Here’s a brief interview with FIOS1 about social networking.

Last Wednesday’s train ride to DC was bumpier than usual, it breezed through the Philadelphia 30th Street Station when I decided to call my friend and journalist/writer/managing editor of TheDefendersonline.com and all around gal TaRess Stoval.  We chatted about my morning status update on facebook to which she replied, and then she asked me about my trip to the Capital. I told her I was basically heading there in search of business. I told her that I will also to talk to anyone who will listen to me yap about how build their social networking strategy through content distribution (as part of a larger marketing communications plan of course).  “Yeah, content is the new currency,” TaRessa hollered into my ear piece.  “You know what, that’s the title of my next blog, I’m stealing that..yeah, that’s right content is the new currency,” I replied.  So, now that I’ve given proper props, I’m taking it a step further, content and content distribution is the new currency. Here are three simple, but key thoughts…

Websites Are About As Obsolete Typewriters

Businesses put up websites, people engage in social networking. The Huffington Post, NPR, and some writers like Nick Kristof (who at the time of the writing of this piece has 118,937 fans) of the New York Times, deliver content on their websites, but engage readers on other sites by distributing the same content that’s on their website to other sites like facebook to reach readers, and listeners that would have otherwise would have never visited their website proper.  So clearly, creating content isn’t good enough, strategic distribution is vital.

Relevant Content Engages, And Invites

Businesses of all sizes must recognize that the social networking sites have done the work of aggregation, and now it is their responsibility to work with the golden opportunity in front of them. Frankly, no one cares that you have a website, people care about what they care about, so your business’ relevancy is about them, not you. Why should they join your group or fan your business? What will they get? Prestige? Coupons? Offers? Special content that no one else gets?  Insider scoops? Invitations to special events? Whatever it is, it must be relevant and frequent.  The frequency is important because it shows your network that YOU are engaged with them as well, which adds significantly to your online reputation.

Content Comes in Many Forms

Let’s not forget that Youtube is the world’s largest search engine, so utilizing video can be highly accretive to SEO and SEM. So integrating video, blogs, news articles and other forms of content, as long as it’s relevant, is the way to go.  Again, we’re vying to keep our network engaged through content.

Now, I am going to publish this piece, email it to my network, and share it with my facebook friends…because, content is the new currency!

We all know the profound impact the web has had on advertising of all forms. I won’t even bother to mention stats or insert links to sites that talk about how newspapers, TV and magazine outlets are reeling from the shift to the web. The longstanding, cozy and symbiotic relationship between Madison Avenue and big media has hit a major road-bump (and that’s understatement) with Madison Avenue too slow to adapt, while consumer behavior continues to evolve seemingly as fast, or even faster than technology.

Advertising is down everywhere, at least that’s the story in the media. Which leads me to several observations/questions about another industry that also enjoys a similar relationship as the ad companies with the corporate media…Big PR. If media outlets are loosing market share and going out of business, what is the value of traditional PR? What is the PR world doing about it?

So if magazines and newspapers are thinning out because advertising is down, then pages are down. If pages are down, chances of placing a traditional story follows accordingly, and at the same time, the competition among those trying to place a story on these pages will rise. But again, what’s the value? What is the value of a story, in today’s terms, placed in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Vogue, People, or BusinessWeek, if circulation is down and continues to dwindle? Certainly being associated with national or international media brands has great upside, but what about being associated with a national or international brand with an ever shrinking audience?

Measuring the value of advertising losses or gains is easy. The size and characteristics of an audience is the usual determinant of the value of advertising on a particular outlet. So when audiences shrink, does it still make sense for the large PR firms to rely on their cozy relationships with big media to get placements for their clients. “We’re in the New York Times,” sounds good. By today’s measure, my response is “great, what’s next?”

It’s interesting to hear the bruhaha about advertising’s seeming demise or misfortune’s, but PR hasn’t really caught the attention of the national media, but then again, that may be a good thing for PR. Perhaps the PR guys are so good at this game that they know when to stay out of it or divert attention to the next story. Either way, the silence is deafening, and there’s no message coming from the industry to the business community (unless it’s happening behind the scenes, which is possible but doubtful, because like big ad companies, the big PR guys are still trying to make sense of all this). Remember, the guys who are running the show, the ones with the cozy relationships, have careers and dollars at stake here, so this can’t be a comfortable situation for them because this new reality directly impacts revenue. So nothing is being said, and continuing to sell the same stuff in a new world is a cocoon of comfort. Although, PR would be smart to look at Madison Avenue’s long denial of what was coming - the internet - and learn from its mistakes.

Clearly PR has to adapt it’s methods to deliver value for clients as the media climate and audiences continue to change. And we’ll be watching.

Aug 01, 2009 – Bergenfield, NJ – Dr. Nicholas Bochi, a leading dentist in Bergenfield, New Jersey announced today the launching of the practice’s new website, http://www.BergenSmiles.com, as a key part of a new patient outreach and branding strategy for the Bergen County dentist. Dr. Bochi is one of a few dentists in the United States to have earned the highest degrees and multiple designations in the field. The Bergen Center for Advanced Dentistry continues its commitment to delivering first class dental health services to patients in Bergenfield, the greater Bergen County area, and Northern New Jersey.

“Everyone in our practice is committed to providing both the highest of dental care and excellent service. Our commitment to continuing education means that every patient will have access to the most advanced dental care, every time they walk through our doors,” said Dr. Nicholas Bochi. Dental services include: 24 Hour Emergency Care, Bonding, Bone Augmentation, Bridges, Crowns, Dental Hygiene, Dental implants, Dentures, Family Dentistry, Full Mouth Rehabilitation, Gum Contouring, High Technology Dentistry, Inlays and Onlays, Invisalign, Laser Teeth Whitening, Lumineers, Metal Free Fillings, Mini Implants, Night Guards, Oral Cancer Screening, Over-denture Implants, Periodontic Treatment, Porcelain Veneers, Preventative Treatment, Restorative Treatment, Root Canal Therapy, Sealants, Sinus Augmentation, Smile Enhancement, Smile Imaging, Socket Preservation, Zoom!, Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD), and TMJ Treatment.

Visitors to both the website and the Youtube channel - http://www.youtube.com/BergenSmiles - can also view videos of Dr. Bochi and patients sharing their experience with the Bergen Center for Advanced Dentistry. To learn more visit http://www.bergensmiles.com. The Bergen Center for in Bergenfield, New Jersey 22 North Washington Avenue, Bergenfield, NJ 07621. The office may be reached at 201.384.4454.

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