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Who’s Reading Your Comments?

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Who’s Listening?

Washingtonpost.com Blog Buzz Article screenshot

You’re looking for a new TV. . . . You’re not certain whether you want Hi-Def or plasma screen. You decide to research it online. You find a few blogs and forums. You start reading, asking questions, making comments about the TV that you have now.

You’re a saavy Internet user. You know that not all you read will be true–that some folks will be talking without knowing anything, and some will be there to just sell you. You also know that what you say will stay where you wrote it long after you leave it behind.

But did you know that sophisticated software could be picking up your comments, evaluating them, and sending that information back to the manufacturer? Blogging, list serve, and forum comments have become a predictor of consumer trends.

The comments are particularly valuable for measuring customer sentiment because they’re gut-level and spontaneous. “Internet word of mouth is extremely important,” said Steve Rubel, a marketing expert and senior vice president at Edelman public relations. “You see what the most vocal consumers have to say about you and about your competitors — and they’re saying it without necessarily knowing you’re watching them.” –from Washingtonpost.com Blog Buzz Helps Companies Catch Trends in the Making, March 3, 2006

It was inevitable.

Nielsen Ratings? No Nielsen BuzzMetrics

In a merger that took place last week, BuzzMetrics joined with Intelliseek to form Nielsen BuzzMetrics. The new enterprise uses trawling software to collect, sort, and evaluate consumer comments to a level of sophistication that allows an overall rank of positive or negative, with details that to the other way. An example of that might be

I’m totally sold on the new plasma screen by Company K, but I worry about their customer service.

Neilsen Buzzmetrics Pull Quote

Neilsen BuzzMetrics captures hundreds of thousands of comments daily. They are literally tracking word of mouth–well, word of keyword as mouth proxy. The data is sorted, compiled to meet specific job parameters, and trends are plotted for client companies.

What Does This Mean?

As with any new technology, it’s only as smart as the people who use it. As with any data tool, the art is in how you choose to sort and interpret it.

  • This new process could mean that consumer companies will start doing things that need to get done, because consumer issues will come to light.
  • It could mean companies will hear faster and move faster when they have a customer base that is unhappy with them.
  • It could mean that customer service would happen and companies will be more profitable–the economy could improve for everyone.

OR

  • Companies could let the software make decision for them.
  • We could end up with even more “sit-com,” one-size-fits-all consumer solutions than we have already.

What I See

If you think about it, this is hi-tech version of a poll or a focus group and as such, it carries the same values and pitfalls. I can’t help but think about a court transcript that might read like this:

Policeman: May I have permission to search your car?
Driver: Oh yeah, that’s what I want.

Without context, it’s not certain whether the driver’s answer is a “Yes, please do.” or a “Not on your life.”

The leaders who know what to take and what to leave from a Nielsen BuzzMetrics report will make great gains. Those who blindly follow the numbers will be as lost as they were before.

The good news for small business is that trend, if it becomes the norm, provides one more temptation for big companies to be looking in the wrong direction–to be getting overly-involved with discussing the data rather than taking what they need and moving on.

While big companies are playing with this new toy that brings everything down to numbers. Small enterprises can channel their energy into building brands based on innovating and strong relationships with real people–their customers.

Business is relationships not numbers. No matter how you compile, sort, and plot it. If you don’t understand the people who are talking, it’s awfully hard to tell which words are important and which words don’t mean a thing.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles:
Blogs Aren’t Mini-Websites. They’re Powerful Tools.
Business, Blogs, and Niche-Brand Marketing
Chicago Goes Wi-Fi . . . What Does that Mean to Business?
Marketing Strategy ala Mickey Mouse

Here’s Four for Mike

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Four for Four

When my son was four, my husband was forty-four, they both were my business managers of sorts. We’d discuss my business problems, and they’d give their advice, each in their own fashion–one the engineer and process piper, the other the master of alphabet letters and all things thoughtful or graphic.

Now I face a dilemma, and I need that four-year-advisor now.

You see, one of my dear, dear readers has “tagged” me. You might know him. His name’s Mike Sigers. His blog is Simplenomics. The tag in question is a tag of fours.

I read his post link four times. And answered it with four sounds. “ouch, ow, ooh, oh.”

You see, in my life I’ve had four jobs as a teacher, wholesales shirt rep. for Van- Heusen, a Publisher, and a writer. That’s easy. I’ve been to more than four places on vacation and business–Sydney, Dublin, Bologna, and London. I’ve seen four movies I can watch over and over Beautiful Mind, Armageddon, Silverado, and Sleuth, but I’ve only ONCE been tagged by a blogger.

To tell the truth, deep down I get self-conscious when people are looking straight me. My life is pretty boring. Who’d want to read about it? But this is for a friend and a reader. Business is all about relationships. So what does a blogger do? Especially a nice one. I am the nice one after all.

A Four-Year-Old Advisor

I thought about what my four year old’s advice would have been,

Mom, I thinked about it and my think said “Is there a clown suit involved? No. Do you have to stand on your head? No. Are there letters? Yes.”
Mom, you should do it for your friend.

How can I argue with sage business advice like that? Okay so here I go.

Four TV shows I love to watch when I watch TV (if they’re still on) NCIS, The Apprentice, Two and a Half Men, and Business Unusual. Four books I read I really love are The Once and Future King (White), I Touch the Earth, the Earth Touches Me(Prather) Creativity (Csikszentmihalyi), A Beautiful Mind(Nasar), and a bonus Illusions(Bach).

Four websites I visit daily? It’s more like forty. Let’s see there’s Tom Peter’s blog, all of those at Bloglines, several SOB blogs, check the b5 media blogroll, and I go exploring business blogs daily. Four places I’d rather be are the same four places I mentioned earlier. My four favorite dishes are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, flourless chocolate cake with no extras, pizza in Bologna, Italy, and a good porterhouse steak with mushrooms.

A special note to Mike and all of my readers:

As I finish this I hear four tunes that play in my head
I Live in the Groove (Paul Carrack) and Surrender (Lisbeth Scott). I know there must be More than This (Peter Gabriel) and I will be your friend when you feel your Back Against the Wall (Alan Parson Project).

Now I tag Chartreuse BETA , Copyblogger Brian, Brian Shih, and Cas at Brightmeadow.

Can’t wait to hear more about you guys now. Don’t leave me standing here. Say something. 🙂

I think I need to go find the automatic flatterer now. I’ll be back right after.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Stand-Alone Trackback Tool from WhizbangTech

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Good news for bloggers who work on platforms that don’t perform trackbacks to other blogs. Rather than hacking your template to do things it wasn’t meant to do WhizbangTech has a stand-alone trackback tool.

Trackbacks are a great way of building visibility for yourself, your business, and your blog. When you read a post on another blog and realize you’ve posted on the same subject, a trackback offers a chance to say, “Hey, I’ve had a few insights into that topic myself.” Without trackbacks, you’re missing out on another way to promote your business and your blog.

If your platform doesn’t offer trackbacks, bookmark this site and pull it out whenever you need to let that expert you read daily know you’ve written something that ties into the current conversation. If you do it with thought and not too liberally, you’ll find some folks will follow your trackbacks home to see what else you have to say.

To get the WhizbangTech Stand-Alone Trackback Tool, click the logo below.

Now you can let people know you were paying attention to what they said and add to the conversation too.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles:
Blog Basics 1: Comments and Comment Policies
A Little More about Trackbacks
Blog Promotion Basics [for Everyone]

Successful Duncan Riley

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By now you must have heard about the secret auction held to sell the

Blog Herald Logo

to an as yet to be named new owner for what is being reported at over $70,000 USD.

Congratulations Duncan Riley on building an enterprise and a brand valued so highly. I think that officially qualifies you as an SOB–a Successful and Outstanding Blogger. I hereby award you with the badge of honor and your name on this blog forever.

SOB Button

Duncan’s Blog Herald has been on my reading list almost since the day I started blogging. It’s a one-of-a kind read that holds the niche of understanding the blogosphere and reporting on blogs around the world. I’ll miss reading Duncan’s take on things. I’ll miss having Duncan around.

On the other hand, it couldn’t happen to a better guy.

Duncan shares some of his reasons and reflections on the sale at these links, which I’ve tried to place in chronological order.

Twas The Blog Herald that’s been on the market

David Krug spends time with Duncan Riley

Duncan answers questions on The Blog Herald sale

Duncan talks to Site Sales about what he would look for in a blog

Duncan and Darren discuss the sale and using a broker

Seriously, Duncan all badges aside. I’ll miss reading you at 2:30 a.m. up here by Lake Michigan. So once you guys get b5 going strong, I’ll be looking for your new blog.

Best of Luck Always.
Liz

Bloggy Life Question 6

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muddy teal strip A

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I USUALLY offer a Blogging Hypothetical Question.

This one’s for real.

Here you go. . . .

What community service might the NEW and IMPROVED Successful Blog offer you? Should the focus be more on the SUCCESSFUL and less on the BLOG? Or is that right as it is?

We can take this blog in a world of directions as long as we stick to three words–success, community, and readers.

You’ve passed me some fabulous ideas earlier that I’m working on, and I’ve come up with a few of my own. But I want to unroll this new version really right.

We have a chance to make something unique here–something outstanding that makes your life easier–a community blog that actually does something for you.

What a concept! What might that something be?

–ME “Liz” Strauss