Videos and Websites: Top Points from Chapters 8 and 9

David Meerman Scott's book The New Rules of Marketing and PR show us how to update our thinking from the traditional public relations ways. Here are the five points I thought were most important from chapters 8 and 9:

Going Viral: The Web Helps Audiences Catch the Fever

• Viral marketing can propel a company to fame and fortune for free. The key is great web content. If it's something worth talking about, people will talk about it. Sometimes it isn't the idea you thought would take off that does. And sometimes it isn't your own content, but rather someone else's that highlights your company or product.
• Nobody cares about your products except you. When doing viral, you can't be solely focused on the product information you would typically push out there. The best viral content either solves a person's problem or entertains them. The point of viral is to get people to talk about your company. With enough chatter, you should get people to move to interest in your products.
• You need to be willing to lose control to be successful in viral. This means free and accessible content. This can be hard for people who are used to traditional advertising and used to putting in money to get money back. Viral can generate profits, but it may not happen through the same easy-to-measure ways as before.
• You need to be involved online to help spread your ideas. Even with a great viral idea, they usually need a boost to get people's attention. Instead of just pushing your content at people, you can be a part of online communities and use two-way communication to gain credibility from potential viewers or customers.
• When you have viral news, you need a and detailed timeline for sharing the news. A small company might have big news for the industry, but if they don't promote it properly, they may not get the credit they deserve. You can push the content through traditional and new online PR channels in an effective way to get maximum exposure.

David Meerman Scott's book on viral marketing

The Content-Rich Web Site

• The best websites focus primarily on content to pull together the online personality of your organization. You may have different websites or landing pages for different products or services in your company, but you should still have one main content-rich website. People may just search for your company, and it beneficial if they can find out as much about your company as possible without having to leave the site.
• When building your website, you need to think like a publisher. You need a good design and architecture, but the content is what the buyers and media want. Focus on what they need and want to know first, and then you can build your site to make it user-friendly and easy to update.
• A website also can allow others to donate their online voices to help spread the word on your company. Like the Natural Resources Defense Council, a company should make it easy for people to share your information. With the many widgets out there now, your content can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc.
• Websites can make your company global. A company doesn't need to sell at a local level if they have a website that can sell products. With the ability to share pictures, videos and tutorials online, you can show your product as if you're in the room with a potential customer.
• To have an effective website, you need a content management process. A company typically has many departments or branches, and you need people from each branch to help with the content. The best way is to have people from each sector involved, but to also give them guidelines to keep the personality of the company consistent. Processes also keep content fresh.

Sasha Vujacic - Example of an effective, content-rich website