„By all means be social“ – Interview mit Jon Buscall #meinweginsweb

In der Fortsetzung meiner Reihe #meinweginsweb darf ich im neuen Jahr ausnahmsweise einen englischsprachigen Interviewpartner präsentieren, der meinen Weg entscheidend beeinflusst hat: Jon Buscall hat mich 2007 im Zuge unserer beider Tätigkeiten für Pål H. Christiansen darauf angesprochen, warum ich eigentlich nicht bloggen würde. Was er damit lostreten würde, konnte damals keiner von uns ahnen. Aber ohne diese Frage wäre ich heute sicher nicht hier. Umso spannender ist es, von ihm zu erfahren, wie das mit diesem Internet denn bei ihm angefangen hat:

Please introduce yourself (name, location, profession, website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, three hashtags)

I’m Jon Buscall. I’m based in Stockholm, Sweden, and run JontusMedia, a marketing agency. I’m probably best known online for my podcast, Online Marketing & Communications, which I record with my basset hounds under the desk. I guess that’s why I call it the Dog House Studio.

You can always find me

• @jonbuscall
• https://plus.google.com/+JonBuscall
• http://facebook.com/jon.buscall

#bassethounds  #digitalmarketing #podcaster

Since when are you active online, when did you start blogging and when did you join your first social network? And how did it come to all this?

I first started writing online back in 1997 or 98. I had a LiveJournal account. I then started using Tinderbox to blog after reading about it in a Swedish Mac magazine. Inspired by what I could do with TInderbox and Blogger, I started getting my students at university to document their studies by „blogging“: I jumped platform in 2003 when I discovered WordPress, flirted with ExpressionEngine for a couple of years in the mid 00s and then switched back to WordPress in about 2007 and that’s where I’ve stayed ever since. It’s both revolutionised the way I communicated online and enabled me to build a business.

In terms of social media, I’m very much a fan of Twitter. Through blogging, I first became aware of Facebook when I saw it in the sidebar of a Norwegian blogger I knew. As soon as I could get an invite to „The Facebook“, I joined. But it’s never really been my bag. I have always preferred the instant back and forth of Twitter. I love the way you can always find new information, new influences, new ideas just by following a random stream of messages.

Are there any people who (personally or through their publications) have helped you get started with the social web?

For me podcasting is the most social aspect of the web. So much of the conversations I have online stem from either making podcasts or listening to them. Dave Jackson, School of Podcasting.com was incredibly influential, encouraging podcasters every step of the way. Mark Schaefer and the community over at his site also got me really excited about social communication channels. He certainly got me thinking more deeply about social media as a communication tool.

How has your way in digital communication evolved from then on until today (are there any milestones you can name)?

I started out blogging three or five times a week in the early 00s. By 2010 I was writing two or three times a week and still commenting actively on other blogs. Nowadays, I blog much less, but podcast weekly. It all came down to ROI. As a business owner who uses online marketing to help customers and grow my own business, I have to focus on the channels that work. That’s podcasting for my company.

Are there mistakes you’ve made along your way and how can others avoid them?

I forgot to renew my first domain. The greynotebook dot com. It got snapped up by someone and turned into an ecommerce site. That was a hard lesson to learn. Always make sure your domain is secured!

What ways would you recommend to beginners or those who want to improve their skills in digital communication?

Listen. By that I mean listen to podcasts, read blogs and follow what others are doing. I think it takes time to get an understanding of what works in terms of digital communication; however, don’t wait too long. Everyone has their own voice, their own brand – whether it’s a personal brand or a business brand. You can break the rules, do different. But if you do so, do so from a point of understanding what you’re doing.

Which is your favorite social network and why?

Twitter. I love the stream of noise. I love dipping in and exploring. It’s also incredibly conversational.

Which current developments in digital communication do you find particularly interesting?

As a marketer I’m disappointed to see Facebook charging businesses to reach the audience they built organically. With brands now only reaching approx one percent of their followers with organic posts, I think it’s just a time before there’s a shift. Sure, many businesses will just come to accept Facebook as a paid channel. But once consumers tire of adverts in their stream, brands will need to find other platforms to connect and engage their audience.

As the „selfie“ culture becomes more and more the norm, I expect video social channels to really grow and disrupt social media. Whether it’s Vine, Facebook, YouTube or some other unknown player, I can really see visual media disrupting the current text-based form of communication. The „ice bucket“ challenge got everyone filming themselves and putting it online. I expect this to grow and grow.

Anything else you would like to tell the readers about digital communication?

Remember that whatever you post could come back to haunt you. So by all means be social; just don’t put anything in the public domain that you wouldn’t happily show your grandmother.

 Thanks a lot for your answers, Jon! 🙂

In der kommenden Woche wird Sabria David
meine Fragen (wieder auf Deutsch) beantworten.

Alle Interviews dieser Reihe können nachgelesen werden unter
http://www.annetteschwindt.de/tag/meinweginsweb/.