Thursday, May 22

Return from iCitizen

Below is a video from Mark Hillman of an apparent 'conference crasher' trying to take it all in at iCitizen. I think it's an excellent observation. We must always assume that not everyone in the world knows what we know.

iCitizen Video from Mark Hillman on Vimeo.

One of my favorite quotes came from Doc Searls (Harvard Fellow at the Berkman Center, Coauthor, The Cluetrain Manifesto). It is the condensation of what is problematic with many corporations and their relation to customers. He poked at them for saying they want to "own the customer. Another term for owning humans? Slavery?" Why does business we talk that way? Because they're too busy talking to themselves and not the customers.

Again, I was so lucky to attend and meet the amazing people there. Kelly Mooney, Nita Rollins, Phd., and "Kramer the Rockstar." I learned a lot and it stimulated me to grow. Isn't that what it's all about? I'll talk about it on my radio show this weekend. Thanks to everyone there, I only wish I could have spoken to more attendees.

Friday, May 16

I'm an iCitizen

Luck hits me over the head every once in a while. In the new book, The Open Brand: When Push Comes to Pull in a Web-Made World by Kelly Mooney, I was named an iCitizen. One of 17 named in the book. I'm not only flattered, I'm humbled. I never really considered my influence. Thinking about it, I am truly a citizen of the web. My work on eBay has been online since the late 90s. Now I host an internet radio show on Technology. Learning, growing, adapting makes me happy.

On that note, I've been invited to be a lunch speaker at iCitizen: The Open Imperative next week in Columbus. There will be some heady industry people there, I can't imagine what they'll learn from me - but I can't wait to hear what they have to say about the future of marketing and the web. Below are some details. How cool is this...?

Leading digital marketing agency Resource Interactive is hosting iCitizen: The OPEN Imperative, a two-day client symposium May 20-21, featuring several of the nation’s most recognized experts and innovators in social media, digital marketing, advertising and economics. The iCitizen Symposium is an intimate invitation-only event attended by Resource Interactive clients and partners gathered together for networking, beta 'first looks' and super-charged dialogue.

“For two days, we explore the far-reaching ramifications that the new media ecosystem has on our minds, our brands and our bottom lines,” said Kelly Mooney, Resource Interactive President and CXO. “The inaugural iCitizen Symposium was a roaring success, and our clients have been looking forward to the next event ever since.”

As the rules of engagement continue to change, iCitizen: The OPEN Imperative is the next step in that discussion and our next opportunity to gather together to discuss some of today’s most compelling topics:

The new consumer
How to join the online conversation
The far-reaching ramifications of the new media ecosystem
How (and why) some organizations realigned as a result

For more information, click here.

Friday, May 9

The 10 U.S. Markets Selling the Most on eBay

Son of a gun, who'd have thunk it. eBay let loose with a list of their top selling markets in the U.S. I've always believed that eBay is great for the economy because it gives sellers a platform for pursuing entrepreneurialism on a global scale. Let's face it, there are nearly 1.2 million individuals selling on eBay in the top 10 markets alone last year. Also, a recent eBay/Nielsen survey discovered that the average U.S. household has 52 unused items around the house originally worth $3,100, meaning almost everyone can find existing unused items they can sell to generate additional income. When the going gets tough, the tough sell on eBay!

Below is the official info:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is known for more than just its hot beaches: It’s also one of the hottest locations for Americans selling goods on eBay. The fun-in-the-sun vacation destination is a top-10 selling market for the online retailer, with residents there generating over $630 million in gross merchandise volume (GMV) or sales last year, according to a study of eBay marketplace activity across the United States.

Busy eBay sellers in Los Angeles; New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Dallas; Orange County, California; Washington, D.C.; Houston; Nassau–Suffolk, New York; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, helped their markets become the top-10 eBay selling markets in the country, with Los Angeles leading the charge. In total, sellers in these 10 markets generated over $7 billion in GMV in 2007, accounting for 55 percent of all sales by U.S.-based eBay sellers.

According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive® on behalf of eBay , Americans are cutting back on spending in general, most notably in these categories: apparel (52 percent); consumer electronics and appliances (46 percent); automobiles and automotive care (45 percent); and furniture and home decor (38 percent), all of which map back to the best-selling categories for entrepreneurs in eBay’s top-10 selling markets. These results speak to the profound impact eBay sellers can have on Americans’ wallets during these challenging economic times. In fact 42 percent of U.S. adults are currently turning to sites like eBay to save money on purchases.

“Our research has shown that the local business climate is one key factor in fostering entrepreneurs,” says Todd Stottlemyer, president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, America’s leading small-business association. “eBay clearly offers everyone additional opportunities to start, grow and maintain a business, whether they’re looking to market globally or simply to earn additional income in the current economic climate.”

Here is a snapshot of the top-10 eBay selling markets last year by rank:
1. Los Angeles–Long Beach, California – 196,089 Los Angeles residents sold 24,051,645 items for a total of $1,396,037,518. Best-selling categories for Los Angeles sellers were cell phones and their accessories as well as clothing and accessories. Los Angeles sellers were also the most charitable eBay sellers last year, donating the most of any city via eBay Giving Works, eBay's program that helps people buy and sell for a cause, turning e-commerce into a force for good.
2. New York – 158,859 New York City residents sold 12,621,651 items for a total of $1,045,503,913. Best-selling categories for New York sellers were jewelry, gems, watches and clothing and accessories.
3. Chicago – 172,972 Chicago residents sold 10,229,844 items for a total of $908,708,440. Best-selling categories for Chicago sellers included toys and sports memorabilia.
4. Philadelphia – 120,900 Philadelphia residents sold 7,069,212 items for a total of $584,383,915. Best-selling categories for Philadelphia sellers included collectibles and toys.
5. Dallas – 85,484 Dallas residents sold 5,003,292 items for a total of $754,493,210. Best-selling categories for Dallas sellers included jewelry, gems and watches, and clothing and accessories. Dallas sellers also made more money on sales of cars and trucks than did sellers in any other top-10 U.S. seller market.
6. Orange County, California – 75,486 Orange County residents sold 6,945,490 items for a total of $636,654,084. Best-selling categories for Orange County sellers were auto parts and cell phones and accessories.
7. Washington, D.C. – 112,462 D.C. residents sold 5,024,888 items for a total of $393,720,726. Best-selling categories for D.C. sellers included books and toys.
8. Houston – 76,450 Houston residents sold 4,297,389 items for a total of $528,872,858. Best-selling categories for Houston sellers included health and beauty and collectibles.
9. Nassau–Suffolk, New York – 70,714 Nassau–Suffolk residents sold 5,396,880 for a total of $400,253,200. Sports memorabilia and health and beauty were best-selling categories here.
10. Fort Lauderdale, Florida – 39,623 Fort Lauderdale residents sold 2,838,954 items for a total of $631,845,063. Best-selling categories for Fort Lauderdale sellers included home furnishings and auto parts.

The eBay survey by Harris Interactive also found that one in 10 U.S. adults (11 percent) is currently selling personal or household items to generate extra cash, with the majority (59 percent) doing so via online sales or auction sites like eBay. Additionally, 30 percent of all adults say they are likely to sell their personal or household items over the next three months to earn extra cash.