I would love to hear what you think about how CMS can do better at tracking social!

I think you understand what I am saying here, especially as you just gave another great example by pointing to Scoble. It is just I did not see you emphasize both content and an outreach strategy within your article.

Content Marketing has become a real buzz word in the community recently, and I think it is easy to confuse people with the idea that just making great content within social media is going to lead to success. While developing great content is important, you have to socialize that content. You gave some good examples in your piece, but personally, I think you really left out how to successfully engage people through dialogue within social media.

What you described could in some quarters be seen as a way to use social media as yet another content promotional channel. You appeared to be suggesting that you have to make great content and then spread it around as much as possible, without ever having any intention of engaging people with a dialogue in those other places. Basically it’s just getting back to the old advertising or push model. Don’t get me wrong, I think what you suggest is okay, and it will and definitely can work. And I also know you understand the value of outreach. But I've also seen circumstances where companies and marketers have lost opportunities over time by pursuing just a content only model. Without the follow up and engagement through dialogue we are back to the old ways of marketing, but just in a new channel.

I raise this point not to criticize what you wrote, which was good and valuable content on the topic of creating valuable content! But to provide constructive criticism that you did not emphasize the role of engagement in a good content marketing strategy.

If you look at GM’s FastLane blog, in the early days, GM did not really answer comments or engage customers. The number of comments and I would think volume of traffic probably declined on the blog over time. Once Christopher Barger joined GM from IBM, he used his knowledge and expertise to make sure GM both kept up the volume of good content, but also engaged people on the blog and in the wider community.

When I think of blogs I think there are three types of bloggers, a columnist, a host and an engager. The columnist writes great content, but does not engage people in the comment section, the host writes great content and does engage people on the blog, but not beyond, and the engager writes great content, and monitors the community, comments on other blogs, and writes posts that link to other members of the community.

Writing great content works for all three types of blogger, but the engager in social media will be more successful than the columnist or the host.

I conducted an interview with Cathy Taylor, formerly of AdFreaks from advertising Age, and someone who initiated the AdFreaks blog project. When we interviewed Cathy in 2006 she explained they started the blog to compete with AdRants, but still to that day, AdRants was more competitive in social media, because the bloggers at AdRants do more outreach than AdFreaks.

Content is important, but content and engagement is event better!

The problem is too many people want to skip that content part and go straight to shaking hands. Scoble is nailing engagement because he can point to a long, rich, consistent path of content creation.

Imagine you've just attended two political rallies, the candidates both give good speeches, warmly received by the audience and admiring supporters. One of the candidates immediately leaves to head off for the next rally. The other spends some time shaking heads, even starts an impromptu town hall meeting to reach out to audience members.

Of the two candidates who did a better job of engagement?

John, you are right good content can engage an audience, FDR comes to mind here, but I think if you are discussing social media, you are only telling half the story if you just focus on content.

To engage…well you have to engage. You have to spend some time on benefiting the audience, answering comments, reading what other people have to say, and maybe commenting on other people's blog posts. It is through those interactions that I think you will really engage people and the audience reading your posts.

You cite Robert Scoble in your post, now there's someone who really does a great job engaging his community, using twitter, friendfeed or what other latest and greatest social media technology is available.

Sorry, John, I really have to disagree with you that engagement is solely about content. I think its really about outreach. Yes, as you suggest you can promote your content, but in the end you have to step down from the podium and shake a few hands to win that election.

I know there's a lot more things I myself can do and it all comes down to how much valuable & creative content you put out there as well as how effectively you engage your market. I'm 19 so I've got plenty of time and why not make NOW my time to rise to the top?

Thanks for the reminder!

-Mike S.

This issue has been challenging me for some time.

It's great to see your leadership on the subject. Ultimately it has to be about ideas, not about tricks.

Glad I visited, as usual.
Steve

You and your readers might like our Content Marketing Workbook, a free download from:

http://www.velocitypartners.co.uk/2009/06/09/th...

Thanks.