Ray Poynter, online research innovator and master networker
Ray Poynter is something of a legendary figure in the market research world. I first met Ray the way that many people do – at a conference overseas where Ray shone out as cheerful and sociable in an island of grey suits and seriousness. Ray dived into social media at a time when other people were cautiously dipping a toe. He has started up research networks on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Ning, and is currently chairing a virtual market research conference, the Festival of New MR, which goes live on December 6th. He’s a busy man: he is the author of a recent book on online research...
Read MoreTeleclasses and online workshops: the next revolution
In the midst of all the loud talk about the latest trends in social media - like the ongoing obsession with location-based services – it’s interesting to notice a quiet business revolution taking place in other corners of the net. You may already be aware of services in say, marketing coaching or personal growth, often offered as teleclasses linked to highly successful business blogs. So, for example, you can sign up for a marketing teleclass with Naomi Dunford of Ittybiz, or go for the rather wonderfully-named Virtual Retreat offered by Jennifer Louden. I do believe...
Read MoreSpecial Google Buzz rant edition
Google Buzz came to my Gmail account yesterday. I am beyond angry with Google right now, as well as with the other developers of social networks who seem obsessed with recreating their own smug worlds of urban white male 20somethings geotagging their coffee bars. Vaguely coherent reasons for hatred: 1. Appalling usability – options and their effects are completely unclear; the actual interface is not intuitive; and when I logged on this morning, I found that Buzz updates arrive in my Gmail inbox as well as the Buzz one. That’s not going to fly. 2. An apparent inability to consider...
Read MoreWisdom of Mobs: the feedback loop
It’s that eerily calm pause between Christmas and New Year frenzy. There’s a number of half-formed posts in my head, but we’ll go with a swirling scarcely-formed one about crowds, audiences and mobs. Desirable audiences and undesirable ones. Thought one: the way that the internet has caused unknown mass audiences to become active participants. I’m thinking of the people who complained to the Press Complaints Commission about Jan Moir’s piece on Stephen Gately; and on a lighter note, the people persuaded to download Rage Against the Machine in preference to...
Read MoreThat’s why it’s called ‘research’
A wee rant. I came across this conversation about online communities on Research Live. There is a discussion of the pros and cons of research-based online communities, branded online communities, and right at the end a commenter who says that all this community talk is ridiculous and simply listening to internet buzz (via networks like) Facebook is the way forward. Listen, my children. Many many years ago, I was a wee trainee research manager for a company that did a very boring thing. We made the fragrances that go into washing powders. We did not think this was at all dull. We...
Read MoreManifesto
Some of us find it quite simple to put our real organisations and authentic selves online.
Others - well, let's just say that some of us can't bear to look at our own websites.
My mission is to help you transform your online presence so that other people understand and appreciate what you really have to offer. So that you can achieve what you want - whether that's better engagement, more readers, or more sales.