Category: web 2.0

It’s not me, it’s you

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

This brillaint piece of communication by bringtheloveback summerzies the biggest opportunity for startups in the last 100 years. Small startups and entrpreneurs can have the conversations most large companies refuse to have. Or do in an overly  moderated environment – which just doesn’t work.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZDXfB0Rd4Q]

In truth most large dominant companies from the old production based economy are probably too scared to have a warts and all conversation with their people.  The truth might get out. Truths like, companies reducing the quality of ingredients to keep prices low.

In fact they never did. They investigated, researched and even spied. Maybe they should have just listened and conversed.

Thanks to Ross Hill for the link!

Free advice – from the world greatest thinkers

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

It’s never been easier to be mentored on a specific subject, from experts, for free. There are even live feedback mechanisms from other interested experts. And most of the amazingly cool and informative stuff comes from blogs – just like this one.

But are you really taking advantage of this mentoring revolution?

Do you have a digital mentor?

Have you emailed the writer of your favourite blog?

Asked for advice / help, given them advice or help?

Are you passing on your skills by blogging for others?

My favourite blog has 25,000 readers a day. The publisher has his email address listed on it. When I email him a question he gets back to me within a day or two with an answer, a link, a blog entry or if I’m really lucky a free PDF copy of his latest book. The real value comes from the interactions, not the reading.

Smart entrepreneurs get involved in the conversation, they don’t just listen to the lecture.

What about your people?

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

All our startups, businesses and brands have their people. It’s members, it’s customers. The humans that matter in whatever we do. So how do we connect with them? Not talk to them or worse, at them, but how do we really connect with them?

Here’s what we are doing at rentoid. We are having an coffee session in the CBD of melbourne (our home city) where members can come and grab an espresso and simply chat. If only 1 person turns up, that’s fine by us. Because that one person matters as much as the 250,000 others. In fact to them, they are the only person that matters.

The discussion will be whatever the people want it to be about. Not a contrived focus group. What matters is making a connection with them, being a group of people trying to help each other, breaking down the traditional corporate facade. Not having any gatekeepers.  And quite frankly we can’t wait.

If you’re in Melbourne came and meet the rentoid team for a chat and an espresso on us before work. We can chat about startups, marketing, life and maybe even rentoid. We’ll be at Journal in Flinders lane. All the details are here.

When’s the last time you took time out to hang with your people?

The Front Page

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

While talking with Chris Mander last night, he gave me a great quote:

“A wesbite is not about the front page”

It’s about every page. This is because “search” changed everything. People simply don’t go through the front door anymore. We get sent to the exact room, which solves our exact need. We can go through back doors, or any door for that matter.

So then why are we constantly devoting 90% of our resources designing and cleanest, coolest, front page that only 10% of people will enter through?

Startup blog says – All web pages ought be created equal.

Why authenticity works

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Any disciple of the new marketing world order will tell you ‘be authentic’. And startup blog couldn’t agree more.

Here’s why: It’s refreshing.

It is so refreshing to hear a person, group of people or a small company tell the truth for once without a hidden agenda. It’s the opposite of what we’ve had for most of the past 50 years. It’s the opposite of what we expect, and usually get.

Net result is a relationship of trust is built. When this new paradigm arrives all sort of cool things can happen.

Like removing the need to advertise.

Like a loyal consumer base.

Like brand evangelists.

Like all the good stuff most large companies dream of having.

Internet Marketing

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

It’s easy to forget our websites need to be designed for people who haven’t, don’t or rarely use computers and the internet. Our interface must be simple – so simple. When our people can’t navigate our site, or find stuff. It’s our fault, every time.

Bill Gates understood this – which is why he was for a long time the worlds richest person.

Unless we market directly to the ‘digirati’ or have a website about websites (which many web 2.0 sites seem to be), we must design for the most ‘inept’ user.

Remember that usability wins, not technology.