10 Years Cluetrain Manifesto

Dear reader, here's a little warning: this blog is not about the latest and greatest Java goodies or the latest social APIs, but this blog is about something important to all of us: our customers!

Exactly 10 years ago, in April 1999, the website http://www.cluetrain.com went live. This website is the home of the "Cluetrain manifesto". A manifesto with 95 rules for the then "New economy" that was growing fast as a bullet, driven by a rapidly evolving medium: the Internet. About a year later, in 2000, the Cluetrain manifesto was also published as a book with lots of extra texts and background information. I read the book a couple of years later, but it made a lasting impression on me because it challenges our day to day actions, and it reminds us of what marketing is all about.

Conversation

The first paragraph of the Cluetrain manifesto sets the tone:

"People of Earth...A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies."

The authors noticed that Internet created lots of new conversations - online -, but that companies used the internet the same way as they treated other media: mass marketing. Sending information instead of receiving. Heavy moderation and companies hiding behind their PR companies and corporate communications.

Ten years later

2009. We all know what happened. There was an internet bubble. There is - or was as some people say - something called Web 2.0. Everything is social these days. There's blogs. And Twitter. Even classic corporate companies have learned a lot in 10 years about online conversations. Many companies have blogs, are on Twitter, sometimes even without corporate communications looking over their shoulder. And yes, all these companies have had their moments when they thought: "WHY are we even talking to these people?". But hey: those people are your market, and it's their voice, so you'd better listen to them.

Companies have found new ways for branding and advertising, other then mass broadcasting on TV & radio. Virals, communities, Youtube, Myspace, second life, all are examples that are open to conversations. To get exposure you don't need the largest media budget, you need the best content and the most engaging experience.

You can read the entire book online on www.cluetrain.com for free, or buy it somewhere online. It's a nice trip into memory lane and a constant reminder of what's really important: our customers and our market.

Next time: how to set up conversations with our leading CMS platform: GX WebManager! :-)