Leadership Directories Adds To Portfolio
Leadership Directories last month announced the release of its newest online offerings, the Federal Leadership Directory Online. This new online subscription database will enable users to complete all of the necessary tasks they expect from an online database today. Users can browse, search and export contact and biographical information for more than 90,000 individuals in the executive branch of government.
The Federal Leadership Directory Online will contain both D.C.-area and regional biographical offices responsible for policy-making, administration, IT, security, communications, finance, purchasing, programs as well as other areas. The database will also feature interactive org charts that will give users a visual hierarchy of the federal government from all levels, from the Executive Office of the President and Cabinet-level departments to regional offices of key agencies. Making contacts will also be easier thanks to more than 56,000 email addresses available in the directory. This includes 22,000 new ones.
Users can also build and export contact lists within a specific department or agency, or by filtering based on specific criteria, such as type of organization, location, title, job function, budget or number of employees. Listings of more than 1,000 federal programs will also be included in the database. Subscribers will also have access to more than 7,000 biographies (including more than 4.000 newly added biographies just available online) and more than 2,000 federal advisory committee members just available in the online edition. An annual subscription costs $1,200.
This new directory certainly complements Leadership Directories' properties that focus almost entirely on the government sector. Because the company has been serving its market for years, it knows what its customers want. And it seems like Leadership Directories has thought of everything. Users should be able to quickly find exactly what they are looking for and will most likely appreciate the addition of interactive org charts, which are unique to the online edition, and that will enable them to locate the appropriate departments and individuals in mere seconds. It's definitely a smart addition to the Leadership Directories product line.
Players Directory Adapts to the Times
Players Directory, a casting directory used by agents and casting directors, has enhanced its presence with a new website and a recently-formed alliance. The new site (www.playersdirectory.com) launched last month. It now features a database of more than 120,000 professional actors worldwide and more than 250,000 photos. The site also includes resumes, demo reels and resume clips.
Qualified actors can obtain basic listings that can include up to six photos and a resume. Through its parent company, Now Casting, the Players Directory also offers actors free inclusion in an agent/manager submission system and an online audition system. Additional premium services are also available.
Players Directory's agreement with Baseline StudioSystems calls for the directory to become the provider of actor photos, resumes, representation information and demo reels to Baseline, a film and television information provider. Baseline, which is a unit of The New York Times Company, serves a customer base of every major studio, broadcast network, representation firm and media outlet in North America.
For the last 70 years, Players Directory has served its niche customer base with relevant content. Now that content has a platform that will make it even easier for those customers to utilize. These really aren't revolutionary changes, but certainly necessary ones. It's vital for all directories today to continue the traditions they built in the print world into the electronic arena. There are likely many more ways in which Players Directory can make its website even more robust…perhaps some sort of social networking functionality that would enable dialogue among the listed actors and their agents is a possibility. Stay tuned.
Against the Current
In the last 72 hours, I have received a stream of invitations to connect to people on Plaxo Pulse, Plaxo's new initiative to transform itself into the flavor of the month: a social networking company. I dutifully responded to all these requests, partly out of curiosity and partly out of courtesy. I am now duly connected, awaiting all the benefits that will presumably accrue to me.
This stream of Plaxo connection requests came on the stream of Facebook connection requests. I dutifully responded to those as well, and continue to await all the benefits that will presumably accrue to me.
I should also note that I continue to get an ongoing stream of requests to connect on Linked-In, to which I also dutifully respond, and continue to await all the benefits that will presumably accrue to me.
And as I continue to wait, we stand poised for a major announcement from Google that it is partnering with Linked-In, Plaxo and others to create an open standard programming interface that will let third party developers leverage their platforms in all sorts of creative ways. This collaboration among seeming competitors is aimed directly at Facebook, which is growing too quickly for their comfort.
I continue to be impressed every time Plaxo alerts me to someone's changing job or contact details, which it then automatically updates on my computer. I have found that Linked-In can provide powerful insights by letting me see "who knows who." Facebook? Explain to me again why I should spend time there.
I truly hope that anyone reading this who's contemplating leaping into the social networking waters will remember that social networking has the word "social" in it for a reason. Layering glorified chat rooms on top of otherwise solid business data and applications can destroy rather than create value. A top Plaxo executive actually envisions Plaxo Pulse becoming part of a "life stream," presumably implying that social networking will become integral to one's existence. That may be true in certain segments of the consumer market. But in the business and professional world, if you dive into this "life stream," you'll likely be swimming against the current.
Zillow Increasing Its Profile
Real estate web site Zillow.com has officially launched the Zillow Listing Feed program with a partnership with ERA Franchise Systems LLC. The new program, which will go live before the end of the year, will make ERA property listings available on Zillow.com.
Zillow Listings Feeds enables real estate brokerages to post for-sale listings directly to the site in a bulk feed, giving them another venue in which to be seen by prospective buyers. Individual agents will have the opportunity to enhance the listings by creating free profile pages with photos, contact information and details about the agents.
As part of this alliance, ERA property listings currently on the ERA web site will be dynamically uploaded to Zillow. Customers will be able to link back from those property listings to ERA.com in order to connect with agents.
Zillow's profile in the real estate market continues to grow. It doesn't yet have the name recognition of others in this market, but it's getting there. Aligning itself with long-established brands like ERA will certainly help Zillow build its brand and its credibility in the marketplace.
As the real estate market continues to struggle, such solutions like the Zillow Listings Feed program, will most likely gain in popularity as brokers seek innovative ways in which to sell properties. It probably won't take long for other prominent real estate companies to recognize the potential value of this service. Look for Zillow to form alliances with several others in the near future.
Mansueto Digital Launches Online Community/Database
Mansueto Digital, the online division of Inc. and Fast Company magazines last week announced the launch of IncBizNet (http://www.incbiznet.com/), an online business networking community and user-generated company database created specifically for private organizations. Mansueto has designed IncBizNet to become a directory of U.S.-based private businesses and it will rely on the listed companies to add and update their information.
To motivate these businesses to participate, IncBizNet is offering a collection of free tools, such as a press release newswire, company blogging software, local community groups for entrepreneurs and a directory that will enable the businesses to market their products and services.
The network already contains information from companies included in this year's Inc. 5,000. Mansueto's goal is to have one million participating companies. Those companies can create detailed profiles of their businesses, with marketing materials, press releases, blogs and videos--all in a multi-media directory. IncBizNet and members will also be able to create moderated groups based on industry, location or topic. There are also opportunities for advertisers--they can create sponsored groups to engage private companies in discussions that will help meet their marketing needs.
Mansueto also noted that IncBizNet will help Mansueto's editorial efforts by helping its journalists uncover new companies to feature within its properties (magazines, websites and events).
This new venture is a cross between social networking sites (like LinkedIn) and user-generated directory sites (such as Spoke Software's business database), effectively bringing the virtues of Web 2.0 technology together. It's certainly an interesting idea to bring two of the most popular functions on the web today together in a new program. Mansueto notes how its journalists will benefit from this resource. But, of course, the success of such a model is entirely dependent on user participation. These businesses must be willing to share and it's not a guarantee that they will do just that. As long as Mansueto can demonstrate the value of IncBizNet to businesses, it will have a fighting chance.