The definition of online presence for a business is changing. Until recently, the online mission has been to drive traffic to the website. Search engines, along with specialty destination sites like Craigslist and eBay have been the hubs in the game of connecting two parties to a transaction. Businesses, local and corporate, developed blogs to attract this Google induced traffic. Engagement is logical, linear and direct – search, find, read, buy. An effective web/blog site, often a fast hard pitch, closes the deal.
The social media of course changes the way people search for business opportunity. The social media are essentially a set of ”cloud” applications where engagement – the meeting of two parties to a transaction – starts with checking each other out through their online profile(s). The protocol of social media engagement is beginning to rule out the fast hard pitch, much to the chagrin of the hard sellers. Even the normal practice of pushing traffic to your web/blog site starts becoming obnoxious to those who find you on the social media but are not yet “in the market”.
Businesses now need to develop two-step online strategy to facilitate the eventual deal close. Opportunities will be increasingly sourced from the “cloud” of social media, particularly as Google and the search engines place more focus on real time search of Twitter (Yahoo/Twitter partnership) and Facebook feeds (Google indexing FB business pages). Once opportunities are identified, that’s when business parties focus on the blogs and websites, even LinkedIn, to study the marketing pitch and confirm the decision to do business.
All that promotional collateral that was once the marketing showcase providing the first interaction with a customer is now being scrutinized towards the end of the transaction decision process. Why? Social media engagement with the customer is becoming the criteria for the deal close. Once that test is passed, a cursory check of the website or blog is just due diligence.
I think this is why businesses are slowly weaning away from daily blog article writing. It’s more important for a business blog or website to be substantive and deliver a confident message that seals the deal. Quality becomes more impressive than quantity.
Besides being busy, this is one reason why I allocate more time developing opportunities on the cloud of social media over blog writing. And when I write a blog article now, I’m making sure it says something.
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Pat
I would agree in part. I suspect that this is not an either / or, more a fact of quality and quantity. Each component of a blog needs to be a substantiation of the value of the business. Equally quantity will enhance the chances of being found contextually within the sphere of the subject matter around which you want to be found.
This is the challenge as blogging is time consuming but the ROI is achievable as rather like a pyramid scheme once established a substantial quantity of blog posts continues to deliver leads or valuable references and endorsements – assuming all are written with appropriate quality.
Pat – Since you’re the only person I know that has a proven and measurable revenue model for Twitter, I love having discussions / debates with you about the value of blogging vs social networking.
For the record, I consider you a true expert in the world of social media, online etiquette / engagement and Internet marketing.
So, I’d like to address a few of your points from the perspective of a mortgage / real estate blogger:
>>Engagement is logical, linear and direct – search, find, read, buy.
Logical, is the key word. While people may seek out a referral for an agent or loan officer on LinkedIn and Facebook, I still believe that they do their research on Google.
It’s easy, instant and unbiased.
People buy based on emotion, and use logic to support their decision.
With our industry’s damaged reputation, consumers need proof of why they should trust us. Friends of friends and family members are the ones that got away with screwing consumers during the real estate boom.
>>The protocol of social media engagement is beginning to rule out the fast hard pitch, much to the chagrin of the hard sellers.
Thankfully we’re moving in this direction. But seriously, are there still “hard sellers” surviving online in our industry?
>>Even the normal practice of pushing traffic to your web/blog site starts becoming obnoxious to those who find you on the social media but are not yet “in the market”.
Very true on the obnoxious statement. “Pushing” anyone to your site is a waste of time in this social media “cloud” world we live in, which is what the main concept of your article is about.
However, a well optimized blog article can reach someone online at the precise moment they’re ready to make a buying decision. Basically, creating a message that engages your target audience with the exact conversation they’re already having with themselves develops trust and shows empathy while demonstrating authority.
So, building relationships with people through social networking while they’re in their “research” phase is one strategy. Or, giving people what they want through blogging while they’re in their “buying” phase is another approach.
Social Network Relationshiping vs Search Engine Marketing.
>>Google and the search engines place more focus on real time search of Twitter (Yahoo/Twitter partnership) and Facebook feeds (Google indexing FB business pages).
Maybe, but the difference is that we can build perpetual equity in an online presence that you own through blogging vs FB and Twitter that are ultimately out of our control.
One thing that the search engines haven’t had enough time to test with this new move into real time search is an accurate and measurable system for determining “authority” and trust.
Either way, I’m confident knowing that Matt Cutts still thinks blogging is a good strategy for ranking well on Google. http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-for-bloggers/
>>I think this is why businesses are slowly weaning away from daily blog article writing.
With regards to RE industry bloggers, I believe that most people are moving away from blogging simply because they haven’t seen the ROI that they need to justify their time. Alternatively, they’re finding more short-term value in building relationships on FB and Twitter.
Unless you approach blogging for business with SEO in mind, it will easily end up just being a huge waste of time.
>>Quality becomes more impressive than quantity.
It should have always been this way.
>>And when I write a blog article now, I’m making sure it says something.
Pat – you always say something valuable in your posts, which is why I tell my team of mortgage bloggers to put your online activity at the top of their daily reading list.
Mark,
I’m so pleased you’ve clarified this article with your analysis, and it all makes sense. Blogging is the ideal medium for anchoring online presence, and those who can do it well benefit far more than those who don’t, simply because there is a destination / foundation to direct readers to. Blog content is journalistic, tweets are simplistic sound bites, so content will always win out.
This is the conflict the journalistic mainstream media faces. They leverage valuable journalistic content to build readership whose traffic can sell advertising. The problem they face is simply overhead. Local media is especially challenging because journalistic content sourcing, i.e. paying local reporters, have so far not conclusively demonstrated that there is a local advertising revenue base to support it (and all the experiments trying to do so are being monitored and reported by people like @digidave and @jeffjarvis).
What I really appreciate you doing Mark is leveraging blog content from numerous sources to create a portfolio of syndicated content that will be highly attractive to search engines, and yes capture and match up the parties to a transaction. Very efficient, unique and powerful as a business tool. What we're both doing is leveraging an industry – real estate – whose practitioners require an online presence in the community and will eagerly develop content free to build this presence. It's different from journalistic media; journalists generally need to be paid. For real estate, the online presence and its associated business development benefits is the payoff, and that's why our models work.
Although Google is placing more focus on real time search, it is because they are forced to do so to remain relevant. Having a central repository for the marketing message is vital because this is where the analysis and due diligence happen. I certainly do not discount blogging, I am positing that blogs that were arguably once the principal social media platform in 2008 are now just one of many social media channels.
I especially believe in this truism about blogging:
>>Google and the search engines place more focus on real time search of Twitter (Yahoo/Twitter partnership) and Facebook feeds (Google indexing FB business pages).
Maybe, but the difference is that we can build perpetual equity in an online presence that you own through blogging vs FB and Twitter that are ultimately out of our control.
One thing that the search engines haven’t had enough time to test with this new move into real time search is an accurate and measurable system for determining “authority” and trust.
Either way, I’m confident knowing that Matt Cutts still thinks blogging is a good strategy for ranking well on Google. http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-for-bloggers/
>>Although Google is placing more focus on real time search, it is because they are forced to do so to remain relevant.
Very true. It’s going to be interesting to watch this process evolve. I’m glad you’re on the ball with stuff.
Another thing to consider is that there are different types of searches which satisfy various needs.
“Breaking (city,state) News” vs “(city,state) homes for sale”
I’m finding that I turn to Twitter’s trending topics or my FB news feed to find out what’s happening right now. It’s funny how out of touch I feel when I spend a day or two away from my social networking feeds.
Either way, I always appreciate the conversation. You’re doing a great job proving unique and innovative ways of using social media, and it’s exciting to watch you break through new barriers.
My Local City Blog team is looking forward to integrating your auto-Twitter feed system into our nine projects that are going up this month.