How Do I Work This Thing?

Here are my thoughts on the world of new media. Presented in a new media format. In the true spirit of new media, you control how the whole thing works. You can:

1) Scroll down and read them all in order. (The actual action items are the last two posts. Click on the archive list or click "older posts".)

2) Click a subject you like in the archive list on the left.

3) Close this window and start planning next year's fantasy football revenge.

Cheers!

Welcome to the 21st Century

Everyone thinks they are a new media expert.

Everyone is wrong.

The truth is, organizations large and small aren’t so sure what to do with this stuff, either.

Here’s the point:
In a business where speed is our greatest weapon, we must become new media experts. We are in the unique position to combine our fast moving TV with fast moving new media. To be effective, we must encourage clients to put both functions under the same roof.

What Scott Howell & Company Should Do

We can’t say we know new media, we have to prove it.

Our website should be a reflection of what our clients need in their websites – dynamic, constantly updated, easy to use.

The number one reason for visits to our site is for potential clients to view work and learn how we think, so let’s use that desire to demonstrate our use of on-line media.

Here’s the plan:

The homepage should feature a microblog using a twitter feed that carries news items and links about us and our clients. This should be updated several times a day. We’re already doing the research (the Wolfman’s daily updates), we just have to add them to the feed. Also, anyone can update the twitter feed via a mobile device.

Our feed should also have shots from a flickr page which should be updated with production stills and photos from client events. The flickr page could also serve up our print work.

TV work should be served from a Scott Howell & Company youtube channel.

Finally, we can add a traditional blog as a place to post thoughts from our big brained folks on subjects where we have expertise – media costs, political branding, creative techniques, communications, etc. Think of each post as a short white paper. (Harder than it sounds.)

What Our Clients Should Do

All our clients use facebook, flickr, blogs and other social media tools.

None use them well.

Our clients set up social media accounts because they thought they had to. Their efforts pretty much stopped there.

Candidate websites have two purposes: 1) keep the base organized and connected and 2) provide easy information for the undecided voter.

By simply promoting and using the social media accounts our clients could build a stronger relationship with voters, but for 2010 will require much more.

I believe our clients need to push into texting in a major way. In fact, our TV spots should have a “text to” instead of a web address. Here’s why:

1) text responses can be customized to the issue in the commercial (Text “taxes” to 12345)
2) it’s a much more personal form of communication
3) we get their cell number so we can mobilize them by text for a tiny cost

Finally, our clients must be able to punch back very quickly via web video. I believe that by 2010, news outlets will be squeezed so thin they’ll be looking everywhere for topical content. Let’s make sure we give it to them.

Those Dang Blogs

Prediction: 2010 will be the cycle where bloggers will gain widespread acceptance as news sources. Newspapers and TV station resources are stretched thinner and thinner every day.

While a story will still need the credibility of an established news source, the story itself will be broken by a blogger. Think Minnesota Democrats Exposed.

We need bodies in the blogosphere. More and more reporters will look to blog posts and comments to decide whether or not to pursue a story. We must be in that discussion.

By the way: the editorial board is dead.

Are Banner Ads Dead?

Not yet.

2009 will be a tough year for the banner ad, but I don’t think they’re quite dead yet.

There are only two types of banner ads we should be doing:

1) topical
Banner ads that are posted minutes after an issue breaks and are directly tied to a hot issue.

2) interactive
Obama used a great banner ad that featured a blank where you typed in your income and the click took you to a page that showed you how much your tax cut would be. Simple. Useful. Effective.

The Secret To Social Networking

It’s a lot like Soylent Green. The secret is people.

The big challenge for a lot of companies is how to convert social networking contacts into sales.

Our job is a little easier in that we need people to take an action that doesn’t cost any money.

People are the path to success. Communicating with them, touching them emotionally, spurring them to human action and interaction.

Going Mobile

We’ve talked about driving video to mobile devices and by 2010 that may be something we want to consider.

Right now, though, we’re behind the curve on texting. Just like broadband usage two years ago, the demographics for texters is broadening every day.

Texting is urgent and personal. And we get a commodity more precious than gold – their cell number.

So, How Do We Do This?

Acquire Ninja Skills.
We must learn to strike fast online. We know how to do it on TV and radio, we have to make online a priority.

Recruit Our Own Clients.
Online integration has to be a priority with us and with our clients. While clients see the value, they’re reluctant to spend money on it. If we could combine internet with traditional media we’ll have a better chance of getting clients to pony up.

Homegrown vs. Imports.
We need to have some homegrown talent to make this work. Let’s play to our strengths with video creation, video editing and design. For the nuts and bolts, let’s form a strategic partnership. We don’t need to be in the programming business.

Put Your Tray Tables In The Upright Position

Good news, bad news.

The good news is there is a truckload of potential in this space. With our ability to act quickly and integrate, we should be able get ourselves to a good place very easily.

Bad news #1: new media is changing very quickly. More than likely we will lose a major social media player this year (I predict myspace).

Bad news #2: clients need to be convinced that these efforts need to be integrated into a larger media strategy and that these efforts need to be funded.