Disqus - Latest Comments for Laurent_Rozenfeld

Re: The Invoice Rocket sidebar UX has been improved

Laurent Rozenfeld — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 04:13:13 -0000

Really excellent updates!

Re: Advertising Alternatives for Your Blog

Laurent Rozenfeld — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:57:45 -0000

That's one post I definitely have to share with European bloggers!

Re: World-brand-building mistakes France’s entrepreneurs make

Laurent Rozenfeld — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:05:10 -0000

What about Ramos, Cowon and other Asian manufacturers? I'm not sure they're very active on Twitter...
Do you have any data about Twitter use in Asian countries, or are they using competing services (local or american)? I know Microsoft has some plans there...

Re: World-brand-building mistakes France’s entrepreneurs make

Laurent Rozenfeld — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:58:28 -0000

Robert,

It's not only about start-ups using Twitter, but the market has to follow. Yes the press talks all the time about twitter, (they're bored with terrorism) but try to find out how many Belgians use this service actively.
A couple of weeks ago I created a new Twitter account as a test and started following only french users. No reactions... Then the next day I decided to follow a few Americans and suddenly I got spammed by hundred marketing gurus!

It's another world. Yes I think Twitter and the other platforms are important, but the USA and Europe are just too different. Another important detail: in some countries such as Belgium, surfing on your mobile is still very expensive and only a small percentage of the population use this service or even care about it.

Twitter has what, 30million users? How many are really active and what percentage is European. I'm sure that if you make the count you'll realize it's just a drop in the European ocean...

Re: Marketing and How Social Software Aligns

Laurent Rozenfeld — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:38:30 -0000

Hi Cheril,

Some people do read blog comments :)

I might not have the same experience as you do, but I always considered the 4Ps and marketing in general to be very pushy and one way.
Yes the customer has to trust all element of the brand, but do marketer take this into consideration the "right way"?
Certainly the promotion part of it. When I look at adverts, brochures or any other brand communication channels, trust is not really in my top of mind.

I think that trust is one of the reasons why marketers have to adapt to the web era and why the 4Ps, even though they still make sense today, must be redefined. At least for the internet; simply because the information flow has changed.

On the other hand, I am always going against the flow, so I might be totally wrong :)

Re: Presenting Founder Collective

Laurent Rozenfeld — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:49:28 -0000

Re: Presenting Founder Collective

Laurent Rozenfeld — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:48:48 -0000

Congratulations!
It's a great initiative I hope to see one day in Europe!

Re: Marketing and How Social Software Aligns

Laurent Rozenfeld — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:30:59 -0000

Hi Chris,

Interesting thoughts.
I have the feeling that in many cases place and promotion can be perceived as one, certainly when we link it with the reputation of the information provider.
On the other hand I think that when dealing with online marketing it is more convenient to compare with the Cs rather than the Ps.
Here's a short but good post about the subject http://www.customfitfocus.c...

Does it make sense?

Re: The biggest loser in the Twitter search deals

Laurent Rozenfeld — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:10:52 -0000

That's true.
The fact is that Google has the budgets to do whatever they want. The feeling I have is that Google tries to create different niches around its search engine and later interconnect them. On the other hand I feel that FB plans to integrate existing platforms from the backdoor.
I must admit not having used Google Wave yet so I can't compare.
On the other hand, I believe there is and must be room enough for several competing platforms. And in some cases being the loser doesn't necessarily mean that you will lose on the long run.
What I'm personally trying to figure out is if it is the developers who create the product or is it the usage by the members/community that define the product.

Re: The biggest loser in the Twitter search deals

Laurent Rozenfeld — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:46:55 -0000

What is good for Facebook is not necessarily good for its members and vice versa.
Facebook may be the big loser but I know many people (users) who prefer it to be like that.

Personally, I think that FB wants to directly compete with Google (at least in the near future) but using a more indirect approach to search and advertising/sales using modules such as FB connect.
As you suggest, the audience is on Google, but what about the "community" ?

Re: Comment Contest: Win “Full Access” Tickets to Blog World Expo

Laurent Rozenfeld — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:03:22 -0000

The future of blogging is Harry Potter!!!

Or should I rather say The Daily Prophet! I see a future where Kindle and the like will be replaced by wifi equipped electronic paper that will have mashups of texts, videos and sound sourcing from newspapers, magazines, TV, mobile phones and of course blogs and other social media streamlined in real time. Blogs will become mainstream and merge with the rest and the speed of reaction from “social media” users will increase drastically.

Your e-paper will be your connection to personalized information and the main communication tool will be the mobile phone (or an integrated camera and microphone for version 2.0). You will be able to create your own templates such as professional paper or tabloid style. You will also be able to select the content based on the time of the day or filter on interest. This means there is room for all kind of “blogs” whether personal or professional. The way we will gather our information, apprehend it, use it and share it will change.

Most blogs will become vlogs. People will use their mobile phones and e-paper to share their thoughts and experiences or comment other peoples’ threads. This of course will be updated real time.
e-Paper is actually the future of Microsoft Surface, pdas and smartphones; it’s portable and yet has a much larger screen, bendable and will not break if falling, it will recognize your movements and the way you fold it, etc. and blogging will play a great role in helping to adopt such a tool.

Of course it also means that there will be full integration between different platforms such as blogs, social network, etc.

Did someone say FB Connect???

And the beauty of this? Adverts will be interactive and totally personalized and you will be able to differentiate between free and paid content. It will actually help revive the dwindling business of paper press.

Only issue I see is energy consumption…
Well you know what you have to do, start investing in wireless energy transfer systems :)

Is this sci-fi? Well, maybe till 2019 July 29th…

Re: Facebook Not the End: FriendFeed Launches Custom Themes

Laurent Rozenfeld — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:32:13 -0000

Great!

Finally I have my Twitter and Friendfeed accounts with one unique look!
This is a good move for those interested in personal or company branding.

Re: Social Mojo: What Kind of Twitter User Are You?

Laurent Rozenfeld — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:18:33 -0000

Cute!
Seems I'm a concierge...
Well, if I'm that great at showing people the best URL's around, then you should absolutely see:
http://tiny.cc/L1R5Z
or
http://tiny.cc/cxoVF

It's the same as Mojo but for bloggers, with one unique addition: YOU review the blog not an automated algorithm!

Re: Friending and Reputation

Laurent Rozenfeld — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:07:39 -0000

Great post Chris!
First of all, I like the way people write in the comments “friend” or “buddy”; for some reason, I always thought these were not the right words to use in social networks.

In French, you have different gradations for friendship, such as “copain”, “pote” and “ami”. These show how well you know a person, and how close you are. While you can have many copains and potes, you probably will have less than a handful of amis, if any. In English you have less words to describe types of friendship (or at least less are used), hence the fact that the word “friend” is overused and abused. I think it’s something cultural and related to Germanic languages, but I might be wrong.

I once recommended a doctor who was the father of a REAL friend. This same doctor made a mistake during the operation leaving an annoying scar. Though it can happen to any one, your conscience doesn’t forget it easily.

Since then, I only endorse people I really trust for serious matters, on the other hand, I easily recommend a good product I purchased or a place to go; at the end of the day, it’s a question of taste.

Another point is that before giving a endorsement, I’m asking myself, who am I to do it. Is my recommendation actually relevant?
It’s one thing to say that someone is a smart worker, very competent, etc. but it also depend on the job he’s applying for. Is he competent for that specific work?
Therefore, before giving a recommendation, I also ask how the person is going to use it.

Re: Is seredipity really nullified by social networks?

Laurent Rozenfeld — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:03:07 -0000

Hi Mark, thanks for your reply.
I suppose you could compare serendipity to epiphany without the divine or spiritual connotation. Instead there is a process of thought.

I may have wrongly understood your post, but the way I get it is that you focus on the way you get access to information; that you can find great surprises by surfing from one blog to another (or any kind of source). There is no reasoning behind, at least not from your standpoint as a reader. You just wander and discover great new websites.

It's like walking in a forest when you discover a new path you've never seen before, bringing you to an amazing waterfall.
That's how I understood your post.

From my perspective, serendipity would be that when you walk on the road, you suddenly realize you're going east, and that this same road will bring you to the backside of the huge rocks you always wanted to climb in order to see what's behind.

Ok, maybe it's not a great example, but what I mean is that there is a process where you think and create relationships that might have been invisible before.

When you say that "the choice to be surprised is yours", you're talking about the bit of information you may find on the web, but there is no sudden realization in it. I'm not talking about divine intervention that makes you realize you have to change your life and stop surfing the web (epiphany), no I'm talking about the fact that you just found an amazing piece of information but it doesn't awake a creative thought in you.
You can choose the path you will take, but you cannot choose which thought will come into your mind. (sorry I don't seem to be able to explain it better than that)

I don't know, it's quite late...maybe I'm just writing nonsense :)

Re: Is seredipity really nullified by social networks?

Laurent Rozenfeld — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:34:37 -0000

Hum...Interesting post.

Yet, I feel something is wrong here.
The way I understand the word serendipity seems to be quite different.
Serendipity is not about having a fortunate discovery, the true essence of this word is "accidental sagacity".

With other words, it's not about finding something accidentally (and like suzemuse says, there are no accidents), it's all about the process of having a sudden understanding. Eureka is probably the word that explains best serendipity.

When Archimedes stepped into a bath and noticed that the water level rose — he suddenly understood that the volume of water displaced must be equal to the volume of the part of his body he had submerged.
That's serendipity!

Serendipity is about having this sudden idea you get while connecting the dots. We often get it while thinking about something and noticing something happening on the street, and then BANG serendipity is knocking on the door.
Another great example is DR House, all his discoveries are based on serendipity. For some reason he always find the solution while listening or watching someone else talking or doing something totally unrelated.

The fact I discovered your blog and this post through Friendfeed or through any other mean is not the true essence of serendipity.

But the fact I realize that such posts actually enforce the idea serendipity is just about fortunate discoveries and as such social media helps create situations of pseudo serendipity and therefore develop true serendipitous oppportunities, well that's what serendipity is! :)
(sorry, I had just a few hours of sleep)

A tool such as Stumbleupon nor creates neither negates serendipitous opporutinities, it's just another channel to get information.

Well, at least, that's my perception :)
Thanks, you made my day.

Re: Gary is Totally Right

Laurent Rozenfeld — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:27:13 -0000

Interesting and in a way it does make sense. You could compare it to the FMCG market. Take for instance Unilever that has hundreds of products and focused all their marketing actions on these brands, and purposely kept the main brand in the shadows.

A couple of years ago they created a new logo for the company, a huge "U" built from the logos of many of their brands. The idea was to make their brand more attractive and leverage the reputation of their existing brands. It is a good way to attract better employees and invest in brand engagement. Most FMCG products are owned by but a few gigantic companies and marketing is therefore very important. Look at Danone and Nestle as examples.

The same thing applies to the press. We know the papers and magazines, but do we always know the owners?
Is such a strategy enough in the information business? Can it improve a brand perception, can it increase revenue and trust?
We're talking here about monetization through ads, and I'm not sure it's sustainable.

On the other hand, Google an Yahoo have many satelite services, does it always bring value?
Personally, I believe that the keyword for the coming years is Synergy and not consolidation. It's not about AOL linking their blogs to their main brand, but rather about developing valuable information flows and connecting the right dots.
And it seems to me Microsoft is getting the point with their new Bing Approach...

Re: I Still Rather Like Blogging

Laurent Rozenfeld — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:06:18 -0000

Thanks for clarifying Chris.

There is a saying in french that says as follow: "Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are." (though you'll find it now in most cultures).

I think your analogy is interesting, not only because you serve meals rather than snacks, but also because you can create new menus based on the feedback your receive, and you've got a lot. This means that content evolves based on the contact with your audience. It's something I've noticed around. When comments are more than just "thank you's" it helps the blogger find a direction for his blog and helps shaping his communication/writing style.
The same way a speaker learns to adapt to his audience or a teacher to his class. (for older blogs).

What if there was a way for you to know to what kind of restaurant you look. If your readers could tell you you're more like french gastronomy, chinese fondue or sushi? (where each meal is like a portrait)
I would love to be perceived as spareribs!

Re: I Still Rather Like Blogging

Laurent Rozenfeld — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:05:56 -0000

Chris, I totally agree with you, but for some reason I have the feeling you're preaching now against your previous post "The audience is king".
Doesn't it sound to you that content is king???

Re: Audience is King

Laurent Rozenfeld — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:27:57 -0000

If the audience is king then content is the queen and publishers are the court fools.

Re: Conformity Makes Community Comfortable

Laurent Rozenfeld — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:29:46 -0000

But then, what's the point of being a nonconformist???

Conformity makes indeed the community feel comfortable, but that always has been the issue.

Communities introduce a set of rules based on the values of the (founding) members. In order to be accepted and to find any added-value in joining a community you have to have some match with this set of values and if existing with the goals of the community.
Therefore, only transparency (authenticity?) from your part as member can help it grow.

I don't think it's about conformity nor even about fitting in such a micro-society.
It's about what you can give to the community and what you can receive from this experience.

Like Pete suggests hereunder innovation and creativity requires going against the flow, but if you join a community where everybody go against the flow, what's the point?
You may enjoy the ride...just for a while...

Re: Conformity Makes Community Comfortable

Laurent Rozenfeld — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:09:12 -0000

If you're a nonconformist in a community of nonconformists, does it make you conform and will it help your community grow??

Re: Tune Up Your Personal Message

Laurent Rozenfeld — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:00:21 -0000

Nice post,

Maybe something more basic but often overlooked, I think body language is extremely important.
You don't want to come over as being stiff as a trunk.

Gestures add a lot of energy to your speaking, the same way that a speaker has to pay attention to his intonation. I suppose that each one of us has to find the right balance between both.
As giannianchois said, the style of delivery is key.

Re: http://blog.louisgray.com/2009/05/todays-real-time-web-makes-blogging-and.html

Laurent Rozenfeld — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:05:02 -0000

Please don't forget one important element: TIME ZONES!
When Americans communicate, we Europeans sleep (except for late sleepers like me)

When checking my friendfeed account the morning, I often look at the 10 latest pages to see if I haven't missed something interesting!
Any suggestions how to improve this process?

Re: Should ROI be a consideration in Social Media

Laurent Rozenfeld — Sun, 24 May 2009 05:35:49 -0000

Hi Steven,
I think there is a purpose behind every action we take whether consciously or subconsciously. All forms of gratification whether it is happiness, peace, pride or something else entirely depend on what you expect (knowingly or not) to gain. This means that you have THE central position for each of your actions and you measure the fruits of your action willingly or not. (except if you’re a zombie)
That is probably why we rationalize so much.

Many bloggers today have very few readers and mainly blog or microblog to get the words out of their head, use it as a way to decompress. They don’t necessarily look for many followers.

For those who need something more and have the feeling they’re going nowhere I think some introspection time is needed and a ROI plan defined. I also don’t like the word ROI because of the “investment” part – sounds to me that an effort is required rather than something I enjoy doing. Maybe we can call it ROA (Return On Action) or something like that. Additionally, the return will be very different from one person to the other, based on the desire, need and even mood. My personal approach is to compare my online social activities to the ones I have in real life. The end is the same, but the means used are different.

Ask yourself why I’m taking 20 minutes to write this comment. Is it because I feel smart enough to give THE perfect answer and want you to read it? Is it because I feel the same way and want to share it? Do I try to promote myself and my blog? Maybe it’s all of them? Or none? Maybe I just feel compelled to react?
I’m not sure myself, but I know at least I feel better now that I acted because in a way I participated.
Indeed, sometimes a feeling is worth more than any measurable...

Well, that's my 2 cents.