Posted by Chris Walbert on December 8th, 2009 and has 1 comment.
Yesterday, Google announced that they were introducing real-time search. Essentially this means that Google results pages will now include information from Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. as these updates are being posted. While Bing has already been including real-time information in their search results, it’s always big news when the market leader introduces a feature.
Perhaps the most important thing to note is that Google real-time search will differ from Twitter’s own search in that it will apply Google’s technology to deliver relevant results. This is key. It’s not just about delivering the latest updates, but about delivering the most relevant results to users. Google’s success has always and will always hinge on delivering the most relevant information possible.
I want to spend some time using real-time search before offering my full thoughts on it. In the meantime, Wired gives more details and insights on real-time search as well as some of the other products Google has announced recently. You can also read Google’s official statements about the need for real-time search coupled with Google technology.
Google’s example of how Real-Time Search functions:
Posted by Chris Walbert on December 8th, 2009 and has no comments.
Since I started writing on ChrisWalbert.com a few years ago, I have been focused on only providing original content that was interesting to me and hopefully interesting to anyone who was reading. There is so much disposable content on the web and I don’t ever want this site to fall into that category. While I think I have accomplished this goal, it has also been an impediment to sharing fresh content on a regular basis.
So, in that vain, I want to add to what I do here. The main focus of ChrisWalbert.com will always be for this to be a place to explore ideas and get feedback from others who are interested in the same things. Sometimes, however, another writer has already covered a topic in great detail and this blog will simply be used to share those posts.
Whether it is a post written by me or a link to another post, my goal will still be to provide content that is interesting today, but could also be interesting six months later.
Don’t worry. I will not be posting any Tiger Woods stories.
Posted by Chris Walbert on November 24th, 2009 and has no comments.
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Coming from a big extended family, Thanksgiving has traditionally been the holiday that we all spend together, relaxing and enjoying each others’ company. As the years pass, I find myself even more excited about this holiday. During this week leading up to Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a few minutes and remember what I am thankful for.
I heard something this past weekend that really made me stop and think. It was something to the effect of, Are we spending more time complaining about the things we don’t have and what’s not going as planned, or being grateful and thankful for all of the blessings we do have?
If you really think about it, are you actively being thankful for things throughout the day or spending your time and energy complaining? Obviously there are times when it’s hard to feel thankful and times when you need to address the things that are not going well. But for most of us, most of the time, life is pretty good.
There are so many things to be thankful for, but as of late I have been thinking about one thing more than the rest. I am surrounded by amazing and supportive people. My family, friends, and girlfriend have been there for me so many times in so many ways and I am eternally grateful to them. I only hope that they receive the same type of support from me. To all of you, thank you.
My challenge to all of us this week is to intentionally spend some time being thankful. Especially when things aren’t going well, step back and think of something that you’re thankful for. It really does help put things back in perspective. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you enjoy it as much as I will.
Posted by Chris Walbert on October 9th, 2009 and has no comments.
This week, the FTC issued updated guidelines governing how companies use endorsements and testimonials in their advertising and marketing. The FTC press release cites three specific groups that will be most affected by these changes. Let’s take a look at these groups and how the changes may affect certain businesses.
Testimonial Advertisers:
From the FTC , “Under the revised Guides, advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as typical when that is not the case will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect. In contrast to the 1980 version of the Guides – which allowed advertisers to describe unusual results in a testimonial as long as they included a disclaimer such as “results not typical” – the revised Guides no longer contain this safe harbor.”
This change will have a significant and immediate impact on diet/exercise/weight loss advertisers. Where as before they could include the simple disclaimer of “results not typical”, they now have to tell you the average results that you can expect.
The headline will go from, “Becky lost 40 pounds in 2 months!” (Results not typical); to “Becky lost 40 pounds in 2 months!” (You can expect to lose 5-10 pounds in 2 months based on average user results). As you can see, this is a change that could have a serious impact on businesses in this industry. Continue Reading FTC Issues Updated Guidelines for Endorsements
Posted by Chris Walbert on September 30th, 2009 and has no comments.
ChrisWalbert.com has been nominated for a Mobbie! The Mobbies, from The Baltimore Sun, are being awarded to the best Maryland blogs in a number of categories. My blog is in the “Personal” category, which I think makes the most sense.
If you want to vote for me, you can do so here. You can vote once a day until the contest ends.
I wrote a post a little more than a year ago about what newspapers, and The Sun more specifically, should be doing to build their web businesses. One of my main points was that The Sun needed to continue focusing on producing excellent content, while reaching out to new readers using social media. The Mobbies is just one example of how The Sun is working to engage people and get them excited about their product, again.
The newspaper industry is still having an extremely tough time and, of course, one blogger contest will not change that. What I think has changed, however, is The Sun’s desire to build a community of local citizens that are actively involved in writing about Baltimore. Hats off to The Baltimore Sun for trying something new and getting us involved.
Posted by Chris Walbert on September 9th, 2009 and has no comments.
Sunday evening I had the opportunity to go to the US Open for the first time. It was a great experience even for a casual tennis fan (though much different than going to a baseball or football game). In addition to attending Sunday’s night session, I have watched a number of matches and been rooting hard for my new favorite tennis player, Melanie Oudin.
Image via NyDailyNews.com
I was inspired by Allen Adamson’s Forbes piece to share my thoughts on the event and which brands are best utilizing the Open to connect with consumers.
Posted by Chris Walbert on July 16th, 2009 and has 4 comments.
There is an epidemic of poor nutrition in this country which disproportionately affects the less fortunate. This leads to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and many other illnesses that are largely preventable. The questions that I have been thinking about recently are, ‘How do we address this issue in our communities and make a lasting difference?’ ‘Is this something that individuals can fix or do we need the government or large organizations to handle it?’
This spring I planted a garden at my parents’ house which is now starting to produce a good amount of vegetables. My entire family has been really excited about the progress and has enjoyed being able to pick fresh vegetables right out of their yard. My dad has been especially into it and called me yesterday to say that next year he wants the garden to be 2-3 times as big. I loved the idea, but then started trying to figure out what we would do with all of the extra vegetables.
First, I thought maybe we could get a spot at a local farmer’s market and sell the extra veggies. Or, maybe I could even start a little CSA and let people I know come pick them right out of the yard, for a small price. Neither of these really stuck with me, so I put the idea on hold and went out for a run. And as so often happens, the best idea came to me towards the end of a tough run.
Here is the idea for BackyardsFeed.com:
We will use as much of our backyard as possible to grow high-yielding, nutritionally-dense vegetables that will be given to local families that do not have access to fresh vegetables because they can either not afford them, do not have a grocery store within a reasonable distance, or just do not yet understand the importance of healthy eating.
Posted by Chris Walbert on June 30th, 2009 and has 1 comment.
Last night, as I was driving to pick up my little brother, I was struck by the fact that it has been nearly two years since we were matched. Many things in both my life and his life have changed in the last two years, but what hasn’t changed is the ongoing commitment to spend time together.
I approached the whole Big Brothers thing with excitement, but also a bit of trepidation. To be honest, I wasn’t really sure that I could be a good mentor or role model for a kid. I don’t have life figured out, so what wisdom can I impart on someone else?
Through this experience, I’ve learned that I don’t have to be perfect and I don’t have to attempt to share some great wisdom or knowledge with him. All I really have to do is remain committed to spending time with him and do a lot of listening. I don’t know that he will remember anything I have said to him in 10 years, but I’m pretty sure he will remember that someone cared enough about him to take him to baseball games, play video games with him, and teach him how to fix his bike.
Posted by Chris Walbert on May 18th, 2009 and has no comments.
I was quoted in Friday’s Baltimore Business Journal in an article called “Blog and Pony Show“. The article is essentially about the money, or lack thereof, that people can expect to make from blogging. As a planner and buyer of interactive media, I’m approached regularly by sites with advertising opportunities and have to evaluate whether they are the right places for our clients to be advertising.
I wanted to expand upon the BBJ quote and explain a little more of my thoughts on advertising on blogs and in social media. Here’s the quote:
“It pushes the brand even further and gets people to talk about it amongst themselves,” said Chris Walbert, digital media manager for Media Works Ltd. in Owings Mills. “That’s the powerful thing about blogs and social networks.”
First, to state the obvious, just because you advertise on a blog or social network doesn’t mean people will care or talk about your brand or product. The fact that blogs and networks are innately social environments, though, does give people the opportunity to talk about your brand or product within the site.
Posted by Chris Walbert on May 12th, 2009 and has 1 comment.
This past weekend I planted my soon-to-be vegetable garden in my parents’ backyard. They were gracious enough to sacrifice a sizable chunk of their lawn to an endeavor that hopefully will yield many delicious vegetables this summer.
I started the whole process 3-4 weeks ago when I spent a Sunday afternoon digging up and tilling a 6×11 foot piece of the yard. The soil was pretty terrible and mostly comprised of clay and rocks. I dug out all of the grass and a good bit of the clay and replaced it with some store-bought soil. I was also able to mix in some clay breaker that made a portion of the yard’s soil usable.
At the same time I started a compost pile. This was my first adventure with compost and it actually turned out much better than I was expecting. In just a few weeks, the compost was a dark, rich color and I was able to add it in when I planted the vegetables.
