I read about Qwiki on the T2+Back Alley Films’ blog and have been thinking about it ever since. Qwiki was introduced during a TechCrunch Disrupt session this fall and can potentially impact search in a big way.

Oh, and when you win top honors at an event that introduces innovative tech companies to the world, well, I’m thinking people might want to start paying attention. Not to mention that during a recent financing round, one of Qwiki’s largest investors is none other than Eduordo Saverin – Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s one-time partner and the source for the movie, The Social Network.

Today, you type something into Google or Bing and get a list of links that you troll through looking for information that suits your needs.

Qwiki delivers interactive video presentations that pull dynamic information from a myriad of sources. They call it an “information experience” and what makes it even more killer is that each piece of information that’s pulled into the presentation is an interactive reference tool.

Qwiki’s goal is simple: to forever improve the way people experience information.

Even more exciting, at least to this social media loving geekazoid, is Qwiki’s intention to roll out products for small businesses and social media users. These tools will allow users to create Qwikis based on their social media aggregate, integrating Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc., into their personalized Qwikis. Sweeeeet. Think about it – it’s pretty cool. And yes, cooler than a Google Places page – at least from an experience standpoint.

Or, from a business standpoint, think about how a small business could integrate reviews from Yelp, Gowalla and tips from Foursquare, maybe even include information and reviews from sites like Merchant Circle into their personalized Qwikis.

People like to do more than just see and read things, and being able to dive into an interactive experience seems beyond cool to me – and I think the Qwiki development team are thinking the same thing. The T2 + Back Alley blog quotes Qwiki CEO Doug Imbruce saying that their ultimate goal is to become “ubiquitous layer that augments the traditional web” and I think they may be onto something.

Check out the Qwiki of The Eiffel Tower and you can see instantly why they hooked me. And if you want to see how social media information can be easily aggregated into a Qwiki, check out Gregory Smith’s Qwiki. And for a Qwiki related to current events, check out the Nuclear Power Qwiki and related content.

Qwiki at TechCrunch Disrupt from Qwiki on Vimeo.

As my friend and fellow tech geek Ron Callari writes, “it will be interesting to see how the grand-daddy of search, Google will react” to the goodness that is Qwiki. Visual data and results are infinitely more interesting, at least to me, than endless links and text search results. Time will, most certainly, tell.

Oh, I know, you’re already over on the Qwiki site, figuring out how to make your own Qwiki … you’re welcome! And Qwiki is in alpha testing phase now – sign up if you want to be a part of it.

Image credit: Ron Callari

Qwiki: Making Search An Experience is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

Two weeks ago, Facebook rolled out its Like button, which replaces the option of Become a Fan.

As is the case with change of any kind, there was an immediate uproar and massive unrest about Facebook and its complete and total disregard for the privacy of its users. Articles started springing up faster than wildfires during the California dry season and panties were, universally, in a wad.

Here’s the deal, folks. There are a million things I don’t particularly care for about Facebook, and I know I’m not alone on that front. And its arrogance about privacy of its users is one of them. The reality, however, is that if you really have an issue with your privacy, there are some easy steps to take to modify your Facebook privacy settings. However, as an analogy, even though I’m not an iPhone user (gasp), you’d have to live under a rock to not know that there are a million things that iPhone users hate about AT&T. But they don’t quit using their iPhones. And tons of people can’t stand Steve Jobs and his apparently boundless arrogance. However, iPhones and Apple products continue to sell like hotcakes – because they rock. Similarly, I don’t think that people are going to quit using Facebook any time soon, simply because they don’t like the Like button. The reality is, at least in my mind, that for many it’s easier to gripe about something that results in change than to dig deeper and figure out how change might actually be a good thing. But then, I’m a glass half full kind of gal – I actually like change – and welcome it.

As a marketing strategist, I’m easily seduced by numbers (please don’t tell my husband) (oh wait, he already knows). In fact, it’s so much about the numbers that it’s hard to think about anything else. And, as someone who is responsible, on a day-to-day basis, for helping brands of all sizes grow their businesses, not liking the Facebook Like option, to me, is nothing short of massive short-sightedness.

Here’s why: The Like button is an instant focus group. It’s an immediate snapshot of trending topics and information. It’s an instant update on what matters – to people – right now. As a marketer, that pretty much gives me a case of the vapors. Check this out and tell me you don’t feel a swoon coming on right away, too.

Holy Moly, Batman, this is real time search, served up on a silver platter. Do I really need to say more? What marketer doesn’t get dizzy just thinking of the possibilities here?

We’re a bunch of smart people, people. Let’s quit griping about change and dive into this new functionality that Facebook has served up and see how it benefits our clients. Let’s see how it helps us do our jobs better. Let’s see how it helps us make more of an impact, more money, raise more awareness – or whatever it is that we do on a daily basis. Then, if we find out that it stinks, we can dis it until the cows come home – but how about giving it a chance? I know I’m going to – what about you? And if you’re nosing around this blog and like what you read, subscribe to the RSS feed, for Pete’s sake. And while you’re at it, connect with me on Facebook, too. I can, on occasion, be moderately entertaining.

Why Facebook’s Like Button Makes Me Swoon is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

Bill Gross is no stranger to good ideas and the IdeaLabs founder (and paid search guru) has what may well be another one. TweetUp, newly launched this past Sunday evening, is being hailed as something that may very well monetize search for Twitter. TweetUp is designed to work in conjunction with Twitter’s regular search function and provide results based on keyword searches. Gross delves into the story in-depth on a recent blog post and MediaPost’s Laurie Sullivan also has written a terrific article covering this launch.

Sound farfetched? Well, the service is modeled after Google’s AdSense and AdWords programs, and you’d be hard pressed to call either of them bad ideas. This is something that I’d venture a guess that many folks will be watching with interest. I know that I will be.

Interested in exploring? Go to TweetUp and open an account. There is an incentive for the first 1,000 users, which provides them with a $100 credit for their involvement as beta testers of the service. By signing up, users are permitted to add search keywords to their profiles. The service essentially allows users to bid for their tweets rise to the top. Their success in that regard will be based on the relevance of their tweet, number of RTs it receives, as well as the number of followers and relative “influence” in the Twitterverse of that particular Twitter user.

Gross is well-respected in the online world and came up with the idea at a TED event just a few months ago. In pretty much the speed of light, he managed to raise some $3.5 million in funding, so I’d say that the idea definitely has legs. Or at least his investors thought so.

Check it out. I’d love to know what you think.

TweetUp: Paid Search Goldmine? is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

This is intended as a quick guide to help people new to the Twitterverse get some down and dirty advice on getting started and getting the most out of their Twitter experience. Always remember, that there is no one right or wrong way to use Twitter, only the way that works best for you. That said, avoid selling, pushing a message over and over and focusing only on yourself. Most people who truly are successful in the world of any social mediums will be the first to tell you that engagement is key. You have to give before you ever get (just as in “real life”) and, typically, you reap what you sow. Translated: Give a lot, get even more.

Use a good photo as your avatar (one of just you, not you and your wife, cat, pet hampster or you when you were 3 years old and very precocious)

Have a handle that makes sense. Use your real name if possible, or some shortened version thereof. Less characters in your handle are always better than more, as that leaves your more space for your message.

Complete your bio and include a link to your website or blog

2. Words of Advice

Have Realistic Expectations —-> You only get what you give in the world of social mediums (this can’t be emphasized enough)

Don’t use the platform as a broadcast medium. If you do this, you will be quickly ignored.

Don’t spam others. Posting constantly about you, you, you and what you do, do, do is S.P.A.M. Don’t do it.

Finding time in already packed days to participate in any social mediums is difficult, figure out what works for you. Suggestion: Pick two 15-30 minute blocks of time that you allocate as “Twitter time.” Add them to your calendar and respect it.

Be yourself. Be real.

Next Steps ………………….

3. Jump Into Conversations
It’s expected. That’s how you integrate into the Twitter community and people are rarely surprised
when you contribute to a discussion.

4. Add Value – Establish Credibility
Content (Create content! Share a blog post, picture, video, etc.)
Tweet About What You Know (and you know a lot!)
Links (Links to information you have discovered and want to share)
Opinions (“I am using Google Chrome and it’s really fast!” or “I bought the new Kodak zi8 camera and highly recommend”)
Ask Questions (“Anybody use Vertical Response for eNewsletters? What do you think?)”

5. Be Generous – Be a Good Citizen
Comment on things people post, say or discuss. Engagement means being a part of things, not just an observer.
Give advice when someone asks a question or needs help (“My MacBookPro crashed after clicking on a bad link, what do I do?”)
Re-Tweet (RT) things that others post (Suggested guideline, for every 1 message about yourself, spread 8 messages or information shared by others)

6. Follow Back
When someone follows you, unless they’re a spammer or a bot, it is a compliment and should be considered as such. Twitter sends you a notification when someone new starts following you and you can check out their profile, links, etc., and then easily follow them back.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking someone not worthy of a follow, simply because they are not in your field
or don’t “seem” interesting to you. I personally think it’s a mistake as, by so doing, you limit yourself to people just like you. What about everyone else? Some of the best interactions and opportunities come as a result of things or people who are different from you, but who are interesting in their own right. Keep an open mind, be adventurous.

7. Using Twitter to find customers or search for subject matter that might interest you

Twitter search
Searches all tweets for your particular topic and returns tweets matching your search in chronological order.

Twitter advanced search
This allows you to do a local search, search for tweets to or from a particular person or exclude certain words
or phrases.

TweetDeck
Most often used as a desktop Twitter application (and my personal favorite), but it has great search functionality and lets you save searches for keywords and topics.

Twitterfall
Searches for keywords and hashtags (#) and automatically updates the results page. This is great for
conferences, events or for locating people interested in or talking about things that interest you.

8. Finding interesting people

TweepML
A simple format that makes it easy to share lists of Twitter users (I love this app!)

Twitterment
Very cool site that allows you to search for past tweets but also allows you to search for bios. So, if you’re interested in people who work in a specific industry, this can help you find them, as long as they’ve included that information in their bio.

TweepSearch
Indexes Twitter bios and allows you to search them

Mr.Tweet
A great service to help you find and follow good people, based on recommendations of others. It is also quite an honor to receive a Mr.Tweet recommendation from another. This is a great place to start when it comes to finding interesting folks to follow.

Twitter Lists
Twitter lists function allows you to view lists created by other users to find interesting people to follow. Everyone’s interests are different, so find someone that you respect, are interested in, pay attention to, etc., and look at their profile page and, specifically, their lists. if those people sound interesting to you, click the “follow” button and you’re now following the people on that list

Listorious
This is a terrific directory of all the best lists on Twitter

9. #Hashtags. What the heck are they and why do I use them?

People use hashtags (which is essentially this symbol: #) to search, and/or identify subjects, events and other things of interest. For instance, if you’re looking for posts about a certain topic, you can do a Twitter search using keywords like: #socialmedia #fitness or #motiongraphics and find interesting information, conversations, links and other things very easily.

This is also the way that people identify events, gatherings or conferences that are taking place as a way of tracking what’s happening. So if you see lots of tweets in your stream that look like: #140Conf, #gno or #blogchat those connote certain events or conversations that are occurring and you can either just pay attention and see what’s going on, or jump in and participate. You can also search those hashtags at a later time and see what happened, who contributed, etc., which is pretty cool.

Hashtags can be a great source of information for you, as well as a great way to identify people who are interested in the same things that you are and/or whom you might be interested in following.

10. Apps That Might Make Twitter Easier
TweetDeck
HootSuite
Seesmic

There are many other topics that I didn’t touch on, but the hope is that some of the information contained in this post is helpful and puts you on the path to understanding the world of Twitter a bit better, getting you on the path to more fulfulling interaction and engagement in a shorter time span. And, as always, if you have any questions or just want to say hi, find me @shellykramer !! Tweet on.

For Newbies: 10 Quick Guidelines to Getting the Most Out of Twitter is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

But to cut to the chase, if you’re a brand, here’s why real time search should both excite you and scare the heck out of you. Everything that people say about your brand is IMMEDIATELY available. To show you exactly what I mean, I saw a post by my friend @stevegarfield on Twitter this morning, lamenting the poorly designed user experience at a Bank of America ATM machine. Lo and behold, those tweets instantly show up in Google search, along with the comments made by others poking fun at BOA.

Real Time Search, Why It's a BIG Deal is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

Don’t you remember your mother’s admonition about not wearing ratty underwear in case of an accident?  Well, I’m pretty sure that we ALL have some of those kinds of underwear stashed in our drawers.  And as we all know, accidents do happen.  What she really meant by that adage was that you always want to put your best foot forward – even down to the nitty gritty of your choice of underwear, because you never know who’s going to be looking at them.

I’m not sure why we insist on keeping things that are beyond their prime.  For some, it might be out of a sense of frugality, but for many, it’s truly because change is hard.  And that, my friends, is the key.  Change. Is. Hard.

For me, websites are a bit like tattered underwear.  I encounter terrific people on a daily basis who have websites that are sadly outdated and doing absolutely nothing for them in terms of search, brand image, awareness, etc.  And anyone who thinks they are not being judged based on the look and feel, content and effectiveness of their website is simply fooling themselves.

We have a client who owns a local small business.  When we started working with her, she had a website that was about 10 years old and was more horrible than words can describe.  In short, it was so poorly constructed that she had never, ever been picked up by a search engine.  It was head-shakingly horrid. And she’d just been holding onto it because she didn’t know any better.  And she thought that to replace it would cost infinitely more than she could afford.  But, ultimately, she made the decision to trust us, find the money in an already tight budget, and redo her website.   And she was thrilled when we brought the project in $200 under budget.  We also started her blogging, integrated a contest into her marketing strategies and did a few other things designed to drive traffic, search and awareness.

We are big believers in using ethical search engine marketing tactics and go to great lengths to ensure that our clients understand that great search results take a little time.  We got amazingly lucky with regard to this particular client and she started showing up in search within a very short time of the website launch.  And the coolest thing about all of this is just being able to sit back and watch our client reap the benefits of her leap of faith into the world of actually marketing her business in a strategic manner.  She’s busier than she’s ever been.  Her phone rings on a daily basis, she gets email inquiries from all over the world. Her biggest problem these days is having enough staff to handle the influx of business.  And it’s all because people are searching for what it is that she does – and finding her.  She is loving life and her business is thriving, in spite of the down economy, and it’s all because she decided to take a chance. She decided to toss out the old, worn out, ineffective stuff and replace it with new.

The lesson here is that change is good. And necessary.  Even if you are attached to your tattered undies, you have to occasionally toss them out and buy new ones. They look better, they fit better, they feel better.  They do a better job at what it was they were designed to do.  The same is true of your website or other collateral marketing materials and tools that you have. Just because you designed them once, doesn’t mean that they are still effective.  Smart business people regularly evaluate those tools and their effectiveness. And, if you’re not doing that, you’re doing your brand and your business an injustice.

Time to Toss the Tatters is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency