Today marks the beginning of the first annual New Media Tastemakers Summit in San Francisco. Key players from blogging, vlogging, social bookmarking, among other vertical non-mainstream influencers will be collaborating and networking to discuss the ever evolving niche of new media. With industry giants speaking such as Yelp, Sugar Publishing, Style Hive and You Tube, it's amazing to see more summits like this coming together to further develop interest and understanding into this ever expansive world of social media.
One of the speakers and friend of mine, Lesley Scott-Silbergeld, Editor in Chief of Fashion Tribes, took a moment to answer some questions in regards to new media:
Shannon: With some of the chatter lately claiming that new media is over saturated (and over rated), what are your thoughts on this?
Lesley Scott-Silbergeld: What's so interesting is how many millions of blogs there appear to be and how many are actually in people's readers & have regular visitors. The increase in the number of people participating in the new media has brought us more attention, which is great. The downside, of course, is that there are so many more shoddy quality blogs to weed through in search of what's worthwhile. So yes, much of what's recently come on board is overrated, but overall, I think high quality online publishers and blogs have benefited. What I love most about publishing online is that if you are consistent and have a high quality site, loyal readers will not only find you, they tell all their friends about you, spreading amazing word of mouth.
Shannon: What are some of the ways new media is elevating a brand’s reach and influencing its consumers?
Lesley Scott-Silbergeld: Much of the appeal of a blog is that readers feel there is a person they are connecting with. Yes, the product picks are helpful, but they're more interested in the person doing the recommending. There is an element of trust that major print publications can't buy for any sum of cash, not that they haven't tried of course, but most corporate blogs fail simply because they are an afterthought and come across as such and readers are quick to recognize how inauthentic this is. By endorsing a product or brand, a blogger has their reputation involved, which obviously benefits a brand in terms of a way that a for-pay marketing or ad campaign simply can never replicate.
Shannon: Are you surprised when you hear that some major brands are still unwilling to work with bloggers and other non-mainstreams sources of influence?
Lesley: Part of me says yes, how last millenium, but where I think this problem originates is from the older types who really fail to understand the reach and scope of the web. I've noticed it with the various PR firms I deal with. The ones with younger publicists in their 20s "get" the Web and "get" blogs and understand the fact that these new media upstarts are actually reaching and influencing hundreds of thousands of readers daily. The PR firms dominated by older publicists either like to pretend we don't exist or email you for your "circulation numbers" and other frivolous questions that would really apply to print publications. Yet they fawn over these tiny obscure print magazines - simply because they're in print - despite the fact that we reach more readers in a single day than they do all month. I guess as the old guard is replaced by the younger crowd, the brands they represent will become more web-friendly.
Shannon: How do you think New Media/Web 2.0 will transition into 3.0?
Lesley: I think Web 3.0 and beyond will probably be about more interactive, akin to Second Life. Users will be able to strap on special glasses, and perhaps special gloves and socks (or body suits) with pulse points allowing your online experience to become 3D. It will become more escapist - literally.
Shannon: Do you think that summits like the New Media Summit will become more commonplace in the next year or so?
Lesley: Absolutely. As brands continue to try and figure out how to reach the online market, they will be looking for more opportunities to meet the tastemakers that matter.
Shannon: What is your best piece of advice for brands and PR when it comes to getting involved with video, bloggers and the social networking platforms?
Lesley: Bothering to actually read the publication you're pitching is a priority! It's nice when someone new is pitching you and it's apparent they've bothered to try and personalize the pitch a bit based on my content. Publicists shouldn't simply post a press release in the comments section of a blog, that really is such a no no, yet it happens often. In other words, take the time to learn a bit about the proper etiquette and invest the time to build up a relationship with the blogger/publisher. These are the publicists and marketing types who do end up at the top of my list when I'm considering pitches and products to recommend on my blog. Basically, treat the bloggers with the same respect accorded the print editors and writers.
I'd love to know what you think. Share your thoughts in the comments.
*Photo credit: New Media Tastemakers Summit.
Posted by Shannon Nelson on May 2, 2008 8:56 AM
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Comments (1)
Thanks for sharing the great question and answers.
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Chan |
May 28, 2008 10:45 PM
Posted on May 28, 2008 22:45