Content is King, Marketing is Queen, and I’m the Court Jester
You only have to spend about a week in the social media echo chamber to catch on to the debate between whether content or conversations rule. We can’t seem to agree whether it’s more important to churn out reams of content or chatter all day long.
Why is this a valid question?
It seems silly to me to designate one better than the other. And, usually, I counter with, “Well, if no one says anything useful, we don’t have much to talk about.”
Paul Castain at the Customer Collective hints at why this debate is useless. First, he calls out all the stupid corollaries to “Content is King,” like “then Marketing is Queen.” Or, “then the database is Queen.” Heck, everyone is Queen.
Sure, you need content. You need something to talk about. But you also have to talk about it. When you add “content” and “conversations,” you come up with what Castain calls “engagement.” Yep, another lovely piece of jargon to beat up. Call it “interaction.” Or “social” anything. Heck, call it “pre-sales.”
And this makes me the court jester, because this equation doesn’t give us an answer. We don’t even know what we’re measuring to define success.
Castain takes the content vs. conversation debate a step in the right direction, but he’s not quite there yet. What are you hoping to gain by participating in any social media effort? How about a digital effort? Print? Media relations?
You need to know where you’re going and why before you decide that Twitter, Facebook, live events or media relations will work. And only then will you know what the right mix of talking (publishing) and listening (conversations) will get you where you want to be.
- Date: 06.15.2010
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McSmart Wedding Site from ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
By Nichole Mrasek
ABC has given fans a new way to celebrate the on-screen romance of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd. In case you aren’t a fan of the show, Grey and Shepherd are main characters on the drama, and after years of viewers waiting for them to get serious, they are getting married. To promote their engagement, the show has created a wedding site for the couple via The Knot.
They aren’t registered at Macy’s for the gift registry; instead fans can donate to charities.
- Date: 05.08.2009
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Domino’s and The Power of YouTube
By Alicia Dorset
If you haven’t the seen the YouTube clip of two North Carolina Domino’s Pizza staffers tampering with your favorite menu items, consider yourself lucky. The clip, which started making its way around the Web last week, shows two former employees doing disgusting things with the food as they prep it for an order. As the buzz continued to build, Domino’s actually got YouTube to pull the clip. However, outraged users kept replacing the clip on the site.
- Date: 04.27.2009
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When Your Reputation is On the Line
While many fantastic, positive features can be written about our clients and industry online, it is inevitable that there will be criticism as well. Matthew Grant from MarketingProfs Daily Fix has tips to help us stay calm and respond to ‘negativity 2.0’ with a clear head:
- Lesson 1: Research Before You Respond – Even though comments can be anonymous, generally doing a bit of digging around can help you pinpoint where these comments are stemming from.
- Lesson 2: Respond with Humility – Sometimes a simple apology is the best opening line.
- Date: 04.17.2009
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Facebook Updates Its Relationship Status with iPhone
Another reason for iPhone users to geek out: Facebook announced the Facebook Connect application for iPhone, allowing users to hold the Facebook platform in the palm of their hands. Facebook users now can have their full identify on their iPhone – from basic profile information to photos, events friends and more.
iPhone users can now have an enhanced experience on Facebook, as they are not just logging in, they are not connecting to let other applicaitons exchange information as part of a larger social network. Described as “embedding social context to an iPhone app,” Facebook Connect for iPhone enables users to:
* Seamlessly “connect” their Facebook accounts and information with your site
* Connect and find their friends who also use your site
* Share information and actions on your site with their friends on Facebook
More from Facebook. Read what the Wall Street Journal says about Facebook Connect here.
- Date: 03.19.2009
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In Order to Save Itself, Newspaper Industry Enters the Social Media Fray
By Marian Short
According to social media strategist and Web architect Woody Lewis, the term “newspaper” may soon carry the same quaint undertones as “record album” does in a land of CDs, mp3s and iPods. While these traditional news outlets are undergoing painful changes industry wide, Lewis theorizes newspapers could still viably function in today’s world – as long as they begin to embrace social media.
To this end, Lewis compiled a list of ten ways newspapers are utilizing social media to bring life into the ailing industry.
- Date: 03.15.2009
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Unappetizing: Yelp Tampers with Online Restaurant Reviews?
By Marian Short
California based newspaper East Bay Express broke the story of allegedly fraudulent practices of Yelp.com, a popular online restaurant review site covering the San Francisco area. Several restaurateurs speaking on condition of anonymity said Yelp sales reps regularly called to inform them about negative reviews readers had posted. What could be done about them?
- Date: 02.24.2009
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Are Second Life’s days coming to an end?
Second Life, the hyped online virtual community, is now presenting itself as an online schoolhouse, according to a post last weekend from Valleywag.
The post notes that two large supporters, Reuters and Wired, have closed up shop in Second Life. Make sure to check out the story for some candid comments on what it was like to do business in a virtual world. View feature here.
- Date: 02.24.2009
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Facebook Terms of Service Irritates Users
Everyone was talking about Facebook last Friday and it wasn’t good. A recent update to the site’s terms of service stated Facebook can do anything with the content you post on the site (everything from licensing your image to using your spring break photos in an ad campaign), even if you TERMINATE your account. Immediately blogs and Twitter accounts buzzed with unhappy members debating whether or not to terminate their accounts.
- Date: 02.18.2009
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The Dangers of Astroturfing
By Ann Stofflet
Last month, a Belkin employee wrote a blog post offering $0.65 to those willing to write positive Belkin reviews on Amazon.com. When people took him up on the offer and started gushing about products they had never used, a blogger exposed the scam.
Of course, the media ran with the story, and the offer was not only taken down from the blog, but the president of Belkin was quick to apologize for the “Astroturfing.” Astroturfing is the naughty marketing practice of companies who orchestrate phony grassroots enthusiasm for products or services, sometimes resulting in a public relations nightmare.
Read the full story here.
- Date: 02.15.2009
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