The “web is dead” linkbait discussions are back, spurred in part by recent IPO news but also by various tech pundits (ironically enough, the discussions started at sites on the open web).

Except I don’t think the open web is going anywhere anytime soon. Even with the proliferation of the modern walled gardens. My opinion is that at this point, it is going to be “and” not “or.” And it makes the most sense to develop a digital strategy that invests in both the open web and in other people’s platforms in such a way that is designed to meet outcomes (vs. just being trendy).

I was going to comment on a few of the threads floating around to bring my perspective, yet again, to the whole “web is dead” meme. Seth Godin actually did a great job of this ages ago.

But I had some new thoughts so decided to put them in one place on why the future is bright for the open web:

Media companies (modern and traditional) are not just going to abandon their sovereignty

The web enables true independence for both emerging and traditional media companies. It allows them freedom as it serves as a home base that plugs into other platforms (open and closed) and enables robust distribution (search, social, email, RSS). It also allows monetization in creative ways without restriction. It doesn’t make sense for these brands to completely yield their presence to the stream or a closed platform. Ask the Huffington Post, CNN, Techdirt or even The Oatmeal to abandon their sites and they’d look at you like you’re crazy. Besides, there exists a robust set of tools to integrate sites with different platforms: setup correctly, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Serious artists / content creators use both corporately-owned platforms and independent

We live in a fragmented media world where no one has a monopoly on attention. What this means is that adopting an “and” not “or” mindset is the safest play. Build up multiple platforms of equity and don’t just survive, thrive. If one falls out of favor, no big deal. Even smarter is to experiment, then refine as you go using data. Look at how some of the most successful independent content creators like Darren Rowse and Chris Brogan operate: they’re active on emerging platforms like Google+ and have engaged audiences there. But in addition, they have successful sites which have their own design and personality with a unique community they’ve nurtured for years acting as a hub. They smartly see digital attention is not a winner take all situation and instead of turning their back on some audiences, they take a holistic approach.

Archives still have a lot of value for real people (even if early adopters continue to ignore this)

Remember when Wikipedia was down for one day and so many “regular” (as opposed to us geeks) web users freaked out? The highest value of Wikipedia on any given day is in the archives / tail. Sure, it’s being updated and improved upon but the archival value of information organized and accessible on a global scale, across platforms doesn’t decrease with time. If anything, it increases. This is true in each niche as well. The world benefits from an archive of information as much as what’s new, now. These two dynamics (real-time vs. archives) aren’t in opposition, rather they support each other.

RSS / email are far from dead, they’re actually really useful. Just not “sexy” – but who cares when you can easily use them too?

For sites I manage personally (and for clients) we track RSS / email subscribers in tandem with social / web analytics. They’re certainly not “sexy” for content distribution these days. But why not use them when, at least for sites we market, we see increases in metrics not just from a volume perspective, but consistently high open / read rates from these channels as they’re mechanisms which allow opt in at the source. And so frequently, our brands with high amounts of RSS and email subscribers have built the right type of community for their content to be organically shared across all web platforms.

As a digital marketer and content creator, my professional workstation always beats mobile for real work

A lot of people like to talk about how the landscape for computing is shifting to mobile and somehow this “kills the web.” I don’t see increased use of mobile as something that destroys a full web experience on a desktop, or laptop + high resolution display. While I love the mobile web from a consumption perspective, I do real work while at my workstation, with multiple monitors, in an ergonomically correct space. I vest hours of time in developing digital strategies, analyzing data, creating content, etc. And so a majority of my computing time in a professional sense is in a desktop platform, where the web still shines. It’s the same for others I talk with who do most of their computing while practicing their craft as opposed to simply consuming.

An alternative perspective…

Perhaps the open web is not in opposition to corporately-owned platforms. I’d argue they actually work together, something we see daily with how news is spread, reacted to and remixed / built upon as just one example.

While some continue to cry the sky is falling on the common web, I look at how digital communications have evolved over the years and see those who took a platform agnostic approach embracing an independent presence (along with new outposts that made sense) still here.

Do we really think everyone’s just going to stop creating on channels they own and only participation in other people’s platforms? Why not both?

image credit: Shutterstock

The Open Web (Still) Isn’t Going Away is from The Future Buzz, a Blog Covering Digital Marketing

My friend Gini Dietrich (who we featured in our latest digital marketing blogs list) recently published a post sharing 10 content ideas.  But that’s not actually what I want to talk about today.

I caught this post via her Tweet on the subject, in which she said the post was “for all of you who write content.”

To which I responded: so, everyone then. Gini replied and noted that there are lots of people reading that run businesses, are in real estate, or other industries that “aren’t content related.”

Maybe it doesn’t appear that these people or companies are content related at face value. But in a world where every company is a media company, every business is content related. And that makes every passionate professional, marketer or otherwise, a content creator.

A lot of people pushed back on this concept which we touched on in a previous post titled: if your team hates blogging, you need a new team. Like it or not, that’s the world we live in. Besides, how can anyone hate to create content in a category they are involved in and have commitment to?

Adopting the publisher mindset provides a distinct advantage in the form of content, a currency that builds inbound traffic, helps establish authority, influence and trust as well as positions your company as a premium brand. Not to mention attracting talent, PR value, social shares, alleviating customer service requests, nurturing qualified leads, etc. The list goes on.

Of course, you don’t have to embrace a content-centric approach to the world. But others are going to: whether by known competitors or those you didn’t even consider competition seeking to dominate a category on the web.

Some additional thoughts about being content-centric from my own experiences getting brands to embrace this approach:

Your subject matter experts can speak from an insider perspective

I’ve not only helped countless brands create digital strategies over the years, I’ve worked hands-on with team members (including those outside the marketing areas of an organization) on developing a voice and creating content as part of their jobs. And time and time again, we see subject matter experts providing the highest quality ideas that organically resonate with insiders. Your marketing team members certainly can make this content web-friendlier, but don’t ignore the power of insiders to create content (and, ideally making content a part of their daily process). The right subject matter expert can be as valuable as an entire PR firm.

Don’t just think in terms of blog posts: content could be video, forum discussions, you name it – create, then optimize / re-purpose

Match the appropriate medium to the individual. For example, I previously worked with a CMO who we were never able to get to write a single word of a blog post. We tried video which he was equally reticent against creating with frequency. Then we tried podcasting, which he loved. We couldn’t get him to stop. But we didn’t stop there, we had the audio transcribed, optimized, paired with an image and turned into blog posts. This also accomplished our text-based goals for thought leadership. Get creative with this and extend the life / reach across platforms with what you do get created.

Those with the most passion for what they do participate in industry discussions

Many of my peers (digital natives) who grew up to be business leaders live at the top of  Jacob Nielsen’s participation inequality pyramid. The ones who really cared about what they’re doing were meta-cognitive about their category and created content surrounding it. It was just a natural extension of our lives, so it wasn’t something we thought we “had to do,” we simply did it. It was a joy, not a chore. Find and tap those with passion and content starts to be seen as something they “get to do” vs. “have to do.”

If you’re embracing the notion that every company is a media company, all your team members are media producers (aka content creators)

Limiting content creation to marketing or PR is shortsighted. Sure, one department can own it, but it should also be shared throughout the organization. There is a huge competitive advantage for everyone from customer service, to engineering departments, to the leadership teams creating content. Brands who socialize content creation internally and make it a part of everyone’s job description, whether that job traditionally involved creating content or not, are far better positioned to win their niche.

Educate your clients / company: the captive audience is dead, in a fragmented media world quality content isn’t a “nice to have” …it’s a requirement

No one has a monopoly on attention anymore. And in a world where the captive audience is dead, content is advertising (and advertising is content) as Mike Masnick likes to say. Embrace this notion and flip your communications so quality, valuable content is produced consistently (by marketing and beyond) and you’ll be far better positioned to build an opt-in audience who wants to hear your messages.

If you don’t think you can become content-centric, you’re probably right. You have to want to. But for those who want to it’s entirely possible. Here are some ideas if you think you’re too busy (you’re likely not, you only think it).

I actually think Gini and I are on the same page about this stuff, but I get it, priorities, priorities – perhaps content isn’t at the top of your list. With that said, my personal opinion is this stuff isn’t optional: this is the new world we live in and it’s (past) time to adapt.

image credit: Shutterstock

Get Content-Centric, Or Be Disrupted In Search And Social is from The Future Buzz, a Blog Covering Digital Marketing

We not only have a highly engaged group of smart readers here at The Future Buzz. Beyond that, our community is so passionate about what they do they frequently take time out of their busy day to share thinking with all of us.

If you’re new here (or just happened to miss one one of these) I’d like to share an aggregation of posts our guest bloggers have submitted since we opened the site up to community submissions.

I hope you’ll take the time to read these and connect with the authors as well:

Even the Biggest Brands Need TLC to Avoid Going MIA by Andrew Hanelly

Help Your Team Overcome Procrastination And Finish Projects by Hillary Rettig

Save Your Gut For Food: Embrace Data-Driven Decision Making by Victor Echevarria

Lots Of Traffic, Little Revenue? 5 Ideas To Turn Visitors Into Buyers by Amanda DiSilvestro

The Rise Of The Profersonal In Social Media by Andrew Hanelly

Learning From The Sports Industry Can Help You Win On Twitter by Paulina Singhapok

The Business Of Giving by Lynley Sides

With PR Pros Like This, Who Needs Amateurs? by Jonathan Rick

How Social Technologies Can Smooth The Road To IPO by Deirdre Walsh

4 Reasons To Partner With An Agency For SEO by Justin Champion

10 Tips To Increase Your Productivity by Lior Levin

Three Priceless Innovation Lessons You Can Learn from Google by Joseph Putnam

Don’t Be A Social Media Beggar by John Boitnott

How Startups Can Use Market Research To Avoid Fatal Mistakes by Lev Mazin

How Media Companies Fit Into The Fifth Estate by Geoff Livingston

Innovation Without Imitation Is A Waste Of Time by Dayne Shuda

Why Copying Other Bloggers Is Never Sustainable by Geoff Talbot

Five Dos and Don’ts For Activating Twitter With Events by Kathryn Kilner

An Introduction To How Digital Branding Campaigns Work by Danny Wong

If You Can’t Be The Source, Be The Resource by Andrew Hanelly

Priorities: Curing Social Media Overload by John Boitnott

Why Zuckerberg Rules The Social World by Jeremy Victor

 Niche Blogging Case Study – Ramping Up A New Blog From Scratch by Dayne Shuda

What Basketball Taught Me About PR by Jennifer Kutz

Book Publishers Need To Create More Conversations by Chris Ming Ryan

We only recently started accepting guest bloggers, which makes the quality of people (and their thinking) quite amazing.

And remember, if you ever have ideas you’d like to share with us you’re always free to submit them following our guest blogging process.

image credit: Shutterstock

Learn Digital Marketing From Savvy Future Buzz Guest Bloggers is from The Future Buzz, a Blog Covering Digital Marketing

The web (and marketers in particular) continue to obsess over real-time. It is put on a pedestal by many who fall victim to the trap that they have to see everything new, now or that is only way web communities work.

Of course, this isn’t accurate. Smart professionals across industries I speak with frequently timeshift the real-time web, as they understand the high cost of now.

In many cases real-time is important. Conversations, breaking news and information which provides a significant enough advantage to get sooner is worth playing at the edge to get. It’s even fun.

But in just focusing on what’s new, now, many have forgotten (or in some cases never understood at all) the value of archival, authoritative, and useful content. Or “pillar content” as some call it.

With that said, today I was thinking how some may need a few reminders about the importance of high value archival content:

Some of the most popular sites on the web thrive on archives

Sites like Wikipedia, eHow, Quroa, even YouTube thrive on their archives. It’s not just that this content is found via users seeking something specific in a search engine. That’s extremely important on its own. But beyond that, when discovered, this content is frequently re-shared back into user’s streams as if it’s new, or to provide context into a conversation happening now. The point is this content has a lot of value. But if you’re not vesting the effort to publish and optimize, you can’t tap into it.

High trafficked pages = organic community funnels

If you have high trafficked, archived pages which receive 5,000, 10,000 or even 50,000 organic visitors per month (all possible) a certain percentage will opt in to receive your next updates if (the pages are) optimized for that outcome. Due to the nature of this type of content, it will naturally grow an opt-in community. Now the next time you have something new to share you have expectations will replicate in the petri dish of real-time, you’ll have more activated, interested users taking action. Developing high trafficked pages on your own site is one of the smartest yet ignored tactics on the web today. More social platforms only amplify what should already be a bread and butter tactic in the toolbox of every marketer.

Modern media companies build on their narratives through archives

An extremely frustrating thing for me as a user (and blogger) is when a media company removes a page I’ve linked to without any explanation. It happens again and again, but it’s almost always done by traditional media companies such as newspapers or magazines. They’re not digital first. It makes no sense as these brands are losing link equity and also frustrating me as a user. I have a hard time justifying linking to them again as I think they may take it down. Modern media companies don’t do this, they see their archives as high value from an inbound traffic standpoint. They also understand the opportunity to build on those narratives by updating the page with links to new stories on the subject, highlighting them in future round-ups or otherwise re-imagining that content.

Archival content might not be “sexy” to some, but generates incremental results

Many marketing and PR people like “sexy” ideas. I use the term in quotes as at one point many thought websites with long flash intros were cool (no one else actually thought this except the person creating them). Building up a useful and threaded archives helps your brand build incremental results across search and social (if executed properly). It allows you to bridge the past with the future and provide context for real-time, helping establish trust and leadership. Of course, this is hard work which is why many don’t see this type of content as “sexy.” Maybe it’s not. But it creates a platform where you can generate buzz for creative ideas while also owning your category bit by bit.

Again, I am not denigrating the advantage of being first with information or attempting to win the day’s attention by living at the edge of the stream. There is a ton of opportunity there as smart communications pros like David Meerman Scott point out. But in tandem, work to build assets which have archival value and are a reference point for the rest of the web long term.

image credit: Shutterstock

The Forgotten Value Of Archival Content is from The Future Buzz, a Blog Covering Digital Marketing

Avinash Kaushik, one of my favorite bloggers, recently published an unmissable post titled: The 2015 Digital Marketing Rule Book. Change or Perish.

If you’re an Avinash fan you’ve likely already read it, but if not it’s worth a read (and a bookmark). I wanted to higlight one point he made that should resonate with Future Buzz readers:

Multiplicity: Competencies, Campaigns, Systems, Everything.

This is something we are most unprepared for.

You can no longer be good at just one thing, or two. It is a 10-thing world now (and maybe a 20-thing world soon).

If you are a catalog company you have to be good at catalog marketing (as long as it continues to provide incremental revenue ), and you have to be good at NASCAR (as long as it provides incremental revenue), and you have to be good at Facebook, and you have to be good at email, and search, and YouTube and… a hundred other things. All while constantly optimizing your portfolio via controlled experiments .

You have to be good at sourcing your products and you have to be good at delivering them.

You have to be good at using clickstream and surveys and competitive intelligence and heuristic evaluations.

You have to be good on every device of every screen size in every country with a monetizable audience.

You have to be good at… many things all at the same time. For far too long we’ve been able to be successful by relying on our sheer strength on one thing. Catalog. Paid search. YouTube. Billboards. TV. With every passing day that strategy now ensures we are rejecting tons of revenue and tons of prospective customers.

Avinash’s thinking reinforces the breadth of skills we outlined in the modern marketing and PR pro fluency matrix. But beyond this, it reminds me of a quote from Robert A. Heinlein which we’ve referenced before:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

This quote provides a great analogy for how the modern communications professional should view the specific areas of focus within marketing.

Digital marketing is not new, and in fact is reaching a maturity point for many. It is not too much to ask of your team and partners to have a wide breadth of skills and able to think across platform / tactics to see the bigger picture of a client or brand on the web.

Certainly, you’ll be better at some things than others. The point is to try all of them so at the very least you’re able to effectively make strategic decisions and manage others for execution. Create a sandbox project if you’re limited to what you can do with your company – there really aren’t any excuses.

But if you wait for 2015, you’ll be far too late. In fact, if you’ve waited this long you’re already behind. Make 2012 the year you become more holistic in both your thinking and execution.

image credit: Shutterstock

Broaden Your Digital Skills, Leave Specialization To Insects is from The Future Buzz, a Blog Covering Digital Marketing