In time, you will decide who wins the next Pulitzer. You might not know what newspaper, blog or media outlet that writer works for. In fact, you might never read another piece from that writer.
Aaron Kahlow’s smart piece takes us from the power of the printing presses to the critical algorithms of Google search to the stunning future of you and me. We are entering an era, Kahlow suggests, where the masses will define which content rises to the top.
For marketers, the opportunities that go hand in hand with this shift come with an asterisk. More than ever, your customer base will define the success of your campaign. Whether it be a white paper, a blog post or a new jingle — marketers must focus on creating the best content for their audience and depend on that very network for that message to spread. Rather than visiting a reputable paper’s Web site for quality content, consumers turn to their own networks for recommendations.
This shift also drives us closer to an iTunes reality, where you’re only as good as your last single. My favorite song right now is by a band I couldn’t name. I don’t know where they’re from, what album it’s off of or even if it came out within the last two years. I don’t see why content will be any different. In the very near future, newspapers, editors, journalists, bloggers and marketers will no longer be able to lean on their reputation or body of work. Each story, post or message will have the potential to thrive or die on the vine.
So, in the spirit of this new environment, we turn this discussion back to you. Will this new era really generate higher-quality content, or will it be hijacked by those with the largest and most influential networks?