Why do we write content? As a guest poster, I mean. Do we write content for acceptance? Do we write it for link bait? How about authority and recognition (completely different from acceptance)?
When we decide to write a guest post, we do it for the experience, support and ultimately the beautiful little traffic spike. We're prepared to engage the readers in their brutal honesty. As a guest blogger, the attitude should always be one of, "We're ready to see what the world really has to say."
Putting yourself out there is something we do daily as a company; especially since our bread and butter is content development. Therefore, as content developers, we love exploring and discovering a nice mix of international readers and, every so often, a thought provoking discussion ensues.
We, you, the writer - we all have something to say about our craft. We have our own experiences to share, which may differ from your experiences. Whether you agree with them or not is the beauty of writing and guest posting. Sharing and writing informational posts allows the reader to judge the work, to comment, to participate, to add, or to ignore. It's your choice, but if you contribute, you contribute to something greater
Adding To Collective Intelligence
How many of you are familiar with the topic of Collective Intelligence? Personally, I'm thrilled to become a part of it all
When we write content, post and discuss on various social platforms, we're contributing to the collective intelligence, or wisdom of crowds. In short, it's the collective contributions of all of us - you, me, companies, individuals, experts, bloggers, etc. writing articles and pouring them into the Web.
Sometimes we, at Level343 - write about SEO and sometimes about social media, marketing, etc., but we always write from a place of been there, done that. Even when we're writing about something we did and failed at... after all, isn't that the best way to learn? Through the mistakes of others?
As marketers, as SEO providers and as content developers, we know and understand the value of great content. We know the value of capturing a readers attention. Whether the response is good or bad, creating that response is a huge thrill.
Why? How can a negative response be good?
Everyone has an opinion; everyone has an idea of what's right and wrong. The comments an article solicits, however, contribute to the collective as a whole.
We readers and writers learn from the articles and comments, increasing our own knowledge. In turn, our increased knowledge is incorporated into our business practices. Our practices are incorporated into client-level knowledge; this knowledge is passed to others, and so on.
A New Level Of Discovery
It's exciting, this new level of knowledge sharing. Historically, there's never been anything like it. We have an amazing ability to globally connect and share information, as well as collaborate and create. Contributions to programs, projects and documents come in from everywhere, providing unprecedented growth; new, innovative services are being offered to millions at a much lower cost.
So here we are, with all this information pouring into the netherNet. If you consider all the information being collected, whether from comments left on posts, articles from a journal, data being shared on SEOMoz or Search Engine People, you get a pile of structured and unstructured data from across the Web. Add that to the way semantic Web technology is growing, and you get a completely new level of discovery, innovation and problem solving.
When you break the various sources of collection into categories, the amount is staggering. With just three below, there is tons of information available:
The Blogosphere
Every post is a contribution, although not every post is accurate. For every person who posts, an opinion, point of view, amount of experience and so forth is added to mankind's collective intelligence.
Every comment is a contribution. How many times have you read an article, only to find more (and sometimes better) information in the comments? Listen, discussion creates innovation! It increases knowledge and helps spark ideas and new thoughts!
Product Reviews
Product reviews not only enable individuals to find out how others experienced a product, but also, they provide instant feedback for the product manufacturers. Businesses need to pay attention to their reviews for more than just reputation control; this is invaluable information coming from their target market.
Scientific Papers
There's no doubt our understanding of the universe and the world around us is growing. Seldom, however, does our understanding grow based on the work of a single individual. Consider how many research teams receive grants for their work.
The dearth of scientific papers, research, studies, etc. available online is amazing. The great thing about it is, you don't have to agree with a study for it to be useful. This idea begs the question, How many discoveries started with, I don't agree with that, but maybe if I do this instead? How much of our growth in all areas of science started with a discussion, which sparked an idea, which sparked a brainstorming session, which
Idealist? Maybe
- But so what? So, maybe I am an idealist. Maybe I'm part of the minority, in wanting to contribute to something greater. I hope not; mankind is moving so fast now, we've moved beyond the great unknown and come out the other side. I want to be a part of it!
So, we're going to keep posting great content, sharing our own experiences, opinions and know-how. And, when I read an article and it brings emotion whether to agree or disagree -, I'm going to comment. I'm going to review products when I use them, add feedback when it comes to me, and, in general, always try to make sure my contributions contain value.
I invite you to do the same, and welcome you to the collective!
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