To a lot of people first getting involved with online and social media, a lot of it can initially sound like noise (and frankly, some of it, a good deal of it, is).
With all of this chatter around, how does one stand out from the crowd?
By focusing on what you want to accomplish as a business or organization.
A fellow blogger (but in a completely different field, Real Estate; as well as he runs the Great Lakes Investment Fund) has an “axiom” if you will – Activity or Accomplishment?
There are lots of things you can do online to create activity – that’s the simple part. Accomplishment? That’s another story.
Using online to tip the scale from interest to opening wallets is a challenge, but it can be done. How?
Quality and value.
Quality posts, quality podcasts, quality content, that provides value. Always ask yourself the question – if someone comes by, are they going to need this? Is this important?
Look at the leaders in the space you’re in, not just the popular ones but the ones who make money or forward their business with it. Most times, it’s about quality. It’s about the little things (and big things) – hosting things on your own domain, making sure the blog matches the brand and looks professional, podcasts that sound like they’re in a studio (98 of the top 100 are created by professionals, many times in studio situations), making sure your content has a voice and you’re interacting with people in meaningful ways (i.e. no spam).
If you want to be the best, you need to execute like the best. You can take different tacts; you can try new technologies. But it all should be good, if not great. As Seth Godin says in his book, “The Dip,” there is no room for the mediocre or average.
