What are the tech bloggers missing? Your business!

April 12, 2009 By

I’ve been watching the tech bloggers quite closely for some time now. Here’s a database of more than 17,000 of my favorite posts, Tweets, and videos from them. But I’ve noticed a few things.

1. They are AWESOME at covering news. For instance, watch how TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Steve Gillmor, Louis Gray, Hutch Carpenter, and a variety of others ask questions at the friendfeed press conference (part I, part II, part III, part IV, part v).
2. They are pretty good at explaining how to use a particular technology. For instance, here’s Marshall Kirkpatrick explaining how to use Yahoo Pipes to build an RSS and news site for your project.
3. They are really good at aggregating attention. Louis Gray even noticed that TechCrunch is making sure its headlines work well on Twitter. Why? Because lots of people hang out on Twitter and click on links.

But what don’t the tech bloggers do well?

Bring home all these new shiny objects and explain why they matter to a mainstreet business.

Yes, there are a few that are trying, like this blog that focuses on social media and your business, but notice the difference between that one and, say, TechCrunch. The headlines are boring. The text is uninteresting. There aren’t very many videos or graphics. And very little engagement on comments.

Or, on the other side, are “pro” sites like About.com that also try, but notice how bad their layout is and how much color and advertising there is surrounding their content.

It’s to the point where I’m wondering if I’m missing something. Is anyone doing a good job of explaining how to bring a business into the modern age?

Last week I was talking with Graham Weston, chairman of Rackspace (I now work for Rackspace) and I asked him whether he knew of anyone looking out for regular everyday businesses. I showed him the Web site of KSCO, a small radio station in Santa Cruz, and noted that it sucked, but that it is emblematic of a whole raft of businesses. Most of whom really don’t get the Web and understand how their customers are using it.

Heck, just yards from Facebook’s main building on University Ave is a great restaurant, Junoon. Do you think they get the modern Web? Absolutely not.

They have tons of Facebook employees as clients. Do they have Facebook Connect built into their Website? No. Do they have any real people on their website? No. Do they have any real interactivity? No. Do they have a mobile client? No. Do they have a community, er, forum? No. Do they have Twitter integration? No. Do they have a way to get people into the restaurant during dead times? No. Did they have any SEO help so people can find them easier? No (their site is largely Flash).

Now, if the business right by the front door of Facebook isn’t getting it right, what are the chances that any of the other millions of businesses around the world are getting it right?

And why aren’t the tech bloggers helping them?

On the other hand, this shows the opportunity open to Twitter, friendfeed, Google, and Microsoft.

Facebook has NOT sewn up the business market yet. Heck, they haven’t even gotten the business right by their front door to use its Connect technology yet.

This market is wide open for anyone to snatch it away from Mark Zuckerberg.

Is anyone showing businesses like Junoon or KSCO why they should use social media and how to do it? I keep thinking I’m not following the right bloggers.

Who should I be following that’s helping out real businesses figure this stuff out?

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  • http://mediatransparent.com Pat Kitano

    Great point Robert… I expected somebody prominent like you in the 2.0 world would eventually address this issue.

    A good example of the techno-mindset of the Web 2.0 world is the recent O’Reilly Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, where one can hear in person the continual refrain on the same subjects and concepts that tech blogs are covering anyway (i.e. the future of Twitter ). Although everybody in the 2.0 world knows that the real estate industry has been avid adopters of social media, not one speaker was invited from the real estate 2.0 world. Lots of talk about that during the recent Real Estate BarCamps that happen monthly all over the country (bet most people didn’t realize that).

    I also would like to find the people building industrial applications and marketing strategies using social media. They may have day time industrial jobs and are not as active as the rest of the social media pundits, but their contributions would elucidate in specifics how the social media is being used.

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  • http://www.greenhorninvestor.com/ J S

    I’m in a mix of these issues from both angles – I run a couple of web sites, blogs, do some freelance web design.

    Businesses lack the time and funds to put the necessary time into ‘web 2.0′ activities. Just keeping up with ensuring receivables get paid takes a lot of punch out of the small businesses (that make up most of the economy).

    Do they twitter and get three more tables filled for lunch, or work with the raw material vendor to reduce all costs 5%? Or get the catering customer to finally pay a two month bill?

    The other side of the issue is business owners who do spend time on improving their sites, think that ‘flash’ is all they need to get more customers. It’s the equivalent of the corner convenience store plastering all available windows with neon sales posters compared with the upper scale coffee shop across the street with calm decore doing five times the beverage sales.

    For most businesses, and that’s the small and mid-sized outfits that employ most of the people in this country, they need to be able to see clear and easy ROI for web sites for them to make improvements or change work-flows to incorporate facebook, twitter, etc.

    The old good quote: “We waste half of what we spend on marketing, but we don’t know which half” applies to web sites.

  • http://www.greenhorninvestor.com J S

    I’m in a mix of these issues from both angles – I run a couple of web sites, blogs, do some freelance web design.

    Businesses lack the time and funds to put the necessary time into ‘web 2.0′ activities. Just keeping up with ensuring receivables get paid takes a lot of punch out of the small businesses (that make up most of the economy).

    Do they twitter and get three more tables filled for lunch, or work with the raw material vendor to reduce all costs 5%? Or get the catering customer to finally pay a two month bill?

    The other side of the issue is business owners who do spend time on improving their sites, think that ‘flash’ is all they need to get more customers. It’s the equivalent of the corner convenience store plastering all available windows with neon sales posters compared with the upper scale coffee shop across the street with calm decore doing five times the beverage sales.

    For most businesses, and that’s the small and mid-sized outfits that employ most of the people in this country, they need to be able to see clear and easy ROI for web sites for them to make improvements or change work-flows to incorporate facebook, twitter, etc.

    The old good quote: “We waste half of what we spend on marketing, but we don’t know which half” applies to web sites.

  • http://GrowMap.com/ Internet Strategist

    I suspect that most of the more polished blogs are writing what their current audiences are interested in reading – and I also suspect that the majority of their readers are not the businesses you write about in this post.

    Most business owners are so busy working IN their businesses they don’t focus a lot of time working ON their businesses – and they especially are not focusing on how to “bring a business into the modern age”.

    Even those that are seeking that information do not have the backgrounds to understand what those more polished blogs cover. They are big on the “what you need to do” and really slim on the “how to do it yourself or hire someone who can make it happen”.

    Have you read any of the posts on my blog? I specifically write for very small businesses in a way that those who have not been immersed in PPC, SEO, SEM, and all the other acronyms can comprehend.

    So far the most brilliant bloggers – some famous like Louis Gray and others little known like Mike Tekula and Keith Hagen – seem to about the only folks who “get” why I write what I do.

    I would love for you to read some of my posts and let me know if what you are suggesting in this post is what you find. I write what business owners need to know from years of experience.

    Most importantly I explain WHY something needs to be done and how it will benefit their business. I also explain that answers are almost never either/or because there are a thousand individual variables that affect their success.

    Each may only make an improvement of 1-3% but those small percentages add up. Do you know how many small businesses have been seriously burnt because the experts they hire believe whatever someone taught them? They have no idea of the WHY behind what they’re doing much less what negative effects are happening due to their focus on one metric.

    Here is a common example. In ppc you do not get to have both improved ROI and MORE sales from any specific existing traffic. You slide results between those two options. If you drive profit per sale up you WILL reduce sales. If you drive MORE sales you WILL reduce profit per sale. So few ppc “experts” realize this and seriously injure their clients’ revenue!

    I already know that my blog lacks polish and is missing some pages any SEM dealing with Corporate accounts would have. It does already contain quality content, proven strategies, and plugins to encourage interaction. Installing Thesis is in the works as are other improvements. I rely on volunteer assistance from another blogger for technical enhancements and he has a J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) and family and limited time – for now.

    My focus is on substance and assisting those businesses who can not afford to hire (and would not be able to understand) Bryan Eisenberg. They will not even hire someone like Steve Krug or Rob Snell until they know whose recommendations they can trust.

    If I AM doing what is necessary your input could make all the difference in success and failure for many small businesses.

  • http://GrowMap.com Internet Strategist

    I suspect that most of the more polished blogs are writing what their current audiences are interested in reading – and I also suspect that the majority of their readers are not the businesses you write about in this post.

    Most business owners are so busy working IN their businesses they don’t focus a lot of time working ON their businesses – and they especially are not focusing on how to “bring a business into the modern age”.

    Even those that are seeking that information do not have the backgrounds to understand what those more polished blogs cover. They are big on the “what you need to do” and really slim on the “how to do it yourself or hire someone who can make it happen”.

    Have you read any of the posts on my blog? I specifically write for very small businesses in a way that those who have not been immersed in PPC, SEO, SEM, and all the other acronyms can comprehend.

    So far the most brilliant bloggers – some famous like Louis Gray and others little known like Mike Tekula and Keith Hagen – seem to about the only folks who “get” why I write what I do.

    I would love for you to read some of my posts and let me know if what you are suggesting in this post is what you find. I write what business owners need to know from years of experience.

    Most importantly I explain WHY something needs to be done and how it will benefit their business. I also explain that answers are almost never either/or because there are a thousand individual variables that affect their success.

    Each may only make an improvement of 1-3% but those small percentages add up. Do you know how many small businesses have been seriously burnt because the experts they hire believe whatever someone taught them? They have no idea of the WHY behind what they’re doing much less what negative effects are happening due to their focus on one metric.

    Here is a common example. In ppc you do not get to have both improved ROI and MORE sales from any specific existing traffic. You slide results between those two options. If you drive profit per sale up you WILL reduce sales. If you drive MORE sales you WILL reduce profit per sale. So few ppc “experts” realize this and seriously injure their clients’ revenue!

    I already know that my blog lacks polish and is missing some pages any SEM dealing with Corporate accounts would have. It does already contain quality content, proven strategies, and plugins to encourage interaction. Installing Thesis is in the works as are other improvements. I rely on volunteer assistance from another blogger for technical enhancements and he has a J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) and family and limited time – for now.

    My focus is on substance and assisting those businesses who can not afford to hire (and would not be able to understand) Bryan Eisenberg. They will not even hire someone like Steve Krug or Rob Snell until they know whose recommendations they can trust.

    If I AM doing what is necessary your input could make all the difference in success and failure for many small businesses.

  • http://www.umakeitcool.com/ lemon obrien

    whose going to pay for all that integration which really won’t do anything but drive up their bills.

    the amount of business gained from the cost is minimal for almost all small businesses, and web 2.0.

  • http://www.umakeitcool.com lemon obrien

    whose going to pay for all that integration which really won’t do anything but drive up their bills.

    the amount of business gained from the cost is minimal for almost all small businesses, and web 2.0.

  • http://seansrant.com/ Sean

    I was just thinking something similar when talking to a local print shop who ia moving and stuck with the ‘dilemma’ of customers knowing his location. It comes naturally for us but not for them….

  • http://seansrant.com Sean

    I was just thinking something similar when talking to a local print shop who ia moving and stuck with the ‘dilemma’ of customers knowing his location. It comes naturally for us but not for them….

  • http://blog.jpmaxman.com/ jpmaxman

    As someone who runs an Internet / web production company building sites for businesses of all sizes, it is really difficult to get client buy in for these things. I absolutely agree w/ you and the opportunity / value proposition for these businesses is 100% there; however, it is often difficult to get buy in. I have often wanted to do something that could benefit these small businesses, but eventually end up getting drawn back in to working for larger companies / Internet start-ups / web application development. These sectors seem to simply have more time / money to spend on this stuff. Junoon is probably simply busy making great food and if they have a website w/ their address, phone number and menu, they consider it sufficient. And in some ways, if their business is healthy, they are busy and they don’t have an eye on expansion – they might be right.

  • http://blog.jpmaxman.com jpmaxman

    As someone who runs an Internet / web production company building sites for businesses of all sizes, it is really difficult to get client buy in for these things. I absolutely agree w/ you and the opportunity / value proposition for these businesses is 100% there; however, it is often difficult to get buy in. I have often wanted to do something that could benefit these small businesses, but eventually end up getting drawn back in to working for larger companies / Internet start-ups / web application development. These sectors seem to simply have more time / money to spend on this stuff. Junoon is probably simply busy making great food and if they have a website w/ their address, phone number and menu, they consider it sufficient. And in some ways, if their business is healthy, they are busy and they don’t have an eye on expansion – they might be right.

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  • http://www.alteragroup.net/ James

    Robert, I hear you. I am about to give a presentation on Social Media to all of the local Chamber of Commerce executives in my state. I’ve found this to be terribly challenging because one would think that of all organizations out there chambers, who exist primarily to benefit businesses through networking, would be the biggest supporters of social tools. Not the case here.
    Out of 50 chamber websites we reviewed only 1 had any sort of social presence (a facebook fan page – ugh). The process was brutal as most sites were 1998 era If the chambers don’t get it (who should be leading their members) God help the rest.
    So the challenge lies in speaking to an audience who has a very different world view and trying to resonate with them. Talking about tool specifics would be a waste of time. So I’m approaching this from a tool agnostic point of view and speaking to how these changes are relevant to them.

    The presentation will cover 4 main points:
    1. The world has fundamentally changed.
    2. The exclusivity you once enjoyed as an institution is no longer.
    3. Your type of organization is in the best position to benefit from social tools and use social tools to provide benefit to your members.
    4. Action steps to take now.
    Good amount of Q&A

  • http://www.alteragroup.net James

    Robert, I hear you. I am about to give a presentation on Social Media to all of the local Chamber of Commerce executives in my state. I’ve found this to be terribly challenging because one would think that of all organizations out there chambers, who exist primarily to benefit businesses through networking, would be the biggest supporters of social tools. Not the case here.
    Out of 50 chamber websites we reviewed only 1 had any sort of social presence (a facebook fan page – ugh). The process was brutal as most sites were 1998 era If the chambers don’t get it (who should be leading their members) God help the rest.
    So the challenge lies in speaking to an audience who has a very different world view and trying to resonate with them. Talking about tool specifics would be a waste of time. So I’m approaching this from a tool agnostic point of view and speaking to how these changes are relevant to them.

    The presentation will cover 4 main points:
    1. The world has fundamentally changed.
    2. The exclusivity you once enjoyed as an institution is no longer.
    3. Your type of organization is in the best position to benefit from social tools and use social tools to provide benefit to your members.
    4. Action steps to take now.
    Good amount of Q&A

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  • http://GrowMap.com/ Internet Strategist

    At least that business is interested in finding out what to do. They will eventually start making progress. Just last week I told a local business I was unable to find them online and they could get listed for free.

    Their response was “everyone” in town already knew where they were. (Highly unlikely even in a town of that size.) They did not need to advertise or have an online presence. I should mention that in many small and even medium size towns such as theirs, lack of competition has created a dirth of motivation to improve.

  • http://bhc3.wordpress.com/ Hutch Carpenter

    Robert – getting there on discussing the business impact of social software. See today’s post: “Enterprise 2.0 and the Trough of Disillusionment” http://bhc3.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/enterprise-20-and-the-trough-of-disillusionment/

  • http://bhc3.wordpress.com Hutch Carpenter

    Robert – getting there on discussing the business impact of social software. See today’s post: “Enterprise 2.0 and the Trough of Disillusionment” http://bhc3.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/enterprise-20-and-the-trough-of-disillusionment/

  • http://www.roundpeg.biz Roundpeg

    Great comment. Sometimes watching the media around a few “in companies” makes me feel like I am sitting in the high school cafeteria watching the cool kids have fun at the other table.

    Back then, there were plenty of kids having fun at the other tables, and the same is true now. So Robert, you can keep writing about the hot Silicon Valley elite, and us regular folks in the middle of the country, will be just fine.

    But if you want to experience technology with a Midwest flare, come to Indy for Mira on May 16. Meet the companies making exciting things happen here ( and employing quite a few people along the way) http://www.techpoint.org/Mira/nominees.htm.

    And if you do come, I’ll buy your ticket to the event!

  • http://www.magmawave.com/ danielmcvicar

    Thanks for this useful post…good to hear you look out past the tech echo chamber.

    How is it useful?

    I set up my fiance with a blog at http://www.sorrisoveloce.com (built on wordpress). She blogs a little, links out, no big SEO tricks, and her ranking on google when someone in Torino searches for a dentist is very high. Not easy.

    A little online video so people know her, and clients from Torino and also from other regions of Italy find her.

    It is a whole different game, the conversation.

  • http://www.magmawave.com danielmcvicar

    Thanks for this useful post…good to hear you look out past the tech echo chamber.

    How is it useful?

    I set up my fiance with a blog at http://www.sorrisoveloce.com (built on wordpress). She blogs a little, links out, no big SEO tricks, and her ranking on google when someone in Torino searches for a dentist is very high. Not easy.

    A little online video so people know her, and clients from Torino and also from other regions of Italy find her.

    It is a whole different game, the conversation.

  • http://unboxedmarketing.wordpress.com/ steve buchholz

    When most business owners don’t understand marketing in general, how can we expect them to grasp the use of the Internet and social networking?

    A friend in the insurance business recently asked me to help him with his marketing. At one point, I suggested mentioned creating a blog-based website (he has no site now), and he said, “That’s too far out there for me.” I thought about it after and realized that my friend doesn’t even understand how to use direct mail. My suggestion pushed way past that and expected too much too soon.

    That said, he runs a very successful agency using tried and true tactics-cold calling, setting up appointments, traveling, and making presentations.

    I worry, however, that those efforts will become less successful as his business doesn’t enter a potential customer’s thinking because they rely on new media to create a list of potential agents.

    That illustrates the growing digital marketing divide. Companies and business that get it (and actually do it well) are finding success, while others stuck in a traditional marketing mindset are-or will be-well, stuck.

  • http://unboxedmarketing.wordpress.com steve buchholz

    When most business owners don’t understand marketing in general, how can we expect them to grasp the use of the Internet and social networking?

    A friend in the insurance business recently asked me to help him with his marketing. At one point, I suggested mentioned creating a blog-based website (he has no site now), and he said, “That’s too far out there for me.” I thought about it after and realized that my friend doesn’t even understand how to use direct mail. My suggestion pushed way past that and expected too much too soon.

    That said, he runs a very successful agency using tried and true tactics-cold calling, setting up appointments, traveling, and making presentations.

    I worry, however, that those efforts will become less successful as his business doesn’t enter a potential customer’s thinking because they rely on new media to create a list of potential agents.

    That illustrates the growing digital marketing divide. Companies and business that get it (and actually do it well) are finding success, while others stuck in a traditional marketing mindset are-or will be-well, stuck.

  • http://www.stardustglobalventures.com/ Ken Camp

    You said personally they do. Why? You know about them. Do they need or even want more business? Do we know? If they’re a small, family run business, doing well, and staffed to capacity, maybe they’re simply content with life.

    I’m not convinced every business needs or wants the web. It’s a tool and has value, but if the return on the value is minimal for a business doing well, especially one like this example, the ROI/ROE may not be worth the investment to embrace social media.

    Truly I’m just thinking about this as I’m a proponent.

  • http://www.stardustglobalventures.com/ Ken Camp

    This post really made me think about the subject and wonder. Why do we have this perception in the first place? I tend to agree, but as a tech blogger of sorts (not in the league with those mentioned) I have a voice in my head that says it’s not the core competency for TechCrunch,Mashable, Louis Gray or Chris Brogan to tell a business how to embrace social media. They’re technology and SM people who may not have the depth of knowledge about the individual business segments to give the best advice. When I consult in the tech field, I know many of the nuances that business processes in finance, professional services, manufacturing and health care (as examples) have in technology requirements. It seems logical to me these nuances of difference carry through and business advice on SM from Venture Beat or Steve Gillmor would inherently miss the mark.

    In some way, I think those folks are doing what they do best and leaving something that isn’t their core competency for others who can give the attention it deserves. And while it isn’t as highly visible (consulting simply isn’t as sexy a story on the web as TechCrunch), I certainly see a high number of businesses who really get and use social media in creative ways that are dramatically altering their business. And I think the number is growing, but don’t have anything other than my own reading and gut instinct to support that.

    Just another perspective.

  • http://www.stardustglobalventures.com Ken Camp

    This post really made me think about the subject and wonder. Why do we have this perception in the first place? I tend to agree, but as a tech blogger of sorts (not in the league with those mentioned) I have a voice in my head that says it’s not the core competency for TechCrunch,Mashable, Louis Gray or Chris Brogan to tell a business how to embrace social media. They’re technology and SM people who may not have the depth of knowledge about the individual business segments to give the best advice. When I consult in the tech field, I know many of the nuances that business processes in finance, professional services, manufacturing and health care (as examples) have in technology requirements. It seems logical to me these nuances of difference carry through and business advice on SM from Venture Beat or Steve Gillmor would inherently miss the mark.

    In some way, I think those folks are doing what they do best and leaving something that isn’t their core competency for others who can give the attention it deserves. And while it isn’t as highly visible (consulting simply isn’t as sexy a story on the web as TechCrunch), I certainly see a high number of businesses who really get and use social media in creative ways that are dramatically altering their business. And I think the number is growing, but don’t have anything other than my own reading and gut instinct to support that.

    Just another perspective.

  • Brandon Powell

    @Doug, What about ChaCha… Angie’s List and eTapestry. They have all made it on key Valley blogs… Just a FYI

  • http://hyveup.tv/ xavierv

    tech bloggers cannot advise other businesses because all they know about is tech.

    I work in a restaurant on week ends that is right on south park st in sf (yep, inn front of Twitter’s ex-offices). There isn’t an ounce of new tech integrated in this business. First learn how to flip a crepe, and then think if you need to tweet about it to make it happen.

    I agree with your point of view (as I am a tech geek myself), but web 2.0 technologies are not mature enough to be easily integrated in rusty business models.

  • http://hyveup.tv xavierv

    tech bloggers cannot advise other businesses because all they know about is tech.

    I work in a restaurant on week ends that is right on south park st in sf (yep, inn front of Twitter’s ex-offices). There isn’t an ounce of new tech integrated in this business. First learn how to flip a crepe, and then think if you need to tweet about it to make it happen.

    I agree with your point of view (as I am a tech geek myself), but web 2.0 technologies are not mature enough to be easily integrated in rusty business models.

  • http://www.consultingpulse.com/ Daryl Mather

    Robert,

    We have been posting on information for businesses and freelancers to use emerging technology for over a year now.

    Check out the blog at http://www.consultingpulse.com/2009/04/why-are-people-so-stupid-on-linkedin.html or the Squidoo page at http://www.squidoo.com/online-apps

    Cheers,

  • http://www.consultingpulse.com Daryl Mather

    Robert,

    We have been posting on information for businesses and freelancers to use emerging technology for over a year now.

    Check out the blog at http://www.consultingpulse.com/2009/04/why-are-people-so-stupid-on-linkedin.html or the Squidoo page at http://www.squidoo.com/online-apps

    Cheers,

  • guruvan

    Jesse – Two out of those four articles really directly apply to most businesses. The Cotweet article seems like it’s really appropriate to almost any type of business -we all need CRM tools, and twitter is a mess in that area. The article on TodaysMama shows a business much more about how it can find and use social networks that are more specific to the individual needs of the business. The fourth article (allowing certain friends)is more appropriate to 2 types of people than anyone else: public sales/marketing/PR types, and and current or future job seeker (which realy encompasses us all but….)

    The problem: Placement. “Location Location Location”

    I have to wonder how many non-tech business readers you’re reaching on your blog and Louis’ blog. Certainly Louis’ seems more tech-market driven. What about simultaneously publishing articles like this on more business oriented sites?

    Robert’s point was essentially two-fold 1) Not many bloggers writing about solutions for general down-the-street businesses, and 2) of those who are writing about those solutions, most are winding up in “new-technology” blogs.

    Where’s the blog that the business readers read? How about getting these kinds of articles in the NYT and WSJ? Thats one start.

    And also, what about a “business blog” where are those?

  • guruvan

    Robert is 100% correct and here’s why:

    I don’t go anywhere unless I can a) FIND the place on google (etc) and b) Find out more about the place on google (etc).

    Beyond that, do they need things like Facebook Connect? Sure they do, restaurants want to fill more seats at more empty hours – easier to do with online tools. I can imagine all kinds of little toys we can build for the restaurant market that are designed to catch people at their desk, and let them know when is the best time for them to come in, get the best service, and the best price. They don’t know they need this yet, but as soon as they have it, and they’re not sitting idle from 2-5pm they’ll wonder how they ever survived with out it. Make all these tols work on the mobile (which is where this is all going – desktop power in our hands) and now, I can order lunch before I get to the restaurant…maybe get a 5% discount for ordering from the phone before I come in. The restaurant is happy, they just added a whole extra seating to the lunch hour. (Ztables x Ypeople x Xseatings) how much more money can they make. And how much better is the service going to be for each customer?

    It’s not about expanding advertising and increasing hte hecticness of their businesses, it’s about relieving that. Making it easier to serve at least as much as the current, if not more.

    Look -When people started selling POS systems into restaurants, the restaurants didn’t think they needed them. Show me more than a very small handful of excellent restaurants that don’t use those today. You’ll find a very small minorty of good restaurants that don’t (and wouldn’t benefit) but it’s a minority. The very same will hold true for social media enhancements

    And this only addresses restaurants. I haven’t even gotten to Hardware Stores. :)

  • Alex

    Robert,

    I have a question for you and your community…..I just read your post about “What are the tech bloggers missing? Your business!”

    With this in mind, can you provide me with:

    1. Can you provide a company and/or platform which incorporates all of these elements(facebook integration, facebook connect, interactivity, mobile client, community, twitter and SEO, etc, etc). ….so small businesses can easliy populate thge content and let them engage with their current customers, and communicate (and bait them with offers for bring them in) with potential customers.

    I am consulting with small businesses and have not been able to find the turnkey platform which which incorporates all these elements.

    Can you suggest a platform that incorporates ALL these elements ??

    Samples are appreciated.

    Your feedback is VERY, VERY MUCH appreciated.

  • Alex

    Robert,

    I have a question for you and your community…..I just read your post about “What are the tech bloggers missing? Your business!”

    With this in mind, can you provide me with:

    1. Can you provide a company and/or platform which incorporates all of these elements(facebook integration, facebook connect, interactivity, mobile client, community, twitter and SEO, etc, etc). ….so small businesses can easliy populate thge content and let them engage with their current customers, and communicate (and bait them with offers for bring them in) with potential customers.

    I am consulting with small businesses and have not been able to find the turnkey platform which which incorporates all these elements.

    Can you suggest a platform that incorporates ALL these elements ??

    Samples are appreciated.

    Your feedback is VERY, VERY MUCH appreciated.

  • http://myphillynetwork.com/ AnthonyF

    Certainly not me, I’m too busy trying to figure it out for the urban folks. I’m sure someone is trying though because there’s so many “SEO experts” out there(read their twitter bio)…You let me know so I can point my clients to them.

  • http://myphillynetwork.com/ AnthonyF

    Certainly not me, I’m too busy trying to figure it out for the urban folks. I’m sure someone is trying though because there’s so many “SEO experts” out there(read their twitter bio)…You let me know so I can point my clients to them.

  • Bruce Fisher

    If you guys in the tech community want to “help’ small business so much ask yourself when was the last time you linked to one, or talked about one on your blog, or had one biz, help another biz link to each other, or god for bid re-tweet something we do or say?

  • Bruce Fisher

    If you guys in the tech community want to “help’ small business so much ask yourself when was the last time you linked to one, or talked about one on your blog, or had one biz, help another biz link to each other, or god for bid re-tweet something we do or say?

  • http://www.twitter.com/kilmerr Christopher Coulter

    What are tech bloggers good for?

    1. Obsessively and myopiaistically looking at every problem as merely a technology issue.
    2. Creating fake drama that even early 2000s bad MTV can’t top.
    3. Incestuous endless linking loops. Dave Winer and Joi Ito says this…
    4. Shrilling for whomever or whatever suffers to bow to their egos.
    5. Playing fake friends social networking games all day long. People beyond reach of keyboards do not exist.
    6. Screaming “you don’t get it” (the end is near) to anyone who dares not play their reindeer games. The world are unsaved tech-clueless morons. Send in the drippy evangelists.
    7. Attending conferences and not bothering to listen to anyone speak, hallway action, and tap-tap backchannel de jour. Rudeness as a verb.
    8. Name-calling. Anyone not on the gameplan, label a troll.
    9. Whining. If they have a problem with such and such, expect weeks and weeks of clueless rants and temper-tanrums about this and that. They are the centers of the universe, you know.
    10. Not understanding the dynamics of anything other than IT.
    11. Wholesale inability to make critical judgments, nary a bubble that can’t be loved.
    12. Lacking a sense of humor. Double for satire and sarcasm. No such thing.
    13. Original content. All rehashes of rehashes, reviews of staged reviews, comments on stories already written, filler ‘citizen engineer content’, install Linux on your iced-tea maker….et.al.
    14. Not having a knowlegde of anything historical, the future is all that matters.
    15. Knowing anything of the literary sort. Books? Those don’t come in RSS feeds.
    16. Not giving deference to subject matter experts who write real content, but don’t blog or social-network communicate in the “right” way. I’m taking my ball and going home.

  • http://www.twitter.com/kilmerr Christopher Coulter

    What are tech bloggers good for?

    1. Obsessively and myopiaistically looking at every problem as merely a technology issue.
    2. Creating fake drama that even early 2000s bad MTV can’t top.
    3. Incestuous endless linking loops. Dave Winer and Joi Ito says this…
    4. Shrilling for whomever or whatever suffers to bow to their egos.
    5. Playing fake friends social networking games all day long. People beyond reach of keyboards do not exist.
    6. Screaming “you don’t get it” (the end is near) to anyone who dares not play their reindeer games. The world are unsaved tech-clueless morons. Send in the drippy evangelists.
    7. Attending conferences and not bothering to listen to anyone speak, hallway action, and tap-tap backchannel de jour. Rudeness as a verb.
    8. Name-calling. Anyone not on the gameplan, label a troll.
    9. Whining. If they have a problem with such and such, expect weeks and weeks of clueless rants and temper-tanrums about this and that. They are the centers of the universe, you know.
    10. Not understanding the dynamics of anything other than IT.
    11. Wholesale inability to make critical judgments, nary a bubble that can’t be loved.
    12. Lacking a sense of humor. Double for satire and sarcasm. No such thing.
    13. Original content. All rehashes of rehashes, reviews of staged reviews, comments on stories already written, filler ‘citizen engineer content’, install Linux on your iced-tea maker….et.al.
    14. Not having a knowlegde of anything historical, the future is all that matters.
    15. Knowing anything of the literary sort. Books? Those don’t come in RSS feeds.
    16. Not giving deference to subject matter experts who write real content, but don’t blog or social-network communicate in the “right” way. I’m taking my ball and going home.

  • http://www.geekazine.com/ Geekazine

    To add to what you say – I follow the rules of 3 – Video, audio and print. I want people to have voice on my audio version, but I feel like I’m pulling teeth to get them to do it.

    I offered any Tech Blogger to send me a favorite article and I would turn it into a Podcast episode. So far, only one person has responded to it.

    By putting this into audio format, not only is a tech blogger going to get exposure on another site, they will also get 2 forms for people to ingest – audio and written.

    I have no doubt that someone is eventually going to take this offer and end up getting a lot of exposure from it.

  • http://www.geekazine.com Geekazine

    To add to what you say – I follow the rules of 3 – Video, audio and print. I want people to have voice on my audio version, but I feel like I’m pulling teeth to get them to do it.

    I offered any Tech Blogger to send me a favorite article and I would turn it into a Podcast episode. So far, only one person has responded to it.

    By putting this into audio format, not only is a tech blogger going to get exposure on another site, they will also get 2 forms for people to ingest – audio and written.

    I have no doubt that someone is eventually going to take this offer and end up getting a lot of exposure from it.

  • guruvan

    Steve: I think the real opportunity in social networking relates to just what you’re talking about. Lot’s of business owners and companies do’nt understand marketing, OR technology. But what they DO understand how to be social. They understand how to network with people in the real world. The opportunity of social networking is giving these people the chance to learn the marketing and technological skills they need to really succeed in today’s world, in a language they can understand: friends, connections, community. We in the technology and marketing worlds are coming together more and more in the social networking arena, and have now the chance to bring all these other businesses with us.

  • http://www.appomattoxnews.com/ Linda Goin

    I spoke with the tourism director for the Town of Appomattox yesterday, and offered to provide a free Web presence for Appomattox businesses in my directory for that town/county. Most (I’d say 90%) of the businesses in Appomattox rely only on Chamber membership listing online and free ‘yellow page’ listings online to count as their Web presence. I’m about to email the Chamber to let them know about this deal, too (normally I’d charge $25 for 500 words on a page for any free directory listing, a package I haven’t pushed in the least with current economic conditions in town). I’ll let you know how that goes, Robert.

    I must tell you, however, that this area received broadband one year ago, and it doesn’t extend beyond town boundaries. So, businesses that appear to be located in town, yet are on the edge of the county/town line, may not have broadband. This is an interesting scenario, as the Civil War Sesquincentennial begins in 2011, and Appomattox is where the Civil War ended. Talk about a job cut out for him – that new tourism director has it.

    If you have any further suggestions, please let me know (anyone).

  • http://elliotross.wordpress.com/ Elliot Ross

    There are dozens of us!

    However – with small businesses – trying to convince people that they “Don’t Know What They Don’t Know”

    Well that is a challenge!

    But as for folks trying?

    Mike Moran – Frank Reed – Rick Spence – the list goes on and on …..

    Regards

  • http://elliotross.wordpress.com Elliot Ross

    There are dozens of us!

    However – with small businesses – trying to convince people that they “Don’t Know What They Don’t Know”

    Well that is a challenge!

    But as for folks trying?

    Mike Moran – Frank Reed – Rick Spence – the list goes on and on …..

    Regards

  • http://blog.lifelinedatacenters.com/ Doug Theis

    Robert, Dig a little deeper into the Indianapolis tech scene if you’re looking for tech bloggers that address real business issues. Indy is quietly developing into an software, data center, SaaS and cloud hub that offers talent pool, competitive salaries, and awesome cost of living.

  • guruvan

    What Robert seems to be trying to say is that on a grand scale none of the big blogs are really doing you guys much service. I’m sure he knows that he’s just a geek, writing about geek stuff. He said we went looking for the articles about business and couldn’t find much of anything.

    Douglas, you talk about promoting local businesses. This is great, but if its only local, then it’s not getting out there to the rest ofthe people that might benefit from your experience. How can we as a community maximize and leverage your knowledge and experience?

    Silicon Valley is where the TECH news is made. Business news of all other type is made elsewhere. (and there but the Valley is small compare to the World)
    The Valley is making the tools for the businesses but how do the businesses use them, what do they want? I have a pretty good idea, I’ve serve technology to small & medium sized enterprises throughout the northwest.

    This isn’t about “web presence” That’s yesterday’s news. And Yes if a business didn’t get it they are going to get it. But Social Media is a whole new ball game. It’s not about “presence” . It’s about “enagagement” Its about interaction with the customers, future employees and the community. A “web presence” was about putting up a billboard on the information super highway (sound 90s enough for you?). If you didn’t put up billboards on the real life highway, why would you want virtual ones? But the face of the matter is, every business interacts with its customers, employees, and the community as a whole. It IS what they do. Social media extends that interaction in to the online world. Why is this important? 75% of all people under the age of 35 in the US have a a Facebook or Myspace account. (IIRC) We’re nearing that percentage with the 35-50 demographic. Most children today GREW UP on Facebook and Myspace -it’s the playground that they experience. Businesses are going to have to be able to speak to this side of their community.

    But the people to tell them how to do it are in short supply. If Robert Scoble can’t find them, I have to imagine there just aren’t that many. I know how Robert absorbs news. He’s big on telling people like me how to do it.

    So how do we as a community make this really happen for the business community?

    If it’s not really out there, how do we make it happen? How do we get that completely business oriented blog site to take off? How do we attract some talent to it? How do we get writers like myself & Jesse, who can provide some business focus, the right eyeballs reading them. Out of the geekdoms and into the boardrooms and into the mom & pop shops.

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