Many sites with great potential end up living up to their expectations.   They utilize the technologies provided them to the utmost using every possible widget, social network, free/paid SEO optimization tricks, and, in some cases, a full on marketing team.  The content they provide is compelling and engaging, and I want to return to the site, because I know each time I’ll learn something new about the brand.

Some used their site to as more of a “Billboard” for their brand, but gave little else in the way of news and information.  A few of these sites fell short when it came to the content on their site; information was disjointed, there was no clear focus, no direction, and what resulted was a bit of a mess.   These sites typically give you a tidbit or two on the brand, ask for little in the way of a call to action and send you on your merry way.

A few of these sites fell short when it came to the content on their site; information was disjointed, there was no clear focus, no direction, and what resulted was a bit of a mess.  There was structure and layout, the opportunity to have a compelling site that urged me to return, but somewhere along the way the content got stale, or the core message was diluted.

There is obviously a spectrum of sites, from great to befuddling.  More times than not a site is defined by content.  What are you trying to say about your brand and how do you convey that message?   What makes a site “sticky” (makes you want to return)?  What makes you want add to the “bounce rate” (get outta there fast!).   Succinctly put, what does your content say about your brand?

The most important function of a site, is less about layout and more about content.  Finding content is extremely important, but you can find someone to assist with where the content pulls into the page.  Once the user has figured out where they’re supposed to look for content; what are you saying?  when did you say it?  how am I supposed to take this information and act upon it?

What: Make sure your messaging is clear and concise.  It needs to keep a consistent tone and theme.  If you’re a sophisticated business, don’t have a top news item that is jovial in nature.  If you’re a comedy tour, don’t be all button down business.  Know your tone, convey your brand, and keep with the theme.

When: The most compelling reason for a user to add to your “bounce rate” is to see the most recently updated item dated July 2009.  Regardless of how well you’ve conveyed your message you’ve already told the user your site is not important to you.  People rarely go back to sites that they know won’t change.  There’s a reason Facebook is the most trafficked site on the internet: constantly updated and changing content.

How: Now that a user has visited your site and taken in your content, what are they supposed to do with it?  Have you given me an easy way to share the content on your site (via Digg, RSS, etc), Have you asked me to make a purchase or sign up for a mailing list?  Always be thinking of the end user, and how to direct them to action.

Keeping these things in mind when updating the content on your site can lead to a great deal of success.  The combination of quality layout and great content will result in a higher probability of a repeat visitor.  Repeat site visitors are more likely to become fans or customers, and those lead to revenue.

At Strategic Blend, we advise and guide clients to optimize their content, build a clean platform to display the content, and discover ways to monetize the fan/customer after they’ve been attained.  We strive for complete optimization of every site, letting the message (content) of the brand speak for itself.  While we are adept in making the site beautiful in appearance, it is our fervent belief that quality content will build a loyal fan/customer base.

If you’d like help on optimizing your content, let us know!

I’m a firm believer that in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace, we need clearer, more definitive marketing and branding.  Using a crazy baby-name for your company (Mebo, Tada, Yoku) doesn’t tell ANYONE what your company does.  Saying your project is in “beta” is just another way to say “We’re lazy and didn’t get the full project out in time.”  The words “new paradigm,” “web 2.0″ and “new model” are meaningless to regular people and only speak to an industry-based audience.

Now, I realize a brand name is merely a word – the stuff BEHIND the name is what defines a brand.  However, this rule goes by the wayside when EVERYONE is using the same crazy terms without any regard to what they really mean.  This confuses the casual consumer – the person you ultimately want invested in your business.

If you truly want to stick in the conscious of the consumer, you need branding and messaging that is honest and straight forward.  Avoid hype-driven nonsense.  If the majority of new start-ups are doing it, chances are you’re better off avoiding it and finding traits and terms that arise organically from within your organization.  I recommend conducting early focus groups with potential consumers and let THEM define your brand message.

And for the record…this post is most certainly NOT in “beta.”

While this was certainly an “oops” moment for O’Reilly, it served as a powerful lesson in just how far viral marketing, mashups and online culture have come. There are several interesting nuggets to take away from this:

1. Something can only be viral if it’s shocking, funny or in this case both. I’ve been irked for a while at companies and brands who seem to think ANYTHING can lend itself to “viral distribution” – as if merely calling content “viral” makes it so. As a result, there have been countless failures, and there will likely be more. What few understand is that a true “viral” moment occurs when you, the consumer, are so intrigued by a piece of content that you immediately email or IM 5+ friends telling them about it. The ONLY kinds of content which apply to this psychology are media that are truly shocking/violent or truly funny to you the user. And in the rare case you can have both, it’s golden. More than anything the O’Reilly video proves this point as it was circulated to every video portal and had 10 million + views within the first 3 days. After only 2 weeks it reached total saturation.

2. Content adaptation or “mashups” come with the territory. Remember when Saturday Night Live used to be in tune with our cultural conscience? When the show dabbled more in relevant parody and was THE cool, hip place to find it. These days mashups have taken that role, and engage the under-25 crowd. Only 5 days after the O’Reilly video leaked, the folks at BarelyPolitical.com released their update on the original, brilliantly taking the same footage and adding reactions from the “producer. ” If SNL was still relevant, Lorne Michaels would have beaten them to the punch – debuting something similar on the SNL website then airing it on that Saturday’s show.

The very same day, Stephen Colbert aired his own parody of the video which was fortunately different than the BarelyPolitical version.

Youtube is also filled with other mashups, parodies and remixes of the original video, which have gone on to generate millions of hits themselves. Further proof that the orignial video was TRULY viral.

3. The time frame to capitalize on viral media is SHORT! The response time to this video was already incredibly fast, but if you want to be TRULY hip and “in the now” you’ve gotta monetize the hype and viral before it fades. The guys at BustedTees did just that and in 6 days from the release of the video were pre-selling these T-Shirts. Think about how perfect their timing was – the early adopters who had already discovered the video were ripe to be sold something, and new/casual viewers were just finding out what all the buzz was about. If BustedTees had waited a day longer, they would have missed out on being in the HEAT of the moment, and likely several hundred sales.

Remember when “Vote For Pedro” shirts were all the rage, and then several months later a bunch of sad wanna-bes started wearing them, long after the fad had faded? Well, that was 2005 and today the time frame would be cut down to 3 weeks. You’ve got to be THAT FAST if you want to capitalize on cultural fads, internet hype and viral marketing. Free tools and services today give anyone the chance to join the fun and make some fans or money off of these experiences.

On a final note…
Wouldn’t it be truly something if Bill O’Reilly actually created this video on purpose…….as a way to generate viral traffic? Obviously he didn’t, but just pause for a moment and consider if he had. Watching the original video, it’s almost as if the angry pauses he takes were created on purpose, to allow for mashups and parodies. Lisa Nova is already doing exactly that!

And “We’ll Do It Live” is a classic one-liner that lends itself to all kinds of products……it’s even a brand onto itself! So again I ask, wouldn’t it be truly something if O’Reilly was smart enough to manufacture this whole thing on purpose, as a way of keeping his brand relevant and hip? He didn’t…….surely. But then again, he was the first one to sell “Don’t Taze Me Bro” bumper stickers.

Links:
Original Video
BarelyPolitical Mashup
Stephen Colbert Parody
Buy the T-shirt