By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

So there I was, minding my own business in a Tel Aviv mall, trying to decide what to eat for dinner. As I walked through the food court, there were many options including burgers, sushi, pizza, and a Chinese restaurant that looked like the food was quite tasty. Then the person behind the counter of the Chinese place did something smart that could have easily been the “differentiator” that would lure me in to becoming a customer. He held out a little plastic fork with a piece of juicy meat on it for me to taste. As if to say “Taste this meat, see how delicious our food is, then come eat your meal here.” And so I did.

The meat was indeed yummy, which is of course why he chose that type to lure people in. I was half sold. I took a look at the variety of meats they have on display and my attention was captured by a different option laying right next to the one I just tasted. And so I said “Thanks, mind if I taste that one?”. At this point, I was 90% decided that I, along with the people I was with, would indeed end up eating here. Then it all went down hill.

The man who held out the fork was instructed by what seemed to be his superior to not give out more than one tasting per person. She said to him “Nope, no more for him.” Or something along those lines. To which I responded “You do realize that I am not just going restaurant to restaurant trying to get a taste of foods, but that I am genuinely interested in tasting that chicken and eating a meal here, right?”. She said “Sorry, no more than one tasting per person.”

At that point, I tried not to preach to her what a huge marketing mistake she was making, which, if you know me, you will know was not easy. I politely put down the fork they handed me and said “Thank you and you should just know, you just lost me as a customer now and in the future.”

And now back to our world. Startups, and companies in general, have pretty much two options when it comes to the way they market their brand and product on the web. The first one, which was clearly where this woman was coming from, is to count dollars and cents. To measure everything and make sure that every tweet, every piece of chicken is generating revenue. If something does not create instant ROI, then it is not worth their while. It goes without saying that if something costs the company money and does not cover its costs instantly, that it is a bad idea.

The other option and the reason that that man held out the piece of chicken to me in the first place is to offer value for free in the hopes, that in the “Long run”, this will generate branding, brand awareness, and eventually, lead to not only customers, but loyal ambassadors.This is obviously the form of marketing I believe is more effective.

If you write a company blog about your industry in the hopes that you will establish your brand as an authority in the space, you are giving the world a piece of chicken. If you do not see the value of Twitter or a blog because you do not see instant ROI, you are limiting your customers to one piece of chicken despite the fact that they are pretty much begging you to let them convert into a customer. You are shutting the door on them. Why? Because this will cost you money, albeit a little money. I mean how much is one piece of chicken, right?

So here is the bottom line. The days of measuring every single thing you do on the Web are over. Or as Gary Vaynerchuk would so famously say, “What is the ROI of your mom?” What does that mean? It means to try and quantify every time your mom told you growing up that you are beautiful or that you shouldn’t cry because you lost that baseball game because you will win next time, to try and measure that value is just plain stupidity. What is even more ridiculous is to say that because you cannot quantify each time your mother hugged you, therefore that hug has no value. That is insanity. The same goes for long term marketing using the social web.

Give a piece of chicken, a tasty one and believe in the model of “If you build it, they will come” because it works, but always remember that I might choose to eat steak this time, and next time I am in the mall, I will surely remember that juicy piece of chicken you gave me for free and yes, the one you LOST money on. In the long run, though, I will get to eat your tasty brand and you will have created a loyal customer.

And to the Chinese restaurant I say, you had a big opportunity here and you blew it. But at least you taught me and anyone reading this a valuable lesson so thank you for that.

Pardon the French in the Gary video below, but that’s Gary for ya…

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

When Apple introduced the iPad Mini, it was the first ever Apple announced that sparked an emotional reaction from yours truly. No, it was not excitement or happiness that the company finally reversed a policy put in place by the late Steve Jobs that there is no room for a smaller tablet in the Apple portfolio. My reaction to the iPad Mini announcement was actually disappointment and frustration, maybe even borderline anger.

I wrote about my disappointment with the iPad Mini announcement here and here, but to sum it up in one sentence, only Apple can get away with selling a product that is by every metric inferior to its direct competitors at almost double the price. The Nexus 7, which at the time was being sold for $199 had a faster processor, a better resolution screen, and a price tag that was significantly lower than Apple’s. So, I felt the iPad Mini was a poor attempt on Apple’s part to catch up. Now, I wasn’t completely wrong about all that, but I was completely wrong about the actual product. The iPad Mini, which I have been using for a few weeks now, is pretty fantastic.

The first question everyone asks me when seeing the device is “So wait, why is this any different than the iPad?” The answer I always give is “It’s not and that is why it’s awesome.” You see, the iPad, since its introduction has completely and utterly dominated the tablet space it created. Except, from the first moment I touched an iPad, I felt there was something wrong. I wrote about that years ago, here.

My main problem with the iPad though, is that it is supposed to be somewhat of an on-the-go type of device but good luck typing on the iPad while walking or snapping a picture with it in a concert. The ecosystem is unparalleled, the iOS experience, while it could use some refreshing, is still super intuitive and the device is still pretty magical. But again, the size…

So the iPad Mini, which I was as skeptical about as anyone, takes all that is great about the iPad (minus the Retina display for now and the A6x processor) and trims it down to a size that is not only not annoying, it is actually better than any smaller tablet I have used. The aspect ratio of the iPad Mini makes it a much more compelling experience somehow and the screen, while it is not Retina, pops out like it’s no one’s business.

It has been a few weeks since I first unboxed my iPad Mini and watching Netflix aside, I have not picked up my iPad once. I do not see the point. Using Flipboard (my reading app of choice) on the iPad Mini is just a fantastic experience. Tweetbot (my favorite Twitter app) on the Mini… It’s a match made in heaven. I think you get the point. The iPad Mini is the ideal second screen.

In fact, if I had to choose one device, only one, well in addition to a phone, I would choose the Mini over the full size iPad, my beloved Macbook Air, and I would choose it over any Android tablet, including the Nexus 7, despite its super specs.

So what’s the moral of the story? Hardware specs do not tell the full story when it comes to user experience and us bloggers need to learn that.

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

Please forgive me if this post comes off as a rant, but enough is enough. Every few months, a new handset/mobile platform comes out and the same claims are repeated by the pundits. “Too little, too late”. Apple and Google own the mobile market and that can’t change. And every time I read those words, I realize just how fast people forget.

“Google? Are you nuts entering search, a space completely dominated by Yahoo? It will never work!” “Wait, what is this, Facebook? You want to create a social platform to compete with MySpace? Yea, good luck with that!”. “Android? Sorry, iPhone already owns the smartphone space!” “iPhone? Sorry Nokia already owns the smartphone space. Or RIM. Or Palm. Or HP. Or Microsoft!”.

Yes, you see how dumb all those statements sound now? About as dumb as saying that six years after Jobs presented the first modern smartphone on stage and destroyed the paradigm of the need for physical keyboards and styluses, the industry is over and there is no more room for innovation. Complete and utter stupidity.

Take this post I wrote about BlackBerry 10 for example. Out of all the feedback I got on that post, close to 80% of it was along the lines of “Eh, it’s too late.” Now, I realize there is a problem with all the examples and comparisons I gave above because Google, Facebook, Android, and iOS were new players breaking into a market, not old players making a comeback like Microsoft and BlackBerry are. Having said that, I see that as something that is to the advantage of BlackBerry and Microsoft. They already have a large user base (Yes, BlackBerry still has 90 million subscribers. Let’s not forget that) and developer community, something all those companies lacked.

OK, so once I convince these skeptics that it is fact not too late, the next baseless claim they make is “OK, fine, it’s not too late but Microsoft/BlackBerry has nothing new here to help it stand out. If it wants to kill Apple/Google, it needs to bring more innovation to the table.”

Ahh, just what I needed, some more stupidity. Remind me again what world-changing technology Instagram has? Others before it had filters. It shares to Facebook and Twitter? Slow clap…

My point is, sometimes, it is not all about features, but about execution. If BlackBerry and/or Microsoft can release a mobile product that is polished and offers an experience as good as the other major players, there is no reason they can’t compete. Is there no room for more than 2 players in a market with billions of consumers? Who said you have to “Kill” anything in order to be relevant?

Now the question is do they? Do Microsoft and BlackBerry offer a solid enough product with enough polish to play ball in the major leagues? I will answer the question with a question. Have you ever tried the Lumia 920? Have you taken a picture with it? Have you tried the  Z10? Felt the quality of the hardware? Yes, so you might want to try that before declaring the two companies dead in the mobile industry. They are not. These phones and the platforms they run on, are pretty fantastic.

“But look at WebOS. It was a good product and it died a long and painful death!” Yes, it did because it was thrown around between companies that had no idea what to do with it. Same goes for the latest company, LG. When it comes to Windows Phone and BlackBerry, I cannot guarantee that the platforms will succeed, but what I can say is that the two companies have learned from others’ mistakes and have their priorities straight.

Both Microsoft and BlackBerry, having spoken to top level execs at both companies, realize their 3rd party ecosystem is a top priority and one that is not where it needs to be. Both platforms lack the apps they need to achieve real traction and both companies are working to fix that, as we speak.

Bottom line, to say it is too late is to take a very limited view on this space that is still in its infancy. Besides, as consumers, we understand that more competition will only help drive innovation, so stop trying to suffocate it with declarations that iOS and Android have exclusive rights to the palm of our hands.

There, I feel much better now.

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

Oh, so you think I am exaggerating about the “Nicest guy in tech” title? Then you have not met Amir. The guy is just plain awesome. Now that I got that out of the way, Amir plays a central role in the activities of Google Israel. And let there be no mistake about it, Google Israel plays a central role in the global scope of what Google accomplishes daily. In fact, I was shocked to discover just how much of Google’s core offering was and continues to be developed here in Israel.

Here are my ten questions for amir and his responses. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. You can follow Amir on Google+ here or on Twitter here.

1: Who is Amir Shevat? Please tell me a little bit about your background both personal and professional.

For the last two years I’ve been working as a Developer Relations Program Manager at Google, helping developers and startups use open source, open web & mobile, and Google technologies. Before joining Google, I worked at Microsoft, Comverse, and was in the founding team of startups such as Coridan and I-Pace.

2: So let’s just get this out of the way since it is in everyone’s mind. Is working at Google as awesome as it seems? Please elaborate.

Well, yes – it is. It’s amazing to work with incredibly smart & committed people who are passionate about the internet and all that it has to offer. But, more importantly, it’s hugely exciting to work at a company that truly puts the user first and creates so many opportunities for developers and entrepreneurs of all kinds to use open-source technologies to push boundaries even further and create great products and services for internet users. It’s a cliche, I know, but we also try to have a lot of fun while doing what we do.

3: Everyone knows that Israel is Startup Nation, but how important is Google Israel in the big picture of Google as a leading company in the world of innovation.

Israel is a global leader in terms of technological know-how, and our teams in Israel play a major role in Google’s overall development. The engineers at our Israel R&D Center play an important part in many of our major product areas, including ‘Search’, and our engineers have been responsible for a number of key products which Google has launched to hundreds of millions of users around the world. In pretty much every area of work, we’re part of global teams which gives us the opportunity of learning from international colleagues and, on many occasions, helping them replicate and build on some of the great things that we’ve been able to do in Israel.

4: Tell me about Google’s new campus, the idea, the design, and the goal of its existence.

Campus Tel Aviv is a hub for entrepreneurs and developers. We offer a space for developers and entrepreneurs to attend and organize events with speakers, mentors and other entrepreneurs; a “hack space” and device library to develop and test new ideas; and “Google Launchpad”, a two-week ‘boot camp’ for early stage start-ups helping with subjects including user interface, product strategy & technology, marketing, business development and more. We’re really excited about this initiative, and the feedback that we’ve had so far from start-ups and our partners for this project has been really positive.

5: As the person responsible for developers, what do you see is the main incentive for developers to come on board the Google ship, whether it is Android, or something else?

The story of Google’s developer platform is a story of the Internet and of Mobile. Developers realize the power of the Internet and mobile – they understand that in order to be successful they need to leverage the potential of these platforms. Google provides developers with infrastructure and tools such as Android, Chrome, App Engine, Maps and more so that they can do more and succeed more, using open technologies.

6: As everyone knows, Google, unlike many other companies, does not focus on one product but rather branches out to many industries, some completely off the main path. These include cars, glasses, etc. How do you explain that? What is in it for Google?

I think it’s best explained by our constant search for innovation and our efforts to try to think not just one or two steps ahead, but ten steps ahead. When Google acquired YouTube back in 2006, some people said we were crazy to get into the online video space, and now we can see how huge online video has become, with YouTube as a major player. The same can be said for Android. We don’t always get it right, and there’s tonnes more to be done. But there’s so much that technology has to offer in terms of addressing challenges in society, and we’re hugely excited about the potential of new developments.

7: Tell me more about the Tel Aviv campus and its recent and future activities.

Campus is always buzzing with activities, We’re currently hosting startups from the Junction and the Zell entrepreneurship program. Next week we have a 2-day event with members of the Google Android team who’re coming to Israel. People are using Campus in a ‘self-service’ way via the Campus Tel Aviv website, and there’s a bunch of interesting activities coming up.

8: Talk to me about mobile. While you might not want to directly address competitors, do you think mobile is at a state that new players can no longer make a dent/comeback? Does BlackBerry/Windows Phone stand a chance against iOS and Android?

I don’t think it’s right for me to comment on the different players in the market. But I will say that there’s some amazing innovation going on in the mobile space and the competition to innovate is intense which, ultimately, is really good news for the mobile user. Mobile is more than just a fad, it’s the future and it’s already here, whether we’re talking about ‘search’, maps, consumption of video or other content, and much, much more. I’m sure there’s much more to come from all of the players and the next few years will be incredibly exciting.

9: What is the most exciting thing you have worked on at Google?

Google is an amazing company to work at – I’ve had the privilege of working on exciting projects both globally and in Israel. The most exciting global project was leading the Google Developer Expert program in which we created a community of highly trained experts worldwide, those experts help grow and teach local developer communities. The most exciting project I’ve been involved with in Israel is Campus Tel Aviv – such a great project because you see the impact of what you’re doing with the entrepreneurship community in Israel and its connection to other projects initiated by Google around the world to support developers and entrepreneurs.

10: What is the most innovative technology that you think will shape the next decade?

I think screens will become different. In just the last couple of years we’ve seen the mobile revolution enter a new stage, and tablets taking off, and I think there’s a lot more innovation just around the corner, whether it’s glasses or other ‘wearables’, or even screens in the form of car windshields or house windows. I think self-driving cars have the potential to change the quality of life for many people. And I think that 3D printing will change the way we innovate in tangible things.

Thanks amir for this awesome interview. Enjoy the video below of Amir introducing the new Tel Aviv campus but beware, it is in Hebrew…

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

Today, I am adding to the list of my role models who I had the opportunity to interview thanks to the social Web. You can see the others I have interviewed here.

If you, like me, spend most of your day reading/writing/talking about the world of tech and innovation, you must have come across the name Mike Elgan. Mike is first and foremost a journalist who writes for many online publications including Computerworld, Datamation, PC World, InfoWorld, MacWorld, ITWorld, CIO, the San Francisco Chronicle.

In case that was not enough, if Mike does not appear in the What’s Hot section of Google+, you might want to refresh your page, as clearly there is something very wrong.

Mike has perfected the art of social sharing with an emphasis on Google+. Not that numbers really matter but he has well over 2 million “followers” on Google+ and his content regularly goes viral. I have been following him across the web for years and it was a great privilege to interview him. Enjoy.

1: Who is Mike Elgan? Please give me some background, both person and professional.

I grew up in a small town near Santa Barbara, California. I was lazy and undisciplined about high school, and the opposite of that in college. I’ve always had a strong work ethic and worked full time through both high school and college. I was also diligent about surfing.

After graduating from UCLA, I got a job as an underpaid and overworked reporter for a newspaper company that published three newspapers in the Santa Barbara area.

Within a year or two, I was promoted to managing editor. Just as the company was moving from an old-school system where the newspapers were literally cut and pasted together (cut with razors and pasted with paste — I’m not kidding) then photographed for the printing press. The new system was a Macintosh-based networked publishing system.

After that process, I realized that I was far more interested in the tools of my trade (the computers) than the subject of our publications (water and land-use politics, city council meetings and so on) and that computer magazines existed as a career path. So I got a job at Windows Magazine, where I worked for almost the whole decade of the 1990s as managing editor, executive editor and editor-in-chief.

After that, I worked for a Silicon Valley startup, did some consulting, then went full time as a freelance opinion columnist about ten years ago.

Today I have the job I’ve wanted my whole life: I write opinions for a living and get to live anywhere in the world I want to.

2: You might not know but we share something in common, we both write for quite a few sites. What sites do you contribute to and what do you have to add about the model of writing for many sites?

I write for four publishers: IDG, Datamation, Cultomedia and Houzz. The obvious benefit is something like job security. If I lose one of them, I’ve still got three more. So I don’t have to worry about suddenly losing all my income.

I personally don’t think the status of the publication matters at all. My readers and followers care what I write about. I’m the “brand,” if you will. And people find my work even if they don’t know me via social and search.

What matters to me is the fee and also the “deal” I have with the publisher. I work only with editors who let me write anything I want, and who don’t try to push me in one direction or another.

In other words, I want to do whatever I feel like doing and I want others to pay me to do it. Is that asking too much? ; )

3: Lets talk Google+. You are huge. What are your thoughts on the platform, its chances of success, and its current weaknesses?

Google+’s chances for success are 99% (at this point, Google would have to decide to kill it for some reason, which they won’t do).

Google+’s biggest weakness is that it’s so powerful and flexible that some people feel overwhelmed by it. The second biggest weakness is the continued lack of third-party interfaces.

Google+’s biggest disadvantage is that Facebook has a “monopoly on everybody” — everybody’s on Facebook because everybody’s on Facebook.

4: So obviously, you are a huge fan of state-of-the-art innovation. What would you say is the most exciting technology you have held in your hand?

Google Now. It’s the best glimpse we have into the future of how humans interface with machines generally.

I’m also blown away by Google Translate, especially when applied to things like the Google Translate Chrome plug-in. When this sort of things works better software-wise, and when Google builds the functionality into Google+ for all browsers and clients (which I think they will, eventually), we’re facing a world in which everybody can interact regardless of language.

5: And the most exciting innovation of the next decade?

I’m most excited about what I call 3rd generation computing. (First generation was command-line; second was graphical computing.)

The computers we’ll all be using over most of the next decade will combine multi-touch, gestures, voice command and Google Now like assistant technology to create everyday computing that’s just like the bridge of the USS Enterprise.

6: What phone are you using and why?

I use an iPhone 5 because I believe it has the best camera, most elegant hardware design and engineering, the best app ecosystem and also because of all the crazy third-party add-on stuff (camera lenses, cases, etc.).

7: Talk to me about BlackBerry and Windows Phone. We have talked about this but do you think they have a chance of succeeding and please explain.

Yes, they have a chance. There will always be a minority of people who buy phones they like regardless of price, and a majority who will choose from among the cheapest phones.

So BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices are likely to slug it out indefinitely against Apple, Samsung and other players for the higher quality phones. But neither is ever likely to have two-digit market share. But they can still be successful.

8: As far as content, how would you suggest someone get started on the web building a brand around content?

Hyperspecialize. In other words, don’t do what I do. ; )

Carve out a niche and own it 100% by producing better and more content about that narrow topic than anyone else, then stick with it day after day, year after year.

Continue to pay attention to how people discover content and make sure your work is “sticky.” Just three years ago, people discovered content via search and links. Today’s it’s all social networking. Always figure out how to convert the people who discover you into subscribers or followers. (This, by the way, is why Google+ is the best blogging platform: It’s the most social and sticky place to post.)

9: Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?

I hope to keep improving my craft. I expect to be doing then what I’m doing now, plus books.

10: What is your take on Google and all the “x projects” including glass, the self driving car, and other stuff they are working on that is not part of their core offering?

I think it’s all good. I was super skeptical about the self-driving car, but had a turn-around on that and now I’m very optimistic about it. I’m still skeptical about Google Glass, but only because my fellow geeks think it will go mainstream, and I believe it will not. It’s still cool, though, and I want one.

Generally speaking, I love the Google founders’ whole approach to everything. They embrace Big Data in a big way, and are true believers in the power of algorithms. Mostly, though, they provide super valuable services, sell little ads for pennies, then take some of their billions and try to make the world a better place. It’s all good. I see Google as our generation’s Walt Disney.

Thanks Mike, was a pleasure and keep up the good work!

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

One of the greatest perks of being active on social media is the opportunity to meet folks I would never (ever) have the chance to meet otherwise. To see a list of people I have interviewed as a result of Twitter, see here.

One of the amazing people I connected with a few years back is none other than Jeri Ryan. You might remember her from appearances including Star Trek: Voyager, Body of Proof, and a whole lot more.

But that is not what impressed me about Jeri. What amazed me was just how awesome of a person she is, how responsive she is to her fans on the web, and most importantly, how real she is. But why babble on when you can just read Jeri’s awesome answers to my questions below and understand for yourself what kind of person Jeri is. Enjoy!

1: Who is Jeri Ryan? Please give me some background both personal and professional.

I grew up as an Army brat, so I moved around a lot as a child. Always being the new kid was tough, but it taught me to be very adaptable and it certainly got me ready for the nomadic life of an actor! Let’s see…I was a National Merit Scholar, which is something I’m very proud of. I’m an actress by profession. I’m also a huge foodie and an avid fruit/vegetable gardener, a mom of 2 amazing kids, and married to a French chef! (Yeah, tough gig.)

2: OK, having followed you for a while on Twitter and Google+, I would say you are quite the geek for social media. What is your favorite platform and why?

Ha! I TOTALLY am! I love both platforms for different reasons, but Twitter is my social media true love! I actually came to it quite reluctantly and didn’t understand it at all when I first started. But once I started finding interesting and varied people to follow, it really “clicked” for me. It’s such an amazing way to connect with fans in a way that’s personal, but also (speaking as someone with stalker issues) safe. I also love how easy it is to just pop in & out of when I’m on the go. I actually like the 140-character limit; it forces you to be concise.

3: What platform are you most active on?

Twitter, by a mile! Occasionally, maybe TOO active.

4: While most people do not yet appreciate Google+ as a real player in the space, you clearly do. What are those people missing that makes it such a great platform for you?

I think G+ is great for sharing longer, more in-depth posts. But the real beauty of it is the Hangout. I don’t think people realize what a great tool it is to connect with people around the globe.

5: What is the technology/gadget that has most changed your day to day life in the last few years?

My iPhone! I am completely reliant on it in a way that’s both surprising and slightly horrifying to me.

6: What phone do you use and why?

I am a devout iPhone user. I love how intuitive it is, even for the non-tech-savvy like me. And, oh lord, don’t even get me started about the apps…! There truly is an app for EVERYTHING.

7: Out of all the celebs on the social web, you are definitely one of the most responsive. Why do you feel it is important to engage with your followers and how do you handle all the noise?

Thank you, I really try to be. Honestly, I don’t understand why someone WOULDN’T respond to fans when they can. None of us in the entertainment industry would be where we are if it weren’t for the fans! Can I read & reply to every single comment or tweet? No, of course not. But I read as many as I can and try to respond to them all. Although, admittedly, for someone with OCD…let’s just say I sometimes need an intervention to walk away from it!

8: What Twitter app do you use and have you tried others?

I’ve tried a LOT of different apps, but my current favorite — especially on the iPad — is Tweetbot. I also used Osfoora for a long time and really liked it.

9: If you could change one thing about the way people behave on social media, what would it be?

Be kind to each other. I think sometimes people forget they’re “talking” to other human beings.

10: If you could meet three people who you know from the online world, who would they be?

I’m lucky enough to have already met a few of my “Twitter buddies” in real life, which absolutely delights me to no end! There are too many more I’d love to get to hang out with for me to narrow it down to just 3! (What, are you trying to get me in trouble…??)

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

I know what you’re thinking, “Learn from BlackBerry? Who said it will succeed? Why is BlackBerry in a place to teach anyone anything?” Good question. I thought you’d never ask.

OK, so as you know, BlackBerry launched what it hopes will be the vehicle the company rides on its way to comeback land, BlackBerry 10. Will it really save the company? Who knows? What I do know is that initial reactions to the phone and platform have been positive and based on analysts watching closely, so far, it has been adopted nicely as well.

So as far as the launch goes, not the success of the platform, Microsoft and by extension, Nokia have a lot to learn. I will explain.

Branding

One of the bigger surprises in the launch of BB10, aside from the company’s choice of Creative Director of course, was the fact that the company rebranded from Research In Motion (RIM) to BlackBerry. Some hate it, I think it was the most brilliant thing the company has done in years.

You see, when a company has one product, I see no reason they should separate the name of that product from the name of the brand. BlackBerry users love their devices, right? So why not leverage that loyalty to the brand as a whole? Why confuse users with a name like Research in Motion when everyone knows BlackBerry? Imagine if Facebook would call its site that and call the company something else? That would cause unnecessary confusion and such confusion in the brand causes confusion and frustration in the product.

I have spoken to quite a few startups who were debating this exact topic. Should we call our company one thing and our app/product another, or just go with one name? My answer is always “If this is going to be your only product, then why confuse users? If you plan on having other products down the line, then you need an independent name for the company.”

BlackBerry was gutsy enough to change its name, something many companies would never do and I praise them for that….

Now while Microsoft has many products so its mobile platform has to have a different name than the company, I am fairly certain that there are enough smart minds in Redmond that can come up with a better name than Windows Phone! In fact, pretty much anything they choose will be better than that name. So while it might be a risky move, if BlackBerry can pull it off, so can you, Microsoft. Get on it.

Focus

This is a loaded topic with Apple on the one side and Google on the other. Focus on one or two products or spread your wings and offer any possible option in the hopes that that product will find an owner. Samsung is of course on Google’s side, ie make mobile devices in every possible size so people can use them while sitting in the back seat of their self driving car wearing Google Glass. But, wait, isn’t Google a search/advertising company? What’s with the cars and the glasses? Yea, exactly.

BlackBerry took a good look at its core audience now and what it hopes will be its user base in a year from now. iPhone and Android users love their big touch screens and think of hardware keyboards as somewhat primitive. For those folks, BlackBerry has the Z10.

But what about its loyal fan base? The ones that swear by their keyboards? Boom. The Q10. And that is all, folks. No Z10 Pro, Q10 2, or Z10 5.5. Will that change in the future? No way to know but I sure hope not.

Now take a look at the Lumia line. Why, can someone explain to me, do we need a Lumia 620, 800, 810, 820, 822, 900, and 920? Did I catch them all? Doubt it. Who needs all those phones?

Well Samsung will tell you that creating a phone in every shape, size, and color is the way to go. But you know what? Samsung can afford to do that, Microsoft and Nokia cannot at this point. Focus, people!

Make one high end Lumia (920) and one lower end one (620). Push those devices with everything you have, then pray. Don’t confuse users with so many devices that when entering a store to buy a phone, feel so overwhelmed that they opt for the simpler option from a certain Cupertino company.

Focus, Nokiasoft, focus!

The 70,000 Elephants in the Closet

Sigh. I hate to be writing these words, but I guess we all agree that they are necessary. Apps!

BlackBerry could have launched BB10 years ago with no apps and impressive hardware alongside a few nice gestures. They chose not to while they build out their ecosystem (even if it is via an Android emulator…) Smart move!

Microsoft, after years, still has not gotten the developers on board. Yes, there are quite a few apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace, but from where I am sitting, 80% of them are flashlight apps. No, not really, but you know what I mean.

Microsoft has to try harder to get the big boys on board. I have one question for Microsoft. Don’t you own part of Facebook? Doesn’t Facebook own Instagram? I can’t imagine it is too difficult to get Instagram on your platform, yet you haven’t done it. To name one example.

The bottom line? Microsoft has to focus its energy less on getting Nokia and HTC to make yellow phones and more on premium apps that will show off what is up there with the nicest  mobile OSes on the market.

A Product, NOT a Prototype

Once again, BlackBerry could have released a half-baked BB10 years ago but it chose to polish it, polish it some more and then release it. Is it perfect? No, but from what I can tell, any issues with BB10 are by design and not by accident.

Notifications are a perfect example. The way BB10 handles notifications is loved by some, despised by others. But at least it handles notifications. You don’t like it? That is fine but BlackBerry did not release a mobile OS without addressing one of the main pain points of users on a mobile phone. Microsoft did.

Notifications are just one example but it seems like Microsoft just released its OS with the thought of fixing this “small” missing feature in the next version.

This is true across the board. Windows Phone was always not a complete product. It was always close but it lacked the polish that we are all used to from iOS and  now from BB10.

Microsoft can’t turn back the clock now to release a finished product but what it can do is start cleaning up its mess and get Windows 8 to offer everything we have grown to expect from a mature mobile operating system. I love my Lumia 920, I really do, but no quality apps or notifications, alongside a lack of polish keep driving me into the arms of my iPhone 5.

In conclusion, we don’t know what will be with either platform but I still think BlackBerry pretty much nailed this launch, and for that alone, they deserve the opportunity to make the biggest comeback in the history of mobile.

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

People really hate when you tell them how to tweet, and rightfully so. Twitter is an open platform (or it used to be, but that is a topic for another time.) that entails writing a message of 140 characters max, and there are no rule books, so who made you the authority on Twitter? All that is fine and true, but anyone who spends a lot of time on Twitter can attest to the fact that at least 90% of the points mentioned below annoy the heck out of them.

By the way, if you are new to Twitter or don’t get what all the hype is about, see the Web’s most comprehensive “Twitter guide” written by yours truly, at Everything You Need to Know about Twitter and Tweeting.

Anyway, back to our point. It seems Twitter bots and spammers will always exist, but if you want to avoid being labeled one of those things by everyone you follow, the following five “rules” are a good place to start:

First One on One, and Only Then One to Many!

The way Twitter was built and engineered enables one person to communicate with many (followers). Except, when you sign up for a Twitter account, it doesn’t come with 10,000 preinstalled followers, nor is there any magic trick to achieving those numbers. You want to talk to many people at once? Try talking to one at a time first.

If I had a dime for every company that asked me “How do I get more followers?” or “Can you or someone you know give my product a shoutout so we can go viral?”, I would personally have enough money to send all those people to an extensive course on marketing. That is not how it works!

There are no shortcuts and there are not supposed to be. Want a lot of followers? Find interesting people, follow them, and then comes the difficult part. You sitting down? Talk to them. Yes, engage in conversation. No, not conversation that involves shameless plugs, just regular conversation. You know, the kind of conversation you would participate in in real life when meeting someone for the first time and building up a relationship.

Do that and you will not only get that person to follow (assuming the conversation is somewhat interesting and relevant), but that person’s followers might see your conversation and find it interesting as well, and your conversation might also come up in search so others might find you and follow. The point is, don’t think numbers, think people.

Remember Who You’re Talking to, First and Foremost

In continuation of the previous point, once you get those followers you so eagerly wanted, remember that they are listening. Don’t start tweeting things you think will get you more followers and ignore the people who already jumped on board. You will lose them.

Yes, Twitter is public and anyone can see your tweets. That means if there is an event that many people are following, tweeting with that event hashtag might get you some new followers. If you think spamming your followers with ten hashtags per tweet will get you far, you are in for a very big surprise.

@hilzfuld #overuse #of #frigging #hashtags

— Shai Tsur (@shaitsur) November 11, 2012

Yes, some people might find you via search, but you know what else will happen? The people who are already following and are now being bombarded with hashtags and spammy tweets will unfollow you. Aaaand we’re back to square one. By the way, this might be somewhat controversial since many people seem to like what is known as “Twitter chats”, but in my book, these fall under the same category and the name of that category is “Annoying things people do on Twitter to get more followers.”

 There is RSS and There is Twitter.

Whatever your opinion of RSS feeds/readers is, you need to understand that if your Twitter feed is a glorified RSS feed with link after link and no added value of your own, then you are in essence competing with Google Reader. Good luck with that.

Sharing interesting content is important and even crucial to succeed on Twitter (assuming your definition of success is building up an engaged audience/community. If not, you can close this post right now.) but if you are not adding your own touch, then what exactly are you offering people in exchange for clicking that Follow button?

Share content but add a comment to your tweet with your take on the matter. Or tag the author and give him/her your feedback. Do not just share link after link because, well, that is boring and unnecessary when there are countless apps that do the same thing.

Doing PR on Twitter? Chances Are You Are Being Super Obvious

If you are trying to promote something, Twitter is a very very effective tool. After all, things have known to go viral on Twitter, right? Well, contrary to popular belief, the difficulty of doing PR of any kind on Twitter is not finding the right people or doing the outreach.

Why not illustrate this point with an example? If your Twitter bio says the words “PR”, “Marketing”, “Evangelist”, or anything else that implies the need for press coverage or exposure, then when reaching out to journalists/influencers, they are reading you like an open book. They know that when you tweet them about the product, you are doing your job and they are therefore more hesitant to respond than if it was just some random person recommending the very same product.

Well, many PR folks get this so what do they do? Well, they start by making an assumption that the very same journalist/influencer is either blind or very very unintelligent. If you think that writing one tweet to a journalist NOT about your product and upon getting a response, pitching your product, solves your problem, you are very wrong. No one is falling for this.

When people say build a relationship, that does not mean send one non promotional tweet, then promote the heck out of yourself. It means the same thing it means offline. Build trust, a connection, a reason that person should take any interest in you and after that is done, there is nothing wrong with sharing what you’re working on. But the big challenge in doing PR on Twitter is not outreach, it is the time spent building the relationship needed to make that outreach effective.

I Shouldn’t Have to Tell you This…

No really, you (and when I say “you”, I mean every human being on the planet) should have figured this out on your own. Unfortunately, that is not the case for many people. Do not use Twitter to offend others. Furthermore, do not say things that will offend people, even if that was not your intention. I am not implying that you should censor your thoughts, but it is important that you remember just how public Twitter (and the web in general) is.

Is that advice too abstract for you? OK, I didn’t want to do this but you forced my hand. If you are looking to build a wide and general audience on Twitter, you might want to stay away from tweets that fall under the category of TMI. You might also want to avoid tweeting about politics, unless of course your audience is following you for your input on politics. Other topics to avoid? Religion (again, some people have an audience that follows them as an authority on religion, this is not aimed at those people.), um, private/intimate topics (that is what DMs are for. KIDDING!), and well, any other topic that is going to offend the people who gave you the stage that is Twitter. Be sensitive to those people. Again, I shouldn’t have to tell you this…

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, I will say that it is true, there are no real rules to Twitter. Having said that, there are things that annoy many people and there are things that help you achieve your goals faster. If I had to sum up all the above points in one sentence, I would say “Act online as you would offline and do not do online what you would not do offline”.

If you want some other ideas of what annoys people on Twitter, take a look at my tweet below and the responses it got by clicking the date and time I tweeted it.

Hypothetically speaking, if someone were writing a blog post about annoying things people do on Twitter, what would u tell them to include?

— Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) November 11, 2012

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

While the following statement is going to sound funny when taken out of context, I am going to say it anyway. It can’t be easy to be Apple. Relax, I know how much money the company has and I know how far ahead of its competitors it is in the tablet space, but I still stick to my statement.

Think about it. When Apple screws up with something like Maps, all you hear for days on the internet is “This wouldn’t have happened if Steve was around.” When Apple releases a blockbuster product that is selling like hotcakes, i.e the iPad Mini, now all you hear is “Steve Jobs was Wrong about Small Tablets“.

Both statements cannot possibly be further from the truth. Let’s examine the first one. If Steve jobs was still running Apple, they wouldn’t have released Apple Maps to the public, only to force the company to issue a public apology? Really? The only part of that claim that is true is that Apple would never have apologized and owned up to a bad product if Jobs was still running the show.

Would Apple have released a bad product under Jobs? I don’t know. Did the company release iTunes for PC under Jobs? How about MobileMe? The iPhone 4 with its antenna issues? Want other examples of Apple products that failed? Prepare your mouse’s scroll ball and take a look (who am I kidding? Apple killed the mouse. I meant trackpad.)

Jobs, as much as people like to glorify the man, had his share of shortcomings and I am not even referring to his “problematic” personality. So yes, Apple would have released maps under Jobs and when it turned out to be a flop, Jobs would probably never have authorized a public apology and he most definitely would not have agreed to recommend competing products as Apple ultimately did.

Now onto the second statement. Jobs publicly stated that there is no market for smaller tablets and that Apple would not release one. His exact words were “We think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps.”

Was he wrong? Well, clearly Apple did release one so he was wrong about that. But here is the thing. At the time of Jobs’ statement, it was indeed spot on. Saying he was wrong is half the picture.

Remember the Motorola RAZR or better yet, remember phones like the Nokia 8210, or other microscopic mobile devices? If I had said at the time that people want small phones and won’t buy huge devices, would I have been wrong? Well, the monstrosity, otherwise known as the Galaxy Note and Note 2 are selling like hotcakes, but at the time, there was no market for these devices.

Except times change and technology shifts its trends. There is also the obvious element of competition, which, as much as Apple would like you to believe otherwise, plays a very central role in Apple’s product line.

So the bottom line is this. Jobs was 100% right when he said, at the time, that there is no market for smaller tablets. Given the products that were around then and the growing need for larger screens, clearly the market decided that there was no need for a device between the size of a full tablet and a mobile phone.

That is no longer the case. In fact, if Apple were pretty much any other company, I am fairly certain it would have seen that there is a need, but would have tried at all costs to avoid releasing a smaller tablet, since after all, its leader made a very public statement about such a device. But Apple acknowledged the market need, and released a product that people are loving.

So stop with all the hating on Apple and judge the iPad Mini for what it is, a low (er) resolution iPad with an outdated processor that cannot compete on price. If you had said that, this post would have been totally different but that is a topic for another time.

By: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld)

One of the common misconceptions in tech is that the product itself is what ultimately matters most in the success or failure of a company. If anyone proves that theory wrong, it’s Twitter.

The simplest of ideas, 140 characters, and yet, we know just how viral this platform has become. Well if you have a startup or work in the tech world, the video below is interesting, to say the least.

H/T Bianca for bringing it to my attention