Six Pixels of Separation - Marketing and Communications Blog and Podcast - By Mitch Joel at Twist Image

And with a headline like that, I'm sure everyone interested in SEO - Search Engine Optimization is now reading.

Back in the early nineties I published a national (and free) magazine called Enrage Magazine. It was all about bridging new culture. I had this crazy idea that bands like Slayer could coexist alongside Green Day and that stories about cyber culture could line up nicely with articles about Jim Rose and his Circus Sideshow. In fact, I recently came across this item (courtesy of Mark Shainblum) - Enrage On Net! (I think it was meant to be a press release). Check out this quote of mine from 1994: "The Net and other digital media are the future of publishing... We must be out there getting our message across in this medium or we risk becoming irrelevant." Mark also makes this interesting comment: "Enrage, published by Mitch Joel, was arguably one of the earliest magazines in the world to go online. When I laid eyes on the World Wide Web for the first time, on a Sun SPARCstation running Mosaic, my words were already there. That was an experience."

What did I know? This Internet thing is still probably just a fad ;)

Back to the story... the first issue of Enrage had a cover story feature on the Internet. Circle back to those times and the Web was still extremely nascent. The latest breakthrough (beyond the basic Web Browser) was hypertext - the ability to have links on a page that people could click on and be transported to another page. I know, it sounds so basic and lame, but at that point in time, this was breakthrough technology. The point of hypertext was to help link related pieces of content together, to help foster some kind of cohesion around the many different voices that were popping up online, and to make the content increasingly easier to find and organize.

We tend to forget where we came from, and we tend to only look at where we're going.

Now, links are all about Google Juice. Links are only about increasing your visibility in a search engine to increase traffic or acting as some kind of digital beacon to let another website know that you've mentioned them. If you read this Six Pixels of Separation Blog on a regular (or even semi-regular) basis, you'll notice that I link to everything. If I mention Google, Facebook or Twitter, I still hyperlink to them on the first mention. Do I really believe that I am increasing my searchability by doing this? Do I think that companies of that size are even noticing that I'm mentioning them?

The answer is "no" to both.

I link to make your online experience that much better. I know full well that you know how to type in www.google.com into your browser, but that isn't the point. First off, I want to make the experience seamless for you, so adding in clickable links that enable you to move around the Web is simply a common courtesy. Second, what has always made me love the digital space is the non-linear and non-hierarchical nature of it. Links give you this amazing freedom that regular text can't. It takes you from a two-dimensional context into a three-dimensional matrix-like grid world where the words can literally transpose you all over the place and into a forest of new and exciting content.

So, maybe the power of reciprocated links is loosing some steam in the search engine optimization world. Maybe if you can't benefit from that in terms of increased traffic or a higher PageRank, there is no real point in taking the time to add links.

I think differently.

I think links are what makes reading content online so interesting, engaging, exciting and fresh. I choose to link in hopes that others do as well. I choose to link in hopes that it becomes standard operating procedure and a best practice for online content. I choose to link so that you can choose where you want to go now or next. Linking has become way too much about what it can do for the content creator. I think it's time to go back to the beginning and start linking because it's about what it can do for the reader and their online experience.

This is a mash-up...

Two individually awesome things that make up one even more amazingly awesome thing.

Enjoy.

(hat tip - Julien Smith)

There have been many back channels emails asking me who the "major electronics retailer" featured in my Blog posting, Like It Or Not, Your Website Is Part Of Your Company (And A Big One), from yesterday was. I run a different kind of ship here at Six Pixels of Separation. I don't name names in hopes of getting some kind of equitable resolution for myself. Plus, let's face it: they know exactly who they are (note: I have Blogged about specific companies in the past, but I have been doing my best to shy away from this over time).

The whole premise of Blogging - from my perspective - is to foster social change among all entrepreneurs and businesses. My hopes are that by not naming names, all companies will read a Blog posting like yesterday's and say: "is he talking about us?" or, "I know he's not talking about us, but how do we handle situations like that?"

The other reason I shy away from names is that I don't like reading highly trafficked Blogs where the main Blogger is using their platform to get some kind of personal resolution clouded in a grander message that by solving their individual problem the company is now "listening to the conversation." I know many like the voyeuristic nature of this type of content, and I know others who simply enjoy the "sticking it to The Man" undertones, but I don't think each unique incident is a "win" for the Blogger or the company. To me, it feels more like an individual case of someone exacting some form of Social Media vigilante justice.

As Bloggers we don't want to hear that companies have policies. We want to hear that they treat each and every customer as an individual and fulfill that need in a special way. While the company may look great in the eyes of the Blogosphere for "listening to the conversation" and acting, it is a very hot potato (whether we like it or not). There is a significant cost and internal shift that has to take place within a company to even monitor the many online channels, figure out how to respond and deliver on that response. As more and more customers become instant publishers (Bloggers, Podcasters, using Twitter, or building up massive "friends" lists in the online social networks), companies will have to figure out which policies work, which ones get tossed and what their overall level of a satisfactory resolution really means (yes, more policies). Because this is not about Bloggers, this is about customers (and, the customer is always right... right?).

And that's the bigger point: just because an individual Blogs about a bad customer experience and only gets a fraction of what they requested to "make it better" does not mean that the company is not listening, is not reacting and is not doing everything it can to resolve the situation. All it really means is that the company didn't do everything that the specific Blogger requested (and, let's face it, some Bloggers aren't helping the scenario when the requests are a little insane). Sometimes the Blogger is right in their request and sometimes the company is right in their settlement offer... and sometimes those two solutions simply don't match up.

As individuals build their personal brands and grow audiences based on the digital footprint they are creating, it is important for companies to be paying attention to the conversation (we all know how much time I spend Blogging about that particular issue), but I also think it's important to realize that one social media vigilante who is exacting justice for themselves does not mean customer service justice for all.

Preliminary note #1: this is not a customer service rant.

Preliminary note #2: I love these types of stores (I can't walk by one without going in).

Every Friday we receive flyers in the Montreal Gazette from the leading electronics retailers. I simply can't get enough of them. I love checking out every page, comparing prices, seeing what's new... you get the idea.

I scoped out a Dell laptop last week (RichardatDell would be proud). I did my online research, I even went to the retailer's website to check the "in-store availability." When I saw that multiple stores in my area had it available, I opted not to buy it online and headed over to retail. I feel bad for a lot of these major electronics store. In the day and age of the Internet, it's hard to have strong sales people. Most people come into the store informed, knowledgeable and ready to go. You can tell that most of these minimum wage employees are simply not up to speed.

I pointed to the laptop I wanted and said, "I'll take it." After waiting around for about five minutes, the sales associate came back and informed me that they had none left. I referred them to the "in-store availability" section of their website, to which he responded, "yeah, they probably count the demo model as a unit." I asked if any of their sister stores in the area had any left, to which he said that two were available at another store. I asked if he could call and hold it for me while I drive over there. No chance. I asked if I could go online to the website, order it and use the "in-store pick-up." He replied, "I'm not allowed to let people use the Internet."

I wasn't asking to surf the Web... I was asking if I could give the company he works for money.

I explained that none of this would have happened had the website been correct, to which he replied, "it's the website... that's not our problem... we're the store."

He wasn't being rude. He wasn't treating me poorly. He simply said what we all know (but don't want to admit): "the Website is not the same as the store, it's always different from the store, and even I don't know who to call when something like this happens."

No, he didn't say that line exactly, but I'm paraphrasing the overall sentiment of the dialogue.

Just recently, I had a similar experience with a telecommunications company. After a clerical error and a hour of frustration, the retail associate said, "this store and the corporate website are two separate companies."

Here's the point: even if they are separate companies. Even if there's always problems with pricing or mis-information. It is your brand. It is your company. And, it is your problem. It is all connected and one brand/company as far as the general public is concerned.

I don't have to list the ways these retail associates could have fixed the problem. What's of a more dire need is for them (and all of your employees) to realize that the website isn't even like another store... it's more important. It's bigger. It's the first place of contact and, more often than not, the source and driver that gets me to either buy or into your store. We all know the  "it's not my problem" type of employees, but the bigger issue is that all Websites are intrinsic to the brand. It has to live and be consistent - from online to offline.

Maybe it doesn't flow quite like that, but it's the perfect moment for your employees to make it live. To humanize it. Because - at this point - most of us are getting more love out of the Websites than we are from your human capital.

As I slam through writing the upcoming Six Pixels of Separation book (Grand Central Publishing - Fall 2009), I am more than a little surprised at the lack of female entrepreneurs who I am writing "case stories" about.

Here's the deal: I'm not just looking for anybody who has a Blog or uses Twitter. I am looking for female entrepreneurs who have "significantly" shifted and developed their business by using the many social media and new digital tools to grow their business. Is money the only mitigating factor when I say "significant"? No, but it is one of the main ways we do keep score in business.

If you know someone who fits the bill, would have sixty minutes for a phone conversation and would be interested in appearing in a book that will be Grand Central Publishing's (formerly Time Warner Books) lead business title in the Fall of 2009 (slated for a global release), I am looking now. I can't promise everyone I connect with will make the final edit, but I am interested in hearing as many stories as possible.

Hey, if they don't make it to the print edition, I will use some of the interviews in upcoming episodes of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast.

Email is best - mitch[at]twistimage[dot]com.

Floating through my news feeds this morning, I noticed this item from Wired: Happy Birthday, Compact Disc. Now Go Away. Did you know that yesterday was the 26th birthday of the CD?

"On this day in 1982, Sony and Philips Consumer Electronics released the first CDs to the German public, forever changing the way music would be distributed, marketed, consumed and appreciated. Now would be a great time to change it all again."

The Wired Blog posting goes on to chat all about why it's time to let go of CDs and move on.

The story reminds me of why traditional mass advertising is so powerful. Over the years, I've been privy to some fascinating studies/research that shows media adoption and cross media interaction (mostly through comScore). All of them demonstrate what you would suspect: Internet is up, up, up and everything else is either down or stagnant. It also shows that people are moving from other channels (in terms of time spent) to the Internet. The other - more relevant - piece of data illustrates the percentage of time people spend with the Internet (as an overall media channel) and how the percentage of overall advertising dollars does not even come close to co-relating.

There's no logical reason as to why this is, so we chalk it all up to one of my least favourite sayings: "because that's the way it has always been."

The music industry continues to suffer because that's how they think. They're still trying to figure out ways to get people to pay for plastic or sue them for downloading music versus figuring out a new business model.

According to Wikipedia, the term "mass media" was "coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio networks, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines, although mass media (like books and manuscripts) were present centuries before the term became common." If this is accurate, the idea of mass media has only been around for under one hundred years.

When I think about time, I think about that scene in An Inconvenient Truth where Al Gore demonstrates the temperature of the earth since they have been able to measure it. What you quickly realize is that one hundred years in the history of humanity is not a very long time at all. In fact, it's hardly a blip on the radar.

If you're a Marketer or an Entrepreneur, take this into serious consideration every day. The longer you find yourself falling into the "that's the way it has always been" trap, the harder it is going to be for you to adapt, grow and take your business to the next level. We can't rest on our laurels, and platitudes are not going to increase your market share and grow your brand awareness.

Here's a Monday morning thought: What if mass media is not the way it has always been? What if the past one hundred years was just our phase of adjustment for the advertising and communications industry? What if what we're starting to see right now in these online channels is what advertising and communications is really all about? Is it possible that if we jumped ahead three hundred years and looked back on 1920 - 2008 that we would laugh about how we created and executed all of our marketing initiatives (much in the same way we do when we see a TV clip from the sixties)?

“If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong.” - Charles Kettering - Inventor.

Welcome to episode #117 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. With a handful of audio comments in cue, I ditched them all to talk more about this space, where we're going and what you - as a Marketer - can do to get more engaged in the community (and your career). I hope this doesn't come off as preachy (but you never know). Enjoy the conversation...

Here it is: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #117 - Host: Mitch Joel.

• Running time: 34:05.
• Audio comment line - please send in a comment and add your voice to the audio community: +1 206-666-6056.
• Please send in questions, comments, suggestions - mitch@twistimage.com.
• Hello from Beautiful Montreal.
• Subscribe over at iTunes.
• Please visit and leave comments on the Blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
• Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
• or you can connect on LinkedIn.
• ...or on twitter.
• Facebook Group - Six Pixels of Separation Podcast Society.
• In a perfect world, I'd love for you to connect with me, directly, through my Facebook profile instead of joining the group - but, that's your call.
• Check out my other Podcast, Foreword Thinking - The Business And Motivational Book Review Podcast - sponsored by HarperCollins Canada.
• Foreword Thinking - Episode #11 featuring Michael Gerber - E-Myth Revisited and Awakening The Entrepreneur Within.
• PodCamp Montreal - September 20th and 21st - Pavillon de De Design at UQAM.
• Organized by: Sylvain Grand’Maison, Julien Smith, Bob Goyetche, Jean-François Blais, Laurent LaSalle, Laurent Maisonnave, Hugh McGuire, Casey McKinnon, Harold Boeck and Michelle Sullivan.
• Twist Image is a sponsor.
• I will be co-presenting two sessions:
• The New New Music - Fans, Community And What Business Can Learn From An Industry In Peril with David Usher – musician and cloudid.
• Podcasting From The Heart - The Value Of Recording A Show With No Editing And No Second Takes – C.C. Chapman – Managing The Gray – Accident Hash – The Advance Guard.
• The power of the unconference movement.
• Dell Launches Digital Nomads site.
• Six Points of Separation – Six Free Tools To Measure Your Online Reputation:
• In tribute to my business column, New Business – Six Pixels of Separation.
• Online Chatter - Six Free Tools To Monitor What The Public Is Saying About You.
• 1. Google Alerts.
• 2. Technorati.
• 3. Search Engines.
• 4. Google Blog Search.
• 5. Twitter Search.
• 6. Google Trends and Facebook Lexicon.
• Additions from others:
• CustomScoop – Personal Edition.
• FiltrBox.
• Podzinger.
• SM2.
• Music from the Podsafe Music Network.
• New Leaf – ‘Magic Carpet’.

Please join the conversation by sending in questions, feedback and ways to improve Six Pixels Of Separation. Please let me know what you think or leave an audio comment at: +1 206-666-6056.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #117 - Host: Mitch Joel.

PodCamp Montreal is a mere five weeks away. It's happening on September 20 - 21, and like most unconferences (where everyone self-organizes), there's still lots to do. Part of my commitment to making this event a reality has been securing sponsorship (that being said, if you're interested in ponying up some floosh to make this work, please drop me a line). If you're still unsure what this whole PodCamp Montreal and unconference scene is about you can check out this post: PodCamp Comes To Montreal - Register Now or this one: Unconference Defined. The coolest part of PodCamp Montreal is, of course, the learning and presentations. I always knew I would present "something" (and, by "something" I mean not the usual topics that I give through my speaker's bureau).

I'm really excited about the two sessions I managed to wrangle together:

1. The New New Music - Fans, Community And What Business Can Learn From An Industry In Peril is a session I am going to co-present with David Usher. David is the former lead singer of Moist and a multi-million CD selling solo artist. He's about to release his latest solo disc, Wake Up And Say Goodbye. We've been friends for over fifteen years and spend a good deal of time discussing the social web, social media, Web 2,0, the music industry and the new power. This session is going to be all about how to turn fans into thriving communities. David also Blogs about this sort of stuff over at cloudid.

2. Podcasting From The Heart - The Value Of Recording A Show With No Editing And No Second Takes. At the first PodCamp ever (PodCamp Boston), I finally got to meet C.C. Chapman in person. C.C. has a fistful of great Podcasts (including the must-listen-to Managing The Gray, Accident Hash and U-Turn Cafe). He also runs a very successful Digital Marketing agency called, The Advance Guard. C.C. is widely regarded as "the face" of podsafe music. When I first got interested in Podcasting, I pinged C.C. after hearing him being interviewed on Joseph Jaffe's Podcast, Across The Sound (now known as Jaffe Juice), and he was a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for me to get started. I refer to him as the Godfather of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. C.C. and I both subscribe to the more "indie" way of recording a Podcast - live, no edits and no second takes. We're going to present like we record, and speak from our hearts about the power of Podcasting and what it takes to create and emote in this very unique channel. C.C. lives in the Boston area, but will be making the drive north to join us in person.

PodCamp Montreal is 100% free. You can register over here (close to 200 people already have): PodCamp Montreal.