Travel Trends – KLM on Twitter, Mobile Coupons, Ikea Heights

KLM on Twitter – Earlier today we noticed a quiet, yet intriguing post from the social team at KLM:

Make new friends on board by tweeting a hashtag with your flight details and searching that tag #mmddKLxxx e.g. #0204KL641

And while we don’t have much more to go on than the tweet itself, we quickly imagined an entire campaign built around this simple idea.  Let’s face it, the majority of travel brands have been unable to find their proper or popular niche within the social space.  Facebook, Twitter, etc, etc.  We have tried them all, but very few have stumbled upon a campaign that uses social media to effectively a) generate revenue, b) generate PR or c) generate brand advocacy.  But this simple tweet from @KLM has potential.

Using the unofficial rules of Twitter, KLM is simply leveraging the existing system (hashtags) to create tweets (messages) about KLM among its followers (passengers) while at the same time creating an interesting game of discovery during the flight.  Add in-flight internet access and this idea moves beyond the gate area into a full-fledged find the other passenger game at 35,000 feet.

At first blush, the idea takes the sense of community from Twitter, applies the KLM brand as a common interest and potentially creates hundreds of air-side tweet-ups between passengers. This writer can think of several dotcom creations that have started with the same goal…and spent a lot more development money.

Fun, creative and community based…all of which sound like great brand attributes to us.

http://twitter.com/KLM/

Consumers Slow to Take Advantage of Mobile Coupons – Mobile coupons are a natural extension for any travel brand, but especially of interest for CVBs and DMOs.  Unfortunately new stats show that while the technology is ready to make mobile coupons a reality, the consumer is a bit further behind in the adoption process.

Coupon usage was up in 2009 overall, and mobile coupon redemption is poised to explode over the next few years. But mobile couponing is still in the early stages of adoption, as indicated in a Honeywell survey conducted by Harris Interactive in December 2009.

http://www.emarketer.com/

IKEA Heights Goes Viral without IKEA – Regardless of convention, meeting or coffee break, everyone loves to talk about creating ‘viral’ videos for their travel product.  Ad agencies have ideas and opinions, your boss was crazy about the video of the baby on YouTube (we are not sure which one, there are a lot of them) and all of your peers keep talking about how they are creating a ‘viral’ campaign for their airline, resort or CVB.

You should all know by now…especially if you are a regular on the Travel 2.0 blog…that the words ‘viral’ (ugh, which we hate to begin with) and ‘create’ don’t usually equal ’success.’

For example take one of the numerous ‘internet sensations’ online right now, IKEA Heights.  Built around the quasi-tourist destination of an IKEA store, add a few actors, a melodramatic script, confused shoppers as well as unaware IKEA management and you have a ‘viral’ video series actually worth watching.

Clever, authentic and entertaining = online video success.

http://www.ikeaheights.com/

The iPad Effect on the Travel Industry

How will the iPad affect the travel industry?

Before we even get started, this is not a post about how fantastic or disappointing yesterday’s iPad announcement was.  Nor is it a feature by feature review of the new device.  This Travel 2.0 post is about asking questions…specifically, what does yesterday’s announcement mean to you and I, what should we do about it and what does the future hold for travelers interacting with our brand and content.

So, let’s take a look.

Yesterday’s iPad announcement…

…is another signal that the way consumers take in content is forever changing.

Consumers will continue to expect, as well as begin to demand, that all of your content and information be available in the format and on the device of their choosing.  Whether the answer or preference is a ‘traditional’ printed guide or brochure, a website, a mobile site, an app, a Facebook page, etc., etc., regardless of access point…phone, TV, iPad…consumers are expecting to see the same content within each experience.

We know, it was so simple 10 years ago.  We had a brochure and a website, nothing more.  Then, technology happened.  iPhones, netbooks, e-readers, all of it compounding upon itself to create a myriad of content delivery vehicles each with their own specs, needs and costs.  Enough to drive a person techno-crazy.  Unfortunately, as the iPad announcement has shown, this trend will continue into the foreseeable future.

Our recommendation, place content at the center of the wheel and let the websites, blogs and apps be the spokes.  Ensure that your content strategy is prepared and able to feed content along each of these paths.  As our next question points out, you might not need to build an iPad app just yet, but at least the content will be ready if you do.

…does not mean you need to build another app.

Ugh, you don’t.  Let the dust settle on this announcement before drawing up plans for your iPad app.  Let’s see how the consumer uses the device and then develop based upon their needs and opportunities.

…continues the trend of content becoming unrestricted due to screen or system.

As mentioned in our first point, the screens in your home…TV, computer, mobile phone…are becoming increasingly interchangeable.  Do not assume that the consumer is watching your TV spot on the TV, or that they are reviewing their ski vacation plans on a laptop.  Devices are becoming interchangeable.  I can start the day by reading the New York Times on my iPad and then switch to the full screen view on my laptop.  Or even pull up NYT videos on my phone.  Case in point, I read the Times last Saturday on my Blackberry…never even picked up the paper or turned on the computer.

…should make you think about how e-readers or e-book readers will affect travel guide publishing in the future.

Does it strike anyone else that this type of iPad device will be the primary way we consume print in the future?  Books, magazines, brochures all downloaded to your iPad.  If I am Travel + Leisure, why not send you the latest issue via an iPad app.  Less cost for me (in theory).  Plus, better ad tracking and statistics.

That being said, I love books.  I love the feel.  I love knowing that I have a library of thought, history and art in my house now.  I certainly do not want to push the art of printing into the abyss, however I think some forms of publishing would benefit from an iPad-like device in every home.

For any of us in the travel space…DMO/CVB, resort, publisher, airline…how will e-readers change the way we send our now print-only information?  And what opportunities will we have to re-think the ‘published’ experience and turn that static printed image into an interactive video?  Do consumers what our OVGs via an e-reader?

Time will tell.

There you go, our first thoughts on the new iPad.  Not fully developed, but just the start of this conversation.

But what do you think?  Where and how do you see the iPad, or a future iPad-like device, influencing and changing the travel industry?  Or does it at all?  Let us know in the comments section, we would love to re-post the thoughts of our readers for a future article.

Case Study: Snowbird iPhone App

There is an app for that.

Today, let’s take the conversation mobile and look at the Snowbird iPhone App.  Again, a special request from one of our readers who happens to work with the development shop (Welikesmall) behind the application.

Yes, we know everyone is currently building or thinking about building an iPhone app.  However we were drawn to this example because of what was not included in the app, rather than what was.

How about some background from the PR pitch:

We did some serious thinking about how real skiers would use an iPhone app to tap into what is going on at the mountain, says Thomas Cooke, Executive Producer at Welikesmall. Since we are all real skiers and riders at Welikesmall and familiar with the Snowbird brand, this was a dream project for us, to make an app we’d all want to use every day during the ski season.

At this point, we already had a good feeling about what we would see in the app.  Notice what was said…how real skiers would use an iPhone app…we’d all want to use every day…and that phrases such as ‘we built this for ad revenue,’ ‘we built this for branding’ or ‘we built this to be cool’ were left out.

If you want to build a successful app, or for that matter any product, you need to start your thinking with the consumer, not the bottom line.  Welikesmall did that and it shows in the app.

On top of that, the app is free.  Again, thinking about the consumer.

Overall, the app is quite aesthetically pleasing, easy to navigation and simple in it’s labeling structure.  The basic navigation gives you easy access to the sections and content you are looking for…Snow, Go, Show and Extras.

So, what is in the app?  Useful information that is needed while on the mountain or in the village.  Snow fall totals, weather forecast, trail status, twitter feeds from the mountain staff, webcams and a very nice photo uploader.  And that is just a start, there are a few more highlights here and there, but you get the idea, we don’t need to review the design of every component.

Although, we do love the ‘days skied’ function, but I don’t think we will make it to 71.

More importantly, let’s discuss what is not in the app.  Gimmicks and games are left out…no need for some snowboarding ‘avoid the rocks’ game in the app, you are already on a mountain.  Unnecessary content such as endless marketing copy about how great the snow is.  Upfront and obvious advertising that is intrusive to the user experience.  In short, everything that makes so many apps so unsuccessful.

In the end, the Snowbird app is a great branding and marketing extension for the resort, because it delivers a great user experience without trying to deliver a hard marketing message.  They have focused on the core needs of the consumer and built an app around those needs, instead of forcing content where it does not fit.

Truly a great iPhone app template for the rest of our ski resort counterparts.

5 out of 5 birds from the Travel 2.0 team.

(moto, did we miss anything?  Feel free to give us the behind-the-scenes on the development in the comments.)

Case Study: CincinnatiUSA.com

Can we have a to-go box?

Today, a reader request for our Case Study series, CincinnatiUSA.com.  While Cincinnati was not on our original short list for this series, a quick glance at the site revealed some interesting differences between the Cincinnati design and yesterday’s model, Visit Philly.  The opportunity for comparing and contrasting two very different sites was too good to pass up.  And, hopefully, will generate some discussion among our readers.

Now, before we go too much further, a note about our case study series.  Basically, we are simply calling them as we see them.  Simple opinions from two industry peers who have seen a lot of websites.  But don’t take our word as the final answer, you need to test and re-test site elements with your user base.  Your consumers are the final say on whether or not a design, element or article was successful.  Just as you would (hopefully) seek out multiple opinions within your own organization, we urge you to seek out multiple opinions from your consumers.

A bit of background, according to the team at Cincinnati USA, the recent site revamp has included a complete face lift and is resulting in a noticeable increase in traffic.  So, let’s have a look and see what is and is not working on the Cincinnati site.

The first difference we see with the strategies of Cincinnati USA and Visit Philly is the amount of content presented to the user ‘above the fold.’  While Visit Philly took the less is more approach, Cincinnati offers a variety of navigational options depending on your traveling perspective.  Standard CVB navigation (Attractions, Dining, etc.), seasonal options and getaway planning are all presented to the user within a few pixels, which makes the header section feel overwhelming.

I would be interested to see some usability testing on this section.  Do consumers need this many options for navigation?  My assumption would be that the incoming traffic is split among these options because the difference between ‘big weekends,’ ‘festivals’ and ‘holidays’ is relatively minor.  Tough to explain what each of those would lead too in just a word or two.

Additionally, I would be paying close attention to the bounce rate from this page.  Too many options causes some users to abandon a session and look for other options.

Further down the page we find a ubiquitous SEO copy block.  Love the inclusion and something I would keep, but it can be shortened to just a single line.  Apologies to my wordy comrades, but no one reads 100% of any copy.  Users skim pages, looking for key indicators to guide their search…especially on the homepage.

On the left side of the page we find a Cincinnati USAvers section.  Ah, I get it, USAvers.  Nice.  Again, while there is a lot of content, considering the current state of the travel budget a front and center acknowledgment of savings is a great way to keep the user engaged.  More coupons, less promotion of podcasts in this section.

In the center of the page, we find an events / attractions combination section.  Basically, highlights of the ‘must see’ attractions in Cincinnati.  Followed by an event search widget, some more event listings and finally icon-based navigation under ‘more things to do.’

Round out the page with partner logos which help set up the creditability of the site and mark it as ‘official’ in the consumer’s mind.

Overall, the theme here is a lot of content and options on the homepage.  Which is striking after looking at the Visit Philly site yesterday.  If you look closely, Visit Philly has just as much, if not more, content that Cincinnati USA.  But Visit Philly employs an effective use of rollovers and tab-based navigation on their homepage.  Essentially hiding content from the users who do not want to see it, but allowing interested consumers to have one-click or mouse-over access.

Which method is more effective?  Hard to say.

From an aesthetic perspective, I prefer the Visit Philly strategy, but again, your consumers decide what works, not the Travel 2.0 blog.

Let’s wrap up this case study by thanking the team at Cincinnati USA for participating in today’s case study.  Being directly compared to another CVB site is certainly not a fair way to determine what is right or wrong, simply a method for showing our readers the differences between the two strategies.  Neither is right nor wrong until the consumer weighs in.

On the Cincinnati chili scale of website design, we will give the new CincinnatiUSA.com a full serving size of 3 out of 5.

Just like the chili, there are a lot of ingredients on that homepage.

Travel Trends: The Sand Printer, Conversationalists

Advertising and exercising in one.

Sand-Printer like a giant die cutter – For today’s edition of Travel Trends, let’s look at an invention that is certainly not hi-tech.  Enter the Sand Printer.  Or, the Beach Hamster (copyright pending).  A giant wheel with lettering on the outside of the rim.  As the rider, or victim, rolls down the beach, a nicely typed message appears in the sand behind them.

From the creators, Zana Design of Spain (sorry, no direct link…a flash site):

The user enters the wheel and with the balance of his weight the wheel will begin turning in the sand at the same time displaying the message.  This is personalized prior to departing, since the letters must be attached to the outside panels of the structure in a workshop.  The message can be a phrase with large letters or a paragraph with small letters.

Sure, it’s cool, but how could I use it?

First, every beach destination in the country should be calling Spain to custom order one of these toys.  Not to mention beach-front hotels, major restaurants, etc, etc.  Honestly, I don’t think we could find a better example of guerrilla advertising combined with such an attention grabbing visual. Reminds us of the brilliant chalkbot from Nike.

Competitive messages for your destination on some other CVB’s beach, URL promotion, coupons, ‘follow me to restaurant X’…endless ideas for messages in the sand.

But why stop there, I know a few winter destinations that could roll out a product like this (pun intended!).  ‘Apres Ski Tonight at Bar X’ would nice is some freshly groomed powder just off of the Crescent Quad lift in Park City.  Okay, people skiing around this wheel might be a bit dangerous, but the effect would still be unique.  (Warning, do not aim Sand Printer down a snowy hill.)

And to top it all off, unlike other guerrilla techniques, this one is eco-friendly, washes or melts away and is not an annoying distraction to your potential audience.

Points to the first DMO to ship one over.

http://blog.makezine.com/

Social Technographics: Conversationalists get onto the ladder – Status updates on Twitter and Facebook now have a home on the social media ladder.  Today, Forrester Research, via the Groundswell blog, added a ‘Conversationalists’ rung to the Social Technographics chart or, simply, the ladder.  Conversationalists are defined as people who update a social network status at least once a week.  Anything less is deemed to be not very conversational.

Additionally, the post included some interesting facts from the full report:

They’re 56% female, more than any other group in the ladder. While they’re among the youngest of the groups, 70% are still 30 and up.

And more detail from the MediaPost report:

Conversationalists are younger than the average adult consumer — 56% female, with household incomes slightly above average and more likely than other social classifications to hold a college degree.

And they’re not just young people. Seventy percent are ages 30 or older. In fact, 36% are 18 to 29; 37% are 30 to 43; 14% are 44 to 53; 9% are 54 to 64; and 4% are 65 and older.

Along with some tips for using this data:

1. Convince your boss this stuff is for real, and that if you haven’t jumped on it, you’re late.
2. Profile your customer base, and see what they’re ready for, before planning a project to reach out to them. (After all, People is the first step in the POST process.)
3. Segment your audience; build different strategies for different segments. (Social is so prevalent now that a single approach for your company is probably too broad.)

http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/

Case Study: VisitPhilly.com

I really think the site should have been orange...for cheese.

As we continue our week-long case study series, a look at the update to the Visit Philly site.  Homepage only for today.

However, before getting into a review of the site, let’s touch briefly on the domain name change from gophila.com to visitphilly.com.  I am sure there are several reasons and plenty of zeros about why visitphilly.com was not used originally, but the switch was well worth the investment.  Granted, most users only know one URL…google.com…but the removal of the ‘a’ for a ‘y’ plus an extra ‘l’ just sounds more like Philly to us.

Okay, on to the site.  Rather than another line by line breakdown of the site, let’s mix things up a bit.  The overhaul to the Visit Philly site is so graphically focused we felt that a graphic representation was in order.  Compare and contrast the new site, with our notes, versus the former Miss Phila and let us know what changes you like or dislike.

For the record, we are fans of the new site…4.5 cheese steaks out of 5.

VisitPhilly.com

GoPhila.com

Case Study: VisitPhoenix.com / Phoenix CVB

The new VisitPhoenix.com homepage.

As we start into a new year, we felt it proper to review a group of  CVB / DMO sites with the purpose of jump-starting your 2010 with some good and bad interactive strategies.  Hopefully, more good than bad.

We have already examined the sequel to the Visit California site in Case Study: Redesign With a Vengeance.

For this entry, let’s take a look at the revamped Visit Phoenix site.

Following the pattern of less is more…which we completely endorse at the Travel 2.0 Blog…the new Phoenix site removes the unnecessary clutter from the homepage in lieu of large, iconic images, minimal navigation and key links.

The navigational layout on the right side is unique and obvious, clearly called out as being important.  Additionally the structure stays the same, while changing sides, on the interior pages.

The homepage rounds out with the standard, but required booking widget, events calendar and a nicely laid out ‘Insider’ section for everything social media.  While nicely contained, the Insider section does fail to distinguish itself as social media content.  Too easily overlooked, even while centered on the page.

Not a huge fan of white on black, but the full color palate does work with the dark layout.  However, I must say that the dark layout on the homepage is a bit odd for a city known as the valley of the sun.  A bit too dark for the average consumer’s perception.

However that dark and damp feel is quickly forgotten once a user clicks into the primary content sections of the site.  The colorful mosaic pattern feels bright and authentic, sunny and relaxing.  A feature that should be pulled onto the homepage to replace the flat black feel of the welcome page.

While we are talking about updating the homepage, let’s talk about the large hero image.  As we mentioned above, it gives instant recognition for the city, but the rotation speed and lack of user controls is a big negative.  As the images keep spinning to the left I find myself looking away to avoid being overcome with sea sickness.  Ironic, I know.  Plus, the constant movement of the image negates all of the positives we spoke about before.  That unique navigation is simply a blur as I look elsewhere on the page.

Really, a pause button would do wonders.

As we dig a bit deeper into the site we find the normal fare.  A basic events section, some trip ideas and lists of attractions that fit nicely into a group…plus an abundance of over-the-top marketing speak.  “Things are different in the desert. The sky is bigger. The stars are brighter. The sunsets stop you in your tracks.” All well and good, but that really does not tell me why I should visit Phoenix instead of Palm Springs.

Perhaps that is a bit harsh, but certainly an opportunity for improvement.  Hopefully we will see an expansion of content as the site begins to mature.

So, out of a possible 5 saguaro(s), we will give this update a solid 3…just a few changes away from a 4.

Case Study Takeaways:

1. Simple is better, especially on the homepage.
2. Do not forget your image.  Not the image your marketing agency has in mind, but the image in your consumer’s mind.
3. Content is still king.
4. Give your visitors options to control rich media content.
5. Navigation is meant to guide the consumer, make it prominent.

Dear Delta and Continental, Thanks For Nothing

Dear Delta and Continental,

We, the American flying public, have put up with a lot to get from point A to point B.  Surcharges, reduced servings of nuts, less leg room, bad movies plus an almost constant pattern of inept employees.  But, through it all we gave you the benefit of the doubt.

While we are certainly guilty of being a bit naive from time to time (we apologize for packing all of those shampoo bottles in our carry-on), we are quite aware of the issues that face major airlines during these difficult times.  You do not need an advanced aeronautics degree to understand why it costs hundreds of dollars to fly from New York to San Diego.

We want to fly places, you need to charge us a fair price for those services.  That is the deal we have so willingly agreed to.

However, you have taken it too far with unnecessary checked baggage fees.

Again, we understand the need to run a profitable business…most of us learned this lesson with our first lemonade stand…but as a group, we are unsure you understand the need to maintain good customer service.

Now, what was an amusing joyride on one of your luxury ships of the sky, has become an all out sprint to the first open overhead bin.  Push the women and children out of the way, I need to get my over-sized, 2-piece Tumi “look how important I am” luggage set into the space over my head just in case I want to pull out my copy of The Hangover (okay, it was funny a movie) halfway to Seattle and laugh so loud the people next to me think I am a going there for treatment.

Forget the mom in the back with the 6-month old, she can hold her diaper bag on her lap, I need my space.  Hey, if you did not want to hold that bag, you should have thought twice before having kids.

And sorry in-flight crew, you have now added the title of ‘bagged handler’ to your resume.  But don’t worry about luggage shifting during flight, we have kindly filled all of the available space with plenty of backpacks, briefcases and duffel bags…not to mention a few bottles of shampoo here and there.

Of course, only the lucky among us get to run the luggage edition of a coliseum battle each and every wonderful trip to the airport.

Let’s not even mention the poor people who fly every other Thanksgiving to Grandma’s house.  Family of 4?  Heading to Cleveland? With 1 bag each?  Oh, there is a small convenience fee for those bags.

Again, we are willing to work with you on this one.  We know there are good people working at your organizations, but we can’t shake the feeling that, well, you really just don’t care.  Oh, sure, you advertising tag line says you care…it even says it on your little name badges…but the fees don’t send the same message.

Well, no hard feelings.  Really it’s okay to keep charging for that first bag, we know a couple of other airlines who actually enjoy seeing us each day.

This way, we won’t have to worry about caring when you go out of business.

Thanks for nothing.

Sincerely,
The American Flying Public

Case Study: Redesign With a Vengeance

Yippee-ki-yay.

Like a Hollywood actor who keeps reinventing himself, the California Travel & Tourism Commission is back with another site update for Visit California.  This time, the site has taken a few years off by going back to a simpler time of engaging photos, clear links and few distractions.  Could this be the best performance to date?

Let’s review the update.  For those of you who need a refresher, may we suggest: Case Study: VisitCalifornia.com Launches…Again?

The header remains simple with only the primary needs…logo, search, a couple links…no reason to clutter this section.  While the navigation titles remained the same, the addition of rollover navigation allows the user to find what is below each section.  Points for keeping the navigation items at 5, no small accomplishment.

Now, on to the feature, that oh-so prominent ‘hero’ section which has seen its share of updating and tweaking over the last few iterations.  The ‘new’ update goes back to the flash-driven, boxy feel, highlighting popular and unknown (or perhaps local) attractions of the state.  The blend of both known (Golden Gate Bridge) and unknown (the scuba guy?) should answer the needs of both a traditional national visitor as well as a California native. Certainly an improvement over version 2.0, which tried to communicate too many messages in a limited space.

While we love the visual selection option from a user-perspective, we can’t help but think we have seen this feature used somewhere else…now where was that.  But, again, points for California, we like this execution better.

The introduction of a regional, we will say ‘quick menu’, splitting the state into a southern, central and northern option is a great move.  Acknowledging the size of the state and helping the user find information with logical titles is something we do not see enough of at the Travel 2.0 blog.

Follow that up with the key conversion points such as the visitors guide, maps, trip ideas and a visual map of the state…plus a calendar of events…all wrapped with a perfect amount of white space.  You hear that, white space!  Trust us, you need some more on your site!

Close the scene with maps and weather, throw in a footer and I would say we have a solid performance.

Our previous comments seemed to have been taken to heart:

In version 2.0, we have 9 boxes to read, which requires more than a quick glance. Plus, the boxes are not as clearly defined. Interesting what a large difference those additional 4 areas create.

All of these updates have brought the Visit California site back to the welcoming introductory feel of the V1.0 site we reviewed.  We like to refer to this ’simple’ site structure as a gradual reveal of content…the homepage is just the opening credits…no need to reveal the ending at the start of the performance.

So, two thumbs up from this critic.

Visit California V1

Visit California V1.1

Visit California V2.0

Visit California V4.0

Travel Trends – Just The Facts, Examiner.com

Just the facts – A great post from our often quoted friends at the Center for Media Research, facts you can use during your reports, speeches and water-cooler arguments during 2010.  Ah, we love stats.

Mobile Phones

• U.S. mobile phone users 13+: 223M
• Number of mobile Web users: 60.7M (up 33% from 2008)
• Percentage of mobile devices that are smartphones: 18% (up from 13% in 2008)
• Percentage of mobile device owners that streamed audio: 8%
• Percentage of mobile device owners that viewed video via their mobile phone: 7%
• Percentage of mobile devices sold in Q3 2009 that were smartphones: 25% (estimated 40%-50 in 2010)

Source: The Nielsen Company, November 2009

Looking Ahead To Mid-2011

• Estimated smartphone user base: 150M
• Estimated mobile subscribers: 300M+
• Estimated users of mobile web: 120M
• Estimated users watching mobile video: 90M

Source: The Nielsen Company, November 2009

Growth of cellphone only homes in the U.S.

• 2009… 21%
• 2008… 18%
• 2007… 15%

Top 5 Smartphones (% Ownership)

• Blackberry 8300 Curve: 17%
• Apple iPhone 3G: 15%
• Apple iPhone 3G S: 12%
• Blackberry 9530 Storm: 6%
• Blackberry 8100 Pearl: 5%

Source: The Nielsen Company, November 2009

Top 5 Mobile Web Sites

• Google Search
• Yahoo! Mail
• Gmail
• Weather Channel
• Facebook

Top Social Networks on Mobile Phones

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Top 5 Mobile Video Channels

• YouTube
• Fox Interactive Media
• Weather Channel
• Comedy Central
• CBS

Internet

• 195M Active U.S. Internet users
• 160.3M People who accessed the Internet via a broadband connection: (93.3%… up 16% from 2008)
• 138.4M Unique viewers of video (up 11.4% from 2008)
• 11.2B Total online video streams viewed monthly (up 17% from 2008)
• 200.1 minutes Average time spent viewing online video per viewer monthly (up 12.5% from 2008)

Social Networking

• Facebook reaches 56% of the active U.S. Internet universe with an average usage of 6 hrs a month per user
• Facebook is the #3 site visited by users 65 and older
• Twitter grew 500% year-over-year
• Time spent on social networking sites in the U.S. increased 277%
• The average U.S. worker spends 5 hrs a month visiting social networks at the office
• 32% of all mobile web users visited a social network

http://www.mediapost.com/

Why Does Google Search Love Examiner.com? – While catching up on our holiday reading and writing, we came across an interesting post from Time.com on Examiner.com.  If you are not familiar with Examiner, the story does an adequate job of describing the quasi-organized blogger mash-up.  While the story about the Examiner is interesting enough, we wanted to highlight three points from the article.

1. Content is still King, at least to Google.  I cannot remember a more simplistic, yet true statement about how good SEO is focused around good…not original…content:

   “…by stocking the lake with so many fish every day, Examiner.com increases the chances that Google trawlers will haul one of theirs up.”

2. Pro-Am content is a good middle ground.  We have talked at length about the swing from professional content (Frommer’s) to amateur content (TripAdvisor)…is Examiner.com a look at the content future?  Too soon to tell, but we like this direction and not either extreme.
3. Don’t overlook the little guys.  If you have never heard of Examiner.com prior to this article, you might want to broaden your SEO strategy.  Sure, TripAdvisor is still the biggest fish in this sea of nameless reviews and links, but sites such as Examiner.com can offer an equally powerful SEO boost with a lot less editorial pitching.

http://www.time.com/