Five Non-Internet Equivalents to Internet Tools

The intent of this article is to introduce everyone to an Internet tool from the web that is the equivalent to a non-internet tool. A lot of forums that I frequent have at least one question from someone that doesn't quite understand tools like email, Twitter, Google and the list goes on. So in order to help those folks understand the tools purpose I have compared it to it's non-internet equivalent. At least for five Internet tools that I use. One side item before we get started. I didn't come up with this idea alone. A young man named Chris Brogan who has had a lot of success with social media and marketing on the internet came up with this suggestion in a blog post entitled "100 Blog Post I Hope YOU Write." Please, if you would be so kind, click on this link and visit his blog. You will be thankful for his solid and worldly advice. I am.

Email- This is easy. Email is equivalent to the United States postal delivery system only faster. You can send packages of documents, letters or scanned documents for signature safely and quicker with the use of Internet email.

Flickr- Flickr is a site that is equivalent to buying or selling a postcard. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words and this site proves that theory correct. This is a market where you can exhibit digital pictures for sale or go to purchase a picture. Envision an open-air market where you are buying a postcard to spice-up your correspondence.

Twitter- Twitter is a big one. Twitter is equivalent to the Chamber Monthly Get-Together where you can pass out business cards, brochures and small sales pieces.

You work on building a group of interested followers who might like to purchase what you have to sell. Then they click on a link that takes them to a website, blog or landing page that helps them purchase. It is also a place to build a marketing brand. It takes time and is fun. If you are happy with your purchase from someone else you can share that with all the followers you have in your network. Pretty cool.

Google- Google is a search engine. It's equivalent to an index in the back of a book. You decide what you are looking for and it gives you the page. Difference is Google may give you thirty million pages for your subject, but the top ten are usually the best. This is another really cool idea.

Blog Readers- this is a tool I use a lot. When you subscribe to a blog. Which is equivalent to a journal or magazine. You have to actually go to that blog everyday on the Internet and physically check out its content to see if you would like to read it.

The reader allows you to subscribe through a technology called Really Simple Synchronization or RSS. Then when you open the reader all the blogs are there with titles and a sentence or two about their content for the day. Kind of like a newspaper but you decide what you want to read about everyday.

Well there you have it five Internet tools I use and their non-internet equivalent.