Content, Content, Content...

Hey there. Parker here. It's been too long since I've been away. But I'm back. And what I've learned while my blog has been quiet, is that survival on the web means quality content.

Content is King! Content is gold. Content is the H 2 the O necessary for your company's life on the web. 

Digital Assets, please meet
Better Marketing Systems.

Content marketing matters in all industries, hits all mediums. It seals the deal in B2B, B2C, MC2 (my career too), you get the idea. 

The popular marketing automation tools are sophisticated, smart, user-friendly, willingly integrating with CRM, CMS, DMS, analytic and optimization systems as though they are wooing in courtship for an everlasting love.  Well, I say go ahead and get hitched!

If my campaign management platform uses a drag & drop interface for easy site design, employs it's own tag management system, tracks so much data it delivers every metric imaginable, makes A/B & MVT testing a cakewalk and reduces IT resources, I have every reason in the world to concentrate on high quality, valuable and engaging content. 

Sure that last sentence ran so long it could have entered a marathon, but you get my point. Right?

Content reigns supreme because the energy that went into separate tools and systems is now consolidated into a single sign on, web based platform. And since energy doesn't disappear, merely transfers elsewhere, you can really give your users the attention they deserve through reliable and useful content. 

Make it shareable, chewable (bite-sized knowledge gems), relatable, easy to understand so that anyone can repeat it as though they were the subject matter expert.

A picture is worth a thousand words, break out the crayons.

Videos are cool if I don't have to watch it for longer than two minutes (attention spans aren't what they used to be).

Facts & figures in a unique graphic makes delicious eye-candy.

If a headline can stand on its own, keep it under 140 characters. Why? It is because my smartphone experience confirms copy/paste beats editing/rewording.

Speaking of smartphones, EVERYTHING you build using your BFF automation tool, should have a responsive design.  I'm a second screen junkie - tablet next to me streaming TV, phone in hand playing poker, and I don't deny having my laptop open for email or work.

Admit it, you miss the fun
Seinfeld water-cooler talk.

Folks, if I'm two sentences into your site and I haven't picked up any information I don't already know, I'm on to the next one (and it's likely off of your site completely).

So yes, content, content, content on the web is the location, location, location of real estate.

On that note, I'll end this bit of content right here. I'll throw in a pic or two for eye-candy and if you want a good fact for water-cooler talk, the much talked about "people aggregators" business tool  is rightly being taken to court. I call it a wolf in sheep's clothing. What do you think?

Best,
Parker  

www.talithaparker.com

Thank You Open Source and Freeware

Hi all, Parker here.  I’m taking this moment to say thank you to all open source software developers and the global communities that support them. Big shout-outs to a few of the content management systems I’ve used – TYPO3 and Drupal – that have taught me the importance of separating content from design. Flexibility and scalability are essential keys of managing corporate websites and the sharp minds that troll the forums answering my every question deserve this moment of praise.  I'm talking you UltimateTech_GuruLord1408!

I’m raising my glass to interactive digital media software like Issuu and SlideShare because they have made my websites dynamic and my documents easy to share. Who knew folks would miss the old-fashion way of turning a page by hand so much that they would seek out the interactive flip version of a PDF over a regular PDF? Bravo, team. Bravo.

Let’s all give a round of applause to my favorite photo and video sharing applications Flickr, Picasa and YouTube. Actually, your universal name recognition speaks for itself. I’ll just stand up and slow clap until everyone else in the room joins me. Clap…. clap…. clap….clap…

Finally, to my first free web service Hotmail – email accessed from any computer, anywhere in the world (with an internet connection). We have a long history, me and Hotmail. My account dates back to the mid-90s:  pre-marriage, pre-kids, pre-talithaparker.com. Who knew we would stay together so long? I’ve grown up. Hotmail’s transformed. Yet we're more connected than ever because of the iPhone.  Here’s to you Hotmail!


Best,
Parker