A-Space - A Place for Secret Agents

Posted by keirsun on August 24, 2007 at 3:52 PM

Jason Bourne (of Bourne films fame) may soon be pounding a computer keyboard in his search for the CIA agents who set him up. The US Director of National Intelligence recently announced plans for a social networking site designed specifically for America's intelligence agencies.

A-Space will reportedly launch in December to the entire American Intelligence community. Modeled after social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, A-Space will be strictly used internally as a web-based communications tool.

According to a Financial Times report:

"A-Space will be equipped with web-based email and software that recommends areas of interest to the user just like Amazon suggests books to its customers. The site will also allow users to create and modify documents, and determine user privileges, in a similar fashion to Google Documents."

The reported goal of A-Space is to allow for easier internal sharing and processing of information by intelligence analysts, which has been an ongoing effort since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Financial Times report also points out that the Department of National Intelligence has been busy creating a Wikipedia-like information site and a del.icio.us-like bookmarking site for the intelligence community. Users of the upcoming A-Space will also have access to a new national intelligence library.

I just hope, come December, I don't get in trouble for deleting friend requests from government officials.

Find Garage Sale Deals on Facebook

Posted by keirsun on August 16, 2007 at 3:31 PM

Buy.com is hoping to generate sales from the Facebook crowd. The online retailer has introduced Garage Sale, a web widget currently available to Facebook users.

Using Garage Sale, Facebookers can sell their stuff right from the comfort of their own Facebook profile page. The entire transaction takes place on Facebook, without the buyer being forced to jump to another site to complete the sale. Buy.com charges a 5% commission on items sold.

The Garage Sale widget is available through Facebook's application suite. According to the company press release, Buy.com plans to roll out the Garage Sale service to other online social networks.

There are also plans to add a Garage Sale tab to the Buy.com site later this year. Probably best to wait until the widget works on more social network platforms before doing this. Although, it would be nice to provide some basic Garage Sale info on the Buy.com homepage right now. It may even inspire a few new Facebook sign ups.

If the widget ultimately becomes a cross-platform, retail success, the term "Garage Sale" may take on an entirely new meaning. Just don't tell my grandmother she can't go "salin'" on Saturday mornings anymore.

Nike Pounds the Social Pavement

Posted by keirsun on August 10, 2007 at 8:09 PM

In a marketing blitz to promote its Nike+ running shoe, the shoe manufacturer is tying the laces on the online social running scene.

With more than 24 million miles logged by Nike+ customers, Nikeplus.com offers runners a place to share running stats and more.

The running stats are easily recorded thanks to the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit. Used in conjunction with a pair of Nike+ running shoes and an iPod nano, the sport kit transmits running stats, such as time, distance, pace, and calories burned, to the iPod. Runners can even get audio updates on these stats as they pound the pavement.

There's a nice visual explanation on Apple's website.

Following your run, have a rest at your computer while transferring stats from your iPod to Nikeplus.com. The website enables you to track running performance, set goals for yourself, share your stats, and challenge runners from around the globe to a race.

To get more runners using the site (and purchasing iPods), Nike and Apple have teamed with Finish Line athletic footwear stores. In-store customers get demonstrations of how the technologies work together and a coupon card for a free iTunes download.

To pump up the pace a little, the entire promotion is being supported by an ad campaign on TV and YouTube.

My running (by choice) days have come and gone, but I would love to see this technology promoted to downhill skiers. Maybe Rossignol could make an effort to befriend Apple.

With the social marketing race already in motion, sports equipment manufacturers of all genres should start thinking about the possibilities.

The Big Head and Long Tail of Craigslist

Posted by geoff on August 07, 2007 at 4:37 PM

While it's not usually included in the list of hot social media sites, make no mistake about it, Craigslist is most certainly a social site. One of the reasons marketing departments tend to shy away from Craigslist, however, is because users have the ability to cry spam on every single posting.

Honest, well-crafted ads by online retailers or international brick and mortar stores looking to advertise something special, however, can be met with great results.

One of the biggest advantages of Craigslist for businesses is its extended reach. No matter where you live in the world, there is likely to be a Craigslist that serves your area. As such, you gain not only unique geotargeting options, but you also get the "big head and the long tail" effect that has been a staple in search marketing for years; only in this case, it tends to be related to the geography rather than a the niche.

The Big Head of Craigslist
When you are looking for the maximum number of eyeballs in short period of time, placing ads in metropolitan areas like NYC and LA can certainly accomplish this. The challenge in posting ads in large cities, though, is that posts happen very frequently. As such, the ability for your ad to stay above the fold is diminished. With most ads, timing is everything. Advertising in a large city location on Craigslist is no exception. Make sure you have a good idea as to what time of day your primary target audience may be looking. This should increase your conversions.

The Long Tail of Craigslist
When you post in more rural locations, you capture fewer eyeballs right away. Since posting is slower in rural areas, however, the ability for your ad to stay visible and above the fold longer is greatly increased. If you are an online retailer with an offer that lasts an extended period of time, it may be to your advantage to craft some ads that aim to capture the long tail traffic available in rural areas.

While Craigslist is a social environment, the old rules of marketing still play a large role: know your audience, know your product/service, and find the most genuine way to bring them together. Craigslist can help you with the last one. Those other two are up to you.