Inside//Out: Jaiku

Jaiku is a service that has been on my radar screen for some time now and I've been meaning to do an Inside//Out post on them. So why do one now? Simple, Google acquired the company yesterday (10/9/07). That alone has sent a deluge of marketers to the web trying to learn more about this presence application.

To keep it simple, Jaiku is on the same principle as Twitter (see my earlier video on Twitter here) or Pownce. You have 140 characters to tell people what you're doing, promote something of interest or communicate with colleagues and friends. Communication is one- and two-way through the messaging system. Here is the video with a more in-depth look.

[Feed readers please click through to the post if you cannot see the video]

Similarities to Twitter/Pownce:

• There are 140 characters to each message
  
• Brands can participate by creating an identity in the system
  
• Users are added to each profile to receive updates
  
• There is a developer API to pull information from the system
  
• You can send and receive messages from a mobile device
  
• Both services allow users to create a badge widget to post on their blog or website
  
• Both allow updates from IM
  

Differences:

• Twitter lacks the channel functionality to target messages to users of similar interests
  
• Jaiku messages are threaded so that people can reply to an individual message and create a new, focused conversation
  
• Jaiku can act a a life streaming repository to pull content from multiple places into one feed
  
• Jaiku allows icons for each post to add visual context
  

[Extra:]
Robert Scoble did an interview with the founders of Jaiku on Podtech.

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Technorati Tags:
Conversations, Inside//Out, interactive marketing, marketing, Matt Dickman, mobile, social media, Techno//Marketer, trends, Twitter, user generated content, Web2.0, Jaiku

Comments

[Ann Handley]

Great tutorial as always, Matt! Thanks for deconstructing what Jaiku is.. and how it differs from Twitter. Nice!

[Matt Dickman]

Ann -- Thanks for that! Glad you found it of value. It'll be interesting to see how (or if) Google decides to integrate it into their other offerings.

[Jamey]

Matt,
nice tutorial. I agree that Jaiku is much more robust. I imagine the attention garnered from the google acquisition will drive traffic to Jaiku. I also think the targeting of groups and more effective lifestreaming toolkit will drive adoption.

Keep up the tutorial videos. Very cool.

[Matt Dickman]

Jamey -- Glad you liked it! I think this could definitely be a tipping point for Jaiku and could (if integrated well) bring these apps to the mainstream.

[Mark Goren]

Good tour, Matt. Got an invite?

[Lewis Green]

Matt,

I'm not much of a techie relative to my younger brethren and sisterern, but you make your tutorials fun and easy to understand. Thank you!

As an aside, I have for weeks been trying to understand what it is about your picture that makes me feel good. I think I've got it: You have an honest face that speaks to trust and credibility. In the personal brand arena, that is a great thing.

[Matt Dickman]

Lewis -- I always wonder when I do these if I'm being clear enough and adding value. Thanks for affirming that for me, so glad you like them.

On the photo, I'm glad that's the feeling you get. I had to have taken 10 photos of myself trying to get one that I liked and that I thought portrayed the real me. This is the one I liked the most.

[Matt Dickman]

Mark -- Your invite is on the way.

[Julie Zbeetnoff]

Hi Matt;

One thing that may impress me most about Jaiku is how you pointed out that it can act a a life streaming repository to pull content from multiple places into one feed. Now that is forward thinking.

This is my first visit to your blog and I must say this is the most impressive reprentation I have seen of Web 2.0 marketing maybe ever. Everything is covered here. You don't miss a beat. You are inspirational to marketers trying to brand their names and establish their own authority in the field.

I have subscribed to you podcast. I will be back. Most likely...tomorrow...and the next day.

Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge.