Insights from Nebo

We talk about “quality content” like it’s a destination.

Like all it takes to be a great content marketer is consistently clearing some imaginary hurdle, or reaching the top of a hill somewhere where you can exclaim to the world, “We’ve done our research! We’ve brainstormed topics! We’ve written “quality content”! Now give us all the audience!”

But what happens when you get to the top of that hill and, instead of a megaphone, you find every single one of your competitors clamoring for elbow room?

What happens when pretty much everyone in the world is writing “quality content”?

Picture it:  June 29, 2007.

Steve Jobs, decked out in his patented mom jeans, released an innovative device that revolutionized the way we live and work by combining multiple things into one simple phone. Today, while Apple continues to improve on the iPhone and create new products like the Apple Watch, nothing has had the wow factor of that first device.

It’s not that hard to pull out a credit card versus using Apple Pay. Updates to the camera are so minute that it doesn’t matter. And, while the Apple Watch looks really sweet, it feels more like a grandiose want rather than a need. In short, it’s nothing that’s going to change the way I live and work like the iPhone Uno.

It was bound to happen eventually.

Earlier this summer, something called the Ice Bucket Challenge took social media by storm. For weeks now, videos have been popping up of our friends and favorite celebrities dousing themselves in ice water. Most of us have, at one point or another, been tagged on Facebook by friends urging us to do the same. 

It was all part of a viral campaign to raise awareness and funds for ALS research. And it worked. ALS has raised nearly $80 million in funds since the trend took off. 

But we all know that we can’t have nice things on the Internet! So it was only a matter of time before the criticism set in. 

One of the reasons I love working in paid media is because of the industry’s dynamic nature. Every month brings a multitude of changes in the platforms and tools we use, which in turn impact the way we do our jobs. To keep us all up to date on these changes, here are some of the past month's most noteworthy paid media headlines. 

I have a big problem with how search engine optimization is often perceived.

Turn on the TV and you’ll see shows like The Good Wife describe SEO as “spam”. Even Dexter drove a dagger through my heart by calling it “bullshit.” (pun intended)

It begs the question: why would SEO be thought of in that way?

Sure, there are those that use blackhat methods to get quick results, but that’s only a fraction of the SEO population. Beyond that, blackhat tactics are becoming more and more rare as Google gets better at sniffing them out. So why won’t the perception change?

I believe the perception of SEO won’t change as long the industry continues to prioritize tactics over strategy.

The Atlanta Beltline is the most transformative smart growth project in the United States. A 22 mile emerald loop of parks, trails and transit will soon encircle our city and represent a new path towards a better Atlanta.

As a fan of new urbanism and someone who is passionate about our city, it’s a project I’m proud to support. So when Jennifer Dorian and her team from the Atlanta Beltline Partnership reached out to us to discuss ways to help them hit their 2014 fundraising goals, we immediately offered to help.