We often attach the word evangelists with Christianity and rightly so, as Christianity defines the word most appropriately. As a Christian I have understood the word and its in-depth meaning in its simplest form.

Who is an evangelist?
An evangelist has two qualities: –

1. He is sure of his own faith (faith is stronger than plain believe). Believe is about understanding and accepting the fact but faith starts with believing and then following the believe. Christian faith is just not only knowing that Jesus is God but accepting Jesus Christ as God and your personal saviour along with following His commandments. His faith is never shaken even if the current circumstance proves it wrong. He persists with his faith.
2. He does everything to transfer his faith to others, as he is sure of it. He not only shares his faith with others but also transfers it.

Social space, nodes, networks and cables
Before starting with evangelistic marketing lets understand social space. I consider the whole targeted and untargeted segment as “social space”, each person as a “node” in the social space and relations the social networking. Now look at the social space, it looks cluttered with different color nodes.

Now zoom in and look carefully, you will see nodes connected to each other.

The surprising factor is that each node is connected to every other node of the social space directly or indirectly (directly if is at one hop distance otherwise indirect with n-hopping distance). Look at orkut (best social network so far) stats,

As I explained that each node is connected to other with a network of some type of relations (some strong some weak). I started calling it a social network cable.

Establishing Social Network cables
Now this needs serious attention. How to establish connection between two nodes? In order to establish a reliable connection you need approval by both the parties. If node A wants to establish connection with Node C then there are two ways to do it:-

• Way 1: Node A approaches Node C and explains the desire. If A convinces C then it can be established. It is a very costly operation in terms of social space.
• Way 2: Node A is connected to Node B and Node B is connected to Node C. The transitivity applies (node A just need to make Node B active with the theme). Then Node B will connect to Node C and introduce Node A. The acceptance probability is much higher in this case. Once A and C agrees, the cable is established.

Lets take a social node graph

Now look at blue node and the orange node. If blue node (may be a marketer or a company team as a whole) needs to reach the orange node (may be a probable consumer) there is no direct way. Either he needs to establish a new network cable in the social space or use the existing one. As I explained that creating a new network cable needs approval from both the parties and is an expensive social operation (just like making friendship directly). Now using the existing indirect connection for approvals is better as the acceptance chances are higher (friends introducing you to another friend).

What is evangelistic marketing?
Evangelistic marketing is about accepting your products yourself and then convincing other social nodes that it is good. It is not about pushing sales it is about laying the networks (for sales). The company that believes in evangelistic marketing should get its first bunch of customers (nodes) from its own known nodes (employees, partners e.t.c). In other words your marketers should be your customers first (Always allow a channel where your customers can communicate for required changes). Once the marketers become customers they will turn other nodes into customers and customers into marketers.

Evangelistic marketing is all about making nodes active with your theme and establishing the thematic social network. Also active nodes will create other active nodes (you can call it viral marketing). Web 2.0 is empowering evangelistic marketing.

I have started a wiki page for instant brand. I think in current web 2.0 is it a possibility. I will keep on developing the word. But someone deleted the page, I think they accept only pages which is about present not future. Anyways I was prepared for this so here is the starting article on Instant Brand.

What is it?
Instant brand is about web 2.0 and innovation. Web 2.0 is pushing innovation to become a brand in no time. Blogs, forums, wikis, diggs, bookmarks, orkuts are the channels for transmission. We have always associated Brand recognition as a long-term process but in this current Web 2.0 world an instant brand is also possible. “Word of mouth” was never so simple and mouth was never so open as it is today. One innovation (as information, news) can spread with a speed no one can imagine.

Is instant a proper word?
When I say instant it is very much comparative. It takes comparatively very less time with normal Brand recognition.

What is making this possible?
It has to be blogosphere, orkuts, wikis, diggs, forums which in itself is viral. It can spread a brand (individuals, companies, products, sites) with lightening speed. In other words web 2.0 is making it possible.

Will it last long?
Yes it will last if the strategies are made properly. According to web 2.0 the community and platform is the power. With the propagation of the innovation (as news, information) can be backed with a retention plan creating active nodes within the market matrix.

Some examples
I think web 2.0 is still in its early stage of growth or development so instant branding is still to gain some more speed. But look at the following traffico meter and the growth.

Look at the instant steep growth and its followed reorganization. Also look at

The initial growth and then the constant growth says that it was recognized as a brand instantly and due to its quality it grown stronger as a brand.

It can also be done being under a brand. Google’s recent Image labeler is a good example. It can also be developed as a different brand instantly. It is taking the advantage of existing Google brand for recognition.

Much talked Blog planner is still under beta version. I did a lot of testing today and look like we can finally release it on this Saturday. I have also suggested a lot of uses for the tool. Valerie is putting everything on her blog.

Some new features added today

1. Fan out – To spread the tool. Also it will help the blogger earn extra money.
2. Signup inside the tool – For every successful signup the blog owner will get $1
3. Contact Us – A way to send the feedbacks to the innovation center for further improvements

Valeries blog is improved, she took the template and modified it accordingly. I am very happy about it as I can keep modifying a section of my blog with too much of tension.

http://images.google.com/imagelabeler/ – Google’s new tool.

How does it work?
You’ll be randomly paired with a partner who’s online and using the feature. Over a 90-second period, you and your partner will be shown the same set of images and asked to provide as many labels as possible to describe each image you see. When your label matches your partner’s label, you’ll earn some points and move on to the next image until time runs out. After time expires, you can explore the images you’ve seen and the websites where those images were found. And we’ll show you the points you’ve earned throughout the session.

This tells you that you can never be better than your team/partner. I tried it and scorded

0

points (hey, thats because I was testing it :)). You can give it a try too.

Are you a blogger? Why do you blog? How long you been blogging? Do people visit your blog regularly? What do you do to make a brand out of your blog? What do you do to get more visitors to your blog?

All the above questions are relevant to the one who is serious about blog, blogger, blogging. I am certainly taking it seriously these days as I am trying to share my experiences using this platform. Blogs are easily accepted due to its definition, personal views, which is neither time nor quality depended. I have taken a further step by adding my blog address to my visiting card.

Will you ever do that?

I have been working and guiding Valerie and her team with Blog planner (based on my posting on “Next Posting List”). Finally the beta is released and I am asked to give it a final check. I am happy we are finally there with a great add-on for all the blogs and it is looking as cool as it can be.

(See the right panel)

Continue reading “Blog Planner Beta is released”

Are you orkut by now or still a chirkut? I doubt whether we have seen a better meme than “orkut”, creating a memeplexe. Let me get to the focused point, “Is Orkut’s Memetic strength a misinterpretation?” In other words, “Is Orkut’s marketing strength misinterpreted?” So what then are we talking about? You are right, “scrapbooks” the most viral of all orkut tools.

Aji Orkut is an inactive Orkutian as I have hardly invited a person or taken extra pain to write to other’s scrapbook (though recently I have started scrapping here and there). Even after being inactive I have over 50 scraps (after deleting few). My scrapbook is filled with daily halchal (hindi word for “hi hello” phrases) like “how are you doing?” or “whats up man?” Is it what Orkut Buyukkokten wanted with his scrapbook?

Orkut Buyukkokten’s original Interpretation of scrapbook
(Text taken from Orkut Answer 11796)

The scrapbook feature is another way for you to add tidbits of information to your profile. Share a funny story or reveal a little known fact about yourself. Click on the “formatting tips” button to learn how to change the color of the text or add a smiley face.

Point 1: You can scrap your own scrapbook with additional stories, an extension to your profile.

You can also add messages to other members’ scrapbooks. To do this, visit their profile and click on the “view scrapbook” button. Enter your message into the box and click “submit.” Your entry will appear in their profile instantly. If you change your mind about what you’ve written, you can always return to their scrapbook and click the “delete” link next to your scrap.

Point 2: Your views about the person, or a simple message. According to orkut answer 11800 scrapbook can be used as an alternative to orkut testimonials.

Market’s misinterpretation of scrapbook
I think I can call it a misinterpretation as it doesn’t seems right for me but still we love it as perfection is just another viewpoint. How many times have you seen people scrapping their own scrapbook? I think I am the only fool who did it as an entrant to orkut (now I do not do it after being stopped).

What are then real people (real user) using it for? It is getting used for conversation. If my scrapbook says, “Anil: How are you?” (by friend Anil) then I am suppose to go to his scrapbook and say, “Aji: I am doing good and how is you doing?”. For a third person my scrapbook is really a crap full of questions or incomplete conversation. I am sure no one has the patience to go to other users scrapbook to read the complete conversation. I hardly see people using it as an alternative for testimonials except few like the following image.

Does it matter at all?
Whether it’s a misinterpretation or imperfect use of a perfect tool, it hardly matters as the king (the end users or customers) has accepted it whole-heartedly. This is a perfect example of a marketing model where the market decided the real use of scrapbook over the catalog.

An advice for Orkut Buyukkokten
When the king says, “Earth is flat” better we accept it and revamp our own documents saying, “we knew the earth will remain flat and this application is a right fit when it is flat”. Whatever it is orkut still rocks as a viral tool.

I am offering a platform for interpretation
With the launch of my new baby, a blog planner, I am also offering a platform for interpretation. This leaves no room for misinterpretations, as the kings are free to redefine the perfect use again.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/goopymart/, This is under creative Common licence, so you can use it for your non-commercial purpose. The collection looks really great.

Visit the home page. I may use the following image for idealwebtools.com.

[Note: Some of my related popular posts are: 1) why mistakes are often mistaken – It talks about what are real mistakes. 2) Orkut used for crime, is orkut responsible for it anyway? ]

Orkut???? What am I talking about? Is it something to do with the dodgeball? I am sure you did not ask this socially unexpected question, as you too must be an ORKUT by now. Chirkut is non-dictionary hindi word often used in Utter Pradesh and Bihar (two states from India) to praise a person for being loser, stupid and dullard. Recently our favorite politicians have accepted this word as an integral part of their performance appraisal system (Interested people can read, “So what if am a ‘chirkut’?” by Samajwadi party’s Amar Singh).

As you have rightly guessed that orkut is nothing but a social epidemic created by a Google guy called Orkut Buyukkokten (his orkut id). I have never seen such a social virus that transmitted (verbally or by demonstration) from one social unit to another so rapidly. Its penetration rate in India is very high, redefining the scope of Indian web business, that’s the point when another community got created, “Chirkut”. At NIMC/AIM campus there are two groups, orkuts and chirkuts.

The formula for Chirkut is very simple,

~(set of people in orkut.com) = community of chirkuts.
In other words either you are an Orkut or a Chirkut. The propagation was so intense that almost every young soul I know is almost not a chirkut. Recently at Gym I heard two not so techy guys explaining their experiences at orkut.com . I hear it almost everywhere I go. I was forced to join orkut when my mailboxes were filled with invitations.

I myself am involved in creating communities (mainly niche and topic based, with nimc community as the only non-commercial one). Let’s try and understand the success secrets of orkut,

• It is not available for free: It created a virtual scarcity and a real demand. A little new to all the economics experts. In social networking a virtual scarcity can create good demand, provided the right environments.
• Word of mouth publicity: I never saw an ad for orkut but I got more invitations than those spammy mortgage promotional mails.
• Simplicity: It is very simple to use.
• One shop for all concept: I am with batchmates.com and various other communities but orkut.com is a social platform for every activity. Orkut is a right platform for anyone interested in anything.
• Really Good: It is really good with all 7ps of online marketing. You can really find some childhood friend by a simple search.

The biggest secret: The number game

It played the number game better. “Hey I have n number of friends, how many do you have?”,”I have Y scraps on my scrapbook how many do you have?”. When there is a number, people try to improve. And when there is a comparison chart, people try to compete for a better number. Orkut did exactly what I call the number game, he showed all possible numbers at all possible place to motivate people to improve their number.

Surprising factor:

“Orkut Buyukkokten had an interest in social networking and so developed his service”, says Google. At Google every employee is allowed to spare 20% of his or her time on their interest area. This is a product of a good policy, well done Google and Orkut. Do let us know how you joined Orkut with a comment.

The battle continues,

Chirkuts

(loosers)

Vs

Orkuts

(winners)

Other releated topics

• Is Orkut’s Memetic strength a misinterpretation?
• Blog planner beta is launched.

Read on the other interesting posts from my http://www.idealwebtools.com/blog/ and do not forget to subscribe to the blog.

Do you see a section called “Next Planned postings” on right panel?

I think that is a good Idea. As usual let me try to convince you that my idea is good. It has three advantages: –

• Advantage 1: It helps you plan your postings. You get various topics for blogging and a list helps you clear your memory for better things. Everyday you can think of a new topic and append the list. You take the topmost topic as “topic of the day” and blog about it. Also you get one complete day to think for the next “topic of the day”. This will help you cover useful topics.
• Advantage 2: It will motivate your visitors to subscribe to your blog. Read my posting on “how to make a subscription form for your blog”.
• Advantage 3: It helps your visitors come back to your blog. Choose the topics carefully to impress more visitors. It also tells the visitor that you are serious about blogging.

It is just like advertising with “Friends – Next season’s” clips after every “friends” episode this season.

If you like this idea, do add a comment and if your really liked my postings try subscribing to it.