(A suitable image for the start of this blog is a photo taken in Helsinki near the opera house at the start of winter. The interconnectivity of the branches creates an interesting visual representation of the electrical nodes of a web – the snow clinging to only one side of the trees is quite picturesque).
It seems fitting that the first entry of a new blog should set the tone for future posts. Organic growth may cause divergence from the original course, but setting clear intentions from the start will be helpful in directing this vision through the (inevitable) onslaught of new information and stimuli seeking to change/pervert it. This blog is first and foremost for me, the author. I know that must make the reader think “well then why should I bother reading at all?” I intend to use this blog to learn as much as possible about web marketing. I hope to explore all available information to further my knowledge on this topic. I intend to explore new uses for social media marketing and ways to monetize social networks. The knowledge is something I personally want. The reason you should read, and why I am putting it up in this format, is because I really want to have a forum to discuss what I learn. I don’t mind sharing what I discover and I hope in return you will share what you know/think.
The internet is at a very interesting stage in its still relatively young existence. I don’t think we imagined 5 years ago what the landscape online looks like today. I think the next 5 years will bring about an exponentially greater change than the previous. Here’s a kind of old talk, but still quite interesting about the next 5000 days of the internet.
I believe nobody can really know anything other than it definitely will be an amazing ride. I think the most interesting part is that it feels a lot like the wild west, or the next frontier, or some other cliche.
We have come a long way from 14400 modems (the slowest I remember anyways!). We have also come a long way from AOL chat rooms being the best way to connect with your friends. Internet speed is up (sitting here in Finland on a university network it’s incredible), more and more people are online, and social networking is exploding. In all the glory of its 500 million users, and estimated value of between 40-50 billion USD, Facebook still has not really figured out how to fully capitalize on their position. They are getting better month by month, but I still feel there is room for game changing ideas. Furthermore, now that people are readily sharing all of their information thanks to social networking, the rest of the web has still not fully realized how to use that information. I hope to explore ways to use information shared online to increase user experience on a website, and also translate into higher sales for that site. I also want to learn more about the latest theories and best practices for social media marketing. I hope to explore its use in political campaigns, social causes, and for profit motives. I intend to research different companies and solutions they offer to promote web marketing, data management, and user experience.
Considering the intent of this blog, I have already proved myself to be quite an amateur at least when it comes to understanding blogs in general. Signing up and getting started was easy, but it appears there is a depth of knowledge needed to be a successful blogger. This may turn out the be the initial thrust of this blog – as I realize I am hopelessly under-informed about the vast possibilities the use of blogs for marketing purposes. On a side note, for the record I think the word blog is stupid and sounds like something an alien would say, or some sound someone might make right before throwing up. I digress – apparently this word has ever growing importance in our world so, love it or hate it, I’m guessing it’s here to stay.