April
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30

Content

Better With Video? Think Again...

May 24, 2006

Posted by Phil.Gomes

I've had this conversation a number of times in the past couple of weeks, so it's worth posting here.

I talk a lot about podcasting to a lot of folks. Generally, we're talking about audio programming, here.

Eventually, a brainstorm starts to happen about all of the cool ways that companies can deliver branded and (dare I say it) journalistic-quality content.

Inevitably, one person will pipe up with, "Yeah, this is all great, but why aren't we thinking in terms of video?"

There's a pervasive sense that "Everything is better with video." Typically, these are guys who have watched too much Rocketboom.

I disagree... Different tools for different jobs.

Audio -- digital or analog -- is one of the most democratized forms of media. (More democratized than the printed word, even, since it transcends literacy.) The devices to consume audio are much less sophisticated and less costly than the ones for consuming video, therefore more available.

Video demands a consumer's full attention, whereas audio can be enjoyed while occupied with other things.

When looking to create a quality product, audio is also cheaper to produce.

Sure, there are things that really do deserve the video treatment, but just because you've chosen audio as your medium of choice doesn't mean that you're making something that's somehow less... less... less cool.

Pick the medium based on your goals and the nature of content you'd like to share, not by the perceived "sexiness" of the medium on an arbitrary scale.

Comments (1005) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

posted by Phil.Gomes

Content

Wik-e-commerce

April 21, 2006

Posted by Elizabeth.Lee

Wikis are a popular CGM mechanism online for people to collaborate and co-create. I find wikis interesting bc their outputs are a continuous, organic evolution. While it lets people apply their individual POVs and unique contributions, it stands on a premise that the larger consensus naturally rises to the top and applies a means of quality control.

Wikipedia is one of the most popular online resources on the Internet. It's become a standard "go-to" for definitions and pop culture info. And today, we have a new wiki in our midst - ShopWiki.

We are all well-aware of the numerous product comparison, rating and evaluation sites out there as well as specialty and aggregate search engines that crawl many sites for you. It will be interesting to see how a wiki fairs in the e-commerce game.

My first thoughts: ShopWiki will interestingly allow us to see how consumers classify products in a very quick manner. It's letting consumers take the reigns and push something to the top rather than wait for the back-end of the website to crunch numbers and tell the story. It will also show where consumers could likely go online to purchase. Nonetheless, the overall relative value of watching this behavior depends greatly upon the audience size and level of active participation which is yet to be seen in its beta launch.

I wouldn't yet say "I wish I had thought of that" - but I see this and it reminds me that we've certainly reached a point where it's likely that "it's been done before." The next great ideas are often "old" ideas applied in a unique situation, with a variation, to derive different outcomes and end up having its own allure, value proposition and WOM flair. So it's caught my attention at this point.

Technorati Tags:
cgm, wikis, wom

Comments (527) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

posted by Elizabeth.Lee

Content

Word Of Mouth: Don't Forget The "Word" Part

March 6, 2006

Posted by Phil.Gomes

During her intro talk at the NewComm Forum, Elizabeth Albrycht mentioned that the pace of change and advancement is so dizzying in the so-called "new media" space that it's sometimes difficult — though nevertheless exciting! — to keep up with it all, even when you live-and-breathe this stuff.

It's easy (and very fun) to be compulsively intrigued by, say, the latest tagging mechanism, multimedia-sharing platform, or memefriending service. As communications professionals, it's our job to learn and — insofar as one could claim to do so — master them. I maintain that, as one critical commenter on my blog once said, "we're all in the learning game."

But, in all of this, is our industry in some danger of neglecting the craft of writing? Presentation? Persuasion? Content?

Whether through a WOM program or the much-maligned press release, the marketer's work seeks to persuade. Meta-tags and keyword optimization only increase findability.

Concentrating on findability before taking an intellectually honest look at your content — regardless of the communication channel — puts your audience in an awkward position. It's like running towards a big neon sign that says "Free Vintage Car Here" only to discover that it points to a Corvair.

It's content that makes WOM sing.

Technorati Tags: pr, public relations, wom, word of mouth