Social web interaction of the past revolved around website and blog comment sections. Has such interaction diminished with the “like” button? With information readily available and quickly dispersed globally throughout the internet sphere, how can companies keep consumers engaged within their own domain? Communities have now become wide spread with the introduction of sites such as Facebook, Twitter and now Google+ vying for a piece of the valuable social pie. Businesses have had to re-think their web strategy to include these popular and valuable sites to their brand, even though it can ultimately take customers away from their website. Though providing relevant content to multiple social avenues is beneficial to your brand, your business and your web traffic, engaging the customer with human interaction and conversation is still crucial to achieve maximum results. Bring to the table as much fresh and original content as possible, with multiple, cohesive platforms to spark that all important online conversation. To learn more about our multi-faceted marketing approach, visit http://fbpage.rsmktg.com.
Content vs. Community: How Online Publishers Can Nurture Both
by Jordan Kretchmer on Mashable.com
The last five years of web innovation heralded a frenzy of shiny new products that provided people with fresh ways to interact. Simultaneously, the amount of content produced sky-rocketed, with more compelling material than ever before.
However, the past decade hasn’t fostered thoughtful interaction between that content and its consumers. It could be argued that the now-ubiquitous “like” button has replaced thoughtful participation and diminished the relevance of actual conversation. As a result, publishers and bloggers of all sizes are constantly bleeding site content to social channels in order to encourage crucial engagement and interaction outside of their homepages.
As publishers continue to rely on the outside social web to foster their communities, they often witness dire consequences. Sites have experienced a dramatic decrease in core metrics and a dispersion of their most passionate community members. As a result, publishers are placing a higher value on keeping their readers engaged within their own walls.
Ultimately, we’ve been offered the opportunity to completely rethink the passive “comment sections” of the past. Today, the comment section provides a tool to build community engagement around a publisher. The trick is not to think about comments in terms of five years ago. The game has changed, and savvy publishers will also alter their approach to match the new community landscape.
Engagement is About Humans, Not Clicks
Let’s face it: Content is becoming commoditized. Within minutes of any event, identical information can be found on thousands of sites around the web. There are only two ways that publishers can keep their edge in this environment: 1) build a strong editorial point of view; and 2) awaken a passionate community.
Nothing provides a better backdrop for conversation than inspired content that sparks community interaction, specifically in the comment section.
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