trend at all. Its not involving ‘us’, its a thing of the elite. Only less than 1% are Twittering or Posting to Facebook or Blogging on a regular basis.

So you see. Social media – just isn’t making it.

(BTW Facebook is not a good example – 300 million active users – grew by 3 million unique visits in month of September 2009 – 50% log onto Facebook every day – average user has 130 ‘friends’ -and those that use mobile devices are 50% more active than non-mobile (maybe theres something about Facebook and the figure 50%?)

Now let us note the 80 20 rule by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto was created in 1906 , when he noted that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. And it is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., “80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.” 80% of your software problems will disappear if you fix 20% of the bugs etc.

However this is not 1906.

A few current wealth etc numbers: -

In the United States at the end of 2001, 10% of the population owned 71% of the wealth, and the top 1% controlled 38%. On the other hand, the bottom 40% owned less than 1% of the nation’s wealth. A Neat 90 10 1 formula?

In 2003, the 1% with the highest salaries paid more than 34% of the nation’s federal income tax; the 10% with the highest salaries paid nearly 66% of the total income tax; the upper 50% accounted for nearly 97% of US income tax revenue, primarily because, as stated above, the bottom 40% had comparatively no wealth (less than 1%) to be taxed in the first place. A neat 1- 10 -50….or something formula.

A one percenter or 1%er is an individual that lies in top 1% of the American Tax bracket. These are the top earners in American society. It has been noted that the richest 1% of the American population owns as much as the combined wealth of the bottom 90%. Again with the 1-9-90?

The richest 2% of adults in the world own more than half of global household wealth according to a path-breaking study released by the Helsinki-based World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER). Ok a are sighting of the 2 – 50 formula

The most comprehensive study of personal wealth ever undertaken also reports that the richest 1% of adults alone owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000, and that the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total. In contrast, the bottom half of the world adult population owned barely 1% of global wealth. So thats….

Moving on

Social Media – and by that most people mean Blogs, Twitter, Facebook,YouTube etc is certainly and always a conversation., and certainly engages a lot of peoples attention.

But other than Facebook – most (make that almost no-one) who has a blog – blogs on any regular basis.

Very few people use Twitter/their Blogs/upload to YouTube on an ongoing basis.Why?

Because the medium is flawed? – the oldsters were right all along?

No the reason is – its work. Unpaid work. And it also requires creativity. A lot of creativity

No-one is going to suggest that 20% of the population creates all the Art.

Are they?

Its less than 1%. Because to produce ‘art’ requires talent, discipline and effort. Rare commodities in one person

And Blogging and twittering and creating ‘useful’ or at least readable ‘content’ whether its on Facebook or a Blogs or Twitter or MySpace or anywhere else is only ever going to be done by the very very few. Because most of us dont have the time or the patience or the energy – or the will.

In any given enterprise work related or artistic its always less than 1% that are the engines.

A small example: -

In my short (but fruitful) history in Network Marketing ( no matter what the pitch was) less than 1% made any significant income. And not because the ‘plan’ was unfair or skewed in any way. The plan required a lot of work, a lot of disciple and a will to keep going when everyone else didnt. So most people – didnt.

The people that drive the ‘Content’ of social media will always be around 1%.

But that doesn’t mean Social Media isn’t exploding. As Social Media moves away from being ‘a thing‘ separate from us- the society- to becoming a part of us, it becomes , well part of our daily lives. One more ‘thing’ that is us

At one time, remember? – Email was exotic. Then crazy. Then elite – now its well – email. Ubiquitous. Just another thing we do. Like brushing our teeth.

And whatever it morphs into Social Media is becoming a ‘thing’ wed o – just like email. The platform tomorrow or next week may or may not be Twitter, it may or may not be Facebook or a YouTube mashup – (it wont be MySpace) – but the concept of us interacting with us,and everything around us, no boundaries, is not going away.Ever.

The question is what are the 1% who drive the future doing right now?

If you know, put money on it.Its our future

Sucess is so easy – Part 2

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:52:01 +0000

Here’s a thought to ponder.

10,000 hours is the minimum number of work, or practice hours required to become ‘excellent’ at anything.
And it has to be completed with the shortest time possible. That is focused dedicated time.

For example - The Beatles (John and Paul talented beyond measure no doubt) even so between 1960 and 1962, in hamburg they performed 270 nights, the equivalent of 1200 nights of performing, before they ever even played as the famous “Beatles’.

Bill Gates, by the time he was in his sophomore year, he had been programming practically non-stop for seven consecutive years.

And (to really stretch it) Mozart, by the time the ‘child prodigy’ wrote the first work that is considered a masterpiece K271, he had been composing non-stop for ten years. Non-stop.

And these people were hugely talented. But they still had to work and apply.

So the good news – all success is just applied work and effort.

So the bad news – all success is applied work and effort

All dedicated work towards a goal will bring success.

The key is not talent its having a goal that drives you and motivates you enough that you will work hard enough and long enough to get it.

And if you have talent. Bonus

source Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell

Overnight Success is so easy – whats our problem?

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:23:46 +0000

I mean – what IS our problem.

Heres what you do:

Make a video late at night on your webcam about some popular video, slamming the video “just brutal – I mean brutal”.

Wake up the next day -.The said singer has tongue in cheek put your video on her website, asking her Katy Kats to slam you- your inbox is flooded with emails

Then the singer makes jokes about you on a national pop radio talk show – the Livejournal -and there’s no stopping you.

Place ads for big league contacts on your original video, and there you are 78.000 hits on YouTube, plus then there’s the follow-ups, the copy cats etc.

I mean what were we thinking?- why did we think this was so hard? The world beckons.

]

Except Coady (the kid) isn’t rich or successful or accomplished – not that hes not a nice kid – he is Canadian after all.(hooray) But think of all the things that had to come together to make this flash in the pan work.

Now is he takes this event and applies over two or three years – dedicated hardwork and smarts and yes ‘luck’ and is detremined. He could parlay this flash in the pan into something significant.

Or if you or I with two or three years of focus dedicated hardwork and smarts and a willingness to fail and re-adjust (we call that luck), well we could have something to.

Achievement never changes – sorry folks – its about work, focus dedicated energy and a willngnes to fail and re-adjust.

That guarantees a successful outcome.

Ok not fame – but fame is a terrible thing, if it comes before the work.Always.

Time Control.

ecom131 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:10:24 +0000

Well its not getting easier is it? – controlling your time. The amount of ‘stuff’ out there we can be distracted by increases it seems exponentially every day.

And as all the connected world continues to bundles fact and information as ‘entertainment’ to keep our jangled senses tuned to their particular waveband – time flutters away.

How easy is it to lose two three hours, a whole day infront of the computer and achieve…?

Use to be, for me, video games – a whole day gone and I still lost(the game – life?). But now there is Twitter and MySpace and FaceBook and the blog and , whats that other thing ? -O yea – email, and will you stop bothering me with questions I’m on the computer. Honey

Well like everything else that is in Your world, its unfortunately – UP to You. Up to Me, to order our lives. Mummy aint go do it anymore.

Ok – well How?

Funny you should ask.(P.S. the following takes effort – yea even I’ve stopped reading now)

To make the best use of your time, wait for it – you need to know what is the best use of your time, for you. See how easy.

Ok lets start again.

What do you want? Where do you want to be in five years, ten years?

Waste some time (as it were) figuring that out.

Now all goals are changeable, no-one ever goes straight to anything long term, you adjust and re-confgure and adjust. But have an end in sight at all times.

From your long term goal, break it down.

ok to achieve that – it means by next year, I need to be…which means by next month I have to have completed… which means by next week, which means today…?

You need to do what. Now?

Ok.Do it.

As your day unfolds – what are you doing to achieve that goal for today, that allows the goal to be achieved next week, that allows…

Putting time into long term goals as opposed to just reacting to whatever comes along (that would be probably other peoples goals?) – means you are now spending time on the Vital (to you) rather than the urgent (which has no lasting effect on your well being)

And you can have – long term personal goals, spiritual goal, financial goals, family goals – that must all align with some overarching long term goal.

Spend time (time again) thinking about where you want to be five years from now. Happy?(what does that mean to you – what is happy to you) Financially well off? (how much money would you need to be’well off’ – no really work it out – how much?) LIve where? here, another country – an island, by a lake – where? Married,(what kind of pertner are you looking for, what kind of characteristics, exactly) single, a leader of…etc.

AND WRITE IT DOWN. WRITE IT ALL DOWN . AND PUT A DATE ON IT. (take a month, take a year – its worth it)

Then work it backwords – AND WRITE IT DOWN. ALL OF IT. The yearly goal, the monthly goal, next weeks goal.

And then put in some time today that gets next weeks goal, that gets next months goal that gets…

Once you have a goal set (that is key for you) – the discipline to act on that goal comes with it.

Enthusiasm, belief in your self, and your goal, visualize, daily, hourly if you have to.

And you will control, not time (you cant actually ever do that – O I didnt mention that? ) – You will control your life.

REf: – John Maxwell -Its about Time

and the book Time Power

PLUS

I am about to release two e-books, almost work books – one on Success, and one on Time Management. Both will deal with goal setting of course, financial, and personal, and health goals and others.

Books that are an amalgam of my many failures and successes and the hundreds of books I have read of the subject, and the information gleaned from knowing a lot of highly successful, highly charged people. Some who are wealthy, and some who are just joyful.And a lot who are both.

Go this page – two e-books – and I assure you they will be of use to you.

Your Comments increase the value

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:20:23 +0000

Wisdom from Robert Bravery

Web 2.0 blog conversations are built upon comments going back and forth and branching out in new directions, developing new ideas. As the web becomes more social, it has become easier for anyone to get involved. Whether you join in the comments on a blog post, or just read them, a Gatorpeeps peep (stream), a Twitter stream, a Facebook News Feed, an email , a Google result, IMDB, a forum, a YouTube video, etc. All these new ways of sharing and getting involved.

Comments add value for the reader. Comments provide different views. They provide assurance, exhortation, upliftment. They could even provide correction and better understanding. A blog post is one view on any particular subject. But comments server to add balance by presenting different views, or even bolstering your own view. Readers can then take these in with the original post and use their own judgment to reach their own conclusion, or use it as reason to further research the topic. Either way, they are getting value out of it because they are not taking one person’s word for it.

Have you commented on a blog today? Why not start out with a short comment on this blog, not this post – its Roberts – you can comment here on his post. What do you think? Leave you comments in the box below. (be nice) Then go comment on someone else’s blog. Start today. Share.Create value for us all

Extract from Robert Bravery Post on’ Blogging for the Brave’

The Affiliate Money Machine

And while your commenting – or not – and your thinking ‘So this web 2.0 deal – any money there for me? ‘ (you may be thinking that – I’m not saying you are – you May be thinking that) – if you are I highly recommend you check out this teaching site by the Master John Reese (No – not blogging – marketing). You don’t have to.

Eye tracking study reveals 12 website tactics

ecom131 — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:57:24 +0000

From Direct Creative Blog

Eye tracking studies have revealed valuable information about how people read and interact with websites. One study, Eyetrack III, published a summary of their eye tracking results for news sites.

While this is just one eye tracking study focused on a particular type of site, I think there are instructive nuggets here for any informational website.

In no particular order, here are 12 results I found particularly interesting.

1.Headlines draw eyes before pictures. This might be surprising for some people since the trend has been to add photos and graphics specifically to draw the eye. Even I have been adding more photos to my blog to spice it up a bit.

But the participants in this study looked at headlines, especially in the upper left of the page, before they looked at photos when they landed on a page. So you can’t rely on eye candy to make up for poor headlines.

2. People scan the first couple words of a headline. Yes, long headlines can work. But this study suggests that people scan the first few words before deciding whether to continue reading.

This means you should front-load your headlines with the most interesting and provocative words. It’s also an argument for getting your keywords up front in headlines.

3. People scan the left side of a list of headlines. This is related to the previous point. When presented with a list of headlines or links, people will scan down the left side, looking at the first couple words, to find something they’re interested in. They don’t necessarily read each line beginning to end.

The implication is the same as before. Get your most mind catching words up front.

4. Your headline must grab attention in less than 1 second. Online readers are grazers. They move fast and nibble. If you want to hook them into spending time reading about something, you have to catch their attention very, very fast.

No nonsense. No meandering copy. No “throat clearing” to fill space. You have to get to the point instantly.

5. Smaller type promotes closer reading. This makes sense because smaller type is harder to read. So, to read it, you have to really focus. Larger type promotes scanning rather than reading.

Be careful with this one. No one is suggesting you shrink your web type to make it barely legible. I think the takeaway is to avoid making your type too big if you want close reading and avoid making it too small if you want to communicate rapidly.

6. Navigation at the top of the page works best. I find this interesting from a design point of view since many sites now use side navigation. I take this one with grain of salt, since the study also shows that side navigation can work fine.

The point may be that anything at the top of a page will be seen immediately. And since top navigation must be simple because of space limits, top navigation is probably much simpler to use.

7. Short paragraphs encourage reading. No surprise here. Even in print this is true. Big blocks of type look imposing and difficult, like reading a Faulkner novel where a paragraph goes on seemingly forever.

In online writing as in most ad writing, you have to forget normal paragraph development. Breaks should be logical, but they’re organized into a flow of ideas rather than distinct paragraphs.

8. Introductory paragraphs enjoy high readership. Just to be clear, an intro paragraph is a content summary that appears after the headline and before the main text. It’s common in some news writing. I’ve also used it in print ads which are designed in the form of an article, often called an “advertorial.”

The downside is that while intros get read, this study says they don’t affect readership of the main text. Maybe they help improve comprehension. The study doesn’t say.

9. Ad placement in the top and left positions works best. For anyone familiar with “heat maps,” this make sense. The eye tends to start in the upper left of a page. So an ad, or anything else, in that area will be noticed.

This is another one you have to be wary of. Ad blindness tends to happen when people get used to seeing ads in a particular place. So even the prime upper left area won’t work so well if you always put ads there.

10. People notice ads placed close to popular content. Obviously. This mimics the well-known idea in the offline world where ads are placed anywhere eyeballs point.

This is why ads right over a urinal work. Men look straight ahead, usually at a blank wall 12 inches from their face when standing at a urinal, so any reading material there will get read.

11. People read text ads more than graphic ads. Not everyone will agree with this one. But it makes sense if you consider that information is usually in the form of text. So people looking for information are looking for text, not pictures.

However, graphics can be useful for conveying information that is difficult to communicate in pure text, such as how something looks, mathematical information, before and after comparisons, etc. Which leads us to the last tactic.

12. Multimedia works better than text for unfamiliar or conceptual information. Reading relies on people having some understanding of the subject. The more familiar they are with the subject, the faster and easier reading is.

If you’re trying to describe a process, for example, a video or illustration conveys this information better than text.

25 keys to Networking success

admin — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:01:26 +0000

Whether you are a seasoned connector or someone who needs to jumpstart their relationship building, here are 25 essential tips to ensure your networking success.

Start before your need it
The best time to start building your network is yesterday. The second best time is today. Relationships are cultivated over time. Begin by making networking a priority now. It is a simple habit that you can start now that will pay great dividends in the future.
Learn about people’s goals
The best way to have an impact is to add value directly where it is most important to the other person. Find out what the people in your network are looking for and look for ways that you can help achieve them. Everyone wants to be friends with someone they know is on their side.
Connect people you do know
Use your networking not only to benefit yourself but also to benefit others. Connect people in your network that could provide value to one another. For example, if one of your associates is in need of a web designer and you happen to know one, connect the two people together. Your two associates benefit from the business arrangement and you benefit from the good will developed.
Give more than you expect to receive
If you want to build trust in your relationships, always seek to add more value to the people in your networks. When people are consistently benefiting from a relationship, it moves their desire to connect with you more. Focus on the giving and you will surely get what you want.
Be genuinely interested
Be sincere in your dealings with others and focus more on being interested than interesting. People love to talk about themselves and the more you understand about someone, the more you will be able to speak to them in a way that is appealing.
Always follow up
When making new contacts, make sure to always follow up. A quick email or phone call within 24 hours of meeting someone can lay the foundation for a fruitful relationship. It doesn’t take much effort but it can make a world of difference.
Know people in different worlds
Don’t focus solely on your own niche or industry. Instead, diversify and reach out to as many people as possible. Having people from a wide variety of fields in your network helps you become the master connector (#3) and provide more value.
Learn to listen
The skill of listening seems simple enough but in experience, it is a rare skill to find. The secret is getting out of your head. Put your complete focus on the speaker instead of thinking about what you are going to say when they are done talking. Try to really understand where they are coming from.

Be authentic
People crave authenticity in business. Many people are starved of it because the amount of manipulation and politics that can go in an interaction. Hold yourself to a higher standard and you will stand out from the crowd.
Take the initiative
Play a very active role in networking. Be the person who starts the conversation. Be quick to introduce yourself. Also, be the first person to offer help when it is required. Developing the habit of initiative will make your networking efforts easier and more fruitful.
Always stay in touch
The major determinant in whether or not a business relationship develops of fizzles is staying in contact. Remember to regularly check in with your associates with a quick email or phone call. Regular contact will allow the relationship to develop slowly over time.
Be personal
Take the extra time to add a personal touch. A handwritten card says a lot more than an email. Although this may require extra time and effort on your part, it will stand out in the eyes of others.
Be humble
Nothing turns people off quicker than an arrogant attitude. Humility, on the other hand, is very commendable. Being humble will keep you grounded even when your network starts to grow. When you reach the top, it will ensure that keep doing the things that got you there.
Always say thanks
Thank you notes are a quick and easy way to connect with someone. Plus, the actual card serves as a reminder of you every time the other person sees it.
Do your homework
When contacting people, make sure you are well informed about their situation. You should know, for example, if they recently released a new product or moved to a new office.
Express your enthusiasm
Remember that passion is magnetic. When you are excited about what you are talking about, other people will become excited as well. Your enthusiasm will give you a charismatic presence that will make your memorable.
Promote your purpose more than your self
When promoting to others, put the majority of your focus on the mission and purpose of your business. Although it can be fun to toot your own horn, set your ego aside and focus on the real purpose: your company’s ability to deliver value to people.
Join associations
Professional associations are a great way to network with people. Use the internet to research associations in your area and make sure to attend the next meeting. The people you will meet there will also be eager network.
Attend conferences
Conferences are a great way to meet like-minded people. The speakers can be good, but the real value is in the people. Do some internet research and find a conference you can attend in the near future.

Leverage the networks of others
Use the networks of others to expand your own network. Go out of your way to introduce yourself to people you have only heard of through an associate. Make this a regular habit and your network will start growing faster than you can keep up with.
Act with integrity
Stay true to your principles and hold them above all else. While this may lead to some short term setbacks, over the long term, it will build a lot of trust in your character.
Build close relationships
The closer your relationship is with someone, the more they will be willing to help you out when you need it. Unfortunately, there are no quick fix techniques for this. Close relationships take time and effort.

Ask for what you want
Don’t be timid or shy. Be direct and ask for what you want. There is no other way to get it. Remember: the answer to every request that you don’t make is no.
Create a personal board of advisors
Focus on building a team of experts that you contact quickly for advice in each of the major areas of your business. They will prove to be priceless when you have difficult business decisions to make.
Write things down
As your network grows, it can be difficult to keep track of all the information about your associates. Make sure your write things down and can readily access information about any one of your business contacts.

Success leaves Tracks – Brian Tracy

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:52:49 +0000

When I began searching for the secrets of success many years ago, I discovered an interesting principle: success leaves tracks.

A wise man who had studied success for more than 50 years concluded that the greatest success principle of all was, “learn from the experts.”

Learn From the Experts
If you want to be a big success in any area, find out what other successful people in that area are doing, and do the same things, until you get the same results. When I studied the interviews, speeches, biographies and autobiographies of successful men and women, I found that they all had one quality in common. They were all described as being “extremely well organized.” They used their time very, very well. They were highly productive and they got vastly more done in the same period of time than the average person.

Be Both Effective and Efficient
High performing men and women were both effective and efficient. They did the right things, and they did them in the right way. They were constantly looking for ways to improve the quality and quantity of their output. As a result, their contribution to their organizations was vastly higher and therefore much better paid, than the contributions of the average person.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:

First, develop a study plan today to learn from the experts in your field. This can save you years of hard work.

Second, decide what is the most important thing to do, and then decide how to do it.

Brain Tracy Success Blog -http://www.briantracy.com

12 Social Media Links To Boost Your Social Media Profile

admin — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:35:13 +0000

1. From SequimTech BLOG Social-media tools could support security – UPI.com: Social-media tools http://bit.ly/73nbj

2. Social Media: Mojiva: Simple Self-Service Tools for Mobile Ads: This post is part of Mashable’s Spa.. http://twurl.nl/547esz

3. Love the social media hype curve from @Mary_Joyce http://bit.ly/bHciC via @kanter Filter tools down to strategic use e.g. http://bit.ly/MKDk

4. RT @DiannaKersey Are Social Media Tools Relevant to SEO? Does all this do any good for Search Engine Optimization? http://bit.ly/1MZHfz

5. @secndcitysoiree asks a great question. Are there any existing search tools for social media that can find users who… http://ff.im/2bMmn

6. Are Social Media Tools Relevant to SEO? http://tinyurl.com/c3s8g2

7. So Many Social Media Tools, So Little Time! http://bit.ly/10FExx

8. Curious what marketers say R the top 4 social media tools they use? View rept by @Mike_Stelzner: http://twurl.nl/dhcwry

9. Social media monitoring tools for marketeers: http://ping.fm/REpJC

10. @kathleenhessert What do you think of @blogworld ’s blog post about Oprah and celeb’s using social media tools? http://twurl.nl/x5o7jf

11. Reader Polls: Social Media Tools : Marketing Blagger http://bit.ly/bTm1U

12. “Social Media tools are vehicles and tools… they are not solutions” RColeman: http://tinyurl.com/c9xdya

The Two Best Twitter apps

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 05:37:18 +0000

TweetDeck

Tweet directly from TweetDeck
Stay up to date – view all new tweets in real-time
Use columns to create your personal dashboard
Create Groups to easily follow friends, colleagues or
other interest groups

Update Facebook and follow your Facebook friends
Follow topics in real-time with saved searches
View @replies and direct messages and manage your
conversations
Never miss an important tweet with notifications

Share your photos and videos with Twitpic and 12seconds
And many more Twitter favourites including Stocktwits,
Twitscoop and all the most popular URL shortening service

And its FREE

Download link http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/

And

Hummingbird – the Deluxe Twitter Application

new – see johnchow.com review here

An application for the serious Twitter Marketer

Achieve Explosive Twitter Growth, Right Now.

I hav treid the free apps and I like them – Twitter Wack etc, but they are slow, and they don’t handle all the fine details that Hummingbird does.

Not a lot at first but as you use it more and more, and use it for true marketing – you’ll find its a standout product -worth $3000 to $400 – easily.

Download it and try it for the trial period and compare – Try it. Cant hurt

Break 2000 Followers w/ a Few Clicks
This is the first cap, piece of cake.

Reach Targeted Followers
Powerful Methods to become an Elite