Byron New Media

Deano Wrote:
Killer headline : Capital content

Recently, someone asked me if I could teach them how to create great content. At first glance, a statement like that seems plausible. There are some core pillars of what makes certain pieces of content compelling in relation to the content that stiffs. On second glance, it's like asking someone to teach you how to write a hit song. That's where things get a little bit fuzzy. While the notion of content as media is nothing new (it's something I was Blogging about back in 2003 and a topic I tackled extensively in my first business book, Six Pixels of Separation), it's amazing how new and fresh this all still is for Marketers who - traditionally - have not had to focus on the role of content creator as a core pillar of their day-to-day business.

What does great content look like?

* Great content is contextual. It's less about how long or short the piece of content is (I often argue that a great piece of content is as long or as short as it needs to be for it to be great) and it's much more about how relevant it is to the consumer's life. Contextual content is completely relevant in the now. In order to achieve this, it's important to think about whether or not you are producing this content to be contextual and relevant or if you're producing this content to sell something. If it's the latter, please understand that it's contextual to you, but probably not so much to the consumer of the content.
* Great content is based on frequency. There is an ongoing debate about how often you update your Blog, Podcast, tweet, post to Facebook, etc... The smart folks will tell you to only post when you have something relevant and contextual to say (note my first bulletpoint above ;). While this is - without question, the best strategy, the truth is that if you don't have something interesting to say on a frequent basis, you may want to reconsider publishing content on your own. Instead, offer up your more infrequent pieces of genius to a place that accepts guest contributors. Heresy, you say? Optically, if someone comes to your space for the first time and sees that the content hasn't been updated in months, it hardly matters how relevant that last piece of content was as it gives off the perception that things are not new and fresh.
* Great content is based on a schedule. There is a big lesson that New Media content producers can learn from traditional media outlets: publish on a schedule. How would you feel if every morning before you woke up, I snuck into your kitchen and moved your coffee maker to a different location... every single day. Something tells me that by day three, you would be making statements like the ones we hear from Michael Corleone when someone crosses him. Publishing relevant content on a frequent basis can only work if you publish on a regular schedule. Always remember this: nobody like to be irregular and human beings are creatures of habit.
* Great content has a voice. What's better: to be the only one covering your space in the industry or to be a unique voice in your space? In a perfect world, it would be to have both of those positions, but the majority of us do not. Is this the only Blog looking at how New Media is changing business and marketing? No. Is this the only Blog covering how New Media is changing business and marketing with my perspective? Yup. Is my "voice" something that is defined? No. It is iterative and evolving. The more I Blog (or Podcast), the more I'm able to find a unique voice and perspective that (hopefully) gains an audience and builds a community over time.
* Great content gets shared. I love Social Media because it keeps me very humble. Prior to Blogging, I would pitch an Editor on a story idea. If they bought it, the article would get published in a brand name magazine. Regardless of the quality of the content, my job was done. By simply having a byline in that magazine, the content was immediately given a level of credibility. With a Blog? Not so much. There are times where I will write a Blog post that makes me smile from ear to ear. I hit the publish button, I tweet about it and all I get back is the digital equivalent of tumbleweeds. Nothing happens. There are other times, when a post gets published and it gets tweeted about, garners a lot of comments, gets Blogged about and beyond. The bottom line: great content gets shared. Even with a small audience, it's possible for a piece of content to go "viral." And the best stuff does get linked to, tweeted about and shared in places like Facebook and Google +. It's humbling to know (in near-real-time) what people truly like and don't connect with based on how it gets shared.
* Great content is open to discourse. Great content is the subject of discourse (I Blogged about this recently here: The Me Media). Great content acts as either the place where discourse can be held or the catalyst that brings the discourse to the masses. The best content is not the pieces of content with a lot of comments. The best content is the one that acts like a mother giving birth to many other different and varied pieces of opinions that proliferate throughout the online channels in many different formats and in many different places. This doesn't mean that one should create content simply to create discourse, but it does mean that great content will, inherently, be something that people will want to discuss, debate and dissect.

With all of that, always remember that there are exceptions to every rule.

Some of the most compelling content doesn't come out frequently or regularly. Some of the best content doesn't brim to the top of the online zeitgeist. Those exceptions are gems, but they do happen even if they are rare. If you're still struggling with content and what this all means in the context of your business and how it works within these New Media channels, you may want to read the book, Content Rules, by C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley for more of a deep-dive (the book came out in late 2010 and is still very-much relevant to how businesses can create compelling content in New Media).

In the meantime, what do you think it takes to create great content?

Tags: ann handley blog blogging business business book cc chapman content content marketing content rules content strategy discourse editor facebook google plus great content magazine marketer marketing media new media online channel podcast publishing social media the me media traditional media twitter"I know it when I see it."

Recently, someone asked me if I could teach them how to create great content. At first glance, a statement like that seems plausible. There are some core pillars of what makes certain pieces of content compelling in relation to the content that stiffs. On second glance, it's like asking someone to teach you how to write a hit song. That's where things get a little bit fuzzy. While the notion of content as media is nothing new (it's something I was Blogging about back in 2003 and a topic I tackled extensively in my first business book, Six Pixels of Separation), it's amazing how new and fresh this all still is for Marketers who - traditionally - have not had to focus on the role of content creator as a core pillar of their day-to-day business.

What does great content look like?

* Great content is contextual. It's less about how long or short the piece of content is (I often argue that a great piece of content is as long or as short as it needs to be for it to be great) and it's much more about how relevant it is to the consumer's life. Contextual content is completely relevant in the now. In order to achieve this, it's important to think about whether or not you are producing this content to be contextual and relevant or if you're producing this content to sell something. If it's the latter, please understand that it's contextual to you, but probably not so much to the consumer of the content.
* Great content is based on frequency. There is an ongoing debate about how often you update your Blog, Podcast, tweet, post to Facebook, etc... The smart folks will tell you to only post when you have something relevant and contextual to say (note my first bulletpoint above ;). While this is - without question, the best strategy, the truth is that if you don't have something interesting to say on a frequent basis, you may want to reconsider publishing content on your own. Instead, offer up your more infrequent pieces of genius to a place that accepts guest contributors. Heresy, you say? Optically, if someone comes to your space for the first time and sees that the content hasn't been updated in months, it hardly matters how relevant that last piece of content was as it gives off the perception that things are not new and fresh.
* Great content is based on a schedule. There is a big lesson that New Media content producers can learn from traditional media outlets: publish on a schedule. How would you feel if every morning before you woke up, I snuck into your kitchen and moved your coffee maker to a different location... every single day. Something tells me that by day three, you would be making statements like the ones we hear from Michael Corleone when someone crosses him. Publishing relevant content on a frequent basis can only work if you publish on a regular schedule. Always remember this: nobody like to be irregular and human beings are creatures of habit.
* Great content has a voice. What's better: to be the only one covering your space in the industry or to be a unique voice in your space? In a perfect world, it would be to have both of those positions, but the majority of us do not. Is this the only Blog looking at how New Media is changing business and marketing? No. Is this the only Blog covering how New Media is changing business and marketing with my perspective? Yup. Is my "voice" something that is defined? No. It is iterative and evolving. The more I Blog (or Podcast), the more I'm able to find a unique voice and perspective that (hopefully) gains an audience and builds a community over time.
* Great content gets shared. I love Social Media because it keeps me very humble. Prior to Blogging, I would pitch an Editor on a story idea. If they bought it, the article would get published in a brand name magazine. Regardless of the quality of the content, my job was done. By simply having a byline in that magazine, the content was immediately given a level of credibility. With a Blog? Not so much. There are times where I will write a Blog post that makes me smile from ear to ear. I hit the publish button, I tweet about it and all I get back is the digital equivalent of tumbleweeds. Nothing happens. There are other times, when a post gets published and it gets tweeted about, garners a lot of comments, gets Blogged about and beyond. The bottom line: great content gets shared. Even with a small audience, it's possible for a piece of content to go "viral." And the best stuff does get linked to, tweeted about and shared in places like Facebook and Google +. It's humbling to know (in near-real-time) what people truly like and don't connect with based on how it gets shared.
* Great content is open to discourse. Great content is the subject of discourse (I Blogged about this recently here: The Me Media). Great content acts as either the place where discourse can be held or the catalyst that brings the discourse to the masses. The best content is not the pieces of content with a lot of comments. The best content is the one that acts like a mother giving birth to many other different and varied pieces of opinions that proliferate throughout the online channels in many different formats and in many different places. This doesn't mean that one should create content simply to create discourse, but it does mean that great content will, inherently, be something that people will want to discuss, debate and dissect.

With all of that, always remember that there are exceptions to every rule.

Some of the most compelling content doesn't come out frequently or regularly. Some of the best content doesn't brim to the top of the online zeitgeist. Those exceptions are gems, but they do happen even if they are rare. If you're still struggling with content and what this all means in the context of your business and how it works within these New Media channels, you may want to read the book, Content Rules, by C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley for more of a deep-dive (the book came out in late 2010 and is still very-much relevant to how businesses can create compelling content in New Media).

In the meantime, what do you think it takes to create great content?

Tags: ann handley blog blogging business business book cc chapman content content marketing content rules content strategy discourse editor facebook google plus great content magazine marketer marketing media new media online channel podcast publishing social media the me media traditional media twitter

Original Link: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TwistImage/~3/TT8fSFGOzeM/

Deano Wrote:
Killer headline: killer content.

Recently, someone asked me if I could teach them how to create great content. At first glance, a statement like that seems plausible. There are some core pillars of what makes certain pieces of content compelling in relation to the content that stiffs. On second glance, it's like asking someone to teach you how to write a hit song. That's where things get a little bit fuzzy. While the notion of content as media is nothing new (it's something I was Blogging about back in 2003 and a topic I tackled extensively in my first business book, Six Pixels of Separation), it's amazing how new and fresh this all still is for Marketers who - traditionally - have not had to focus on the role of content creator as a core pillar of their day-to-day business.

What does great content look like?

* Great content is contextual. It's less about how long or short the piece of content is (I often argue that a great piece of content is as long or as short as it needs to be for it to be great) and it's much more about how relevant it is to the consumer's life. Contextual content is completely relevant in the now. In order to achieve this, it's important to think about whether or not you are producing this content to be contextual and relevant or if you're producing this content to sell something. If it's the latter, please understand that it's contextual to you, but probably not so much to the consumer of the content.
* Great content is based on frequency. There is an ongoing debate about how often you update your Blog, Podcast, tweet, post to Facebook, etc... The smart folks will tell you to only post when you have something relevant and contextual to say (note my first bulletpoint above ;). While this is - without question, the best strategy, the truth is that if you don't have something interesting to say on a frequent basis, you may want to reconsider publishing content on your own. Instead, offer up your more infrequent pieces of genius to a place that accepts guest contributors. Heresy, you say? Optically, if someone comes to your space for the first time and sees that the content hasn't been updated in months, it hardly matters how relevant that last piece of content was as it gives off the perception that things are not new and fresh.
* Great content is based on a schedule. There is a big lesson that New Media content producers can learn from traditional media outlets: publish on a schedule. How would you feel if every morning before you woke up, I snuck into your kitchen and moved your coffee maker to a different location... every single day. Something tells me that by day three, you would be making statements like the ones we hear from Michael Corleone when someone crosses him. Publishing relevant content on a frequent basis can only work if you publish on a regular schedule. Always remember this: nobody like to be irregular and human beings are creatures of habit.
* Great content has a voice. What's better: to be the only one covering your space in the industry or to be a unique voice in your space? In a perfect world, it would be to have both of those positions, but the majority of us do not. Is this the only Blog looking at how New Media is changing business and marketing? No. Is this the only Blog covering how New Media is changing business and marketing with my perspective? Yup. Is my "voice" something that is defined? No. It is iterative and evolving. The more I Blog (or Podcast), the more I'm able to find a unique voice and perspective that (hopefully) gains an audience and builds a community over time.
* Great content gets shared. I love Social Media because it keeps me very humble. Prior to Blogging, I would pitch an Editor on a story idea. If they bought it, the article would get published in a brand name magazine. Regardless of the quality of the content, my job was done. By simply having a byline in that magazine, the content was immediately given a level of credibility. With a Blog? Not so much. There are times where I will write a Blog post that makes me smile from ear to ear. I hit the publish button, I tweet about it and all I get back is the digital equivalent of tumbleweeds. Nothing happens. There are other times, when a post gets published and it gets tweeted about, garners a lot of comments, gets Blogged about and beyond. The bottom line: great content gets shared. Even with a small audience, it's possible for a piece of content to go "viral." And the best stuff does get linked to, tweeted about and shared in places like Facebook and Google +. It's humbling to know (in near-real-time) what people truly like and don't connect with based on how it gets shared.
* Great content is open to discourse. Great content is the subject of discourse (I Blogged about this recently here: The Me Media). Great content acts as either the place where discourse can be held or the catalyst that brings the discourse to the masses. The best content is not the pieces of content with a lot of comments. The best content is the one that acts like a mother giving birth to many other different and varied pieces of opinions that proliferate throughout the online channels in many different formats and in many different places. This doesn't mean that one should create content simply to create discourse, but it does mean that great content will, inherently, be something that people will want to discuss, debate and dissect.

With all of that, always remember that there are exceptions to every rule.

Some of the most compelling content doesn't come out frequently or regularly. Some of the best content doesn't brim to the top of the online zeitgeist. Those exceptions are gems, but they do happen even if they are rare. If you're still struggling with content and what this all means in the context of your business and how it works within these New Media channels, you may want to read the book, Content Rules, by C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley for more of a deep-dive (the book came out in late 2010 and is still very-much relevant to how businesses can create compelling content in New Media).

In the meantime, what do you think it takes to create great content?

Tags: ann handley blog blogging business business book cc chapman content content marketing content rules content strategy discourse editor facebook google plus great content magazine marketer marketing media new media online channel podcast publishing social media the me media traditional media twitter"I know it when I see it."

Recently, someone asked me if I could teach them how to create great content. At first glance, a statement like that seems plausible. There are some core pillars of what makes certain pieces of content compelling in relation to the content that stiffs. On second glance, it's like asking someone to teach you how to write a hit song. That's where things get a little bit fuzzy. While the notion of content as media is nothing new (it's something I was Blogging about back in 2003 and a topic I tackled extensively in my first business book, Six Pixels of Separation), it's amazing how new and fresh this all still is for Marketers who - traditionally - have not had to focus on the role of content creator as a core pillar of their day-to-day business.

What does great content look like?

* Great content is contextual. It's less about how long or short the piece of content is (I often argue that a great piece of content is as long or as short as it needs to be for it to be great) and it's much more about how relevant it is to the consumer's life. Contextual content is completely relevant in the now. In order to achieve this, it's important to think about whether or not you are producing this content to be contextual and relevant or if you're producing this content to sell something. If it's the latter, please understand that it's contextual to you, but probably not so much to the consumer of the content.
* Great content is based on frequency. There is an ongoing debate about how often you update your Blog, Podcast, tweet, post to Facebook, etc... The smart folks will tell you to only post when you have something relevant and contextual to say (note my first bulletpoint above ;). While this is - without question, the best strategy, the truth is that if you don't have something interesting to say on a frequent basis, you may want to reconsider publishing content on your own. Instead, offer up your more infrequent pieces of genius to a place that accepts guest contributors. Heresy, you say? Optically, if someone comes to your space for the first time and sees that the content hasn't been updated in months, it hardly matters how relevant that last piece of content was as it gives off the perception that things are not new and fresh.
* Great content is based on a schedule. There is a big lesson that New Media content producers can learn from traditional media outlets: publish on a schedule. How would you feel if every morning before you woke up, I snuck into your kitchen and moved your coffee maker to a different location... every single day. Something tells me that by day three, you would be making statements like the ones we hear from Michael Corleone when someone crosses him. Publishing relevant content on a frequent basis can only work if you publish on a regular schedule. Always remember this: nobody like to be irregular and human beings are creatures of habit.
* Great content has a voice. What's better: to be the only one covering your space in the industry or to be a unique voice in your space? In a perfect world, it would be to have both of those positions, but the majority of us do not. Is this the only Blog looking at how New Media is changing business and marketing? No. Is this the only Blog covering how New Media is changing business and marketing with my perspective? Yup. Is my "voice" something that is defined? No. It is iterative and evolving. The more I Blog (or Podcast), the more I'm able to find a unique voice and perspective that (hopefully) gains an audience and builds a community over time.
* Great content gets shared. I love Social Media because it keeps me very humble. Prior to Blogging, I would pitch an Editor on a story idea. If they bought it, the article would get published in a brand name magazine. Regardless of the quality of the content, my job was done. By simply having a byline in that magazine, the content was immediately given a level of credibility. With a Blog? Not so much. There are times where I will write a Blog post that makes me smile from ear to ear. I hit the publish button, I tweet about it and all I get back is the digital equivalent of tumbleweeds. Nothing happens. There are other times, when a post gets published and it gets tweeted about, garners a lot of comments, gets Blogged about and beyond. The bottom line: great content gets shared. Even with a small audience, it's possible for a piece of content to go "viral." And the best stuff does get linked to, tweeted about and shared in places like Facebook and Google +. It's humbling to know (in near-real-time) what people truly like and don't connect with based on how it gets shared.
* Great content is open to discourse. Great content is the subject of discourse (I Blogged about this recently here: The Me Media). Great content acts as either the place where discourse can be held or the catalyst that brings the discourse to the masses. The best content is not the pieces of content with a lot of comments. The best content is the one that acts like a mother giving birth to many other different and varied pieces of opinions that proliferate throughout the online channels in many different formats and in many different places. This doesn't mean that one should create content simply to create discourse, but it does mean that great content will, inherently, be something that people will want to discuss, debate and dissect.

With all of that, always remember that there are exceptions to every rule.

Some of the most compelling content doesn't come out frequently or regularly. Some of the best content doesn't brim to the top of the online zeitgeist. Those exceptions are gems, but they do happen even if they are rare. If you're still struggling with content and what this all means in the context of your business and how it works within these New Media channels, you may want to read the book, Content Rules, by C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley for more of a deep-dive (the book came out in late 2010 and is still very-much relevant to how businesses can create compelling content in New Media).

In the meantime, what do you think it takes to create great content?

Tags: ann handley blog blogging business business book cc chapman content content marketing content rules content strategy discourse editor facebook google plus great content magazine marketer marketing media new media online channel podcast publishing social media the me media traditional media twitter

Original Link: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TwistImage/~3/TT8fSFGOzeM/

There have been rumours swirling that Microsoft is working on a Social network after part of the platform was accidentally published. However a Google Plus post by Robert Scoble has the rumour mill churning again.

Watch this space, there are some seesmic shifts taking place.

Opportunity is everywhere, however profitable opportunity is consistently found in two places.

Good news for the agile.

This means that the budding entrepreneur has to be smarter and work faster than ever before if they want to launch and/or exploit an opportunity and embed it in the market-place. It also means that they will need to work within a narrow, but potentially deep, niche that larger competitors have ignored or haven’t discovered yet.

This leads inevitably to two places where all the best opportunities are:

• Sectors or niches where customers are being over-charged.

• Sectors or niches where customers are being under-served.

The best opportunities may sit at the intersection point of the two.

Full Article at Uncluttered White Spaces

(via Instapaper)

It’s no secret we have been more and more enamoured with Tumblr, it’s not just the numbers (which are compelling it’s the ease of us. We’re not the only ones who think so, check out this quote from Rick Sanchez

That’s where Tumblr comes in.

It’s what Goldilocks would call, “just right.” It’s not a full-blown blog and it’s not a one-sentence message service. It is, as Steve Rubel noted last week, a “hybrid,” a platform that is “…a social >network for both original and curated content… longer than a tweet and often more visual in nature.”

And that’s what makes it the newest and potentially one of the best tools that journalists now have.

In a month where Facebook may have lost as many as 6 million users in the US, and Tumblr — with now over 20 million blogs — >[surpassed wordpress.com in size], Tumblr is about to hit the >critical mass necessary to make it useful as a platform to broadcast and receive news.

If you’re not yet using Tumblr, check it out. Maybe start with searching terms that realate to your niche, market or industry, have a look at what people are talking about. If you are we’d be honoured if you’d follow us on Tumblr

We have been coaching and consulting to big organisations, small organisations and soloprenuers to develop Social strategy for a decade.

In 2006 the "Web 2.0" changed our business, we needed to respond to the new opportunities that were being created by blogging, podcasting and online video as we helped our clients engage community.

In 2009 Social Media changed our business again from a Social and Community Engagement Strategy focus to being more about media. In 2011 with the widespread uptake of New Media, it feels like the falvour of how we serve has changed ever so slightly again. In 2011 your community is online and making media, your competitors are online and making media.

In 2011 community and media aren't the challenge. This year community (Social) and media (Social Media) are changing the business landscape

Kaushal Sarda - Enterprise 2.0: Designing a Social Business - interop Mumbai 2009

Tumblr Enjoyment* by hunsonisgroovy, on Flickr

The benefits of marketing on Facebook have become almost impossible to ignore. However what should we do when fans go bad? Here is an excerpt from a handy article on dealing with negative and inappropriate behavior on Facebook.

If someone is posting comments that you find to be offensive or lewd, you can block them. You can also let that person know that you did not appreciate their distasteful comment by using the report links and choosing “I don’t like this post.” Or you could opt to send a message directly to your friend and request that they remove the posting.

Bullying, Intimidation And Harassment

If things are more annoying than simply inappropriate comments, never fear. There are three things you can do to drop kick that menace: unfriend, block and report

Take that pest off your Facebook site by unfriending the person. Next, go to your privacy settings and block that annoyance from peeking at any information about you, including posts and updates.

Finally, report that abuser to the Facebook powers-that-be by going to the help section at the bottom right of your page. There you will find info on how to report everything that offends you from an event, to a posting, to a message.

If the Facebook team finds that the info does in fact violate the site’s terms, the content will be removed and subjected to, in some cases, legal or some other action.

Pornography And Perverts

If someone sent you a lewd picture that just unnerved you ,know that you can put an end to that creep’s shenanigans by reporting him. Any photo that is found to violate Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities governing the relationship with Facebook users can be subjected to deletion. And if there’s anything illegal about the activity, it will get reported to the proper authorities.

Terrorist Activity

If you’ve been receiving material that promotes or raises funds for a known terrorist organization, put an end to the negative proselytizing by reporting the source. Facebook with law enforcement in order to ensure that its users are enjoying the social site in a safe and unmenacing atmosphere.

Don’t Hesitate To Take Action

Don’t think twice about ending any abusive behavior that is directed to you on Facebook. Whether you choose to use the personal controls that the site offers you — such as blocking, hiding or even unfriending — or you chose to go the full route by reporting the offensive actions, Facebook believes that safety is a shared responsibility.

All reports are strictly confidential. The people you report won’t know that they’ve been reported by a user like yourself. After you submit a report, Facebook will investigate the complaint and determine whether the content should be removed based on the site’s terms.  Facebook has provided you, the user with all of the tools you need in order to make the best decision to keep your Facebook experience a safe and happy one.

Original Article

How To Deal With Jerks On Facebook
http://www.allfacebook.com/how-to-deal-with-jerks-on-facebook-2011-06

(via Instapaper)