Collaboration – what others can do for you
Reading my industry magazine .Net (yes I still read proper printer material), the power of collaboration and how essential this is to your website and offering.
Every month there’s a showcase section where specific people are invited to recommend their most impressive websites on a given topic… These people have committed to this magazine to provide three or four example every month on their chosen topic – month after month… no doubt this changes from time to time. But it is still extremely telling.
A quick examination of my favourite magazine and probably 25% of the content is farmed out in this way, that’s 25% fewer things for the editor to think about and 25% of his job reduced to a mere email (have you done it?).
There is every reason to suppose that these contributors are also unpaid, they are doing it either to promote themselves, because they want to or because they are industry leaders and it’s in their interest. That then will be 25% less costs (for content etc).
This is a perfect example of what we should all be doing. We are glad and proud when we put out a new Case Study or have a guest Blogger write produce something for our Blog. But we need to go much further than this.
Let’s make a list:
- Company News – we have to produce this ourselves – Press Releases and Company News – straightforward enough
- Industry Comment – to be authoritative in your industry you need to talk/write about – this can be produced in-house. But why not collaborate as well… get the real industry leaders to help you. Get the people who actually make you the best to help.
- Staff Comment – there is no harm in asking various staff members to contribute regularly or occasionally and their topics can be a bit more off beat and provide real interest for people looking at your services
- Referral – there is no harm in recommending other websites – follow another Blog, engage outside your own website and participate within your industry. Refer your audience to what you read. It all adds up to making you more authoritative.
I’ve touched on three key elements here, firstly involve your staff/employees – their knowledge is what makes your company, I see no harm in letting them share in it all; secondly try to get an industry leader or recognised persons within your industry to contribute a regular column, it may be a customer of yours (free publicity) or a supplier, or someone you just like the sound of… point is their credence gives you a huge about of weight and finally thirdly make use of the thousands of others that are writing diligently on the web, it might be BBC News article, an industry spotlight, a how to guide or even a competitor website, your customers will thank you for pointing them in the right direction and that adds up to good service.
What you waiting for!