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Bridget Wright

Bridget Wright

Is Free Content Always Good Content?

The business model of websites and blogs suggest that if they can get XX amount of traffic to a blog, then they can essentially charge advertiser’s XX amount of dollars to showcase their product or service on said blog. This works well of course for the business that is enjoying the traffic and the advertising dollars. It also works quite well for the company who advertise their product or service and have the opportunity to convince readers to buy from them. But what about the reader: does he benefit?

When you visit a popular or engaging website, or you click on one of your favorites in your menu, you are looking for good, quality information that’s going to help you in your a.) personal life, b.) business life, c.) in finances, or d.) in relationships. Most web-users are looking for information that will either inform or enhance. And, most of that information is readily available all over the web, for free, instantaneously and in massive quantities. But as a reader, how can you be sure that what you’re getting is good information and not some rehashed, regurgitated stuff that can be found most anywhere on the WWW?

In the online world, the word free is good and desirable. Especially given the economy that we are currently experiencing, businesses want as much as they can get for their money. This includes consumers too and no area is exempt. But in an attempt to find bargains, are we settling for and compromising on quality and value? Are we relegated to take what we can get and get out?

There are few websites who actually charge for information that can essentially be found anywhere on the internet with some time and a little digging/clicking. These websites who charge for information are appalling to those who think information should be free and without reservation. But let’s consider this…

Would you pay for content that, let’s say is readily accessible, but that is of higher quality, confirmed facts, real interviews and has limited access? In other words, would you pay for exclusive content that would be available to you if you paid for it? Writers and journalists make their living off of providing information that is of value, much of what I mentioned a few paragraphs up. A writer is only as good as the content they write, therefore the value of their intellectual material is relevant and dependent upon their audience and the demand for the information that they can provide. Question: What makes you want to pay for content?

Personally, I’d gladly pay for content under certain conditions:

1.) The content was not all over the internet. It was/is exclusive and only a limited number of people have access to it. If it news in nature, then there must some higher quality reporting and/or interviews to make it plausible.

2.) The price was fair. I don’t think it’s wise to overcharge, but by the same token, quality costs. So while a news subscription site may cost $20 a month, a few news articles sent to my inbox a couple of times a week need not be $50.

3.) I must see and enjoy the value of the content. How annoying is it to pay for something and then not be able to use it? The content must enrich my life and be applicable in more than one way.

Under what circumstances, if any, would you pay for content online? Would you buy content that was available anywhere else, free or fee? Can you see any inherent value in paying for content of any price? What would be your limit?

Free is good…sometimes. As consumers and as business owners, there must be some take-away value in the service that we’re a part of. What ends up failing is when no one can “see” what they’re getting and cannot maximize its use. When customers realize that what they’re getting is high-quality and of exceptional value, surely they will pay. Everyone wants free, but everyone wants the most for their money. Finding the happy medium is the seeking point. Beyond that, free is not good. It is simply a word that has no meaning. This is when free can be a farce.

Provide value and quality and perhaps you can charge whatever you’d like. Perhaps.

The Danger in Publishing Bad Information Online

Journalists, bloggers, editors and writers. They all want the same thing and the fame that comes with that thing.

The scoop.

They want the “scoop” on a popular news topic or subject. Perhaps they want to be first to deliver the story. Or maybe they are vying for that position as top editor, and scooping a really good story is the avenue to there. Yes, if they can report it first, they stand to impress their boss, get a (possible) raise and just be generally all around pretty impressive. Being first can be a good thing. Or can it?

There is one thing to make an error when you’re writing an article or making a post. We’ve all done it at least a time or two. But, can’t you feel that twinge of nauseous stomach pains when you find your error after you’ve gone to publish? Or worse yet, what about when someone else brings it to your attention? However, what can be even worse than these things is when you simply report bad or incorrect information without having investigated the story thoroughly or completely.

Just recently, this scenario happened with the infamous Twitter brand when a reporter on the Bloomberg news site pointedly stated in an article that there were over “55 million daily users on Twitter.” Impossible. This figure is not statistically so inconceivable. Although the Bloomberg article’s portion on this large number was retracted, it was too late to reach the other 1,096 Google search results bloggers who wanted eagerly to pick up keyword-rich, news type and financially motivated stories.

But is it to harmful to report incomplete information? Does anyone really suffer because you didn’t give all of the correct information? Is it really a big deal? Will anyone care?

Yes.

Companies spend quite a bit of money to update and maintain their sites. Giving customers incorrect information simply does not do anything for your credibility with them. Companies should take great care and great pains to ensure that they are providing not only the latest and greatest news but correct news for their readership. Check the facts and nuances of your story against other sites that you trust. Make sure that what you’re reporting on is accurate, verifiable and perhaps even blogged by other bloggers.

If it is your company’s goal to publish quality over timing, then yes it does matter. If it is your company’s goal to value substance over fluff, then again, yes it matters. Reporting less-than-accurate information can be excused once or maybe even twice….perhaps. However, it is far more important to check the validity of claims and the realistic nature of your story. It’s also a good idea to “think” about it before publishing it as well. Consider that the article originally said 55 million visitors a day. Again, that’s impossible. Read the reasons in this article written by John Volpe of Social Sphere Strategies on why it is impossible. He basically uses common knowledge and deductive reasoning and a few statistics to prove his point.

What does your company do when there are big errors like this made in their reports? What damage control systems are in place to fix it for you? What could have been done differently in this situation besides doing a follow-up article?

You Have Not Because You Ask Not: The Media Appeal From Wikipedia for Financial Help

Wikipedia, the 10th most frequently accessed websites for information, recently launched a campaign to raise funds for their fledgling site. Funds that were more liken unto the tune of over $6 million. Wikipedia is community driven, does not allow advertisements and relies solely on donations for its livelihood. As difficult as this sounds, and as difficult as it is to actually do, Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, had a bright idea. He quickly discovered he had to be innovative in finding ways to fund such a popular and necessary addition to internet resources for the masses. And what better way to make his appeal than through the channels of the internet?

Wikipedia’s Founder’s Video Interview

(Courtesy of Advertising Age)

Even if some high-brow education supporters scoff at “asking” for money, Wikipedia understands that it simply takes money to operate. And so as not to offend or discourage visitors by bombarding them with advertiser’s marketing tactics, they decided to forgo this plan. When you visit the site, you get nothing but pure, unadulterated resources and information that is not tainted by prolific advertiser’s.Will donors be slow to give or will they be readily excited to further Mr. Wales project? This too concerns the folks at Wikipedia:

The Wikimedia Foundation’s executive director, Sue Gardner, said that like others in the nonprofit sector, she is concerned about how the sluggish economy could hurt donations. But with supporters around the world, she said, “I think we are buffered and insulated a little bit by the breadth and depth of our donor pool.”

Wikipedia must have funds to operate, as does every other online business that expects to turn a profit and stay successful. But just what is and what is not acceptable in terms of fundraising? Should companies ask for donations or should they be self-sufficient? Does it detract from the business’ image because they ask? Will donors respond favorably or simply ignore the requests?

I applaud Mr. Wales for having the courage, plan of action and wherewithal to make such an appeal to the masses. Because in the end, it doesn’t matter how you get the money, just as long as it is gotten (legally, of course) and that the business can continue serving the customers and keeping everyone happy. That is what it’s all about isn’t it?

The CokeTag Experience Builds Brand and Connects People

Coca-Cola has for decades established themselves as a brand reckoning force through catchy slogans, effective advertising and strategic placement. Remember this commercial from the late 70s featuring Mean Joe Green?

 

This commercial made Coca-Cola an even catchier household name. For years afterwards, the commercial and the actors appeared as a part of the Super Bowl activities, making them even more popular and the catchy slogan even more effective. And although Coke has a dedicated, established following, they still work incredibly hard to continue branding themselves and making their presence known in most every venue.  This is evidence that no matter how popular your brand is, or how strong your advertising efforts are, you must still work diligently to ensure that you remain number one and a viable, competitive force.

The world of online social media marketing is immensely effective. Its popularity is becoming even more noticeable with the frequent introduction of new sites, some appearing almost weekly. Smart companies and even smarter bloggers know what the impact of being connected with the right social networking sites can have for their businesses. In order to make a difference, the sites have to update their blogs or sites frequently, spend a fair amount of time networking, publish information that provides value and offer their services. Doing these things are critical to the life of the online business.

One particularly interesting social networking idea that I have recently discovered by the infamous Coca-Cola is the site called Coketag. According to their site:

CokeTag is a new Facebook widget for sharing links developed by none other than Coca-Cola. Basically, CokeTag allows you to make a customizable widget including links from anywhere and share it with your friends.

Facebook is the social site of choice that CokeTag uses to promote its features. They offer that the widget will be available on other platforms soon, but right now Facebook is it. I really like the concept that CokeTag offers (connecting people). I especially like the branding technique that they employ. Their name and label are on the product and the customer experiences that each time they use the CokeTag product. Very well done. And from what it appears, the Coca-Cola folks are the first, if not only, corporate giant to market this service. (See reviews.)

But, connecting people via social marketing isn’t so new, is it? No, it really isn’t. All the cool kids are doing it. But, I wonder what makes Coca-Cola’s CokeTag so special and so popular then? Is it their effective branding technique? Their household name? Their wonderful flavor? What do you think? Would you even use the CokeTag platform?

Coca-Cola has spent a lot of time building their presence and that has made them very popular. Period. Essentially what Coke is doing is what every online corporate entity should do: embrace heartily the effects of an internet presence and capitalize on it. Even if one doesn’t “get” the platform at first, Coke would have been successful in their efforts which is to (continue to) brand themselves in the industry through all media efforts.

Yes, I do think they’ve done it again.

Using Press Releases to Convey Ideas

Do you use press releases in your business? If you do, or if you ever have before, what feedback did you get from it? Were you receptive of the response or activity that you were hoping to see?

Many online businesses use press releases as a communications tool for their readers. They announce products, convey information, cover developing news stories and even give themselves a little public relations action. They are generally written in response to anything that is pertinent to the company, or, the topic will somehow link back to the company. If used properly, press releases can be a very powerful marketing and communications tool that can drive high traffic to the blog or site and create a buzz of valuable information. The whole idea of the press release is to highlight a specific focal point of information and convey it in a way to the readers that will leave them with a message and a particular thought pattern. In other words, the information provided in press releases have the propensity to make a company become a household name.

Which type of companies benefit from press releases? Is there a such thing as a “useless” press release? What’s the difference in an advertisement and a press release?

Companies that benefit greatly from press releases are those that have a constant flow and change of information. The company doesn’t have to be necessarily large one or a Fortune 500, but one that is progressive and fluid in their growth and development. What can make a press release sound stale or boring are those that repeat the same information in the same way. For instance, if within a five-year time span the Vice-President of Marketing is changing offices again and is on their third executive, the reader might not necessarily feel comfortable with that many personnel changes within a short period of time. Their uneasiness could translate to a drop in sales if they feel uncomfortable in spending. Any internal company issues don’t convey clearly to the public and it is a challenge to try to make it be so. To keep the press release from sounding like a report on Human Resources matters, highlight in the press release just why this third candidate is going to significantly impact the company’s marketing efforts. Focus on the executive’s proposed marketing ideas and changes that he will bring to the corporation. This takes the focus off of anything negative and still allows you to write a good, solid press release that is enjoyable to read.

Press releases are great to share, but then there are some that are pointless and really do not add any value. This is obvious when within the release there is nothing really significant that is reported, the information is not customised for the company, or, the information is readily available anywhere on the internet. In other words, what was the point of the release? You must give your readers something to “take away” from the press release to really feel that it has done something for the them. Don’t focus so much on issuing a press release simply for the sake of it, but ensure that you are engaging and enlightening the readers. They will remember and it and be back for more.

Advertising is not a press release and a press release is not advertising. Why not? Advertising is showcasing a product and enticing the audience to buy while press releases are sharing information. Sure, within a press release you can entice the audience to buy, but it is done so subtly that the reader doesn’t think he’s been “sold.” Carefully word press releases so that the reader feels in control and can decide what to do next. Don’t ask for a sale. Don’t provide overt links. Don’t use too much marketing jargon or hype that is reserved for sales pages. Maximize the use of the press release by capitalizing on the information that you are already sharing with the readers. Get your point across and let the audience absorb it all in.

In using press releases as a part of your company’s marketing efforts, the bottom line is to concentrate on the customer. Build into the ideas that your customers are seeking without being too extreme. Eventually, your traffic will begin to show what’s working and what is not working in your efforts to attract readers to your site. What press releases have you published that have been profitable for you? What would you change about the ones that you are currently publishing?

Which Social Media Platform is Right For Your Business?

Is it Twitter? Facebook? What about MySpace or Plaxo? It’s hard to say that one, (if only one and if any ONE) is right to use for your business. Why? Because every business is different and every business owner is different. Deciding what works well with your business is relative, again, to the business.

Social media marketing is a hot topic these days for most all businesses. Showcasing your wares and services is pretty exciting on some sites, and if it is properly strategized, can go beyond what seems like “work” and can be a lot of fun. A lot of blogger journalists are finding that having a voice in the blog-o-sphere empowers them and can make an impact with readers.  Corporate businesses often hire bloggers to write in a marketing style voice that will attract readers to their site(s) by providing rich, relevant content.

Social sites help businesses and individuals get “discovered.” A lot of the conversations and groups that exist on these platforms are useless or in pursuit of spam action, however, quality leads are the goal of the serious user. Many of the platforms also have a somewhat detailed registration and maintenance landing page, often discouraging spammers from signing up. But, ignoring the spam clutter and useless requests, there are users and companies who take the sites very seriously and work hard to build solid networks.  

Twitter is by far one of my favorite networking sites and can be a powerful networking tool. It’s designed as a micro-blogging tool to give quick, dense updates on news and developments within your niche area, on anything. How can businesses benefit from the Twitter site? One idea is to post links to good, quality content on your site or other sites to share with your followers. If you provide good content and good links, half of your marketing job is done. Take great care to provide good links and good information since most of Twitter readers are limited on time (who isn’t?) and really don’t want to waste their time.

At one time, I really thought that Facebook was for social networking for friends and light acquaintances only. How wrong was I? Since I’ve been on Facebook, I’ve made some very good connections and am poised to present to a local business organization as a result of it. More than just “hi, how are you”, Facebook is a powerful platform for finding those that niche with you. In other words, you can network and build networks of people and companies who embrace the same things that you do, have the same business goals that you do and are in pursuit of the same types of business developments that you are.

LinkedIn is another professional platform tool that your business can use to really expand and make an impact in the online world. Connections are the term that LinkedIn uses to qualify their members, and members can request to be in a network or to request to have someone of interest join their network. LinkedIn has a process design that is quite sophisticated and removes most of the spam that can clog up a site. They require members to take the time to flesh out their profiles and to be a thorough as possible in order to make good connections. Herein is the key. Good connections are essential to the LinkedIn member’s success, and with careful implementation, can be quite profitable for the member.

So which platform is right for your business? How do you know if it’s right for your business? Mack Collier at SearchEngineGuide.com wrote this post about deciding just that. I didn’t really agree with everything that he had to say, but that is my point. Without the platforms to voice opinions and ideas, there would be many boring blog reads! However, knowing where and in which direction you’d like to take the media contacts is important in determining in which direction you will go.

The goal of any writer is to provide information to the reader. If you are an individual business owner or building a business, you would undoubtedly benefit from these three and from the numerous many more. If you are a corporate entity or manage one, again, they could all benefit you. There really is no magic or special formula when it comes to social media networking. It works when it worked right and it doesn’t work when it’s not worked right. Period. Use social media platforms in your business, no matter what the business is and what the platform is. A lot of people may not agree with me on this, but customers, readers, contributors or whatever they’re pegged do not classify themselves as one or the other. Treat them as buyers and act like they’re buyers. When you do this, you reap the rewards of having addressed buyers. Why should there be any less?

Which platform does your business use? Is one really better than the other or more effective than the other? What do you think?