You’ve got to adapt in a rapidly changing world to keep up. Here are the 7 most valuable skills you can have.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
As always trying to bring you the marketing trends that matter.
But what good is knowing the marketing trends if you can’t take advantage of them?
This is the digital age folks, and you need to be constantly adapting. The advice I’m going to give you in this week’s podcast is the same whether you’re a graduating college senior or 20-something starting in their new job and asking me what’s important, OR, if you’re in your 30s or heaven forbid 40s like me and want to make sure your skills are current.
So what I’ll tell you all is KEEP LEARNING.
Get out there and take a class – heck, if you can, TEACH a class. I’ve had the honor of teaching a social media class at NYU each fall and I have to say two things:
1) Preparing my lectures really focuses me on knowing the latest information
2) My students were so great and they ended up teaching me so many great things
But if you’re going to take a class, in my opinion, here are the 7 most valuable new media skills you can learn, listed by increasing level of difficulty:
Note: Shorter bullet points are listed here, while I elaborate more fully in the podcast itself.
1. Blogging
Starting a blog is easy. Maintaining a blog is hard. But you’ll never get that far if you don’t get started with post #1. If you’re just starting out, head over to a free service like Tumblr. Whether you simply pick a topic you’re passionate about and just start writing, or lay out a well-planned business strategy with a launch date, getting in the habit of blogging will help you in many areas.
It provides an outlet for creative thoughts, helps people find you or your business on the web, and makes you a better writer and communicator.
Kick off the new year with the right attitude, here are 6 things you can do for a better 2011.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
Happy New Year everybody!
So how was your 2010? Was it good? Did you meet all your goals? Are you at the target income you said you’d be at on New Years Eve last year? What about that target weight?
See, I’m a lifelong Red Sox fan, and our motto for the longest time was, Wait Till Next Year. And that’s the great thing about New Years Day. It IS next year, so no matter if you strayed a little, the optimism is back and you can get your goals on track once more.
Just like anything in life, you need a good foundation. While the items on my list might not be groundbreaking, lets take the first episode of the new year to make sure we return to basics, then we’ll build on specific marketing trends and activities all year. Ready?
Here are some of the things I talk about in the podcast:
Also, see the bottom of the post for SURVEY RESULTS.
1) Maintain good health
I really found out this year that the saying “You’re nothing without your health” holds true.
From my broken arm to a pulled back muscle to end the last few days of the year (ironically the day BEFORE all the snow fell, which got me out of a lot shoveling), it was a huge shock to go from being a perpetually super-healthy individual walking several miles around NYC, scrambling up and down subway steps, and running nearly every day to hospital stays and losing use of a major limb for weeks on end.
Millions will pledge that this is the year to “get in shape,” and with good reason. Not only will you feel better and live longer, but working out gives you an amazing energy level that forms a foundation for everything else on this list.
This week I ask you to please answer 10 quick questions in my year-end reader survey, and I cover the top trends of 2010 as I go.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
What a year this has been in the digital marketing world. From the continued surge of Facebook and the movie surrounding it, to the launch of the fastest selling consumer electronics product of all time — the iPad — and the disruption surrounding that, it’s been a fascinating year for digital media.
I’m going to ask you a favor. Before you read the rest of this post, please answer 10 simple questions about the show and this blog. Whether you’re a longtime fan, or this is the very first episode to grace your eyes or ears, it’s invaluable for me to get feedback on the direction of the program.
Bonus! One reader will win a Hopkinson Report t-shirt!
I am to do two things with this show…
#1 is to entertain and #2 is to inform.
Those go hand-in-hand. If I keep your attention and make you laugh but you get no value, that doesn’t work.
If I give some helpful hints but bore you to death, you’re not going to stick around either.
Quick example: Q: Why should you do a survey, how do you create one, and how much does it cost?
A: You should put together a survey to make sure you’re continually serving the customer. It doesn’t matter if you’re a major retail business, a publisher, a podcaster, or even a small-time blogger. You want to make sure your customers and readers are happy, and the best way to know that is to ask them. Things change over time, trends evolve, and you want to make sure you’re still on track.
Did the November cover of WIRED Magazine get removed by Facebook due to inappropriate content? We still don’t know for sure.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
I received an interesting message from Facebook recently.
First, it was an e-mail to my Yahoo account, which is connected to Facebook. It was so generic that I had to scour it pretty closely to make sure it wasn’t spam. Then a day later, I was greeted with a popup message within Facebook with the same message to makes sure I saw it, forcing me to X out the dialog box to make it disappear. It said the following:
‘You uploaded a photo that violates our Terms of Use, and this photo has been removed. Facebook does not allow photos that attack an individual or group, or that contain nudity, drug use, violence, or other violations of the Terms of Use. These policies are designed to ensure Facebook remains a safe, secure and trusted environment for all users, including the many children who use the site.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page.”
Wow, Jim, you might be asking. What the heck did you upload?
This week we have a rock star guest, Dan Ciporin. Who better than the former CEO of Shopping.com to talk about holiday shopping trends, group buying, and how e-commerce companies can leverage social media?
Dan Ciporin is a partner at global venture capital firm Canaan Partners, whose early investments included match.com and doubleclick. A decade ago, Dan was CEO of Shopping.com where he oversaw growth from zero to over $100 million in revenues in just five years, culminating in the company’s IPO in October 2004 and later acquisition by eBay in 2005.
He was also a Senior VP of MasterCard International, where he was responsible for the marketing and product management of all online global debit products. Now he’s investing in social commerce companies like OpenSky and new e-commerce innovators like Gemvara.
We discuss:
- 2010 holiday trends
The recession… Dan thinks people are ready to buy again (but in a 2010 way, not a 2007 way)
Jim thinks the iPad and Kindle will be far and away the most popular gifts this season… Dan agrees, but adds two more hot tech items
- The origin around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and whether the trend still holds
- Group buying: Trend or here to stay?
We talk about the incredibly successful Gap Groupon case study. Why it was important to the Gap brand overall in the big picture, and what the two things a retailer is looking for when trying to do a promotion such as this (and Jim suggests a third).
- How do e-commerce companies leverage social media?
- Mass customization, the ability to mass produce something that is very unique to each customer
- What is the best way for companies to reach customers?
- What are the best ways for consumers to get deals?
- What trend is happening now, but will be even bigger next year.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play the full interview it below:
It’s easy to jump on the latest trends, but do you know when to exit the old ones?
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
The tagline of this podcast is “The marketing trends that matter,” which means I’m usually looking forward at what is coming up.
But I read an interesting article in one of Wired’s sister publications, Details Magazine. The story is by David Amsden, and is called: ‘Introducing the First Dropper: Say so long to the Early Adopter. Today, the most influential guy in the room is the tastemaker who senses when a trend’s 15 minutes are up.’
He describes the First Dropper as someone that not only knows trends — whether it be a hot TV show, what jeans to wear, or the certain type of drink in the certain type of bar — but more importantly, he knows when these trends are overvalued.
Amsden says “Unlike most consumers, the First Dropper seems to be immune to peer pressure and the sway of marketing gurus; he’s propelled instead by an instinctual feel for when a trend has become overvalued. Think of him as a slyly influential arbiter of taste – one who operates as a covert counterweight to his better-known cousin, the Early Adopter.”
With the advent of worldwide blogs, tight social networks, and up to the millisecond trending on Twitter telling you what’s hot, it’s almost easy to be an early adopter. Is there anyone on the planet that does NOT know a month in advance when the latest iPod, iPhone, or Macbook is coming out?
Amsden makes it clear that you shouldn’t mistake the First Dropper with The Hater, who takes pride in never jumping on a new trend.
Don’t even mention your 65″ slimline 3D TV… you’ll get an earful that The Hater hasn’t even owned a TV since 1997.
Here are a few social media, tech, and pop culture items, and where I think they stand. In fact, it’s a little like Wired’s famous Wired/Tired/Expired feature.
Early adopter or safe to stay
Here are the items it’s still safe to jump on
(listen to the podcast for my reasoning on each)
- iPad, Kindle, and other eReaders
- Tumblr
- Twitter
- Facebook (Yes, even though I talked about a potential fall of Facebook)
Gone or ready to be dropped
- iPhone (see the great article by Wired Gadget Lab editor Dylan Tweney, talking about how he’d love a feature phone tethered with an iPad)
- Cable TV
- Untucked shirts and baggy hoodies (here’s a novel idea… why not grow up a bit, add some style, try some clothes that fit)
- Foursquare
- Cupcakes
What does this mean to marketers?
One prominent school of thought is to target these early adopters. After all, they’re dialed in, have influence over purchase decisions, and can help get your product on the radar. If you’ve used them successfully, congratulations.
However, better keep your eyes out for the First Dropper. Because if they start abandoning your product, that could be the sign of things to come.
I have to run, I only have one cupcake left, and I want to tweet about it from my iPad.
Today’s interview brings together so many things that I love about this podcast… meeting cool people, digging into the mix of marketing and technology that created a successful project, and hearing a great story of an entrepreneur that worked really hard, and with a little luck, some great decisions, and the help of social media, achieved his goal.
In this case, the story is about Matt Rix, a Canadian Flash developer working full-time, that learned how to program on the iPhone, sketched out a puzzle-style game called Trainyard, topped the popular game Angry Birds at one point in iTunes, and by next year, will leave his full time job in order to pursue his dream of developing games and other apps full time.
Along the way, he gives great insight on:
- The evolution of the game
- How he tapped the international market
- The importance of a tutorial in his game
- The best day to launch an app
- How to leverage social media to launch a successful app
- The key turning point for his success
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play the full interview it below:
Below is a full transcript of our conversation:
Jim Hopkinson: Welcome everyone, this is Jim. Today on the phone I have Matt Rix who is a Canadian developer. And the reason he’s on the show is kind of a success story – bit developer, bit entrepreneur, and he’s used Social Media, and the App Store, to develop a game that ended up beating Angry Birds and making some money on the side and he’s going to tell us the story today. So welcome, Matt.
Matt Rix: Hey, how’s it going?
JH: Great, great. So what part of Canada are you dialing in from today?
JH: Excellent, and so, you work fulltime for a company called Indusblue, and there you do iPhone app development, as well?
MR: Yeah, I do iPhone and iPad app development; usually not directly for ourselves, but for big name clients, like TV channels and stuff like that.
JH: And so the main story, though, is you’ve had this kind of whirlwind tour of an app being successful and everyone likes to hear these success stories. Have you been interviewed by any other media outlets or any fame, or just nerdy podcasts like me?
MR: Yeah, just a couple things. There’s been a couple blogs and sites that have done written entries and stuff, but nothing too much yet.
JH: Well, give us little bit of your background, how did you get here, did you have a computer background coming into it, and any kind of entrepreneurial spirit; what led you to this point?
For many people, Halloween is the best holiday of the year. Here is what marketers can learn from it.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
Ah yes, Halloween. A time for kids to get cavities from lots of candy, homeowners to be blackmailed for treats, and an excuse for women to be dressed in as revealing outfits as possible. What’s not to love?
But in the real world, if you’re listening to this, you probably have a real job, possibly in digital marketing, and that can be scary!
But never fear, if you pay attention, I’ll give you:
6 marketing lessons you can learn from Halloween:
Lesson 1: Be current
If you’re dressing up as the cast from Madmen, an Avatar Warrior, Justin Bieber, or Lady Gaga, you’re jumping on a pop culture phenom and you’ll be fine.
If you love the Jersey Shore, and identify with Snooki or have the abs to pull off The Situation, by all means this is the year to do it. This is reality TV people, they could be off the air next season or Pauly D could become mayor of Newark. You never know how it’s going to turn out, so jump on it now.
But if your idea of something cool is the cast from Lost, Joker from Batman, Sarah Palin, or a baby-wearing bearded guy from the Hangover, you’re about a year too late. Don’t be that guy.
Same goes for your marketing plan. Are you staying current, watching new trends, and staying ahead of the pack? Or just rehashing your ideas from 2007? Call a brainstorming meeting of your best and brightest, and update your creative.
It’s the talk of the town: iPad. Tablets. eReaders. The future of publishing. Let’s see what the headlines are saying.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
As an employee of one of the world’s largest publishers, Conde Nast, the owner of an iPad, a soon-to-be author assessing my options for digital publishing, and a lover of all things new media, I’ve become obsessed with the eReader evolution.
I’m going to share a little routine with you. Whenever I come across a great article, be it in a newsletter, my daily reading of blogs, through friends, or on Twitter, I hang on to it.
How do I do it?
Very simple. I have a Google Doc spreadsheet bookmarked that I can access instantly from work, from home, or for that matter, anywhere I can get to the internet. It’s a very fast process of opening it up, then pasting in the headline and the link. Done.
While it’s not 100% official, both the Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch are reporting that the long-rumored story that Apple will produce a CDMA version of the iPhone for Verizon, starting in Q1 2011, is true.
As an iPhone owner on AT&T, what will it take me to switch to Verizon? Let me write an open letter to their management and marketing team.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below for maximum ranting entertainment (recommended):
Dear Verizon
Congratulations! I hear that you’ve convinced Steve Jobs to build you your very own iPhone for your CDMA mobile network. You must be soooo excited. I read that an analyst said it could mean 10 million more customers for you.
I also saw that you have about 27% of the smartphone market, while AT&T has 38%. That’s a pretty decent lead to make up.
However, here’s the good news for you. Nearly 7 out of 10 of the smartphones that AT&T customers have are iPhones. So if you can get those people to switch, those numbers might change in a hurry.
I have a few suggestions for your marketing department. First, let me tell you a bit about myself.
- I’m 41, live in Manhattan, and have a Bachelors of Science in Computer Information Systems. I have been around technology all of my life.
- I work for a website called Wired.com, teach a social media class at NYU, and with the money I have left at the end of the month, I often buy gadgets like the iPad and high end digital cameras.
- I also have my own blog and podcast, and am very active on Facebook and Twitter. Not to brag, but I’m pretty connected and a lot of people come to me for tech advice.
In short, I am your dream customer.
Let me tell you what the mood is right now in case you missed it. For the most part, people HATE AT&T. The best way to describe it is we tolerate them, because we’re such fans of Apple and love the iPhone so much.
