Comments on: How Facebook, and Twitter should monetize http://www.sharpio.com/how-facebook-and-twitter-should-monetize/ { random thoughts about startups, social media, and technology } Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:53:28 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: conorlee3 http://www.sharpio.com/how-facebook-and-twitter-should-monetize/comment-page-1/#comment-587 conorlee3 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:17:41 +0000 http://www.sharpio.com/?p=488#comment-587 Further reading on this topic: Check out this Tech Crunch op-ed by Eric Clemons (Prof of Operations and Information Management at Wharton): <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/22/why-advertising-is-failing-on-the-internet/" rel="nofollow">http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/22/why-advert...</a>. He thinks advertising as a whole will eventually be destroyed by the internet (he includes broadcast and print adverting in this boat) and then breaks down the online monetization options beyond advertising in a few very interesting ways, which include describing Google's business model as, "misdirection" (which he defines as the act profiting off of other company's willingness to pay to have people searching for them or their competitors diverted or misdirected to their site). Further reading on this topic: Check out this Tech Crunch op-ed by Eric Clemons (Prof of Operations and Information Management at Wharton): http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/22/why-advert.... He thinks advertising as a whole will eventually be destroyed by the internet (he includes broadcast and print adverting in this boat) and then breaks down the online monetization options beyond advertising in a few very interesting ways, which include describing Google's business model as, “misdirection” (which he defines as the act profiting off of other company's willingness to pay to have people searching for them or their competitors diverted or misdirected to their site).

]]> By: Conor Lee http://www.sharpio.com/how-facebook-and-twitter-should-monetize/comment-page-1/#comment-581 Conor Lee Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:37:01 +0000 http://www.sharpio.com/?p=488#comment-581 Only is there is a way for the link introduction process to not interfere with the ease of use of either system -- and the popularity of both systems is enhancing communication abilities of its users. I'm not a huge fan of Zemanta because the suggested links aren't relevant enough for my needs to warrant the extra step it requires. I guess I'm back to square one -- it's all about the interface and ease of use. Only is there is a way for the link introduction process to not interfere with the ease of use of either system — and the popularity of both systems is enhancing communication abilities of its users. I'm not a huge fan of Zemanta because the suggested links aren't relevant enough for my needs to warrant the extra step it requires. I guess I'm back to square one — it's all about the interface and ease of use.

]]> By: Eric Wu http://www.sharpio.com/how-facebook-and-twitter-should-monetize/comment-page-1/#comment-580 Eric Wu Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:18:04 +0000 http://www.sharpio.com/?p=488#comment-580 @conor lee <br><br>Good point. Do you think there is opportunity in handling it the way Zemanta does their recommended links...as an opt-in?<br><br>For instance, twitter provides the option to hyperlink text within tweets if the user wants to provide additional depth. @conor lee

Good point. Do you think there is opportunity in handling it the way Zemanta does their recommended links…as an opt-in?

For instance, twitter provides the option to hyperlink text within tweets if the user wants to provide additional depth.

]]> By: Conor Lee http://www.sharpio.com/how-facebook-and-twitter-should-monetize/comment-page-1/#comment-579 Conor Lee Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:02:09 +0000 http://www.sharpio.com/?p=488#comment-579 Eric, <br><br>I like your idea with including keyword links in discussions, but it does bring up major privacy issues, and could really piss some users off. The idea that a person conversation can literally be turned into an ad would certainly bother a lot of people. It's like taking Gmail's contextual advertising a step further. Another issue is the idea that you would be altering someone's original content -- which could result in a decreased use and/or trust of the service. It's one thing to include keyword links on your own blog, but entirely another to do that to other users. If the use of the keyword links were limited to specific types of discussions, and not used often in regular conversations, then it might work.<br><br> Also, the visibility of those links would need to be pretty subtle (underlined blue text might even be too much). Find a nice balance of a slightly bolded or different font for the linked text with the normal text, and it might be able to work. Eric,

I like your idea with including keyword links in discussions, but it does bring up major privacy issues, and could really piss some users off. The idea that a person conversation can literally be turned into an ad would certainly bother a lot of people. It's like taking Gmail's contextual advertising a step further. Another issue is the idea that you would be altering someone's original content — which could result in a decreased use and/or trust of the service. It's one thing to include keyword links on your own blog, but entirely another to do that to other users. If the use of the keyword links were limited to specific types of discussions, and not used often in regular conversations, then it might work.

Also, the visibility of those links would need to be pretty subtle (underlined blue text might even be too much). Find a nice balance of a slightly bolded or different font for the linked text with the normal text, and it might be able to work.

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