Conversation, Content and Bieber

From the town crier, to megaphones, to the invention of the television, the concept of having a message and then sharing it has existed in some fashion. Broadcasting, as a concept, is basically this same idea. Taking a message and sharing it with a larger group. The actual definition is “to transmit for public use” and clearly this concept can be conferred to the Internet, where producers of content are sharing their message and broadcasting it to others. So how does using the Internet to “broadcast” a message translate to the job of a marketer? To be blunt-- not well. Think of it this way: the Internet has basically made everyone a broadcaster. Someone with a funny baby, a great eyewitness video or a catchy song can become a sensation (see: Charlie bit my finger, the Oakland fight and Justin Bieber) and at the same time, millions of people post something and no one ever sees it. So just broadcasting a message into the Internet ether isn’t going to get you anywhere. The reason Charlie and Bieber worked was they went “viral” and sparked a conversation. This is where the content versus conversation emerges for marketers who are looking to use social media to engage their consumers. It must be a two-way conversation—not just broadcasting a message and hoping for the best.

In hopes of engaging with an audience and eventually finding a relevant foothold, marketers must be able to utilize the messaging and interact with it. Long gone are the days a company can put up a Twitter page and then not respond to questions, comments and solicitations. Companies (and individuals) hoping to be relevant in the social space have to be ready to engage with the consumers they hope to hook. “As conversations are increasingly distributed, everything begins with listening and observing. Doing so, will help identify exactly where relevant discussions are taking place, as well as their scale and frequency…Perhaps most importantly, the process of listening and observing will reveal the cultures of the very communities you may wish to engage” (Solis, 2008). This point by Mr. Solis illustrates that the engagement of the consumer is advantageous for both parties as the consumer gets what they are looking for, and at the same time, the marketer benefits from the exchange of information. Catherine Novak noted a similar point in her look at the conversation versus content discussion when it comes to how important the viral nature of good and relevant content can be. “Users are constantly sending out little bits of information, but the fun really doesn’t start unless those morsels are taken up by someone else and responded to, passed along, or even “liked” (Novak, 2010). The point being that the “fun” Ms. Novak referenced is the core of this argument. Getting information out there isn’t that difficult, (I’m doing it right now!) but finding someone who is willing to take the time to read the work and then engage with it is really the core of this style of communication.

Here is some more Bieber for the masses...

 

References

Novak, C. (2010, July 27). Why conversation, not content, is king. SocialMediaToday.com. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://socialmediatoday.com/wordspring/152636/why-conversation-not-content-king

Solis, B. (2008, August). Introducing the Conversation Prism. PR 2.0. Retrieved June 10, 2012 from http://pdf.edocr.com/248786cc9c0c4e3a29ea813ba548b73bc8035cfb.pdf