MASS MINGLING | Thanks to the online revolution, hundreds of millions are now actively searching for, finding, connecting/signaling, and staying in touch with likeminded souls in the virtual world. Constant updates, GPS and mobile online access is now bringing this explosion of dating, networking, socializing and mingling to the real world domain.

Click here for the link to the full briefing.

How much of your life do you live online?

Below are the notes I took on the ipad [surprisingly easy after only a few days practice!], but please note they are jotted down points of the things that particularly resonated with me with regards to blogging.

• Being useful builds authority
• Personal tone is important, experiment over time
• Have your own voice, the way you speak should be the way you blog
• Be authentic, be true
• Constantly evolve, change, test and refine. Success comes through evolution and refinement over time
• You can always do it better
• Guest bloggers - depends on how much you have to share. Pip feels she has too much to share with her audience, hence she doesn't use guest posts / bloggers
• Darren has three blogs - depends on each one. With Digital Photography School he employed guest bloggers when it got big enough that he could pay his contributors
• Traffic - who do you want to attract? Consider creating various reader profiles, aim to solve problems as they relate to the reader profile. Ask yourself 'where are these people online?' Build a presence there, highlight related topics and people will begin to spread the word. They will want to pass on your content, make easy, relevant and applicable.
• Pip made her blog her version of an online magazine, readership snowballed, still continues to write about the stuff she loves. Organic growth is the key.
• Play with content, work out what works and what doesn't.
• What are the opportunities to come out of blogging? Amazing opportunities, a dream realized, monetizing is not where it's at, blog can lead to amazing unpaid opps and connections. Use the blog and brand to grow your business.
• Danger of blog... Looking inwards, is you like, do some community related work to address the balance and create more of an emotional connection with your audience. Get your army of readers mobilized to do good.
• Give others the same opportunities you have had - the blogging community has a reputation for being very generous.
• Evolution from hobby to business. Now mass market, blogs can be trusted these days, grown into a massive industry.
• Twitter allows a more intimate way to connect with your audience, over and above commenting on blogs... much more personal.
• The blog is primarily the home base, where you direct your audience back to. Twitter and other social media act as outposts, existing to promote the main hub [blog]. Social media drives traffic, research, networking etc
• Facebook exposure, for Duncan's site the 'Like' function has increased traffic exponentially
• Social media [twitter etc] can help you come across as a real person. You need to be appropriate to your audience.
• Video - may reach a different type of person on your blog as people relate to content in different ways.  Good for instructions (for Pip, demonstrating crochet etc) you can teach more easily rather than relying on text. Video is an important feature, if its relevant but can be very time intensive. Need the time and patience. Also offer a transcript.
• Ethics - general concensus was that paid content / pay for play dilutes the quality of the blog and content. Think carefully, don't be ruled by ego, make sure it's worth it and audience appropriate.
• Paid posts, disclosed, regardless of the money. An alternative is Affiliate Promotion for products you believe in.
• Hot posts / popular posts should be readily available / featured on the homepage. Bring popular content to the fore, otherwise you rely on a google search for people to find this content.
• Your blogroll is an opportunity to showcase your 'edited' community and the blogs you like / visit. Not everyone uses a feedreader for delivery of content.
• Use email to hook people via newsletter subscription. Offer more than just the rss feed, you may find more people are engaged via regular email newsletters.
• Don't assume your blog won't be big. Set it up correctly with categories, labels and keywords from the start. Very important.

Managing your social profile has never been more important.

Business as usual
Forget the recession: the societal changes that will dominate 2010 were set in motion way before we temporarily stared into the abyss.

Urbany
Urban culture is the culture. Extreme urbanization, in 2010, 2011, 2012 and far beyond will lead to more sophisticated and demanding consumers around the world.

Real-time reviews
Whatever it is you're selling or launching in 2010, it will be reviewed 'en masse', live, 24/7.

[F]luxury
Closely tied to what constitutes status (which is becoming more fragmented), luxury will be whatever consumers want it to be over the next 12 months.

Mass Mingling
Online lifestyles are fueling and encouraging 'real world' meet-ups like there's no tomorrow, shattering all cliches and predictions about a desk-bound, virtual, isolated future.

Eco-esy
To really reach some meaningful sustainability goals in 2010, corporations and governments will have to forcefully make it 'easy' for consumers to be more green, by restricting the alternatives.

Tracking & alerting
Tracking and alerting are the new search, and 2010 will see countless new INFOLUST services that will help consumers expand their web of control.

Embedded Generosity
Next year, generosity as a trend will adapt to the zeitgeist, leading to more pragmatic and collaborative donation services for consumers.

Profyle Myning
With hundreds of millions of consumers now nurturing some sort of online profile, 2010 will be a good year to introduce some services to help them make the most of it (financially), from intention-based models to digital afterlife services.

Maturaialism
2010 will be even more opinionated, risqué, outspoken, if not 'raw' than 2009; you can thank the anything-goes online world for that. Will your brand be as daring?

It's always inspiring to see how the digital space can embrace, power and influence positive change in our worlds, no matter how far 'apart' we as individuals might seem, or physically be.

The Charter for Compassion is but one such example launched on November 12, which I discovered this week via Gavin Heaton. Please take a moment to check out the site and be inspired by the acts of compassion posted.

Below is the Australian video. In order of appearance, it features: Adriano Zumbo, Cathie McGinn, Dr Stephen Saunders, Neil Perry, Melissa Leong, Barry Saunders, Mitzi Macintosh, Mark Pollard, Julie Posetti, Venerable Sujato Bhikkhu, Gavin Heaton, Reverend Raymond Minniecon, Bronwen Clune, Reverend Bill Crews, Rabbi Mendel Castell, Graham Long and Tim Burrowes.

Australians on Compassion from TED Prize on Vimeo.

Via Laurel Papworth

From the post;

The 5 Stages of Social Media Grief

1. Denial - first stage of social media grief in which the marketer refuses to acknowledge the existence of social media. This was the case early on in the industry's development. Luckily, I don't think there are many companies left that think like this.

Common phrases: "It's just a kid's thing," or "It's just a fad."

Common behaviors: avoiding the Internet, putting hands over ears and singing "I can't heeeeeaaaarr yoooouuuuu. La la laaaaa."

2. Anger - In the second stage, jealousy and rage are misplaced and rage ensues.

Common phrases: "This is stupid," "I've got better things to do with my time."

Common behaviors: full-fledged slave to work email; increase in print or television media buy to show effectiveness and superiority.

3. Bargaining - Anger gives way to hope that incremental adoption of social media will be enough to make a difference.

Common phrases: "If we have a Facebook page, we should be covered," "Let's just create a blog," or "Let the agency figure it out."

Common behaviors: the use of social media only in time-limited campaigns; half-hearted efforts on a limited number of social sites.

4. Depression -The fourth stage manifests itself in an understanding that the inevitable cannot be delayed and the marketer becomes doleful.

Common phrases: "Twitter/Google/Facebook is taking over the world," or "We're overwhelmed with choices."

Common behaviors: moping; pacing; complaining to friends on Facebook.

5. Acceptance - With the final stage, the marketer finally realizes that social media is here to stay and begins to determine ways to integrate activities and craft strategies that are truly integrated.

Common phrases: "Let's craft a comprehensive social media strategy," or "Let's spend some time listening to what consumers are saying about us."

Common behaviors: integration of marketing and communications functions, determination of measurement goals, online and offline alignment from the beginning of projects.