Organic Search, Seriously?

 

A brilliant friend of mine and V-fluence (leading interactive public relations firm) commented there is nothing organic about search anymore.  Interesting comment, and an accurate one.

 

With the explosive increase of web sites, blogs and anything else you can think of to throw on the Internet, becoming visible in search is far from organic or natural.  In fact an entire industry has developed focused just on improving search visibility.

Overall VC Investment Drops 8.5%, Media Investment Grows

 

Coming as no surprise the venture capital (VC) spending in the first quarter of 2008 is down 8.5% to $7.1 billion, compared to the same period in 2007 according to the latest figures from MoneyTree™ Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).  Despite the overall drop – several sectors managed to increase both deal flow and overall investment dollars.

OK, TED it is.

Every so often there are really interesting ideas and concepts that need to be shared - and often have the potential to inspire others.  A few years ago (about 18 to be exact) the first TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference was organized.  A little blurb from TED History.

Bravo Media takes step towards very integrated future

As the world of media continues to evolve with the advancement of technology, Bravo Media (the “media” was recently added) is creating partnerships to extend the brand beyond the screen.  Although product integration is nothing new, it historically centers around a single product or show.  Bravo media is taking a bold step by pursing partnerships for its entire portfolio.

Start with the End in Mind

 There was a great article a few weeks ago in the Harvard Business Review by David I. Collis, Michael G. Rukstad titled (Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? ).  The article highlights that “most executives cannot articulate the objective, scope, and advantage to their business in a simple statement.  If they can’t, neither can anyone else.”

So how does an organization develop a successful and clear strategy?  With the end in mind.  Not a literal end but a place in the future no less than three years and no more than five years away.  Anything less than three years does not provide enough time to deal with the real challenges and changes that will be needed to be successful.  Anything more than five becomes un-grounded in reality because there is so much evolution in the marketplace driven by the advance of technology.

Employee Guidelines for Social Media

With the dramatic communication evolution taking place every organization, company and group must evaluate how it communicates with the audience it is trying to reach.  Although most people still do not appreciate the magnitude of the evolution a good starting point is thinking about the type of media company you will become - that’s right, it is not an option.

The BBC has published guidelines to give direction to employees and embrace the opportunity created by the web 2.0 Internet.  The guidelines can serve as a good starting point to any company overcoming their fear and lack of understanding of the media revolution taking place today.

Everyone is part of the marketing team

It is interesting to gauge the response from people when asked what type of media company they are - most respond they are in some other business, some give a confused answer and some just stare blankly thinking it is a trick question.

Every organization is (or will be) a media company.  Thinking you are not is similar to people in the 1990s who did not embrace technology and dismissed the Internet as something that is not part of their business.  Do you know anyone who would say that now?

The Myth of the Overnight Success

I was catching up with Greg Falco yesterday about a project I am working on for a client.  For those not familiar with Greg, he is a brilliant, web savvy designer and author of They Should Do That.  A portion of his email in response to our discussion:

Entrepreneurial Activity Grows in 2007

According to the latest Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, 495,000 new businesses per month were started in 2007 with 0.30 percent of the adult population (or 300 out of 100,000 adults) involved in the startup process. This entrepreneurial activity rate is a slight increase over the 2006 rate of 0.29 percent.

New Kauffman Foundation Study Offers Insights Into the Earliest Years of a New Business

Kauffman Firm Survey findings provide insights for policymakers interested in encouraging new business development and growth(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) March 12, 2008 — Understanding the characteristics of new business formation and sustainability can help lead to policies that encourage entrepreneurial businesses, which are a major driver of economic growth.