Livingston

Aug
18
2008

Hitchhiker’s Guide to Social Media: Content Creation

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Image by Marjoree.

Many great communication minds emphasize the importance of creating content for social media. It’s all push, push, push! Just consider PR icon Richard Edelman’s words (yeah, I’m going to tattoo you again on this, Richard. In spite of your rebuttal):

…we must help clients provide their own original content and enhance the dialogue with credible and creative material. We need to continue to convince clients about the importance of including bloggers in the outreach to media, of allowing their own executives to speak spontaneously, because there is a clear dialectic between control and credibility.

Yes, a blog, blogger outreach, a Facebook widget or the latest corporate socnet or even better, a user generated contest! Woo hoo! Yay,these big splash makers would have almost certainly worked three years ago. Today, it’s just another corporate social media content machine.

bozo Indeed, when Scoble and Israel delivered Naked Conversations in early 2006 creating a blog and engaging with folks on your site was new, novel and special. Now, we’ll give you a bozo button!

Why? Because, silly, it’s Social Media. Not, "Drill me with your messages again, please!" People could just go to a car dealer event for that, couldn’t they? "Hey, what kind of payment can you afford?"

So what if people can comment? If you publish one-way, over controlled messaging to an a non-existent or unengaged community, failure is likely!

To really get engaged in social media and benefit an organization, listening comes first. Novel concept. "You mean you asked me questions, read my profile, listened to my concerns, and then actually talked to me.  All before you even tried to get something from me or push me your content? OMG!"

Networking skills supersede messaging skills in social worlds. In a community –  become an upstanding member before content creation — especially if your brand is not a well known one.  Then you may be surprised by the fact that if well crafted towards stakeholder interests, your social media will be embraced and touted by others besides you.  That would be Word!

As in mouth.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Social Media is an ongoing series. Prior entries:

  • Shiny Object Syndrome
  • Internet Fame

    • AddThis Social Bookmark Button
    by Geoff Livingston | Geoff, Hitchiker, Internet Marketing, social media |

    6 Responses to “Hitchhiker’s Guide to Social Media: Content Creation”

    • Lauren Vargas Says:

      August 18th, 2008 at 9:47 am

      Yes, but that takes time…don’t you know, results are wanted now…therefore PUSH!

    • PR4Pirates Says:

      August 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

      There’s a good related post over at Douglas Karr’s blog: about The Tuned-In Calculator:

      http://www.marketingtechblog.com/tunedin.php

      “The Tuned In Calculator measures how much you talk about yourself or your company instead of your readers, prospects or customers. If you’re always talking about yourself, you may not be Tuned In!”

    • Jill Foster Says:

      August 19th, 2008 at 7:40 am

      …speaking of Bozo: it’s early a.m. and after reading the post, I re-read your beginning cartoon twice wondering “What’s the point of the venetian blinds plot?” Ha! Caffeine, where for art thou?

      Listen, listening, listen more. It’s a great reminder.

    • Matt Gentile Says:

      August 19th, 2008 at 2:36 pm

      Geoff,

      Long time since I’ve commented, but I enjoyed this piece a great deal. I’m no longer enjoying the fun and sun flacking for Coldwell Banker in Florida. I’ve moved on up to the East Side to a deluxe rental in Denville, NJ as the new Dir. of PR for the world’s leading real estate brand, Century 21. At least I’m out of the path of the hurricane.

      My comment on this post has to do with how would you keep up with the social interaction that you are calling for? I understand the benefits of one on one communication via social media channels, but with ever more limited resources in corporate marketing, how on earth would one hope to create a manageable dialog with the consumer?

      Keep up the great work.

      Best Regards,

      From the Garden State Parkway,

      Matt Gentile
      http://www.century21.com

    • friarminor Says:

      August 21st, 2008 at 3:17 am

      Is there a time frame for social media strategies to begin to bear fruit already? Any signs to look for as well as keep your ears glued on to, Geoff?

      Is it when people start talking about the product online even without a steady revenue?

      Best.
      alain

    • Spotlight Ideas » Top 250 Blog Posts - Advertising, Marketing, Media & PR Says:

      September 19th, 2008 at 9:26 am

      Kramer auto Pingback[...] Hitchhiker’s Guide to Social Media: Content Creation - The Buzz Bin. Aug ‘08. [...]

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