It’s likely you have heard the phrase “content is king” (or “queen,” to be fair). This thinking is especially true today when you consider how easy it is to find, consume, interact with and share valuable content on the Web with personal devices, including computers and mobile phones. Web 2.0 content and services have simplified and scaled how people live, work, play and learn.

A little history as food for thought – during the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June 1776. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence. A committee of five had prepared this statement, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it July 4, 1776.

Without a doubt, this was a period in history with significant conflict, innovation and societal shifts that proved worthwhile and raised democracy to a whole new level. And for over 200 years, Americans have been celebrating freedom on July 4th with much fanfare, gratitude and reflection. 

What’s the point, you may ask? This post’s timing has some influence, of course, but to put things in context – the Internet and consumer behaviors that have evolved as a result of Web 2.0 innovations have created new demands and expectations for quality content and experiences that are free and easy to enjoy and use.  Which brings me to a book I just finished called World Wide Rave, written by David Meerman Scott.

World Wide Rave is all about setting your royal content free to help you spread ideas, excitement, stories and thought leadership to a large community of people that can help you and your business. Many marketers, especially in B2B segments, tend to rely too much on the age-old paradigm of placing quality content behind contact forms to help with lead generation and sales. While lead generation and measuring downloads is important, businesses can no longer afford to ignore how social media, search and user expectations have changed the game for marketing and sales teams in terms of content creation, promotion and distribution. 

Further, a World Wide Rave is when people around the world are talking about you, your company and your products. It's when global communities eagerly and effortlessly link to your content and services on the Web, whether you’re located in San Francisco, Dubai or Reykjavík. It’s when online buzz drives buyers to your virtual doorstep and when many of your fans visit your Web site and blog because they genuinely want to be there instead of your competitors’ sites.

According to David Meerman Scott, the rules of a rave include:

• Nobody cares about your products (except you)
• No coercion required
• Lose control
• Put down roots
• Create triggers that encourage people to share
• Point the world to your virtual doorstep.

I recommend the book, and it’s available on Amazon. World Wide Rave is fun to read, and it's packed with great tips and guidance that any marketer can apply. True, old beliefs can be difficult to change in your organization, but it’s worth trying new things to connect with and engage today’s Internet users. Go ahead, don’t be afraid to set your royal content free and use integrated marketing tools like Lyris HQ Web Analytics to help your organization understand and report impact and results.

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About the Author

Erick Mott is the communications director for Lyris. Connect and collaborate with him on http://twitter.com/lyris and www.linkedin.com/in/erickmott.

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