Disqus - Latest Comments for christiananderson

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter is for Microblogging

christiananderson — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:05:08 -0000

You know, I owe my microblogging to you. I didn't really start in earnest until you helped my link my Facebook status updates to my Twitter account a year or so ago. Thanks, Grimes. As always, you rock!

Re: Lessons from a Bigfoot Traffic Spike

christiananderson — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:57:32 -0000

What about the most critical lesson learned? Add 'Big Foot" to the title of every post. Maybe pepper in Yeti every now and then to spice it up. :) kidding aside. Great job with the site. It's amazing how far you've taken it so quickly.

christian anderson

Re: PR: Pitching TechCrunch, Scoble, and other Influentials

christiananderson — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:36:12 -0000

Knowing the "GOOD kind of PR/Marketing folks (the kind that focus on messaging and product rather than just spamming lists of email addresses)" can be tough -- especially when there are only a few precious dollars to allocate." I have a post partially drafted that attempts to address the challenge in a useful way, without painting with too broad brush.

Re: PR: Pitching TechCrunch, Scoble, and other Influentials

christiananderson — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:51:48 -0000

Hi Tony,

Thanks for the read. You are 100% right. When it comes to media outreach, start with product. Get your product right, know your users/customers and know the equation you are solving for. Only when your product is solid and improving should you start to think about media (this is true in virtually all cases).

Interesting too you mention Oprah. I was reading the Seattle PI today (Yes, I love to read the newspaper -- the actual big dirty physical paper) and there was piece on entrepreneurs and using PR firms. The writer's gist was basically, "don't target just Oprah." (http://tinyurl.com/5gmc92) The writer is right.

It accrues nicely to your point that entrepreneurs should focus outreach on singles and doubles -- especially early on. No need to swing for the fences right away and definitely don't pin the success of your business to just ONE big piece of coverage or ad campaign. Focus instead on your product and doing your business well. Let your users / customers do your crowing.

But, make sure you have your story tight for when Oprah does call.

All that said, there is room for PR / marketing counsel in early stage start ups, but often a little effort in the right places can go a long way.

Re: Plurkair: A Basic, Open Source Desktop Client For Plurk

christiananderson — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:17:08 -0000

Hey Duncan,

You created the PlurkAIR desktop client app? Nice. If I whine enough, will you create other apps too?

Re: louisgray.com: twitAbit Debuts as New Service To Escape Twitter Downtime

christiananderson — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:53:44 -0000

the good, or bad thing -- depending your perspective -- is we will likely have plenty of opportunities to test it out sooner rather than later.

Re: Twitter Makes A Pivotal Decision, Will It Be Quick Enough?

christiananderson — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:24:12 -0000

There is no doubt the head tweerers are gifted with the defibrillator. The APIs seem to be the source of much that is great and what may ultimately kill Twitter. It will be interesting to see how the copycats deal with the APIs.

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter vs Plurk

christiananderson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:47:10 -0000

Related comments on SocialMedian are below.

Go to http://www.socialmedian.com/story/298302/twitte... to view the live feed. SocialMedian is in closed beta to access the feed use invite code: MEDIAdeluge

Comments (18)
Adamant1988
7 days ago

I've been testing plurk out and highly enjoying the experience. Plurk lacks in the extensibility of twitter, but I suspect that's something that can be worked around.

Techn0tic
6 days ago

I'm not convinced by Plurk as yet, FriendFeed seems to be the more natural (or at least more established) alternative but seeing as both Jaiku and Pownce have been making headway in this space, Plurk has a lot of competing to do and I noticed the service stuttering a bit today with all of the new signups. Having said all of that, Twitter continues to be hugely popular and even despite their best efforts, even Twitter themselves don't seem to be able to force a mass exodus to other services (except when they need somewhere to complain about Twitter being down)

Smc2911
6 days ago

I signed up last night and further twitter problems (the api seemed to be crippled and so twhirl wasn't working) meant I spent quite a bit of time plurking. I liked it!

Karen
6 days ago

I've found plurk interesting but still find twitter most compelling.

Carruthk
6 days ago

plurk is ok but I still prefer the way the messages stream past you in twitter

Javurek
6 days ago

Timeline idea is great, but I hope Twitter will sort out its problems. imho Plurk is just a fad, but timeline interface is here to stay.

Adityakelkar2000
6 days ago

Really liked the interface. haven't used it though.

Moz Tom
6 days ago

Plurk has no API, @Smc2911, and I think that we can agree that means it is very useless. They also do not support comments on their blog posts (twitter does), and don't link to their get satisfaction page (twitter does). I don't think Plurk's gonna last, it is very reminiscent of "xanga", and from the random selection of users on the front page, many underage, I think that's the only crowd it's going to appeal to.

Devilinthedetails
6 days ago

Seriously? YOu're talking about a service that won't render it's timeline in Firefox? As Moz Tom says there is no API, which means that in order to use it I have to run Firefox (for everything else) and IE for Plurk. Not gonna happen.

Cosmichog
6 days ago

Good overview of twitter and plurk here, at www.jonbishop.org Check it out. (Jon's a friend of mine who has a good working knowledge of both).

Geek Mommy
6 days ago

Plurk is really good for conversations - but not really good for microblogging. The formats are different. While the mobile site (http://www.plurk.com/m/) is really slick and great from a smartphone browser, it's still a different experience than Twitter. Since Robert Scoble has already declared that it holds no allure for him, and Kevin Rose has said that the Kevin Rose on plurk is not him - I suspect it won't prove a Twitter-killer. But that doesn't mean something else won't.

Snoop Bloggy Blog
6 days ago

I usually use Twitter and Pownce but they both give me headaches. I mess around with Plurk.

Jasongoldberg
5 days ago

I'll be a slow mover off twitter. I'd rather root for them to get their act together than rush to the next cute kid on the block.

Christiananderson
5 days ago

Plurk won't kill Twitter for several reasons: plurk does not have open APIs Plurk does not have a desktop app plurk does not lend itself to mobile updates plurk does not have the community plurk does not allow links in profiles plurk does not support porting contacts from Twitter plurk is pissing off robert scoble This could all change, but it would have to happen soon to leverage current interest.

Jimwu
5 days ago

What about Pownce?

Ryangraves
5 days ago

Agreed, why haven't people jumped to Pownce very quickly.

M Barger
5 days ago

LAME-O! Plurk has decided to forbid people and also highly recommend against the things I find very helpful about Twitter! Twitter does have problems, but one of the things I like about it, is it's ability to connect me with like-minded (ie techie) people. Plurk has no search feature to help me connect, and advises "Only add people who are your good buddies. Don't add people you met for 3 minutes at a party." Dudes! Your missing the point!

Nishith
5 days ago

Interesting UI. I'm game to trying new social apps. The problem though is that they don't give me any instant gratification unless I patiently hang out over there and create my friends' network. Hope the recent initiatives like friend connect etc goes mainstream soon.

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter Killer... Or, is Twitter Already Dead?

christiananderson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:38:44 -0000

Related comments on SocialMedian are below.

Go to http://www.socialmedian.com/story/317219/twitte... to view the live feed. SocialMedian is in closed beta to access the feed use invite code: MEDIAdeluge

Comments (6)
Jillmwo
1 day ago

Blaming Twitter for scaling in popularity beyond the tolerance of its architecture seems somewhat foolish. They are working on the problem. Wait and see if they do fix it before you pass judgement on the service.
Blaming Twitter for scaling in popularity beyond the tolerance of its architecture seems somewhat foolish. They are working on the problem. Wait and see if they do fix it before you pass judgement on the service.

Jacklhasa
1 day ago

http://zobzee.com

Christiananderson
23 hours ago

@jillmwo I'm not blaming Twitter for its problems scaling, although, people are speculating as to why it has been such a big and ongoing problem. For Twitter, the day is fast approaching where the community will look elsewhere. My contention is that it already has. Sure people will stay on Twitter in the short term, but only until a critical mass of the community aggregates somewhere else. that is part of the reason Plurk is getting so much attention and why people are trying to make FriendFeed work a bit more like Twitter. The above post was not about blaming Twitter for its lack a scalability. it was about the community leaving because of the lack of scalability.

Geek Mommy
20 hours ago

I don't necessarily agree that the community leaves due to lack of scalability - it's leaving because the scalability issues aren't being mitigated by a good Community Evangelist. While Twitter has upped their communication regarding their issues, the feeling that they're invested in not losing their users still isn't being communicated. A little effort in that regard goes a long way.
I don't necessarily agree that the community leaves due to lack of scalability - it's leaving because the scalability issues aren't being mitigated by a good Community Evangelist. While Twitter has upped their communication regarding their issues, the feeling that they're invested in not losing their users still isn't being communicated. A little effort in that regard goes a long way.

Christiananderson
12 hours ago

Geek Mommy nails it. Twitter, we love you and don't want to leave you, but you seem to almost be pushing us away. just tell us what we want to hear and we'll stay... for a while. You're right, Twitter is in dire need of some communications counsel. They got a bit more transparent with the cause of the downtime and issues they were/are having, but that is not enough. Twitter, treat us like you like us. Tell us when you're having a problem, let us know what the plan is. reassure us.
Geek Mommy nails it. Twitter, we love you and don't want to leave you, but you seem to almost be pushing us away. just tell us what we want to hear and we'll stay... for a while. You're right, Twitter is in dire need of some communications counsel. They got a bit more transparent with the cause of the downtime and issues they were/are having, but that is not enough. Twitter, treat us like you like us. Tell us when you're having a problem, let us know what the plan is. reassure us.

Willem
10 hours ago

Isn't it the way things go since the Twitter's primary community is made up of early adopters? New services more innovative keep making up the Web trends and though geeks keep it moving, testing, etc.
Isn't it the way things go since the Twitter's primary community is made up of early adopters? New services more innovative keep making up the Web trends and though geeks keep it moving, testing, etc.

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter Killer... Or, is Twitter Already Dead?

christiananderson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:59:10 -0000

Related comments from FriendFeed resulting from my Tweet on the subject:

Duncan Riley, Steve Rubel, Leo Laporte, Robert Scoble, and others weigh in...

http://friendfeed.com/e/0b8e3aa0-11e2-e9d7-c4ea...

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter Killer... Or, is Twitter Already Dead?

christiananderson — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:41:42 -0000

Thanks, Tony, for reading and the thoughtful comment. It is early, but that is the only time to make bold proclamations. hopefully i am wrong. I too have heard that the API numbers are off the chart, but its not the nearness of FriendFeed in users that worries me for Twitter (I'm not sure FF can ever blow up and go mainstream the way Twitter seems to be). What makes me think Twitter could be dead already is the shallowing of the curve.

With the every early adopter Influential on the planet already on Twitter and pubs like BW (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/...) writing about Twitter, i would expect the growth curve to be getting steeper, not shallower.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a Twitter fan. I'm even quoted in the BW story raving about Twitter.

I want Twitter to succeed, but with its continued downtime prompting TechCrunch and others to write about Twitter being up (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/06/twitter-su...) is one more indicator that Twitter may be beyond the point of no return.

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter vs Plurk

christiananderson — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:12:53 -0000

great thoughts! thanks so much for contributing. please comment often. maybe even guest post?

i was kicking around a follow-up post. i think i will go ahead with it. it should address several of the points you raise.

christian

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter vs Plurk

christiananderson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:32:18 -0000

The comparison is they are both microblogging sites. That said, there certainly can be differences in how one uses each. Further, Plurk has more FriendFeed-like conversation features than Twitter.

I agree too that Twitter has evolved into an information portal. I check Twitter first for breaking news. Plurk users are still feeling out Plurk and much of the conversation I see is around how to use it effectively and who is on Plurk. If / as more people migrate over to Plurk, you'll see the tenor of conversations change and evolve into something that closer resembles what you're used to on Twitter / FriendFeed.

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter vs Plurk

christiananderson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:21:46 -0000

I didn't use the phrase Twitter-killer in reference to Plurk, nor would I. I did say others have wondered aloud whether FriendFeed might be. I don't think either are. The only Twitter killer will be Twitter.

Plurk will have to dial back the Karma stuff and tweak the language if they want massive geek adoption. Plurk in its current form is too teenage-girl -- unless of course, that is the demo they want.

Geeks too will want a mobile app, a desktop app and open APIs. We're spoiled by Twitter and it will take all of those pieces for a Twitter replacement to get real traction.

(UPDATE: oops, i kind of did wonder aloud if Plurk might be a Twitter killer. In its current form, its not. I stick by my assertion that the only Twitter killer is Twitter.)

Re: MEDIAdeluge - How Would You Have Written PR Secrets for Startups?

christiananderson — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:57:05 -0000

HERE IS MY FEEDBACK ON BRIAN'S TC POST. BRIAN ALSO POSTED AS A COMMENT ON HIS BLOG:

Hi Brian,

I'm a fan and agree with much of what you posted. the topic was good and kudos to TC for running it. that said, I took a crack at an edit that might have worked a bit better for the TC crowd.

You're welcome to post this as a comment, but it is intended to be feedback on another way to compose the TC post versus commentary on what you wrote.

PR is now more than ever, something more capable and influential than simply writing and sending press releases to contacts generated by media databases. The media landscape has been completely blown open to not only include traditional media, but also bloggers and most importantly the very people we want to reach, our customers.

Applying Traditional and New PR Methods for Startups

Every VC, as well as every successful entrepreneur, will tell you, great PR can make you, whereas bad or mediocre PR can stifle your growth and possibly damage existing and prospective relationships. And, they all have ideas on how you should proceed. But right now, the main thing that stands between you and success are users and customers – and good press (traditional and new media) builds the bridge between you and them.

These are critical times for your business and you can’t simply entrust the future of your brand to anyone who knows how to write a press release, place it on the wire, and send it in email. The following tips are designed to provide insight into the PR process so that you can navigate the seas of everything required for creating, implementing, and assessing successful PR programs.

#3 - You are the Company Brand
You, as founder, are critical to the PR process. Introduce yourself to bloggers or reporters offline and online to start building relationships with influencers who will help craft and guide your company across the market adoption bell curve. Read and comment on their work. Send a brief intro email well before you want to pitch a story. Attend one of the many tech networking events in your area to build your social capital, meet those who can help you, and those who you, in turn, can help as well. Participation is marketing and by actively participating in both the online and real worlds, you forge relationships that will help your brand and social capital grow.

Keep in mind, how you participate online and in the real world also contributes to your online brand – especially in the realm of social media. Comments, social network profiles, blog posts, pictures you share, etc., are all discoverable in traditional search engines and new media search tools.

#4 - Identify Your Markets and the People Who Matter
Now more than ever, it’s important to realize that there is no “one” audience for your story. This step allows you to identify which voices, blogs or media outlets reach the groups of people that matter to you right now and at every step of your growth (you’ll see that it evolves along with your company).

#8- Make the News Newsworthy
It never ceases to amaze me just how few pitches to journalists or bloggers can actually summarize what they do and why it matters. Focus on the elevator pitch and make it compelling, memorable, and relevant. Brevity and customization is key.

Make sure to summarize each news announcement with a couple of statements and bullets to quickly showcase why anyone should care. Package the story differently for each person you’re hoping to reach as each WILL have different needs. Take the time to pull relevant screen shots, create user accounts for each person if necessary, customize video demos and screen casts, and anything else someone may need to write a story instead of having to spend precious time doing your work for you. Yes, it’s time consuming. But this is about building individual relationships and not about broadcasting spam.

#2 - Pick the Right Person/Team to Lead PR
Your investors or advisors will tell you one of two things, usually starting with “you need PR.” If you do decide to hire an internal PR person or team or engage a PR agency, there are some important things to consider. When you do meet with PR people, evaluate them based on their ability to tell you succinctly who they have represented and pay attention to how well they summarize each company and what they do. Also quiz them on whether or not they understand the market, tech, benefits and the challenge as it relates to you specifically. Having existing relationships and the ability to show previous results is not optional.

The two most important things to ask a potential PR consultant or agency are:
1. Do you have the bandwidth required to help us achieve these defined objectives and – if it’s an agency
2. Who’s going to work on my account and if it’s not you, can I meet the others on the team as well.

If you're considering do-it-yourself PR, please take a moment to read a great post by Glen Kelman of Redfin.

#5 - Create a Launch Plan
Determine those reporters and bloggers who should be part of the initial news discussions. Allow journalists and bloggers adequate time to prepare is critical. I’m a HUGE proponent of the "less is more" embargo* strategy to try to
1. Demonstrate appreciation for those we want to work with - it's different with each type of announcement we feel is truly "newsworthy" as is the audiences it's best suited; and
2. Reduce or eliminate the chance that someone might break the embargo by running early (usually by mistake, sometimes we learn the hard way though.) Embargoes and exclusives are not to be manipulated or taken advantage of. Please respect them and the people you’re working with.

*A quick note on embargoes and exclusives. Embargoes are a form of sharing news with media where they agree to not publish the news before an agreed upon date/time. Whereas exclusives require that you give your story to one person, and one person only. Choose carefully, as once someone runs with their story; chances are that other newsmakers will pass.

#6 - No Two Bloggers or Journalists are Created Equal
Do your homework. Once you’ve identified those whom you’d like to work with before and after the news date, make sure you account for individual preferences for contact before they reach out. This is about relationships and creating a value cycle from PR to bloggers, journalists and ultimately to the people we want to reach with our news. This hopefully isn’t the last time you’ll reach out to them, so work with them, their way, in order to earn the opportunity to collaborate again.

#7 - Determine What Success Looks Like and How to Measure It
PR can be measured by conversations sparked online due to initial coverage, referring traffic as well as registrations and/or downloads. Analysis and measurement will reveal a path for prioritizing your targets now and in the future. Establishing metrics at the beginning is important for setting expectations on both sides as well as establishing the bar for performance. Coverage is important, but no one can ever predict or guarantee whether or not top tier media or A-list blogs will cover a particular story. However, establishing a quantity (based on quality) of coverage to shoot for is healthy, as long as you take into consideration an attrition factor.

Be realistic in the number of visitors you establish as a metric. Also, make sure the site’s registration or download process is simple and that the messages around it are short and powerful. PR can bring traffic all day long, but if visitors aren’t reminded as to why they’re there or if the process is at all too cumbersome, the conversion ratio of visitors to users will quickly diminish.

#1 - Understand You’re Not the Only Story in Town
Bloggers and reporters are busy people. They’re actively looking for the most interesting, relevant, and linkable stories out there, preferably before anyone else can run with it. They’re interested in good stories and the more time you spend developing that story up front, for each person you’re trying to reach, the more you can help them help you.

#9 - Become or Identify an Incredible Spokesperson
I’ve witnessed thousands of startup presentations and many are painful to endure. Company founders are naturally enthusiastic and passionate about their product, but unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily make them the best spokesperson. Not everyone can be Loic Le Meur, Jason Calacanis, Steve Jobs, etc.

Take the time to craft your pitch so that it's solid, tight and compelling. As hard as it is to pass the torch, this is one of those times where you really don’t have much of a choice if you’re not absolutely, 100% the best voice of the company. All hope isn’t lost however. Media and presentation training is an inexpensive and painless process. When tied to a tight elevator (or escalator) pitch and convincing messaging platform, you may indeed emerge as the ideal spokesperson for your brand.

#10 - Your Company Blog is More Powerful Than You May Think
I’m sure you’ve all read that having a company blog is critical to maintaining communication with your community. First, don’t under estimate it. Second, don’t over estimate it. A blog is the voice and the soapbox for thought leadership, vision, solutions, milestones, and advice. At the very least, it contributes to the personality of your corporate brand. The best blogs become a resource and a destination, which helps improve your bottom line. For example, Google’s official blog is number 14 in Technorati’s Top 100 list of popular blogs.

Maybe this goes without saying, but I’m going to mention it anyway. Don’t break your news on your blog!

#11 - Bloggers Relations Extends from the “A-List” to the Magic Middle
The best communications strategies will envelop not only authorities in new and traditional media, but also those voices in the "Magic Middle" of the attention curve. The Magic Middle, as David Sifry defined it, are the bloggers who have from 20-1000 other people linking to them. It is this group that enables PR people to reach The Long Tail and they help carry information and discussions among your customers directly in a true peer-to-peer approach. And, in many cases, these bloggers are your prospective customers. Its effects on the bottom line are constant and measurable over time.

#12 - Follow the Conversations and Participate in Them
As much as media and blogger relations drive traffic and increase your user base, we can’t overlook the importance of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Pownce, Jaiku, DIGG, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Delicious, Diigo, FriendFeed, Ning, Mixx, Bebo, Get Satisfaction, Google and Yahoo Groups (among many, many others). When executed and managed correctly, and genuinely, the referring numbers can outperform the best articles and posts and the relationships that you create within these networks will prove incredibly valuable throughout the life of your company.

Listening is as important as publishing, and the best listeners make the best conversationalists. Make sure to keep a Google Alert for your company, spokespersons, and products. Reading and responding is critical to managing perception, sharing expertise, and building loyalty.

Summary
There’s no question, you have to compete for attention and in order to do so effectively and genuinely, you may need someone who can help tell your story, the right way, through the people who reach your customers. However, this post was intended to help you be successful if you choose to lead a DIY PR campaign. It's completely possible to do it yourself too!

It’s not an overnight process and it’s not something to “be gamed.” It’s a process of investing in, building and leveraging relationships now and in the long term. And yes, if you do things the right way, bloggers, reporters, and analysts will want to talk to you about your company and vision along the way – so it’s important that you stay involved in the process of strategic PR.

Create a PR strategy that combines traditional and new media best practices, promotes your vision and expertise, and empowers the people on your team to share relevant and compelling stories specific to the individuals and groups you want to reach.

Build your community through PR and direct participation and remember, this is all about people.

Re: 2904 S Washington St

christiananderson — Mon, 26 May 2008 21:13:24 -0000

Thanks for the advice! I was at a birthday party on Saturday for a four year old and the dads were all shooting the girls digital SLRs and i was wondering why. My little Cannon point and shoot is great for that sort of thing. We have not quite reached recital age. Do you recommend a specific SLR?

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter is for Microblogging

christiananderson — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:12:36 -0000

Thanks for giving the blog a read. What don't you get?

Re: MEDIAdeluge - Twitter vs. FriendFeed

christiananderson — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:34:51 -0000

Thanks for sharing the link. I just ran it and it worked well. i was surprised at the number of my Twitter contacts not on FriendFeed.