Internet marketing expert Brian Carter recently recounted a telling exchange with someone at a big public relations firm. The PR guy seemed to think that the value of content marketing is derived solely from the “conversation” it creates.
“I felt like I was talking to a guy whose definition of social media came from 2008,” Carter said. “Conversation is basically comments and reply-tweets. That’s a limited portion of the kind of response we need from people in order to achieve business objectives.”
“In 2012, we need content that gets likes and comments on Facebook so your page remains visible to fans. On Twitter, if you want visibility and clicks, you need a lot of retweets. So, I wouldn’t call that conversation at all. I would call it virality, content that’s good enough to pass on. They’re not necessarily talking about it; they’re passing it on to their contacts.”
The power of social media to stimulate conversation is unprecedented – so much so that it’s tempting to focus only on conversations. Of course, no one in marketing or public relations is shy about creating interest. It’s what we do; and our opportunities have only grown with the advent of social media. But starting conversations can’t be all we do.
As marketers we have to be mindful of what we’re saying. The message has to be the starting point. The message is carried by content and stems from a cohesive marketing strategy. Social media isn’t a strategy, it’s a delivery system – a delivery system for content.
It’s the quality and durability of their content that should motivate marketers more than the direct response received. Great content marketing sets organizations apart. It establishes authority and encourages trust. It builds over time into a compelling case that builds a brand. But it has to be worth passing along.
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Tags: Dallas social media, dallas social media marketing, marketing dallas
