InfoInnovation

A framework for my Social Networking / Content Strategies panel

I've been thinking about how to frame the discussion for my panel at the upcoming Information Industry Summit.  Here's what I came up with today: 

Up to now, content providers exploring social networking-related opportunities have taken two main approaches, in various combinations: 

• Publisher-branded social networks: Media/information providers hoping to monetize value the full value of their user/reader (and advertiser) communities cultivate specialized networks around shared business and professional interests, usually relative to specific disciplines or industries. (Examples)     
• Social networking-specific platforms and services: Providers can also monetize branded activities on major platforms like Facebook by, for example, developing and syndicating widgets, or creating groups and events that will support or attract users. (Examples)

Now, it looks as though the “islands” of social networks - whether or not publisher branded, and whether or not expressly used for business and professional purposes – are coalescing into a more “open” ecosphere conforming to new standards like Google’s proposed OpenSocial, and the “data portability” movement.

It seems logical to assume that:

• Open standards will begin to create competition for traffic and subscribers based on service values rather than control of “captive” personal and group data
• If and as business and professional usage continues to shift toward more socially-defined information sources and contexts, new content providers (in addition to the “members” themselves) will enter the arena
• New (or at least further evolved) information delivery paradigms based on, for example, RSS, widgets, and semantic agents will arise to manage a more complex and personalized information      usage environment for many of the information industry’s key users and customers

What does this mean for information publishers and aggregators?

- What kinds of new products will they offer?

- What kinds of tools and platforms will evolve to enable their initiatives?

- What new business models might emerge?

- Wow does social networking relate to other social media opportunities and issues?

- How significant are social networking and/or social media in the larger scheme of things?

 

"Previewing" promising information industry companies

I participated toward the end of last year in the selection process for an exciting satellite event to the Information Industry Summit, called SIIA Previews.  In its second year, this will feature presentations by the CEOs of 10 promising companies, with a keynote by Kevin Ryan, former DoubleClick CEO and current co-chairman of AlleyCorp.  Larry Schwartz, CEO of Newstex, and Ed Keating, Vice President of the SIIA's Content Division, are to be congratulated for creating this valuable new event, and spearheading the process again this year.  The ten selected Previews presenting companies:

· ArchieMD is a physician-led education company that has developed the most extensive scientifically credible library of health and science imagery in the world.

· Courtroom Connect is leveraging the “rich media” revolution by providing digital video coverage of major trials, depositions, orals, and administrative hearings, and establishing video databanks for on demand retrieval.

· ExpoTV has built the largest platform for authentic, user-generated video product reviews. The library holds 150,000 videos uploaded by unbiased consumers.

· FeeDisclosure.com is the premier real estate disclosure company that empowers consumers with comprehensive information to make smart real estate decisions and reduce their real estate and mortgage transaction costs.

· Health Monitoring Systems maintains online networks to collect real-time data from healthcare providers, and then offers analytics of the aggregated information to detect, pinpoint and understand current and emerging health and safety issues.

· Keibi Technologies provides power tools for the certification and human moderation of UGC, leveraging its patent pending holistic classification engine to quickly process and grade large volumes of images, text, animations, and video.

· Lingospot  is a search and content aggregation service that enables publishers to dynamically cross-link their content and increase their readers’ engagement.

· Linkstorm  is an advertising technology company that is pioneering a new approach based on the premise that advertising will perform better for the advertiser if it is more useful to the customer.

· TutorVista has a content creation group producing top quality eLearning courseware, simulations, animations and paper-based curriculum.

· Vator.tv is a professional network and marketplace for ideas and businesses. People use Vator.tv to pitch their ideas, businesses, skill sets or needs, such as capital, partner or staffing requirements.

 

Information Industry Summit and Social Networking

The SIIA's Information Industry Summit, now in its 7th year, is something I've been involved in developing since the beginning.  (And before, if one counts similar conferences of its predecessor Information Industry Association.)   As in recent years, it will bring over 400 high-level information industry executives to New York, for networking and a program that includes luminaries like Tom Glocer, CEO of Reuters (and of the expected Thomson-Reuters combination).

I have the privilege of moderating one of the first-day panels, on "B2B Social Networking: Content Provider Strategies."  All four panelists- IDG Communications CEO Bob Carrigan, Hoovers president David Mather, Hearst Newspapers Senior VP & Director of Digital Media Lincoln Milstein, and Salesforce.com's head of the AppExchange Directory program, Clara Shih - will have newly-announced products and initiatives to discuss.   It should be a great panel - if you have questions or topics you'd like to see addressed, please leave comments here (or contact me directly).  

A New Year (belatedly) begins

I've noticed that many of my favorite bloggers have been reappearing after periods of relative (or total) inactivity, generally with resolutions to "step up their [blogging] game" in the new year.  Same here.  In my case, the factors contributing to radio silence have included a (happily) significant billable workload, the usual holiday temptations and distractions, and an unusually compelling political season.  (The latter included some time in Des Moines that coincided with the run-up to the caucuses, and an opportunity to participate directly in what seems likely to have been a significant historical moment.) 

In keeping with the tagline of this blog, my commentary will continue to be occasional rather attempting to provide an ongoing chronicle of the industry.  The intention, though, is to achieve enough consistency - and, one hopes, quality - to merit the efforts that are required to reach out to the information content community, and the larger blogosphere, and earn the continuing attention of you, dear reader.