“Show me the content!” asks Jol Cr in response to our announcement yesterday on the launch of Blogging Planet.
He refers to this text in the description of the corporate consulting services that Blogging Planet offers:
[…] it is the medium – the network you build – that matters, not the message – the content.
I would argue that good content is still key to create a good network.
We have no disagreement here, Jol. Content is paramount – we are not suggesting that you ignore it, as Elizabeth said in her comment to your post.
What we are saying is this.
While compelling content is key in all communication (not only with new channels like blogs), it is just one of the means by which you build connections.
We believe that this focus only on content prevents you from seeing the more important issue – the value derived through the creation, maintenance and use of a powerful network of ongoing conversations amongst the widest possible audience, all of which provides the connections back to your organization.
In other words, it’s the links – the connections – that assume greater importance as part of the goal of creating value from the content through the network you build.
You can have the most compelling content possible, something that’s a joy to read – or watch, or listen to – and enables the reader to gain clear understanding from your message that leads to a desired action. Yet all that is wholly in vain if you don’t also have the connections.
You want people to talk about your content, tell others about it. In this new age of participatory communication, that happens when those people start making connections though blog posts (for example), which can then lead to the creation of a value network.
How does this happen? We have the tools now – trackbacks and RSS feeds in particular – that make it literally a simple point-and-click process.
A case in point for you, Jol – your blog doesn’t accept trackbacks (one of the downsides of Blogger-hosted blogs – you should consider Haloscan for that) so I can’t create a connection to your blog from this post.
This could have been the start of a wonderful relationship 😉
Neville Hobson is the author of the popular NevilleHobson.com blog which focuses on business communication and technology.
Neville is currentlly the VP of New Marketing at Crayon. Visit Neville Hobson’s blog: NevilleHobson.com.
