Make Media Work for You- Elements of Good Online Content

Friends asked me to comment on this piece (comments in brackets or parens). I thought it only fair to share them with you, as well.

Make Media Work for You- Elements of Good Online Content
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via chrisbrogan.com <http://www.chrisbrogan.com> by chrisbrogan on 4/15/09

If I’m going to tell companies that content marketing is important, I should probably give my thoughts on how to make it useful. I’m thinking about blogging, podcasting, shooting photos, making video, and all the other tools social media allows us to use to tell stories (not market). In my ideas, I give you nuggets of what matters to me in media making, and what I believe will matter to your prospective audience. Not your customers, per se. Maybe this is for internal audiences. Instead of thinking B2B vs B2C, just think “human.” These are elements I feel humans want. [Chris is mostly right, but w/o substantiation/research support, he inevitably gets discounted. Our choice, should we decide to make it, is to take such opinions - ones that make sense to us - find out how to put metrics on them and go from there. If we are really kind, we'll tell Chris how he inspired us, how we supported the ideas with research and how that proved the point. He works hard at novel insighting, his readers should be thankful and supportive.

Elements of Good Online Content

* Be Brief - No matter how short the video or blog piece or podcast is, make it shorter. No matter how many pictures you took, choose only the few that make your point.[today's adult tends to learn only what s/he wants to learn and only when s/he needs to learn it / today's adult wants learning in smaller bites (research from Forrester and Ziff-Davis) and "the medium is the message," that is, it controls the message's form and content composition. (McLuhan)]
* Make it Portable - If you’re going to bother making media, make it easy for people to share it, use it, shift it around. Think embeds in YouTube. Think RSS and email delivery, etc.[we all learn in different ways, re-purposing and re-positioning contenet to fit a variety of media is both good sense and mor likely to get the content seen, savored and (hopefully) selected. Position it from WIIFM perspective.]
* Make it Useful - No one wants to read about your product. They want to read something that empowers them. That’s why books sell. We read them to improve ourselves. We buy cars to feel better or to move our families around.[Chris makes a powerful point here, strengthing the WIIFM perspective but also noting that books allow us to linger, take notes, highlight, and take something away. The depth of information contained in most books often means there's something useful in it for every reader.]
* Make it Personal - Repurposing your TV commercial for YouTube isn’t enough. That’s okay to do, as well, but why stop there? Video is free and cheap. So is blog content. So are photos. Do something memorable by making stories about your customers, your employees, whoever matters.[this point, too, makes sense, when possible. Video and other production costs, though, while cheaper than in the past, are not typically free. On the cascade that goes from No presence, to poor presence, to good presence, to great presence, to great personalized presence, there are many stops. Making memorable content requires in-depth knowledge of the customer. Some things can ge re-purposed, some can't.]
* Make it Fresh - Wow, there is a lot of redundant content out there. I’m going to say it before you do: some of mine is redundant. One reason you don’t often ding me for that is because I try to find a fresh angle. It doesn’t always work. But if you don’t try…[Give Chris credit here. He does keep trying and he has some great insights - and, as he says, he keeps trying. There is still a good bit of feeling your way in Social Media and exploring the possibilities is a good thing.
* Make it Relate to Your Business - Let’s not be too noble here. If you’re looking to sell blenders, You can’t do better than BlendTec <http://www.willitblend.com> . If you’re looking to sell computers, you might be the next Digital Nomads <http://www.digitalnomads.com> . It doesn’t have to be pure and noble. Just be clear when you’re helping versus when you’re selling. [Amen. Social Media, like every forum, is a place where sales and buying can happen. The notion that "I want you to get to know me, and like me, before you thiink about buying is where our conventional "Push" marketing started out a long time ago. Many think it got lost. A lot of it still works, but the process has come under fire for a great many good reasons. We, all of us, must never forget that it's about them, those who want to buy or are in pain, or who want to sustain, and not about us. If we are there for them with goods and services, when they are ready and motivated to buy, we will prosper. I have always thought Chris understands this.]

Good and easy to understand tips. Good share.

I find your advice very conscise.Being fresh always and useful will make the content a reference material for many. Keep the good work up.

well said.

Talking about making it fresh, have you considered making audio blogs?

One 'Make it' which I like, Make it Friendly

I have been blogging for our organization since October and found the stories we have are great to share, they aren't enough to sustain a blog. I have actually enjoyed branching out and finding other things to write about. Because we are a niche blog (maritime safety) some people would think it is hard to develop content. I started to focus on the customer. I have a weekly column that welcome's new members and we try to interview industry leaders to share their points of view. We are also toying with the idea of running a story about interseting ships that participate in the program. With a little effort we are able to find new content, connect with our customers, and share useful information.

Chris,
You said it without saying it. Make it Matter. Make it passionate, make it real, make it genuine, make it remarkable. Some of us like to write to listen to ourselves write. (I am definitely guilty). Today, to get someones time, it better be VALUE driven content and several comments above about that. If you dont capture them in the first 15 seconds they are gone anyway. So get to the point. Tell your point and tell a quick story. People prefer short snipits. So break it up, give their eyes a rest. Dont drag on like I have in this comment... :)

Chad Rothschild
http://employeeandclientengagement.wordpress.com/

Great post, Chris. It's interesting that your suggestion seems to be the opposite of Darren Rowse's in the Problogger book, but I think you are on to something. I often pass longer posts by myself. I think I'm going to try shorter posts for a while and see how it goes. And as another commenter pointed out, I can probably do it through good editing without losing any meaning, and at the same time make the posts easier to read.

Each point you made rang true. Many people work hard at link building trying to increase the number of hits on their website that they overlook one very important thing...writing a well-written post! Content is huge! They spend so much time trying to drive traffic that they forget about their site or blog. You don't want people to just click through to your site, you want them to stay there. You want to build a relationship with them so they keep coming back. That is just one reason why good content is a must.

Chris,
I loved your article so much that I posted it in my blog: http://cleverwebtech.com/2009/04/16/internet-tr...

Thank you for the inspiration,
Brian
cleverwebtech.com

You said:
One reason you don’t often ding me for that is because I try to find a fresh angle

Yup.

And also because it doesn't hurt to hear the same message from you twice, three times or even more. We've all got a lot going on in our lives, a lot of learning and a whole bunch of learning curves to ride so whenever I pop back over and basically it's a repeat of something that I read a few months ago, not only is your angle fresh it reminds me that I didn't take your advice yet on all of the points ;-)

Keep doing what you're doing, Chris.

Market as if to build a relationship with the customer. The key is to getting to the point because no one needs the runaround. At the end of the day, just add tremendous value to other people.

Excellent tips. Short and to the point, and when executed correctly, will translate into greater success. I like the simplicity. Thanks!

In general, great post, however...
saying video is free and cheap is like saying a car is free and cheap. You can get a free car if you want, but how far does a free car get you?
As a professional I'll tell you video can be done dirt cheap, but time is money so don't leave the house with your camera unless you have a validly good idea.

I agree with every point you have for developing good content. I think that higher education and government would benefit from putting into practice these points when they develop content for their websites.

Great post. All true, but I would say being useful is, wihtout a doubt, the most important element. Forget this one, and any post is useless. Thanks Chris!

@Deidre - I love collaborative efforts. I agree. Great point.

Fantastic post Chris...thank you. I find trying to get the right combination of elements in social media (length of blogs, blog and tweeting content, personal to business ratio,) really just takes getting out there and doing it and not being scared to scratch ones knees :) However, reminders, suggestions and informative content from pros like you that have been doing it longer are just tremendously helpful - so thank you! Your content and efforts are very appreciated.

Great to read everyone's perspectives. I'm sorry I've been slow to respond. I'm in a completely different time zone. It's 6AM here, and you guys have already had hours to digest the post and think about it.

I'm still reading all the comments, just hours after the fact. Thanks for your thoughts on this.

There are two kinds of writers: those that write like they're *paying for* every word they use and those that write like they're *being paid for* every word they use. I fall into the latter group, I'll admit it. Short is generally better in a blog post, but I think you can periodically throw in a longer, more analytical or contemplative piece. If most of the time you don't overtax your readers' attention spans, they'll come along with you on the occasional longer pieces as long as you put some effort into making it readable and entertaining.

This was a helpful post. I agree with Eddie Reeves that your content should be collaborative in the sense that people can comment to you, to each other and share ideas further. This will only help you to create more compelling content. Thanks!

Great post. I would probably add one thing -- something you do instinctively, Mr. B: Make it collaborative. In other words, overtly solicit feedback on how whatever you are communicating to other humans might be made better by those humans!

Two words that strike me in this post. "Help" and "Sell".

If you create your product, service or event to ultimately help a consumer fulfill a need and relate this message to the consumer you are empowering your brand.

Social media fuels consideration for those with good intentions and those who are willing to share. The more consumers continue to use these tools the more difficult it will become to just "sell" your brand.

Once people begin to purchase on price and understanding then maybe the market will yield better quality. I think we would all do better by focusing less on easy money and more on quality consumer relationships that yield repeat business and steady growth.

I love money don't get me wrong but maybe more of a focus on "helping" is what we all need.

I personally think there is a market for it.

That's a good post, especially about make it short because people will often turn away if it takes too long to get the message. The best advice in life are short and sweet! I also agree with Mike CJ that we often do business with our friends people we actually like; that human connection.

Erica

Being succinct and on target is so crucial. I've begun limiting myself to no more then 600-700 words per post. If it's longer I'll break it up into pieces. Now my blog posts average about 450 words. It's a great exercise for those of us that like to be slightly long winded... :)

The 'Make it Useful' component is by far the most important. So many in marketing and sales easily forget this as they are busy tailoring their message. For instance, it's so critical to have the best copywriter possible on your project, someone who has the creative ability to weave an offering into strong, attractive copy. This goes for any aspect of creative direction.

Chris, We have a mutual friend in Susan Kang Nam - I spoke for her Salty Legs Career Club about a month after you kicked off their speakers series. Would you mind ripping apart this blog post on Twitter's @GeekMommy I just put up on Monday on Yahoo Shine (before I read your post above)? http://tinyurl.com/c2wyu8 I've got a thick skin and welcome any constructive criticism you might want to throw out, so if you are so inclined, please go to town - thought it might be instructive for all of us to see you analyze an actual blog post based on what you wrote above.
Thanks so much, Carol (on Twitter @iRelaunch)

Hi Chris,

I hate to admit it, but if a blog post is too long, I'll just pass it by - unless it is something exceptional in value.

I've unsubscribed from blogs that had posts that were consistently 2000+ words. This is especially true when I can look at a post and pare it down to 500 or so and not lose the meaning.

Good tips for sure.

George

Its so hard to determine how long to make something. We do interviews and its tough because there's lots of questions to ask that are great content but what is to long.

But I think things can be long especially if you make it accesible whenever someone wants by making it portable.

Helpful & relevant post and discussion - does anybody have a similar success story to Mike's but about something good with social media tools other than blogging? Thanks

Good info. I would add be relevant. Speaking as a B2B marcom pro, online content has to be relevant to the intended audience. All too often it's relevant to the marketer, but not the market.

We have a great case study of this in action. We have a bricks and mortar business which has been successful for 8 years. Most of the business is driven through a traditional website.

A few months ago, we set up a blog alongside it. The blog doesn't showcase or sell anything. It simply talks about the people who work with us, the clients who buy from us, and the area we're based in.

The enquiries that come to us through the blog are just amazing! Not in quantity, but in quality - these people are our friends before they come to us, and you know how easy it is to do business with friends?

Be original, that the question! But.. how to be original with "millions" ads, paid links and banners and in website/blog? Impossible. My opinion, we need "Forrest Gumps", storytellings and creatives. People making "mix" technology with folk culture. We need much more humans, being humans.

Great post. All true, but I would say being useful is, wihtout a doubt, the most important element. Forget this one, and any post is useless. Thanks Chris!

The problem is the 'editing'. I'll explain.

Because so much online social content is edited by the same person that produced it, it's very difficult to be subjective about ones own work - If you didn't feel it merited inclusion, you wouldn't have put it there in the first place....etc.

Interestingly, we were discussing video's the other day and one suggestion was to keep videos to 3 minutes - whether that's a wedding video or a product shoot. 3 minutes was about the right time-span before people started wandering.

I think my 3 minutes or rambling are just up.

İt is same with, "make a product which people desire to talk about it" it is cheap pr and ads.