Insight Community Participation Directly Through Techdirt
from the making-it-more-accessible-than-ever dept
As you hopefully read in my last post about our new branding, Floor64 has separated out the Insight Community brand from the Techdirt blog. However, that doesn't mean the two won't still work together happily. In fact, we're also launching a new effort today, that will allow Insight Community cases to appear directly within Techdirt. You will see the first such integrated Insight Community case on the site in a short while.The idea here is similar to what we started last week with American Express sponsoring an Insight Community case concerning how small businesses are responding to the current financial crisis, the results of which are starting to appear on American Express' Open Forum blog. In situations like that, where we believe the wider Techdirt community would be intrigued by, and benefit from, the wider conversation, we'll be placing those cases directly on the Techdirt blog. Thus, a selection of Insight Community cases that are relevant to the Techdirt community will start appearing directly on the blog, allowing members to jump right in to respond (and for non-members to join up and participate).
This evolution fits in nicely as one of the many ways that the new Insight Community can be used by companies to generate insight and engage with the broader community. Integrating Insight Community cases into Techdirt is based on our strong belief about content and its relationship to advertising. Traditional, annoying, intrusive advertising is a market that won't last -- especially in economically troubled times. It's based on the false belief that there are still captive audiences.
While the online advertising market is still a big one, it's going to need to change. It's entirely focused on a one way push. Companies that buy advertising are pushing a message to an audience. The site is just the one-way pathway to get to that audience -- and that audience often doesn't care about the message being pushed. That's simply not that effective for the advertiser. And yes, before people point it out, we do include some advertising on Techdirt, though we think that the companies buying those ads could spend their money more effectively by actually engaging the community here.
So, rather than focus on that one-way street of merely pushing "message" at an audience, we believe strongly that the concept of "advertising" needs to diminish, and in its place, the focus should be on providing good content that provides real value to all participants. That means not just viewing things as a one way street, but actually engaging the community of folks a company is trying to reach by getting back insight from them and then rewarding those in the community who provide that insight. This is much more of a win-win situation than advertising. It's about actually creating value -- about building an insightful discussion that everyone benefits from, and then making sure that those who participate can be rewarded both monetarily and through reputation, rather than just being seen as a "target" market.
Thus, rather than focusing on "advertising's" one way street to pushing a message on our community, we're asking companies who are interested in the Techdirt community to actually engage with them via the Insight Community, where not only can they start a real dialogue, they can learn from the community, gain valuable insights that can be used elsewhere, and reward the community for participating. That seems a lot more effective and valuable than "advertising." It's about good content and a real conversation where everyone benefits.
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Filed Under: advertising, content, conversation, engagement, insight community, techdirt, value
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Engagement
It would also be nice if I could do this with small businesses in the tiny community where I live. In this terrible economy, they seem very reluctant to offer any kind of incentive for folks to come in and buy their products. I always make a point to tell shop-owners that I would rather shop their store because it's convenient and I want to see them say in business for the community's sake than make the 60+ mile trip to a big-box store that could care less about me but I never get more than a "thank you". For now, anyway, they seem content to sit on their stock and pay overhead rather than offer 10% off everything. Not the way I'd be doing it.
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Re: Engagement
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Nice idea, but at what cost?
While the online advertising market is still a big one, it's going to need to change. It's entirely focused on a one way push. Companies that buy advertising are pushing a message to an audience. The site is just the one-way pathway to get to that audience -- and that audience often doesn't care about the message being pushed. That's simply not that effective for the advertiser. And yes, before people point it out, we do include some advertising on Techdirt, though we think that the companies buying those ads could spend their money more effectively by actually engaging the community here.
You and I have hashed this out many times. Content=ads (both are directed at consumers) is no different than saying oil=water (both are fluids). Try to put water in your oil pan or drinking oil, and you can see the issue here.
I have no beef in trying to help, but I'm quickly dismissed because I focus on the cause and effect scenario, while those here at Techdirt are more business driven.
The difference here is the way we view "business". You remarked in a recent blog that NBC Universal was looking "down" at the way it distributes media, but now you can see how it's a wrong model when you look up.
Most blog replies by the authors seem to care more about pushing down the cause and effect replies to a "But this is good. Give it a chance." retort, often alienating those who try to contribute well.
I'm an arrogant person and will be the first to admit it, but I absolutely hate it when people accuse me of "not getting it" when there's more clear evidence the person posting the opinion/info doesn't understand my position of cause and effect.
My replies don't warrant an easy dismissal. I'll fully admit when I'm in the wrong, but rarely do I get the reasons behind why I'm wrong, unless I argue the point to get the real reason out.
I could care less about compensation if my replies work towards a better business model, rather than trying to support an outdated, dying, "let's call it content!" model.
I look forward to the reply on this message.
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Hello
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Hello
Myself Jimmy from Canada. Some of us are more motivated to lose weight than others. Most people have no trouble with motivation in the beginning, but as time goes by this wanes until we are asking ourselves, "why bother?" If this sounds like you then maybe you can use a little help to maintain your dieting motivation.
Jimmy
Accounting Firm Toronto
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