the Web Chef's e-Bytes

Bacn Management - e-mail infoglut management strategies

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Radicati Group reports that "the average corporate e-mail user received 126 messages a day, up 55% from 2003".  This infoglut is the result not only of continuing problems with spam, but with the growth of what is now being called "bacn" or "e-mail you want, but not right now". While spam filters, white lists, black lists, trusted senders and other tools have been and continue to make inroads against spam; "bacn" both from external and internal sources is clogging e-mail inboxes.  This infoglut is creating major headaches for recipients and corporations alike.  The importance of this problem is clear with The Wall Street Journal article stating "Email overload is now considered a much bigger workplace problem than traditional email spam."

Companies are approaching the "bacn" growth with a number of strategies.  According to a recent article in Computerworld, one strategy being pursued is the introduction of enterprise RSS feeds.  These RSS feeds, much like those consumers are latching on to, allow workers to subscribe or be subscribed to content feeds that are relevant or critical to their work.  This narrowcasting can reduce the infoglut of e-mail.  I know that when given a choice between e-mail and RSS, I'll subscribe to an RSS feed, however if it is what I call "crispy bacn" (mmmm, my favorite) or messages that I really want to see, I like to receive these via e-mail.  The reason for this is that I subscribe to so many feeds (I know a glutton for punishment) that it can often be weeks or days to get to the feeds that I'm less interested in.  Among the enterprise RSS feed companies that are referenced in the article are Attensa, KnowNow and NewsGator,

In a different strategy for e-mail infoglut management, The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) on the growth of start-ups that are helping users manage their e-mail by tagging, sorting or re-directing it to different users.  The sorting takes place based on algorithms rather than user supplied factors.  For ClearContext, one of the companies cited in the article they reportedly look at your inbox and the speed in which you normally respond to that sender to determine how to tag the e-mail content. Other companies that are referenced in this article are Seriosity and Xobni (inbox spelled backwards - cute!).

As a professional with a background in corporate and marketing communications, efforts to improve internal communications like these will prove popular and useful in improving team productivity.

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Need help with your internal communications strategies? 

Drop me an e-mail or give me a call (608) 255 4092, I'd be happy to work with you to develop strategies for your Intranet, RSS feeds, internal e-mail, wikis or other tools that could be of use for improving worker productivity.

Paul Gibler
the Web Chef

Web Tidbits - Wikis, Web 2.0

ReadWrite Web has a great posting called the World of Wikis.  The article explains the history of wikis, offers suggestions on what they can be used for and provides links to wiki creation tools.  For another resource on wikis see my recent article in Wisconsin Technology Network "Joining the wiki waki world".

In other recent news McKinsey research released on March 22nd "How Businesses are Using Web 2.0" and reported by Business Week finds that large corporations are wary to invest in web 2.0 technologies.  The research found that of common web 2.0 technologies that well under 50% planned to invest in them.  Among the findings of those using or planning to use specific tools were the following:

• Social Networking - 37%
• RSS - 35%
• Podcasts - 35%
• Wikis - 33%
• Blogs - 32%
• Mashups - 21%

The disheartening results were attribued to fear and lack of familiarity with the technologies.  Not to surprisingly smaller more entrepreneurial companies were found to be more conversant and willing to adopt these new technologies.

Online Newspaper Readership Continues to Rise

Newspaper publishers must be sighing with relief if not jumping with joy, as they continue to see increasing online readership of the news according to data compiled from the Newspaper Association of America's Newspaper Audience Database (NAdbase).  Nielsen/Net Ratings research shows that year over year there was a 15% increase in unique visitors to newspaper sites.  Even better news for the industry is Scarborough research data showing that there was an increase in key demographic segments favored by some advertisers with the 25 - 34 year old segment increasing 13.7% and the 18 - 24 year old segment seeing an increase of 9.2%.   The research also found that combined between these two segments 65.8% read a newspaper during the week.

What the report doesn't address is the growing trend of online newspapers to use Web 2.0 tools to enhance their products.  Leading papers are utilizing RSS, including video and audio podcasts, photo sharing, blogs, improved word of mouth marketing features and enhanced reader comment sections.

UPDATE
Proving that a web 2.0 community centric strategy works, Media Post reports that Nielsen Net Ratings research shows that USAToday.com has seen a 380% increase in visitor registrations and a 21% increase in unique visitors since their site re-design launch in February.

RSS News & Views

Problogger has an article comparing RSS advertising feed options.  It reviews and provides links to options from Pheedo, Feeburner, Adsense, YPN and Feedster. 

The Opinionated Marketer has a series of articles they are bundling as XML for Dummies that you might find interesting.

Also see my prior stories on RSS Marketing for examples and links to ways that people are incorporating RSS feeds into their marketing mix.  Pheedo has a posting "10 Ways for e-Marketers to Use Feeds" that has some interesting ideas. 

If you're still trying to decide on what RSS newsreader to use or not totally happy with the one you are using see CNET's review of some of the major options - Bloglines, Rojo, Feeddemon, Newsgator and Google Reader.

Web Tidbits

Online Video
Click Z reports that NBC has launched NBBC or the the National Broadband Company to distribute NBC created content while providing additional advertising opportunities.  This will allow NBC to have greater control of their intellectual property and to generate additional advertising revenues.

Online Advertising
ClickZ also reports that Miva will be offering inline advertising where ads pop-up when a user mouses over a keyword in a story.  The ads are similar to those offered by Vibrant Media's InteliTXT according to the article.

RSS in Marketing
Steve Rubel at Micropersuasion has an interesting posting on the growing awareness and utilization of RSS feeds for marketing purposes.  He links to a ClickZ story "Real Life RSS Marketing" referencing many uses of RSS feeds in marketing.  For other marketing uses see some of my previous postings and links to RSS marketing feeds.

Package Tracking Mashup
Steve Rubel also had a link to an interesting mashup site - PackageMapping, that allows you to map your package location based on your UPS, DHL, USPS or FedEx tracking number.  For more applications of mashups see my article on Wisconsin Technology News about mashups. 

RSS Uses Updated

In my article on RSS that was published in my new column Buzz Networks on Wisconsin Technology News, I give you several ideas on ways that RSS feeds are being used.  In addition, I've referenced this usage on e-Bytes as well.

I've come across a couple of additional lists that I thought would be worth sharing.  One from Steve Rubel of Micropersuasion fame provides a list of 35 RSS feeds that might be of interest and the other from WebProNews provides a list of 11 categories RSS feeds that could be worth pursuing.  These two postings join an earlier one on what RSS can do from Robin Good

Among my favorites from the two lists were to track airport delays, get notifications on new members for an association and track the deals on eBay.

New Column on RSS in Wisconsin Technology News

The second column in an ongoing series that I write for Wisconsin Technology News was published yesterday.  This column discusses the importance of RSS and supplements the earlier postings I made on e-Bytes on learning more about RSS and promotional uses of RSS.

Addendum: The article has been referenced by Joe Wilkert's Book Publisher, Author and Online Publishing Blog and Nathan Gilliatt's Net Savvy Executive Blog.

RSS Promotional Feeds

Given the migration to the Internet for accessing information, shopping and staying abreast of sales, it isn't surprising to see new delivery mechanisms to get the word out about promotional offers.  Astute marketers are combining their e-mail messaging strategies with the use of RSS promotional feeds for those seeking to be notified of sales and other offers.  This has taken RSS beyond blog or web site content updates into more sales-oriented promotional offers.

Among the players that have begin offering an RSS promotional feed are the following:

• Amazon - sign up for specific feeds of topic interest (toys, history, politics, etc.).  These Individualized RSS feeds are based on a specific user interest.
• Northwest Airlines - 4 feeds with offers of interest to their frequent flyers.
• Target - sign up for a feed offering you a preview of the Sunday news circular for your particular market area.

According to Yahoo News, this increase in promotional feeds is supported by research by Jupiter Research showing that at present, only 29% of large companies (> $50 million in sales) publish content using RSS syndication and that by the end of the year this will increase to 63% of large companies.

Robin Good and Sharon Housley at Masternewmedia have a post that describes some of the other content delivery innovations that are happening with RSS.

Feel free to share other promotional feeds that you know of in the comment section of this blog.

Survey on use of RSS in Marketing

Rok Hrastnik, publisher of MarketingStudies.net and the author of Unleash the Marketing and Publishing Power of RSS is sponsoring a survey on marketer's use of RSS .  You can complete the survey at Marketing RSS study.  Rok also provides access to ongoing information on the Business case for using RSS that you can sign-up for at this site.

Rok is in Slovenia, showing again the powerful distribution of the Internet and the continued dissemination of knowledge expertise around the world.

It will be interesting to see what creative ways that RSS is being used in the marketing mix.  Not too long ago, Charlene Li at Forrester was compiling a similar list that became available to Forrester subscribers.

e-Marketing Buzz - Nibblets from the News

• BLOGS, PODCASTS & RSS - Brandweek reports that research by PQ Media shows that advertiisng spending on blogs, podcasts and RSS leads the pack for alternative media with a 200% increase in 2005 and a projected 144% increase in 2006.
• ONLINE ADVERTISING - The New York Post reports that research by Zenith Optimedia shows that spending on online advertising will overtake billboard spending in 2007 and radio in 2008. 
• MEDIA CONSUMPTION PATTERNS - BIG Research and Northwestern University announced research findings indicating that consumers fall into one of eight media consumption clusters (old school, active explorers, new mediacs, simultaneous readers, independents, ravenous, persuadables, opportunity minded).  Understanding your consumer's media consumption patterns can help you plan your overall media mix.