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New Comm Biz

New media strategies for business

What the Postal Service Can Learn from the WebDecember 3

People often talk about how the Web turned traditional business models on their head. But do we really understand the full significance of that? I’d like to give you an example.

With the holiday season quickly approaching we will all be using the postal service during the worst possible time.

How does the postal service make their money?

They charge postage. 1st class, which is what most of us use, pays the most per ounce. Bulk rate (aka junk mail) pays the least. The bulk rate customers are the postal services *power users*. They use the service the most and pay the least.

The postal service is suffering as more and more 1st class customers use their service less and less. Paying bills online. Sending eGreeting cards. Sending emails instead of letters. Sending photo’s digitally instead of through the mail.

The bottom line is the customers who pay the most - and send the highest quality content - are being incentivized to use the service the least. The customers who pay the least for their service - and arguably send the lowest quality content - shoulder the least amount of the financial burden.

Ask, and TweetDeck GivethDecember 2

Image by via CrunchBase

I love TweetDeck. There are very few apps that I would declare a love affair with. If it wasn’t for TweetDeck there is no way I could be as effective, efficient and engaged as I am on Twitter with 1400+ followers. Dividing multiple followers into multiple columns is a true life saver.

It also has brilliant integration with TwitScoop (Twitter search) and 12seconds, if you’re into video.

I just have two problems with it.

1 - I run multiple laptops and have Tweetdeck installed on all of them. I also have multiple groups set up. Trying to go back and recreate each of those groups is a huge pain. Being able to synch multiple Tweetdecks would be a huge advantage.

So I asked

Tools I Use - ZemantaNovember 26

Image by Zemanta via CrunchBase

It’s been a while since I wrote about the latest Web 2.0 or blogging tools that I use, and there are a bunch of new ones. The latest and greatest Blog tool I’ve been using is Zemanta.

If you’ve been a regular follower of my blog you’ll have noticed the links in the bottom of my posts and a *Reblog* button.

I don’t remember who’s blog I first saw Zemanta on but I started using it a while ago and have really enjoyed the extra layer of information and ease it adds to my blogging.

I use Zemanta on all of my blogs, even the ones at HP, where I just coordinate the actual blog posting for some of our VP’s

The Zemanta Plugins

I’m No Political Pundit but I Know the Power of the Web.November 13

Image via Wikipedia

On two occasions here, on this blog, I’ve stepped way out of my comfort zone and made political predictions. They were both made on the same theory though. I’m a pretty good judge of people and their capabilities and I know how powerful the Web is.

Back in April of 2007 I made the claim that Idaho Republicans would lose a record number of elections in 2008. That prediction was made because of John Foster leaving his position at the Idaho Business Review where he revolutionized the paper’s Web presence and taking up the role as Executive Director for the Idaho Democratic Party.

Later in July of this year I had to *adjust* my prediction because John left his position at the Democratic party to head communications for Walt Minnick’s Congressi

What if you don’t live in Silicon Valley?November 12

Image via Wikipedia

Building Social Media Communities in the Real World.

Some of my astute readers (if I have any left) may have noticed that I haven’t posted here in almost a month. Don’t think that this means I haven’t been blogging.

OK and no I haven’t been blogging on my HP blog, Marketing Impressions. And no, I haven’t been contributing to the Conversations Matter blog (sorry Michael Brito).

But I still hold out that I’m not a slacker. I have been building a tech/social media community… in Boise, Idaho.

Many of you know that I am an Entrepreneur in Residence at Highway 12 Ventures. I of course still have my day job at HP. But you may not know (although you probably do) that I also run the TechBoise blog, hold monthly events as well as regular Boise area Tweetups.

Those of you who don’t live in a major tech sector no what I’m talking about when I say that Silicon Valley isn’t the *real world* (heck many of you who do live in SV know what I’m talk