Media Hunter

Keep in touch with a good Plurk

If you've heard of and used Twitter, then you might really like Plurk. Plurk is a shiny new web application that allows friends to connect and keep in touch.

I signed up today and like it. I was never a big fan of Twitter. Besides being generally opposed to applications that serve to distract me from my work, I found Twitter to be  lacking in "personality". That's not something you can say about Plurk.

I said to a "Plurk friend" in San Diego today that I felt Twitter was like a PC while Plurk was a Mac (see earlier post for reference point for this comparison...and some extremely good TV ads).

What is Plurk? In their words its this:

Noun. plurk (plüer-kh) - A really snazzy site that allows you to showcase the events that make up your life in deliciously digestible chunks. Low in fat, 5 calories per serving, yet chock full of     goodness.

Plurk is an easy way to chronicle and share the things you do, the way you feel, and all the other things in between that make up your life, with the people close to you. It's instant gratification, instant self-indulgence, instant celebrity, instantly YOU.

So come and join us Plurks and say hello to Mediahunter...before I get too bored with this latest toy.

Who is going to PubCamp?

PubCamp - The Web 2.0 Media Day

A Conference and Unconference

The Web is now sixteen years old. Like most teenagers, it's obsessed with its social life and wears strange clothing. It thumbs its nose at convention and is impossible for most normal grown-ups to understand. It's not mature yet, but growing up fast. And while it may be out to change the world, it also seems intent on smashing up everything that has come before.

Do you ever get the feeling you don't really understand where the Web's heading (let alone this Web 2.0 or Web 3.0 you keep hearing about) or that it's leaving you behind? You're not alone. The simple fact is no one really knows for sure or has all the answers. So, what can I do about it? Come along to "PubCamp - The Web 2.0 Media Day - A Conference and Unconference" -- a free event about the future of media on the Web -- and get some group therapy for dealing with this precocious teenager and its seemingly limitless potential.

Want to know more? Click here.

Study Shows Blogging Now 'Mainstream' Among Women

Many Web Users Actively Contributing, Not Just Surfing By Beth Snyder Bulik, AdAge.com

"Blogosphere" may not be a pretty name for it, but it is a pretty attractive destination -- for women at least, and maybe for marketers courting them, too.

According to a recent study by BlogHer and Compass Partners, more than one-third (35%) of all women in the U.S. aged 18 to 75 participate in the blogosphere at least once a week. And that number increases if less-frequent visits are factored in. Of those women who are online any amount of time, 53% read blogs, 37% post comments to blogs and 28% write or update blogs, according to the study.

Social Media attracts Rich

By Craig Wilson

The Tim Ferriss 4-Hour Work Week party led me to meeting another famous technology business name. Jodee Rich (of OneTel fame) strolled into the party fairly early to hear what Tim had to say. I managed to have a chat with the ex-mobile phone seller and junior Telco director to see what his latest venture might be.

It seems Rich is also very interested in the blooming Web 2.0 social media industry and is about to begin beta-testing a new site, PeopleBrowsr

Is another chapter in Jodee Rich's roller-coaster corporate career about to begin?

An evening with Tim Ferriss of the 4-Hour Work Week

by Craig Wilson

Media Hunter ventured down to Sydney last night to meet and talk with Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour Work Week, as he does a short publicity tour Down Under.

Why is Media Hunter taking an interest in an American author of a "lifestyle design" book? Well, apart from being an interesting person, famous for his contrarian thinking, radical work-life philosophy, Tim has also become a social media phenomenon.

I asked Tim to explain how much social media has contributed to his success. He felt it had been a major factor in driving the 4-Hour Work Week up the bestseller ranks where it eventually hit number one on Wall St Journal, New York Times and Amazon lists.

What Accountants Can Teach You About Using Social Media

H&R Block Cast a Wide Net With a Campaign That Included Profiles, Videos, Twitter and Widgets

By Megan McIlroy and Abbey Klaassen, AdAge

Tax software isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of marketing in social networks or on YouTube, spaces dominated by movie trailers and goofy viral videos. But H&R Block proved that it, too, can be successful in the space, but it's about matching content to the social community and then making that content valuable to consumers, said Amy Worley, director of digital marketing for H&R Block.

Ms. Worley was speaking at the latest installment of Advertising Age's Digital Bites breakfast series yesterday and shared successes and lessons learned from H&R Block's most recent social-media campaign. The campaign cast a wide net in the social-media space, with MySpace and Facebook profiles, YouTube postings, a Twitter account, widgets and even a virtual tax office in Second Life.

Most companies, she noted, wouldn't dive into all the tactics at once but her product is very seasonal and "anything we didn't learn in one season, we would have to wait until next year [to try]."

Social Media still on rise: comparative global study

Universal McCann has recently published its comparative study following Social Media trends by three waves: September 2006 (Wave 1), June 2007 (Wave 2) March 2008 (Wave 3).

Research highlights:
1. Social media is a global phenomenon happening in all markets regardless of wider economic, social and cultural development.

2. Asian markets (not including Japan) are leading in terms of participation, creating more content than any other region