Earlier this year when a few longtime bloggers announced that blogging was taking a backseat to Facebook and Twitter, I simply shook my head. There’s a fundamental difference in the way people who build web properties for a living think when compared to those who publish online for other reasons.
For me, there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating “user-generated” content via a social networking application. That’s like remodeling the kitchen in a house you rent.
Hugh McLeod kicked off the discussion last week with his post Blogging is Dead? According to Whom?. He said in part:
I guess my point is, if you’re one of these people considering giving up on blogging in exchange for paying more attention to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and MySpace, or whatever they throw at us mere mortals, bear in mind you are giving up on something rather unique and wonderful.
Darren Rowse elaborated on Hugh’s thoughts with an anecdote about a Problogger reader who regrets his decision to shut down his blog 12 months ago to pursue a social networking strategy.
I was offered a job through my blog….
I have 9000 ‘friends’ at facebook and myspace….
I used to know most of my readers by name and knew that they all knew mine - even though there were only 200 a day….
I know a lot more people see my profile on facebook - but most of them just are hunting for friend bait….
I used to spend hours writing things that meant something on my blog….
I now spend hours updating people on the lattes I drink and people I meet on Twitter….
I had a brand of my own on and on my own property on my blog….
I now have a brand on someone else’s property….
If nothing else, that final point of regret is key. As I commented on Darren’s post, people who abandon blogging have gone from developing a digital asset of their own that could have real value, to becoming someone else’s user-generated content.
My plan for Copyblogger from the beginning was to use it as a vehicle to become known in online marketing circles, but to also build an asset that has independent value. That’s just the way I think, and I see this approach becoming more prevalent.
Whether or not this approach feels right for you, consider this. Blogs like Freelance Switch and Zen Habits have grown big fast because readers tend to value the independent publication approach, and at the same time more value is created for the owners. I believe this is the route that even business and corporate blogs must take to succeed.
In other words, every company is a media company.
Valuable content on a site you own is a classic win-win for readers and the site owner, while publishing on Facebook is a lopsided relationship that favors Zuckerberg and his data-hoarding cronies. While I think social networking is useful in small quantities, I’ve no interest in becoming someone’s user-generated content, especially at the expense of my privacy.
What about you?
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103 comments... add one
#1 Rob → 12.10.07 at 1:08 pm
I often wonder if I’m making a mistake by NOT being involved with sites like MySpace, Twitter, and all the rest. Thanks for the reminder of blogging’s uniqueness.
#2 Latarsha Lytle → 12.10.07 at 1:38 pm
You hit it on the nail on it’s head when you spoke about using your blog as a
* “vehicle to become known” as well as
* using it to “build an asset that has independent value”.
In building our own brands, we have to take ownership into account.
We must consider who it is that really owns our work, will it be us…or the social networking profile of choice.
For some MySpace, Twitter and all the rest may it’s merit…but they must also consider whether those vehicles will give them the results that they are looking for in the end.
Thanks for the post.
#3 Jon Symons → 12.10.07 at 1:43 pm
Well, I was going to leave a well written, clever and insightful comment, but I don’t want to be just user generated content for Copyblogger.
#4 Sean → 12.10.07 at 1:43 pm
Brian:
Good post & good points. The same can be said for those who use blogspot.com and wordpress.com for an extended period. They’re a great way to get started, but once you know you’re going to stick with it, host your own blog and build your own URL. Blogger is number 6 in Alexa rating from the donation of other people’s content.
Sean
[This user generated comment is the property of FranchisePick.com]
#5 Advice Network → 12.10.07 at 1:46 pm
A few months ago, digg had a user party in San Francisco. There was a feel good appreciation of some of the top diggers who were there. These guys had 1,000 of front page stories, one or two of them had even produced fan videos.
I could not believe the dedication involved. One of the fan videos even joked about digging instead of playing with his 3 year old daughter.
Sad, and silly too. If they took they same effort of finding stories they like and writing a short summary with a link, they could be neatorama.
#6 Brian Clark → 12.10.07 at 1:51 pm Copyblogger
Jon, don’t think for a second I wasn’t expecting that one.
#7 Clarice → 12.10.07 at 1:52 pm
Thank you for the insight!
#8 Carole DeJarnatt → 12.10.07 at 1:58 pm
I totally agree. Thanks for putting my thoughts in your writing.
#9 Willy → 12.10.07 at 2:09 pm
When are these sites going to start paying their influential users? Your point will remain dead-on until the user-generated content sites start compensating people for their “work.” Then it will be like the difference between using AdSense and selling your own advertising. Facebook isn’t worth $15 billion without its users, so when do we get a cut?
#10 Koby → 12.10.07 at 2:13 pm
I see Twitter and Facebook as extensions of my blog rather than replacements. At least for me anyway. In my cast, my blog has links to me on Facebook and on Twitter. Also my Facebook uses the Twitter application to keep my Facebook status updated with my Twitter status. My Facebook uses the RSS application to show my latest posts from my blog and an Podcast application to show the latest episode of my radio show/podcast.
If Facebook becomes the place to learn about someone and what they are up to, then I am all set.
#11 kevin → 12.10.07 at 2:21 pm
I would not be where I am today without social networking. I started out on MySpace which build a massive audience for me (5,000 subscribers to my MySpace blog). From there I launched my own website and started to get freelance work… I now use myspace, facebook, twitter, and other social networking platforms as places to drive traffic to my blog and it has worked well.
If I would have started blogging on blogger or even bought my domain I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have built the numbers or the audience half as fast.
#12 kevin → 12.10.07 at 2:22 pm
built not build… argh… typing and thinking don’t always go hand and hand
#13 Adam Snider → 12.10.07 at 2:43 pm
Great insight here, Brian, and I agree completely. There is value in social networks, but it is secondary to the value that owning and controlling your own digital property (i.e.: a blog) brings with it.
#14 Simone Brunozzi → 12.10.07 at 2:48 pm
This is a great article, and I agree with you, as many others.
I need to add that, with the emerging virtual worlds and the huge amount of data they carry, the need to “own” the thing you create and write is crucial for the freedom of people.
We cross our fingers!
#15 julien → 12.10.07 at 3:05 pm
damn solid point brian. it also deserves to be pointed out that twitter/facebook are mostly surface things, little thoughts that are usually forgotten. blog posts impact people more. SIGNIFICANTLY more.
#16 rickey gold → 12.10.07 at 3:09 pm
Great post. I think the glut of social networking sites can leave us spread too thin. Find what works best and stick with it. That’s what the Problogger reader who ceased blogging has shared. 9000 “friends” — who has time for that!
#17 lawton chiles → 12.10.07 at 3:11 pm
While my blog is my launching pad, I do use twitter, FB, Viddler and Tubemogul to send stuff out and then post them to my blog.
The blog is where things “live” though and where my content always ends up.
I wouldn’t stop blogging though- that is foolish.
There wouldn’t be a real home for my content to live and for people to gather-
-just another social platform they can browse and leave when they get bored.
#18 Michael Martine → 12.10.07 at 3:12 pm
The majority of the comments on ProBlogger were of the mind that social media and blogging compliment each other, and I think people’s experience bears that out.
The greatest online social networking tool is still email and the guts to write one and send it to make connections with the right people. I spend most of my time commenting, emailing, instant messaging, and talking on the (Skype) phone. The bulk of the rest of my time is spent creating content. Very little is spent on social networks.
#19 Sonia Simone → 12.10.07 at 3:14 pm
Social media and UGC are great tools to capture attention, but not such great tools to build long-lasting value. I use Facebook and Twitter to capture attention, but they’re just tools to funnel that attention to my blog.
The format of any blog tends to be ephemeral, but I can continue to offer the writing and ideas I’ve developed there in a variety of formats for many years. I think Kevin’s strategy is very smart–use social media well to build an audience, without confusing social media for the end product.
At the end of the day, life is painfully short, and I’d rather spend my hours creating something that I think has innate value. Personally, I see more value in re-creating Gaudi’s Sagrado Familia out of toothpicks than I do in becoming a top digger, but everyone values different stuff.
#20 Dave Wong → 12.10.07 at 3:15 pm
Thank you for the thoughtful article. I find myself sometimes a little “behind the times” when I survey the blogging landscape, but thanks to having recently discovered sites like yours, I’ve begun thinking of and revising my blogging strategy.
I’m sure it’s old news, but to me it’s still pretty amazing to see how the world has changed in the last 20 years or so.
Information at the tips of one’s fingertips, small but powerful multi-touch interfaced devices — it’s all becoming very Star Trek-y.
#21 Jack Humphrey → 12.10.07 at 3:25 pm
I must have missed this one. Who in their right mind would ever think building a presence on the flavor of the day is a solid business building strategy?
A year from now whatever social site someone spends all their time and resources on is more likely to be on the downturn (or simply gone) like Myspace than it is to be growing.
Appreciate the post, but I can’t believe there are people out there who need to be reminded that you sign up for social sites to pull traffic back to a home base. You never ever work online without your own site period.
#22 Sean → 12.10.07 at 3:27 pm
” My Facebook uses the RSS application to show my latest posts from my blog”
Can you do this on MySpace, too? Can their blogs read feeds or do you need special code?
#23 Brian Clark → 12.10.07 at 3:31 pm Copyblogger
Well, Jack.. you know I agree.
But there’s been a lot of people saying this mess, and I think the tide has quickly turned back. I’m still puzzled as to why prominent bloggers with substantial digital assets themselves would promote such a position in favor of Silicon Valley start-up sites.
You’d almost think they had some other motivation.
Nahhh… couldn’t be.
#24 Adam Snider → 12.10.07 at 3:53 pm
This sums up my feelings quite well, and also describes one of the primary ways I use Facebook and Twitter.
#25 Carma Dutra → 12.10.07 at 4:02 pm
I began blogging in Feb of 07 and I am confused by all of this “flitter” about social media.
All of this frantic running around to get in on the latest software, venue, website, blog and etc. drives me bananas.
On top of this I have to worry about using rich content and worry if SEO’s approve of my words. I just want to write and develop a readership and hone my craft.
I realize I have a lot to learn, but why should I think about jumping ship when I still need to master the one I’m on.
Brian, I appreciate this post and your encouragement to be independent. After all, we are all entreprenuers and known for our individualism.
#26 Facebook vs les blogues — Michael Carpentier → 12.10.07 at 4:10 pm
[...] Aujourd’hui, quelqu’un l’a fait pour moi: Are you someone’s user generated content? [...]
#27 chris → 12.10.07 at 4:11 pm
Great post. In time people will discover the truth of the social-networking miracle… that it is just one more in a long line of mlm schemes that truly on benefit first movers.
Build your own brand. In time, if it is worthwhile, they will come.
#28 Yu → 12.10.07 at 4:21 pm
No matter where you go content is key. If your content sucks no one will come. It has to be unique and stand out not just because you want to come up in Google but because that’s the future. If you can’t appeal to human beings, you won’t survive if search is all ‘user driven’ or ‘user generated’. With the development of AI algorithms I see more people getting fun, relevant content and sticking to them. It’s almost like brand loyalty. When I have questions, I always come to copyblogger because you always have the answers. And after a while, readers will expect certain things from certain writers/bloggers. That’s the bond that’s going to give more rewards both sides. As you said Brian, it’s a win-win situation.
#29 JoLynn Braley → 12.10.07 at 5:08 pm
I’m a homeowner, used to be a renter, so I love the analogy of being a renter when you focus on social media…….I own my blog, so that’s where my time is spent. I didn’t even start on blogger or wordpress, it’s just so inexpensive to get your own domain, why wouldn’t you?
Re: social media and focusing on that instead of blogging….I don’t get that. I have heard a lot of talk about using social media to promote your own blog and bring traffic to it, however I’ve always heard that the main focus of your blog should be creating unique content.
I wouldn’t ever think of dumping a blog to pursue building a social media profile, but if I could spend a little time here and there on the social media while spending the bulk of my time blogging, then that could be OK. I really don’t spend much time with social media right now, in fact of all of them, I pretty much just use Stumbleupon.
#30 Shane Kane -TitleSuccess.com → 12.10.07 at 5:48 pm
It’s impossible to declare which social networking tool is most appropriate or most effective. It’s dependent upon a multitude of factors. For instance, my blog has enabled me to effectively reach a niche market in a timely and cost effective manner. But, is that to say it’s the most appropriate tool for everyone. Absolutely not.
#31 Mike Sigers → 12.10.07 at 6:52 pm
As usual, great job of saying what a lot of us think.
Another angle, not explored, is that those who gave up blogging to hang out posting pictures of themselves doing dumb things with dumber people is that they were on the verge of blogger burnout due to having exhausted the supply of content in their brains.
Little experience = few posts
Lotsa experience = lotsa posts
#32 Creating Your Own Internet Real Estate → 12.10.07 at 7:24 pm
[...] This was driven home today by an outstanding article by CopyBlogger’s Brian Clark, Are You Someone’s User Generated Content? Clark points to many articles by leading bloggers discussing the regrets people have felt [...]
#33 Martin → 12.10.07 at 8:26 pm
Brian,
Thanks for this post - confirmation of my own long-time reluctance to blog on the social networking sites that I’m a member of - the idea always seemed to me to be a duplication of effort, since I never had any intention of giving up my own blog!
Now I can continue to ignore the blogging aspects of them with a clear mind :-)!
Regards,
Martin
#34 @Stephen → 12.10.07 at 9:13 pm
I agree with Sonia, I use LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. to bring readers to my blog. I never got into Twitter because my phone is just a phone! I don’t have the time or inclination to send and receive text messages all day.
I can see a day not too far off when a disaffected college student will write a Firefox add-on that updates all of your social network sites right from your browser. Then you don’t actually have to spend the time to go there. And that will crash the advertising model. Gotta love open source!
#35 Ryan Holiday → 12.10.07 at 9:23 pm
Own your shit. Always. And I don’t think you should ever use social networking if it is not part of a larger plan to trade a little bit of your ownership for a larger audience. But the goal should always remain the same…
#36 Sean Hodge → 12.10.07 at 9:30 pm
Being a web designer I couldn’t bring myself to use something like blogger. It had to be my own. My own design. My own brand. My own content. Great article. Thanks.
#37 Blogging and the Social Networking Sites » Creating an Awesome Home Business → 12.10.07 at 9:30 pm
[...] This CopyBlogger post from Brian Clark has finally set my mind at ease. [...]
#38 Melissa Donovan → 12.11.07 at 1:37 am
I’m the exact opposite. I started blogging on MySpace and moved into the Internet beyond, as I like to call it. I wanted a home of my own.
-Melissa Donovan
Writing FORWARD
#39 Creating user-generated content via… « 4realz.net → 12.11.07 at 3:07 am
[...] December 11, 2007 by Dustin …a social networking application is like remodeling the kitchen in a house you rent. [...]
#40 User generated content - merita? » Adrian Diaconescu → 12.11.07 at 8:22 am
[...] [via Brian Clark (copyblogger)] [...]
#41 Bloggen oder Facebooken? | Werbeblogger - Weblog über Marketing, Werbung und PR » Blog Archiv » Bloggen oder Facebooken? → 12.11.07 at 8:27 am
[...] und die eigenen vier Wände zu verlassen, vermag ich nicht wirklich nachzuvollziehen. Ein Problogger bereut gar schon seine Entscheidung und formuliert seine Facebook-Erkenntnisse mit entsprechendem Zynismus so: I was offered a job [...]
#42 Someone Else's User-Generated Content | The Nascar Blog → 12.11.07 at 9:56 am
[...] over on Copyblogger has a great post titled Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content?, commenting on bloggers who have been abandoning their personal blogs in favor of social sites like [...]
#43 Margherita → 12.11.07 at 10:59 am
you’re so right, nothing compares to blogging!
#44 Michael → 12.11.07 at 11:29 am
@margherita
that´s right! YES!
#45 Open English → 12.11.07 at 1:50 pm
It’s so true… why in the world would you give up blogging for facebook? You could do both, but there is so much more pride in having your own space where you are the king.
#46 Lisa Gates → 12.11.07 at 3:20 pm
Thank god you said what was on my mind and bugging the hell out of me. The thing about owning, really owning one’s own blog is that we get to create and be in ONE conversation, not the unfocused hysteria of doing all, being all, often at the expense of our livelihoods. The only conversation that matters is the one that expresses brand you in service of your customers/clients.
#47 Speedlinking - 12 December 2007 → 12.11.07 at 4:09 pm
[...] at Copyblogger asks Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content? and extends my recent post on blogging vs social [...]
#48 Willy → 12.11.07 at 5:12 pm
Another thought on this post. Why do companies continue to use job posting sites in lieu of developing their own career sites? I understand the importance of expanding your audience by using sites like Monster and CareerBuilder, but many companies have really weak or even non-existent careers sites. It’s the same exact content issue in another arena.
#49 The Next Social Network: WordPress - GigaOM → 12.11.07 at 6:46 pm
[...] place online, but it’s not really your own place. As Copyblogger Brian Clark recently said in a blog post, “For me, there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating [...]
#50 Mark → 12.11.07 at 6:49 pm
Great post, Brian. While I have both FB and Twitter accounts, I generally find the platforms too ADHD for my taste. While many may disagree, I believe that creating a brand is fundamentally different than creating a celebrity persona for yourself via one-liners, the number of zombie points you’ve amassed, or how many “followers” you have. People who read your blog regularly because it resonates with them are a greater long-term asset, not only physically, but on a deeper level as well.
#51 DefogMyBlog → 12.11.07 at 7:50 pm
I can’t imagine giving up my blog and yet accept that maybe other people have a different vision and can get what it is they need solely from the social networks. I believe it is not a good idea to ignore the social networks and some of them like facebook have facilities for accepting blog posts similar to the way ezines do. On reading on the Ask Dave Taylor site I learned that we need to be careful with these RSS feeds and to only use an extract that has the post title and some freshly produced words in the excerpt and not the words of the post. The reason being is that we risk duplication of copy and the possibility of competing against our copy for Google ranking.
I wonder how that relates to posting the same video on several sites. Would this create similar problems?
#52 DefogMyBlog → 12.11.07 at 7:56 pm
I seem to have made an error in my url in that last comment.
#53 Small Business Marketing → 12.11.07 at 10:19 pm
I think you said it all especially the part about the blog being your piece of real estate so to speak. Sites like Facebook and MySpace are ‘community creativity sites’ the community determines where they go. A blog is defined by you and your interpretation of market needs and wants. I hope I made my point.
#54 Krishwords » Blog Archive » QOTD → 12.12.07 at 3:23 am
[...] Copyblogger [...]
#55 Copywriting and Blogging Dead? Bar Humbug. | The Copywriter's Crucible → 12.12.07 at 6:57 am
[...] people are taking this reflection seriously, with copywriting legend Bob Bly and blogging supremo Brian Clark both being forced to question the future of the well written word in [...]
#56 Mike → 12.12.07 at 7:24 am
I suppose the majority of people on facebook aren’t looking to make money from the web. As an Internet Marketer I believe you can and should try to leverage the traffic those sites get, but you should be spending most of your time on your own properties. You have to give a little to get back.
#57 Moebius » Blog Archive » ¿Y si el futuro no es Facebook sino Wordpress? → 12.12.07 at 10:55 am
[...] su propio lugar en línea, pero en realidad no es tu propio lugar. Brian Clark dijo recientemente en una entrada de blog, “hay un gasto de una gran cantidad de tiempo la creación de el usuario generados por [...]
#58 WordPress the Next Social Network? Say Hello to DiSo → 12.12.07 at 1:20 pm
[...] been some buzz in the blogosphere lately from some of the bloggers I respect, such as Hugh McLeod, Brian Clark, and Darren Rowse about how social networking isn’t exactly stealing any thunder from [...]
#59 The 3 Commandments of Online Marketing You Must Obey : Real Estate Marketing Blog → 12.12.07 at 1:27 pm
[...] I worked through Hugh McLeod’s Global Micro Brands archive, Brian Clark’s post on Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content? and in the the same hour, I also read through randfish’s visual tour of the basics of social [...]
#60 BlinkGeo » It’s Crantastic Link Karma - 12-12-2007 → 12.12.07 at 2:28 pm
[...] Copyblogger has a post entitled “Are You Someone Else’s User-Generated Content” that slices into whether to spend time blogging or on a social network. This quote sums it up: “…there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating “user-generated” content via a social networking application. That’s like remodeling the kitchen in a house you rent.” [...]
#61 latenightboredom dot com → 12.12.07 at 4:06 pm
[...] “For me, there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating “user-generated” co…” [...]
#62 DiSo - distributed social networking → 12.12.07 at 4:24 pm
[...] Este é o texto de apresentação do projecto DiSo, criado por Chris Messina, co-fundador da Citizen Agency. A Anne Zelenka, refere que os blogs são mais person-centric que as redes sociais e Brian Clark escreveu que “For me, there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating ‘user-generated’ content v….” [...]
#63 monawea → 12.12.07 at 10:10 pm
Great article but I think it’s missing an important point. Eventually people may get tired of reading blogs that do not offer some type of social networking element. Yes blogs are great for finding content and for many people that is all they need but there are those that seek community. With the exception of Mashable blog don’t generally offer any networking.
I completely agree that we should “own” our own property but it may be wise for some blogs to keep up with the changing web and offer some type of networking. Whether it be incorporating widgets from other communities or creating your own community within your blog. I have recently done this with one of my blogs using KickApps > Horse Approved
Social networks are also a great way to increase traffic to your blog if you are intentional about it. I don’t mean leaving spammy comments either. People like to follow those that offer using info. If your goal is to always offer rich content whether it be on your blog or in a network than people will follow you.
I am currently experimenting with social network marketing as well as attempting brand myself as the Queen of Social Network Marketing. (iwebis.com)
Anyway, great article but I just thought I would include some of my thoughts
#64 Vineet Nair → 12.13.07 at 12:25 am
I agree with you Brian, I would rather create my own content to enhance my online property than being someone else’s content but monavea has a valid point of blogs lacking a community, which is what is the USP of social networking sites. I agree with her about using social networking for marketing your brand.
I am definitely with you Brian in saying that blogging is not dead..
Vineet Nair
http://vineetnair.com
#65 WordPress the New Facebook? : Codswallop → 12.13.07 at 5:56 am
[...] said it better than most. Darren Rowse and Brian agree. Rather than be the source of “User Generated Content” for someone else, many [...]
#66 Ich richte meine Küche ein - Sajonara.de - Internetmagazin → 12.13.07 at 9:02 am
[...] voran Wordpress) als eine Art Soziales Netzwerk zu interpretieren. In dem Artikel wurde auf den Copyblogger Brian Clark (engl.) verwiesen, der den eben erwähnten Vergleich angestrengt [...]
#67 WordPress could replace “Growing Disenchantment with Social Networking” — Lawrence Salberg → 12.13.07 at 12:32 pm
[...] networking application. That’s like remodeling the kitchen in a house you rent.” - CopyBlogger Brian Clark as reported by Anne Zelinka in her [...]
#68 WordPress Blogs: The Next Social Network? « Gormful → 12.13.07 at 1:24 pm
[...] way of coming online. At least, that’s how I understood it. Copyblogger Brian Clark also made a very good point. Although social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster, Multiply, etc. provide their members [...]
#69 El retorno del bloguero » los sueños de la razón → 12.13.07 at 1:48 pm
[...] Brian Clark [...]
#70 Meeg → 12.13.07 at 6:22 pm
Good point.
I like to think of my blog as an advertisement for myself, a way to share with friends and maybe meet new people, and something that might someday be its own product.
You defintely shouldn’t waste all your time on myspace and facebook, but I think a profile on those sites can sometimes help attract readers to your blog.
#71 jp berger → 12.13.07 at 7:52 pm
A few months ago I decided it was time to enter the online conversation and unwisely jumped into the whole shebang all at once. Trying to figure it out as I go along, not only do I find myself spread too thinly but can honestly say that the Facebook experience is feeling a bit like a big silly game. Sure it is a colorful way to share emails with my true friends but there is very little meaningful interaction with most of the people on my friend list. Don’t get me wrong, I am for goofing off just as much as the next guy but when you only have so many hours in a day for efforts that are actually going to get you somewhere the little trivia competitions and digital beers don’t quite cut it. Give me a real beer anytime.
#72 Library clips :: Blogosphere as a distributed social network :: December :: 2007 → 12.13.07 at 8:33 pm
[...] sure what the answer is but recently there are a few posts going round suggesting the blogosphere as the ideal open social [...]
#73 The Next Social Network: WordPress « Harit, in his own thoughts… → 12.14.07 at 2:04 am
[...] own place online, but it’s not really your own place. As Copyblogger Brian Clark recently said in a blog post, “For me, there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating ‘user-generated’ [...]
#74 Snowboardjohn → 12.15.07 at 8:08 am
Facebook is nothing more then a fancy email platform.
Until Marketers are capable of categorizing the different reach mechanisms available to them online, they will struggle to utilize ANY individual mechanism in a meaningful way… Neverlone use them coherently as part of a larger strategy.
The most amusing part of it all is the gross generalities I see when Marketers discuss these reach tools - whether they be personal blogs, or a myspace page.
There is no “Web 2.0″ - all these social media are vastly different. Facebook has nothing but a “user base” in common with Wikipedia. But the hypers of the “social web” would have anyone willing to listen believe these things all fit into a larger, extremely important scheme. And that newbies need to do them all… NOW!
Truth is, it starts, and ends, with the market. If you have a reach strategy which generates leads for less money then they can be monetized for - and a decent offer, then you’ll make money.
Everything else is bullshit. Simple as that.
#75 Moebius » Blog Archive » ¿Y si el futuro no es Facebook sino wordpress? → 12.15.07 at 9:19 am
[...] su propio lugar en línea, pero en realidad no es tu propio lugar. Brian Clark dijo recientemente en una entrada de blog, “Para mí, no hay realmente ningún recurso en el gasto de una gran cantidad de tiempo la [...]
#76 Elaine Vigneault → 12.15.07 at 8:35 pm
I think it really just depends on what you’re interested in doing.
If you’re trying to sell something, like shoes, then it makes sense to use social networking and maybe blogging too. But if you’re selling a book blogging is probably better. If you’re not selling anything and instead you’re trying to sell yourself to potential employers or publishers, a blog is a good idea. If you just want to make money, well there are a ton of ways to do that and you just have to do what’s good for you. If you’re trying to get someone elected or change public opinion about something, you’ve GOT to use both methods: blogging and social networking. If you’re just out there to have fun, do what you want, both will do that.
Basically, it’s a false dichotomy. Obviously, you can do both, either, or none if you want. It’s a big, wide web full of possibilities.
#77 Tendencias Digitales - el blog » Blog Archive » Un interesante planteo: y si Facebook fuese más red que social? → 12.17.07 at 9:34 am
[...] Clark, citado en el post que linkeé arriba, en la pimera línea, dice algo bastante claro en una entrada de su blog: “para mí, no hay realmente ninguna utilidad en el gasto de una gran cantidad de tiempo en la [...]
#78 innerdimension.net » Social Networking: Back to the Blog? → 12.19.07 at 12:49 pm
[...] Copyblogger argues on the side of blogs as a better venue / value proposition versus Social Networks, since you can ultimately control your content versus providing your content to grow the value of the network, which you have no monetary interest in. The site obviously is looking at it from the profiteering perspective, which is valid, but everyone isn’t trying to live (or make money) on their blog. [...]
#79 Ding Dong, Digg is Dead | Copyblogger → 12.19.07 at 10:33 pm
[...] you social media utopians out there, pay heed. Social media is a reflection of society. Dorks like Mark Zuckerberg and Kevin Rose are not about openness and idealism, no matter what load they shovel to the masses. [...]
#80 When Copyblogger is pissed, people notice…I think… : Beyond Mom → 12.20.07 at 12:31 am
[...] you social media utopians out there, pay heed. Social media is a reflection of society. Dorks like Mark Zuckerberg and Kevin Rose are not about openness and idealism, no matter what load they shovel to the masses. [...]
#81 Social networking versus Blogging « Jeroen de Miranda’s Weblog → 12.21.07 at 2:38 pm
[...] own place online, but it’s not really your own place. As Copyblogger Brian Clark recently said in a blog post, “For me, there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating ‘user-generated’ [...]
#82 BrizBunny » Just Bumming Around . . . → 12.22.07 at 6:44 am
[...] to do is work out how to do the same thing for MySpace. Now I’ve really got to agree with CopyBlogger [^] : “…there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating [...]
#83 Novedades @ A.G.O.S.I.A. » Blog Archive » Un interesante planteo: y si Facebook fuese más red que social? → 12.22.07 at 1:43 pm
[...] Clark, citado en el post que linkeé arriba, en la pimera línea, dice algo bastante claro en una entrada de su blog: “para mí, no hay realmente ninguna utilidad en el gasto de una gran cantidad de tiempo en la [...]
#84 你是别人的UGC(User Generated Content)吗? (1) 为她人作嫁衣 | 我blog故我在 → 12.23.07 at 8:01 am
[...] Brian Clark在他的文章“Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content?”中比喻花精力搞自己在SNS上的“门脸”就如同花钱装修租的房子一样愚不可及： For me, there’s really no appeal in spending a lot of time creating “user-generated” content via a social networking application. That’s like remodeling the kitchen in a house you rent. [...]
#85 Chi ha detto che non è più tempo di tenere un BLOG? « Scioglilingua :: Tongue-Twister → 12.25.07 at 5:10 pm
[...] [Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content? by Brian Clark, December 2007 http://www.copyblogger.com/are-you-someones-user-generated-content/ [...]
#86 How to Prepare Yourself for the New Year: Eight Year End Optimization Tips → 12.28.07 at 4:31 pm
[...] I’m not joking. Having influencers in your pocket gives the freedom to stop being someone else’s user-generated content. Examine how you’ve been spending your time online and adjust according to your [...]
#87 stark raving calm » Blogs Are Dead, Long Live Blogging → 01.09.08 at 7:48 am
[...] Facebook is the new gorilla on the block, the inevitable backlash is ramping up. I first saw it on Copyblogger. The question asked by the post is: where are you going to put your content, on your property [...]
#88 Alternative Teen Services » The Effectiveness of Social Networking Sites → 01.10.08 at 4:59 pm
[...] traditional social networking sites. Anna Zelenka of Wordpress wrote a post mentioning how some well known bloggers have always seen the whole MySpace/Facebook thing to be pretty much a waste of time and found [...]
#89 dane → 01.26.08 at 2:37 am
i’ve generated visual content for 7 years since my daughter was born. For me it’s about the body of work and how it develops over time. (www.chloehoward.com)
The biggest *behavior* change in my authoring has been how I may carefully syndicate parts of that work within my social network in a targeted way, as all trackbacks come back to that *body of work*
I agree with the comment above. “Valuable content on a site you own is a classic win-win for readers and the site owner…” — To me, this is legacy building, and why we make, create.
#90 Linkdump 2 → 01.31.08 at 1:10 am
[...] - de titel zegt het al. Er komt veel bij kijken als je een filmpje “viral” wilt maken. Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content? - Een vraag die je aanzet tot nadenken. In the Cut and Paste Era, Traffic Happens Elsewhere - Steve [...]
#91 Blogosphere News 23 Feb | Blogging Sueblimely → 02.23.08 at 2:21 am
[...] Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content? Copyblogger makes a case aagainst contributing too much to social networking sites to the detriment of your blog. This is "like remodeling the kitchen in a house you rent" [...]
#92 You Must Build a Destination if You Want to Create a Fully Valued Sustainable Business Worth Buying — SEO Zeitgeist → 03.16.08 at 7:57 pm
[...] have greater organic growth opportunities due to a wider variety of organic distribution channels (rather than being someone else’s user generated content) [...]
#93 You Must Build a Destination if You Want to Create a Fully Valued Sustainable Business Worth Buying — SEO Zeitgeist → 03.16.08 at 7:57 pm
[...] have greater organic growth opportunities due to a wider variety of organic distribution channels (rather than being someone else’s user generated content) [...]
#94 Are you Addicted to Your Inbox? One tip to Save Your Time & Increase Productivity | Neil Lemons' Blog → 03.23.08 at 2:27 am
[...] wore off years ago, and although I still check for messages I’m done spending too much time building Zuckerberg & Murdoch’s content. Recently, I have realized the devastating effects of email checking on work productivity. [...]
#95 How Competitive Will the Web be in 3 Years? 5 Years? | Hittrafficer.com → 03.27.08 at 7:23 pm
[...] issue in not just an issue of being someone else’s user generated content versus becoming a destination, but also an issue of supply and demand. There is a lot of supply of [...]
#96 How Competitive Will the Web be in 3 Years? 5 Years? — SEO Zeitgeist → 03.30.08 at 4:09 pm
[...] issue in not just an issue of being someone else’s user generated content versus becoming a destination, but also an issue of supply and demand. There is a lot of supply of [...]
#97 Joseph Ratliff → 04.29.08 at 9:54 am
I equate my blog to a “magnet.”
It attracts potential clients, new JV partners, advertisers looking to gain traffic for their business…and a little cash along the way.
Without it, I would not have the business I do today.
Joseph Ratliff
Author of The Profitable Business Edge 2
#98 Decentralized Social Networking « Hone Watson Bookmarks → 05.06.08 at 8:47 pm
[...] Are you someones user generated content? [...]
#99 bdITjobs.com : : Blog » Blog Archive » How to Prepare Yourself for the New Year: Eight Year End Optimization Tips → 05.27.08 at 5:28 pm
[...] each month.And I’m not joking. Having influencers in your pocket gives the freedom to stop being someone else’s user-generated content. Examine how you’ve been spending your time online and adjust according to your [...]
#100 Social Media Free For All Pages → 08.09.08 at 11:10 am
[...] is hard to create a destination, become an icon, or build a brand if you are stuck on a large anonymous network. And spending too much time on such a network can warp your perception of reality by showing you [...]
#101 BigBizz Affiliate Marketing Blog » Blog Archive » Social Media Free For All Pages → 08.21.08 at 11:38 am
[...] is hard to create a destination, become an icon, or build a brand if you are stuck on a large anonymous network. And spending too much time on such a network can warp your perception of reality by showing you [...]
#102 303 Insanely Interesting Links From 2007 -- Jarkko Laine - Insanely interested → 09.23.08 at 5:43 am
[...] Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content?, CopyBlogger [...]
#103 Where does UGC rank on your trust meter? 10 perspectives on User Generated Content. « Direct Marketing Observations → 10.08.08 at 12:43 pm
[...] Are you someone user generated content? and All (User-Generated) Content Doesn’t Want to Be Free: [...]
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