Sweetmantra: Internet Marketing Advice

Will 2007 be the Year of the Podcast?

As 2006 comes to a close, and with a little nudging from my buddy Ken Schafer over at One Degree, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on how the Internet marketing landscape might evolve in 2007.

Here's what I see when I peek into my crystal ball:

• The Internet marketing talent shortage (at the mid-to-senior level) is going to get worse, which will slow the growth of Internet marketing service companies that don't have their HR act together.
• So-called "mass media" marketing professionals are going to realize that Google is moving into their turf much faster than they realize ... if they even realize this at all.
• We're going to see a lot of movement in the podcasting space. I predict that podcasting will start to emerge from relative obscurity and begin to appear on the corporate radar screens as a potentially viable option.
• I expect several large media companies will try to acquire the leading independent podcast directories (like Podcast Pickle).
• Finally, if I were a large software company based in Redmond, Washington, I would be seriously considering buying one of the more popular podcast creation software programs (and/or the company that created it).

Whatever really happens, 2007 is already shaping up to be a doozy. Bring it on!

A note to readers: This will be my last blog post of 2006. I will return, with a few surprises, in early January, 2007. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Financial Post Defines "The Clicking Point"

The December issue of Financial Post Business magazine (available as an insert in the National Post) features a five-page article entitled "The Clicking Point" devoted to the current boom in Internet marketing in Canada.

The well-researched and fact-filled article, by freelance writer Robert Hercz, begins with a look at the recent Digital Marketing Conference and includes quotes from several Canadian Internet marketing players, including my associates Mitch Joel, Chris Carder, and Steve Levy.

There are also, I must confess, a few words from yours truly. And a photo... *blush*

The article begins on page 49. Here is a link to the electronic version of the article: "The Clicking Point"

Take My Idea, Please!

I love films. Always have. Always will.

Unfortunately, I may never step foot inside a movie theatre again.

For the last few years, every single time I have gone to see a film in a theatre the overall experience has been really frustrating.

Last weekend was sadly typical. My wife and I went to see Casino Royale at our local movie theatre. We should have stayed at home. Not because of the film, which is quite good, but because of all the other crap we had to put up with.

(Be patient, there's an Internet angle to this...)

First of all, we had to contend with a bunch of people who showed up late and expected to get good seats, leading to lots of us who got there on time having to move over in our seats, ushers waving flashlights around, toes getting stepped on, etc.

Then, of course, there's the folks sitting next to us who insist on saying asinine things out loud during the course of the film. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind people thinking stupid things - that's their prerogative - I just don't want to hear those stupid things while I'm trying to watch a film. Save it for the living room, folks.

What really ruined the evening for me was the fact that the entire film was projected out of focus. Not once during the course of the film did the projectionist (yes, there was one) even bother to check the projection. Since I was sandwiched in the middle of a long row, I didn't want to have to clamber over (and disrupt) dozens of people in order to notify the theatre staff of the problem. And, quite frankly, I shouldn't have needed to do that in the first place if the projectionist and the theatre staff were doing their jobs.

I should mention that I studied filmmaking and worked in the feature film industry, so I know how hard everyone who works on a film tries to make their films look and sound as good as possible. I've also been a projectionist in a movie theatre and, to be perfectly blunt, it's not a difficult job to do well - especially now that most of the job has been automated.

After the film was over, my wife and I did what we seem to do every time. We asked to speak to the manager, and we let him know about the focus problem. The manager did what managers do every time; he apologized and gave us two movie passes to "use next time."

Two movie passes. Just like the last time we complained, and the time before that, and the time before that.

Which is where the Internet angle comes in.

There's already a gazillion Websites where consumers rate movies. What's missing is a Website where consumers rate movie theatres. Think TripAdvisor or Epinions, but for movie theatres. Theatres could be rated on their cleanliness, quality of their projection and sound system, projection quality, friendliness of staff, variety and quality of refreshments... you get the idea. Very Web 2.0 if you're into that.

I'd love to see a Website like this, (by the way, the domains rateyourtheatre.com and rateyourtheater.com are still available as I write this) and I'd be the first to contribute my ratings of the theatres I've been to. The thing is, I don't see much of a business model behind such a venture, and I've got plenty of other things keeping me busy, so I'm not going to create this Website.

But you can. Someone can. Help give a voice to those of us who still give a crap about the movie theatre experience. Before it's too late.

Take my idea, please!

(Update - December 6, 2006: I guess I should be flattered. It would appear that not only do the folks at TripAdvisor read my blog, but they liked my idea so much they went and registered the domain names I suggested within hours of this post being published.)