Comments on: Quality vs Quantity

By: Jonathan Trenn

Jonathan Trenn — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 20:49:38 +0000

nurtured, damn it. I kept on looking at it thinking something was wrong.

I’m from Rhode Island where we don’t pronounce our ‘r’s.

By: Chris Abraham

Chris Abraham — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 20:38:26 +0000

Jonathan, did you mean “nurtured” or “neutered” in this sentence, “effective marketing conversations have to be nutured?”

By: saul

saul — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 05:58:15 +0000

I totally agree with you Jonathan. It is a “marketplace of ideas” and is a tricky terrain to navigate. In much the same way that the “top down” model is also tricky. You can pour ton’s of money into a campaign and your brand/product can still flop.
My premise is that there is no gate keeper per se. It is, after all, a free market of ideas. But, the better you write, the better you share your views, the more you will be recognized. You are not recognized purely for what publication’s your ideas make it into (say the NYTimes or NBC). You are valued because the community chooses in some way to give you props.
Conversational marketing is an effort at drawing attention to your brand/product but you are limited by the same constraints – quality.
After all I can try and initiate conversation about my product one million times, but this quantity will not out do the quality. If you don’t like my product you won’t link to it, you wont blog about it, you won’t mention it.
It is the commons that is deciding the value not the king makers. And, the average Joe has little time or energy to read drivel (perhaps I am making a broad assumption here).
I think it is dangerous to aproach the blogosphere as a marketing tool. Rather it is about producing quality and being recognized. The most important point being that the cost of entry into the market is close to zero. Emphasizing the value of the content even more – create quality and you have a good chance of being recognized.

By: Jonathan Trenn

Jonathan Trenn — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:00:04 +0000

Saul

Help me here. It seems to me that you are confusing the idea that blogging offers pretty much anyone the ability to speak out on any topic they choose — and eventually get noticed with the practice of conversatonal marketing itself.

I view the blogosphere as a marketplace of ideas. But as a marketing vehicle, it can be very tricky. It challenges the standard “top down” model in ways that are refreshing and very promising. But, as it has often played out, it often lacks a call to action. Or,used incorrectly, it can dilute a brand promise.

Effective marketing conversations have to be nutured. It canbe a very haphazard thing with everybody weighing in on a topic. So, by nuturing, I mean that pariticpating marketers have to figure out how to keep that conversation going and adress the communities needs. Sometimes that goes against the grain of buisiness. Because business often thinks of Buy It Now.

By: Marti

Marti — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 03:33:05 +0000

I’d rather read one great post than three mediocre ones. A blog full of mediocre posts won’t see me again.

(btw this one was interesting – lol)