Is Good Content Good Enough?
Apparently I need to clear my cache, because when I went back to Mack Collier’s blog, I didn’t get redirected to his new site.
Instead, I saw this title: “The idea that ‘content is king’ in blogging is total bullshit”
According to Mack, “Being Social is [king in blogging]”
The idea that good or even great content is not enough. Besides, “Good” or “Great” content isn’t even actionable - it’s too abstract. So let’s get concrete.
What makes good content?
1. Applies to your target audience
2. Findable or discoverable by your target audience
3. Helps or is otherwise useful to your target audience
For example, if you were trying to launch a new boutique geared towards teens/early 20’s demographic, you’d want to offer clothes they’d want to wear. You’d make your retail location accessible to them and you’d make it easy for them walk in by literally leaving your doors open.
One company that did this well? Abercrombie & Fitch, which changed its business from offering outdoors gear to offering clothing for the Tweens/Young Adult demographic. They even got a mention in LFO’s summer hit (’99), “Summer Girls”
Same deal with online marketing.
1. Provide germane (relevant) content - answer questions your audience may have or give them information they want to know.
2. Findability/searchability means that search engines can crawl AND index your content. If your content can’t be found, your audience can’t find you.
3. Helps or is otherwise useful - the call to action is so valuable for this reason. If you let people know what to do next and they want what you’re offering, you’ve lowered the barrier for purchase, adoption, etc.
So why does being social matter?
1. You get invaluable feedback loops from others - your content can improve based on customer/user feedback. You learn what resonates with people and what they think is worth repeating. Given the speed of publishing social media, you can iterate more quickly - concept to publishing no longer takes weeks or months.
2. You enable people to find out about you sooner, rather than later. Trust takes time. If you’re hanging out by yourself online generating amazing content, search is basically the only channel by which others can discover you. By leaving your blog, going to others’ and leaving insightful (not spammy!) comments, you’re creating other channels for people to discover you.
3. By adding or providing value (ie - being useful) you start building trust. Intention matters. Be open and honest about who you are, what interests you, and what you find interesting.
Good content is the minimum barrier to entry and great social content helps you learn, grow and refine your thinking.
Thanks to Deb Robison for the conversation that spawned this blog post and Mack Collier for his thoughts.
Tags: blogging, Content, Discovery, Relevance, search marketing, Social Networking
June 9th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
It’s a combination of all things. I like your boutique example. Just like if you were opening an ice cream store. No matter how good your ice cream is you need marketing to get people in the door. But if the ice cream isn’t any good, people won’t come back
June 10th, 2009 at 3:26 am
Content still makes a difference, but the content needs to be substantive. An is brilliant, keep writing!
June 10th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Thanks for the mention An! And I will follow up with a blog post. I think good content and being social are key, but I also notice that some bloggers are “sharability” challenged. Will post on that shortly!
June 10th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
@Tracy you hit the nail on the head - the offer has to be something someone wants. A commodity like ice-cream (or clothes) needs to be CLEARLY differentiated. When Abercombie was ‘hot’ there was really very little out there like it - American Eagle was closest.
As far as ice-cream goes, interesting flavors, fresh ingredients and local seem to be hot right now. Dreyer’s came out with Slow-Churned and Breyer’s w/ Double Churned a few years ago, which gave them both boosts in sales for a time period. CPG marketing fascinates me, because it’s some of the most challenging marketing out there. How do you differentiate on features for a commodified good?
@Craig thanks for the kind words. Substance is one of the reasons why I find it so challenging to write - I have to keep reminding myself that I don’t have to have an omniscient understanding to share my thoughts. I just wish I knew more, all the time.
@Deb of course - I give credit where credit is due, ESPECIALLY when it’s a particularly interesting idea/conversation. Me, by myself, is kind of boring. That’s another reason why social content fascinates me so. Looking forward to your post!