I would hazard to guess that smart companies and organizations today are replacing many of their SEO experts with content managers, which perhaps we should refer to as chief story tellers.

And those companies and organizations, if they really know what they’re doing, aren’t just concerned with these content managers generating engaging, audience-attracting content. They want them to generate that content on a regular basis, probably daily.

There a number of reasons fresh content is so important. First off, you want to keep that online audience coming back over and over again. A great analogy: would you continue to subscribe to a daily newspaper if the articles and photos were always the same? Obviously not. The same is true with your website and your social media.

The other important reason is today’s search engines. They’re less concerned with the history of your website. It’s now more about “what have you done for me lately.”

Google’s Panda search algorithm now ranks sites based on freshness signals . Those are things such as the rate of document change, the amount of document change, new page creation, changes to important content, an increase in the rate of new links and links from sites that have a high freshness score.

It sounds a bit complicated but the important things to remember are be fresh, be relevant and most important, be useful.

Once upon a time manipulating Google and other search engines was as simple as stealing candy from a baby.

With a little bit of SEO voodoo you can make Google think millions of people flocked to your website every day and you were rewarded with a high page ranking.

Search engines are a bit smarter these days – more like an eight-year-old – and are able to recognize the frauds. Most importantly, they recognize websites that truly have something to offer – evident by the way people interact with it.

It’s no longer about SEO snake oil (keyword density, metatags, link spamming). In fact, Google’s latest search algorithm penalizes websites that try to manipulate its search engine.

The latest algorithm rewards good, original and fresh content that people read, share and link.  As a result, how a page ranks has become less about web crawling bots and more about what people are viewing. It’s sort of like the pre-digital days when newspapers with the best writers and news coverage would get the most subscribers.

Journalists, arguably the best content producers, should be optimistic about these changes.

Digital journalism still means that story telling must come first.

That’s easy to forget with news outlets continuously experimenting with multi-media, social media and the other new digital journalism tricks as they yearn to retain and build new audiences.

Journalism may mean different things to different people but telling stories is one of the most important contributions we make to society. And storytelling is a craft that we, as journalists, can apply to a two-inch brief, a 2,000-word narrative piece and everything in between. Not many people can tell stories as well as we journalists because for us it has become instinctive, the result of the ink that flows in our veins.

So, because storytelling is so important – especially during this digital era – let’s explore the topic over the next few blog posts.

First off, here’s a few words about storytelling from others.

Can’t remember where this first quote came from:

“Good storytelling is as much about talking as it is about listening; it is the art and science of co-creating meaning, context and connections. It is essentially about trust built upon the authentic intention of your narrative. It is about shifting perspective, not about exploitation or being right. Good storytelling creates the possibility for change.”

This from Scientific American:

“Psychologists and neuroscientists have recently become fascinated by the human predilection for storytelling. Why does our brain seem to be wired to enjoy stories? And how do the emotional and cognitive effects of a narrative influence our beliefs and real-world decisions?…And most scientists are starting to agree: stories have such powerful and universal appeal that the neurological roots of both telling and enjoying them are probably tied to crucial parts of our social cognition…people accept ideas more readily when their minds are in story mode as opposed to when they are in an analytical mind-set.”

2013 is about minimalism

You can usually tell the difference between a website designed by a grizzled veteran and a perky newcomer. The vet’s site is minimal while the rookie’s website is akin to a college freshman who’s downed one too many and digitally barfed out everything on to the site.

However, you can’t blame the young web developer. Chances are they were told by a marketing or public relations manager to dump all of that content on the company’s webpages.

A crowded website offers a poor user experience (UX) and deters the audience you’re trying to reach. Websites, or any digital communications channel we use, should be simple and easy to navigate. The cagey veteran knows this and, like an artist, communicates a brand or message with few brush strokes.

So, as we turn the page on 2012, consider the minimal digital strategy: Less is more.

It can be difficult to grasp this idea in today’s fast-moving 24/7 world where we’re rarely digitally untethered and technology is in a state of dynamic obsolesce, making it impossible for anyone to keep up.

But think of it this way, a minimal design and message is heard clearly because it focuses on the user. Any words, graphics, photos, etc. that clutter a webpage are just noise.

– There’s a growing need for digital communicators. Enrol in the Digital Communications Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies and learn from industry experts.

Follow Digital Spin on Twitter and  Facebook to learn and discuss the latest digital communications trends and issues.

Consider the lowly email.

“QWERTYIOP” was the message of the first email sent in 1971. Okay, not what you would call a historic moment. You would think Ray Tomlinson, the first person to press the send button, could have thought of something more memorable.

These days email gets no respect. Futurists have even predicted its extinction, being replaced by texting, tweeting and other forms of messaging. It seems email is the senior citizen among our vast array of digital communication methods.

But in reality, email is like Mick Jagger – it still rocks.

Of all the digital communication channels, email remains at the top when it comes to marketing, driving traffic to websites, lead generation and creating brand awareness. One 2011 study found email’s ROI (return on investment) was $40.56 for every dollar spent. Also, audiences prefer to receive promotions via email (77 per cent) and not social media (six per cent). Further to that, a 2011 survey of corporate marketing managers found that 93 per cent used email in their overall marketing strategy.

Obviously email gets a lot of respect from those in the know.

There are many tips to pass on on how to run an effective email marketing campaign, but two stand out as paramount. First and for most, it is better to ask for permission first than forgiveness later. In other words, you must have permission before emailing. Many companies use opt-in marketing on websites to build an email list.

The other critical element in your campaign is to be mobile friendly. Audiences are increasingly using mobile devices to access email. And there’s no bigger turnoff than opening a PC-specific website with your smartphone. No one wants to have to zoom and scroll to find out more about a promotion.

– There’s a growing need for digital communicators. Enrol in the Digital Communications Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies and learn from industry experts.

Follow Digital Spin on Twitter and  Facebook to learn and discuss the latest digital communications trends and issues.

I am a human being!

Do you communicate like a Borg?

Digital communications is so pervasive today that it’s a wonder we don’t have Borg implants so we can communicate 24/7.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in technology when communicating. But by doing so we risk loosing touch with audiences and confusing the message.

The Digital Spinner has to routinely remind himself of that.

If you’re like me, every time I’m given a communications task I first consider how to use digital media to get the word out – and what sorts of bells and whistles I can use to make the message come across as slick.

Then eventually I get around to thinking about the actual message and audience. Of course, it should be the other way around.

If you’re a professional communicator or marketer, you want your audience to trust you – critical if you’re motivating them to donate to our non-profit society or buy your service or product. Remember, the best way to communicate is face to face. When we communicate through technology, we actually put up barriers.

That’s fine for the Borg but we humans have simpler needs. Primitive life forms like us communicate more effectively when the message is personal and relevant.

There’s some interesting posts in Social Media Today, Forbes and Yahoo with more on this topic.

– There’s a growing need for digital communicators. Enrol in the Digital Communications Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies and learn from industry experts.

Follow Digital Spin on Twitter and  Facebook to learn and discuss the latest digital communications trends and issues.

Everything I know about social media I learned in high school

Search Engine Optimization is sort of like high school – it’s pretty much a popularity contest.

The more liked and linked you are, the better your SEO.

But unlike high school, you don’t get popular by hanging around with the in-crowd. In other words, just having a cool blog or webpage won’t get you to prom king or queen status.

Instead, you become popular by mingling with lots of social circles, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social media and networks. It’s called social media optimization (SMO) and it carries a lot of weight with Google’s new search engine algorithm.

So let’s say you just wrote a great post about how Mitt Romney was traumatized by Big Bird as a kid and never got over it, your next step is to use your other social media to promote your post, generate some buzz. That way the Facebook crowd reads your post. And so do the groups at Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and all the other social media platforms you subscribe to. By getting the word out on all these social media channels we reach a larger audience.

SMO, also called social media interaction, is simply using other platforms to advertise the same or a similar message so everyone funnels back to your blog or website. Also, if you add a social media share widget to your bog or website, and users share your content with others, you’ll be as popular as the school quarterback or head cheerleader (pardon the Glee stereotypes).

– There’s a growing need for digital communicators. Enrol in the Digital Communications Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies and learn from industry experts.

Follow Digital Spin on Twitter and  Facebook to learn and discuss the latest digital communications trends and issues.

Do your know your digital media sweet spot?

If you don’t then you don’t know your audience.

The Digital Spinner (that would be me) has a few social media gigs on the go, both volunteer and paid. For one company, I can guarantee each Facebook entry I post will get at least 200 views in the first two hours after it goes live, plus half a dozen likes.

In another gig, the company’s Facebook page is almost ignored. But the Twitter account is huge and I have an international following. Seems some people see me as some sort of expert (weird, or what?).

For yet another, that has a business following, everyone wants to connect with their LinkedIn page. And they also respond equally well to a weekly email blast I send out.

For each client I provide good content on each of social media platforms – yet the respective audiences choose one over the others. Those preferred platforms are the clients’ social media sweetspots.

It can get even more particular than that. Sometimes your posts or entires do better if they’re posted at 8 a.m. or just before lunch or quitting time. It can also depend on the content. Some audiences like polls, some photos, others jokes.

To find a social media sweetspot, some social media specialists find research and surveys are the most conclusive. For me, it’s just good old fashion trial and error and letting your audience traffic determine the sweet spot.

Either way, don’t make the mistake of investing all of your efforts on that one preferred platform. Instead, work on all of them equally and find ways they can integrate with each other. Remember not all everyone is a Facebook fan or all a twitter about Twitter, YouTube or Google+. Your audience’s social media habits can also change over time.

Another thing to remember is knowing that sweetspot is great but its not just about generating traffic. The real goal is to get your audience to take a specific action, like visit your website, buy a product, answer some questions or just interact.

– There’s a growing need for digital communicators. Enrol in the Digital Communications Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies and learn from industry experts.

Follow Digital Spin on Twitter and  Facebook to learn and discuss the latest digital communications trends and issues.

Don’t forget integration

Great blog entry the other day by Jeff Bullas, a bit of an online must read for anyone interested in digital communications.

Writing about digital marketing essentials, he points out that a great deal of marketing agencies are still spending money on non-digital formats that have limited reach and effectiveness. Those same firms cringe at the idea opening their wallets on a new website.

It’s unlikely marketing and advertising firms with that sort of thinking will continue to exist much longer.

The blog entry also compiled the top 10 essentials for any digital marketing strategy. Most are obvious and have already been mentioned in Digital Spin – SEO, mobile web compatibility and strategy, analytics, etc. I would add an 11 essential to your marketing campaign that is implied by Bullas: digital marketing integration. Simply put, repeating the same message using all of your channels.

For more information, check out Jeff Bullis article on digital marketing essentials and here’s another article explaining the basics of digital marketing agency.

– There’s a growing need for digital communicators. Enrol in the Digital Communications Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies and learn from industry experts.

Follow Digital Spin on Twitter and  Facebook to learn and discuss the latest digital communications trends and issues.

QR codes are dead… not quite

It’s a good idea to not believe everything you read. For instance if you were to search “QR codes” you’d end up with about a zillion articles about how QR codes aren’t long for the world and are soon to be replaced.

They’ve been saying that since 2010, yet QR codes are still around.

If you haven’t heard of QR codes or Quick Response Codes, here’s the Reader’s Digest version: It’s a kind of barcode that, when scanned by a smartphone using QR code reader software, directs you to a website. They were first used in Japan and are now commonly used in marketing and for product information.

People in marketing seem to either love them or hate them. But the biggest complaint about QR codes should be levelled at those who use them improperly, which appears to be the majority of marketers.

The biggest mistake they make is using the code to direct people to a website not optimized for the mobile web. It seems rather common sense that, since a smartphone is required to scan a code, you would be taken to a website that can be viewed properly by a smartphone user. More and more people are accessing the web almost exclusively through mobile devices and they are becoming fickle – not willing a view sites that are not mobile-optimized.

Another mistake you see is the inappropriate placing of QR codes. Users have to be able to scan them, which can be nearly impossible if they’re located on a billboard 40 feet in the air. It’s also not recommended to place a QR code for an ad about erectile dysfunction or diarrhoea relief in a crowded public place.

Wikipedia has a great article on the history and mechanics of QR codes and Vancouver digital marketer JP Holecka has written a interesting blog entry about how codes are used improperly.

– There’s a growing need for digital communicators. Enrol in the Digital Communications Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies and learn from industry experts.

Follow Digital Spin on Twitter and Facebook to learn about the latest digital communications trends and issues.