There
is no doubt that business blogging is an essential part of content media
strategy whether the target is B2B or B2C.
The immediacy and ability of blogging to communicate detailed
information and to provide deep links to website content or other calls to
action can’t be matched. However, new platforms like Pinterest and Instagram
and even tools like infographics cause some to question the value of blogging, even
in B2B.
As an
individual I started blogging “early days.” Candidly I was afraid my brain
would atrophy when I retired from full-time teaching and blogging seemed a way
to keep it alive. It turned out to be even more—a way to learn about the
emerging discipline of social media marketing. I kept the diy-Marketing blog
going for several years, until it was so content heavy that its response was
unacceptable. I started another strategy blog and found an interesting response
to a series of Social Media for Good posts. However, by that time my primary
professional activity was the Internet Marketing textbook, providing updates
for adopters of the text and thinking about a 4th edition. Blogging
proved to have less value in that context.
I have
a new Google+ page each year so Internet marketing instructors can search
current material for their courses. Debra has a Google+ community and a
Facebook page for the book, and I contribute to both. I have 3 Pinterest boards
and Debra and I share another. I have been amazed at the way people pick up on
my Pinterest postings even though I have done nothing to promote them beyond
the users of our text. I try to see most of the posts from all the platforms
are fed through to my Twitter account.
So
what? In doing all of this I’ve come to have strong opinions about where
content curation fits in and the role of content creation.
Content
curation specifically keyed to our textbook has the potential to fill an
important role for the users. Since personal brand development is no longer a
huge objective for me, curation doesn’t do a great deal for me personally.
Creation
of original content, as Debra has often pointed out, contributes to visibility
on the web in a way that mere curation does not. Even more important to me personally
is that my blog is my voice on the Internet. It is my creative opportunity to
say what I believe and to try to make a contribution to the discipline.
Consequently, I have started a new blog with a limited focus. “SocialTechnology for Good, or for Mischief” allows me to continue the postings which
received favorable attention in the earlier blog. There is plenty of mischief
around but it is the personal privacy implications that particularly interest
me. I’m working on visibility because I want people to find it. My rule is only
to write a post when I can make a contribution, even if the contribution is
only careful research.
That
brings me to infographics. I like them and have a Pinterest board for
infographics. However, they are so numerous that they litter the Internet
landscape. Many have no lasting value. They represent visual curation, not the
creation of original content. Consequently, I do not agree with those who
regard them as a substitute for blogging. If the blogger has a point of view and
a message, that requires a verbal argument, not statistics with pictures.
Even
with careful attention to distributing and optimizing content, there is only so
much any one individual can do. That is the point of the graphic. Some
platforms lend themselves to original content—websites and blog postings
because they do not have length restrictions, videos (short or long form)
because they are inherently informative and engaging. Many of the platforms
that have become popular recently are really “announcement platforms” They are
invaluable for distributing content but for business use they usually need to
link to more detailed content like a blog post or a web page.
Likewise
there is only so much any given brand should do. The old rule is still just as
true—the choice of communications platforms depends on objectives. As you
choose just factor in an additional consideration—curation vs. original content!
Please consider this an invitation to visit the new blog!
