social plays dirty….how do squaky clean corps respond?

One of the main concerns that companies have with releasing their brand into the claws of comments and reviews and conversations is that most online banter and commenting includes some degree of crass.

Letting harsh/crass/contrary ideas into the fray means tarnishing a squeaky clean image..

I agree that it’s easier for Coors Light than for Target or Toyota, but I think that by planning for a response-to-dirty in the initial strategic approach, we can come closer to staying on the rails. Brands can no longer rely on their corporate voice for every situation. It’s time to develop a vocabulary around conflict, dissonance, complaint, apathy, and anger. Because now banter is brand.

5 things that should (but don’t) accompany every content audit.

step 1: take x-ray. step-2: assess results

How do i say this nicely?

Ok, I can’t. So here goes…

What is the point of taking a snapshot of all the content on a site if nothing becomes of it?

It’s one of those black holes of content that no one seems to take notice of because too few people understand what the hell the point of a content audit is in the first place.

What is the sound of one analyst auditing? It makes no sound, and certainly has no impact if the most important part of the process is delivering an excel spreadsheet that no one will ever look at again.

Ok, I’ll stop whining and make a suggestion. Here’s 5 things that should happen after a content audit:

1. Cavities? Audit for insight: If a content audit hasn’t shed any light on ‘next steps’ for content production, then it hasn’t done it’s job. Where are the cavities? No cavities? I don’t believe you.. not for a second.

2. High traffic areas? Identify hot spots: Now that participation is common-place, take a snapshot of the places where users are engaged and active and figure out ways to build on (or create) momentum. Think seasonally, too. Answer the question why this, why now? Figure out what’s igniting interest.

3. Cosmetic Enhancements? Chances are, there are places where huge opportunities exist for raising the quality or frequency of content production.

4. Headgear? Retainer? Braces?! Mon dieu. Identify where massive initiatives (like SEO implementation, complete rebranding or global style changes – probably lots of other examples I’m not thinking of!?) are needed.

5. Beautiful Smile? I’m a big fan of the ‘kiss and slap’ method of life, which is that positive feedback always comes before negative. Behind every word on every page you’ll ever read is a writer (or 3) that tried their best, worked within difficult circumstances under tight time lines with not enough information. Feel their pain…. figure out what’s right about the existing content, and give a compliment where one is due.

My fantasy content audit comes with a pie chart, a bar graph, a plan for analytics, a few POVs, a power point of insights, a list of next steps, and a fancy dancy content calendar. Hopefully some of us can make this happen, and help to sell-in content as a strategic and necessary brand extension.

no wonder people think content strategy is boring.

Part of the elevator pitch for content strategists is that we create, evaluate, monitor, and contribute content. Is it just me, or do these terms make you want to curl up and go sleep a corner somewhere? Yes the words are accurate but they sound scientific and one-dimensional when sandwiched all together like that. It’s actually the ‘evaluate and monitor’ ones that I dislike most. How about scan and assess?Audit and analyze? Evaluate and Monitor sounds too passive. Part of my mandate for digital content’s renaissance is making sure that we no longer merely collect and watch and allocate.

There are people who look at content as shipping and receiving. These are the people who don’t read it… To me, it’s a curated set of messages that create the symphonic experience of brand.

Don’t forget it – and don’t let me forget it either. : )

syndication gives the gift of shelf life

One of the most fascinating things about content is how long it lasts. The article above was posted originally in 1999, in a small digital and print magazine called ‘Divorce’ (long story – no I have never been divorced but I did work as an editorial assistant at one of the most depressing magazines ever.)

In 1999 I began my writing career as an editorial assistant for Divorce Magazine. This is where I learned the ropes of editing, interviewing and optimizing copy for both print and online. My articles were later syndicated and many are still live today.

cibc youth portal

CIBC Youth Portal

We developed this site from the ground up, devising a content calendar for one year’s worth of articles and then researching and writing each one. The team worked closely with the CIBC client to deliver an entire portal that would serve the needs of Canadian youth.

we are free (revisited)

A year ago I wrote about how Twitter gives us the potential to rally, recruit and lobby en masse. Within that year, we did it, powerfully,   for everything from elections to catastrophe relief. Interesting to look back and see how we really took this social influence to the next level.

—— [originally posted Spring 2009] —–

The earliest forms of self-expression on the Internet were pretty basic – leave an opinion, offer a smile, pass on an email. But now that I think about it, TV and radio never evolved even that far. Watch a show or boycott it. Listen passively to the radio or perhaps call in (Hey, I finally got through!!) with an opinion.

Most of us were trained to be passive media absorbers – passive-aggressive at most.

Digital media didn’t have to change that, but it has. And we have all been instrumental navigators on this mission, directing and determining the direction of this r/evolution. We have proven again and again that we want to participate. Give us a voice, and we will use it — we’ll enter the contest, express our opinion, rave, ruin, tell ten people,  and vote our little hearts out.

We now have a medium for being vocal without much constraint or risk. And we like it.

But I have this hunch that we are like an animal that gets chained when he’s young and learns that he can’t go beyond a certain distance. Then when he gets old, he still thinks that he lacks the power to move, even though the chain is long, long gone. (I hate this story. I’ll get to the point.) He can do whatever he wants, but doesn’t.

Sooner or later we’re going to see that the ability to ‘thumbs up’ a book or have a public opinion on a movie is only a small fraction of our ‘social media’ power. It’s just us playing safely in the yard, not even pulling on that chain - being fairly passive, obedient, timid, non-confrontational.

I don’t think we’ve fully grasped it. I certainly haven’t.

Add up all of us voters/tweeters/reviewers/humans-on-the-internet and we are a massive amount of people. Massive.

Right now, I could be helping to free someone, solve something, create something miraculous. Whatever you’re passionate about – you could be making it bigger, making it happen. I want to commit now to using this power and pushing it to its limits.

We are tidal.  We are TIDAL! I’m curious to see what happens when we all wake up and realize it.

On the seventh day, God created the Internet.

It’s happened. I’ve been swept up in the great eBook debates, along with the rest of the brouhaha that’s taking place in the publishing industry right now. And you know what? I’m not nervous or overwrought, I’m not wringing my hands or wiping down my forehead.

I’m excited!

When I went to Europe about a decade ago I had several moments-on-the-hill (‘epiphany’ would be too strong) and one of the major ones was this: when the pendulum swings too far in one direction (digital, digital, digital!!) it’s likely to swish back and find it equilibrium. I’m excited by the new things we’re seeing, by the meta discussions especially.

The meta-discussions happening right now (about publishing, mainly) will simmer down as soon as we land on the technology that fits, but until then – all this visionary chatter is so inspiring and energizing.

Eventually we will accept (and not panic) that the Internet is what it is, does what it does, and like TV, it doesn’t contain all the answers or all the most wonderful nand meaningful things in the world. It doesn’t have everything. It’s limited.

Until then – I’m thrilled to feel so passionate about all of it.

An infinite supply of demand

If social collaborators are potential buyers, and are somewhat representative of the demand, the supplier/artist/creator can probably assume that the sea of collaborators (demand) is as infinite as the sea of ideas (product).

Not that every product will be a success, but maybe the demand is as fluid and malleable as the supply.  Just as I can reinvent my product a hundred times, now we can reinvent our audience a hundred times. It’s infinite.

This is reassuring to me as a writer with an unpublished novel. A few years ago, the timing for market-entry would have been paramount – my book would be introduced to the world at point A and deemed big success or big flop by point B. There was very little that could be done “post” the point B milestone.

But now – I’m contemplating multiple launches (all free, of course), approaches, and demographics. My work might click at any one of an infinite number of points in time or ‘place.’ 

Add conversation to the mix, and there’s another way to continuously promote and introduce it. The conversation itself becomes the ripple in the pond. The product is the stone. And I can drop it in the water as many times as I want, and there will always be different appetites and opinions in the infinite stream.

If every day brings fresh supply AND demand, any ‘final product’ can go public in tons of different ways.  Many junctures. Many opportunities.

What used to be elusive (is there a market for my work? Who knows!) is starting to seem like something tangible and reactive – not quite transparent, but definitely…within reach. I like the idea of dropping something into the stream and seeing if it gets nibbles – and then trying it again a different way, at a different time. 

It’s making me think that for good content/art, there is an infinite supply of demand –  Fluid and responsive and capable of maturing or regressing or rebelling.

In a market where artists and collaborators (more crassly – supply and demand) are starting to move together, or at least closer to each other, (and talking to each other!) the relationship becomes so much…better.

Using Twitter to Create the Life you want

I know that it sounds absurd, and 6 months ago I would never have had such a thought. But then I started using Tweetie on my new Mac (at my new job) and started really getting into searching people out and following individuals who are doing or saying or referring to things that interest me.

The stream of consciousness that you build is no coincidence. It can tell you something about who you are and who you want to be. Funny? Smart? Out and About? Random?

I’m very selective with the tweets I want to see, for example, I don’t to see too much of one person in my feed, I’d prefer it to be a nice balanced mix of people. And I like to see some business and some pleasure – not all deep stuff and article references, but some emotions, some random expressions of frustration. Whatever.

Ok, this is sounding less meaningful by the minute. Back to my original point. Follow the people and energies you want to bring into your life. Follow your inspirations. Follow people who are doing something you’d like to do… and everyday, they’ll feed your own life’s vision.

The world is there for the taking.

Internet killed the Journalist Star?

When Maureen Dowd refers to “Web sites like Google” in her NY Times Op-Ed, I instantly cringe. Nobody puts baby in the corner calls Google a Web site!

If journalists don’t want to be dinosoars, they shouldn’t act like dinosoars. Common journalists, pony up.

This is not the first time that I’ve found hints of ludditism lurking in a journalist’s point of view, as they openly express their disregard for the new world order (the Internet) they say leaves them behind. 

Personally, I’m thrilled that new-world journalism will be based on merit, likeability, relevance and community.  Journalism is coming back into the hands of the people, losing its smug elitism but not its edge – supply is ample, and so is demand – it’s just that now the demanders have a lot more to choose from. Including the option of writing their own supply.

What’s elitist now, as my partner pointed out lastnight – is technology itself. That’s where the fancy phrases and the culture-leading opinions are coming from. Don’t know what a retweet is? hint: It’s not a spa day with a lisp.

So journalists, recall that day 10 years ago when you sneared at the Internet and secretly laughed at the imposter “online journlist” at your company.

Their world has triumphed, and now it’s your turn to try to fit in.