We’re entering into a new era of the Internet. Steve Rubel, EVP of Global Strategy and Insights for Edelman during his presentation at Mashable Connect 2011. This shift is changing the nature of authority.
Prior to the Validation era, the Internet experienced two other distinct eras, says Rubel. The first was the era of “Commercialization” (1994-2002), in which publishing was “costly and inaccessible to the masses.” As a result, media companies and brands ruled the digital space and the dot-com boom gave rise to a few new players, including Yahoo, Amazon and Google. Internet life has begun, as of 2010.
How do brands gain authority in the age of digital overload? Traditional media encompasses the big media companies that have “survived and thrived.” This includes radio, TV and print media outlets. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are driving increased engagement with brands and increased traffic to the other media spheres.
Here are Rubel’s five steps for success:
1. Elevate the Experts: Brings together subject matter experts to discuss how technology is connecting people in all new ways across various industries.
2. Curate to Connect: Rubel pointed out an unprecedented opportunity for companies and individuals to gain authority and become thought leaders by being the ones who “separate art from junk for people to understand it.” Social video king YouTube, for example, is finding new ways to curate the massive amount of videos that YouTube users upload on a daily basis.
3. Dazzle with Data: “People on the Internet do not read,” Rubel says. “They read 20% of a webpage before they move on; 57% never come back to that page. The solution is to make data and information more visual and entertaining. The Times has produced some of the most compelling graphics on the web.
4. Put Pubs on Hubs: Publish your company’s content, such as slideshows and white papers, on hubs like SlideShare and Scribd, so that interested parties can access it and “go deeper” when they want to. Facebook, for example, is using Scribd to publish guides and case studies for developers, journalists and Facebook Page administrators.
5. Ask & Answer: “Be a source of knowledge,” Rubel says. Social media is a great outlet for doing just that. Answering and asking questions online is just as valid as doing the same thing in person. The Internet is not just a playland, it is an extension of our offline lives, a place where individuals and companies can become highly influential and respected.
