I have been ranting for the last few days about the media and the need they seem to have to deploy the toys. Reporters and anchors are showing up out in the field with satellite trucks and live remotes via phone or laptop. I am astounded by the number of places a "TV crew" can show up.
But the problem is that having the technology available has pushed them to always use it... even when they shouldn't.
Instead of concentrating on quality content, they have tried to make the technology a substitute.
And the media isn't alone...
Look at the websites of real estate agents. Look at your own website. Look at MY website. Am I going overboard on technology instead of developing better content?
I see some site... even sites here on Active|Rain... that are so loaded down with widgets and tools that they can't load. I see sites that seem to concentrate on finding the latest technology to deploy rather than finding the latest information that consumers can use.
There is NO reason for Anderson Cooper to stand in water up to his waist to deliver the news on CNN. That didn't help to "bring the story home." There is no reason for a reporter to go to the Atlanta airport to talk about an emergency landing of a flight between LA and Montreal. And I certainly don't need to have another reporter using his cell phone to show Geraldo getting ready to report from Galveston.
In those cases, the technology was valid, but the content was lacking...
Guess what... I don't care where people visit YOUR site from. It's cool... but it is WAY cooler for you to know where visitors are coming from. And I have the same widget on my website. I don't care how many spam comments were killed with Askimet on your website. And I have the same widget on my website. I might care, but most consumers don't care about all of the real estate professionals that are visiting your blog... and that is pretty much all that MyBlogLog is telling us. And I have the same widget on my website.
Each of these tools is cool... but they aren't adding to the consumer experience of our websites. They are great for giving us information that WE can use... but not really giving our consumers information THEY can use.
What it comes down to is that we need to examine our technology regularly. We need to make sure that the things we are deploying are adding to the consumer experience, or at least have the ability to add to the consumer experience. I don't think that we should hang out BEHIND technology's leading edge, but neither do I feel that we need to toss out every single new thing that comes along.
The same holds true with Social Networking. I have received several invitations to join new networks. Each offers some sort of new twist on SN marketing. But how many should i join? I have a business to run. I have kids to play with. I have a life to live.
Except for the "game changers" I don't think we all need to leap to every new thing rolling off the back of the truck. And I don't think that we will recognize the game changers 15 minutes after launch.
Slow down. Concentrate on the quality of the content.
Concentrate on the message at least as much as the medium.
Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey.
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