Related subjects:
software
Social media
disqus
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The Musical Les Misérables is the epic battle of Jean Valjean with himself and police officer Javert. Is he the man who he thinks he is or is het number 24601 as labelled by police for stealing a bread? As the musical goes on, ofcourse, Jean will find himself. But it didn’t come easy.
So what has our friend Jean got to do with websites you may think. Everything. A lot of companies and people working there get in trouble when being asked the same question: Who am I? Usually this question pops up when their corporate website has been built and content is needed.
Most people know from marketing how to present themselves as the person or company they want to pretend to be. But people visiting the website aren’t interested to be told about something anymore, they want to experience themselves what the company and people working there are about. Welcome to the age of social media.
Now this is something quite new to web designers and web developers. Content Management Systems (CMS) flourish as the client can put in his own texts. Everybody has a voice now on Twitter as well, so being Web 2.0 you include this as well. But more important, the bottom line of presenting a website has changed. Visitors want to experience themselves. Uncensored.
Building our new Arlanet 2010 online presence we are facing the same challenge. Sure, we can build websites and oh yeah, they look pretty, but I would trade it all away for some good user experience. Being professionals, ofcourse we want to include all three into one website, as this would be our masterpiece if we can achieve this.
We want our new website to give each visitor their own experience. Some will like it, some will dislike it, but I believe being true to who you really are will also attract the (potential) clients that will fit with your company better. We want our online presence to reflect the company and people working there. Now that’s an epic challenge if you ask me.
Related subjects:
entrepreneur
cms
websites
it
social media
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When I tell people I have a blog they ask me why I am blogging. Isn’t that so early 2000? Then I have to tell them: “No, I am not blogging. I am sharing my thoughts with the world and anybody who reads it can comment on it and share his thoughts back.”. Ah, now that is something different, right? Wrong. The word ‘blogging’ is just overused and anybody who makes a hobby out of petting grasshoppers and stuff will write about it too. It doesn’t mean you have to do that. No offense, but I’d rather write about other stuff.
Two weeks ago I finally started twittering. Now I have to answer the question why I’m posting my visits to the toilet and picking my nose. I am not! That’s called shittering by the way, I don’t do that stuff, although a lot of creative stuff can occur at these moments. Now I have to tell them: “No, I am not twittering. I am posting new stuff about things that have my interest and read other people’s posts so I can keep up with the latest stuff.”. Is that different as well? Right. I use Twitter as a tool for my business activities and a propaganda tower for my blog (sorry, too much C&C Generals).
There seems some kind of taboo for blogging, using twitter and other social media when you apply this to your business activities. But I can tell you, the world is changing fast and you better move along with it. Social technologies are propelled with the use of daily life activities that aren’t work related, but business and private life are blending in more and more.
When I look at myself, I am now blogging and twittering. We are preparing a new business website for the company also based on social media and creating a platform instead of a website. I get home early when I can to see the kids, then work late when necessary. Anytime I just want to sit in the yard or on the couch, I grab my phone to read through the new posts and update or reply some others.
Technology has enriched my life, that’s a great feature.
Related subjects:
social media
entrepreneur
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Social is hot. Even when it doesn’t mean anything, social makes it cool. But how social is this thing? I might be blogging this post from the toilet and update my Shitter (Twitter on toilet) at the same time. For blog’s sake I can guarantee you it’s not :-)
More of our daily lives is moving online and people spend most of their travel time staring at their laptops, iphones or blackberries. Makes me wonder if that’s social or not. To your network it is, to the people around you it’s not. So please someone give me the definition of social?
Looking at the playground in front of me I see all those kids play. Makes me wonder when they’re going to trade their toys for a phone and stop punching each other in real. They’ll be sending out nasty tweets instead and litter each other’s facebook. Now how is dad gonna keep an eye on that?
Related subjects:
social media
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Yesterday I sat in the plane with an older couple next to me, somewhere in their fifties. Ok, some of you might say, that’s not old. I’m 31 so that’s old to me. Strange thing was, I was the one feeling the senior here…
As soon as the couple sat down in their seats they got hold of their notebooks and kept on jamming the keys until take-off finally caught up with them. Totally in control, they saved their file, shut down the notebook and put it in the sack in front of them. But then… they forgot to send something to their grandchilderen! Pops pulled out his Blackberry, jotted a message, took a pic and sent it out before the plane left.
My response? I grabbed my book. Ouch.
The good part here I was reading Gary Vaynerchuck’s ‘Crush It’ telling me all about social media and how to catch up with all these people. That’s why I’m diggin’ it now on Tumblr and Twitter right now and I must say it’s pretty addictive. No Facebook for me though, kind of cursing in The Netherlands as we’re the only people on this planet which are Western and don’t use Facebook (we have Hyves actually).
The social virus is catching up with me and changing my life each day for a bit. In the end I might end up like a techy, but hey what the **** I own a software company so that’s not too bad. Finally makes me understand all those programmers!
So my response next time in the plane?
Grab my e-book, download the newest book online before take-off and smile to the people next to me. That must be awesome to do.
Related subjects:
entrepreneur
social media
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