New content creation is a key factor in publishers meeting marketers’ brand objectives. According to BearingPoint global director of integrated marketing Paul Dunay, 120,000 new blogs are created every day—an indicator that user-generated content is surpassing that created by publishers. In 2005, the refresh cycle for media Web sites was about three months, he says. Today, the cycle is seconds because of UGC.
This influx of information coupled with content generated by various outlets within an organization can lead to potentially embarrassing contradictions. To avoid this, Dunay suggests appointing a steward for all content within your organization. He also suggests funneling the right content into the right medium. To ensure information is useful to users, BearingPoint launched the data management blog New Thinking for a Changing World, which is syndicated via RSS, social media, podcasts, radio and partnering with events. As the blog touts, information isn’t currency unless it’s current.
Dunay further suggests monitoring viewers’ content consumption to further build relationships with them by e-mailing relevant content and sending invitations to relevant events rather than blasting mass e-mails. In this way, you will nurture leads instead of focusing solely on metrics. The key, he says, is to be the content that interests viewers, not that interrupts them. Once you achieve this, marketers will invest in your brand.