7 Proofreading Tips

- Don’t be the sole proofreader of your own writing.
- Minimize distractions and interruptions.
- Always proofread a printed version.
- Force yourself to slow down and concentrate.
- Don’t try to find every mistake in one pass.
- Proof any text in all caps separately and more painstakingly.
- Read through each time looking for something different:

• Typos and misspellings
• Easily confused words (e.g., “to” for “too” and “your” for “you’re”)
• Ambiguity
• Inconsistencies
• Formatting problems
• Factual errors

This isn’t an article about iPad’s limitations – though there are many.

This is an article about why everyone should care about the Apple iPad. Love it, hate it, disappointed by it, or ready to buy it, the bottom line is Apple has created a product that will help usher in a new form of information experience. The iPad doesn’t have everything (some would argue it doesn’t have anything), but it’s clear that the way we consume information and media is evolving, and the iPad is a first draft of where we’re headed.

Here are four reasons why I believe the Apple iPad is a game changer:

1. Rich User Experience

Apple is the undisputed leader in user experience. From the beginning when Apple introduced the scroll wheel for its iPods to the unprecedented iPhone user interface, Apple has revolutionized the way we interact with technology. Granted, Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel with the iPad experience (it’s a lot of the same features we see in the iPhone). But what is clear is that future devices, applications, and technology must include rich user experience. Mouse clicks and scrollbars won’t last forever. What Apple has done is create an experience that involves natural human elements – why click a mouse when you can use your fingers? Why scroll when you can swipe with your hand?

Though the iPad isn’t the end-all, be-all tablet yet, its user experience is a game changer. It’s a game changer because it will influence the future tablets and devices yet to be developed.

2. All-Inclusive Content

I’ll say from the start Apple missed the boat on this – but that doesn’t mean they aren’t close to the boat. As we consume more and more information and media through digital and online channels, it’s becoming clear that eventually we will need devices that provide all-inclusive content. This means being able to read a book, newspaper, surf the web, watch a movie, and connect through social media all through one device. Doesn’t the iPad do that already? Well, yes it does, but the problem is that Apple’s device isn’t open source yet, and it severely limits the user’s ability to share content across multiple devices.

For instance I can’t share files, information, media, or applications across my computer, iPad, iPhone, etc. I can’t hook up my iPad to my television. These are limiting factors that Apple will have to address at some point. But, the iPad is a step in the right direction. We are always trying to simplify our lives, and while the iPad seems more like an extra device than a convenient replacement, the devices of the future will look and function a lot like the iPad. All-inclusive content is the future, and, though limiting and restrictive, Apple’s iPad has it in spades.

3. Mobility

As our information consumption becomes more centralized it also has to become more mobile. We won’t put up with sitting at our desktop to read the news anymore. We’ve solved the mobility issue in large part with the technological advancement in phones. I can do quite a lot on my iPhone. So is a device like the iPad necessary? Yes, and here’s why.

My iPhone is small.

Mobility and portability are essential, but so also is a good experience. The experience on the iPhone is awesome, but I’d rather surf the web, watch movies, and read books on a larger screen. Wouldn’t you? The Apple iPad is small enough, thin enough, and light enough to be mobile while also optimizing the “consumption” experience. Don’t get me wrong it could be better (I don’t like the huge bevel around the screen for one). But the bottom line is I would feel comfortable carrying around an iPad, rather than my laptop, if the functionality were in place.

Mobility is key, and the iPad is a very good start.

4. Entertainment

Just as the way we consume information is changing, the way we consume entertainment (digital) is changing. It won’t be much longer before cable, and even television are obsolete. The internet has changed things. So how will we consume our digital entertainment in the future? It will be through a variety of means one of which will be through devices like the iPad. Whether it’s reading a magazine, watching a network show, watching a movie, or playing games, our devices will become smaller, faster, and more mobile.

The Apple iPad is small, pretty fast, and mobile. Yes it has some big limitations – namely that you can’t connect to your TV, can’t share content, and must route everything through Apple’s proprietary platforms (iTunes, iBooks, etc) – but once again it’s a mold that I believe many will follow. Imagine being able to control your digital entertainment library at the touch of a button with a mobile device that can share content across multiple platforms.

That’s where we’re headed.

Should you buy an iPad?

That depends. Will I buy one? Probably not…yet. But the die has been cast by a visionary brand, and despite all of the negative chatter surrounding the iPad, you can’t argue that it will be a game changer. There is a third device platform between phones and computers, it’s not just a marketing gimmick. The iPad could definitely be better. But the bottom line is that just as the iPhone changed the way we view phones, the iPad will change the way we view, interact with, and share content.

If Apple is smart (which they usually are), they’ll listen to the feedback from its user-base, make the necessary hardware and software upgrades, and continue to push the technology envelop for the iPad. If anyone could lead the charge for this third device platform, Apple is my choice to do it.

What do you think? Share your thoughts and opinions with us on our Facebook page:

6. Location

As if it weren’t enough to Tweet about anything and everything happening to you throughout the course of a day, there’s another element to the web that is changing the game. Location is the new layer of the web (via Pete Cashmore), which is profound in and of itself. Think about it. On the web we have information, we have images, we have video and media. But up to this point the internet was akin to another planet – this complex network of floating information that exists somewhere but isn’t something we can really see or touch.

That may be changing now. The addition of location as a new layer of the web now means we can associate a tangible sense to the web. There is a real person, providing real information, at a real place. That’s profound. Keep an eye on location applications such as Foursquare, Gowalla, and Brightkite, among a myriad of others. These apps will continue to grow in 2010 and so will the location layer of the web. Twitter and Facebook are already developing a location layer to their platforms, and it will be very interesting to see how businesses interact with location.

7. Privacy

Say the words “privacy” and “internet” in the same sentence and see what kind of response you get. It will probably be something similar to a sarcastic snort. That’s because in an age of digital media, and social media privacy is all but extinct. But the amazing thing is, we’ve given up our privacy voluntarily. Think about how much information exists about you online. If you have a Facebook or Twitter profile, website, blog, flickr account, or YouTube channel, you have a digital thumbprint. And as location-based services and online video continues to grow, we can expect what privacy we have to continue to erode.

Is this a bad thing? Perhaps, but the bottom line is we are volunteering more information about ourselves and our lives than ever before. Expect 2010 to be much of the same – we’ll continue to share information about our lives because that’s the foundation of social media. Whether that’s a convenience or a concern remains to be seen.

This is part three of a three-part series on what to expect in 2010. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed, join us on Facebook, or you can  follow us on Twitter.

4. Mobile

One of the reasons I believe social media is not just a flash in the pan is because social media has developed in the mobile age. People might still use various applications while sitting at their desks or on their couch, but so many more use social media because it’s mobile. Think of Foursquare, a relatively new location-based social media application that is creating a lot of buzz. The whole purpose of Foursquare is to “check in” at various locations around a city or area. The app would be virtually pointless if it didn’t have a mobile component. Who cares to check in at a Starbucks if you’re not at Starbucks.

Devices such as the iPhone, smart phones, smaller laptops, and cutting edge technology allow us to bring our social world “off” of the internet and into real life. And that’s what makes social media so powerful. It’s not just limited to the four walls of our desktop monitors. Expect social media applications to continue to flourish and push the boundaries of mobile technology in 2010. And businesses and brands that utilize mobile initiatives combined with social media initiatives will find great success in the upcoming year.

5. Information Filters

Pete Cashmore of Mashable has said that the Web’s biggest challenge of recent years is that content creation is outpacing our ability to consume it. Information overload is no longer just a euphemism, it’s actually a pretty common reality for most of us. We really don’t need all of the information we have access to, and more often than not the amount of information that bombards us on a daily basis is more of a hindrance than a help. So how do we best consume information in this attention economy? Well, in order to do so, we need to be able to manage the level and amount of information we consume, and we have to find a way to keep the information relevant, so we’re not mindlessly shuffling through information we really don’t care about.

Enter 2010 and the need for passive and active filters. With technologies like Facebook Connect and Google Social Search just now starting to gain traction (and both of which are major game changers in my opinion), expect these and other passive filters to help weed out unnecessary information via our friends and social networks. To reference Pete Cashmore again, he says that “Increasingly, your friends are becoming the curators of your consumption, from web links to movies, books to TV shows”. Without you really having to do anything, how you interact with your friends, and what social networks you are a part of can filter content so that what hits your “inbox” is stuff that’s generally relevant to you.

But we don’t just need a passive filter. If you’re anything like me you likely actively seek out information as well. My method of choice is an RSS reader where I can pick and choose what information sources to link into, sort of like choosing which channels I plug into to achieve the best sound as a musician. RSS applications such as Fever, and customized Google Reader programs have some great features that increasingly allow you to customize how you receive information. In 2010 expect more innovations to be made in this area, and expect mainstream applications to tap into these technologies to produce a better social experience.

This is part two of a three-part series on what to expect in 2010. Stay tuned for more. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed, or you can also follow us on Twitter.

1. Real Time

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to return to the days of hand-written letters? We’ve come a long way since old Alex invented the telephone which ushered in the first “instant” form of communication. We’ve come so far that email is almost obsolete. Who wants to wait 10 whole minutes for someone to respond to your email when you have Twitter, instant message, and 10,000 Google search results at the click of a button?

Truly we live in a real-time environment. We like our information served with a side of right now, and the trends point to this. Why wait until you get home to post a restaurant review when scores of iPhone apps let you post feedback as soon as you get dessert (via Pete Cashmore)? Why spend time agonizing over the name of a song when you can “Shazam” it and know the title, artist, album, and be able to purchase in less than 10 seconds? Other key movers such as Google’s new Social Search, and Google Wave make online search and online collaboration more real time as well.

Expect more and more web applications, websites, companies, and brands to embrace the power of real-time. Whether it’s real-time news updates on heads-up displays in cars or instant notifications of sale items individualized to your tastes sent through your preferred communications channel, we’ve only just scratched the surface. Real-time is a big player and it’s here to stay.

2. Conversational Marketing

Jason Falls, a social media strategist, says that conversational marketing will be the prevailing success tactic for brands in 2010. What exactly is conversational marketing? Think of it as viral marketing evolved. It’s essentially capitalizing on conversations that are either happening anyway, or happen as a result of marketing efforts, and building a marketing strategy around those conversations. You’ve heard it said that word-of-mouth marketing is one of the more effective means of marketing – well, word-of-mouth hasn’t gone away. It’s just changed it’s appearance. Conversational marketing is essentially word-of-mouth marketing that happens in real-time or close to it across the web and the world.

We can see an example of this in the recent Facebook experiment where women announced the color of their bra as their status to help breast cancer awareness. Here is an example of where conversational marketing could have played a much larger role. Imagine the impact if the founders of this idea encouraged women to not just post their color, but to also provide a central location for women to have conversations about breast cancer, how to prevent it, success stories, etc. We saw a blip on the radar as thousands of women participated, but it could have been a much larger blip had the conversation been fueled.

Brands and businesses that effectively build and encourage conversation around their products or services will find more success than those who simply sell by way of traditional means. Expect the conversational marketing approach to grow and develop in 2010.

3. Social Media Optimization

2009 was the year of social media. In 2009, Twitter doubled, then tripled it’s user base. Facebook crossed the 300million user threshold, and Apple sold more than 2 billion applications. So has social media peaked or will we see more of the same? It’s our view that if 2009 was the year of learning what social media is and what it can do, 2010 will be the year of optimizing social media. There is still room for a few more large players in the social media world, but we should start to see less “new” players and more optimization and innovation of “old” players.

We don’t need another Facebook. But we will see an optimized Facebook. We don’t need another Twitter. But we will see an optimized Twitter. In 2010 we’ll start to see businesses and brands who have spent the last year or two learning the ropes, start to optimize and utilize specific social media platforms for their specific needs. As we’ve mentioned before, not all social platforms are for everyone, but social media is for everyone. Companies must learn how to use social media well to be successful in 2010.

This is part one of a three-part series on what to expect in 2010. Stay tuned for more. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed, or you can also follow us on Twitter.

Turn of the Century

At the turn of the 20th century, products (brands) were defined mostly by individual features – i.e. what the product “has”. Take the automobile for instance – the car was a relatively new invention at this time, so each added feature was a key brand element. If Ford produced a car that would seat three individuals, Cadillac would produce a car that sat four…more comfortably. Consequently, companies’ advertising strategy focused on promoting the key features of their products.

1920s

By the 1920s, more and more products were hitting the market with the same features, and brands developed into more of what the product “does”. For instance, let’s say there were 10 major types of household sewing machines on the market during this time, all with similar features. But only Singer’s latest model contained every popular stitch technique. So all a housewife needed to do was flip a lever and the desired stitch would be produced on the garment. Companies focused on communicating what the customer could “do” with their products.

1950s

By the 1950s brand strategists were positioning their products around the experience – i.e. what you’ll “feel” by using this particular product. During the 1950s and 1960s, the advertising industry exploded, seen predominately in the boom of Madison Avenue. If you’ve ever read about advertising during this time or have even caught a recent episode of AMC’s Emmy-winning show “Mad Men”, you’ll notice that advertising’s main commodity was “feeling”. Advertising executives sold feelings, not products. It wasn’t that you stayed in a hotel, it was that you stayed in a Hilton hotel. It wasn’t about drinking soda, it was about drinking Coca-Cola. It wasn’t about products, it was about feelings associated with those products.

2000s

This form of branding morphed and evolved, and lasted through the 1990s. By the turn of the millennium, another phenomenon was taking place among consumers – in an information, product, and consumption-soaked world it wasn’t enough to simply “feel”, or offer something different. Consumers began to change their habits and loyalties to brands that they identified with. It was important for brand managers to build identities around brands that spoke to consumers individually. This stage of branding involves more of the brand’s identity – what it “is”.

We are also starting to witness a new phase of branding and advertising – with the emergence of the internet and social media in particular we are aware of a major shift in consumer habits and practice. What once was a one-way conversation between brands and consumers is now a two-way conversation. It’s a shift from a monologue to a dialogue where consumers interact with brands in much more tangible ways. Tools such as blogs allow anyone and everyone to have a voice online, and social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter open up profoundly new channels for brand interaction and conversation. It’s no longer just about what your brand “is” but also how your brand “interacts”.

We’ll use BMW to illustrate this point. For many, a BMW is more than just a car (what it has) that offers certain features (what it does) that looks rich and sophisticated (feelings). For most BMW owners, their car is part of their identity. It’s part of their lives because a BMW is more than just a car, it’s a statement about the owner, and a reflection of their lifestyle. Furthermore, a BMW owner not only finds value in their identity that is made up in owning the car, but they also find value in being a part of a growing community of BMW owners.

What It Means For You

What does this mean in real terms, and why does it matter? Well, if you’re a company, it’s not enough to create a new product. It’s not enough to create a new product that “does” different things. And it’s not even enough to create a new product that evokes certain emotions. Your product will only be successful if you can get your target audience to build an identity around the product that they trust, that matters to their daily life, and that offers experiences where they can interact with the brand.