Marketing Logic

Scenario #1: You are in a conversation at a party, maybe with one or two other people, and someone comes up, interrupts, and starts talking about something completely different. They typically end up controlling the conversation and the original groups quickly excuses themselves to leave and find new conversations.

Scenario #2: You are at a networking event, maybe for a chamber of commerce or a conference. You are in a group of people discussing industry “stuff”. Suddenly, a new person joins the group, inserts themselves into the conversation, and talks about their business and why everyone should work with them. Amazingly, they are selling themselves and their business when no one asked anything about it. (Again, people walk away.)

Scenario #3: Telemarketing Calls.

How do these three instances relate? I’m sure many have been in these situations and can identify with at least one or two situations. They all focus on someone interrupting the flow of a conversation and not “playing by the rules.”

I like to attend networking events, they are fun for me and I especially like the local chamber of commerce events, as I have made many friends over the years. They are well worth the time, as I learn about local businesses and the people behind them. Ultimately, the goal of any social networking group is to refer business to each other because we like them and trust them. It’s a significantly strong network.

However, I have also been in networking groups that force the relationships, simply because a member provides the service. Those don’t typically last long. The best networking groups are those that focus on the long term relationships and building those “like and trust” ideals.

Much like those networking situations above, the internet tends to devolve people into conversation interrupters. I am not really sure when it became cool to drop a link into someone else’s blog. Link exchange requests have always been suspect, in my opinion, as I have no knowledge of this person, their site, or even their business. Why would I offer a link to a site where I have no knowledge of the content or the purpose?

It seems as though the entire principle of interrupting conversations has taken on a whole new light.

First, the obvious comment spam (which didn’t even pass the spam block):

Then, the insideous link dropper, interrupting the conversation to talk about himself:

This is just terrible grammar, the depth of which is superseded only by the arrogance of the link. When the commenter states, “SEO Article” he is attempting to make it look like it is MY article he is referring to, when the hyperlink obviously shows that it is HIS own article that he is complimenting. Funny enough, when I followed the link to his site, it does everything that I preach against; keyword stuffing, repetitive usage, non-contextual positioning. Bottom line – it’s nowhere I want to send my visitors.

The questions in my mind when I see a link in a comment are:

1. Who are you?
2. What is the purpose of the link?
3. Do you contribute to the conversation?

To me, this is worse than spam. It’s SEO’s who know enough to work things to their advantage, and it looks like crap. No wonder SEO is getting a bad reputation.

Now, I’m not totally against link-dropping in comments. There have been times that I’ve allowed them to go through. Here is one from the Accessibility Blog that I allowed:

The author of this comment contributed actual content to the conversation. When they link to a resource that everyone can use, and it is on context with the conversation, so it was helpful to everybody. At that point, I didn’t mind the link to an article on their site – they contributed and marked it as such.

As Nigel Tufnell observed, “It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever.”

So, here are my rules for conversation . . .

1. Have something to say that contributes to the conversation.
2. Don’t be forward in linking to your own stuff. Build a reputation first.
3. Don’t “trick” the author into getting a link. Link text appropriately.
4. Most visitors don’t read blogs to see other people’s comments – it’s the author’s blog, not yours.

and finally,

5. Ask Yourself – Would you do or say the same thing in an offline conversation among a group of people?

Do you have rules for allowing comments on your blog? Are they more or less strict?

Related Posts:
How to Get Links Without Trying
The 3 C’s of Marketing: Content, Context, Community
Social Media Under the Microscope

Topics just seem to write themselves. Once I start done the branding pathway, content springs up all over the place. Much like you notice more VW’s on the road after you just bought one.

Jennifer at Search Engine Guide tipped me on this one – A funny mini-drama about the break up of a consumer and an advertiser. Much like the debate that goes on between branding (corporate objectives) and optimization (searcher objectives) this video goes to the heart of the problem – communication.

The businesses that are spending time communicating with people, getting involved in their communities, and offering dialogue rather than ad agency research are the ones that are rated highly by consumers. The businesses that rely on their legal and marketing departments to deliver carefully-crafted messages are the ones being rejected by the consumer community.

The internet has allowed consumers to have unparalleled transparency into businesses and most companies are feeling very vulnerable. That is – unless they are sticking their heads in the sand, and ignoring the conversation that is already taking place around them.

Bottom line – Do you know what your customers think of you?

Enjoy: The Break Up

Related Posts:
Branding v Optimization- Something Has to Give
The Basics of Search Engine Optimization
10 Ways that Website Marketing is like Sales

SiteLogic is proud to announce that Kim Krause-Berg will be joining the team here at SiteLogic. While this is not a full-time position, it is a contract job that will keep Kim close-by for a few years. SiteLogic recently received a long-term contract for usability and performance testing consultation, which are skills that Kim has brought to the internet industry for many years.

This gives me the chance to work with Kim for many years to come and it will also allow her to retain her autonomy as Cre8pc. Kim will be working with SiteLogic on a part-time basis for the duration of this multi-year contract. She has been working with us on smaller projects, but this will allow us to begin collaboration on other potential business.

I am very excited about this, as Kim and I have been mutual admirers of each other’s work for a long time. Kim has a long history in usability and testing and she has been after me to learn more about accessibility, so this being the best of both worlds, we can work together on a project that allows us to bring these unique skill sets.

Plus, this also gives me the chance to hang out with her husband, Eric, with whom I share the ability to quote random lines from “Airplane!”. Kim accuses us of being the same person, and ignoring her when we get together. Anyhow, they and their family will be attending the SiteLogic Annual 4th of July Celebration. If they survive, welcome to the team!

Funny enough, of all of the pictures that people take at the conferences and events, the only one I could find was one of Eric and me being blinded by someone’s flash. Congratulations Kim, and welcome!