The Financial Cost Of The Egyptian Revolution

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While everyone around the world was concerning themselves with the quest for freedom by the Egyptian revolutionaries, there were other matters that needed to be taken into account. There was some quiet talk about the financial fallout from the uprising by those reporters who wondered what happens to any economy when the web goes down, but the real consequences weren’t known until recently.

Now at least some of these numbers are coming in and the cost is staggering and should be a lesson to any of those depots out there who think the best way to getting their way is to repress people’s freedom of speech by shutting off their Web. Read Write Web has recently reported the money number is $90 million for the financial cost of the Egyptian Internet blackout, and they think the real tally might be much higher.

Reporting on that number does not suggest the revolution was in any way unnecessary or counterproductive. There’s no way people in North America should criticize those that need to go to extreme measures to get the basic freedoms we all enjoy. In fact, those numbers should be a lesson to all the despots around the globe that think shutting down the Internet while they line their own pockets is the way to keep their riches flowing.

The point here is that cutting yourself off from the rest of the world might seem like a good idea but everyone needs to take a more long range view of what the internet means to a modern society and that includes what social media can cost when you lose it.

It’s important to keep in mind these are people who rely on tourism, sure, but there’s more to it than that. There have been estimates that place damage to the outsourced call centers that the country relied on for part of their income that serviced overseas customers in the millions.

Forbes even made some calculations that include commerce lost on the fact that Egypt’s ecommerce industry was out millions a day. The point here is clear in that while everyone was getting excited about how the Internet was driving a new social fabric for Egypt, they forgot about how important it was going to be to the new economy when that starts to arise.

It’s worth remembering the web has worked its way into many different areas of life right across the world and while social media is the big driver for change, the tools that are emerging to change history will also be needed to help rebuild and support economies after that change is accomplished. The people of Egypt started a revolution based on their knowledge of what social media was about and they’ll be there to implement it into their financial institutions as well.

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Rise in Mobile Pushes Rise in Global Ad Spending

The United States accounts for 5% of the world’s population but 34% of total worldwide advertising. That means we’re the largest ad market but it doesn’t mean we’re the only market. According to a new study by Ad Age, China is one of the fastest growing countries in regard to advertising dollars. With 20% of the world’s population, they currently account for only 5% of the worldwide ad budget but experts say they’re on track to displace Germany as the third largest market come 2011. Sitting in the number two spot? Japan and they’re likely to stay that way.

What’s being advertised globally? Personal care items and automobiles took the top two spots followed by food, drugs and entertainment. When it comes to drugs and entertainment products, more than half of all ad dollars are being spent in the US as compared to the other categories that are only 20 – 30% US heavy.

When it comes to trends in advertising, expecting the rest of the world to respond as American’s do would be a mistake. AdAge says that newspapers on on the rise in Asia, Africa and Latin America which is totally contrary to newspaper sales here and in Europe. And while mobile is big everywhere, it’s key in countries such as China, Brazil and India where phone service is cheaper than internet service. This same trend will drive users toward ebooks and tablets. Cyber cafes continue to flourish in countries such as South Korea and Brazil – perfect places to sell gaming pre-paid cards and social media driven products.

Where we are alike is in TV consumption. Everyone is watching TV, even poor households have to have one these days. The average person the world over is watching more than three hours of TV a day and much of that is sports, reality competition shows like American Idol and soaps (which are much bigger in Latin America than they are now in the US.)

To learn more about trends in global advertising, check out AdAge’s “10 Trends That Are Shaping Global Media Consumption” or purchase the full white paper, Global Media Habits 2010, by Greg Lindsay, at AdAge.com.

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Boost Traffic and Trust by Giving Back

This is a guest post by Joshua Noerr of JoshuaNoerr.com.

It’s clear that social media, specifically blogging, is about so much more than making money. Sure, we all want to be compensated for our time and our talents, but if the only goal was to make money, blogging would certainly not be our first choice.

If you’ve been reading ProBlogger for any length of time, the message will be clear to you: blogging is not a get-rich-quick kind of deal. There are certainly a few stars that rose to prominence quickly, but they’re the exception, not the rule.

The truth is, blogging for dollars is a slow process that requires many different factors to click into place before it produces a dependable income. One of those key factors is trust. The bottom line here is that your readers absolutely must trust you in order to buy from you, or to subscribe to your feed or newsletter.

I remember reading a book on sales a few years ago that said, essentially, “The prospect does not have to like you, he or she just has to trust you.” I don’t know about you, but I can’t recall any time I’ve said, “Wow, I don’t like that guy, but I sure do trust him.” Likability and trustworthiness have a tendency to go hand in hand.

Give back to build trust

Giving selflessly is a very powerful way to build the trust that you need to boost your repeat visitor levels, and your traffic overall. I’m going to share with you a way to do exactly that, but first I want you to consider something.

Have you ever noticed that most large corporations have either a foundation established in their name, or a department that handles charitable giving on behalf of the company? Think about that. I could name ten corporations that do just that off the top of my head. Consider why they do it. If you answered “to build trust,” you’re right!

What I’m proposing is that you donate a small portion of your online real estate to a good cause.

I know that the thought of giving even a small portion of your sidebar to charity may seem painful at first. For many, that means less space for direct advertising or AdSense promotion. It might even mean removing a featured affiliate product.

What I promise you is that the trust you get in return, while impossible to place a dollar value on, will be worth it. The good that you do in the world will become a part of your legacy.

Get started giving

Head over to FirstGiving.com. This website sets up free donation pages for thousands of charities and non-profits. After you set up your giving page, you’ll be able to create a widget that displays the amount of money you’re trying to raise, the organization you’re supporting, and how far you’ve progressed in your fundraising.

Place this widget somewhere on your blog. Now, you’re almost done, but there’s still one more step.

I suggest that you announce what you’re doing, which charity or cause you’re supporting, and why you’re supporting them (if you would like to see an example, take a look at my post asking for help to cure multiple sclerosis).

Writing this post is key, because it’s highly likely that it will be Stumbled, Dugg, and Tweeted, drawing attention to the cause, as well as your blog.

I also recommend that you choose a charity that’s near and dear to your heart. I decided to support the MS Fund because I have a wonderful friend who struggles with the disease. I can’t wait for the day when this disease no longer affects so many people. I’m sure you have a similar story, and I encourage you to share it with your readers.

Can blogging change the world?

Blogging has already changed the world in so many ways. It has changed the way news is reported, the speed at which information travels, and the way we get that information.

But I believe it can do much more than that. I truly believe that with so many wonderful, giving people out there in the blogosphere, blogging will change the world for the better in the years to come.

Please share your thoughts in the comments. What other ways can we give back and make the world a better place through blogging? Is there an organization that fits perfectly into your niche that you would like to support?

Joshua Noerr is a former competitive fighter turned blogger. He owns, or is partnered in, several blogs in different niches including personal development and fly fishing. He has one simple mission that drives all of his blogs: to change the world.

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Friday’s Fun Fast Facebook Fact: Truly a Global Village

Facebook is an American success story. Started by a Harvard dropout (isn’t that how all big tech / Internet stories begin?), fraught with intrigue (which in the US means lawsuits and payoffs to hush potential rabble rousers) and something that goes beyond the walls of the US (sorry, but that was not an immigration reference unless you want it to be).

According to Royal Pingdom’s ‘research’ Facebook is truly a global company with the US leading the way, for now.

There are those who wonder whether the US has seen as much growth as it can for Facebook which may or may not be a real concern. Certainly the growth will slow (unless there is some deal where the government requires Facebook accounts so we can all be on the same playing field ) in the US because it grew up here.

The rest of the world, and the advertising opportunities that it represents, certainly point to plenty of room for expansion for Facebook.

Facebook’s international expansion is well under way, and it’s arguably the largest and most wide-spread social network that ever existed. As Facebook grows on a global level, the current US dominance of the social network will gradually diminish and become more similar to the general distribution of Internet users.

Mark Zuckerberg has stated that it’s almost a guarantee that Facebook will one day hit 1 billion users, and at the current rate, it’s certainly looking possible. Considering there are close to 2 billion Internet users in the world, there’s still plenty of room to grow.

So here’s to Facebook’s world domination. May your status updates reach the four corners!

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