The PR Warrior

Have We Seen the End of Blogging as We Know It?

It's been several weeks since I returned from BlogWorld LA 2011 so I've had plenty of time to let my thoughts percolate. That was necessary - with something like 4000 people attending, 300+ speakers and hundreds of conversations - some over a beverage or three - I definitely needed some head space!

I wrote a quick post about my inital take-out from the event immediately after it had finished - The One Big Thing I Learned at BlogWorld LA 2011.

My thinking hasn't changed, but it's been distilled, clarified and reinforced somewhat since I wrote that piece.

Have we seen the end of blogging as we know it?

Okay, I'm probably taking a bit of license with the title of this post. Blogging will continue of course, although it will evolve and get more 'professional' as even the casual part-time blogger will have access to better tools and technology platforms to take their online content hub to the next level.

However, as I alluded to in the post above, the ambitious entrepreneurial blogger of 'tomorrow' (literally tomorrow, if not today!) has the content creation tools and social networks in place to help them establish and grow 'new media mini-empires'.

Sideline blogging will continue, and it too will grow in number.

But the new trend will be the the rise and rise of the 'new media mini-empire'.

* Mack Collier being interviewed by .tv at BlogWorld Expo

Michael Stelzner - founder of the hugely successful Social Media Examiner (which went from zero to a million company within 12 months) - sat on one panel and stated in no uncertain terms:

"You're not a blogger, you're a publisher."

I'll go one further. From a PR perspective at least, these 'bloggers on digital steroids' (as I like to call them) will become powerful influencers in their own right.

Leveraging technology

From a blogging perspective, they'll become known as the 'elite'. They will be the individuals who grow the size of their tribe (following/community) by leveraging not only blogging technology but also video, audio (podcasting) and social media.

Traditional media will discover these content creators and write stories about them; they will be sought-after as broadcast interview subjects because of their particular expertise.

Over time these individuals will build new media mini-empires and carve out influence in their respective niches.

They will become brand names in their own right and companies will potentially want to partner with them. It won't just be the size of their audience that will be important but the influence they will have with certain sections of the community.

They will get the stories.

They will get the access to events and high-profile individuals.

They will become micro-celebrities in their own right.

Overseas (and to a degree locally), we have seen the roots of such a beast take hold.

Robert Scoble (pictured above) was probably a forerunner to the trend. But today, Pete Cashmore who runs Mashable is a power player, and became so in an incredibly short space of time. So too Chris Brogan, Lisa Stone and the aforementioned Stelzner.

Locally, Darren Rowse has transcended blogging and is building a serious micro-publishing business around his personal brand.

Value-added content

Adding weight to the argument is the fact news is fast becoming commoditised and people are gravitating towards - and putting more stock in - value-added content: insights, informed opinions and specialised advice delivered across multiple media platforms.

The creative blogger of tomorrow - the influential content creator - is well placed to fill the void. They are nimble, tech and social media savvy, and often specialists who operate in specific niche areas of expertise thus have deep knowledge of, and passion for, their subject matter.

Watch this space folks - because the new media mini-emperor is about to rock da house!

* TOP PHOTO: Srinivas Rao from Blogcastfm interviews Marcus Sheridan at the Livefyre stand.

How Much Do You Open Your Kimono?

Provocative title, but alas not one I can take credit for.

It was the theme of an excellent presentation by content marketing specialists Jay Baer and Joe Pulizzi at the recent BlogWorld LA 2011 event (pictured below).

The gist of the pair's presentation was this: Does 'thought leadership' cannablize your ability to monetize what you know? 

The two Js walked us through six stages of content marketing strategy:

 STAGE ONE - Closed Kimono

• No real online thought leadership presence. 
• The pros for this = zero time investment; cons = limited exposure in search, reduced ability to build influence online.

STAGE TWO - What Happens in Vegas

• Thought leadership content distributed only via micro platforms such as LinkedIn answers, Twitter news, blog comments, Quora answers etc.

STAGE THREE - Quid Pro Quo

• Selling thought leadership in the form of ebooks, how-to packages etc.
• The free information you give away needs to be "best of breed" otherwise people won't pay for products.
• Process looks something like this: (a) free newsletter to build your list, (b) create and give away free sample reports that in turn promote the newsletter and more free reports, (c) sales pitches leading to paid content i.e. a detailed 'how-to' report that people can buy.
• Example given was copywriter and internet marketing strategist, Bob Bly.

STAGE FOUR - Give Me Your Number

• Lead-gated thought leadership (i.e. people have to give details in order to access free content).
• Enables companies to measure the impact of content creation and distribution (decentralized within the company).
• Example given was email marketing software company ExactTarget.

STAGE FIVE - Peek-a-boo

• Giving away what you know in the form of valuable content, but not the process.
• Example given was Openview Venture Partners, a company where 90 per cent of employees blog; it has an in-house studio for audio and video production, employs a full-time journalist.
• The company integrates its blog into Openview Labs, a full technology resource site.

STAGE SIX - Full Monty

• This stage basically involves "giving it all away", including the 'secret sauce'.
• Creating and distributing content that's not only relevant to your business and industry, but also outside your core category.
• Example given was automated lead generated services company Eloqua, whose goal it is to cast its content far and wide, all free and unencumbered by 'lead gates' its site.
• According to Joe and Jay, Eloqua focuses on reaching the 85 per cent of people who don't know the company versus the 15 per cent that do.

 

Joe and Jay (pictured left - source) have put together a testing plan for how much content your business should give away - check it out here.

Jay is the co-author of the book The NOW Revolution and blogs at Convince and Convert; Joe is the ao-author of Managing Content Marketing (the Real-World Guide for Creating Passionate Subscribers to Your Brand) and blogs at Junta 42.

On Twitter: Jay - @jaybaer; Joe - @juntajoe.

 

The Rapid Rise and Rise of Tumblr {Infographic}

While a lot of attention has been focused on the hype surrounding WordPress, Twitter, Facebook et al, a little thing called Tumblr has got under everyone's guard and, well, it's EXPLODED in popularity.

Globally, Tumblr has grown 900 per cent in the past 12 months - up from 10 million monthly unique visits last year to 90 million.

According to Medacity, Tumblr is nearing its 10 billionth post! (More stats here).

Australians Love Tumblr!

Interestingly, Australia is one of the top countries using Tumblr, making up 2.6 per cent of unique visits (ranked 7th in the world).

Generally regarded as being a 'micro-blogging' platform, Tumblr (along with Posterous) sits comfortably between Twitter and a more traditional platform such as WordPress or TypePad.

Tumblr users tend to post short-form content, often video or photos. It's an easy platform to set up (probably one reason for its massive popularity) and you can have one up and running in a matter of minutes.

SOURCE: Mashable 

My Video Interview with MaryLee Sachs at PR Directions 2011

I recently attended the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s PR Directions national conference in Sydney.

While there I caught up for a quick chat with marketing communications specialist MaryLee Sachs, author of The Changing MO of the CMO: How the Convergence of Brand and Reputation is Affecting Marketers.

MaryLee has over 25 years of integrated marketing experience in the international arena. Resident in the UK for 17 years before moving to New York nine years ago, she has worked with and advised many blue-chip organizations including P&G, PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, American Express, HSBC,Johnson & Johnson, Kodak and Motorola.

Further viewing - my interview with author and social media guru Brian Solis.

The video was shot by Burning House Productions on behalf of the PRIA. 

Publicity Stunt is a Load of Ol' Croc

In this age of digitised communications and 'authentic conversations with your community of followers', it's refreshing to see there is still room for a good old-fashioned media publicity stunt.

Case in point:

Today the news media were all over a story about how President Barack Obama had been insured against crocodile attack for his visit to Australia's Northern Territory.

According to the Herald Sun, insurance company TIO issued Obama the standard policy - a cover note carrying a photograph of a saltwater croc with the promise to pay $50,000 in the event of a fatal attack.

Chief executive Richard Harding was reported as saying the insurance policy had been framed and would be presented to the President during his visit to Darwin on Thursday.

He said the policy was a "unique product for a unique environment". <<< Great messaging that!

The Northern Territory News quoted Harding: "We're excited to be issuing one of these policies for President Obama as a memento of his time in the Territory."

And now the kicker (in case anyone thinks President Obama actually requested the croc insurance!):

TIO has been selling the $10 cover for 23 years - but President Obama will get his for free. <<< Of course he will - more great messaging :)

Great opportunistic stunt that cost virtually nothing (unless the Prez gets savaged by a crazed crocodile) except for possibly getting a press release drafted and issued on the wires. 

Yet TIO has managed to get itself mentioned in over 100 articles, not to mention all the chatter on radio and throughout social media channels.

Goes to show - sometimes the simplest ideas are often the best when it comes to getting people talking about your brand.

The New Rules of Relationship Marketing

One of the highlights for me at BlogWorld LA 2011 was Mari Smith’s presentation on the new rules of relationship marketing.

I have just started reading her newly-released book of the same name – stay tuned for a review; in the meantime, here’s the thrust of Mari’s philosophy of marketing in today’s socially connected world.

Traditional marketing is about the sale, while relationship marketing is about making people want to do business with you person-to-person.

“It’s about relationships, not the medium,” she says.

Mari's four cornerstone tips are:

1. Focus on building a quality community.
2. Generate quality content – this includes being excellent in curating content: each day, cherry-pick relevant, interesting content.
3. Be consistent with brand across all of your social channels.
4. Be genuine, passionate and caring (Mari gave the example of Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Crush It and The Thankyou Economy).

PICTURED: Mari & the Warrior

Other tips included:

• Turn fans/friends/followers into paying customers by having clear offers and calls-to-action.
• Maintain the same style in everything you do, whether it’s personal or professional.
• Create a promotional calendar first interspersed with editorial in between the marketing blocks (she gave the example of Social Media Examiner and how it has only a handful of promotional chunks during the year; the rest of the time it’s all about quality free content.
• Make people want you - give away your best stuff!
• Integrate offline to optimize online.
• Embrace sharing of your content online.

If this topic is of interest to you, check out Mari's new book - The New Relationship Marketing: How to build a large, loyal, profitable network using the social web.

 

The World According to Peter Shankman

One of the better presentations (and there were many) at BlogWorld Los Angeles 2011 was Peter Shankman’s keynote.

Shankman (below) is best known as the founder of an online service called HARO (‘Help A Reporter Out’).

He is an absolute showman, but at his heart he’s an entrepreneur who intuitively understands PR and marketing in today’s hyper-connected social age.

Here are some of the tips Shankman dangled in front of the packed BlogWorld crowd.

• Everyone talks about having a back-up plan for when you fail. Shankman, however, suggests having a back-up plan for when you succeed and your business idea goes viral.
• “You don’t control the direction of your company - your customers do” ... “Shut the hell up and listen to your audience.”
•  “If you screw up, own it!” – be transparent, say you’ve screwed up and say how you’re going to fix the situation.
• “Having an audience is a privilege, not a right” (be relevant!).
• Ring your personal and business contacts on a regular basis simply to say "hi"; ask them how they’re going, what they're up to – you’ll be surprised how such actions can lead to business opportunities.
• Break out of your comfort zone – “eat your fear”.
• Do something so great that people will sit up and take notice and start talking positively about you and your brand.

Click here for more details about Shankman’s book - CUSTOMER SERVICE: NEW RULES FOR A SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

 

‘There’s Magic in Them There (Google+) Hills’

Although only a few months old, the Google+ social network has won a couple of heavy hitting fans in the form of Chris Brogan and Guy Kawasaki.

Speaking in tandem at last week’s BlogWorld 2011 in Los Angeles, both Brogan and Kawasaki enthused about the potential of Google+ for business.

In answering the inevitable comparison between Google+ and Facebook, Kawasaki said Facebook was for friends and family while Google+ was all about new relationships built on shared passions.

Under criticism

Kawasaki, who often comes under criticism for using Twitter as an automated ‘push’ medium (not that he gives a stuff either!), said he used Google+ to engage manually with people.

He said Google+ systematically led to greater engagement.

“With social media there’s no right or wrong, just what works for you.”

He uses Google+ for marketing purposes but you first have to earn the right to promote your brand.

PIC: That's Chris Brogan on the right on the stage, with Guy Kawasaki

Get in early

Brogan was just as effusive about Google+, advising business to get in early – “there’s magic in them there hills”.

He said Google+ content was indexed by Google straight away, which was a good reason to get involved from a business perspective.

Brogan also likes the fact that with Google+ you can orient and gather people in various ‘circles’ – “segment and target your feeds”, he said.

But I think the last word should go to Guy Kawasaki, who offered up this gem of a quote:

“Google+ is to Facebook what Mac is to Windows.”

 As Ari Gold would say: "BOOOOOM!"

(Recommended further reading via Right Mix Marketing)

My Video Interview with Brian Solis at PR Directions 2011

At the recent Public Relations Institute of Australia’s PR Directions national conference in Sydney I had the opportunity to catch up with best-selling author and renowned new media thinker Brian Solis following his opening keynote address.

I wrote about the presentation here: Brian Solis on Branded Journalism and the 'Connected Consumer'.

The video was shot by Burning House Productions on behalf of the PRIA. 

The One Big Thing I Learned at BlogWorld LA 2011

It's the day after the BlogWorld LA 2011 conference finished and I'm sitting in my hotel room at the Sheraton in Downtown Los Angeles.

The three-day event was a big one, attracting thousands of bloggers from around the globe and featuring over 300 speakers, many of whom are the biggest names in the world of social media and blogging.

I'm going to let a lot of the information and ideas I took in at BlogWorld to percolate over the next few days, but my biggest and most profound take-out after listening to numerous presentations and panel sessions, from chatting with other attendees and checking out the expo section of the conference, is this: 

The days when bloggers are confined to their small-time blog and wafer-thin audience are over.

Of course you will always have bloggers who for one reason or another want to keep things small and casual. Some of these may grow in influence over time but by and large they will remain sideline 'passion' projects only.

New Media Mini-Empires

However, for the ambitious entrepreneurial blogger, the content creation tools and social networks are well and truly in place to help them form and grow 'new media' mini-empires.

A growing number of individuals are already proving it can be done, and they in turn are inspiring thousands of others to follow in their footsteps.

Talented writers, performers, broadcasters, experts and commentators are no longer waiting for traditional media to pick them up. They are literally going out and doing it themselves, and audiences are catching on quickly and jumping on-board.

In short, this spells a new era for 'pro-am' content creators, and it's set to explode.

Watch this space!