Trendspotting: How to Crawl into People’s Heads

Filed Under Analysis, Branding, Customer Think, Marketing, Strategy, Successful Blog, Trends | 5 Comments

Your job — should you decide to keep working here — is to figure out what our customers want NEXT.

Trendspotters

Trendspotters 101 logo

I belong to a networking group which requires endorsements. As I was editing my profile last night, I came across this endorsement from a client.

” . . . Liz can spot an emerging trend before it is even on the horizon. — Blake Education, Australiaâ€?

It’s true I often can. My friend, Chartreuse BETA, is phenomenal at trendspotting, as is our friend, Copyblogger. Scot Karp is excellent at seeing what trends are about to happen. Sometimes it depresses him. Don’t leave out Tom Peters. . . . How exactly do we do that?

What does it take to spot a trend before it takes root and actually happens? What does a person need to watch for? Seeing trends seems to be a factor of intelligence, learning style, and world view. Allowing that you have the prerequisite intelligence — we’re talking business acumen, common sense, and people smarts, not rocket science — the rest is a matter of doing the work and being open to what’s happening. This is lesson 1 on being a trendspotter. Read more

SOB Business Cafe 04-07-2006

Filed Under Business Life, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 1 Comment

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the screenshot to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Gary Miller at Blogoplex sends a message to David Sifry and a man named Chris Coffman to find out Gary and Chris seem to claim the same blog, though they’ve never met.

Blogoplex What\'s Technorati Up To? Screenshot

Noel Guinane takes a hard look at the use and uselessness of social network analysis to business.

Blood and Treasure Social Network Article Screenshot Link

Javier Cabrera (who has not sent me a comment hug for a very long time–he must be at dinner) shows off his CSS esssentials, which features blogs of high-end design from around the web.

Clear Your Mind CSS Essentials Screenshot Link

Improbulus explains how the Nextsplogs scam works. If you’ve not heard about this, check it out. This clever new trick uses redirection code to game the Google Next Blog viewing system. Apparently spammers never learned that they’re not supposed to cut in line.

Consuming Experience Next Blog queue traffic theft screenshot link

David Starling offers a serious analysis of Google’s current funding and what it means to Google and to us.

The Business of America Google Puts Hair on Its War Chest Article Link

Related ala carte selections include

Chartreuse BETA unravels the story of a webcam “grassroots music discovery” who now looks to be a plant by the recording industry. Once again, he saw something wasn’t right there when her popularity first became a big deal.

Chartreuse BETA Is Sandi Thom a Fraud? Screenshot Link

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

The Mysteries of Chartreuse BETA

Filed Under Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog, ZZZ-FUN | 13 Comments

Welcome Friends of Chartreuse BETA . . .

You may not know about this place. The Massif de la Chartreuse in France is known for it’s scenic beauty and mysterious caves.

Massif de la Chartreuse

[Reproduced with permission from www.braemoor.co.uk. Click on the map to see more details of the Chartreuse area,]

The Massif de la Chartreuse is not half so interesting or mysterious as Chartreuse BETA.

I’d only go walking the Massif de la Chartreuse with Chartreuse BETA. He’s a prince of a fella.

Please feel welcome to look around. Stay as long as you like. Snacks and beverages are in the sidebar. Tips are not allowed. Comments are always welcome.

–ME “Liz” Strauss