Flip Flop Friday: The Digital Truth is Out There...

For several months now I have had a feeling that the digital world is not panning out as it was hyped up to be.

I have seen posts here mentioning that faith in the combination of social media, FB, SEO and other trickery has waned or is not reliable, or does not produce results (as 'promised').  I think that SEO is more important than any of these...

But this is what caught my eye yesterday...

"4 million blogs are posted every day"

That's a lot of blogging. Think about it: EVERY DAY.  What is Google and Bing doing about this information??  My guess: very little.  They are overwhelmed.  Perhaps.

The days of being found via an informative blog may be waning. Some here continue to get leads from blogs and perhaps it works to some degree.

But the same can be said about just everything that is thrown in the digital bin.  Yes, some are making money as influencers, some with blogs that are very specific and targeted.  But the time and effort typing frantically away on your keyboard, at least to me, is showing diminishing results.

Guess how many new websites are created every minute: 380!!

I think a reality check is in order.

About 25 years ago, before Internet -- 'BI', I went to the public library to cull names and addresses from phone books in order to develop a mailing list.  I was ushered into a large room about 18 feet high and 40 x 40 in size.  On every wall of that room were white pages of every citizen in this country.  I felt immediately defeated and walked out.

Fast forward to about 15 years, after the Internet -- 'AI', and now we have this: Billions and billions of webs.  In a few short months, there will be 2 Billion Webs online.

so what, you ask?

So, I ponder... hmmm.  Life went on BI just wonderfully.  People did exactly what they are doing now, they performed the exact basic services and were able to communicate with each other in order to start and build successful businesses.  There were no social media platforms, no webs, no email, no internet.  So how in the world did things actually happen without all this digital gadgetry??  Folks, we have been steered down a tenuous path... at the least.

We have bought this notion that electrons through space will solve all our problems.  Pretty moving pictures on bright screens, interrupted by countless ads and commercials, claiming that success and riches can be eeked out of multiple keystrokes, is the route to progress and untold wealth.

I have to admit: I am just not convinced anymore.

I think this is FAKE ELECTRON talk.  

Those who invented this stuff have obviously made the most money.  Like a pyramid scheme, they gather others who drank the Koolaid around them offering lesser platforms and wild promises if they just used their systems to get ahead.  "Advertise to your contact lists and find more people who share your interests!"

If you are like the millions out there who spend most of your time daily fiddling with content, keywords, sending out blanket emails, tweaking your webs, posting videos, trying to make Instagram, Pinterest, and other platforms work for you, trying to understand the latest algorithms, trying to write blogs ... and find yourself at the end of the day with a blank expression on your face, then you know innately that something is not working.

It happens that those with the most funds available to advertise on SEs are getting the best results.  Plausibly.

Have you tried magazine advertising lately or sending out unsolicited brochures in the mail?  It has a very low ROI.  Why?  Everyone is relying on their social media platforms to navigate the world.  For every reason and need plausible.  For almost everything.  

So the bottom line is that digital warriors everywhere are using the same techniques to promote their business.  But the algorithms shift constantly.  If you sit still for a minute you will get passed over.  If you sit unaware for too long, you will be forgotten.  That is: digitally.  If everyone is trying to do the same thing then it stands to reason that all rise and sink together.  Very strange notion. 

So one has to ask: is a web a calling card, a portfolio, a showcase of your work and services, a compendium of items for sale, and is it the principle method to obtain new work?  A few years back that's what we all were told.  Then everyone put up websites.  Now there are 2 billion and counting.  If you made any mistakes with your metatags, content, keyword count, illegal backlinks, etc. then you pretty much got canned.  And did you even know what had happened?  Only until Google Analytics was brought out.

Then, the thing to do to 'get ahead' was to get on social media.  Everyone jumped in.  The earlier the better, it actually turns out.  That didn't work quite well after a bit and so we had to start paying for promotions on these platforms, including SE's.  After spending a few thousand with little or nothing to show, I am not convinced.

The latest way to get noticed: Create a great video and pay to be the first advertised on videos dealing with related subjects -- geared towards a target audience/market.

Oh, I need a professional to do all this stuff for me.  OK. That would be nice.

Bottom line: too much time and effort spent in the digital world, too little on person to person contact.  The consensus recently is that the latter is going to be best for you.

Thanks for reading to this point. As far as I'm concerned... I don't want to get fooled again.

Get out and meet or introduce yourself to potential clients.  Call them on the phone.  Go by their office or house and shake hands, tell them how you can best help them reach their goals.

Some solid info for those of you who wish to continue to blog:

1.  Weave your personal story into your blog.  Capture the attention and imagination of your reader.    A great story intro yields a 300% better chance your reader will follow you to the end.  Average time looking at the blog also increases 5 fold

2.  Make yourself the main character and relate your own experience.  Throw in a few outrageous statements...

3.  Use anecdotes from your experience.  Relate to human emotion and responses so that your reader connects with you on a psychological and emotional level.

4.  Make sure the story has an 'aha' moment where your audience can relate to your assessment and conclusions.

5.  If you run out of ideas, just Google a topic that you have on your mind and weave in some content and theme.

6.  A 'How To' title or one that sounds somewhat subversive or informative at the least is important.  "A Guide to.."  "10 Ways that.."

7. According to Chima Mmeje, your blog should be:

• Entertaining and fun.  Interesting
• Educational
• Easily Relatable
• Organized
• Memorable

"... feature at least one character, introduce conflict and close with a resolution of conflict."

 

 

JOHN HENRY ARCHITECT  Orlando Florida Custom Home Designs

Beautiful European and American classical period luxury homes and plans created by premier residential Architect John Henry has been a passion now for over 30 years.  Inspired by old world archaeology and medieval to Renaissance architecture -- and having lived in Europe and the Middle East-- John Henry is widely known for the romantic and period details that make his work breathe a certain soul and drama. Striving for world-class results, his award-winning work reflects the details and proportions of luxury real estate plans in historical European and American traditional styles. Attention to detail and continuity mean that the architectural interiors should also be integrated properly.

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