Digital Marketing And Social Media PR – The Future Buzz

I like Jesse Stay (and am a reader of his blog) and wasn’t initially going to blog this. But thinking about it further, and as someone who works both on social media and SEO clients/projects, I felt a need to weigh in and not leave this conversation unchecked.

Ben Elowitz contributed an article to The Huffington Post with the unfortunate title: “Facebook’s Like Button: A Force Powerful Enough to Save Media from Google Search.” The entire premise that media needs to be “saved” from Google search is a line that has been trotted out for years. However it’s one that makes no sense. The article also glowing looks to Facebook’s like feature as somehow being a saving grace for newspapers. That is extremely wishful thinking.

Everyone is buzzing about social media marketing. You can’t turn your head without hearing about it at a conference. Marketing and PR professionals are either engaged today or thinking about how to engage tomorrow. Everyone is suddenly claiming expert status (by the way: you don’t need a social media expert, you just need a good marketer).

The social web and search results support each other and are inexorably linked. It goes beyond a mere passive connection, the two create an active, virtuous cycle growing more powerful daily. I mocked up a quick version of what I view the cycle as:

Just got back into Minneapolis from San Jose, so I wanted to share more of the coverage Jolina Pettice and I have been working on all week to bring tips, trends and presentations from Search Engine Strategies directly to you. Check out the following sessions to see what the buzz was all about at the highly anticipated 2009 event:

This is long, so I will start it with the Cliffs notes version per the request of a friend – but please take the time to read all my thoughts before commenting.

Summary:

• Cash for blog post companies potentially disrupt how search engines can properly attribute organic SEO.
• Search engines will find out about illegitimate cash-for-link disruptions and take corrective action.
• White-hat PR and web marketing initiatives may be called into question due to misinterpreting the intersection of marketing and search engines as more sponsored conversations occur alongside organic.
• Traditional linkbait campaigns may one day be worth less if search engines are forced to devalue links from bloggers (this is only speculation at this point).
• Bloggers and marketers engaging in outright cash-for-play are involved in risky behavior even with no-follow links due to halo effect of linking in viral promotions.
• Marketers/PR practitioners should not fear continuing to engage in honest, organic and ethical web marketing and PR that respects both users and search engines.