Buzz has been alive and kicking for a full 2 weeks!  In my last blog I covered what buzz isn’t. Before I could explain what it was I needed to wait for some statistics to come out. Today the statistics came out and I am very proud to say I was right!

Buzz is a very important response to SEO bate and switches that have been haunting Google for years now. SEO companies have been creating page systems that look like content but are really just meaningless data. The goal of these systems is to create a complex system that pumps a client’s page to the top of Google’s organic search rankings.

Now that you understand the problem that Google is attempting to tackle with buzz lets talk about how it works.

1. The way many of these SEO systems work are through blogs that contain useless information and links.

2. Google reader has had a useless disconnected share feature for years. With buzz Google finally did something with it.
(Look at how much sharing Google has actually encouraged through)…

3. Using the shared reader data Google is able to add one more key matrix to SEO. Buzz allows Google to rank blogs on content.

4. Google is able to pull conversations around posts into its own ecosystem which will further benefit its SEO.

Finally Google is very aware of a huge change that hitwise highlighted a while back. In December for the first time ever Social Media sent more traffic to websites than searches… check it out

Google should be  worried because this is how they make their money. People click on the paid links by the millions and Google gets paid.

Next post: Dont Get Buzz 3… What Buzz means for Business

Following up on Mike’s previous post about Google Buzz, I totally get the furor about it. The service definitely needs work, and Google has definitely made a whole lot of big mistakes.

But hey, it’s new. That’s the downside of a service being released by such a huge, publicly visible company. Twitter and Facebook were NOT famous when they were released. They weren’t globally famous for years after they were founded. They had plenty of time to make changes, fixes, and tweaks based on quiet user feedback. Google Buzz had the disadvantage of going very public, very quickly. It wasn’t finished. And it got slammed. Now I wonder whether Google will have enough time to fix it and realize its potential before it gets laughed out of existence.

I think it would be nice if Buzz went back to beta. Google definitely needs more time to tweak it, and they need a setting to get real constructive criticism instead of media snarking. I still think the service has a lot of potential. I like Pete Cashmore’s take on it. If you insist on using an analogy to define Buzz, try this one. Think of Facebook as the local bar, where you go to hang out with your friends, play some games, and just shoot the breeze. Think of Twitter as the village square where you get all the news and have public conversations. It’s a public forum. Then you have Buzz, which SHOULD eventually become a place to focus detailed conversations on IDEAS. Not news, not people, not “what are you doing” or those awesome photos you took on your trip to Cabo this spring, man. It’s a platform to talk about content and have major brainstorming sessions about concepts and projects.

If Facebook is the local bar and Twitter is the town square, Google Buzz (I hope) will be the local college campus.

I’ve said before that I like Google Wave as a productivity tool–an easy way to keep work projects neat, tidy, and collaborative at the office. I don’t find much utility for connecting with friends about random things. It’s a business thing, and I like it that way. I think Buzz will end up being sort of similar in market, although I hope more concept-oriented and less business-y.

If it lasts that long.

If you don’t get Google Buzz that’s ok because most people don’t. The network has merit and is important but you have to know what to expect.

Below is a list of things Google Buzz is not.. (Even though everyone is trying to say it is)

Buzz is not…

If you think you are joining another twitter you might be disappointed.  Twitter is great for engaging on conversations. On buzz conversations happen but in a different way. I have read the hundreds of blogs that say Buzz is Twitter+FriendFeed but they are wrong. I understand how the mistake can be made. To be honest I made the mistake and I was wrong.  Twitter is about short quick conversations happening at a rapid pace, it is a much different experience than having long engaged posts about content.

Buzz is not…

Facebook is a network that is locked down tighter than your grandmas lawn chair. Facebook is all about Privacy privacy privacy and more privacy! If you want to be found by only people that know you than this is the network for you. There are almost never any surprises on this network. You have your people that play games, the people that use it to post links only, the people who engage in conversations about how much they like sunglasses. Its a network of people who share stuff going on in their lives… that you know!

Buzz is not…

Sorry everyone that would declare buzz and friendfeed the same thing… they are not. Buzz may share some elements but it is something different. If you don’t use Google reader often/ don’t share stuff on it than this knock might not make sense. Google reader is what sets Google buzz apart. Google buzz has the best RSS integration ever. I can literally see the best of what people are reading in their RSS readers because they share it. I don’t have to find the links or blogs they are come to me.

Dont get me wrong buzz shares elements with these networks…

Open searches like Twitter

Full comment threads like Facebook

Buzz can even be a hub of Social media like Friendfeed

But to say one is like the other isnt really fair… In time people will figure out that Buzz is different… sadly that will take some time. If I were to point to any social network that buzz would be closest too I’d have to pick…

Or

More on that next time!

This presentation was given as the Keynote at the Digital Book World Conference by Shiv Singh - VP & Global Social Media Lead with Razorfish.

Definitely something publishing and newspaper industry-heads should look at.
Let us know what you think….

To be completely honest, this should probably be Part 1.5. This isn’t actually a blog (it’s a shopping site, I think) and I don’t actually know what they’re saying because it’s all in Dutch. I don’t speak Dutch. However, I think the animation on this site is absolutely gorgeous. Click on the site and just wait and watch. The animation will start in a second. Really fantastic, I promise. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

http://producten.hema.nl/

Oh my God, did you click? Did you watch? It’s amazing, RIGHT? I have no idea exactly what the little pop-up at the end is advertising, but I just LOVE this concept. It’s like an online Rube Goldberg project. It’s fun, engaging, and visually beautiful. It doesn’t hurt that it shows off the technical expertise of the site builders, as well as the fun aesthetic of the people who own it. I think business would be a LOT more fun if everybody incorporated this kind of sense of humor and attention to detail.

On an only-vaguely-related note, anybody who speaks Dutch want to tell me what the site is ABOUT?

Google buzz is out! It was out yesterday however I didn’t have access until today. As with any new social network buzz is going to take time for it to find its place and function. Keep in mind that Google buzz is still a very young network (like 2 days old) clearly this means that it is not the final product. After using the product for about 15 minutes I think there is huge opportunity for business. However buzz is going to require engagement on the next level! Without a search feature you are going to need to be interesting to gain a following.

Some notes on Google Buzz

1. Google buzz does feature twitter “integration”. I put that in quotes because it will post your tweets to your buzz account. However buzz doesn’t use the O-auth or function like an API. Im not a fan of this because I always have and always will dream of the world when everything I want is on one dashboard… (I know there are a few sites that try but they are laggy and frustrating).

2. As far as I can tell google buzz lacks a searching feature … like twitter search which is ironic Apparently buzz does offer a twitter search look in comments blow great tip..

3. This is a network that will take some time to generate momentum… while this point may seem obvious… Google has millions of gmail accounts so some might assume an instant hit. However when you look at the bell curve gmail is nearing the laggard phase of adoption. That means many users are going to ignore it until everyone else figures it out.

4. Some evidence suggests that the product might be getting released a little ahead of schedule because of the so called “Facebook Titan project”. (Gmail v Facebook) This could be the reason why google buzz noticeably ignores Facebook as a social component.

5. There are many people suggesting that Google buzz will turn into a Digg or Reddit personally I cant imagine that google would have made such a large investment if that was the goal. The digg conclusion doesn’t seem logical because Google probably would have just purchased a company like it… (hipstr has been toying with selling for a while now)

If you are still wondering what the heck Im talking about here is a quick video about Google buzz…

I don’t go gaga over websites too often, but this one just made my jaw drop. From the cutting edge design, to the complete integration from every digital touch point, to the overall inspiration based concept - this digital creation - hands down - wins in my book.

Lego Click: According to adverblog, LegoClick “is a a virtual canvas of ideas, inspired moments, quirky stories, solutions and tips, working as a collaborative plateform to inspire people.” In my opinion it could quite possibly be the best designed site, I’ve ever seen. In addition, the collaboration and brand integrated ethos behind the execution is what is truly genius. A must see for any designer and/or marketer!

Below is the short film that Lego did to unveil their brilliance. Go forth and explore Click! more….

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT want to get involved in a political debate and I am making NO statement about any of these candidates. I just want to know what people think of this ad by Carly Fiorina for Senate. Is this the most bizarre campaign ad you’ve ever seen or did I eat some bad shellfish?

Zombie Wolf in Sheep\’s Clothing

I think I’m going to do a series on blogs I like. Some of them might not seem like they have much to do with media or advertising at first glance, but stick with me. I promise they’ll be relevant.

For Part I in this series of Blogs I Like, I’m going to start with Put This On. Their tagline, “How to dress like a grownup,” pretty well says it all. This is a style blog aimed at men, and probably most resonant with guys in the business world who want to look professional, polished, and modern, without looking like a) their dads, b) Steve Urkel, or c) douchebags. It’s a fine line.

Not Good

Good

Obviously it’s a good idea to dress well if you are attempting to make a business deal or get a job or impress people in any way. But it is also a good idea to keep things simple and classy, which is where Put This On comes in. In addition to giving sound style advice (and trust me, gentlemen, I am a GIRL and, as such, I am fully qualified to expound on what looks good on guys), the blog promotes smaller clothiers, vintage shops, and other style blogs. They are also working on videos about specific style subjects, though to date they have only completed one (with excellent production values–Denim).  The thing I really like about this blog is that they practice what they preach–they keep the aesthetics of their site clean, polished, and classy, while providing exceptional content.

And NOW we get to my point about this site. Quality content, sound advice, beautiful aesthetics, and generous cross-promotion. This is the model all websites should adopt. Take heed, media folk. Take heed, and Put This On.

In case you missed it the Grammys were on CBS last night. I say in case because not many people missed them, the ratings were up 33%… I was part of that 33%.

My wife and I weren’t going to watch the Grammys, neither of us ever have. In general we are not huge fans of award shows and our dial rarely ever goes below Channel 4.  However last night something happened. As we were on twitter and Facebook we took notice of all the post’s talking about how crazy this Gaga person looked. Other posts were highlighting how amazing the Black Eyed Peas did, and still others that poked fun at every opportunity.  It was at that moment we realized we had a choice watch the Grammys or find ourselves irrelevant.

Last night CBS added eyes via Social media are you?