The Kingdom of Content Is Advanced Only By Its Followers

Content is the king of your website, but the comments, interactions and mentions (in essence the buzz) is what gives your content the power. If people aren't talking about the organization or interested in the discussion being held, then your content is as good as money, not backed by gold, or confidence. Danny Flamberg wrote an article for Talent Zoo entitled Content is King. Content is Media. Content is the New Black, in which he described basic strategies to employ when forming, or crafting content. The strategy, he discussed, that is most important to a nonprofit or small business is this:

Direct Interaction. Social content is the substance of an ongoing conversation. Many brands tell and sell too much. They don’t open up enough opportunities for interaction. Be sure you are asking questions, taking polls, soliciting consumer input and responding, referring to popular topics and memes, and are being perceived as involved in the ongoing social swirl. Be straightforward and be directive. If you don’t ask followers to act; they won’t. This will affect what you post, how you present it, and when you post.

Content is the buzzword for many that speak about web marketing, and it is a very important aspect of branding your organization, but the truth is, content alone will not boost visibility or conversation. The content held within an individual website, or blog post is static, but the conversation that surrounds it is the morphing, changing phenomenon that is usually so evasive to marketers and content writers, but that conversation is what makes an organization interesting to the public. “Contrary to custom, a blogger’s job doesn't end once you click ‘publish.’ In this Age of Big Data, where every blog, vlog, and broadcast lives and dies by metrics, your success depends on your page views,” writes Mark Ragan of Ragan’s PR Daily and he’s right. The idea that a blog post is floated out into the Internet and will generate readership on its own merits is not a valid plan for your organization. The intricate details of when to publish, where to publish and how often to publish are the keys to an organization’s presence in a community. The interesting part is that these times, places and frequencies are different depending on the target audience and vary greatly from one company, or organization to another. Mark Ragan adds that he will post a link to his content as many as twelve times on twitter, surrounding it with different target questions, with different target audiences. As a new-comer to the web marketing circus, this may seem excessive or annoying, and it isn't the best strategy for every organization, but it goes to show that content is something that needs promotion, it is something that needs fostering and it is something that needs nurturing. Custom Content Council says:

Consumers appreciate companies’ efforts to provide custom media:  More than three-quarters say they understand that these companies are selling something, but feel it is okay since the information provided is valuable.  7 in 10 consumers say they prefer to learn about a company through a collection of articles rather than in an ad.

Confidence is encouraged through discussion and interaction. Does your company or organization have the right strategy in mind? Share your thoughts on Twitter @WebServes or on Facebook or Comment on this blog. ~Josef