Nigeria's Independence Day

Nigeria, the giant of Africa is 48 today. Here is a link about my country. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY to Nigerians, home and abroad.

Develop Some Yelpitude

Social networking keeps getting better and better. Now, it’s conversational. I would really like to have an experience where someone gets to listen to what I have to say and give a response to my complaints/questions. Two weeks ago, we talked about companies like Nike introducing online customer interaction. This is even more productive because there is a sense of reality when talking to someone about problems being experienced while using their products. This would most of the time give immediate gratification if a solution can be found. Reading the article Conversational Marketing Asks, Can we talk? has opened up a whole new world for me.

Businesses have found ways to progress and to make their businesses more accessible by their customer. The most important thing apart from profit that a company is concerned with is the customer’s satisfaction. Companies like Ford, Motorola and the likes have shown great marketing skills because it is one thing to introduce an idea and another to actually act on it and use it effectively. In exchange, customers are loyal to such companies that have taken their time to listen to their problems and try acting on it.

After reading Digital Domain, I agree with the author that relying on professional critics would not be a reliable form of feedback. So why use it? It is now possible for a company/customer to get direct response to a survey or review. That is what Yelp is all about and since this topic has come about, I’m glad that a Yelp employee would be coming around to give my class a talk. After reading this article I decided that I wanted to develop some “Yelpitude”. Somehow, I think that conversational marketing is the way forward. Not only is it interactive, but it is effective.

UGC and ME

Who could think of the world without the internet and web 2.0? I guess there has been a steady incline of this miraculous discovery. Before the advent of the UGC, people were more stilted in the expression of their opinions. Now, different sites have been a source of encouragement for social networking and getting feedback.


I remember the struggling musicians of those days who have to gain approval from recording studios in order for their work to be heard. UGC sites like YouTube have made it possible for their talents to be discovered. More and more examples are out there around us. One of such would be my blog. Here I am sharing ideas and communicating with people I might never meet but who have a connection with me through my thoughts and ideas. Although people like Andrew Keen and Doris Lessing have serious criticisms against the internet, I think that the internet and UGC saves a lot of time and energy without losing much of anything(at least I think so)


I read Molly’s blog and I agree with her that some people have nothing better to do than to misuse the opportunity of UGC. Just because people like this exist does not mean that there has not been some noticeable improvement in people’s scope of knowledge. I noticed that before I started blogging, there was always the black and white for me but reading other people’s blogs have shown me some shades of gray in between. This to me, is what social networking is all about. Connection!

Urbandictionary

Its amazing that I didnt know anything about urbandictionary.This is where i found out about it.You can go a step further by checking this out.

Crowdsourcing and CRM..smart thinking

Crowdsourcing is a term which I was not familiar with before reading the articles for the week. I am most impressed that the heads of prestigious and large organizations like Nike, IBM and the likes have decided to take social networking to the next level. The question to be asked is if this concept has been advantageous? From the article Nike’s New Public Design Studio, it is obvious that the relationships between the consumer and the various companies like Nike have been strengthened. The exercise of crowdsourcing gives the customer a sense of belonging which in the end emphasizes the saying “the customer is king.”



CRM couldn’t be any better. Even in the virtual world, companies like Adidas and Reebok connect to customers who are interested in customizing or buying products. This channel could help customers who want more anonymity to express their creativity without fear. Companies secure a customer's loyalty through this kind of connection.


Organizations like Nike have started reaping the fruits of this innovation. So, not everybody wants customized shoes but what of those that do? All in all business couldn't be better and customers involved are satisfied. What feedback can be better than that?


Nike’s New Public Design Studio

Virtual Networks; the way forward...or not?

This week’s reading has brought to mind next week’s sojourn into Second life. Second life is a virtual world where people meet and share ideas and daily life activities. Anticipation is not a good enough word to describe my feeling at the moment. Creating my avatar and meeting up with Professor Melander and other classmates is likely to be the highlight of my third week in the American University, Washington DC. Social Networking as I read from the article More Internet users getting a virtual life by Ellen Lee, is now about communicating in the virtual world.

While talking with some folks back home in Nigeria, I got the feeling that most of them find the idea of virtual networks very creepy. The predominant question was; why would you want to go to a world so far away from the real world to meet people? Some of the answers to this question are the reason why I think that virtual networks like Second life, vside and Gaia are making progress in the realm of social networking.

One instance would be the use of Second life to train IBM’s new recruits. According to Chuck Hamilton, the director of the center for learning in IBM, this concept has helped to manage costs and to guide the incoming employees to perform more effectively. Also, learning has become much more fun and engaging.

Much as this notion of the virtual world is quite intriguing and interesting, the same issues from the last weeks’ reading comes up. In the first article mentioned, Raney who is a partner with Redpoint ventures says that “

It's inevitable there will be too many.”

This statement being about the expansion of networks. On the other hand, I think the pros seem to outweigh the cons in the sense that people tend to be themselves while in the virtual world than the real world coupled with the points made by Chuck Hamilton. I guess this counts for something; don’t you?

More Internet users getting a virtual life

Fast Talk: Getting A (Second) Life

Facebook: Success or Trial?

Before the advent of social network services like facebook, MySpace, hi5, the world was really a very boring place especially for the youths. In American University of Nigeria, Yola, facebook has become the site for the latest gossip and happenings on campus. This would be cool for those that liked that sort of thing.



I remember over a year ago when everybody was on my case to join facebook. I wasn’t ready to hook up with old classmates, and the likes. Even those you wanted to give a wide berth would surely fish you out. It brings this stalker scenario to mind. I totally agree with Paul Saffo in The Economist where he said that social networks tend to lose value when they exceed the expected size. Facebook would be the perfect example.


A few days after joining Facebook, someone from my class in high school added me as his friend. I accepted!Well that was one mistake i vowed not to make again. While we were in school, we didn't communicate or move in the same circles. After adding him, he started hitting on me.I told him in no uncertain term that I was not interested. I guess he wasn't used to being refused. He went further by offering money as incentives for me to change my mind. My God!!Was I insulted? I was so angry that I deleted him instantly from my friends list. That taught me to be careful of creeps, even those under the disguise of social networks like Facebook.


After this incident, I have been very sceptical about adding even people I know to my friend list. I know social networking is important and I ask, am I wrong to be overly cautious?