Of course, I’m going to remind you that I’m holding another fabulous Blogosopher Seminar this Saturday, Mar 11 2006 from 9am to 12:30 pm.
Come to the seminar and learn how to get to the top of Google for free, how to stop paying a web geek to update your site every time you need to make a change and how this amazing new technology can help you build your business- and relationships around the globe- all for the paltry sum of $99 ($79 for the second person from the same company- or for Next Wave clients). Sign up on-line in advance because it’ll cost you more if you just show up.

So- I’ve heard from a lot of you that you went to www.esrati.com and read some of my “big ideas” for Dayton. Instead of sending e-mails, you should try adding comments- it’s one way to build links back to your sites (which is one way to help you get to the top of Google).

This week- I thought I’d point our some things you will need to know about the future of marketing and advertising and communicating with your clients. This is just a small part of what we cover in the seminar.

1. WAP- or Wireless Application Protocol. Most web sites aren’t ready to be read on a tiny mobile screen, but if you are building your site using an active backend content management system (like WordPress) it’s easy to add WAP access. Intel and Microsoft just introduced the origamiproject– and that’s just going to be the beginning.
2. Digital paper/e-books are coming. As wireless becomes pervasive, it becomes easy to whip out a tablet that displays data. Think a thin laptop screen about the size of a paperback- with simple controls. Sony has one that will run 20 books (not hours) on one battery charge, and display text as clear as print in any lighting conditions.  Soon, people will no longer no what to do with texts that they can’t change the size of- or click on for a definition.
3. Technical support will be provided by Google. No matter what your problem, you will go to Google and type in the error code and find the answer. No more jobs to talk on the phone and walk through your computer problem- and of course- all of us will have multiple devices able to access the web (see 1 and 2 above).
4. Customers will no longer believe what you say on your site- unless all your other customers say you are telling the truth. Predicted in the Cluetrain Manifesto, this is the reality you will be facing- so making customers  happy should be number one on every ones job description.
5. Customers will be offended if you send them an e-mail like this. If they want to know what you know- they’ll expect to find it on your site- not have an e-mail sent to them. They will insist on being in control of their media- if you thought TiVo was big, wait till you see what’s next.
6. If they are under 30 they don’t look at phone books. And in 5 years- they won’t be printing them anymore- if they are, they will be a novelty to all except luddites. Kiss your big Yellow Page advertising budget bye-bye.

I update 3 blogs/sites pretty frequently- and post some interesting stuff. The Next Wave website had over 2000 unique visitors in the short month of February- and has over 860 in the first 8 days of March. That’s 2000 people my site made a sales call on without me having to put on a suit or travel to far away places.
That’s the power of blogs.
Now, does that $99 investment sound good to you?