There are a lot of places where technical issues or product ideas are aired at FileMaker.  There is TechTalk, user groups, interactions with FileMaker SE's, product design "kitchens, and calls to tech support, just to name a few.

There are few places to cover marketing concepts.  In many ways this makes sense.  FileMaker is a very widely distributed product, and the vast majority of our users view it as a tool for managing data or creating solutions.  They are primarily interested in getting the most out of FileMaker, overcoming issues with product, and product direction.  Some may have a passing interest in marketing topics, but mostly they just want to see FileMaker take the product they like so much and get it in the hands of ever more people.

But there are people who are very interested in marketing, mostly those who have a business built on FileMaker.  In the past year we've gotten several comments and suggestions from folks like this.  At Devcon last year one group submitted five "ideas".  We get emails from time to time.  At various events people come by and want to talk.  Now we do take these comments pretty seriously.  

The people interested in marketing tend to be scattered about.  They also have an incredibly wide range of interests.

So we come to this experimental marketing blog.  I figure with a blog it will be easy to reach whoever is interested.  No phone calls to coordinate, or meetings to hold.  And I can treat the topics in a casual and off-the-cuff fashion.  I won't need to be "formal" about things which should make it easy to be timely.

As I say this is an experiment.  We'll see how much interest there is.  And how hard it is to keep up.  But it is worth a try and who knows -- we may all have some fun with it.

Away we go...